Bellator News
AJ McKee shares what advice mentor Floyd Mayweather Jr. gave him
Adam Martin - November 19, 2020
Bellator featherweight contender AJ McKee shared what advice one of his mentors, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr., gave him. McKee is one of the top prospects in all of MMA. At just 25 years old, the sky is the limit for the California native, whose father Antonio fought in the UFC a decade ago. McKee began fighting as a pro in 2015 for Bellator and since then he has racked up 16 wins in 16 fights as he looks to make the leap from a prospect to a champion.
Scott Coker says Rampage Jackson is now a free agent, Bellator committed to younger direction
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says that Rampage Jackson was released from the promotion and is an unrestricted free agent. Jackson last fought at Bellator & RIZIN: Japan in December 2019 and he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko that night. Now 42 years old, we haven’t heard anything from Jackson all year in regards to fighting again for Bellator. That’s because according to Coker, the final fight on Jackson’s Bellator contract was the Emelianenko fight. With that final bout completed, Jackson’s contract with Bellator concluded and the promotion released him. He’s now free to sign anywhere else.
Patricio Pitbull confident he would beat Alexander Volkanovski: "I'd sleep him in the first round"
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Patricio Pitbull believes he would beat UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Pitbull is the current champ-champ in Bellator where he won the lightweight title with a 61-second KO over Michael Chandler. Ever since then, people started to pay attention to how legit he is.
Scott Coker teases Bellator 205lbs tournament: "It's the best light heavyweight division on the planet"
Adam Martin - November 13, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker teased a future Bellator 205lbs tournament, saying “it’s the best light heavyweight division on the planet.” Coker and his organization are in the midst of completing the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix, a tournament that was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The promotion previously put on the Heavyweight Grand Prix that saw Ryan Bader win. In the past, Coker held a heavyweight tournament, a women’s bantamweight, and a middleweight tournament in Strikeforce, so we all know Coker loves a good bracket.
Fabricio Werdum says Bellator negotiations have stalled, now wants to fight for PFL
Tom Taylor - November 13, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is now eyeing a spot on the PFL roster after negotiations with Bellator MMA fizzled out. Werdum, who parted ways with the UFC earlier this year, has recently been linked to a rematch with fellow heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko after the Bellator MMA banner.
Bellator 252 Results: Patricio Pitbull KO's Pedro Carvalho (Highlights)
Cole Shelton - November 12, 2020
Bellator remains in Uncasville, Connecticut for Bellator 252 where Patricio Pitbull takes on Pedro Carvalho in the main event. Patricio Pitbull (30-4) is on a five-fight winning streak where he won and defended the featherweight title three times during this run. He also knocked out Michael Chandler in 61 seconds to win the lightweight title to become a champ-champ in Bellator. Pitbull is coming off a decision win over Juan Archuleta to defend his belt in the opening round of the featherweight grand prix.
Bellator 252 Results: Aaron Pico KO's John de Jesus (Highlights)
Cole Shelton - November 12, 2020
Aaron Pico returned to the Bellator cage on the prelims of Bellator 252 against John de Jesus. Pico entered the fight on a two-fight winning streak after submitting Solo Hatley Jr. in July and knocking out Daniel Carey in January. Pico has been considered one of the top prospects in MMA, but lost his pro debut and then suffered back-to-back KO losses to Henry Corrales and Adam Borics.
Bellator 252: 'Pitbull vs Carvalho' Live Results & Highlights
Cole Shelton - November 12, 2020
Bellator remains in Uncasville, Connecticut for Bellator 252. The fight card features Patricio Pitbull defending his featherweight belt against Pedro Carvalho in the main event. The featherweight grand prix also continues after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patricio Pitbull (30-4) is on a five-fight winning streak where he won and defended the featherweight title three times. He also knocked out Michael Chandler in 61 seconds to win the lightweight title to become a champ-champ in Bellator. Pitbull is coming off a decision win over Juan Archuleta to defend his belt in the opening round of the featherweight grand prix.
Phil Davis, not Corey Anderson, gets next Bellator title shot against Vadim Nemkov
Adam Martin - November 10, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker said that Phil Davis, and not Corey Anderson, will get the next title shot against 205lbs champ Vadim Nemkov. After Anderson dominated Melvin Manhoef in his Bellator debut, many fans and media thought he could jump past Davis for the next title shot against Nemkov, who will be making his first title defense since knocking out Ryan Bader. However, it appears as though Bellator has decided to go with Davis instead of Anderson for the next title shot.
Benson Henderson moves back up to welterweight, fights at Bellator 253 against Jason Jackson
Adam Martin - November 10, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is set to return to the welterweight division when he fights Jason Jackson at Bellator 253. Bellator 253 takes place on Thursday, November 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Henderson vs. Jackson is set to be the co-main event for the card, which features a five-round main event between featherweights AJ McKee and Darrion Caldwell. Also on the card is Keith Lee (brother of UFC star Kevin Lee) vs. top prospect Raufeon Stots, plus the return of Kevin Ferguson Jr. (son of the late Kimbo Slice).
BKFC run will "preserve the longevity" of Paige VanZant's MMA career
Tom Taylor - November 10, 2020
According to Bellator middleweight contender Austin Vanderford, former UFC star Paige VanZant intends to return to mixed martial arts in the future. Vanderford, who is married to VanZant, recently returned to the Bellator cage where he picked up an impressive victory over Vinicius de Jesus. Post-fight, he shed some light on what the future holds for his wife.
Austin Vanderford explains why he and wife Paige VanZant leave politics out of MMA: "I'm a fighter and I care about fighting"
Adam Martin - November 6, 2020
Bellator middleweight contender Austin Vanderford explained why he and his wife Paige VanZant leave politics out of their MMA careers. Vanderford picked up his 10th pro victory on Thursday night at Bellator 251 when he won a unanimous decision over short-notice opponent Vinicius De Jesus. The 30-year-old American signed with Bellator in 2019 following a stint on Dana White’s Contender Series that saw the UFC pass on signing him. Since joining Bellator, Vanderford is 4-0 and looking every bit like a future title contender in the promotion’s middleweight division.