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List of Bellator MMA champions
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Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") was 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 based organization. The inaugural champion for each weight class was determined by the winner of an eight-man tournament. All subsequent title challengers were required to first win an eight-man tournament in a specific weight class in order to earn the right to challenge that division's reigning champion. Dethroned champions were required to re-enter the tournaments in order to attempt to regain their title. Under Bjorn Rebney's sole leadership, Bellator MMA would strictly adhere to these rules during the first four years of its operation.
The first changes to this format would begin to appear not long after Viacom, Inc. purchased a controlling stake in the organization.{{cite web|url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Viacom-Buys-Stake-in-Bellator-Promotion-Headed-to-Spike-by-2013-36716|title=Viacom Buys Stake in Bellator; Promotion Headed to Spike by 2013
Two additional rule changes would be announced. The first was the "tournament champion replacement clause" introduced in August 2013. This allowed officials to grant title shots to replacement fighters when tournament winners were injured, or otherwise unavailable, through a complex voting and points system. Then, in June 2014, CEO Bjorn Rebney made an announcement stating that any fighter who had previously won a Bellator tournament would maintain permanent eligibility to fight for a title without having to re-enter another tournament. Neither of these changes would ever be implemented, however, as one week later Bellator MMA and its founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted ways, bringing about an end to the organization's tournament based model.
Men's championship history
Heavyweight World Championship
206 to 265 lbs (93 to 120 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | Konrad vacated the title on September 12, 2012 when he retired from MMA competition. | 2 | 3 | Minakov was stripped of the title on May 14, 2016 after failing to make title defenses. | 4 | — | Bader was released from Bellator on March 26, 2025. The title was subsequently deactivated. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Cole Konrad | |||||||||||||
| def. Neil Grove | Bellator 32 | ||||||||||||
| Kansas City, MO, US | Oct 14, 2010 | 699 days | 1. def. Eric Prindle at Bellator 70 on May 25, 2012 | ||||||||||
| RUS Alexander Volkov | |||||||||||||
| def. Rich Hale | Bellator 84 | ||||||||||||
| Hammond, IN, US | Dec 14, 2012 | 337 days | |||||||||||
| RUS Vitaly Minakov | Bellator 108 | ||||||||||||
| Atlantic City, NJ, US | Nov 15, 2013 | 911 days | 1. def. Cheick Kongo at Bellator 115 on Apr 4, 2014 | ||||||||||
| USA Ryan Bader | |||||||||||||
| def. Fedor Emelianenko | Bellator 214 | ||||||||||||
| Inglewood, CA, US | Jan 26, 2019 | 2,251 days | |||||||||||
| RUS Valentin Moldavsky | |||||||||||||
| def. Timothy Johnson for interim title | Bellator 261 | ||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Jun 25, 2021 | — |
Light Heavyweight World Championship
186 to 205 lbs (84 to 93 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Nemkov vacated the title after announcing his move to Heavyweight on January 17, 2024.{{cite web | url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/01/bellator-news-vadim-nemkov-vacates-light-heavyweight-title | title= | 8 | The title was officially deactivated on August 13, 2025 in favor of continuing the lineage of the PFL Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COD Christian M'Pumbu | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Rich Hale | Bellator 45 | |||||||||||||||||
| Lake Charles, LA, US | May 21, 2011 | 650 days | ||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia Attila Végh | Bellator 91 | |||||||||||||||||
| Rio Rancho, NM, US | Feb 28, 2013 | 387 days | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Emanuel Newton | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Muhammed Lawal for interim title | Bellator 106 | |||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach, CA, US | Nov 2, 2013 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Emanuel Newton | Bellator 113 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mulvane, KS, US | Mar 21, 2014 | 343 days | 1. def. Joey Beltran at Bellator 124 on Sep 12, 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| 2. def. Linton Vassell at Bellator 130 on Oct 24, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||
| England Liam McGeary | Bellator 134 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Feb 27, 2015 | 617 days | 1. def. Tito Ortiz at Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 on Sep 19, 2015 | |||||||||||||||
| USA Phil Davis | Bellator 163 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Nov 4, 2016 | 232 days | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Ryan Bader | Bellator 180 | |||||||||||||||||
