Rumors have swirled as to how the idea of a merger even started. Some reports suggested that Paramount wanted out from Bellator, but we later learned that Showtime wanted out of combat sports, including boxing, altogether.
Davis claims the idea of the deal was original, and it originated in house.
“We started in January of this year,” Davis said. “We called them (Paramount) for the same reason we talked about publicly: Athletes in any sport, whether it’s NBA or MMA, they are the foundation of everything. The more quality athletes, the deeper and better the product. PFL, great vision. PFL, great capability. PFL has done great so far, but we need more and better athletes, and there was only one company that, at one time, could put us on equal footing with the UFC, and that was Bellator. …
“I called them and said that that was the one big company move that overnight we can have a roster with quality on par and on stature with the UFC, so I asked how we could get that done. That’s the reason why I made the call.”
