More Bellator MMA News
Following Saddening Loss, Devastated Dana White Pens a Heartening Note to the First TUF Finalist Stephan Bonnar: “He Will Never Be Forgotten”
Dana White expresses his sorrow for the tragic death of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar in an emotional statement; "Never be forgotten."
“Warrior” Female Boxer Leaves UFC Legend Jorge Masvidal Drooling With Her Performance Inside MMA Cage
UFC star Jorge Masvidal was horrified by the tragic outcome of a boxer engaging in an MMA match, which caused him to exclaim, "JESUS CHRIST".
“Not the First Time”- Patricio Pitbull Rips Bellator and Illinois Commission After Delayed Medical Treatment to Brother Patricky Following Usman Nurmagomedov Loss
Bellator FW champion Patricio Pitbull lashes out at the promotion for delaying medical attention to his brother after Bellator 288.
‘Usman a Bad Boy!’ – Khabib Makes a Call Inside the Cage as He, Daniel Cormier, and the MMA World React to Bellator 288 Main Event
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov face-timed cousin Usman Nurmagomedov after his lightweight title fight victory at Bellator 288.
Ex-UFC Star Discloses Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s Last Text to Him Before Untimely Death That Inspired Him for Bellator 288 Matchup
Corey Anderson is prepared to win the greatest fight of his life after receiving an unexpected text message from Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
“Doesn’t Work for Me, Brother”: Fans Disapprove Bellator Fighter’s Unbelievable Hulk Hogan Cosplay for Missing Out a Major Detail
The fans shared their disappointment as a Bellator fighter recently cosplayed Hulk Hogan but forgot a major part of The Hulkster's traits.
“Same Guy Thinking He Can Run Through Volk” – A.J. McKee’s Alexander Volkanovski Dreams Shattered by MMA Fans After Dream Bellator Card
Bellator 286 was a true delight for the fans as A.J. McKee clinched victory in a stiff war against Spike Carlyle. Check out here!
Horrific Scenes Unfold at Bellator 286 As Fighter Suffers Chris Weidman & Conor McGregor Like Leg Snap: “An Unfortunate Ending…”
This is how MMA fans reacted to a leg snap injury at Bellator 286 and compared the injury to MMA legend Chris Weidman's injury at UFC 261.
“Imagine the Wife and Kids Watchin” – MMA World Wants Referee ‘Fired’ As Fighter Gets Obliterated Due to Late Stoppage
Some furious MMA fans react to a brutal knockout of Bellator fighter and demand for the firing of the referee as he failed in his duty.
“Paige Has the Chin in That Family” – Fans React as ‘Mr Paige VanZant’ Gets Obliterated by a Late Notice Fighter at Bellator 284
Ex-UFC Paige VanZant & husband Austin Vanderford receive criticism from fans after latter lost his second consecutive bout at Bellator 284.
The Nurmagomedovs Say “We’re Even Better Than The Mayweathers” – Are They?
Usman Nurmagomedov recently mentioned that the Nurmagomedovs are better than the Floyd Mayweather clan. Read on to know more
Irish Female MMA Fighter Sends a Heartfelt Note to ‘Pure Heart’ Conor McGregor; the Irishman Reacts
Conor McGregor gets a moving message from SBG Ireland teammate & Irish female featherweight MMA fighter from Bellator MMA, Sinead Kavanagh.
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 |
