Patricio Pitbull blasts PFL, Donn Davis, following league changes, Bellator closure
Patricio Pitbull is furious with Donn Davis and PFL after the league’s recent format changes and the end of the Bellator brand.
It’s been no secret that Pitbull’s relationship with Davis and his organization has become badly fractured, with the longtime face of Bellator publicly asking for his release on multiple occasions. Now, with PFL announcing changes to its season format and the closure of Bellator—which was acquired by PFL in November 2023—Pitbull has decided to go all in on slamming 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, kicking off 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%.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
No respect for fighter contracts and what they’ve accomplished.
“The self-called fighters first organization is also changing its contracts so it’s almost impossible for fighters to be free agents and to leave on free agency,” he continued. “Also tying down fighters payments for many years and taking away all their leverage.”
“The self-called co-leader in MMA is ghosting some fighters/managers and leaving them with no answers while the owner makes silly and disrespectful posts on social media.”
The self-called fighters first organization is also changing its contracts so it’s almost impossible for fighters to be free agents and to leave on free agency. Also tying down fighters payments for many years and taking away all their leverage.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
The self-called co-leader in MMA is ghosting some fighters/managers and leaving them with no answers while the owner makes silly and disrespectful posts on social media.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
Pitbull has been with Bellator since 2010 and over the past 15 years has established himself as the best fighter to compete under that banner. He is the reigning featherweight champion, having won the title three times, and also previously held Bellator lightweight gold.
Seeing the brand come to an end was a painful blow for the Brazilian veteran, who wrote that Bellator was “sabotaged by Viacom execs in its last years then sold to uncaring people that did their best to ruin it.”
RIP @BellatorMMA. It’s sad it’s come to an end and the org had such a painful death. Sabotaged by Viacom execs in its last years then sold to uncaring people that did their best to ruin it. pic.twitter.com/Zr2XfBSmaA
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
As someone who’s been with @BellatorMMA from the beginning, I’ve experienced all the ups and downs from the promotion. From Bjorn Rebney forcing my brother to fight Ed Alvarez for 2500 dollars and making contracts that tied fighters forever with low pay, to the Coker/Kogan era
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
when fighters were treated with respect, contracts were fair and the production had a big step up in quality, to Viacom burying it in channels nobody watched and forcing decisions the administration wasn’t in favor of, and dying in PFL’s hands once again lowballing fighters and
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
promising to lock them up forever, to “exercise every legal right they have” so fighters take as long as possible to become free agents but don’t have a chance to sign for the competition. PFL has retained some of the people that made Bellator work but zero of their values.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
Pitbull went on to claim that he’d recently spoken to Davis and PFL CEO Peter Murray, who he accuses of unfair business dealings.
“You wanna know why I’ve been silent for so long?” Pitbull wrote. “I had a direct chat with [Davis] and he said [Murray] would talk to us and we’d come to a 50-50 agreement, which turned out to be 100-0 stance in favor of PFL and them feeding media with fake news about my contract.”
“I’ve seen Donn’s tweets and had to hold myself not to react to them, but after Pete Murray started ghosting us since last week and the official death of Bellator, while hearing about how some fighters are being sent absurd, never-ending low-pay deals, I just couldn’t stay silent.”
You wanna know why I’ve been silent for so long? I had a direct chat with @DonnDavisPFL and he said @PeteMurrayPFL would talk to us and we’d come to a 50-50 agreement, which turned out to be a 100-0 stance in favor of PFL and them feeding media with fake news about my contract.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
I’ve seen Donn’s tweets and had to hold myself not to react to them, but after Pete Murray started ghosting us since last week and the official death of Bellator, while hearing about how some fighters are being sent absurd, never ending low pay deals, I just couldn’t stay silent
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
See more tweets from Pitbull below, in which he implores PFL star Francis Ngannou to help him form a fighters union, points to the UFC’s release of Holly Holm as how to properly treat a veteran, breaks down in detail his issues with PFL contracts, and claims the league is holding his contract hostage.
Hey @francis_ngannou are you aware of all the absurd things PFL is doing to fighters and putting on the new contracts? Will you ever speak up for us?
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
I’m thinking it’s time we start a PFL Fighters Union. What do you think?
Look at the @ufc, @DonnDavisPFL, they honor their OGs. She asked for a release and they gave it to her, made no fuss about it, they are honorable. That’s how big organizations do things when a fighter doesn’t want to continue with them. You should learn from it. https://t.co/R2nWNibepE
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
Imagine starting your contract at PFL at 10+10, becoming a champion after 3 fights, fighting for 119+119, losing the belt and going back to 19+19.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
Or making 50k, having to agree to be an alternate and being forced to accept a 10k pay or you’ll be passed for a title shot next. https://t.co/MfuBTlde6X
PFL is setting the organization and the contracts in a way that even 5 years from now, no fighter will be able to get paid even 50% of what I currently get. They want fighters tied down to low pay, far less than what top UFC fighters make, but never have the chance to go there.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
That’s already what they’re doing and carefully worded to not sound like it. They have stopped answering texts since last week, I waited until this morning to have answers, now I’m sure I’ll have some soon. https://t.co/edpF9qBXb8
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
Just a little more context to those questioning about my contract. It was signed years before the sale when there was no indication @BellatorMMA would ever be sold. Ratings and ticket sales for my fights were bigger than every other champion. We had the numbers, we knew my worth.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
I tagged Francis Ngannou because he became a PFL executive and talked in the past about doing what’s right for the fighters.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) January 14, 2025
UPDATE: Following Pitbull’s latest comments, Donn Davis announced the fighter has been granted his release.