2018 in Bellator MMA was the tenth year in the history of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Glob ...

, a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 23 events in 2015.

Background

In addition to airing cards on the newly-rebranded

Paramount Network Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was or ...

(formally Spike), Bellator would sign a multi-year deal with streaming service

DAZN DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet. The ...

. Their partnership began with Bellator 206, which was broadcast exclusively on DAZN. Bellator would hold its 200th numbered event on May 25, 2018.

Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament

In 2018, Bellator organised the 2018–2019 Heavyweight Grand Prix that will crown the Bellator Heavyweight champion. This belt was vacated in May 2016 by

Vitaly Minakov Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985, Bryansk) is a Russian mixed martial artist, sambist and judoka currently competing in the heavyweight division of Bellator MMA, wher ...

. Minakov had not defended the title since April 2014.

Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Tournament

In 2018, Bellator organised the 2018–2019 Welterweight Grand Prix that will crown the Bellator Welterweight champion. All fights will be five rounds. If Rory MacDonald were to lose, the victor will be declared

lineal champion In combat sports where champions are decided by a challenge, the lineal championship of a weight class is a world championship title held initially by an undisputed champion and subsequently by a fighter who defeats the reigning champion in a mat ...

until he loses or wins the tournament and becomes undisputed champion. *

Lorenz Larkin Lorenz Larkin (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2009, Larkin formerly competed for Strikeforce and the Ulti ...

versus Ion Pascu took place to determine an tournament alternate, with Larkin winning to stand as the alternate. *Champion Rory MacDonald retained his title in a majority draw. He advanced to fight

Neiman Gracie Neiman Gracie Stambowsky (born December 12, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. A two-time Pan-American champion in coloured belts, Gracie medalled at the 2013 black belt World No-Gi Championship be ...

Bellator 192

Bellator 192: Rampage vs. Sonnen took place on January 20, 2018 at The Forum in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. The event aired on

as the first Bellator event to air on the network since its re-branding from Spike. Background This card featured the first bout in the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. Results

Bellator 193

Bellator 193: Larkin vs. Gonzalez took place on January 26, 2018 at the

Pechanga Resort and Casino The Pechanga Resort Casino is a Native American casino on the Pechanga Indian Reservation adjacent to the city of Temecula, California. Pechanga Resort Casino is one of the largest casino/resorts in the United States, with more than 5,400 slot m ...

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census and was incorporated on December 1, 1989. The city is a ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background A Lightweight bout between Eugene Correa and Joao Paulo Faria was planned for the undercard of this event, but was canceled for undisclosed reasons. Despite a 180-pound catchweight limit installed in the main event, headliner Fernando Gonzalez still missed weight. It was his third consecutive weight cut miss. Results

Bellator 194

Bellator 194: Mitrione vs. Nelson 2 took place on February 16, 2018 at the

Mohegan Sun Arena The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, located inside the Mohegan Sun casino resort. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span. It was built by the Perini Buil ...

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background This card featured the second bout in the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament.

Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MM ...

and Roy Nelson previously fought under the UFC banner in December 2012 with Nelson winning by TKO in the first round. Results

Bellator 195

Bellator 195: Caldwell vs. Higo took place on March 2, 2018 at the

WinStar World Casino WinStar World Casino and Resort is an American tribal casino and hotel located in Thackerville, Oklahoma, near the Oklahoma–Texas state line. It is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation. The casino opened as the WinStar Casinos in 2004, a ...

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (3 ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background The event was headlined by Bantamweight champion

Darrion Caldwell Darrion Caldwell (born December 19, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist and graduated collegiate wrestler, who currently competes in the bantamweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is the former Bellator Bantamweight World Champion. ...

making the first defense of his title against Pitbull brothers' protege Leandro Higo. Results

Bellator Monster Energy Fight Series: Atlanta

Bellator Monster Energy Fight Series: Atlanta was the fifth installment of the series held on March 3, 2018 at the

Georgia World Congress Center The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is a convention center in Atlanta, Georgia. Enclosing some 3.9 million ft2 (360,000 m2) in exhibition space and hosting more than a million visitors each year, the GWCC is the world's largest LEED cer ...

