https://www.scmp.com/rss/506865/feed Bellator is a US-based MMA (mixed martial arts) organisation founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California that is owned and operated as a subsidiary of ViacomCBS. The promotion is considered the second-largest in the US behind the UFC. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alex Volkanovski may not have taken a full-blown victory lap, but he certainly got the last laugh after AJ McKee lost his Bellator featherweight title. The 27-year-old American (18-1) surrendered the belt he won from Patricio “Pitbull” Freire back to the Brazilian on April 15, suffering his first professional defeat. The unanimous decision loss came after McKee had taunted UFC featherweight champ Volkanovski (24-1). He said he “wasn’t impressed” by the Australian’s victory against “The Korean... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3175885/ufc-alex-volkanovski-says-aj-mckees-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3175885/ufc-alex-volkanovski-says-aj-mckees-title?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2022 12:48:00 +0000 Peter Murray believes the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has already surpassed one of its chief rivals. In fact, the PFL CEO believes his league has already established itself as the second-biggest MMA promotion on Earth behind the UFC. “We’ve surpassed Bellator,” Murray told the Post. “I don’t even know what Bellator’s doing. They’ve been relegated to a small digital platform, a small cable platform that’s not even rated. “Their fighters are frustrated. We hear it week in and week out. I’m... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3163146/pfl-has-surpassed-bellator-every-metric-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3163146/pfl-has-surpassed-bellator-every-metric-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jan 2022 14:21:56 +0000 Kyoji Horiguchi has shared an update that should put his supporters’ minds at ease. The Japanese fighter, 31, returned from nearly a year-long lay-off in the main event of Bellator 272 on Friday night in Uncasville, Connecticut, challenging American champion Sergio Pettis for the promotion’s bantamweight title. Horiguchi was soundly in control through the first three rounds, battering Pettis with leg kicks and power punches and completing multiple takedowns. Unfortunately for the Rizin... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158506/bellator-272-kyoji-horiguchi-provides-update?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158506/bellator-272-kyoji-horiguchi-provides-update?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Dec 2021 03:21:09 +0000 Sergio Pettis is no longer “babysitting” the Bellator bantamweight title, that’s for sure, after pulling out a spectacular spinning back fist KO of Kyoji Horiguchi on Friday night. Rizin bantamweight champion Horiguchi, who was looking to reclaim the belt he was forced to vacate through injury, was cruising towards a decision after dominating through three rounds of the Bellator 272 main event. But he was stopped squarely in his tracks at the 3:24 mark of the fourth round, getting caught cold... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158463/bellator-272-sergio-pettis-starches-kyoji?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158463/bellator-272-sergio-pettis-starches-kyoji?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2021 06:41:49 +0000 On Friday night, in the main event of Bellator 272 inside the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, Sergio Pettis and Kyoji Horiguchi will collide to crown the true king of the promotion’s bantamweight division. Heading into the fight, both men know the comfort of the bantamweight throne well. The 28-year-old American Pettis is the current owner of that coveted seat, thanks to a decision win over Juan Archuleta in May, but Horiguchi has sat in it before, having captured the belt with a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158395/sergio-pettis-and-kyoji-horiguchi-fight-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3158395/sergio-pettis-and-kyoji-horiguchi-fight-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Dec 2021 12:39:10 +0000 Kyoji Horiguchi has joined Bellator, the US-based promotion announced on Thursday, but will keep his Rizin bantamweight title and return to Japan when he can. The 30-year-old Horiguchi (29-3) reclaimed the belt from Kai Asakura in the main event of the Japanese promotion’s Rizin 26 card on New Year’s Eve, but has been stuck in the US unable to compete in his home country since because of Covid-19 restrictions. The Japanese fighter trains in Floria at American Top Team, which revealed in its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3148313/kyoji-horiguchi-signs-bellator-and-says-i?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3148313/kyoji-horiguchi-signs-bellator-and-says-i?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Sep 2021 08:59:06 +0000 Former Glory kick-boxer and Bellator fighter Joe Schilling has claimed he acted in “self-defence” after a video of him knocking out a bar patron went viral on Monday. The video shows Schilling – who has been training at the Sanford MMA gym in Florida this month – knocking a man out cold with two punches at an establishment, but it is not known where or when the incident took place, nor if the police became involved. The 37-year-old American “Stitch ’em Up” (4-6 in MMA) – who was wearing a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3139123/former-glory-bellator-fighter-joe-schilling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3139123/former-glory-bellator-fighter-joe-schilling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jun 2021 05:16:44 +0000 After instantly making waves upon her arrival in Bellator in April, Diana Avsaragova is planning a quicker turnaround than usual. A lightning fast 29-second knockout of Tara Graff at Bellator 256 in Connecticut was enough to propel the newcomer directly into the divisional rankings – albeit briefly – and she is keen to put her name back into the top 10 as soon as possible. “I liked being at No 10, it’s really high. But I noticed that after each event the placement always changes and after the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3137895/bellator-diana-avsaragova-targets-summer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3137895/bellator-diana-avsaragova-targets-summer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jun 2021 08:47:42 +0000 The name Zhang Weili will not be unfamiliar to any fan of mixed martial arts (MMA). Nicknamed “Magnum”, 31-year-old Zhang was the first Chinese and East Asian champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history. After the former strawweight champion lost her first professional match in 2013, she went on to propel her career with an exceptional 21-fight winning streak, gaining her fans worldwide. Despite losing her title to Rose Namajunas at the recent UFC 261, Zhang still inspires MMA... