Bellator News

Christopher Taylor - April 20, 2021

Corey Anderson claims that six months of work with his new employer Bellator has resulted in double the money he made in 15 fights with the UFC. The light heavyweight standout, Anderson (15-5 MMA), earned his second consecutive finish under the Bellator banner this past Friday in Uncasville, stopping Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov with elbows in the third round.

Christopher Taylor - April 19, 2021

Bellator has parted ways with a total of nine fighters including notable MMA veterans Roger Huerta and Brandon Girtz. Promotional officials told MMAJunkie on Monday that Bellator had released nine athletes from their current roster.

Cole Shelton - April 19, 2021

AJ McKee has known it would be him and Patricio Pitbull in the finals of the featherweight grand prix. McKee made quick work of Georgi Karakhanyan and then submitted Derek Camps and Darrion Caldwell to reach the finals. Pitbull, meanwhile, beat Juan Archuleta and then KO’d Pedro Carvalho and submitted Emmanuel Sanchez to reach the finals.

Chris Taylor - April 16, 2021

Tonight’s Bellator 257 event is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between current champion Vadim Nemkov and former title holder Phil Davis. Nemkov (12-2 MMA) and Davis (22-5 MMA) originally collided at Bellator 209 in November of 2018, with the Russian emerging victorious by way of split decision.

Chris Taylor - April 16, 2021

A fun catchweight fight between rivals Paul Daley and Sabah Homasi takes place on the main card of tonight’s Bellator 257 event. Daley (42-17-2 MMA) will enter the grudge match on a two-fight winning streak, this after earning victories over Erick Silva and Saad Awad in his most recent appearances. ‘Semtex’ has earned 31 of his 42 career victories by way of knockout / TKO.

Chris Taylor - April 15, 2021

Tonight’s Bellator 257 event is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between current champion Vadim Nemkov and former title holder Phil Davis. Nemkov (12-2 MMA) and Davis (22-5 MMA) originally collided at Bellator 209 in November of 2018, with the Russian emerging victorious by way of split decision.

Drake Riggs - April 15, 2021

It’s been a good run for longtime Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou, but now he’s moving on to work with Wimp 2 Warrior. Revealed on Thursday just ahead of tomorrow night’s big Bellator 257 event, the promotion informed the public of Chou’s coming departure as their matchmaker.

Adam D Martin - April 15, 2021

Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page will return to the cage when he takes on Derek Anderson at Bellator 258 in May. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was the first to report this Page vs. Anderson fight. It’s actually a re-booking of a fight that Bellator tried to book twice previously in 2017 and 2019. The hope is that in 2021 both men will stay healthy and make it to the fight. When they do meet at Bellator 258 on May 7, it will be a battle between two top-10 fighters in Bellator’s welterweight division. Page is the No. 2 ranked welterweight in Bellator while Anderson is ranked at No. 6. The winner of this fight would surely be in play for a title shot at 170lbs.

Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021

Frank Mir was preparing to make his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut in early 2021 when he got a call to make his boxing debut. Originally, Mir was set to fight Antonio Tarver in the co-main event to Ben Askren vs. Jake Paul. However, the Georgia Commission wouldn’t clear Tarver, so Mir is now set to face Steve Cunningham. Although it is a change of opponent, Mir is still excited at the opportunity of making his pro boxing debut.

Cole Shelton - April 12, 2021

Julia Budd believes she can earn a rematch with Cris Cyborg if she beats Dayana Silva at Bellator 257. On Friday night, Budd will welcome the Contender Series veteran to Bellator in an interesting fight. The Canadian is set for her second fight since losing her belt to Cyborg and thought about holding out for a title shot but is eager to fight again.

Adam Martin - April 11, 2021

Bellator light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader issued a statement after smashing Lyoto Machida in the main event of Bellator 256. Bader is part of the eight-man Bellator World Light Heavyweight Grand Prix bracket. In the first fight in the tournament quarterfinals, Bader took on Machida in the Bellator 256 headliner. It was a rematch of the pair’s first fight back at UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera in August 2012, a fight that Machida won via KO. This time around, however, the fight was completely dominant for his opponent as Bader won a clear unanimous decision. Though Machida did well in the first round with his striking and won that round on the judges’ scorecards, he was outwrestled the rest of the way as he lost four rounds to one.

Chris Taylor - April 9, 2021

Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida will rematch in the headliner of tonight’s Bellator 256 event. The bout will serve as part of the opening round of Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament.

Harry Kettle - April 8, 2021

Ryan Bader isn’t willing to vacate his Bellator Heavyweight Championship as he prepares to enter the promotion’s light heavyweight tournament. Bader has been one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in Bellator for a few years now and while he may be moving into the twilight of his career, it definitely feels like he has the chance to cause some real damage in the aforementioned tournament.

Harry Kettle - April 6, 2021

Austin Vanderford is set to fight Fabian Edwards in a fascinating middleweight bout on May 21 at Bellator 259, MMA Junkie reports. The two rising contenders have both been viewed as future title contenders in the past and in a division where everything is up for grabs, there’s a decent chance a win for either man could take them a lot closer to the top.

Drake Riggs - April 5, 2021

Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate are key pieces to the start of the UFC’s introduction to the women. Nearly a decade later and they’re both still competing – just under different roofs. While Zingano prepares to compete this Friday night, Tate is set to return to the UFC in July after a five-year retirement. In that time, Tate took up a position as a ONE Championship Vice President and according to Zingano, a potential grappler.

Harry Kettle - April 5, 2021

Bellator president Scott Coker has explained the decision behind Mike Goldberg no longer being part of Bellator broadcasts on Showtime. Mike Goldberg has been one of the most consistent and recognizable voices in all of mixed martial arts across the last few decades and as we look ahead to the future, it’s hard to imagine a world where he’s not on the call for a big promotion.

Cole Shelton - April 2, 2021

In the main event of Bellator 255, Patricio Pitbull and Emmanuel Sanchez were set for a rematch three years in the making. The fight also served as the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix. Patricio Pitbull (31-4) is riding a six-fight winning streak and coming off a vicious KO win over Pedro Carvalho last November. Before that, he beat Juan Archuleta by decision and knocked out Michael Chandler in 61 seconds to claim the lightweight title and become a champ-champ. He also beat Sanchez back in November of 2018.

Chris Taylor - April 2, 2021

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Johnson has shared his thoughts on a potential heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. Ever since Ngannou (16-3 MMA) dethroned Stipe Miocic to become “The Baddest Man on the Planet” at UFC 260, all the talk has been of a potential super-fight with Jones.