| New York City, NY, US | Jun 24, 2017 | 1,155 days | 1. def. Linton Vassell at Bellator 186 on Nov 3, 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| RUS Vadim Nemkov | Bellator 244 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Aug 21, 2020 | 1,244 days | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Corey Anderson | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Karl Moore | Bellator Champions Series 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Belfast, Northern Ireland | Mar 22, 2024 | 509 days |
Middleweight World Championship
171 to 185 lbs (77 to 84 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | Lombard vacated the title on April 24, 2012 when he left Bellator for the UFC. | 2 | 3 | Halsey was stripped of the title on May 14, 2015 after failing to make weight for his title defense against Kendall Grove at Bellator 137. | 4 | 5 | 6 | Lovato vacated the title on February 10, 2020 when it was revealed he had been diagnosed with a cerebral cavernoma. | 7 | 8 | The title was officially deactivated on July 19, 2025 in favor of continuing the lineage of the PFL Middleweight World Championship. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Héctor Lombard | |||||||||||||||||
| def. Jared Hess | Bellator 12 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood, FL, US | Jun 19, 2009 | 1,040 days | |||||||||||||||
| Russia Alexander Shlemenko | |||||||||||||||||
| def. Maiquel Falcão | Bellator 88 | ||||||||||||||||
| Duluth, GA, US | Feb 7, 2013 | 597 days | |||||||||||||||
| USA Brandon Halsey | Bellator 126 | ||||||||||||||||
| Phoenix, AZ, US | Sep 26, 2014 | 230 days | |||||||||||||||
| BRA Rafael Carvalho | |||||||||||||||||
| def. Brandon Halsey | Bellator 144 | ||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Oct 23, 2015 | 945 days | |||||||||||||||
| NED Gegard Mousasi | Bellator 200 | ||||||||||||||||
| London, England | May 25, 2018 | 394 days | |||||||||||||||
| USA Rafael Lovato Jr. | Bellator 223 | ||||||||||||||||
| London, England | Jun 22, 2019 | 233 days | |||||||||||||||
| NED Gegard Mousasi (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| def. Douglas Lima | Bellator 250 | ||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Oct 29, 2020 | 604 days | |||||||||||||||
| (998 days) | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Johnny Eblen | Bellator 282 | ||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Jun 24, 2022 | 1121 days |
Welterweight World Championship
156 to 170 lbs (70 to 77 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | Askren vacated the title on November 14, 2013 when he left Bellator for ONE FC. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | — | 9 | 10 | The title was officially deactivated on November 28, 2025 in favor of continuing the lineage of the PFL Welterweight World Championship. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Lyman Good | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Omar de la Cruz | Bellator 11 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Jun 12, 2009 | 485 days | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Ben Askren | Bellator 33 | |||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, PA, US | Oct 21, 2010 | 1,120 days | ||||||||||||||||
| BRA Douglas Lima | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Rick Hawn | Bellator 117 | |||||||||||||||||
| Council Bluffs, IA, US | Apr 18, 2014 | 455 days | ||||||||||||||||
| RUS Andrey Koreshkov | Bellator 140 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Jul 17, 2015 | 482 days | ||||||||||||||||
| Brazil Douglas Lima (2) | Bellator 164 | |||||||||||||||||
| Tel Aviv, Israel | Nov 10, 2016 | 437 days | ||||||||||||||||
| (892 days) | ||||||||||||||||||
| CAN Rory MacDonald | Bellator 192 | |||||||||||||||||
| Inglewood, CA, US | Jan 20, 2018 | 644 days | ||||||||||||||||
| Brazil Douglas Lima (3) | Bellator 232 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Oct 26, 2019 | 594 days | ||||||||||||||||
| (1,486 days) | ||||||||||||||||||
| UKR Yaroslav Amosov | Bellator 260 | |||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Jun 11, 2021 | 890 days | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Logan Storley | ||||||||||||||||||
| def. Michael Page for interim title | Bellator 281 | |||||||||||||||||
| London, England | May 13, 2022 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| JAM Jason Jackson | Bellator 301 | |||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, IL, US | Nov 17, 2023 | 218 days | ||||||||||||||||
| RUS Ramazan Kuramagomedov | Bellator Champions Series 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Dublin, Ireland | Jun 22, 2024 | 524 days |
Lightweight World Championship
