Bellator News

Cole Shelton - October 22, 2020

Conor McGregor is calling for Bellator to start drug testing fighters. Ever since 2015 when the UFC and USADA partnered for anti-doping testing, many wondered when Bellator would follow suit. However, they have yet to partner with a company to do year-round testing as currently fighters are only tested by the Athletic Commissions during fight week.

Harry Kettle - October 22, 2020

All Elite Wrestling star Jake Hager will return to the cage for his fourth professional MMA fight at Bellator 250. Hager, who once held the World Heavyweight Championship during his 11-year stint with WWE, has been juggling his pro wrestling career alongside his mixed martial arts journey for a few years now. His first fight took place at Bellator 214 in January 2019 and since then he’s put together a 2-0 record with one no contest last October due to an accidental groin strike.

Adam Martin - October 21, 2020

Heavyweight legend Fabricio Werdum says he plans on signing with Bellator and is just waiting for Fedor Emelianenko to sign his contract. Werdum recently became a free agent after his UFC contract expired following a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson on Fight Island. Bellator president Scott Coker has been trying to sign Werdum as a free agent and match him up against Emelianenko, but to this point, there hasn’t been any official progress on the front. Now there is.

Tom Taylor - October 16, 2020

On Thursday night, Cris Cyborg defended the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight title with a submission win over Arlene Blencowe. It was the first submission victory on her resume. As ever, the MMA was very quick to react to this feat. See some of the best reactions below:

Christopher Taylor - October 15, 2020

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg was looking to earn her first title defense at tonight’s Bellator 249 event when she squared off with Arlene Blencowe. Cyborg (23-2 MMA) had made her Bellator debut back in January, where she captured the promotions featherweight title by scoring a TKO victory over Julia Budd.

Adam Martin - October 15, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko is “50/50” on whether he wants a rematch with Fabricio Werdum. It’s been over 10 years since Werdum pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history when he finished Emelianenko by submission in a Strikeforce fight in June 2010. Werdum would parlay that win over Emelianenko into a UFC contract, where he eventually became the promotion’s champion. As for Emelianenko, he was very up-and-down during the 2010s after being the fighter of the decade in the 2000s. In recent years, Emelianenko has found a home in Bellator, whose promoter Scott Coker is also close friends with Werdum.

Adam Martin - October 13, 2020

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is still hoping for a cross-promotion rematch with UFC champion Amanda Nunes. Cyborg and Nunes met back at UFC 232 in December 2018. In a fight that lasted just 51 seconds, Nunes pulled off the upset when she knocked Cyborg out in the first round to hand the Brazilian her first loss in 13 years and win the women’s 145lbs title. The UFC attempted to book the rematch between Cyborg and Nunes but were not able to agree to terms. Cyborg was later released by the UFC after beating Felicia Spencer and has since become the 145lbs champ in Bellator, while Nunes is a two-division champion in the UFC.

Adam Martin - October 12, 2020

Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page believes that Douglas Lima is ducking him, suggesting that he lives in Lima’s head. Page and Lima met in June 2019 in the semifinals of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix, and Lima was the victor when he scored a stunning KO over the previously-unbeaten Page. Lima went on to defeat Rory MacDonald in the finals and claim the Bellator welterweight title for a third time, while Page has been fighting lower-level competition since then, winning four straight fights including a decision over Ross Houston at Bellator Paris.

Tom Taylor - October 12, 2020

Over the weekend, Scott Coker promoted the first major mixed martial arts event in France with the stacked Bellator 248 card. It took many years for France to formally legalize MMA, but once the country opened that door, Coker and Bellator sprung into action, laying out plans for the first major MMA event in the country.

Adam Martin - October 9, 2020

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum says talks are in advanced stages for a rematch with Fedor Emelianenko in Bellator. The 43-year-old Werdum recently became a free agent following a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson on Fight Island in July. The long-time MMA heavyweight veteran reportedly spoke to several promotions in his foray into free agency, but it appears the one that most figured made the most sense, Bellator, has made the biggest push to sign him.

Adam Martin - October 8, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that Cheick Kongo will get a rematch against Ryan Bader with an impressive win over Tim Johnson. Kongo and Bader first met last September at Bellator 226, but the fight ended in controversial fashion when Kongo was unable to continue due to eye pokes. The bout was ruled a No Contest and Bader kept his belt, moving back down to 205lbs in an unsuccessful attempt to defend his light heavyweight title against Vadim Nemkov. As for Kongo, he has not fought since the Bader fight but returns to the Bellator cage this weekend when he takes on Johnson in a rematch in the main event of Bellator Paris.

Alfredo Zullino - October 8, 2020

Who is Simon Biyong? A basketball player for an Italian team? A Bellator fighter? Or maybe he is a talented painter? What is sure, is that he hasn’t always been a mixed martial artist. Born in 1991 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the Italian-based fighter recalls his early days as a sportsman.