Bellator News

Christopher Taylor - October 15, 2020

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg was looking to earn her first title defense at tonight’s Bellator 249 event when she squared off with Arlene Blencowe. Cyborg (23-2 MMA) had made her Bellator debut back in January, where she captured the promotions featherweight title by scoring a TKO victory over Julia Budd.

Adam Martin - October 15, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko is “50/50” on whether he wants a rematch with Fabricio Werdum. It’s been over 10 years since Werdum pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history when he finished Emelianenko by submission in a Strikeforce fight in June 2010. Werdum would parlay that win over Emelianenko into a UFC contract, where he eventually became the promotion’s champion. As for Emelianenko, he was very up-and-down during the 2010s after being the fighter of the decade in the 2000s. In recent years, Emelianenko has found a home in Bellator, whose promoter Scott Coker is also close friends with Werdum.

Adam Martin - October 13, 2020

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is still hoping for a cross-promotion rematch with UFC champion Amanda Nunes. Cyborg and Nunes met back at UFC 232 in December 2018. In a fight that lasted just 51 seconds, Nunes pulled off the upset when she knocked Cyborg out in the first round to hand the Brazilian her first loss in 13 years and win the women’s 145lbs title. The UFC attempted to book the rematch between Cyborg and Nunes but were not able to agree to terms. Cyborg was later released by the UFC after beating Felicia Spencer and has since become the 145lbs champ in Bellator, while Nunes is a two-division champion in the UFC.

Adam Martin - October 12, 2020

Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page believes that Douglas Lima is ducking him, suggesting that he lives in Lima’s head. Page and Lima met in June 2019 in the semifinals of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix, and Lima was the victor when he scored a stunning KO over the previously-unbeaten Page. Lima went on to defeat Rory MacDonald in the finals and claim the Bellator welterweight title for a third time, while Page has been fighting lower-level competition since then, winning four straight fights including a decision over Ross Houston at Bellator Paris.

Tom Taylor - October 12, 2020

Over the weekend, Scott Coker promoted the first major mixed martial arts event in France with the stacked Bellator 248 card. It took many years for France to formally legalize MMA, but once the country opened that door, Coker and Bellator sprung into action, laying out plans for the first major MMA event in the country.

Adam Martin - October 9, 2020

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum says talks are in advanced stages for a rematch with Fedor Emelianenko in Bellator. The 43-year-old Werdum recently became a free agent following a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson on Fight Island in July. The long-time MMA heavyweight veteran reportedly spoke to several promotions in his foray into free agency, but it appears the one that most figured made the most sense, Bellator, has made the biggest push to sign him.

Adam Martin - October 8, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that Cheick Kongo will get a rematch against Ryan Bader with an impressive win over Tim Johnson. Kongo and Bader first met last September at Bellator 226, but the fight ended in controversial fashion when Kongo was unable to continue due to eye pokes. The bout was ruled a No Contest and Bader kept his belt, moving back down to 205lbs in an unsuccessful attempt to defend his light heavyweight title against Vadim Nemkov. As for Kongo, he has not fought since the Bader fight but returns to the Bellator cage this weekend when he takes on Johnson in a rematch in the main event of Bellator Paris.

Alfredo Zullino - October 8, 2020

Who is Simon Biyong? A basketball player for an Italian team? A Bellator fighter? Or maybe he is a talented painter? What is sure, is that he hasn’t always been a mixed martial artist. Born in 1991 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the Italian-based fighter recalls his early days as a sportsman.

Cole Shelton - October 7, 2020

Cheick Kongo thought he would be having an immediate rematch with Ryan Bader. Kongo and Bader fought at Bellator 226 for the heavyweight title. It was a very intriguing matchup but the fight ended due to eye pokes from Bader and was ruled a no-contest. Yet, Bader claimed he never poked Kongo in the eye. For the Frenchman, he knows that was inaccurate and actually revealed he and Bader agreed to rematch in June before the pandemic hit.

Adam Martin - October 7, 2020

Former UFC light heavyweight contender Corey Anderson will make his Bellator debut when he takes on veteran striker Melvin Manhoef. Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed to CBS Sports’s Brian Campbell that Anderson will take on Manhoef at a Bellator event scheduled to take place on November 5. The event is expected to be titled Bellator 251 and take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. It’s worth noting that Manhoef was supposed to fight at this weekend’s Bellator Paris card but his fight with Simon Biyong was scratched. Instead, he will now fight a month later against Anderson in what is a much tougher fight.

Tom Taylor - October 7, 2020

Bellator President Scott Coker has shared his first reaction to Michael Chandler, the promotion’s former lightweight champion, signing with the UFC. Chandler is arguably the biggest star in Bellator history. Last month, however, the former champ parted ways with the promotion, and signed on the dotted line with the UFC.

Tom Taylor - October 7, 2020

Bellator flyweight fighter Bec Rawlings says her OnlyFans page has been a game-changer during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. OnlyFans, for those unfamiliar, is an online subscription service that allows influencers and celebrities to charge for exclusive content. The platform is also used extensively by sex workers.