Bellator News

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.

Adam Martin - October 12, 2020

Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page had an “off night” at Bellator Paris due to ring rust, theorized Bellator president Scott Coker. Page defeated former Cage Warriors FC champion Ross Houston via unanimous decision at Bellator’s debut event in Paris. It was far from the best performance of Page’s career as he wasn’t able to let loose and score a flashy KO as his fans are accustomed to. It wasn’t a bad performance, but it was disappointing considering how talented Page is. In the wake of the fight, fans and media have taken to social media to criticize Bellator and Page for the matchmaking of this fight, suggesting that the Page vs. Houston fight was unnecessary.

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.

Tom Taylor - October 8, 2020

Corey Anderson is set for his Bellator debut. The former UFC light heavyweight standout will collide with Melvin Manhoef on November 5. Manhoef is a decorated kickboxing specialist and experienced mixed martial artist, but has had his best success competing in the 185-pound middleweight division, so his welcoming Anderson to the Bellator light heavyweight division came as a surprise to some fans. Anderson himself, however, seems fired up about the challenge.

Adam Martin - October 7, 2020

Former UFC light heavyweight contender Corey Anderson will make his Bellator debut when he takes on veteran striker Melvin Manhoef. Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed to CBS Sports’s Brian Campbell that Anderson will take on Manhoef at a Bellator event scheduled to take place on November 5. The event is expected to be titled Bellator 251 and take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. It’s worth noting that Manhoef was supposed to fight at this weekend’s Bellator Paris card but his fight with Simon Biyong was scratched. Instead, he will now fight a month later against Anderson in what is a much tougher fight.

Tom Taylor - October 7, 2020

Bellator President Scott Coker has shared his first reaction to Michael Chandler, the promotion’s former lightweight champion, signing with the UFC. Chandler is arguably the biggest star in Bellator history. Last month, however, the former champ parted ways with the promotion, and signed on the dotted line with the UFC.

Tom Taylor - October 7, 2020

Bellator flyweight fighter Bec Rawlings says her OnlyFans page has been a game-changer during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. OnlyFans, for those unfamiliar, is an online subscription service that allows influencers and celebrities to charge for exclusive content. The platform is also used extensively by sex workers.

Cole Shelton - October 6, 2020

Tim Johnson will finally get the rematch with Cheick Kongo he has been calling for. In Johnson’s Bellator debut, he fought Kongo and lost by TKO in just 68 seconds. Yet, Johnson wasn’t happy with the stoppage and wanted the rematch ever since and at Bellator 248 he will get his wish. He will also fight on the first major MMA event in France since the sport was legalized.

Adam Martin - October 6, 2020

Bellator featherweight Tywan Claxton says he turned down a $250,000 job offer in tech to continue to be a full-time MMA fighter. The 27-year-old Claxton made his professional MMA debut in 2017 for Bellator. He won the first five fights of his MMA career — four of them by knockout — to claim a spot in the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix. Unfortunately, Claxton was bounced from the tournament when he lost by submission to top contender Emmanuel Sanchez. Since then, Claxton has gone 1-1 with a split decision loss to Jay Jay Wilson in his last fight.

Adam Martin - October 4, 2020

Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull sent a message to new UFC fighter Michael Chandler, saying “you’ll always be my b*tch.” Pitbull KOed Chandler in Bellator last June to become a rare double champion in the promotion. As for Chandler, after KOing Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson in devastating fashion, he signed a free-agent contract with the UFC. The UFC is so high on Chandler that it has tabbed him as the official backup for UFC 254’s main event between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Justin Gaethje.

Adam D Martin - October 4, 2020

Bellator bantamweight prospect James Gallagher responded to his critics following his recent victory over Cal Ellenor at Bellator Europe. The 23-year-old Gallagher made it look easy once again as he improved his pro record to 11-1 with the first-round finish over Ellenor. Gallagher has now won four straight fights since suffering his lone career defeat to Ricky Bandejas in 2018. However, Gallagher’s critics have pointed out that his wins have come against sub-par competition.

Adam Martin - October 2, 2020

Former UFC bantamweight contender Brett Johns has released a statement after leaving the Octagon and signing as a free agent with Bellator. Johns (17-2) was one of the top young bantamweight contenders in the UFC, but he has decided to move on after accepting a better contract offer from Bellator. The 28-year-old Wales native and former Titan FC champion officially announced the move on Friday via his social media accounts, where he explained why he decided to leave the UFC for Bellator.

Tom Taylor - September 30, 2020

YouTube star turned boxer Logan Paul heard enough “sh*t talking” from Bellator star Dillon Danis, and is now vowing to punish his rival in the ring. Paul and Danis have been swapping trash talk on social media and interviews for what seems like an eternity, and the YouTuber seems to be getting fed up.

Adam Martin - September 22, 2020

At long last, Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull has been re-booked to fight his next opponent Pedro Carvalho. Pitbull, who is also the Bellator lightweight champion, was originally set to fight Carvalho with his belt on the line in the semifinals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix at Bellator 241 back in March. However, the fight and the entire event was scrapped at the last minute due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bellator re-started its events back in July, but due to visa issues for the champion, Bellator hasn’t been able to re-book Pitbull vs. Carvalho fight until now.