Patricio Pitbull is expressing his anger towards Donn Davis and PFL after the recent changes in the league’s format and the end of the Bellator brand.
It’s no secret that Pitbull’s relationship with Davis and his organization has deteriorated, with Pitbull publicly requesting his release multiple times. Now, with PFL announcing changes to its season format and the closure of Bellator, which was acquired by PFL in November 2023, Pitbull has taken to criticizing the league.
“Self-called co-leader in MMA and fighters first organization is cutting a bunch of fighters and forcing others to take pay cuts of up to 70 percent,” Pitbull wrote on Twitter, initiating a series of comments. “No respect for fighter contracts and what they’ve accomplished.”
Self called co-leader in MMA and fighters first organization is cutting a bunch of fighters and forcing others to take pay cuts of up to 70%.
No respect for fighter contracts and what they’ve accomplished.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
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Can you imagine starting your journey with PFL at 10+10, winning the championship in just 3 fights, competing for 119+119, then unfortunately losing the title and reverting back to 19+19? It’s a rollercoaster of emotions in the fight game.
Or picture earning 50k, being asked to serve as an alternate, and being pressured into accepting a mere 10k or risk losing out on a title shot. Tough decisions in the world of MMA. https://t.co/MfuBTlde6X— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
PFL seems to be structuring their organization and contracts in a way that will restrict fighters from earning even close to 50% of what I currently make in the future. It appears they want to keep fighters locked into lower pay grades, significantly below what top UFC fighters receive, with limited opportunities to transition to bigger promotions.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
It seems like that’s the direction they’re heading in, albeit subtly. The lack of response to messages since last week is concerning, but I’m hopeful for answers soon.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
For those curious about my contract situation, here’s some context. The agreement was finalized years before the sale of @BellatorMMA, back when there were no talks of a sale. My fights consistently drew larger ratings and ticket sales compared to other champions. The numbers spoke for themselves, we knew my value.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
I reached out to Francis Ngannou because of his new role as a PFL executive and his previous statements about advocating for fighter rights.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025