More Bellator MMA News
Fighting Cris Cyborg is on Her ‘Radar’ Says Cat Zingano
Former UFC superstar Cat Zingano wants to face Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg as she makes her Bellator debut in just two days.
WATCH: Phillip Hawes Stuns Dana White With Spectacular One-Punch KO Win At Dana White’s Contender Series
Phillip Hawes faced off against Khadzhi Bestaev and didn’t fail to impress Dana White in his second appearance at the Contender Series.
Brock Lesnar to Bellator? Massive Interest Shown by Bellator President Scott Coker
Brock Lesnar is now a free agent. This news has created quite a stir in the MMA world as a long-awaited match may finally materialize.
“Daniel Cormier You’re Paid to Shill” – Cris Cyborg Slams Daniel Cormier
Belltator MMA featherweight champion Cris Cyborg slammed Daniel Cormier for his comments on how the UFC paid him well during his tenure
“Dana Wasn’t Making a Rematch” – Cris Cyborg Ready to Fight Amanda Nunes
Bellator MMA featherweight champion Cris Cyborg opened the door to a sensational UFC return if she gets to rematch Amanda Nunes.
Fedor Emelianenko Pays Tribute to His Departed Coach
Russian heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko put out a deeply moving tribute in honor of his longtime coach who recently passed away.
“One Hundred Percent I Finish Him” – Fabricio Werdum Makes a Stunning Statement on Jon Jones
Fabricio Werdum is exploring his free agency options. He believes he can knockout anybody, and that includes Jon Jones as well.
Corey Anderson Fires Back at Dana White For Recent Comments
Corey Anderson has lashed out at Dana White and accused the UFC President of lying to the fans about his split from the promotion.
“The Pound for Pound King has Spoken” -Henry Cejudo Lauds Patricio Freire for Tweet Against Dana White’s Statement
What did Patricio Freire say to Dana White that led to former UFC champion Henry Cejudo praising him as the pound for pound king?
Patricio Freire Issues a Challenge to Dana White – “Let’s Bet Like You Did With PRIDE”
Patricio Freire wants UFC President to send some of his fighters to Bellator so that he can do to them what he did to Michael Chandler.
Bellator 244: Julia Budd Calls Out Cris Cyborg for Rematch
Former Bellator featherweight champion Julia Budd is interested in rematching Cris Cyborg for the title, after her recent win at Bellator 244
“I Know Conor Will be Sitting in the First Row”- Patricio Freire Taunts Conor McGregor
Bellator lightweight sensation Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire wants to unveil a surprise for Conor McGregor in his upcoming fight .
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 |