146 to 155 lbs (66 to 70 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | Alvarez vacated the title on August 19, 2014 when he left Bellator for the UFC. | Brooks was not promoted to champion, due to his desire not to renew with the event and the possibility of losing the last two champions of the division to a rival organization. | 4 | Brooks vacated the title on May 14, 2016 when he left Bellator for the UFC. | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Patrício vacated the title on October 6, 2021. | 9 | 10 | The title was officially deactivated on August 13, 2025 in favor of continuing the lineage of the PFL Lightweight World Championship. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Eddie Alvarez | |||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Toby Imada | Bellator 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood, FL, US | Jun 19, 2009 | 883 days | 1. def. Pat Curran at Bellator 39 on April 2, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| USA Michael Chandler | Bellator 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood, FL, US | Nov 19, 2011 | 715 days | 1. def. Rick Hawn at Bellator 85 on Jan 17, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2. def. David Rickels at Bellator 97 on Jul 31, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Eddie Alvarez (2) | Bellator 106 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach, CA, US | Nov 2, 2013 | 290 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1,123 days) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Will Brooks | |||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Michael Chandler for interim title | Bellator 120 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Southaven, MS, US | May 17, 2014 | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| USA Will Brooks | |||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Michael Chandler for undisputed title | Bellator 131 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego, CA, US | Nov 15, 2014 | 546 days | 1. def. Dave Jansen at Bellator 136 on Apr 10, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2. def. Marcin Held at Bellator 145 on Nov 6, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Michael Chandler (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Patricky Pitbull | Bellator 157 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, MO, US | Jun 24, 2016 | 365 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1,080 days) | 1. def. Benson Henderson at Bellator 165 on Nov 19, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Brent Primus | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bellator NYC | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York City, NY, US | Jun 24, 2017 | 539 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| USA Michael Chandler (3) | Bellator 212 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Honolulu, HI, US | Dec 14, 2018 | 149 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1,229 days) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Bellator 221 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rosemont, IL, US | May 11, 2019 | 879 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| BRA Patricky Pitbull | |||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Peter Queally | Bellator 270 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dublin, Ireland | Nov 5, 2021 | 378 days | |||||||||||||||||||
| RUS Usman Nurmagomedov | Bellator 288 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, IL, US | Nov 18, 2022 | 999 days | 1. def. Benson Henderson at Bellator 292 on Mar 10, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| NC. vs. Brent Primus at Bellator 300 on Oct 7, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. def. Alexandr Shabliy at Bellator Champions Series 4 on Sep 8, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. def. Paul Hughes at PFL Champions Series 1 on Jan 25, 2025 |
Featherweight World Championship
136 to 145 lbs (61 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pitbull was released from Bellator on January 14, 2025. The title was officially vacated on April 12, 2025. The title was subsequently deactivated. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Joe Soto | ||||||||||||||||
| def. Yahir Reyes | Bellator 10 | |||||||||||||||
| Ontario, CA, US | Jun 5, 2009 | 454 days | ||||||||||||||
| USA Joe Warren | Bellator 27 | |||||||||||||||
| San Antonio, TX, US | Sep 2, 2010 | 554 days | ||||||||||||||
| USA Pat Curran | Bellator 60 | |||||||||||||||
| Hammond, IN, US | Mar 9, 2012 | 604 days | ||||||||||||||
| USA Daniel Straus | Bellator 106 | |||||||||||||||
| Long Beach, CA, US | Nov 2, 2013 | 133 days | ||||||||||||||
| USA Pat Curran (2) | Bellator 112 | |||||||||||||||
| Hammond, IN, US | Mar 14, 2014 | 176 days | ||||||||||||||
| (780 days) | ||||||||||||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Bellator 123 | |||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Sep 5, 2014 | 428 days | ||||||||||||||
| USA Daniel Straus (2) | Bellator 145 | |||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, MO, US | Nov 6, 2015 | 532 days | ||||||||||||||
| (665 days) | ||||||||||||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull (2) | Bellator 178 | |||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Apr 21, 2017 | 1,562 days | ||||||||||||||
| (1,990 days) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA A. J. McKee | Bellator 263 | |||||||||||||||
| Inglewood, CA, US | Jul 31, 2021 | 259 days | ||||||||||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull (3) | Bellator 277 | |||||||||||||||
| San Jose, CA, US | Apr 15, 2022 | 1,093 days | ||||||||||||||
| (3,083 days) |
Bantamweight World Championship
