More Bellator MMA News
MMA Coaches Face Suspension After Breaking Quarantine Protocol
Two MMA coaches face 3 months suspension after they broke quarantine protocols ahead of Bellator 253. This is how it migt impact the UFC.
Scott Cooker Invites Katie Taylor to Bellator: “Why Is It That Always the MMA Fighter Has to Go to Boxing?”
Bellator President Scott Coker brings an interesting twist to the much-anticipated fight between Cris Cyborg and Katie Taylor.
“There Are Talks With Bellator and Scott Coker About Cyborg” – Eddie Hearn on Katie Taylor’s Future
Matchroom Boxing director Eddie Hearn teased the possibility of a fight between Katie Taylor and Bellator champion Cris Cyborg
Conor McGregor’s Coach And Other MMA Names React To Patricio Freire’s Brutal KO At Bellator 252
Patricio Freire stunned the MMA community with a spectacular first round stoppage of Pedro Carvalho; Twitter reacted to the same.
“He Knows He’ll Never Beat Me”- Patricio Freire Slams Michael Chandler for Joining UFC
Patricio Freire in a recent interview gives his thoughts on Michael Chandler's move to the UFC and speculates the reason for his move.
Corey Anderson Reveals The Struggles He Faced Before Signing For Bellator: “It Makes No Sense”
Corey Anderson recently made his debut with Bellator. Following his win 'Overtime' gave his thoughts on signing with a new promotion.
WATCH: Former UFC Fighter Corey Anderson Dominates Opponent on His Bellator Debut
Former UFC light heavyweight Corey Anderson gets a dominant finish in his debut and is now focused on winning the Bellator title.
AEW Superstar Jake Hager Stays Unbeaten in MMA After Gruelling Battle at Bellator 250
AEW's Jake Hager maintained his undefeated record at Bellator 250 with a win over Brandon Calton. This victory takes Jake to 3-0-1 in MMA.
Jorge Masvidal Gives His ATT Teammate Sabah Homasi a Massive Shout-Out After His Finish at Bellator 250
Jorge Masvidal took to social media and gave a massive shout-out to Sabah Homasi who earned a massive spectacular flying knee KO finish.
Conor McGregor Slams Bellator MMA’s Testing Policies
Conor McGregor took to Twitter to bash Bellator MMA's testing policies. Stating that it's about time Bellator adopted new policies.
AEW superstar Jake Hager returns to MMA on Bellator 250
AEW's Jake Hager booked for Bellator 250 against Brandon Calton. The undefeated fighter makes his return to the Bellator cage after a year.
“I’m Going to F*** You up” – Bellator Welterweight Aviv Gozali Calls Out Dillon Danis
Bellator's rising welterweight star, Aviv Gozali spoke to the media after his fifth submission win in a row at Bellator 249.
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 |
