Bellator names seemingly dominate the newly announced 2025 PFL World Tournament lightweight roster.
On Wednesday, promotion officials announced the full eight-man line-up for the tournament, expected to kick off this April, via press release. Among the names announced, former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Brent Primus, who also competed in the 2024 tournament and appeared in the final opposite Gadzhi Rabadanov.
Rabadanov, despite having won it all last year, will return to the new-look tournament, which offers $500,000 in prize money to the winner, on top of purses collected throughout the grand prix (previous seasons awarded a cool one million, though that included fight purses).
Bellator alums Alexander Shabliy, Jay Jay Wilson, Mads Burnell, and Alfie Davis are also set to compete. Of note, Wilson is done serving a suspension under both USADA and the NSAC after testing positive for a banned substance, an infraction that was traced back to a contaminated vape pen.
Rounding out the eight fighters that will compete in the win and move on, grand prix-style tournament are UFC vet Marc Diakiese, and multi-time PFL post-season vet Clay Collard.
The line-up breaks down as follows:
- Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) of Russia
- Alexander Shabliy (24-4) of Russia
- Marc Diakiese (18-7) of England
- Jay Jay Wilson (10-1) of New Zealand
- Mads Burnell (20-6) of Denmark
- Alfie Davis (17-5-1) of England
- Brent Primus (15-4) of U.S.A.
- Clay Collard (25-14) of U.S.A.
Sergio Cossio (27-10-1) of Mexico and Robert Watley (15-3) of the U.S. serve as lightweight alternates. Also announced on Wednesday, Russia’s Khalid Murtazaliev (17-3) and American Jordan Newman (7-0) will be alternates for the middleweight division, the roster of which was revealed earlier this week.
