Bellator News

Zain Bando - November 18, 2022

Scott Coker took it slow when COVID-19 took over the world, as he held his Bellator events at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut without fans. Unlike the UFC, who forged ahead earlier than any other MMA promotion or major sports league, Bellator remained complacent that the right time would eventually come. And, sure enough, it did. Over the last eight months or so, Bellator has returned to the likes of Ireland, San Jose, Arizona, Italy and many others locations. One of those locations in the ladder category is Chicago, Ill., as Bellator 288 plays host to two title fights at the top of the bill, including light heavyweight title challenger Corey “Overtime” Anderson, as he’ll rematch Vadim Nemkov in the finals of the long-awaited conclusion of the Grand Prix.

Josh Evanoff - November 18, 2022

Bellator’s debut on CBS next year has some serious star power. ‘The Last Emperor’ has been out of the cage since his knockout win over Timothy Johnson in October 2021. Following the victory, Emelianenko revealed he would only compete one more time. He subsequently called for a rematch with Ryan Bader.

Josh Evanoff - November 17, 2022

Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire is fine with being the underdog against Usman Nurmagomedov. The Brazilian is set to make his first title defense tomorrow night at Bellator 288. Freire famously captured the belt in his rematch with Peter Queally last November. In that outing, he won by second-round knockout, finally winning gold after a decade in the promotion.

Josh Evanoff - November 17, 2022

Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov could go for a rematch with UFC light-heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka. The Russian is set to return tomorrow night at Bellator 288 against Corey Anderson. The bout will be a rematch of their first encounter from April, in the finals of Bellator’s light-heavyweight Grand Prix. In their first bout, ‘Overtime’ was dominating en route to a no-contest after a third-round headbutt.

Harry Kettle - October 28, 2022

Ali Abdelaziz has asked everyone to pray for Anthony Johnson as he continues to battle ongoing health concerns. For the longest time now, Anthony Johnson has been known as one of the best knockout artists in MMA history. In the eyes of many, of course, he just goes by the name ‘Rumble’.

Josh Evanoff - October 26, 2022

Bellator and RIZIN are going all out for their New Year’s Eve event in Japan. The two promotions have had a partnership since 2015. For the most part, that partnership has just led to fighters crossing over between promotions. For example, Bellator lent future champion, Patricky Pitbull, to RIZIN for their 2019 lightweight Grand Prix.

Harry Kettle - October 25, 2022

Bellator MMA have announced another crossover event with Rizin, which is set to take place on New Year’s Eve. Over the course of the last few years, Bellator has made an effort to branch out and work with a series of different promotions. While it’s unlikely they’ll be able to strike any kind of cross-promotional deal with the UFC, there are certainly other companies that are more than willing to partake.

Harry Kettle - October 11, 2022

Bellator president Scott Coker has explained what it would take for the promotion to add a 165lbs division. For the longest time now, a lot of fans, fighters and pundit have been discussing the possibility of a 165-pound division being added across mixed martial arts. Alongside this being implemented, it would also probably shift the welterweight limit from 170 up to 175, largely to maintain the 10-pound gap between so many of the weight classes.

Cole Shelton - October 5, 2022

Jeremy Kennedy isn’t sure what to take away from his Bellator 286 win over Aaron Pico. Early on in the fight, Pico threw a punch that dislocated his shoulder and he kept fighting for the rest of the round. With this shoulder being out, the first round was dominant for Kennedy and after the round, the fight was waved off.

Josh Evanoff - October 4, 2022

Bellator president Scott Coker has revealed who Fedor Emelianenko could fight next. ‘The Last Emperor’ has been out of action since his knockout victory over Tim Johnson in October 2021. The bout moved Emelianenko to a two-fight winning streak, as he had previously finished Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in Japan in December 2019.

Josh Evanoff - October 3, 2022

Bellator featherweight contender Aaron Pico has provided an update after his brutal injury on Saturday. At Bellator 286 last weekend, the 26-year-old returned to the cage to face Jeremy Kennedy. Prior to the bout, champion Patricio Pitbull stated he would fight Pico if defeated the UFC veteran. Sadly, that title shot won’t be happening anytime soon.

Harry Kettle - October 3, 2022

Patricio Pitbull has given his thoughts on a possible crossover fight against UFC featherweight king Alex Volkanovski. When it comes to figuring out who the pound for pound best fighter in the sport is, it’s hard to look past Alex Volkanovski. The Australian sensation has turned away everyone that’s stepped in his path since joining the UFC, including Max Holloway on three separate occasions.