126 to 135 lbs (57 to 61 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | - | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Horiguchi vacated the title on November 27, 2019 for the division not to stagnate when he announced he was injured. | 8 | 9 | — | — | 10 | Mix vacated the title on May 13, 2025 when he left Bellator for the UFC. The title was subsequently deactivated. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Zach Makovsky | ||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Ed West | Bellator 32 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas City, MO, US | Oct 14, 2010 | 547 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| BRA Eduardo Dantas | Bellator 65 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Atlantic City, NJ, US | Apr 13, 2012 | 911 days | 1. def. Marcos Galvão at Bellator 89 on Feb 14, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2. def. Anthony Leone at Bellator 111 on Mar 8, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Joe Warren | ||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Rafael Silva for interim title | Bellator 118 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Atlantic City, NJ, US | May 2, 2014 | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| USA Joe Warren | Bellator 128 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thackerville, OK, US | Oct 10, 2014 | 169 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil Marcos Galvão | Bellator 135 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thackerville, OK, US | Mar 27, 2015 | 448 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| BRA Eduardo Dantas (2) | Bellator 156 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno, CA, US | Jun 17, 2016 | 477 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| (1,338 days) | 1. def. Joe Warren at Bellator 166 on Dec 2, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||
| USA Darrion Caldwell | Bellator 184 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thackerville, OK, US | Oct 6, 2017 | 617 days | 1. def. Leandro Higo at Bellator 195 on Mar 2, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||
| JPN Kyoji Horiguchi | Bellator 222 | |||||||||||||||||||
| New York City, NY, US | Jun 14, 2019 | 166 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| USA Juan Archuleta | ||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Patchy Mix | Bellator 246 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Sep 12, 2020 | 237 days | ||||||||||||||||||
| USA Sergio Pettis | Bellator 258 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | May 7, 2021 | 925 days | 1. def. Kyoji Horiguchi at Bellator 272 on Dec 3, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2. def. Patrício Pitbull at Bellator 297 on Jun 16, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| USA Raufeon Stots | ||||||||||||||||||||
| def. Juan Archuleta for interim title | Bellator 279 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Honolulu, HI, US | Apr 23, 2022 | — | 1. def. Danny Sabatello at Bellator 289 on Dec 9, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Patchy Mix | ||||||||||||||||||||
| def. interim champion Raufeon Stots | Bellator 295 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Honolulu, HI, US | Apr 22, 2023 | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| USA Patchy Mix | Bellator 301 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, IL, US | Nov 17, 2023 | 543 days | 1. def. Magomed Magomedov at Bellator Champions Series 2 on May 17, 2024 |
Flyweight World Championship
116 to 125 lb (53 to 57 kg)
Kyoji Horiguchi and Makoto Takahashi fought for the inaugural title on July 30, 2023, at Bellator MMA x Rizin 2. The fight ended in a no-contest after an unintentional eye poke rendered Takahashi unable to continue.
Women's championship history
Women's Featherweight World Championship
126 to 145 lbs (57 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | The title was officially deactivated on September 24, 2025 in favor of continuing the lineage of the PFL Women's Featherweight World Championship. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Julia Budd | ||||||||
| def. Marloes Coenen | Bellator 174 | |||||||
| Thackerville, OK, US | Mar 3, 2017 | 1,058 days | ||||||
| BRA Cris Cyborg | Bellator 238 | |||||||
| Inglewood, CA, US | Jan 25, 2020 | 2069 days |
Women's Flyweight World Championship
116 to 125 lbs (53 to 57 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | ||||||||
| def. Emily Ducote | Bellator 186 | |||||||
| University Park, PA, US | Nov 3, 2017 | 1,133 days | ||||||
| BRA Juliana Velasquez | Bellator 254 | |||||||
| Uncasville, CT, US | Dec 10, 2020 | 498 days | ||||||
| USA Liz Carmouche | Bellator 278 | |||||||
| Honolulu, HI, US | Apr 23, 2022 | 1,015 days |
Women's Strawweight World Championship
Under 115 lb
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | 1 | Frausto vacated the title on February 5, 2013 when she sign with Invicta FC. The title was subsequently deactivated. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Zoila Frausto | |||||||
| def. Megumi Fujii | Bellator 34 | ||||||
| Hollywood, FL, US | Oct 28, 2010 | 831 days |
Tournament winners
Originally, all title challengers were determined through these tournaments with the winners earning the right to challenge the reigning champion at that weight class or, if necessary, be allowed to compete for an interim or vacant title.
