More Bellator MMA News
Michael Chandler Channels his Inner Ric Flair After Monumental Win at UFC 257
Watch 'Iron' Michael Chandler bring out his inner Ric Flair as he cuts an impressive promo after his fight against Dan Hooker at UFC 257.
MMA Legend Hospitalized Due to COVID
MMA legend and Bellator fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, has been hospitalized in Moscow, Russia after being diagonosed with COVID-19 recently.
Bellator Champion Cris Cyborg Announces Massive Goal to Fight Kayla Harrison
Cris Cyborg spoke to James Lynch and shared her views on Kayla Harrison. She also opened up the door to fighting Harrison at 155-pounds.
“Everybody Wanted to See the Yoel Romero vs. ‘Rumble’ Johnson Fight”- Scott Coker Reveals Why He Signed Yoel Romero
Scott Coker in a recent interivew with Mike Bohn reveals why he changed his mind and signed Yoel Romero after being released by the UFC.
Scott Coker Considering Legal Actions as Feud With Ben Askren Escalates
Bellator MMA CEO has threatened a legal battle against the organization's former champion Ben Askren due to his recent comments.
“You’re Running Bellator Into the Ground”- Ben Askren Fires Back at Scott Coker
Ben Askren fired back at Scott Coker after the Bellator CEO predicted that he will be knocked out in his boxing match against Jake Paul.
Yoel Romero Drops a Massive Name for His Bellator Debut at Light Heavyweight
Former UFC middleweight challenger Yoel Romero has hinted at a fight with Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson in his Bellator debut next year.
Fabricio Werdum Will Not Face Anthony Johnson- Ryan Bader Picked as Replacement
Ryan Bader steps in on five-days notice to face off against Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson at Submission Underground in place of Fabricio Werdum.
Daniel Cormier Says He Called Bellator President Scott Coker to Consider Yoel Romero Offer
Ariel Helwani and Daniel Cormier, on the latest episode of their show, take credit for marketing Yoel Romero and getting him into Bellator MMA.
BREAKING: Yoel Romero Signs With Bellator MMA Following UFC Release
Former UFC middleweight challenger Yoel Romero has signed with Bellator MMA shortly after the UFC released the 43-year old former Olympian.
Did Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson Make the Wrong Decision by Joining Bellator?
Anthony Johnson was released by the UFC before making his long-awaited return to MMA, which will now happen under Bellator.
‘Symptoms Have Been Rough’ – Dillon Danis Nervous About Positive COVID Test
Bellator MMA middleweight Dillon Danis says his COVID symptoms have been 'rough' but he remains positive about beating the virus.
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 |
