Bellator News

Tom Taylor - January 20, 2018

While UFC 220 is dominating the attention of most MMA fans tonight, Bellator is also back in action, promoting one of its best shows to date in Bellator 192. In the co-main event of this stacked card, Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima attempted to defend his title against his fiercest adversary to date: former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald.  Round one began with MacDonald controlling the distance, backing the champion up with jabs and a head-kick. Midway through the first round the Canadian completed a takedown. From there, he sat in Lima’s guard, raining down ground-and-pound, but eating a few shots from the bottom in the process. Eventually, the referee stood the pair up with 10 seconds left in the round, but both survived to the bell.

Drake Riggs - January 19, 2018

Two big title fights are on the horizon at UFC 222 in March and UFC 223 in April. The #UFC223 main event WILL HAPPEN in Brooklyn! @TonyFergusonXT vs @TeamKhabib April 7th!! pic.twitter.com/6IA7P0PqwS

Justin Golightly - January 19, 2018

Rory MacDonald’s upcoming fight with Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight title is arguably the biggest fight in the organization’s history. So, needless to say, a lot of people were confused when it turned out this fight was not going to be the main event of the card. Instead, the heavyweight grand prix tournament bout would headline the Bellator event. An executive who has been carried over from Spike TV into their new Paramount network recently spoke out on the decision to clear the air. “We’ll creatively differentiate the main event card and the grand prix in many different ways. We want this creative differentiation to make the heavyweight grand prix feel like a separate and unique event to the audience and that’s why it ends the night. And moving forward, all of the Bellator tentpoles in 2018 will end with a Bellator grand prix event. It’ll make sense to you, because what we’re doing is really creating another — it’s like a show in a show. “It’s an event within the event.”

Justin Golightly - January 9, 2018

The wait is finally over. Bellator is going to kick off their big heavyweight grand prix before this month ends and Chael Sonnen will face off with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. They’ll be throwing down for the chance to advance in the tournament, which will finally crown a Bellator heavyweight champion by the end of this year. MMA is prizefighting, so it makes sense to have a reward. The two are adding the stakes to their upcoming fight with a side-bet using their own cash. “Let’s do it right here, right now. Let’s do it right here.  I will give you $10K for every takedown you get on me. It’s 10 grand per takedown, $500 per jab. […] You won’t take me down not one time. Hey, I’m giving up $10K per takedown, don’t be a wuss. $500 per jab.” — Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson on the ESPN LA radio show.

Justin Golightly - January 5, 2018

There’s an unofficial ‘Most Violent’ title going around the UFC, but it feels wrong to have that in contention when Rory MacDonald is in Bellator. One of the top welterweights in the world enjoys fighting so much, he even welcomes a defeat, as long as it is bloody and brutal. You have to have a very special brain to call what happened in the fight with Robbie Lawler one of the best moments of your life. That’s just how MacDonald is, he is a killer. It’s that type of mindset that the cerebral assassin is looking to release once again in the Bellator cage. This time though, it’s for a title. “Getting to beat someone up and to unleash what’s inside of me, that’s what I like. That’s what gets me up and excited. Look at what I did to Paul [Daley] and look at the fight [Douglas Lima] had with Paul. I do feel that Douglas is better on the ground, so when we get there I feel like I’m going to be able to showcase my found and pound more and my jiu-jitsu a lot more than I did against Paul. Where it was me just schooling Paul, I think it’s going to be more of a battle.”

Tom Taylor - January 3, 2018

Last week, the MMA world was hit with the news that Bellator MMA had parted ways with long-time color commentator Jimmy Smith. Given that Smith is a bottomless pit of MMA knowledge with charisma to boot, this news came as a definite surprise. Apparently, however, the broadcaster’s departure from Bellator was quite amicable. Jimmy Smith broke down his Bellator exit on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show.

Justin Golightly - December 28, 2017

It looks like the change in networks and a crazy grand prix tournament aren’t the only shake-ups over at Bellator. As per an official Paramount Sports and Bellator press release, Jimmy Smith has parted ways with the company. A former MMA fighter himself, Smith provided knowledgeable insight as well and entertaining dialogue seamlessly for many years with the fighting organization. Both Bellator and Smith have released statements on the sudden change. “Jimmy [Smith] is one of the finest combat sports announcers of our time. He has played an integral role in the growth of Bellator as it has evolved into the successful global franchise it is today.” — Bellator via press release.

Tom Taylor - December 20, 2017

Bellator MMA’s upcoming heavyweight Grand Prix is one of the most talked about events in MMA right now. This tournament, which seeks to fill Bellator’s vacant heavyweight throne by crowing a new champion, kicks off this January 20 when former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson battles three-time UFC title challenger and infamous MMA mouthpiece Chael Sonnen.

Justin Golightly - November 23, 2017

Earlier this month, Scott Coker and the team at Bellator dropped a bombshell: That they’d be putting on a heavyweight grand prix to finally crown a new heavyweight champion. They added UFC veterans, legends, light heavyweights and even the light heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader. The tournament has always been one of the most exciting things in combat sports, and this should be no different. Rory MacDonald and Shane Carwin have offered to be alternates in the tournament, but barring any injuries, here is the complete opening bracket below. After the news dropped, Chael Sonnen joined Brett Okamoto at ESPN to weigh-in on the match-ups. Just announced on @SportsCenter: The Heavyweight World Grand Prix bracket is set and kicks off Jan 20th in LA with @ChaelSonnen vs @Rampage4real!! pic.twitter.com/jEB9pPg4wD

Justin Golightly - November 22, 2017

This Bellator heavyweight grand prix has shook things up a lot more than just the huge match-ups it has planned. Even Rory MacDonald wants the chance to be included in this tournament that hearkens back to a bygone era. Former UFC wrecking ball and frequent Redditor, Shane Carwin has since voiced his interest in the tournament, but it looks like things are getting more serious than just a Tweet and an e-mail. Carwin is currently in talks with the promotion and even told his management to make it easy. He dropped into R/MMA with some exclusive news and talked candidly about who he wants put his hands on at Bellator. “So, I saw the tournament announcement and it got me pumped. I was then lurking here and saw the odds from MMA Junkie and I got even more interested. I picked up the cell and e-mailed Rich [Chou] and asked for a spot. My last Bellator negotiations went great, they were by far the most professional of all offers we were presented. I just wasn’t sure how I would be utilized and when you are old you are looking for short trajectories to great opportunities. RIZIN appealed in that way. I told Rich I will accept his last offer to me. No negotiations, no bonus vehicles I’ll just take [Rampage Jackson]’s Tesla. Lets just do this. Ball is in Scott [Coker]’s court. If you want this, let him and Bellator know.”

Justin Golightly - November 22, 2017

Bellator has tapped into our primal sources of nostalgia over huge MMA tournaments and are going to put on a heavyweight grand prix. Featuring legends and UFC veterans including heavyweights and light heavyweights, the tournament is going down early next year and right now, Matt Mitrione is the favorite to win it all. He’ll go into it on a three-fight win streak with his most recent victory being over Fedor Emelianenko. If it was up to him though, he’d rather have just got a title shot he felt he earned already. “I’m not good at giving political answers, so I’ll give you an honest answer: I wasn’t really excited, to be honest. I think it would have been a true heavyweight grand prix to fill it with heavyweights. I think it would have been even better to do it in the same night. I think that would have been a lot of fun. But that’s not how it went. I think they chose the most athletic, most exciting guys they have, and I think that’s what the draw of the tournament is. I would have originally wanted just a title fight, and then have the winner of the tournament fight me for the title – and I would defend it hopefully once during the middle of the year.”

Tom Taylor - November 20, 2017

Over the weekend, Bellator MMA set up shop at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, as part of the festivities for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The promotion hosted a series of free fights for the race fans in attendance, and also offered meet-and-greets with MMA legends like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Dan Henderson.  While this was an interesting bit of co-promotion on Bellator’s behalf, not everyone involved was happy with the way it all went down. Mitchell Chamale, one of the fighters on the bill, had a pretty fair complaint about the way he and his fellow fighters were treated backstage.