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season One]]
(April 3, 2009 - June 19, 2009)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | AUS Hector Lombard | United States Jared Hess | Bellator 12 | Jun 19, 2009 |
| Welterweight | United States Lyman Good | Dominican Republic Omar De La Cruz | Bellator 11 | Jun 12, 2009 |
| Lightweight | United States Eddie Alvarez | United States Toby Imada | Bellator 12 | Jun 19, 2009 |
| Featherweight | United States Joe Soto | Mexico Yahir Reyes | Bellator 10 | Jun 5, 2009 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Two]]
(April 8, 2010 - June 24, 2010)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | Russia Alexander Shlemenko | United States Bryan Baker | Bellator 23 | Jun 24, 2010 |
| Welterweight | United States Ben Askren | United States Dan Hornbuckle | Bellator 22 | Jun 17, 2010 |
| Lightweight | United States Pat Curran | United States Toby Imada | Bellator 21 | Jun 10, 2010 |
| Featherweight | United States Joe Warren | Brazil Patrício Pitbull | Bellator 23 | Jun 24, 2010 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Three]]
(August 12, 2010 - October 28, 2010)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | United States Cole Konrad | South Africa Neil Grove | Bellator 32 | Oct 14, 2010 |
| Bantamweight | United States Zach Makovsky | Philippines Ed West | Bellator 32 | Oct 14, 2010 |
| Women's Strawweight | United States Zoila Gurgel | Japan Megumi Fujii | Bellator 34 | Oct 28, 2010 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Four]]
(March 5, 2011 - May 21, 2011)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | Democratic Republic of the Congo Christian M'Pumbu | United States Rich Hale | Bellator 45 | May 21, 2011 |
| Welterweight | United States Jay Hieron | United States Rick Hawn | Bellator 43 | May 7, 2011 |
| Lightweight | United States Michael Chandler | Brazil Patricky Pitbull | Bellator 44 | May 14, 2011 |
| Featherweight | Brazil Patrício Pitbull | United States Daniel Straus | Bellator 45 | May 21, 2011 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: 2011 Summer Series]]
(June 25, 2011 - August 20, 2011)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | United States Pat Curran (2) | Brazil Marlon Sandro | Bellator 48 | Aug 20, 2011 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Five]]
(September 27, 2011 - November 26, 2011)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | United States Eric Prindle | Brazil Thiago Santos | Bellator 62 | Mar 23, 2012 |
| Middleweight | Russia Alexander Shlemenko (2) | Brazil Vitor Vianna | Bellator 57 | Nov 12, 2011 |
| Welterweight | Brazil Douglas Lima | United States Ben Saunders | Bellator 57 | Nov 12, 2011 |
| Bantamweight | Brazil Eduardo Dantas | Cuba Alexis Vila | Bellator 59 | Nov 26, 2011 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Six]]
(March 9, 2012 - May 25, 2012)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | Brazil Maiquel Falcão | Sweden Andreas Spång | Bellator 69 | May 18, 2012 |
| Welterweight | France Karl Amoussou | United States Bryan Baker | Bellator 72 | Jul 20, 2012 |
| Lightweight | United States Rick Hawn | United States Brent Weedman | Bellator 70 | May 25, 2012 |
| Featherweight | United States Daniel Straus | Brazil Marlon Sandro | Bellator 68 | May 11, 2012 |
| Bantamweight | Brazil Marcos Galvão | Brazil Luis Nogueira | Bellator 73 | Aug 24, 2012 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: 2012 Summer Series]]
(June 22, 2012 - July 24, 2012)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | Slovakia Attila Vegh | United States Travis Wiuff | Bellator 73 | Aug 24, 2012 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Seven]]
(September 28, 2012 - December 14, 2012)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | Russia Alexander Volkov | USA Richard Hale | Bellator 84 | Dec 14, 2012 |
| Welterweight | Russia Andrey Koreshkov | United States Lyman Good | Bellator 82 | Nov 30, 2012 |
| Lightweight | United States Dave Jansen | Poland Marcin Held | Bellator 93 | Mar 21, 2013 |
| Featherweight | Russia Shahbulat Shamhalaev | United States Rad Martinez | Bellator 90 | Feb 21, 2013 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Eight]]
(January 17, 2013 - April 4, 2013)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | United States Emanuel Newton | Russia Mikhail Zayats | Bellator 94 | Mar 28, 2013 | |
| Middleweight | United States Doug Marshall | United States Brett Cooper | Bellator 95 | April 4, 2013 | |
| Welterweight | Brazil Douglas Lima (2) | United States Ben Saunders | Bellator 100 | Sep 20, 2013 | |
| Lightweight | United States David Rickels | United States Saad Awad | Bellator 94 | Mar 28, 2013 | |
| Featherweight | Russia Magomedrasul Khasbulaev | United States Mike Richman | Bellator 95 | Apr 4, 2013 |
[[Bellator Fighting Championships: 2013 Summer Series]]
(June 19, 2013 - July 31, 2013)
All three tournaments were shortened, four-man tournaments instead of the standard eight.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | Russia Vitaly Minakov | United States Ryan Martinez | Bellator 97 | Jul 31, 2013 | |