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

prior to the Monster Energy

AMA Supercross The AMA Supercross Championship (commercially known as Monster Energy AMA Supercross) is an American motorcycle racing series. Founded by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1974, the AMA Supercross Championship races are held from J ...

. Results

Bellator 196

Bellator 196: Henderson vs. Huerta took place on April 6, 2018 at BOK Hall in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

. The event aired on tape delay in prime time on Paramount Network. Background Bellator 196 featured a lightweight main event between

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes for Bellator MMA, currently competing in their Lightweight division. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. As of Novem ...

and

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

, returning to the promotion after a 7 year absence. The original main event between

Ádám Borics Ádám Borics (born July 7, 1993) is a Hungarian mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of Bellator MMA. As of October 4, 2022, he is #1 in the Bellator Featherweight Rankings. Early life Ádám Borics was born in ...

and James Gallagher was cancelled after a wrist injury was sustained by Gallagher during training. Results

Bellator 197

Bellator 197: Chandler vs. Girtz took place on April 13, 2018 at the

Family Arena The Family Arena is a multi-purpose arena in St. Charles, Missouri, built in 1999. The arena seats 9,643 for hockey, 9,755 for football, 10,467 for basketball, 6,339 for half-house concerts and up to 11,522 for end-stage concerts. In addition ...

in St. Charles, Missouri. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained n ...

was scheduled to face

Brent Primus Brent Primus (born April 12, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing for Bellator MMA, where he is the former Bellator Lightweight World Champion. As of November 1, 2022, he is #6 in the Bellator Lightweight Rankings. Bac ...

in a rematch for the Lightweight title. However, on March 21, Primus pulled out of the fight due to a knee injury. As a result,

Brandon Girtz Brandon Girtz (born March 6, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2008, Girtz has fought in Bellator and King of the Cage. Background Girtz was born and raised in Forest Lake, Minnesota. Girtz competed hoc ...

stepped in as a replacement. Results

Bellator 198

Bellator 198: Fedor vs. Mir took place on April 28, 2018 at the

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened ...

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background

Rafael Lovato Jr. Rafael Lovato Jr. (born June 25, 1983) is a 4th degree black belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner (8x world medallist) and a retired mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division of Bell ...

was originally scheduled to face

John Salter John Salter (born March 21, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2007, he has also competed for the UFC and Strikeforce, King of the Cage, an ...

on this card. However, Salter was pulled by the Illinois Athletic Commission due to an eye issue on April 24 and replaced by Gerald Harris. Due to the lateness of the rebooking, the bout was contested at a catchweight of 188 pounds. Results

Bellator 199

Bellator 199: Bader vs. King Mo took place on May 12, 2018 at the

SAP Center The SAP Center at San Jose (originally known as San Jose Arena and the HP Pavilion at San Jose) is an indoor arena located in San Jose, California. Its primary tenant is the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, for which the arena has ...

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background This card featured the fourth and final bout in the opening round of the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament as Light Heavyweight Champion

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, an ...

moved up to face

Muhammed Lawal Oklahoma State Cowboys Central Oklahoma Bronchos Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Major League Wre ...

. Results

Bellator 200

Bellator 200: Carvalho vs. Mousasi took place on May 25, 2018 at the

SSE Arena, Wembley Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. The event aired on tape delay in prime time on Paramount Network. Background This card was expected to be headlined by a rematch between

Mirko Cro Cop Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro C ...

and Roy Nelson. The pair previously fought in October 2011 at

UFC 137 ''UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 29, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally expected to take ...

with Nelson winning by TKO. The bout was also expected to serve as an alternate bout for the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. However, the bout was scrapped during the week leading up to the event as Cro Cop pulled out of the fight citing an injury. Results

Bellator 201

Bellator 201: Macfarlane vs. Lara took place on June 29, 2018 at the

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background Results

Bellator 202

Bellator 202: Budd vs. Nogueira took place on July 13, 2018 at the

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background Originally Stephanie Geltmacher was scheduled to face Deborah Kouzmin. However, on the week of the event Kouzmin announced that she was injured. Bellator could not find a replacement for Geltmacher in time for the event. Results

Bellator 203

Bellator 203: Pitbull vs. Weichel 2 took place on July 14, 2018 at the

Foro Italico Foro Italico is a sports complex in Rome, Italy, on the slopes of Monte Mario. It was built between 1928 and 1938 as the Foro Mussolini (literally Mussolini's Forum) under the design of Enrico Del Debbio and, later, Luigi Moretti. Inspired by ...

