Bellator News
Benson Henderson moves back up to welterweight, fights at Bellator 253 against Jason Jackson
Adam Martin - November 10, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is set to return to the welterweight division when he fights Jason Jackson at Bellator 253. Bellator 253 takes place on Thursday, November 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Henderson vs. Jackson is set to be the co-main event for the card, which features a five-round main event between featherweights AJ McKee and Darrion Caldwell. Also on the card is Keith Lee (brother of UFC star Kevin Lee) vs. top prospect Raufeon Stots, plus the return of Kevin Ferguson Jr. (son of the late Kimbo Slice).
BKFC run will "preserve the longevity" of Paige VanZant's MMA career
Tom Taylor - November 10, 2020
According to Bellator middleweight contender Austin Vanderford, former UFC star Paige VanZant intends to return to mixed martial arts in the future. Vanderford, who is married to VanZant, recently returned to the Bellator cage where he picked up an impressive victory over Vinicius de Jesus. Post-fight, he shed some light on what the future holds for his wife.
Austin Vanderford explains why he and wife Paige VanZant leave politics out of MMA: "I'm a fighter and I care about fighting"
Adam Martin - November 6, 2020
Bellator middleweight contender Austin Vanderford explained why he and his wife Paige VanZant leave politics out of their MMA careers. Vanderford picked up his 10th pro victory on Thursday night at Bellator 251 when he won a unanimous decision over short-notice opponent Vinicius De Jesus. The 30-year-old American signed with Bellator in 2019 following a stint on Dana White’s Contender Series that saw the UFC pass on signing him. Since joining Bellator, Vanderford is 4-0 and looking every bit like a future title contender in the promotion’s middleweight division.
Bellator 251 Results: Corey Anderson TKO's Melvin Manhoef (Highlights)
Cole Shelton - November 5, 2020
Corey Anderson is set to make his Bellator debut against knockout artist, Melvin Manhoef in the main event of Bellator 251. Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1) has been a pro since 1995 and at 44-years-old is still going strong. The former Bellator middleweight title challenger is on a two-fight winning streak but has not fought since October of 2019 when he beat Yannick Bahati by TKO at Bellator 230. In his career, Manhoef has fought the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, and Mark Hunt.
Douglas Lima issues statement following loss to Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 250
Chris Taylor - October 31, 2020
Douglas Lima was looking to become a promotional champ-champ when he squared off with Gegard Mousasi in the main event of Bellator 250. The reigning Bellator welterweight champion, Lima (32-8 MMA), had entered Thursday night’s highly anticipated main event on a three-fight win streak, his latest being a unanimous decision victory over Rory MacDonald at Bellator 232.
Scott Coker suggests rematch between Douglas Lima and Michael Page
Adam Martin - October 30, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker suggested that a rematch between Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima and Michael Page could be next. Lima lost a unanimous decision to Gegard Mousasi in the main event of Thursday’s Bellator 250 event in a failed bid to become a two-division champion. Despite the loss to Mousasi, Lima remains the promotion’s welterweight champion. As such, he will be returning to his regular weight class for his next fight. Just who that is going to be against remains the question.
Gegard Mousasi releases statement after winning vacant Bellator middleweight title
Adam D Martin - October 30, 2020
New Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi released a statement after defeating Douglas Lima to claim the vacant belt at Bellator 250. Mousasi won a unanimous decision over Lima in the main event of Thursday’s Bellator 250 card. Mousasi was able to control the cage for the entire fight as he walked Lima down, outstruck him, and landed some takedowns for good measure. It was nice to see a vintage performance from Mousasi, as he reclaimed the middleweight belt he lost two fights ago in an upset loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. Overall, Mousasi has won 10 of his last 11 fights.
Gegard Mousasi could move up to 205lbs to become double champion, says Scott Coker
Adam D Martin - October 30, 2020
Middleweight Gegard Mousasi could move up to light heavyweight next in order to become a double champion says Bellator president Scott Coker. Mousasi bested Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima via unanimous decision in the main event of Thursday night’s Bellator 250 card. Mousasi was able to get the better of Lima on the feet and on the mat as he won the decision and earned the vacant Bellator middleweight champion, his second time winning the organization’s title at 185lbs. Mousasi is now 5-1 overall in the Bellator cage and a winner of 10 of his last 11 fights.
Pro wrestling community reacts to Jake Hager’s win at Bellator 250
Harry Kettle - October 30, 2020
The pro wrestling community has reacted to Jake Hager‘s big split decision victory at Bellator 250 last night. Hager took his professional mixed martial arts record to 3-0 (1) with a split decision win over Brandon Calton in Uncasville, and while it may have allowed him to maintain his unbeaten record in the sport, he had to go through more adversity than he ever has before in order to get to that point.