| Light Heavyweight | United States Muhammed Lawal | United States Jacob Noe | Bellator 97 | Jul 31, 2013 | |
| Bantamweight | Brazil Rafael Silva | United States Anthony Leone | Bellator 102 | Oct 4, 2013 |
[[Bellator MMA: Season Nine]]
(September 7, 2013 - November 22, 2013)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | France Cheick Kongo | Australia Peter Graham | Bellator 107 | November 8, 2013 | |
| Middleweight | United States Brennan Ward | Denmark Mikkel Parlo | Bellator 107 | Nov 8, 2013 | |
| Welterweight | United States Rick Hawn (2) | United States Ron Keslar | Bellator 109 | Nov 22, 2013 | |
| Lightweight | United States Will Brooks | Russia Alexander Sarnavskiy | Bellator 109 | Nov 22, 2013 | |
| Featherweight | Brazil Patrício Pitbull (2) | United States Justin Wilcox | Bellator 108 | Nov 15, 2013 | |
| Bantamweight | United States Joe Warren (2) | USA Travis Marx | Bellator 107 | Nov 8, 2013 |
[[Bellator MMA: Season Ten]]
(February 28, 2014 – May 17, 2014)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | Russia Alexander Volkov (2) | Bulgaria Blagoy Ivanov | Bellator 120 | May 17, 2014 | |
| Light Heavyweight | United States Quinton Jackson | United States Muhammed Lawal | Bellator 120 | May 17, 2014 | |
| Middleweight | United States Brandon Halsey | United States Brett Cooper | Bellator 122 | July 25, 2014 | |
| Welterweight | Russia Andrey Koreshkov (2) | United States Adam McDonough | Bellator 122 | Jul 25, 2014 | |
| Lightweight | Poland Marcin Held | Brazil Patricky Pitbull | Bellator 126 | Sep 26, 2014 | |
| Featherweight | Germany Daniel Weichel | United States Desmond Green | Bellator 119 | May 9, 2014 |
[[Bellator MMA: 2014 Summer Series]]
(June 6, 2014 – July 25, 2014)
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | ENG Liam McGeary | United States Kelly Anundson | Bellator 124 | Sep 14, 2014 |
[[Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1|Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1]]
(September 19, 2015)
A one night, four-man light heavyweight tournament.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | United States Phil Davis | France Francis Carmont | Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 | Sep 19, 2015 |
[[Bellator MMA in 2018#Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(January 20, 2018 - January 26, 2019)
Year long, eight-man heavyweight tournament to crown a new heavyweight champion.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | United States Ryan Bader | Russia Fedor Emelianenko | Bellator 214: Fedor vs. Bader | Jan 26, 2019 |
[[Bellator MMA in 2018#Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(September 29, 2018 - October 26, 2019)
Year long, eight-man welterweight tournament. Current welterweight champion, Rory MacDonald, is a participant and will defend the title until the end of the tournament. If he loses, the winner will be declared the new linear champion.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welterweight | BRA Douglas Lima (3) | CAN Rory MacDonald | Bellator 232 | Oct 26, 2019 |
[[Bellator MMA in 2019#Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(September 28, 2019 - July 31, 2021)
Year long, sixteen-man featherweight tournament. Current featherweight champion, Patrício Freire, is a participant and will defend the title until the end of the tournament. If he loses, the winner will be declared the new linear champion.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | United States A. J. McKee | Brazil Patrício Pitbull | Bellator 263 | Jul 31, 2021 |
[[Bellator MMA in 2021#Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(April 9, 2021 - November 18, 2022)
Year long, eight-man Light Heavyweight tournament. Current Light Heavyweight champion, Vadim Nemkov, is a participant and will defend the title until the end of the tournament. If he loses, the winner will be declared the new linear champion.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight | Russia Vadim Nemkov | United States Corey Anderson | Bellator 288 | Nov 18, 2022 |
[[2023 in Bellator MMA#Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(April 22, 2022 - April 22, 2023)
Year long, ten-man Bantamweight tournament.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bantamweight | USA Patchy Mix | United States Raufeon Stots | Bellator 295 | April 22, 2023 |
[[2023 in Bellator MMA#Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Tournament|Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Tournament]]
(March 10, 2023 - Present)
Year long, eight-man Bantamweight tournament. Current Lightweight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, is a participant and will defend the title until the end of the tournament. If he loses, the winner will be declared the new linear champion.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Champions by nationality
The division champions includes only linear champions. Interim champions who have never become linear champions will be listed as interim champions. Fighters with multiple title reigns in a specific division will also be counted once. Tournaments runners-up are not included.
