Bellator News

Cole Shelton - August 7, 2023

Cris Lencioni is out of the hospital. Lencioni recently had a cardiac arrest while he was practicing which resulted in him suffering brain damage and put him in the ICU. Yet, after spending nearly two months between ICU and the hospital, the Bellator fighter was released from the hospital and was able to walk out under his own power.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2023

Bellator will be holding its 300 event and Usman Nurmagomedov will be defending his lightweight title on the card. Multiple sources informed BJPENN.com that Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Brent Primus, which also serves as the semifinals of the Bellator lightweight grand prix at Bellator 300. The event is set to go down on October 7 in San Diego, California. One source said this event could see multiple title fights on the card as it could be the final event in Bellator history. It’s also unclear if this fight will be the main event of the historic and potential final Bellator event.

Cole Shelton - July 17, 2023

Michael Page is officially a free agent. Page has been in Bellator since 2014, where he participated in his sixth pro fight. Since then, he has gone 17-2 in the promotion and is ranked second at welterweight. However, following his 26-second win over Goiti Yamauchi due to injury, Page revealed on The MMAHour that he is now a free agent and is set to explore his options.

Josh Evanoff - July 13, 2023

Bellator has announced that they’ve re-signed champions, Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix. ‘The Phenom’ is fresh off his return against Patricio Pitbull last month at Bellator 297. That was the Brazilian’s attempt for a championship in a third weight class, but it was all for not. In the bantamweight title clash, Sergio Pettis dominated en route to a wide unanimous decision victory.

Cole Shelton - July 4, 2023

Cris Lencioni has started to walk again. Lencioni – who fights for Bellator – recently had a cardiac arrest while he was practicing which resulted in brain damage. After being in a coma, he was released from ICU as he started to get healthier. It was massive news that Lencioni was starting to get healthy – as doctors told Lencoini’s wife only around 10 percent of people survive what happened to him.

Josh Evanoff - June 29, 2023

Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov again has his eyes on Ryan Bader, but not for himself. The Russian is fresh off his return in the main event of Bellator 297 earlier this month. There, he faced Yoel Romero, who was riding a two-fight winning streak. However, the 46-year-old proved to be no match for Vadim Nemkov, as the champion retained his title by unanimous decision.

Josh Evanoff - June 28, 2023

Bellator light-heavyweight contender Corey Anderson has fired more shots at UFC champion Jamahal Hill. ‘Overtime’ returned to the cage earlier this month at Bellator 297 against Phil Davis. There, the light-heavyweight contender scored a split-decision win over ‘Mr. Wonderful’, an important win for Corey Anderson. However, he didn’t have much time to celebrate, as he started going back and forth with Jamahal Hill.

Susan Cox - June 28, 2023

Gordon Ryan has taken aim at Dillon Danis for claiming to be a BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) World Champion. Dillon ‘El Jefe’ Danis is claiming to be a four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.

Zain Bando - June 22, 2023

Ariel Helwani shares his thoughts about Bellator’s roster Long-time MMA journalist Ariel Helwani always gives credit where credit is due, especially when it comes to the sport as a whole. Last Friday showcased Bellator 297, which featured two world title fights. Bellator light heavyweight champion, Vadim Nemkov, took on Yoel Romero in the main event, while Sergio Pettis fought Patricio Pitbull for the bantamweight strep in the co-main.

Josh Evanoff - June 19, 2023

Scott Coker crowned Vadim Nemkov as the best light-heavyweight on the planet after his win over Yoel Romero. The Russian made his return to the cage on Friday night in the main event of Bellator 297. There, he faced the ‘Soldier of God’, who entered the contest riding a two-fight winning streak. However, Yoel Romero’s recent success ended over the weekend.

Cole Shelton - June 19, 2023

The family of Cris Lencioni has provided an update on the Bellator fighter. On Sunday night, Chael Sonnen confirmed reports that Lencioni had a medical issue as he was training and lost consciousness. Immediately, he was rushed to the hospital and a week later, he still has not regained consciousness and is in ICU, but Sonnen did not share what caused Lencioni to lose his consciousness.

Fernando Quiles - June 19, 2023

Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Vadim Nemkov could be trying his hand at heavyweight. Nemkov went one-on-one with former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero in the main event of Bellator 297. The action was held inside the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Vadim Nemkov put his 205-pound gold at stake.

Zain Bando - June 16, 2023

Tonight, the light heavyweight main event featured champion Vadim Nemkov taking on Yoel Romero at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. After a delay to begin the Bellator 297 preliminary portion, the card cruised through with five fights in a little over an hour, plus the highly-anticipated three-main card fights to lead into the main event. Nemkov entered the contest 8-0 in Bellator with three finishes by KO/TKO, as his most recent win came against Corey Anderson back in November, which also took place in Chicago.

Zain Bando - June 16, 2023

Sergio Pettis and Patricio Pitbull locked horns in tonight’s Bellator 297 co-main event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. Arguably the two best non-UFC lighter-weight fighters, Pettis and Pitbull were unifying their respective titles, with the winner earning the bantamweight title and a matchup with interim champion Patchy Mix. Mix had stated during an impromptu media availability Saturday night that he looked forward to watching the fight as a fan and is excited for whoever he gets to face next. Pettis was returning to the Bellator cage after nursing a knee injury, while Pitbull entered the contest sporting a 35-5 record, having fought the likes of Michael Chandler, Juan Archuleta, and AJ McKee, to name a few.

Zain Bando - June 16, 2023

Bellator 297 goes down tonight, live at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. The promotion’s second trip to Wintrust Arena features a double main event offering with Vadim Nemkov defending his light heavyweight title against former UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero. While Nemkov is undefeated in Bellator, Romero, 46, is looking for a spark to finally win his first-ever undisputed title and extend his own winning streak to three.

Cole Shelton - June 15, 2023

Scott Coker has opened up on the rumor that the PFL is buying Bellator. It was recently reported that Bellator is up for sale and PFL was in talks to buy them. It was unknown if they would merge into one promotion, but UFC president Dana White was shocked PFL was trying to buy Bellator.

Zain Bando - June 15, 2023

Bellator returns to the Windy City Friday night for Bellator 297 with two world title fights to top the bill from Wintrust Arena. This is the promotion’s second trip back to Chicago, Ill., in less than a year, as Bellator 288 took place last November from the same venue. Former UFC middleweight title challenger and interim champion Yoel Romero puts his two-fight win streak on the line against current Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov in the Bellator 297 main event, who defends his title in Chicago again.

Zain Bando - June 14, 2023

Bellator president Scott Coker has made his stance clear – his fighters are the cream of the crop. Ahead of Bellator 297 Friday night, which is headlined by two marquee title fights in Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero at light heavyweight and Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull at bantamweight, Coker was adamant his three champions could challenge a whos-who, including the best the UFC has to offer. “We have as good or better fighters than other leagues, including the UFC,” Coker said. “And I think that everybody knows that now.”