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Bellator
Current season, competition or edition: 2024 in Bellator MMA | |
Sport | Mixed martial arts |
---|---|
Founded | 2008 |
Founder | Bjorn Rebney |
Owner(s) | Bjorn Rebney (2008–2011) Paramount Global (2011–2023) Professional Fighters League (2023–present) |
President | Scott Coker (2014-2023) |
Country | United States |
Headquarters | Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood, California |
TV partner(s) | Max DAZN |
Official website | bellator.com |
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney. The promotion takes its name from bellātor, the Latin word for "warrior". Bellator's first event was held in 2009, and the promotion has since held 301 "numbered" events.
At one point, Bellator was considered the second largest MMA promotion in the United States, and one of the largest combat sport promotions in the world.[1] Paramount Global (formerly Viacom) purchased majority ownership of Bellator from Rebney in 2011, with Paramount's television networks serving as the promotion's media broadcasters in the United States. On November 20, 2023, after then-broadcast home Showtime announced the discontinuation of its sports division, Bellator MMA was acquired by the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The Bellator brand has since been maintained for selected events, such as the "Bellator Champions Series", while its roster has competed in PFL events.
History
Bellator was founded in 2008 by Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.[2][3] Under Rebney's ownership, Bellator events were structured around single-elimination tournaments.[citation needed] In December 2011, Viacom purchased majority ownership of Bellator.[4]
In May 2014, Bellator hosted the company's inaugural pay-per-view event, Bellator 120, from the Landers Center.[5][6]
In June 2014, it was announced that both Chairman/CEO Bjorn Rebney and President Tim Danaher were relieved of their positions.[7] Rebney was succeeded by Strikeforce founder Scott Coker. Under Coker, Bellator would drop its season-long tournament format in early 2015, transitioning into more of a traditional, single-fight event schedule. Since 2018, Bellator has alson hosted divisional grand-prix tournaments.[8]
PFL ownership
In October 2023, Showtime announced that it would discontinue its sports division, with any future sports programming being handled by CBS Sports moving forward, and the division "continu[ing] to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year". It was reported that Paramount Global was concurrently seeking to sell Bellator.[9] Bellator 301 was subsequently promoted as the promotion's final event on Showtime.[10]
On November 20, 2023, it was announced that the Professional Fighters League had acquired Bellator MMA; fighters contracted to Bellator will be able to compete in PFL events. PFL founder Donn Davis announced a planned "mega event" in 2024 that would feature PFL champions fighting against Bellator champions (PFL vs. Bellator), and that it would retain the "Bellator" brand for the new "Bellator Champions Series" cards.[10][11] In March 2024, it was announced that the media rights to Bellator had been acquired by TNT Sports, with events moving to Max and supplemental content on TruTV.[12]
Broadcast
Since the fourth season in 2011, Bellator cards have been predominantly broadcast on Viacom-owned networks in the United States. Beginning in January 2013, Bellator telecasts were moved from MTV2 to Spike (later relaunched as Paramount Network in 2018) following the end of the latter channel's partnership with the UFC.[13][14][15] In September 2013, Bellator signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Fox Sports Latin America.[16]
On June 26, 2018, Bellator announced a five-year streaming deal with DAZN, covering the U.S. and other markets served by the sports-oriented streaming service. Since Bellator 206, this includes all events aired by Paramount Network, as well as seven exclusive cards per-year.[17][18] In March 2020, Bellator announced a deal with ESPN Brasil to broadcast events in the country.[19]
Following Viacom's re-merger with CBS Corporation in 2019, CBS Sports Network debuted the recap series, Bellator MMA: Recharged, on April 25, 2020.[20][21]
Due to problems stemming from COVID-19 pandemic, the contract with DAZN was consensually and prematurely discontinued in 2020.[22] On September 11, 2020, it was announced that Bellator cards would move to CBS Sports Network starting October 1, with preliminary bouts to stream on YouTube and CBSSports.com.[23]
Five months later, on February 9, 2021, it was announced that Bellator events would air exclusively on Showtime beginning with Bellator 255 on April 2, 2021.[24] The following day, it was announced that the BBC would also broadcast Bellator events on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom.[25] With Showtime opting to dissolve its sports division and focus more on scripted programming, Bellator's deal with Showtime came to a close at the end of 2023, with Bellator 301 serving as the final event on the platform on November 17, 2023.[26]
