PFL's Donn Davis responds to Bellator fighter complaints about inactivity, unpaid medicals: 'We're direct, honest and cheap'

PFL co-owner Donn Davis claims the fighters airing grievances about their remedy within the wake of the Bellator acquisition don’t characterize the bulk.

After PFL acquired the Bellator model in December, a gentle stream of complaints from a few of its fighters grew to become public. Probably the most notable and vocal is former Bellator champion Gegard Mousasi, who mentioned the PFL brass have minimize communication together with his group below what he believes is the intention to not honor the phrases of his Bellator contract.

Former multi-time Bellator titleholder Douglas Lima has supplied comparable frustrations, and present Bellator ladies’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg has been persistently pushing to cage again within the cage as quickly as doable towards Larissa Pacheco, the two-time PFL ladies’s featherweight season winner, who has additionally spoke out on social media.

Davis mentioned he understood when PFL overtook Bellator’s operations there could be some unexpected points, although he “anticipated extra hiccups” within the course of. He made it clear he’s happy with the place issues stand general with each PFL and Bellator, and added he’s actively working to resolve any excellent points with athletes.

“Sometimes we’ll have a fighter grumble,” Davis mentioned on the “Weighing In” podcast with John McCarthy and Josh Thomson. “It’s considered one of 205 (fighters we acquired from Bellator). You count on 5 to 10 p.c points on any deal. You’ll be able to’t be good. You could be 90 to 95 p.c. We’ve had a handful of individuals say, ‘Oh, I want it went this fashion, I want it went that means.’ I’m delighted. I’m very, very pleased with how we handled our fighters. How we deal with our staff. Most of all, the product. We simply accomplished our second (Bellator present) in Paris, which was superior. We didn’t sit on this for six months. We didn’t take a yr off. We didn’t lay off 100 fighters. All of the stuff that at all times occurs in all acquisitions. So I simply couldn’t be extra proud.

“I’ll say two issues: One, what I’m tremendous pleased with is the market, and anybody you discuss to – fighters, enterprise companions, media, mangers – we’re direct, honest and cheap. 100%. That’s my 35 years in enterprise. That’s the tradition we’ve constructed right here. So I’ll say, with out commenting out of respect on particular person negotiations and specifics conditions – we’re direct, honest and cheap with everyone that we cope with. Will everyone’s contract be honored? After all. Do some individuals have completely different concepts of what works and what doesn’t work? Certain. However we’re honest and cheap with everyone. Will all 205 fighters (from Bellator) have every thing fall the best way they need? No.”

Along with the complaints round exercise, Bellator veteran in Sabah Homasi claims he has unpaid medical payments stemming from therapies for an damage sustained in a Bellator battle. It’s sometimes the onus of the promoter to reimburse fighters below these circumstances. Homasi mentioned he’s owed cash, with UFC light-weight contender Dustin Poirier spotlighting his situation.

Davis mentioned these conditions boil right down to the timing of the Bellator deal. He mentioned it’s the accountability of earlier possession to pay these payments, and his attorneys are presently working to make sure every thing is buttoned up.

“That was Paramount not paying,” Davis mentioned. “We labored to get him paid. All occurred earlier than we purchased it. We’re making an attempt to remain low-key as a result of that’s who we’re. Paramount didn’t pay. We’re working to get anyone who owes him to pay him. Plenty of these fighters and managers don’t even perceive what they don’t perceive. These aren’t our payments. These are the outdated firm’s payments.”

No matter public skepticism seemingly rising about Bellator’s operations behind the scenes, Davis is bullish on the affluent way forward for the model, and reminded that the fallout of the deal remains to be recent as he navigates the trail ahead.

“The acquisition of Bellator didn’t shut till December,” Davis mentioned. “We had a reimagined product with a full schedule and fighters with two fights for the yr by February. That’s exceptional. I’ve performed dozens of acquisitions that have been both offered or purchased, and I’ve by no means seen it. I’m tremendous pleased with the PFL group. We’re a small firm. Now we have 62 complete staff and this yr we’ll do 30 occasions on 4 continents, having acquired an organization with 205 fighters, and we’re getting everyone two fights on extremely produced, premium stuff on 4 continents.

“I’m not blowing smoke with you guys: I’m shocked. Not stunned. Shocked is after stunned, that we have been capable of give 96, 97, 98 p.c of fighters two fights this yr, given we closed this deal in December.”