NEW YORK (February 13, 2024) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced seven additional action-packed matchups for the debut of Bellator Champions Series Belfast including two clashes between number one contenders on Friday, March 22 at The SSE Arena, Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The first battle of number one contenders takes place in the Middleweight division when England’s gifted southpaw striker Fabian Edwards (12-3), will look to use his power to neutralize Canada’s Aaron Jeffery’s (14-4) relentless ground and grappling game. Featherweight number one contenders collide when Ireland’s submission machine James Gallagher (12-2) faces Canada’s jiu-jitsu standout Jeremy Kennedy (19-3) in what will be a battle of wit and stamina. Rounding out the five-fight main card will be a Lightweight fight featuring England’s Tim Wilde (17-4-1) versus undefeated PFL Challengers Series veteran Manoel Sousa (10-0).
The debut Bellator Champions Series Belfast event on March 22 is anchored by a battle for the vacant Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship pitting former title challenger Corey Anderson (17-6, 1 NC) against Northern Ireland’s Karl Moore (12-2), and co-main evented by a Women’s Featherweight rematch between Belfast’s Leah McCourt (8-3) and Dublin’s Sinead Kavanagh (9-6).
The card can be seen live in the U.K. on DAZN beginning at 5 pm GMT / 12 pm ET, additional distribution information including a U.S. broadcast partner will be announced in coming weeks.
The preliminary portion of the event is also beginning to take shape, with the news that homegrown Bellator prospect Ciaran Clarke (8-0) will try to remain undefeated against Darius Mafi (4-1) at 135-pounds, former Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix quarterfinalist Tofiq Musayev (21-5) tangles with London Shootfighters standout Alfie Davis (16-4-1) at Lightweight, Bellator and PFL veteran Nathan Kelly (9-2) of SBG Ireland goes up against India’s Vikas Singh Ruhil (12-7) at Featherweight, and finally undefeated Heavyweights collide when Abraham Bably (3-0) goes toe-to-toe with Isaiah Pinson (3-0).
Updated Bellator Champions Series Belfast Main Card
Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Corey Anderson (17-6, 1 NC) vs. Karl Moore (12-2)
Women’s Featherweight Co-Main Event: Leah McCourt (8-3) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (9-6)
Middleweight No. 1 Contender Bout: Fabian Edwards (12-3) vs. Aaron Jeffery (14-4)
Featherweight No. 1 Contender Bout: Jeremy Kennedy (19-3) vs James Gallagher (12-2)
Lightweight Main Card Bout: Tim Wilde (17-4-1) vs. Manoel Sousa (10-0)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Ciaran Clarke (8-0) vs. Darius Mafi (4-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Tofiq Musayev (21-5) Alfie Davis (16-4-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Nathan Kelly (9-2) vs.Vikas Singh Ruhil (12-7)
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Abraham Bably (3-0) vs. Isaiah Pinson (3-0)
Tickets for Bellator Champions Series in Belfast are available now beginning at ticketmaster.ie. Doors for Bellator 302 open at 4 pm local time, with the first preliminary bout taking place one hour later at 5 pm.
Prior to the Professional Fighter’s Leagues industry shaping acquisition of Bellator in November of 2023, Bellator held 301 events building a recognized worldwide roster of elite talent. In re-imagining Bellator the PFL will continue the commitment of investing in athletes from underserved regions while continuing to add global stars to the roster.
PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next- generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