Rome, Italy , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The event aired via tape delay in prime time on Paramount Network. Background The main event featured a rematch between Featherweight champion

Patricio Freire Patricio in Spanish, or Patrício in Portuguese, is a male given name equivalent to Patrick in English. The Spanish name is pronounced with the stress on the same first i as Portuguese, but an accent is not needed because this follows normal ru ...

and challenger

Daniel Weichel Daniel Weichel (born November 22, 1984) is a German mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, he has also competed in M-1 Global and Shooto. As of November 22, 2022, he is ...

. The pair previously met at

Bellator 138 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

in June 2015, where Freire won via knockout in the second round. Results

Bellator 204

Bellator 204: Caldwell vs. Lahat took place on August 17, 2018 at the

Sanford Pentagon The Sanford Pentagon (colloquially known as The Pentagon) is an indoor arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Pentagon opened in September 2013 and has a seating capacity of 3,250 spectators. It hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA ...

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

. The event aired live in prime time on Paramount Network. Background The event featured Bellator Bantamweight Champion

moving up to Featherweight as he fought

Noad Lahat Noadya Lahat ( he, נועד להט; born June 8, 1984), also known by the nickname Neo, is an Israeli mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2008, he is the second Israeli to ever fight in the UFC ...

in a non-title bout. James Gallagher competed at Bantamweight for the first time as he fought Bellator newcomer Ricky Bandejas. Results

Bellator 205

Bellator 205: McKee vs. Macapá took place on September 21, 2018 at the

CenturyLink Arena Idaho Central Arena (originally Bank of America Centre, formerly Qwest Arena and CenturyLink Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. Its seating capacity is 5,002 for ice hockey, 5,300 for basketbal ...

Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ...

. The event aired live on

and

. Background The event was expected to see a featherweight main event featuring

A.J. McKee A. J. McKee (born April 7, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight and Lightweight division, where he is the former Bellator Featherweight Champion. As of February 28, 2023, he is #4 in the Bel ...

and former champion Pat Curran, but Curran was pulled due to injury. McKee instead faced John Macapá. Goiti Yamaguchi was expected to fight

Patricky Freire Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally by his ring name Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator MMA, Bellator's Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division, wher ...

on the card but pulled out before the fight due to injury. Freire instead faced

. Results

Bellator 206

Bellator 206: Mousasi vs. MacDonald took place on September 29, 2018 at the

. The event streamed live on

in the United States and all other regions previously served by the service, including Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan, as part of a new agreement giving the service rights to seven exclusive cards per-year. In the United Kingdom, Bellator 206 was televised by Viacom-owned Channel 5, but the telecast ceased transmission at 6:00 a.m. (in favour of preschool programming) before the main event, due to watershed regulations. Background The event saw Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald move up to the middleweight division to challenge Bellator middleweight champion

Gegard Mousasi Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985), is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. As of December 13, 2022, he is #10 in the Bellator m ...

for the Bellator middleweight title. MacDonald was attempting to become the second multi-division champion in Bellator history, after former Bellator bantamweight and featherweight champion Joe Warren. In addition, former UFC light heavyweight champion

Quinton Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middle ...

met rival and former

PRIDE FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

middleweight champion

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...

for the fourth time in their respective careers. Going into this fight, Silva held a 2–1 advantage in the series. This event featured the start of Bellator's inaugural welterweight grand prix tournament. Fighters expected to participate in the tournament are Rory MacDonald,

Jon Fitch Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and most recently f ...

Douglas Lima Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is a former three-time Bellator Welterweight Champion. He is also the former MFC Welterweight Champion. ...

Andrey Koreshkov Andrey Andreevich Koreshkov (Russian: Андрей Андреевич Корешков, born August 23, 1990) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA. He is the former Bellator Welterw ...

