More Bellator MMA news
Intimate Pictures Leaked of Dillon Danis’ Ex-GF as Cmcg’s Teammate’s Questionable Trash Talk at Logan Paul Backfires After Gordon Ryan’s Involvement
As the Dillon Danis-Logan Paul feud intensifies, five time ADCC Champion Gordon Ryan takes to Instagram to fire back at Danis.
As Brother Takes Up Eventful Bellator MMA Card, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Training Photo With Late Abdulmanap and MMA Star Goes Viral
A Bellator MMA star posted an old image on Instagram which featured Khabib Nurmagomedov with his dad, bringing back good memories of the duo.
Conor McGregor Private Chat Leak by Ariel Helwani Reveals Irishman Has “Guaranteed” Big Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis Speculation Won’t Take Place
As Logan Paul gears up to fight Dillon Danis, Ariel Helwani shares some important revelations and an endorsement from Conor himself.
“I Absolutely Hate This Idea” – Fans React as MMA GOAT Fedor Emelianenko Calls Out Mike Tyson for a Boxing Match in the Co-Main Event of Ngannou vs. Fury
The retired MMA Legend sparked an array of fan reactions as he announces he wants to pull Mike Tyson out of retirement for a boxing match.
“Says the Guy Who Backed Off Every Fight He Had”: Fans Have a Field Day After Conor McGregor’s Sparring Partner Announces His Boxing Debut Against Logan Paul
After the recent announcement of his boxing match against Logan Paul, a Bellator welterweight star gets a blast from the past.
Sean Strickland Sends a Warning to the UFC MW Division About Israel Adesanya’s Bellator MMA Counterpart Amid Title Shot Rumors for UFC 293
How did UFC middleweight star Sean Strickland respond to an Instagram story of Israel Adesanya's Bellator's counterpart with a warning?
Months After Suffering From a Cardiac Arrest Which Caused Him Brain Damage, Bellator Fighter Cris Lencioni Miraculously Walks Out of the Hospital
Fans are in a world of relief, as Terrance McKinney shares some positive and crucial updates on Cris Lencioni following his cardiac arrest.
As Sparring Photo With Israel Adesanya’s Bellator MMA Counterpart Goes Viral, Mark Zuckerberg Lays Bare His Honest Opinion on 185LBS Champ
What was the honest opinion of Mark Zuckerberg on an Instagram post, regarding Israel Adesanya's Bellator MMA counterpart?
“Dude Is 36 Already…”: Amid Speculations Surrounding Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s Entry to the UFC, His Appearance at UFC London Sparks Mixed Reactions From Fans
How did the fans react when an image of the Bellator star Michael Page from a UFC event resurfaced on social media?
“Finally Get Away From That Sh*t Show”: After Parting Ways With Bellator, Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s Free-Agency Announcement Blows Up UFC World as Fans Call for Wild Matchups
Fans sent into a frenzy as MMA veteran Michael Page announced his free agency after fight nine years under the Bellator banner.
MMA Pension Bill Paralleling 41-Year-Old Boxing Rule, Once Backed by Ronda Rousey, Sees an Emotional Cat Zingano Recall WWE Star’s Call of Support
Former opponent Cat Zingano hails WWE star Ronda Rousey for helping her around with getting involved in the California MMA Pension Bill.
“His Disc Was So F***ed Up”: Joe Rogan Left Stunned by 46-Year-Old Yoel Romero’s Fused Neck That Makes Him Run Weird
UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan recalls Yoel Romero having his neck fused and looking weird with it while running.
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 |
