Bellator News

Adam Martin - February 9, 2021

The betting odds have been released for the upcoming Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament quarterfinals. Bellator announced the complete eight-man bracket for the promotion’s highly-anticipated 205lbs tournament on Tuesday. Hours later, the oddsmakers released the betting odds for all four quarterfinal matchups. Take a look at the opening odds for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix via BetOnline.

Cole Shelton - February 9, 2021

Yoel Romero is excited to face Anthony Johnson in his Bellator debut. It was revealed at Bellator’s press conference that both Romero and Johnson would be apart of the grand prix and face one another on April 16. It is a fight the fans wanted to see and Romero is eager for the fight to happen.

Adam Martin - February 9, 2021

Bellator MMA announced that it will be moving to Showtime, and the promotion revealed multiple fights for its upcoming schedule. Bellator MMA will return to action on Friday nights in April and it will do so on a new network as the promotion will now air exclusively on Showtime, with president Stephen Espinoza confirming the news in a press conference. That’s the same network Bellator president Scott Coker had plenty of success with back in the day when he ran Strikeforce. The hope is that this move takes the MMA organization to the next level. Watch the official announcement below.

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Bellator MMA is reportedly plotting an eight-man light heavyweight tournament featuring former UFC stars Yoel Romero, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Corey Anderson, and more. Bellator’s light heavyweight division has been quite strong for awhile now, as the home of fighters like Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, and reigning champion Vadim Nemkov. After the promotion signed former UFC contenders like Romero, Rumble and Anderson, however, its light heavyweight division is better than ever—debatably even better than the UFC’s.

Andrew Whitelaw - February 8, 2021

Patricio Pitbull is enjoying a truly prolific faze in his career. He holds both the lightweight and featherweight titles in Bellator, and is riding a six-fight winning streak and there is a strong argument for the 33-year-old being the best 145-er in the world. Pitbull is often asked about a move to the UFC, but it doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon. Instead, the Brazilian suggests that some of his counterparts would be better off coming over to join him in Bellator, namely, Max Holloway.

Adam Martin - February 8, 2021

Newly-signed Bellator light heavyweight Yoel Romero donned his new uniform for the first time in anticipation of his promotional debut. Romero was released by the UFC in late 2020 as part of its mass exodus of 60 fighters from the roster. It didn’t take long for Romero to find a new home and he signed a free-agent deal with Bellator. The promotion has been on a bit of a hiatus for the last several months but is set to return in April with a new set of events. Expected to fight on one of the promotion’s first cards back is Romero.

Harry Kettle - February 5, 2021

Cris Cyborg has issued a response after potential opponent and PFL star Kayla Harrison claimed she didn’t “sign on the dotted line” when given the chance to fight her last year. In 2020 there was a great deal of speculation surrounding the future of Cyborg and where she’d end up going next, with PFL reportedly being in the running to secure her signature. In the end, though, Bellator was her chosen destination.

Harry Kettle - February 4, 2021

PFL star Kayla Harrison has given her thoughts on a potential fight against Cris Cyborg after the latter’s latest callout. Harrison, who took her professional MMA record to 8-0 with a dominant win over Courtney King at Invicta FC 43 back in November, is waiting for the opportunity to get back inside the cage once again as the hype behind her continues to grow.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2021

Patricio Freire believes Michael Chandler will become the UFC lightweight champion, but that still won’t make him the sport’s best lightweight. Freire and Chandler are easily the two most accomplished fighters in Bellator MMA history. The pair have fought once before, with Freire knocking Chandler out to capture the promotion’s featherweight belt—though many feel it was a premature stoppage.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2021

Former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping fired the latest volley in a war of words with Dillon Danis, and he certainly didn’t hold back. Bisping and Danis have been swapping trash talk on Twitter all week.

Cole Shelton - January 28, 2021

Ben Saunders was close to walking away from MMA in 2012 and 2013. After Saunders’ first stint in the UFC, he signed with Bellator. The hope for Saunders was to win a Bellator tournament and become the face of the promotion or eventually get back to the UFC. However, throughout his time in the promotion, he realized Bellator and Bjorn Rebney had him in a horrible contract that nearly made him walk away from the sport.

Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021

Bellator star Dillon Danis has some choice words for former UFC middleweight champion turned MMA analyst Michael Bisping. Danis has spent the last few months angling for a boxing match with YouTube star turned pro boxer Jake Paul. While Paul recently signed on for a boxing match with former UFC fighter Ben Askren, Danis hasn’t relented in his callouts of the YouTuber.

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.