On February 1, 2023, Bellator announced that they had signed a two-year contract with Grupo Globo to broadcast Bellator events in Brazil on its Combate channel, after years of broadcasting through ESPN.[27] A few weeks later on February 22, 2023, the promotion announced that they had signed a multi-year extension with the BBC.[28]
On March 19, 2024, the new ownership announced that Bellator events would now air on Max as part of a new U.S. television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery.[29]
Roster
Current champions
{{#section:List of Bellator MMA champions|Current}}
Events
Fight Master
On February 5, 2013, Bellator and Spike announced the launch of a new reality competition series titled Fight Master: Bellator MMA.[30] The coaches and trainers for the series, which will feature 32 welterweight fighters, will be Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson, and Joe Warren. The 32 fighters competed for a spot in Bellator's fall welterweight tournament, culminating in a live season finale. The series premiered on Spike on June 19, 2013, and ran for a single season.[31]
Bellator Kickboxing
In 2016, Bellator Kickboxing, a sibling kickboxing promotion was founded.[32] Its inaugural event, Bellator Kickboxing 1, was held on April 16, 2016.[33][34]
Tournament History
Season One
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season One (April 3, 2009 – June 19, 2009)
During Bellator's first season, events were broadcast nationally on ESPN Deportes in the United States. Bellator 1 took place on April 3, 2009, and like many events that season, aired via tape delay. Tournaments took place in the middleweight, welterweight, lightweight and featherweight divisions with the winners becoming the inaugural Bellator World Champions in their specific weight class. Héctor Lombard defeated Jared Hess[35] in the finals of the middleweight tournament to become the 185 lb champion while Lyman Good defeated Omar De La Cruz to secure the Bellator Welterweight Title.[36] In addition, Eddie Alvarez defeated Toby Imada to win the Bellator Lightweight Belt[37] while Joe Soto defeated Yahir Reyes to become the Bellator Featherweight Champion.[38] Color commentary for Bellator's first season was provided by Jon Anik and Jason Chambers.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Middleweight | Héctor Lombard | Jared Hess | Bellator 12 |
Welterweight | Lyman Good | Omar De La Cruz | Bellator 11 |
Lightweight | Eddie Alvarez | Toby Imada | Bellator 12 |
Featherweight | Joe Soto | Yahir Reyes | Bellator 10 |
Season Two
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Two (April 8, 2010 – June 24, 2010)
For Bellator's second season, events aired nationally on FOX Sports Net in the United States.[39] Season two debuted on April 8, 2010, and like season one, hosted tournaments in the middleweight, welterweight, lightweight and featherweight divisions. Alexander Shlemenko defeated Bryan Baker (fighter) to become the Middleweight Tournament Champion[40] while Ben Askren defeated Dan Hornbuckle to win the 170 lb tournament.[41] Also, Pat Curran defeated Toby Imada to win the lightweight tournament[42] and Joe Warren (fighter) defeated Patricio Pitbull to become the Featherweight Tournament Champion.[43] Season two tournament champions were awarded a check for $100,000 and a title shot against the Season 1 Champions. In addition to the tournament fights, season two was the first season to host non-tournament, non-title super fights for current champions. Three of Bellator's four champions competed in super fights during Season 2. Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard scored the fastest knockout in Bellator history when he defeated Jay Silva in a catch weight bout at Bellator 18.[44] Also, Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez submitted Josh Neer in a catch weight bout at Bellator 17[45] and Joe Soto scored a technical knockout victory over Diego Saraiva in a featherweight bout at Bellator 19.[46] Welterweight Champion Lyman Good was the only champion to not participate in a season two non-title super fight. Bellator also introduced the new commentary team of Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock during Season 2.[47]
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko | Bryan Baker | Bellator 23 |
Welterweight | Ben Askren | Dan Hornbuckle | Bellator 22 |
Lightweight | Pat Curran | Toby Imada | Bellator 21 |
Featherweight | Joe Warren | Patricio Freire | Bellator 23 |
Season Three
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Three (August 12, 2010 – October 28, 2010)
