More Bellator MMA News
Bellator 260: Fight Canceled As Female Fighter Deemed Unfit To Fight
Bellator 260 main card women's fight between Vanessa Porto and Ilara Joanna got scrapped after the former was deemed unfit for the fight.
What’s Next For Cris Cyborg After Bellator 259 Victory?
Bellator MMA women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg successfully defended her title against Leslie Smith. Who is next for her?
Twitter Reacts as Cris Cyborg Destroys Leslie Smith at Bellator 259
Bellator featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg, earned a thunderous TKO win over Leslie Smith at Bellator 259 with 9 seconds remaining.
Cris Cyborg Teases Potential Move to Boxing Ahead of Bellator 259
Ahead of Bellator 259 this weekend, Brazilian legend Cris Cyborg has expressed her desire for a potential crossover to boxing.
Who s Leon Edwards’ Brother, Bellator Middleweight Fabian Edwards?
Ahead of Bellator 259 this weekend, we take a look at middleweight fighter Fabian Edwards, the brother of UFC star Leon Edwards.
Cris Cyborg Losses: Two Fighters Who Have Beaten Cris Cyborg in MMA
Bellator women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is fighting Leslie Smith at Bellator 259. Take a look at her two losses before the fight.
WATCH: When Cris Cyborg Got Into an Intense Sparring Session with Boxing Legend Claressa Shields
Claressa Shields has trained with Cris Cyborg in the past. Now, with both women competing in MMA, there's always questions about a scrap.
‘I Have Five Rounds to Finish the Fight’ – Cris Cyborg Looking for a Violent Finish Against Leslie Smith at Bellator 259
Bellator Women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg explains how her second match against Leslie Smith will be different from the first.
Who Is Paige VanZant’s Husband, Austin Vanderford?
Ahead of Bellator 259 this weekend, we take a look at former UFC star Paige VanZant's husband and Bellator fighter, Austin Vanderford.
Will Brooks- The Only Man Who Beat Michael Chandler Twice
Michael Chandler is riding a high wave on his way to a UFC title shot in his second fight, however, his career hasn't been without adversity.
‘The Showstopper’- Conor McGregor Teases Teammate’s Fight at Bellator MMA
Former 2-division UFC champion, Conor McGregor, recently took to Twitter to show support for teammate Peter Queally ahead of Bellator 258.
Bellator MMA Releases 15 Fighters From Its Roster
Bellator MMA headed by Scott Coker has released 15 athletes from its roster including the likes of A.J Matthews, Mandy Bohm and others.
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 |
