Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Next Fight
April 2nd will be Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez, with the winner advancing to face A.J. Coker also announces there will be a Light Heavyweight. During a press conference announcing Bellator’s move to Showtime, the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix fighters were revealed. This will be an eight-man tournament. Included are Bellator Light Heavyweight. 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 Bellator Fighting Championships as a tournament. On April 9, the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix will get underway. The tournament will continue on April 16. Then on May 7, Bellator Bantamweight Champion Juan Archuleta will put his gold. 4 hours ago Bader’s next fight vs. Machida happens on April 9 at Bellator 256. That card also includes former UFC star Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. The other four fighters in the tournament.
The three-week launch is comprised of highly anticipated matchups including the launch of the Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament, featuring eight of the top stars from the deepest 205-pound division in the sport. Following the initial run of three live events, SHOWTIME will televise up to two live Bellator MMA events per month for the remainder of the year. All Bellator MMA events, domestically and internationally, will be available on SHOWTIME in the United States. Preliminary undercard matchups will stream live on Bellator MMA's YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Sports' YouTube channel.
Bellator MMA has positioned itself as a leader in the industry with the strongest roster of fighters in its history, which has been built through top free-agent signings and the development of elite young prospects. The union with SHOWTIME Sports will take both established brands to the next level, as the premium network doubles its live combat sports offering for subscribers, while giving Bellator's premier athletes an opportunity to showcase their top-notch talent to a new audience on a new platform.
'Everyone in this industry knows the history that I have with SHOWTIME. We have done things together that have shaped the sport of mixed martial arts that you see today,' said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. 'But what's really exciting about this news is that everything we have already accomplished is just the beginning. Today marks a new era for Bellator MMA. With our new teammates at SHOWTIME, we are going to take this brand to a new level, and you are going to see us build upon the foundation set throughout my time with Bellator.'
'SHOWTIME is the preeminent home of premier combat sports in America,' said Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME Sports and Event Programming. 'Today's announcement not only unites two industry-leading brands, but it unites two teams of experienced event promoters and television producers with a common goal, to deliver the very best live combat sports experience in-arena and on television. We are excited to build on what Bellator MMA has created and to amplify the momentum they've gained over the last several years.'
SHOWTIME, the standard bearer for live world championship boxing coverage, televised its first boxing event in 1986 and for 35 years has been a leader in producing high-quality combat sports events and Emmy® Award-winning supporting content. SHOWTIME consistently presents the biggest names in the most compelling matchups in boxing via three flagship properties - SHOWTIME PPV®, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® and ShoBox: The New Generation® – showcasing boxers at every level of their development from prospect to pay-per-view superstar.
As part of the launch of Bellator MMA, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. To get the offer, viewers should sign up at SHO.com/BellatorMMA.
On Friday, April 2, Bellator MMA will kick off the new era with the next round of the Featherweight World Grand Prix, as Bellator's reigning lightweight and featherweight champion Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire (31-4) defends his 145-pound title against Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) in the semifinals. Both fighters are vying for a chance to move on in the single-elimination tournament to face undefeated A.J. McKee (17-0), who has already punched his ticket to the finals with an impressive first-round submission victory in November. Fans can expect fireworks as these men attempt to take home the Bellator Featherweight World Title and the World Grand Prix $1 million prize.
Then, on the next two Friday nights, April 9 and April 16, Bellator MMA will present the opening rounds of the stacked Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. Starting on April 9, current Bellator heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader (27-6, 1 NC) takes on former UFC champion Lyoto Machida (26-10) in a rematch of their 2012 bout, while two recent high-profile free agent signings Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson (22-6) and Yoel Romero (13-5) clash in a battle of Bellator newcomers. On April 16, Bellator's 28-year-old current titleholder Vadim Nemkov (13-2) defends his belt in a rematch against another former Bellator champ in Phil Davis (22-5, 1 NC) and top contender Corey Anderson (14-5) takes on Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-5-1) who will make his Bellator debut. These eight superstars will vie for the tournament title and the Bellator World Championship belt throughout the year in the single-elimination tournament.
The month of May sees an additional championship on the line, as newly crowned bantamweight titleholder Juan Archuleta (25-2) takes on No. 1-contender Sergio Pettis (20-5) on May 7. Archuleta took home the vacant 135-pound title in September with a dominant performance, while Pettis cemented his position with an impressive 2020 campaign that saw his Bellator debut end with the first submission-victory of his career.
Additional events in May and complete fight cards are to be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit Bellator.com and SHO.com for more information.
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About Bellator
Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on SHOWTIME. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network's authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon's Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Next Fight
Timothy Johnson doesn’t foresee Bellator making any firm plans for the heavyweight division until champion Ryan Bader gets through his next fight.
Bader (27-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA), who hasn’t defended the Bellator heavyweight belt since September 2019, is currently preparing to be part of the eight-man light heavyweight grand prix, and is scheduled for an opening-round bout with Lyoto Machida at Bellator 257 on April 9.
If Bader loses that bout, he’s said he will immediately return to heavyweight for a title defense. If he makes a deep run in the tournament, though, it could mean two years or more without the belt being up for grabs.
That leaves a contender like Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who has put together a three-fight winning streak, sitting idle.
“They haven’t talked to me directly, (only) indirectly through my agent Brian Butler,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I can kind of put 2 and 2 together from what Bader’s been saying in interviews and what (Bellator president) Scott Coker has been saying in interviews. It’s kind of a holding pattern right now. We’re kind of waiting to see what happens with Ryan on April 9. Until then, I’m kind of handcuffed.”
Although Johnson isn’t keen on inactivity, he understands the situation. There was high demand to put together a 205-pound grand prix, and as a former champion of the division, Bader had to be involved.
“All the fans wanted this light heavyweight grand prix with the names and stuff, so I can’t hate on Bellator too much for giving the fans what they want,” Johnson said. “At the same time, I’m kind of sitting over here twiddling my thumbs because I want to fight. Sometimes you’ve got to be patient, I guess. It kind of sucks, but at the same time I understand. Ryan won the heavyweight tournament he was the light heavyweight champ. He just lost to Nemkov and he has an opportunity to do another tournament and get the title back. If I was in Ryan’s shoes I would probably do the same thing. Can’t hate on that. A chance to win a tournament and another million dollars? Can’t hate on that too much.”
Johnson said he doesn’t expect to get a fight until June, which is a bit frustrating, but fortunately he’s got some outside ventures to occupy his time. He turns 36 on March 13, though, and time is becoming increasingly more precious.
Bellator Fighting Championship
The conundrum, however, is that Johnson thinks he’s earned a shot at the belt by beating Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione and Tyrell Fortune in consecutive fights, He said he’s not interested in taking another fight unless a belt is up for grabs, even if it’s of the interim variety.
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament
“If it’s for (an interim) title (I would fight anyone),” Johnson said. “After my fight with Kongo, I’ve always been a yes-man and a company man and I’ve never really been too selfish in that department, whether I was in the UFC or Bellator. This time around after that Kongo fight I was like, ‘I can be a little selfish.’ That would be a fight, if it’s for an interim or a title outright. But I think I can probably hold out for one of those two.”