Bellator kicked off its third season on August 12, 2010, with tournaments in the bantamweight, heavyweight, and women's divisions. Zach Makovsky defeated Ed West at Bellator 32 to win the 135 lb tournament and become the promotions first ever Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Also that same evening, Cole Konrad submitted Neil Grove to win the heavyweight tournament and become the first Heavyweight Champion in Bellator history.[48] Zoila Gurgel became the first Bellator Women's Champion when she defeated Megumi Fujii at Bellator 34.[49] The first official title defense took place between defending Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto and Season 2 Tournament Champion Joe Warren at Bellator 27. Warren defeated Soto by TKO to become the new Bellator Featherweight Champion.[50] Other championship fights featured during season 3 were Hector Lombard retaining his Bellator middleweight championship by defeating Season 2 Tournament Winner, Alexander Shlemenko[51] and Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion, Ben Askren, defeating reigning champion Lyman Good to become the new Bellator Welterweight Champion.[52] Some of the memorable moments from Bellator's Season three are Eddie Alvarez's third-round TKO victory over UFC veteran Roger Huerta in a non-title match[53] and Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard's 38-second knockout of Herbert Goodman at Bellator 24.[54]
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight | Cole Konrad | Neil Grove | Bellator 32 |
Bantamweight | Zach Makovsky | Ed West | Bellator 32 |
Women's Strawweight (115 lb) | Zoila Gurgel | Megumi Fujii | Bellator 34 |
Season Four – The MTV2 Partnership
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Four (March 5, 2011 – May 21, 2011)
Season Four of Bellator began broadcasting nationally on March 5, 2011, and marked the promotions departure from FOX Sports Net to MTV2.[55] Season 4 showcased tournaments in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and light heavyweight divisions. Patricio "Pitbull" defeated Daniel Mason-Straus at Bellator 45 to become the Bellator Featherweight Tournament Champion[56] while Christian M'Pumbu defeated Richard Hale (fighter) the same night to become the first Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion in history.[57] Also, Michael Chandler became the Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Champion when he defeated Patricky "Pitbull" at Bellator 44[58] while Jay Hieron booked a welterweight title shot by defeating Rick Hawn in the Bellator Welterweight Tournament Championship at Bellator 43.[59] Some of the memorable highlights from Bellator's fourth season include Ben Saunders earning a TKO victory over Matt Lee in his Bellator debut,[60] Richard Hale's inverted triangle choke over Nik Fekete at Bellator 38,[61] a flying knee knockout by Patricky "Pitbull" over Toby Imada at Bellator 39[62] and Hector Lombard's one punch knockout of Falaniko Vitale at Bellator 44.[63] Hale and Pitbull were, respectively, nominated for the 2011 World MMA Awards submission of the year and knockout of the year.[64]
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Light Heavyweight | Christian M'Pumbu | Richard Hale | Bellator 45 |
Welterweight | Jay Hieron | Rick Hawn | Bellator 43 |
Lightweight | Michael Chandler | Patricky Freire | Bellator 44 |
Featherweight | Patricio Freire | Daniel Mason-Straus | Bellator 45 |
Summer Series 2011
Bellator Fighting Championships: 2011 Summer Series (June 25, 2011 – August 27, 2011)
In the summer of 2011, Bellator introduced the Summer Series which would feature a featherweight tournament that would decide a challenger for reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren. Like Season 4, the Summer Series was broadcast nationally on MTV2. A total of three events were held during the Summer Series including Bellator 47 which took place at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada. This event marked the first time Bellator held an event outside the United States.[65] In the featherweight tournament, Pat Curran defeated Marlon Sandro with a highlight-reel head-kick knockout in the finals at Bellator 48 to become the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament Champion.[66] In addition to the featherweight tournament, Bellator also hosted a number of featured bouts, including Cole Konrad's non-title win over Paul Buentello and Seth Petruzelli securing a knockout win over former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez at Bellator 48.[67]
- Winner:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Featherweight | Pat Curran | Marlon Sandro | Bellator 48 |
Season Five: The Viacom Era
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Five (September 10, 2011 – November 26, 2011)
