Exclusive: Peter Murray opens up about PFL boasting 'second to none' roster following Bellator acquisition

Peter Murray recently opened up about the improved PFL roster following the acquisition of Bellator, which saw the contracts of their champions and top-ranked fighters being absorbed as the promotion continues to operate under their banner.

Both entities will be coming together for a special champions vs. champions event in Saudi Arabia on February 24 and will be followed up by Bellator 302, which is scheduled to take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland next month. Among the fighters that will be featured in the landmark event in Saudi Arabia include Ryan Bader, Johnny Eblen, Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire, and AJ McKee.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA that will be uploaded in the coming days, Murray shared his thoughts on the overall roster at his disposal and the Bellator continuing to operate. He said:

"The Bellator acquisition...that we finalized late last year, it really puts the PFL in a position to have a roster overall that's second to none. We have some of the best fighters in the world, not only on the PFL side of the house, but not on the Bellator side of the house. And so, we obviously announced our first pay-per-view event...pay-per-view Super Fights division, and how we're going to bring those two worlds together."

It will be interesting to see what else Murray has in store. The acquisition opens up more possibilities for crossover in terms of fighters entering the regular season format or others beginning their path toward a potential Bellator title fight.

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Who is headlining the first Bellator event under the PFL banner?

The first Bellator event under the PFL banner was recently made official as SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, will host Bellator 302 on Mar. 22nd.

The event will usher in a new era for the promotion as they will be referred to as the Bellator Champions Series, which will operate as eight standalone one-off events throughout the year and will all feature title fights. The card will feature plenty of Irish talent, especially in both the main event and co-main event.

In the main event, former title challenger and Grand Prix runner-up Corey Anderson takes on Belfast native Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight championship. In the co-main event, featherweights Leah McCourt and Sinead Kavanagh will compete in a rematch of their 2022 encounter.