More Bellator MMA News
Usman Nurmagomedov Says Khabib Nurmagomedov Was Critical of His Performance-’He Said I Had a Lot of Mistakes’
Usman Nurmagomedov shares his thoughts on his performance against Muro and reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov's criticism on his performance.
‘If They Want to Get It On, We’ll Do It in a Second’- Scott Coker Sends a Message to Dana White About Potential Max Holloway vs AJ McKee Fight
Bellator President Scott Coker shares his thoughts on a cross-promotional fight between UFC and Bellator- states he will do it in a second.
A.J. McKee’s Dad Doesn’t Want His Son to Work With ‘Piece of Sh*t’ Dana White
Recently crowned Bellator MMA featherweight champion A.J. McKee's father gave insights to what he feels about UFC boss Dana White.
Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren and Other MMA Pros React to AJ McKee Submitting Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire in Round One at Bellator 263
AJ McKee defeated Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire via first-round Guillotine choke and won the Bellator MMA featherweight Grand Prix in style.
VIDEO: Khabib Nurmagomedov Protégé Usman Nurmagomedov Destroys His Opponent with a Liver Shot at Bellator 263
Usman Nurmagomedov secured a slick liver shot off a knee and stopped Luis Muro at Bellator 263 to improve to 13-0 as an undefeated pro.
VIDEO: Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov Helps Bellator Staff Load Daniel Carey Onto the Stretcher After Being Knocked Out By His Pupil
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov helped out the opponent of his pupil who was violent knocked out at Bellator 263.
‘It’s Very Tough for Us’- Usman Nurmagomedov Details His Experience of Working with Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov
Bellator MMA lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov pulled back the curtain on Khabib Nurmagomedov as a coach ahead of his upcoming fight.
Is Bellator’s Usman Nurmagomedov a Better Fighter Than Islam Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev or Usman Nurmagomedov, which of these two Dagestani fighters that train under Khabib Nurmagomedov is better?
Bellator 263 Fight Purse: Patricio Freire, AJ McKee’s Fight Purse for the Main Event Revealed
Ahead of the Patricio Freire vs A.J. McKee fight at Bellator 263, details about the fighter's purses have been made public. Check it out.
Bellator To Get Extra Security for Pitbull vs McKee After the Heated Altercation at the Press Conference
After the altercation between 'Pitbull' and McKee at the Bellator 263 presser, Scott Coker says he might have extra security on Saturday.
VIDEO: Patricio Freire Storms Out of Press Conference After a Heated Altercation With AJ McKee
Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire shares his thoughts on the scuffle that took place between him and A.J McKee at the Bellator 263 press conference.
‘You Should Fight Someone in the Cage’- Bellator Champion Patricio Freire Trolls Snoop Dogg With a Hilarious Come Back
Bellator two-division champion Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire takes to Twitter to hit back at rapper Snoop Dogg for picking A.J. McKee.
About Bellator MMA
History
Bellator MMA is one of the world's largest mixed martial arts promotions and is recognised as the closest competitor to the UFC. The term Bellator has its origin in Latin language which translates to 'warrior' in English.
Bjorn Rebney founded the company in 2008 and ran it until 2014, before departing and handing the reins to Scott Coker. Presently, the company has successfully hosted 242 numbered events.
The former Strikeforce executive made the move after his contract with Zuffa expired. Following Coker’s arrival, Bellator MMA pivoted to a more traditional North American approach to the sport. This is a departure from the organization's tournament format during its initial phase.
Bellator's tournament format
Bellator MMA has played host to a variety of tournaments under its older format, with 11 seasons of Bellator Fighting Championship held in 4 years from 2009 to 2014. The tournaments saw fighters of specific weight classes compete for a shot at the divisional title.
Also in 2013, the promotion aired a single-season series called Fight Master: Bellator MMA where Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson, and Joe Warren served as coaches.
Like all American martial arts organizations, the rules for fights in the Bellator promotion are exactly the same with eye gouges and groin strikes deemed as illegal offenses for which fighters can incur point penalties or be disqualified.
Along with MMA, Bellator has a kickboxing promotion which has hosted 12 events since its inception in 2016.
Some big names who are part of Bellator MMA
At present, the company is home to some of the biggest MMA names including former UFC Champions like Cris Cyborg, Frank Mir, and Lyoto Machida. Current Bellator Champions include Ryan Bader, Douglas Lima, Patricio Freire, and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. Additionally, the promotion is home to big names such as Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, and Cat Zingano.
via Imago
Patricio Freire after becoming a two-division Bellator MMA champion
Currently, there are 7 divisions for male fighters in Bellator. These are heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight. The promotion offers 2 divisions for its female talent at Featherweight and flyweight.
List of Champions at Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA has 5 world champions across 9 divisions. 2 fighters are double champions and 2 divisional titles are vacant at present.
| Division | Name | Date Won | Title Defenses |
| Heavyweight | Ryan Bader | January 26, 2019 | 1 |
| Light Heavyweight | Ryan Bader | June 24, 2017 | 1 |
| Middleweight | Vacant | Since February 10, 2020 | - |
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | October 26,2019 | 0 |
| Lightweight | Patricio Freire | May 11, 2019 | 0 |
| Featherweight | Patricio Freire | April 21,2017 | 3 |
| Bantamweight | Vacant | Since November 27, 2019 | 0 |
| Women’s Featherweight | Cris Cyborg | January 25, 2020 | 0 |
| Women’s Flyweight | Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | November 3,2017 | 4 |