Bellator's fifth season, which began on September 10, 2011, continued to air on MTV2 in the United States as well as in HD on Epix. Bellator Tournaments for Season Five featured the bantamweight, welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions. Additionally, Bellator announced that the preliminary cards for each event would air on Spike.com as well as Bellator's Facebook page.[68] In the tournament finals, Eduardo Dantas defeated Alexis Vila at Bellator 59 to become the Bellator Bantamweight Tournament Champion[69] while Douglas Lima knocked out Ben Saunders at Bellator 57 to become the Bellator Welterweight Tournament Champion.[70] Also, Alexander Shlemenko defeated Vitor Vianna at Bellator 57 to become the Bellator Middleweight Tournament Champion[71] while the heavyweight final between Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos was ruled a no contest after an accidental groin kick left Prindle unable to continue.[72] Santos failed to make weight for a scheduled rematch causing the bout to be cancelled, and Prindle to be awarded the tournament win by default.[73] On October 26, 2011, Viacom, the parent company of MTV Networks, announced the purchase of a majority stake in Bellator.[74] As part of the deal, Paramount Network, then known as Spike TV, began broadcasting Bellator live in 2013.[75] On November 7, 2011, in an effort to expand to outside markets, Bellator announced a five-year partnership with FremantleMedia that would allow the company to position itself as one of the premier MMA organizations internationally.[76] On November 19, 2011, at Bellator 58, the company hosted what was called the best fight in the promotion's early history.[77] Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez fought Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Champion Michael Chandler in a back-and-forth affair. In the end, Chandler defeated Alvarez via fourth-round submission to become the new Bellator Lightweight Champion in a fight that several journalists called the fight of the year.[78][79] Other memorable highlights from season five include Douglas Lima's knockout victory over Chris Lozano at Bellator 53,[80] Eric Prindle's knockout win over Ron Sparks at Bellator 56, Vitor Vianna's knockout of Bryan Baker at Bellator 54 and a pair of knockout victories by Alexis Vila and Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 51.[81]
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight | Eric Prindle | Thiago Santos | Bellator 62 |
Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko | Vitor Vianna | Bellator 57 |
Welterweight | Douglas Lima | Ben Saunders | Bellator 57 |
Bantamweight | Eduardo Dantas | Alexis Vila | Bellator 59 |
Season Six
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Six (March 9, 2012 – August 24, 2012)
Bellator's sixth season began on March 9, 2012, with Bellator 60, when Pat Curran captured the Bellator Featherweight Championship after beating champion Joe Warren. At Bellator 64, Ben Askren defended his Welterweight title against Douglas Lima by unanimous decision. At Bellator 65, Eduardo Dantas defeated then champion Zach Makovsky to become the new Bellator Bantamweight Champion. At Bellator 70, Cole Konrad took down Eric Prindle in the first round to defend his Bellator Heavyweight Championship.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Middleweight | Maiquel Falcão | Andreas Spang | Bellator 69 |
Welterweight | Karl Amoussou | Bryan Baker | Bellator 72 |
Lightweight | Rick Hawn | Brent Weedman | Bellator 70 |
Featherweight | Daniel Mason-Straus | Marlon Sandro | Bellator 68 |
Bantamweight | Marcos Galvao | Luis Nogueira | Bellator 73 |
Summer Series 2012
Bellator Fighting Championships: 2012 Summer Series (June 22, 2012 – August 24, 2012)
In the summer of 2012, Bellator held its second Summer Series which would feature a Light Heavyweight tournament that would decide a challenger for reigning Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Christian M'Pumbu. The Summer Series started June 22, 2012, and was broadcast nationally on MTV2 for a total of three events. In the Light Heavyweight tournament, Attila Végh defeated Travis Wiuff with a knockout in the finals at Bellator 73 to become the 2012 Bellator Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion. In addition to the Light Heavyweight tournament, Bellator also hosted a number of featured bouts, including a third fight between Marius Zaromskis and Waachiim Spiritwolf at Bellator 72. Bellator also finished two season six tournaments with Karl Amoussou defeating Bryan Baker at Bellator 72 to become the Season Six Welterweight Champion, and Marcos Galvao defeating Luis Nogueira at Bellator 73 to become the Season Six Bantamweight Champion. Pat Curran was also set to defend his Featherweight Championship versus Patricio Friere, who is the Season Four Champion, at Bellator 73 but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury that occurred during training.
