Bellator News

Cole Shelton - December 18, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White says Bellator merging into PFL is a bad thing for MMA and the sport as a whole. Bellator was recently purchased by PFL as the two companies will merge into one. However, Bellator will continue under a “reimagined” system at PFL called the Bellator International Champions Series. The Bellator series will include eight events per year with each card featuring two title fights at the top.

Josh Evanoff - December 7, 2023

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is a bit sad to see their recent sale to the PFL. ‘Iron’ is now one of the UFC’s biggest stars and most entertaining fighters. Although, Michael Chandler hasn’t been seen in the cage since a submission loss to Dustin Poirier well over a year ago. Now, the former Bellator champion has been stuck on the sidelines, waiting for a long-awaited fight with Conor McGregor.

Zain Bando - December 5, 2023

Cris “Cyborg” Justino is at a crossroads. The former UFC women’s featherweight champion and current Bellator featherweight champion, Cyborg wants to be part of the newly minted PFL-Bellator merger.

Susan Cox - November 28, 2023

Bellator executive Mike Kogan is claiming ONE Championship is about to go out of business. The announcement came last week that Bellator was no longer a standalone entity.  The promotion was acquired by the PFL (Professional Fighters League).

Zain Bando - November 21, 2023

Monday marked a historic day for MMA, as Donn Davis’ PFL and Scott Coker’s Bellator unified to become second-fiddle to the UFC. It also teased speculation about what could be next on the boxing side of things, specifically for former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Donn Davis, who appeared on the latest edition of “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, said there is a possibility of Ngannou fighting Deontay Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion.

Cole Shelton - November 21, 2023

Former Bellator veteran King Mo has taken aim at Scott Coker. On Monday, it was revealed that the PFL has bought Bellator in a massive deal that will change the landscape of MMA. The general consensus was that it will be good for the sport, as it could be a legit promotion that could rival the UFC.

Harry Kettle - November 21, 2023

A parade of past, present and future MMA fighters have reacted to the news that PFL has officially acquired Bellator. Earlier this week, it was announced that the Professional Fighters League (PFL) had officially purchased Bellator. It’s a move that has been heavily rumored for a while and now, it’s been confirmed. PFL’s Donn Davis ironed out some of the details in an appearance on The MMA Hour, but there are still plenty out there who are curious to see how it all goes down.

Zain Bando - November 20, 2023

Friday marked a new era in Jamaican MMA, as Jason Jackson shocked the mixed martial arts world with a third-round KO against previously unbeaten welterweight kingpin Yaroslav Amosov in the main event of Bellator 301. Although it may go down as an upset in the history books, for Jason Jackson, 33, it was meant to be.

Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2023

PFL executive Donn Davis is hoping to see his best face Bellator’s early next year. Earlier today, the Bellator-PFL sale was made official. Throughout much of this year, the two companies were in talks, especially after Showtime made the decision to drop combat sports. While already rumored, the announcement this fall made Donn Davis and others get this deal finalized.

Cole Shelton - November 20, 2023

PFL founder Donn Davis says they are offering Bellator president Scott Coker an opportunity to stay on if he wants. On Monday, it was announced that PFL has bought Bellator and the promotion has expectations for both brands. According to the press release, the plan is to do a champions vs. champions event in 2024. Also, Bellator will be rebranded to Bellator International Champions Series and will run concurrent to PFL in 2024 with eight one-off events in 2024.

Susan Cox - November 20, 2023

The PFL has officially acquired Bellator MMA, and in doing so has stated, ‘Our fighter roster is equal to UFC’. The news of the merger has been in the works for months, but now is a done deal and the Professional Fighters League has officially acquired Bellator MMA.

Zain Bando - November 18, 2023

Friday night at Wintrust Arena was Patchy Mix’s crowing achievement. In what was likely the final Bellator event ever, Patchy Mix, the Bellator interim bantamweight champion, made good on his dream.

Josh Evanoff - November 17, 2023

Former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull is just as unsure of the company’s future as anyone. The Brazilian has been out of the cage since a knockout win over Roberto de Souza in July. That was a nice rebound win for Patricky Pitbull, having lost his lightweight gold to Usman Nurmagomedov in his prior outing. With the win at Bellator X RIZIN 2, he advanced to the lightweight Grand Prix semifinals.

Zain Bando - November 17, 2023

Now that all 32 fighters have weighed in, Bellator 301 is official for tonight at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. The final Bellator event in the history of Showtime Sports features two title fights plus a highly-anticipated lightweight Grand Prix semifinal bout. The Bellator 301 main event pits Yaroslav Amosov vs. Jason Jackson for the Bellator welterweight strap. In contrast, the co-main event between Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix will make the winner the undisputed bantamweight champion.

Zain Bando - November 16, 2023

Bellator 301 takes place Friday night from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill., as it is the promotion’s third trip back to “The Windy City” in one year and its second of 2023. The 16-fight Bellator 301 card features many huge names from top-to-bottom, including two world title fights and a Grand Prix lightweight semifinal bout.

Zain Bando - November 15, 2023

Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix will meet in the co-main event of Bellator 301 on Friday night in Chicago to unify the promotion’s bantamweight titles. Pettis, who turned 30 in August, said Wednesday that his return to the cage is more than just about completing the journey. “I just want to be an example for everyone who is a late bloomer,” Sergio Pettis said. “I feel like I am a late bloomer, and it took me time to develop my game, skill, and confidence. Growing up, I was not a confident individual and had a lot of anxiety. With that, I was also under my brother’s shadow, but in those dark times, I was able to learn who I am.”

Zain Bando - November 15, 2023

Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello picked up right where they left off ahead of their Bellator 301 bantamweight rematch in Chicago. Amid their trash talk amongst each other, emotions ran high. The fued began ahead of Bellator 289 in December last year, where Raufeon Stots was able to secure a decision victory before ultimately losing to Patchy Mix in his next fight.

Cole Shelton - November 14, 2023

Patchy Mix wasn’t sure if he was going to get the chance to fight Sergio Pettis. After Mix knocked out Raufeon Stots back in April to become the interim champ and the grand prix winner, it secured him a title shot. He was booked to face the bantamweight champ, Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301. But, with all the rumors that the promotion would be sold, Mix wasn’t sure if this fight was going to happen.