Photo | Jake Hager busted up following win at Bellator 250, taken to Hospital
Cole Shelton - October 29, 2020
Jake Hager got his hand raised at Bellator 250 but it did not come easy. Hager, who is undefeated as a pro, was taking on Brandon Calton in a fight many thought was set up for Hager to win. However, that was far from the case as the former Pittsburgh Steelers practice roster player, was stuffing Hager’s takedowns and piecing him on the feet.
Pros react to Gegard Mousasi defeating Douglas Lima at Bellator 250
Cole Shelton - October 29, 2020
Bellator’s vacant middleweight title was on the line as Gegard Mousasi was looking to reclaim the belt while Douglas Lima was looking to become a two-division champ. Gegard Mousasi (46-7-2) returned to the win column with a split decision win over Lyoto Machida last September. Before that, he suffered a controversial majority decision loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. to lose his middleweight title. In his career, he has notable wins over Rory MacDonald, Chris Weidman, Uriah Hall, Thiago Santos, and Vitor Belfort among countless others.
Bellator 250 Results: Gegard Mousasi defeats Douglas Lima (Highlights)
Cole Shelton - October 29, 2020
Bellator’s vacant middleweight title is up for grabs in the main event of Bellator 250. Gegard Mousasi is looking to reclaim his belt while Douglas Lima is looking to become a promotional champ-champ. Gegard Mousasi (46-7-2) returned to the win column with a split decision win over Lyoto Machida last September. Before that, he suffered a controversial majority decision loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. to lose his middleweight title. Since coming over to Bellator, Mousasi is 4-1 and does have a notable win over Rory MacDonald for the first and only title defense of his Bellator title.
Scott Coker explains why Bellator made 30 roster cuts
Adam Martin - October 29, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker explained why Bellator made 30 roster cuts including veterans such as Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, and Joe Warren. It was reported earlier this week that Bellator cut a number of fighters from its roster. Many of the fighters who were released were veterans coming to the end of the like such as Mir, Nelson, and Warren, but there were also a number of younger fighters on the list such as Ricky Bandejas, Chris Lencioni, and AJ Agazarm that surprised fans.
Bellator 250 loses two key fights at the last minute
Tom Taylor - October 29, 2020
The Bellator 250 card, which airs tonight on CBS Sports, has unfortunately lost two anticipated matchups at the last minute. According to a report from MMA Fighting, a Bellator 250 main card fight between Veta Arteaga and Desiree Yanez and an undercard fight between Nick Newell and Zach Zane have been scratched from the lineup.
Bellator 250 weigh-in results: Main event set, one fight gets scrapped
Tom Taylor - October 28, 2020
On Wednesday morning, the fighters on the anticipated Bellator 250 card stepped onto the scales to weigh in for their Thursday night battles. Both Gegard Mousasi and reigning Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima came in under the 185-pound limit for their middleweight title fight, which will headline the card. Unfortunately, a 137-pound catchweight fight between Toby Misech and Jared Scoggins was cancelled when the former missed weight by close to six pounds.
Bellator 250 | Pro fighters make their picks for Gegard Mousasi vs. Douglas Lima title fight
Cole Shelton - October 28, 2020
In the main event of Bellator 250, a massive middleweight fight goes down for the vacant belt as Gegard Mousasi takes on the welterweight champion, Douglas Lima. Heading into the fight, Mousasi is a -170 favorite while the Brazilian is a +140 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority believes Lima’s striking is just too good that he will be able to pick apart Mousasi and earn the win to become a champ-champ in Bellator.
Douglas Lima responds after Michael Page suggests the Bellator champ is ducking him: "Fight contenders"
Adam Martin - October 27, 2020
Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima responded after Michael Page suggested the champ is ducking him, saying to “fight contenders.” Lima is set to take on Gegard Mousasi in a superfight for the vacant Bellator middleweight championship at Bellator 250 on Thursday. Win or lose, Lima will likely make a title defense of his welterweight bout next, and one of the top contenders in the division is Page. After defeating Ross Houston at Bellator Paris in his last fight, Page suggested that the reason he isn’t fighting for the belt yet is that Lima is ducking him.
Former Bellator fighter Joe Taimanglo arrested for possession of meth and illegal firearm
Adam Martin - October 22, 2020
Former Bellator fighter Joe Taimanglo, once a top bantamweight contender, was arrested in Guam for possession of meth and an illegal handgun. Taimanglo, a 36-year-old native of Guam who is a long-time MMA veteran, was arrested on Thursday in his home country after being found with a gun and narcotics. According to a report from The Pacific Daily News, Taimanglo was seen driving a scooter with expired tags, prompting Guam police officers to pull him over.