- Winner:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Light Heavyweight | Attila Végh | Travis Wiuff | Bellator 73 |
Season Seven
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Seven (September 28, 2012 – December 14, 2012)
Bellator's seventh season began on September 28, 2012, with Bellator 74. The season showcased heavyweight, welterweight, lightweight and featherweight tournaments.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight | Alexander Volkov | Richard Hale | Bellator 84 |
Welterweight | Andrey Koreshkov | Lyman Good | Bellator 82 |
Lightweight | Dave Jansen | Marcin Held | Bellator 93 |
Featherweight | Shahbulat Shamhalaev | Rad Martinez | Bellator 90 |
Season Eight
Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Eight (January 17, 2013 – April 4, 2013)
Bellator's eighth season began on January 17, 2013, at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The event served as Bellator's premier on Spike TV. Season Eight included featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight tournaments.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Light Heavyweight | Emanuel Newton | Mikhail Zayats | Bellator 94 |
Middleweight | Doug Marshall | Brett Cooper |
Bellator 95 |
Welterweight | Douglas Lima | Ben Saunders | Bellator 100 |
Lightweight | David Rickels | Saad Awad | Bellator 94 |
Featherweight | Frodo Khasbulaev | Mike Richman | Bellator 95 |
Summer Series 2013
Bellator MMA: 2013 Summer Series (June 19, 2013 – July 31, 2013)
Bellator's 2013 Summer Series began on June 19, 2013. All three of this season's tournaments were contested as four-man tournaments, as opposed to Bellator's standard eight-man tournament. The change in tournament size was necessary in order to hold multiple tournaments during the summer series' shortened season.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight | Vitaly Minakov | Ryan Martinez | Bellator 97 |
Light Heavyweight | Muhammed Lawal | Jacob Noe | Bellator 97 |
Bantamweight | Rafael Silva | Anthony Leone | Bellator 102 |
Season Nine
Bellator MMA: Season Nine (September 7, 2013 – November 22, 2013)
Bellator's Ninth season began on September 7, 2013. For this season the bantamweight and heavyweight tournaments were held as four-man tournaments, while all tournaments were the standard Bellator eight-man tournament.
- Winners:
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight[lower-alpha 1] | Cheick Kongo | Peter Graham | Bellator 107 |
Middleweight | Brennan Ward | Mikkel Parlo | Bellator 107 |
Welterweight | Rick Hawn | Ron Keslar | Bellator 109 |
Lightweight | Will Brooks | Alexander Sarnavskiy | Bellator 109 |
Featherweight | Patricio Freire | Justin Wilcox | Bellator 108 |
Bantamweight[lower-alpha 1] | Joe Warren | Travis Marx | Bellator 107 |
Season Ten
Bellator MMA: Season Ten (February 28, 2014 – May 17, 2014)
Bellator's Tenth season began on February 28, 2014. For this season the middleweight and light heavyweight tournaments were held as four-man tournaments, while all tournaments were the standard Bellator eight-man tournament.
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Heavyweight | Alexander Volkov | Blagoy Ivanov | Bellator 120 |
Light Heavyweight | Quinton Jackson | Muhammed Lawal | Bellator 120 |
Featherweight | Daniel Weichel | Desmond Green | Bellator 119 |
Middleweight | Brandon Halsey | Brett Cooper | Bellator 122 |
Welterweight | Andrey Koreshkov | Adam McDonough | Bellator 122 |
Lightweight | Marcin Held | Patricky Freire | Bellator 126 |
Summer Series 2014
Bellator MMA: 2014 Summer Series (June 6, 2014 – July 25, 2014)
Bellator's 2014 Summer Series began on June 6, 2014. The 2014 Summer Series featured an eight-man light heavyweight tournament and a series of Season 10 tournament finals.
Weight division | Winner | Runner-up | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Light heavyweight | Liam McGeary | Kelly Anundson | Bellator 124 |
Season Eleven
Bellator MMA: Season Eleven (September 5, 2014 – November 15, 2014)
This was Bellator's final tournament season, as well as the last to be overseen by former CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney.
