Bellator News
Alistair Overeem says Fedor Emelianenko declined to fight him in Bellator and Strikeforce
Adam D Martin - August 25, 2021
Heavyweight great Alistair Overeem says that fellow legend Fedor Emelianenko declined to fight him in Bellator not to mention in Strikeforce. Overeem became a free agent following a knockout loss to Alexander Volkov earlier this year in the UFC. “The Demolition Man” was open to signing with different promotions and had talks with Bellator about potentially fighting Emelianenko, but the fight didn’t end up getting booked, and Emelianenko instead chose Tim Johnson to fight. For his part, Overeem decided that he will take a break from MMA for now and re-joined GLORY.
Raufeon Stots has "nothing left" but title shot, explains possibility to make teammate title fight work
Joe McDonagh - August 20, 2021
Raufeon Stots says there is “nothing left” but a title shot and discusses options for a potential fight against teammate Sergio Pettis.
JayJay Wilson misses weight for 3rd time in 4 fights, forced off Bellator 265 card
Joe McDonagh - August 19, 2021
This weekend was set to feature a probable number one contenders match for who would challenge new champion AJ McKee Jr. in the near future. Adam Borics (17-1) currently ranked #3 vs. JayJay Wilson (8-0) at #5 in the division. The fight is now off due to a major weight miss by the undefeated Wilson this morning. Wilson missed weight by over 4lbs. Now missing weight is never ideal, or professional, but at times it happens in this gruesome sport. Missing weight twice is a problem, but 3 times in your last 4 appearances is more than alarming for the Bellator product.
Cat Zingano suing Halle Berry after being snubbed of promised role in her new movie "Bruised"
Joe McDonagh - August 17, 2021
Bellator contender Cat Zingano was all but set to be part of a MMA film starring Halle Berry “Bruised”, but interesting events led to her suing of the actress. Zingano, according to TMZ, was promised a prominent role in the film by Berry while under contract with the UFC. It was when “Alpha” was offered a UFC fight that she had a difficult decision to make, fight for the promotion or sit on the sidelines prioritizing the movie role. This decision would crazily enough prove costly for the now Bellator fighter.
Scott Coker explains why AJ McKee is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA
Adam Martin - August 15, 2021
Bellator president Scott Coker explained why the promotion’s 145lbs champion AJ McKee is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA right now. McKee recently finished Patricio Pitbull in the main event of Bellator 263 to become the promotion’s new 145lbs champion, as well as the winner of the $1 million dollar grand prize for winning the Bellator World Featherweight Grand Prix. Just 26 years old, McKee is now a perfect 18-0 in MMA. it’s the longest undefeated streak for a fighter in a major MMA promotion, and as far as McKee’s boss Coker goes, it proves that he’s among the best.
Dada 5000 looks back on Bellator fight with Kimbo Slice: “I died twice in that ring”
Adam D Martin - August 15, 2021
Street-fighting legend Dada 5000 looked back on his Bellator fight with the late Kimbo Slice, admitting that “I died twice in that ring.” Dada 5000 fought Kimbo Silce at Bellator 149 in February 2016 in Houston, Texas. Slice scored the TKO win in the third round, but as soon as the fight was over, Dada 5000 was put on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during the fight. Dada 5000 has spoken about the incident in the past, but now, over five years later, he has delved into what happened to him in more detail during a recent interview with Jimmy Smith of Sirius XM’s Fight Nation.
Bellator 264 Results: Gegard Mousasi defeats John Salter via TKO (Video)
Joe McDonagh - August 13, 2021
Bellator Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi met the “Salty Dog” in the headliner of tonight’s Bellator 264 event. Mousasi (47-7-2) is one of the most dominant fighters on the Bellator roster to date. The Middleweight champion is 5-1 with the promotion and coming off a massive win over former welterweight champion Douglas Lima back in 2020.
Yoel Romero set to make Bellator MMA debut against former champion fighter Phil Davis
Adam D Martin - August 13, 2021
Former UFC title challenge Yoel Romero is set to make Bellator MMA debut against former Bellator light heavyweight champ fighter Phil Davis. Ariel Helwani of Substack was the first to report the Romero vs. Davis fight. According to Helwani, the bout is expected to serve as the headliner of the Bellator MMA card set for September 18, which is tentatively slated to be called Bellator 266. The card is expected to take place in San Jose, California, and Romero vs. Davis will be the evening’s main event.
Yoel Romero medically cleared to make Bellator debut
Cole Shelton - August 12, 2021
Yoel Romero can resume his fighting career. Romero was supposed to fight Anthony Johnson in the light heavyweight grand prix but he was removed after failing his physical. The hope for Bellator was he would get cleared in a few months and that ended up being the case.
Gegard Mousasi open to fighting Yoel Romero in Bellator
Adam D Martin - August 12, 2021
Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi says he is open to fighting former UFC standout Yoel Romero in the Bellator cage. Mousasi returns to the Bellator cage on Friday night when he takes on John Salter for the Bellator middleweight title. While “The Dream Catcher” knows he can’t look too far ahead, when the media asked him who he wants to fight next, he had to give them a name. That name would be Romero, the former UFC middleweight title challenger who recently signed with Bellator. “The Soldier of God” was supposed to take part in the promotion’s 205lbs tournament, but he was forced out of the tournament due to a medical issue. Once he’s healthy, Mousasi says that he is open to fighting the man that no one else wants to fight.
Danny Sabatello blasts ranked Bellator bantaweights for ducking him, expects to finish Johnny Campbell
Cole Shelton - August 10, 2021
Danny Sabatello doesn’t understand why he isn’t ranked in Bellator’s bantamweight division. Sabatello made good in his Bellator debut as he dominated Brett Johns for all three rounds to win a clear-cut decision. Johns was a high-profile signing for Bellator and after Sabatello dominated the scrap, he expected he would be ranked but that was not the case.
Junior dos Santos disappointed by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking: "I don't understand why"
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Heavyweight Junior dos Santos is disappointed by the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking, saying that “I don’t understand why.” Emelianenko is set to return to the Bellator cage this October in Moscow, Russia, and when the news first broke that “The Last Emperor” was going to fight again, immediately big names like dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, and even Jake Hager all threw their names in the hat to get the chance to face off with the legend. However, Bellator decided to choose Johnson instead, and that disappointed dos Santos.