Paul Daley Paul Anthony Daley (born 21 February 1983) is a British former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional competitor from 2003 to 2022, Daley competed for the UFC, Bellator MMA, Cage Rage, Final Fight Championship, Strikeforce, Eli ...

Michael Page Michael Jerome Reece-Pagewkaassociation.com, Retrieved 28 August 2017. (born 7 April 1987) is a British kickboxer, boxer, and mixed martial artist. He is recognised in the MMA community for his unorthodox fighting style, which originated fro ...

Ed Ruth Edward Lee Ruth (born October 21, 1990) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and freestyle and folkstyle wrestler. He competed in the Middleweight division of Bellator MMA. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was a three-time NCAA D ...

, and

Erick Silva Erick Vinicius Silva (born June 21, 1984) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional from 2005 till 2019, he competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA, and Jungle Fight ...

, who replaced Yaroslav Amosov. Don Mohammed and Salvador Becerra were scheduled to face each other in a Lightweight bout on the undercard. However, the bout was cancelled the week of the fight for undisclosed reasons. At weight-ins, Ricky Abdelaziz weighed in at 147.3 pounds, 1.3 pounds over the featherweight non-title fight upper limit of 146 pounds. As a result, the bout proceeded catchweight. Abdelaziz was fined 20 percent of his purse which 10% went to his opponent, Laird Anderson, and 10% went to

California State Athletic Commission The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) regulates amateur and professional boxing, amateur and professional kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds ...

. The bout between DeMarco Villalona and Abraham Vaesau was cancelled after Villalona did not make weight. Results

Bellator 207

Bellator 207: Mitrione vs. Bader took place on October 12, 2018 at the

. The event was live on

and

. Background The event saw a semi-final round bout in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix as

took on current

Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

was expected to make his promotional debut at this event facing

in a Welterweight World Grand Prix alternate bout, but Silva pulled out due to injury. He was replaced by the Romanian fighter Ion Pascu. Results

Bellator 208

Bellator 208: Fedor vs. Sonnen took place on October 13, 2018 at

Nassau Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 United States Census. Uniondale is home to Hofstra University's nor ...

. The event aired live on

and

. Background The event saw a semi-final bout in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix between

Fedor Emelianenko Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Фёдор Влади́мирович Емелья́ненко, r=Fyodor Vladimirovich Yemelyanenko, p=ˈfʲɵdər vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪˈlʲjænʲɪnkə, IPA; born ...

and

Chael Sonnen Chael Patrick Sonnen (; born April 3, 1977) is an American submission grappling promoter, mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst, and retired mixed martial artist. Beginning his MMA career in 1997, Sonnen competed for the Ultimate Fighting Champions ...

. Robson Gracie Jr. was scheduled to make his professional MMA debut on this card against Jamal Pottinger. However, the bout was cancelled after Pottinger missed weight. A featherweight bout between Frank Buenafuente and James Gonzalez was also cancelled when both fighters came over the weight limit. Results

Bellator 209

Bellator 209: Pitbull vs. Sanchez took place on November 15, 2018 at the

Menora Mivtachim Arena Menora Mivtachim Arena ( he, היכל מנורה מבטחים; also known as the Yad Eliyahu Arena, ; and formerly known as the Nokia Arena, ) is a large multi-purpose sports indoor arena that is located in southeast Tel Aviv, Israel. The arena is ...

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. The event aired on November 16, 2018 via tape delay on

. Background The event featured a bout for the Bellator Featherweight Championship between champion

Patrício Freire Patricio in Spanish, or Patrício in Portuguese, is a male given name equivalent to Patrick in English. The Spanish name is pronounced with the stress on the same first i as Portuguese, but an accent is not needed because this follows normal ru ...

and

Emmanuel Sanchez Emmanuel Sanchez (born August 11, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Sanchez has also formerly competed for the Resurrection Fighting Allianc ...