See also
- Bellator Kickboxing
- List of Bellator MMA events
- List of Bellator MMA champions
- List of current Bellator MMA fighters
- List of Bellator MMA alumni
References
- ↑ "Promo Score and Ranking". ScoreCardMMA.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ↑ "Here's a brief history of Bellator MMA". FanSided. March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ↑ Helwani, Ariel (June 18, 2014). "Rebney, Danaher officially done with Bellator". MMA Fighting. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ↑ "Viacom Buys Majority Stake In Bellator, Will Begin Airing Fights In '13". sportsbusinessdaily.com. October 26, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ↑ Heinis, John. "City of Memphis Declares May 17 'Rampage' Jackson Day Prior to 'King Mo' Fight". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ↑ Al-Shatti, Shaun (May 18, 2014). "Will Brooks vs. Michael Chandler full fight video highlights". MMA Fighting. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ↑ Helwani, Ariel (June 18, 2014). "Rebney, Danaher officially done with Bellator". MMA Fighting. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ↑ Hunt, Loretta (September 4, 2014). "Scott Coker has big plans for Bellator as it closes out its tournament format". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Weprin, Alex (October 17, 2023). "Showtime Sports to Shut Down Later This Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 King, Nolan (November 20, 2023). "PFL officially announces Bellator acquisition, plans revealed for future". MMA Junkie. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ Martin, Damon (November 20, 2023). "PFL officially acquires Bellator MMA, reveals plans for champs vs. champs card in 2024". MMA Fighting. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ White, Peter (March 19, 2024). "MMA Championship Bellator Moves From Showtime To Max". Deadline. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Spike TV bets on propelling newest MMA partner Bellator". USA Today. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ↑ "Spike announces Bellator for Fridays in fall". MMA Fighting. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ↑ Raimondi, Marc (November 23, 2012). "Chandler could become MMA household name in 2013". New York Post. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ↑ Thomas, Luke (September 24, 2013). "FOX Sports Latin America to air Bellator MMA". MMA Fighting. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ↑ Holloway, Daniel (June 26, 2018). "Viacom's Bellator MMA Signs Multi-Year Deal With OTT Service DAZN". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ↑ "Bellator announces broadcast deal with streaming service DAZN". MMA Fighting. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
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- ↑ Bellator MMA Recharged on CBS Sports Network debuts TONIGHT at 8 p.m. ET - MMAMania.com Apr 25, 2020
- ↑ ‘Bellator Recharged’ debuts Saturday on CBS Sports Network - mmajunkie; April 20, 2020
- ↑ "DAZN exec Joe Markowski explains what went wrong with Bellator broadcast deal". mmafighting.com. April 27, 2022.
- ↑ Martin, Damon (September 11, 2020). "Bellator MMA announces move from Paramount Network to CBS Sports Network". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Brookhouse, Brent (February 9, 2021). "Bellator set for Showtime debut in April as star-studded Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix headlines slate". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Game changer for mixed martial arts as BBC ink historic deal for future Bellator events in 2021". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ↑ Erickson, Matt (November 15, 2023). "How to watch Bellator 301". MMA Junkie. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "Bellator MMA becomes Globo's flagship MMA property in Brazil". Bellator MMA. February 1, 2023.
- ↑ "Bellator MMA strikes multi-year extension with the BBC in the UK". Bellator MMA. February 22, 2023.
- ↑ Martin, Damon (March 19, 2024). "Bellator strikes deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to air events on Max starting with Belfast card". MMA Fighting. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Bellator's 'Fight Master' reality series set for summer debut on Spike TV". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Bellator books June 19 summer series start with King Mo, reality show to debut next night". mmafighting.com. April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
- ↑ "Scott Coker launches Bellator Kickboxing – Bellator.com".
- ↑ "Bellator Kickboxing Holds Inaugural Event in Italy Tonight – VICE Sports".
- ↑ "Bellator Kickboxing Holds Inaugural Event – Fightland".
- ↑ "Bellator XII – Middleweight Championship – Hector Lombard vs. Jared Hess". Bellator. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator XI – Welterweight Championship – Lyman Good vs. Omar De La Cruz". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator XII – Lightweight Championship – Eddie Alvarez vs. Toby Imada". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator X – Featherweight Championship – Joe Soto vs Yahir Reyes". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Stupp, Dann. "Bellator strikes landmark broadcasting deal with FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 23 Highlight: Alexander Shlemenko vs Bryan Baker Middleweight Tournament Final". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 22 Highlight: Ben Askren vs Dan Hornbuckle Welterweight Tournament Final". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 21 Highlight: Pat Curran vs Toby Imada Lightweight Tournament Final". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 23 Highlight: Joe Warren vs Patricio "Pitbull" Freire Featherweight Tournament Final". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 18 Highlight: Hector Lombard Scores 6 Second KO over Jay Silva". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator XVII Highlight: Eddie Alvarez Submits Josh Neer By Rear Naked Choke". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Smith, Michael David (May 20, 2010). "Joe Soto Cuts Diego Saraiva With a Vicious Elbow". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator announces Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith as FSN broadcast team". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 32 recap: Konrad takes title with sub; new champ Makovsky earns decision". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 34 recap: Lombard weathers Storm, Frausto shocks Fujii in five". Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 27 Highlight: Joe Warren vs. Joe Soto". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Mrosko, Geno (October 28, 2010). "Bellator 34 results and recap for 'Lombard vs Shlemenko' on Oct. 28 in Hollywood". MMA Mania. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Smith, Michael David (October 21, 2010). "Ben Askren Beats Lyman Good for Bellator Welterweight Title". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Hui, Ray (October 21, 2010). "Eddie Alvarez Forces Doctor Stoppage of Roger Huerta at Bellator 33". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 24 Highlight: Hector Lombard KOs Herbert Goodman in 38 Seconds". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "MTV2 and Bellator Agree to 3-Year Partnership". January 30, 2012. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ↑ "Bellator 37 results: Reis, Pitbull, Straus and Foster move onto featherweight tournament semifinals". MMA Mania. March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 45 Christian M'Pumbu scores a vicious knockout becoming the new Light Heavyweight Champion". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Richani, Fred. "Bellator 44: Michael Chandler dominates Patricky Pitbull". The Sports Courier. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 43 results: Jay Hieron edges Rick Hawn in controversial split decision". Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Ben Saunders vs. Matt Lee at Bellator 39". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 38 moment Richard Hale locks in an incredible inverted triangle submission on Nik Fekete". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Bellator 39 moment Patricky Pitbull delivers a devastating flying knee to Toby Imada". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Hector Lombard lands yet another vicious right hand leaving Vitale slowly toppling to the ground". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Finalists announced for 2011 World MMA Awards, MMAjunkie.com nominated". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Stupp, Dan. "Bellator 47 headed to Canada on July 23, Ontario's Casino Rama plays host". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 48 Moment – Pat Curran KO's Marlon Sandro". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Stupp, Dann. "Bellator 48 results: Pat Curran wins tourney with highlight-reel head kick". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Whitman, Mike. "Bellator to Stream Season 5 Prelims Live on Spike.com". Sherdog. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Knapp, Brian. "Dantas Upends Vila in Bellator 59 Bantamweight Final". Sherdog. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 57 Moment". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Stupp, Dann. "Bellator 57 results: Douglas Lima and Alexander Shlemenko win tourney titles". MMA Junkie. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Holland, Jesse (November 28, 2011). "Bellator 59 Results: Eric Prindle gets kicked in the nuts by Thiago Santos". MMA Mania. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 62 weigh-in results: Thiago Santos heavy, Prindle awarded tournament win". mmajunkie.com. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012.
- ↑ Non, Sergio (October 26, 2011). "Viacom buys Bellator, plans 2013 start on Spike". USA Today. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Viacom Purchases Bellator, Spike Will Air Starting 2013". Spike.com. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Weisman, Jon. "Fremantle jumps into MMA fray". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ Chiapetta, Mike (November 21, 2011). "Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler Bellator 58 Fight Video". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 58 Results and Play-by-Play". Sherdog.
- ↑ Bolender, Derek. "Bellator 58 results: Chandler blasts Alvarez in thriller to earn lightweight crown". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 53 Moment – Douglas Lima KOs Chris Lozano". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Bellator 51 Highlights". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.