Bellator News
A.J. McKee explains why he dry humped Spike Carlyle mid-fight at Bellator 286
Fernando Quiles - October 2, 2022
AJ McKee has offered an explanation for his decision to go full-on Israel Adesanya during his Bellator 286 fight against Spike Carlyle. McKee and Carlyle did battle inside Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California. The bout went the distance and while McKee was the clear winner, taking a unanimous decision, Carlyle received praise for his toughness and he never stopped trying to be competitive in the fight.
Dillon Danis shares DMs from Sean O’Malley, challenges ‘Suga’ to fight
Fernando Quiles - October 2, 2022
Dillon Danis has once again caused a stir on social media in the latest case of tweet and delete fever. Danis, who has been known for his social media antics rather than fighting these days, was back at it again on Twitter. This time, he took aim at UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley, who is preparing for the biggest fight of his pro MMA career against former UFC Bantamweight Champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 on October 22.
Bellator 286 Fighter Salaries: Patricio Freire takes home $150k
Chris Taylor - October 1, 2022
The fighter salaries from tonight’s Bellator 286 event have been revealed and to no surprise champion Patricio Freire topped the list. Freire (34-5 MMA) was returning to action this evening for the first time since reclaiming the promotions 145lbs title with a unanimous decision win over A.J. McKee at April’s Bellator 277 event.
Bellator 286 Results: Patricio Freire defeats Adam Borics (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - October 1, 2022
Patricio Freire put his featherweight title on the line against Adam Borics in the headliner of tonight’s Bellator 286 event. Freire (34-5 MMA) was returning to action for the first time since April’s Bellator 277 event, where he reclaimed the promotions 145lbs title with a unanimous decision win over A.J. McKee. ‘Pitbull’ had gone 8-1 over his past nine Bellator appearances ahead of tonight’s event.
Spike Carlyle sounds off on the CSAC after missing weight for Bellator 286: “This isn’t right. I’ve never missed weight in my life.”
Josh Evanoff - September 30, 2022
Bellator lightweight contender Spike Carlyle missed weight earlier today, and he wasn’t happy. ‘The Alpha Ginger’ is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, last defeating Koji Takeda in April. The bout was a one-off in RIZIN, and he’s now set to Bellator tomorrow night. Carlyle is set to co-main event Bellator 286 tomorrow night, in one of the most high-profile bouts of his career.
A.J. McKee would love the opportunity to fight Nate Diaz in Bellator: “He can get a Long Beach slap”
Harry Kettle - September 30, 2022
AJ McKee has given his thoughts on the idea of possibly meeting free agent Nate Diaz inside the Bellator cage. Ever since his submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, fans have been wondering what’s next for Nate Diaz. The Stockton king is one of the most exciting fighters in the game and now that he’s done with UFC, at least for the time being, there are plenty of possibilities out there for him to explore – whether it be in mixed martial arts or beyond.
Patricio Pitbull plotting move down to bantamweight to become champion at third weight class: "To take the legend step"
Josh Evanoff - September 29, 2022
Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull has his eyes set on bantamweight gold. The Brazilian has been out of action since his rematch with A.J. McKee in April. In their first encounter, ‘Mercenary’ picked up a first-round submission victory to win gold. In the rematch, Pitbull flipped the script, and re-won his title by unanimous decision.
Eddie Alvarez reveals he's open to UFC or Bellator return after leaving ONE Championship: "Keep my options open"
Josh Evanoff - September 28, 2022
Lightweight star Eddie Alvarez is open to anything next. ‘The Underground King’ has been out of action since his decision loss to Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 last April. The bout set Alvarez back to 1-2 (1 NC) in the ONE Championship cage. As it turns out, that was the last time he would fight in the promotion.
Bellator champion Johnny Eblen discusses a potential fight with Yoel Romero: “I don’t know if that dude’s all natural”
Harry Kettle - September 27, 2022
Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen has given his thoughts on a potential fight against Yoel Romero in the future. This past weekend at Bellator 285 in Dublin, Yoel Romero was able to knock Melvin Manhoef out with a nasty series of elbows to take his current win streak with the promotion up to two. The 45-year-old, known as the ‘Soldier of God’, is still one of the most feared men in the sport – which says a lot about the impact he’s been able to have in the second half of his illustrious career.