Haim Gozali Haim Gozali ( he, חיים גוזלי; born May 6, 1973), also known by the nickname The Israeli Batman, is an Israeli mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division. He is best known for his tenure in Bellator. Gozali is also a 5 ...

fought

Ryan Couture Ryan Duane Couture (born August 27, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2009, he has formerly competed for the UFC and St ...

at the event. The two met at Bellator 180 where Couture won by a unanimous decision. On August 20, 2018, it was reported that

Olga Rubin Olga Rubin ( he, אולגה רובין, russian: Ольга Рубин, born August 18, 1989) is an Israeli female mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional since 2016, she fought in Bellator MMA, most notably ...

is scheduled to meet

Cindy Dandois Cindy Dandois (born 26 October 1984) is a Belgian female mixed martial artist. She formerly competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions in Invicta and the Ultimate Fighting Championship and also the Lightweight division in the Pro ...

at this event. The event featured

Vadim Nemkov Vadim Aleksandrovich Nemkov (russian: Вадим Александрович Немков; born 20 June 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and a four-time Combat Sambo World Champion. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweig ...

coming off a spectacular win over former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary as he returned to face former Bellator Light Heavyweight champion Phil Davis. Results

Bellator 210

Bellator 210: Njokuani vs. Salter took place on November 30, 2018 at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in

Thackerville Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, Oklahoma. The event aired live on

and

. Background The event was to feature a middleweight bout between

Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese-born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime Middleweight Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion. In mixed mar ...

and

Chidi Njokuani Chidi Godson Njokuani (born December 31, 1988) is an American former Muay Thai kickboxer and current professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A profession ...

as the main event. However, on November 1, it was announced that Manhoef had withdrawn from the fight due to injury and was replaced by

. It was announced on October 17, 2018, a featherweight matchup between

Jeremy Spoon Jeremy Spoon (born April 1, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Spoon has made a name for himself fighting in various promotions, including King of the Cage and Bellator Fighting Championships. Spo ...

, who makes his Bellator return, and Juan Archuleta. On October 26, 2018, it was reported that David Rickels is scheduled to face Bomba Vasconcelos at the welterweight bout at this event. It was announced on October 29, 2018, a women's flyweight bout is scheduled between Bruna Ellen and Kristina Williams at this event. On October 30, 2018 it was reported that a middleweight bout between

Joe Schilling Joseph Francis Schilling (born January 13, 1984) is an American professional Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator Kickboxing in the Middleweight division, and in the Middleweight division for Bel ...

and Jose Alfredo Leija would take place at this event. Leija was later replaced by Will Morris. Results

Bellator 211

Bellator 211: Sakara vs. Kauppinen took place on December 1, 2018 at the RDS Stadium in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The event aired live on

and

. Background The event featured a light heavyweight bout between Alessio Sakara and Kent Kauppinen as the main event. A title fight between current Bellator Kickboxing featherweight champion Gabriel Varga and Shan Cangelosi also took place on the card. On October 30, 2018, a welterweight bout between Kiefer Crosbie and Orlando D'Ambrosio was announced for this event. A lightweight bout between Italy's Luca Vitali and SBG Ireland prospect Luka Jelcic was scheduled for the event. However, Jelcic withdrew and was replaced by Pedro Carvalho (fighter), Pedro Carvalho. Results

Bellator 212

Bellator and USO Present: Primus vs. Chandler 2 took place on December 14, 2018 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii in conjunction with the USO. The event was live on

and

. Background The event featured a List of Bellator champions, Bellator Lightweight Championship bout between the champion

and former champion

. The rematch was scheduled for Bellator 197, but Primus pulled out due to injury. A women's flyweight bout between former title contender Alejandra Lara and Juliana Velasquez was also announced for the card. On November 19, 2018, it was announced Sam Sicilia will face Derek Campos at this event. Results

Bellator 213

Bellator 213: Macfarlane vs. Létourneau took place on December 15, 2018 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. The event was live on

. Background The event featured Honolulu native Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defending the List of Bellator champions, Bellator Women's Flyweight Championship against UFC veteran Valérie Létourneau. A middleweight bout between former champion Rafael Carvalho and UFC veteran and former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida took place at the event. A Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout between

and

also took place. Bellator President Scott Coker announced on Monday, September 17, 2018 that King Mo would face former Bellator light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary at the event. Results

References

External links

Bellator
{{2018 in mixed martial arts 2018 in mixed martial arts Bellator MMA events