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3137416/chinas-female-mma-stars-zhang-weili-ufc-champ-rose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3137416/chinas-female-mma-stars-zhang-weili-ufc-champ-rose?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jun 2021 01:00:00 +0000 Cris “Cyborg” Justino closed the show in spectacular fashion at Bellator 259, securing the 19th knockout win of her career with just nine seconds to go against Leslie Smith and retaining her featherweight title. The Brazilian was cruising to a dominant unanimous decision after punishing fellow former UFC star Smith for almost all of the five rounds in their rematch at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. She landed 174 total strikes – close to one every eight seconds on average, and more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134470/bellator-259-cris-cyborg-justino-knocks-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134470/bellator-259-cris-cyborg-justino-knocks-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 May 2021 05:20:20 +0000 Hannah Guy admitted it was “pretty sweet” to hand Valerie Loureda her first professional loss with a unanimous decision victory in their flyweight fight at Bellator 259 on Friday night. One judge had it 30-27, while the other two scored the fight 29-28, and Guy gave her own celebratory dance after her hand was raised, recalling Loureda’s viral celebrations following her win over Tara Graff last August. The 26-year-old American Guy (3-1), who took the fight on short notice, had been a huge +435... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134469/bellator-259-hannah-guy-says-handing-valerie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134469/bellator-259-hannah-guy-says-handing-valerie?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 May 2021 05:16:43 +0000 Valerie Loureda wants the world to recognise she’s not just a pretty face, but a world-class fighter, too. The 22-year-old Cuban-American star, who has over a million social media followers, is set to return to the cage against Hannah Guy at Bellator 259 on Friday night (US time), and hopes to once again remind the world of what she’s capable of when not posting on Instagram. “You’re going to see,” she told SCMP MMA. “[The haters are] going to have no other option than to become a fan. “I’m... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134356/bellator-259-valerie-loureda-wants-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3134356/bellator-259-valerie-loureda-wants-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 May 2021 08:53:20 +0000 Bellator bantamweight champ Juan Archuleta has been itching to fight Kyoji Horiguchi for almost two years. Now the stars may finally have aligned for “Spaniard” (25-2) to get his dream match. Making his comeback on New Year’s Eve, Horiguchi (29-3) spectacularly knocked out Kai Asakura in the first round to win back his Rizin title. With the Japanese promotion announcing a show at the iconic Tokyo Dome in March for Rizin 27, the 30-year-old Horiguchi revealed his intention to get his other belt... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3120350/bellators-juan-archuleta-sees-mma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3120350/bellators-juan-archuleta-sees-mma?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2021 06:47:36 +0000 News broke last month that viral sensation Darina Mazdyuk had signed with Bellator MMA after her first-round TKO victory against 529-pound (240kg) YouTuber Grigory Chistyakov – aka Grisha Polnoe – in November. Now the 28-year-old Russian (4-1), who has competed at bantamweight and featherweight and fought Chistyakov at around 62kg (136 pounds), has revealed her plans to rule the US promotion. “I will get even more attention when I start to conquer Bellator,” Mazdyuk told Drake Riggs for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3116701/darina-mazdyuk-vows-conquer-bellator-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3116701/darina-mazdyuk-vows-conquer-bellator-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:32:28 +0000 Three years on from the still-divisive boxing ‘superfight’ between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor, the combat crossover concept is stronger than ever. As boxing traditionalists continue to gag at rumours of a ‘Money’ Mayweather vs YouTuber Logan Paul bout in 2021, optimists hope such outrageous matchups will shed a light on the always-struggling sport. Promoters, meanwhile, are as usual rubbing their hands together ringside. With many more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3114910/mma-and-boxing-crossover-superfights-fans-dream-or-rage-over-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3114910/mma-and-boxing-crossover-superfights-fans-dream-or-rage-over-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 07:00:16 +0000 Remember Darina Mazdyuk, the female fighter who went viral this month after TKO’ing a 529-pound (240kg) male fighter in Russia? Well, Bellator has just signed her to a multi-fight contract, according to a report by Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox, which was confirmed by MMA Junkie. Mazdyuk (3-1) will join the US-based MMA promotion’s growing flyweight division, following her first-round victory over YouTuber Grigory Chistyakov in the bizarre match-up at December’s “Our Business” event. Chistyakov,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114329/bellator-signs-darina-madzyuk-after-female?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114329/bellator-signs-darina-madzyuk-after-female?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 07:41:37 +0000 Yoel Romero has broken his silence on being cut from the UFC, and claimed it was “unexpected” because he was still chasing the middleweight title. UFC president Dana White said this month at a media conference that the Cuban “Soldier of God” (13-5) was released because he had lost four of his last five fights and is 44 years old. The former challenger – who lost his last title tilt by unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 in March – still had three fights left on his contract, but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114324/ufc-yoel-romero-says-release-unexpected-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114324/ufc-yoel-romero-says-release-unexpected-they?