Bellator News

Tom Taylor - January 13, 2019

Dillon Danis has never been afraid to let the trash talk fly on Twitter. The latest victim of the Conor McGregor training partner’s Twitter trash talk was Nate Diaz stablemate Jake Shields. Here’s what Danis had to say about Shields.

Drake Riggs - January 13, 2019

If someone would have told you eight to nine years ago that the then top UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen would one day be an official Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, you probably wouldn’t have believed them. Yet here we are!

Thomas Taylor - January 8, 2019

Roughly two years after their first fight, Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen are still going at it. The latest skirmish in the pair’s ongoing war of words occurred on Twitter. This time around, it was Sonnen who fired the first shot. 

Tom Taylor - January 8, 2019

Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald is going to have a busy 2019. The champion is a combatant in the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix, and his title will be up for grabs in every one of his Grand Prix matchups, starting with his upcoming first-round showdown with Jon Fitch. If all goes according to plan, of course, MacDonald will make it to the tournament finale, and emerge unscathed with the belt still slung over his shoulder.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2019

Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz have already fought once, in January of 2017, but apparently, their beef is not yet settled. Since their first fight, which Ortiz won via first-round submission, the pair have continued to go back and forth, raising question as to whether we might see them fight again.

Cole Shelton - January 5, 2019

Javy Ayala took on former UFC heavyweight champion and mixed martial arts legend Frank Mir at December’s Bellator Hawaii: Salute The Troops event. Many fans and analysts expected that Mir would emerge victorious when his bout with Ayala was first announced.

Tom Taylor - December 26, 2018

Another Christmas has come and gone. Santa Clause made his yearly trip around the world, presents were opened, gut-busting mountains of food were eaten, and of course, many of the world’s top MMA fighters celebrated with their families. On Tuesday, MMA fighters from top promotions all over the world — from the UFC to Bellator to ONE Championship to Rizin — took to social media to wish their fans a Merry Christmas, and let everyone know how they were celebrating.

Chris Taylor - December 22, 2018

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (18-13 MMA) is looking to book a rematch with Javy Ayala in order to determine his future in the fight game. Mir suffered the first submission defeat of his storied mixed martial arts career to Ayala at Bellator 212 in Honolulu earlier this month.

Tom Taylor - December 20, 2018

Last Friday night, in the co-main event of Bellator’s first card in Hawaii, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir experienced a brutal loss to Javy Ayala. Though Mir started strong in this fight, he was swarmed in the second round, and ultimately forced to tap out to strikes. After the fight, it was revealed that Frank Mir had sustained an alveolar ridge fracture in the fight, which is what prompted his tap.

James Lynch - December 19, 2018

If Bellator star James Gallagher had it his way, he’d be looking to avenge his only career loss against Ricky Bandejas on Feb. 23 instead of fighting Steven Graham. But according to the Bellator 218 headliner, Bandejas declined the rematch and instead took a fight against Juan Archuleta at Bellator 214. Gallagher explained the situation in an interview with Jim Edwards of MMANytt.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

On Saturday night, in the co-headlining bout of Bellator Hawaii, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida made his promotional debut opposite former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho. After three closely contested rounds, Machida was announced the winner by split decision. While the former UFC champ is happy about this victory, he says he was a bit thrown off by the new setting.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Until very recently, Bellator and the UFC were engaged in something of a turf war, as both promotions were set to touch down in Southern California on January 26. Bellator boss Scott Coker booked The Forum in Inglewood for Bellator 214, while Dana White and the UFC were expected to take over the Honda Center in Anaheim with UFC 233. Ultimately, however, the UFC opted to cancel its planned UFC 233 card, having had difficulty locking down a suitable headliner for the event. And just like that, Bellator was the only game in town.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

The UFC’s outfitting deal with sports apparel giant Reebok is frequently criticized by fans, fighters, and pundits alike. Not only does this deal deprive fighters of the chance to pursue more lucrative sponsorship deals for themselves, it also deprives them have the chance to dress up during their walkouts and set themselves apart from their peers. Veteran MMA referee John McCarthy is glad this isn’t the reality in Bellator, where he now serves as a cage-side commentator. Speaking during Saturday’s Bellator Hawaii broadcast, as former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida walked out for his Bellator debut, John McCarthy explained how pleased he was to see Machida walking out in his traditional karate gi rather than Reebok gear.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane put her Bellator women’s flyweight title on the line against Valerie Letourneau in tonight’s Bellator 213 main event in Honolulu. Macfarlane enters tonight’s main event sporting a perfect professional record of 8-0. The Hawaiian‘s most recent win came via submission over Alejandra Lara at Bellator 201 this past June in California.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

The promotional debut of former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida took place at tonight’s Bellator 213 event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Machida squared off with former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho in the evenings co-main attraction.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Patricio and Patricky Freire were not impressed by the performance of Michael Chandler at last night’s Bellator 212 event in Hawaii. Chandler handed Brent Primus his first career loss in last night’s headliner, thus reclaiming his Bellator lightweight world title.

Chris Taylor - December 14, 2018

The lightweight belt was on the line in tonight’s Bellator 212 main event as reigning division champion Brent Primus squared off with former title holder Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler had previously surrendered his Bellator lightweight world title to Brent Primus in June of 2017, this after suffering a leg injury that resulted in an eventual TKO.

Christopher Taylor - December 14, 2018

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir returned to action in the co-headliner of tonight’s Bellator 212 event in Hawaii against Javy Ayala. Frank Mir made his Bellator debut this past April, suffering a first-round TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko.