More Bellator MMA news
WATCH: Horrifying Low Blows End Bellator Fight as a No Contest
The main opener between Raymond Daniels vs Peter Stanonik at Bellator 245 goes down as a no-contest following a set of lethal low-blows.
Fans Will Be Involved Says Bellator President Scott Coker
Bellator MMA's Scott Coker touched on the promotion's plans for entertaining the idea of fans in attendance come 2021 in a recent interview.
Corey Anderson Will Fight Before the Year Ends Says Scott Coker
Bellator President Scott Coker spoke out and gave some crucial insight into the promotion's plans for newly signed 205-pounder Corey Anderson
Scott Coker Responds to Dana White’s Comments – Rubbishes Claims of UFC ‘Rejects’
Scott Coker in a recent interview backs his claims of Bellator having the best Lightheavyweight division and dimisses Dana White's Comments.
Bellator Set to Host the First Major MMA Event in France
The Bellator is set to host the first Major MMA event in Frace after the country recently recognised the sport as 'Legal'
“I Got Some Ultimatums” – Cat Zingano Reveals Why She Moved From UFC to Bellator
Former UFC contender Cat Zingano has finally explained her move to the Bellator, revealing the important elements that influenced her move.
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.
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 |