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 07:19:09 +0000 During Saturday night’s landmark Bellator 248 show held at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, Michael “Venom” Page put in a dominant performance to see off the highly touted prospect Ross Houston. But his biggest critic was clearly not impressed, and decided to come out of the woodwork. The 33-year-old “MVP” (18-1) uncharacteristically moved away from utilising his flashy karate techniques against the Scottish “Hitman” (8-1), with the canvas being much more slippery than expected. Instead, he was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3105057/bellator-michael-venom-page-responds-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3105057/bellator-michael-venom-page-responds-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2020 12:43:45 +0000 With a highlight reel of devastating knockouts ranging from jumping knees to tornado kicks, and his viral celebrations channelling pop culture phenomena like Pokemon and The Avengers, Michael “Venom” Page is the epitome of showmanship in MMA. So it’s no surprise to see him headlining Saturday’s historic Bellator 248 card, when the promotion will become the first major MMA organisation to host a show in France. The 33-year-old English welterweight (17-1) takes on the formidable former Cage... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3104915/bellator-248-michael-venom-page-chasing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3104915/bellator-248-michael-venom-page-chasing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2020 12:01:54 +0000 Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has US$1 million dollars ready for Dana White, if the UFC president wants to put his money where his mouth is. Fielding questions at the UFC on ESPN 15 post-event press conference last month, White scoffed at the idea of promoting “super fights” with rival US promotion Bellator, whose CEO Scott Coker claims to have the best light heavyweight division in MMA. One reporter asked White what he thought of Bellator’s two-division champ Freire (30-4), considered one of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3101833/bellators-patricio-pitbull-freire-thinks-ufcs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3101833/bellators-patricio-pitbull-freire-thinks-ufcs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:43:50 +0000 You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has a deeper understanding of being an elite-level MMA fighter than Eddie Alvarez. He came up fighting in Japan. He was nicknamed “The Underground King”. His fight with Conor McGregor was the fourth highest-grossing UFC pay-per-view of all time. He became world champion in the UFC and Bellator. Now 36 years old and competing in ONE Championship, he is absolutely clear about what comes next. “I want to get to that world title. I want to beat the guys in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3099381/one-championship-eddie-alvarez-doesnt-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3099381/one-championship-eddie-alvarez-doesnt-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2020 04:59:31 +0000 Vadim Nemkov said he didn’t want to exact revenge for his mentor Fedor Emelianenko against Ryan Bader. But that he did at Bellator 244, taking the American’s light heavyweight title and pronouncing himself the No 1 205-pound fighter on the planet. The 28-year-old Russian (12-2) secured a stunning second-round TKO at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Friday night. “The Last Emperor” – whom Bader beat in 35 seconds to win the heavyweight title last year – was left applauding in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3098435/bellator-244-fedor-protege-vadim-nemkov-tkos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3098435/bellator-244-fedor-protege-vadim-nemkov-tkos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2020 06:23:49 +0000 Michael Chandler has been making noise about finally joining the UFC – and Dana White is keen on having a conversation. The former Bellator lightweight champ became a free agent after knocking out former UFC champ Benson Henderson in the first round at Bellator 243 last weekend. “My phone’s on,” he said after the fight. “It’s gonna be interesting couple of weeks. Every single lightweight is on notice now. Every lightweight in the top 10 is on the clock. I’m a guy who’s been on the outside of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3097562/ufc-boss-dana-white-definitely-interested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3097562/ufc-boss-dana-white-definitely-interested?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2020 08:52:27 +0000 Flyweight Valerie Loureda stuck it to her critics with a second-round buzzer-beater TKO of Tara Graff at Bellator 243 – and a celebratory dance – on her return to action after 14 months. The 22-year-old former taekwondo star out of American Top Team in Florida went 3-0 in MMA and US-based organisation Bellator. The victory on Friday night in Connecticut followed criticism from some of the Cuban-American’s fellow female fighters – including Graff – for posting videos of her dancing skills on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3096591/bellator-243-valerie-loureda-says-im-gonna?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3096591/bellator-243-valerie-loureda-says-im-gonna?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2020 07:27:57 +0000 After entering free agency with a spectacular first-round knockout of Benson Henderson at Bellator 243, “Iron” Michael Chandler promised he could do the same to Conor McGregor if he finally heads to the UFC. The 34-year-old Chandler (21-5) rocked Henderson (28-9) with a switch-step left before grazing the top of his head with a right as the former UFC lightweight champ fell face first to the canvas and the referee raced in with just 2:08 on the clock. “From the business side of things, we’re... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3096587/bellator-243-michael-chandler-says-hed-make?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3096587/bellator-243-michael-chandler-says-hed-make?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2020 06:26:32 +0000