Bellator News

Adam Martin - January 26, 2021

Patricio Pitbull says that the success of Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez in the UFC is showing the “power of Bellator.” Chandler had an amazing UFC debut last weekend at UFC 257 when he brutally knocked out the typically-durable Dan Hooker with punches in the first round. Heading into the UFC, there were many question marks about the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, but Chandler’s win over Hooker showed that he is an elite fighter. And if you think Chandler is good, just remember Pitbull knocked him out in June 2019. Both men are proof Bellator is home to some of the sport’s elite.

Drake Riggs - January 26, 2021

MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko’s lone fight since 2019 has happened to come against the global threat that is COVID-19. As of Monday, the Russian icon is reportedly in much better condition. Last Thursday, news broke that Emelianenko was hospitalized in Moscow as he attended a location specialing in COVID-19 treatment.

Tom Taylor - January 25, 2021

Dillon Danis and John Kavanagh, two of the most important people in Conor McGregor’s inner circle, have reacted to his loss to Dustin Poirier. McGregor met Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 on Fight Island last Saturday. The pair’s lightweight showdown was a rematch of a 2014 fight that McGregor won by first-round knockout. This time around, Poirier evened the score, ruining McGregor’s lead leg with calf kicks, and stopping him with punches in round two.

Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021

Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko has been admitted into a Moscow hospital specializing in treating COVID-19. News of Emelianenko’s hospitalization was first reported by RIA Novosti and later reported by RT Sport. Information on Emelianenko’s condition is currently scarce, but a statement issued on the Russian star’s social media accounts thanked his fans for their support.

Adam Martin - January 13, 2021

GLORY kickboxer Robin Van Roosmalen is in critical condition after a devastating car crash killed his sister Melissa Van Roosmalen. According to a report from VechtSport, Van Roosmalen and his sister were stopped on the shoulder of a highway in Nieuwegein, Netherlands. The two were then struck by a truck, which killed Melissa and left Robin with serious injuries. Photos of the crash site have floated online, showing the vicious destruction that the car accident caused. According to local officials, Melissa was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, while Robin is currently in a local hospital with serious injures. The driver of the truck who struck the Van Roosmalen siblings was arrested a short time later.

Drake Riggs - January 11, 2021

To close out 2020, a hot topic was Bellator vs. UFC at 205-pounds. Having competed for both promotions, Corey Anderson leans towards his new home. Winning season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2014, Anderson would go on to enjoy a 10-5 tenure inside the Octagon (14-5 overall). After suffering an early 2020 defeat in his rematch with the now-champion, Jan Blachowicz, “Overtime” departed from the UFC in mid-2020 to sign with Bellator. Thus bolstering a continuously growing division.

Adam Martin - January 7, 2021

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg says she’s willing to fight Cat Zingano if Scott Coker asks her. After she scored back-to-back dominant victories over Julia Budd and Arlene Blencowe in her first two Bellator fights, it’s becoming hard to find challengers for Cyborg. But one name floating around is Zingano. Both Cyborg and Zingano were big stars in the UFC at one point in time, and now both of them are on the Bellator roster at 145lbs. It seems natural to think this fight could happen in the Bellator cage, and it’s possible we might actually see it in 2021.

Drake Riggs - January 6, 2021

Cris Cyborg is currently reigning supreme as Bellator’s featherweight queen while Kayla Harrison runs rampant at lightweight. Could the two ever meet in the cage? If you ask either, the two will tell you that they both have an interest in the challenge that the other presents. Further confirming that notion as recently as this New Year’s day on Harrison’s end, Cyborg did the same on Tuesday.

Drake Riggs - January 5, 2021

An unbelievable amount of ridiculousness ensued throughout 2020 the further along we all got in the year. To perfectly summarize 2020 with a capper, the MMA world provided us with an intergender openweight exhibition bout in November pitting Russia’s Darina Mazdyuk vs. the 500-plus pound YouTuber, Grigory Chistyakov (also known as Grisha Polnoe). Mazdyuk, 28, is a solid prospect who has competed in the 135-pound bantamweight and 145-pound featherweight divisions. However, up until her viral first-round TKO victory, the 4-1 pro was a virtual unknown outside of Russia’s regional scene.

Tom Taylor - January 5, 2021

Dillon Danis says a grappling match with undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would be “easy work.” Nurmagomedov, who recently announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, is widely considered one of the best grapplers in the history of the sport. Yet Danis, a decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelt, believes he could make quick work of the unbeaten Russian in a straight grappling match.

Drake Riggs - January 4, 2021

The tail-end of 2020 saw the UFC make some surprising releases from their roster. In turn, that led to Bellator President Scott Coker picking them up. To the surprise of many, several names within the larger weight classes parted ways with the UFC this past year. All of which have since joined their counterpart in Bellator MMA. Most notably these names include perennial top light heavyweight contender Corey Anderson, and former UFC title challengers, Yoel Romero, and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

Adam Martin - January 4, 2021

Former Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren trolled his former promotion for not having any events booked for its 2021 schedule yet. The calendar just turned to 2021 and Bellator is looking to keep up its momentum after a strong end to 2020 following a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once Bellator returned to action in the summer, the promotion ran events from a bubble at the Mohegan and finished strong with a number of the promotion’s biggest stars fighting. Ahead of the 2021 season, Bellator has created more excitement by signing several big-name free agents.

Tom Taylor - December 31, 2020

UFC President Dana White has provided an update on the potential Octagon return of former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz in 2021. Diaz, one of the most popular fighters in MMA history, has not fought since a 2015 no contest with Anderson Silva, but began teasing a 2021 comeback earlier this year.

Adam Martin - December 29, 2020

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg teased her fans on social media that she has “big news soon” as Bellator heads into 2021. Taking to her social media ahead of the new year, Cyborg teased her fans that she has big news coming soon, all while tagging Bellator in the post, indicating a fight announcement. Check out what the Brazilian wrote on her social media below.

Drake Riggs - December 28, 2020

Jon Jones and Corey Anderson never got to square off during their time together in the UFC light heavyweight division. However, The Ultimate Fighter season 19 winner believes there are certain reasons that success has started being found against one of the all-time greats. In Jones’ last two title defenses, he went the distance with the likes of Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes. With the first resulting in a split decision and the second a unanimous, both for Jones, many in the MMA community disagreed with the results.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that social media support made him sign former UFC star Yoel Romero to a contract with his organization. Coker and Bellator initially passed on signing Romero after the UFC released him earlier this month. Citing a younger roster as the reason for not bringing in Romero into his promotion, Coker said that Bellator wasn’t interested in signing him. However, after Bellator signed former UFC light heavyweight title contender Anthony Johnson a few days later, Coker did an about-face and signed Romero to a contract.

Adam Martin - December 23, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says he is considering legal action after Ben Askren suggested on social media that Bellator is up for sale. On Tuesday, Askren confirmed BJPenn.com that he will be taking on Jake Paul in a boxing match in early 2021. Coker was later being asked about his thoughts on that fight, and he predicted that Paul will knock Askren out, a comment that led Askren to fire back and take to his social media to suggest that Bellator is up for sale. Check out the comments that Askren made on his Twitter on Wednesday about Bellator potentially being up for sale.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2020

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker believes he knows how a rumored boxing match between Ben Askren and Jake Paul will go down. Askren claims that he’s in talks to fight Paul in March. While he previously reigned as the Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight titleholder and is a decorated wrestler, he’s never been much of a striker, and is widely expected to be at a disadvantage in a boxing match against the YouTube star turned pro boxer, Paul.