Scott Coker unsure if Dillon Danis will fight in Bellator again: "Dillon is a kid we had a lot of high hopes for"
Cole Shelton - September 26, 2022
Scott Coker doesn’t know if Dillon Danis will fight in Bellator again. Danis was a high-profile signing for Bellator as he was highly known for his work in jiu-jitsu as well as being a training partner and grappling coach of Conor McGregor. However, the signing hasn’t panned out as Danis has fought just twice in Bellator and hasn’t competed since 2019 and Coker is unsure if he will fight again.
Cris Cyborg and Cat Zingano trade barbs over why their fight hasn't materialized: "This b***h left to boxing right when I earned my title shot"
Fernando Quiles - September 25, 2022
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg has found herself in a war of words with Cat Zingano. The two 145-pounders haven’t exactly been chummy. Zingano is a top contender in the women’s featherweight division, but a matchup with Cyborg still hasn’t come to fruition and there’s a lot of finger-pointing going on.
Bellator 285 Results: Benson Henderson defeats Peter Queally (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - September 23, 2022
Tonight’s Bellator 285 event is headlined by a key lightweight contest featuring Benson Henderson taking on Peter Queally. Henderson (30-11 MMA), a former UFC lightweight champion, most recently competed back in January where he earned a split decision victory over Islam Mamedov. That win had snapped a three-fight losing skid for ‘Smooth’, as he had previously suffered defeats to Michael Chandler, Jason Jackson and Brent Primus.
Bellator 285 Results: Yoel Romero TKO's Melvin Manhoef (Video)
Chris Taylor - September 23, 2022
Tonight’s Bellator 285 event is co-headlined by a highly anticipated light heavyweight bout between Yoel Romero and Melvin Manhoef. Romero (14-6 MMA) will be returning to action for the first time since scoring a TKO victory over Alex Polizzi this past May at Bellator Paris. That victory snapped a four-fight losing skid for ‘The Soldier of God’, as Romero had previously suffered a string of decision defeats to Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya and Phil Davis.
Scott Coker reveals he tried to make Anderson Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko, hopes to re-open the "dialogue" and make it happen in Japan
Cole Shelton - September 22, 2022
Scott Coker is hoping to make Anderson Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko in Bellator. After Silva fought out his UFC contract and became a free agent, Coker says he tried to sign the Brazilian. He wanted to do a one-off fight against Emelianenko but Silva made it known he wanted to pursue boxing.
Yoel Romero claps back at "pampered" Israel Adesanya for his recent comments: “How many fights does Izzy have that are boring? You see?”
Cole Shelton - September 21, 2022
Yoel Romero has fired back at Israel Adesanya. Adesanya recently looked back on a low point in his career, which was the Romero fight, and put much of the blame on the now Bellator fighter. That fight served as the main event of UFC 248 and resulted in what many fans and analysts refer to as a snooze fest.
Scott Coker confirms Bellator is "in dialogue" with Nate Diaz on a potential deal
Cole Shelton - September 21, 2022
Scott Coker is hoping to bring Nate Diaz to Bellator. Coker used to promote Nick and Nate Diaz in Strikeforce and the two have a good relationship. With Coker now serving as Bellator’s president, he confirmed to the media in Ireland that the promotion is talking with Diaz and his team about a deal. The hope is to have a deal in place that allows Diaz to take boxing fights but his MMA fights would be in Bellator.
Yoel Romero reveals plans to defeat Melvin Manhoef, then search for Bellator champ-champ status: "My goals are still the same"
Josh Evanoff - September 15, 2022
Bellator light-heavyweight contender Yoel Romero has some big plans for 2023. ‘Soldier of God’ has been out of action since his knockout win over Alex Polizzi in May. The victory was an important one for the Cuban, as it was his first win in the Bellator cage. Romero had previously lost by decision to Phil Davis in his September 2021 debut.
Cris Cyborg reveals retirement plans, wants to finish career within three years: "I want to have the best fights that my fans to see during that time"
Josh Evanoff - September 12, 2022
Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg believes her time in the sport is limited. The Brazilian has been out of the cage since her rematch with Arlene Blencowe in April. The two first faced off in October 2020, with Cyborg scoring a submission win. Their rematch earlier this year was much closer, but once again the champion claimed the victory, by decision.