| Country | Division champions | Interim champions | Tournament champions | Total | United States United States | Brazil Brazil | Russia Russia | Canada Canada | Australia Australia | Democratic Republic of the Congo D.R. Congo | ENG England | Slovakia Slovakia | Japan Japan | Netherlands Netherlands | Ukraine Ukraine | France France | Germany Germany | Poland Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 2 | 29 | 55 | |||||||||||||||
| 9 | — | 9 | 18 | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | 9 | 15 | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | — | — | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | — | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | — | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | — | — | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| — | — | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| — | — | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| — | — | 1 | 1 |
Records
Most wins in title bouts
The following includes all fighters with three or more championship and/or interim championship title wins. Fighters with the same number of title wins are arranged in order of less title bouts losses. Tournament championships are not included.
| Title wins | Champion | Weight class | V | D | NC | L | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Lightweight | |||||||||
| Featherweight | ||||||||||
| Bantamweight | 1 | |||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| USA Michael Chandler | Lightweight | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||
| USA Ryan Bader | Heavyweight | |||||||||
| Light Heavyweight | 4 | |||||||||
| 2 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| BRA Cris Cyborg | Women's Featherweight | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| BRA Eduardo Dantas | Bantamweight | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| USA Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | Women's Flyweight | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| NED Gegard Mousasi | Middleweight | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| USA Ben Askren | Welterweight | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| RUS Vadim Nemkov | Light Heavyweight | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| BRA Douglas Lima | Middleweight | |||||||||
| Welterweight | 0 | |||||||||
| 4 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| USA Pat Curran | Lightweight | |||||||||
| Featherweight | 0 | |||||||||
| 4 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| RUS Alexander Shlemenko | Middleweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| Canada Julia Budd | Women's Featherweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| USA Emanuel Newton | Light Heavyweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| BRA Rafael Carvalho | Middleweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| USA Will Brooks | Lightweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| USA Liz Carmouche | Women's Flyweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| USA Johnny Eblen | Middleweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| RUS Usman Nurmagomedov | Lightweight | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Most consecutive title defenses
The following includes all Bellator champions who were able to consecutively defend their title two times or more. Fighters with the same number of title defenses are listed chronologically.
| Defenses | Champion | Weight class | Span | Days | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Featherweight | Apr 21, 2017 – July 31, 2021 | 1562 | ||||
| BRA Cris Cyborg | Women's Featherweight | Jan 25, 2020 – present | ** | ||||
| USA Ben Askren | Welterweight | Oct 21, 2010 – July 31, 2013 | 1014 | ||||
| USA Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | Women's Flyweight | Nov 3, 2017 – Dec 10, 2020 | 1133 | ||||
| RUS Vadim Nemkov | Light Heavyweight | Aug 21, 2020 – Jan 17, 2024 | 1251 | ||||
| RUS Alexander Shlemenko | Middleweight | Feb 7, 2013 – Sep 26, 2014 | 596 | ||||
| BRA Rafael Carvalho | Middleweight | Oct 23, 2015 – May 25, 2018 | 945 | ||||
| CAN Julia Budd | Women's Featherweight | Mar 3, 2017 – Jan 25, 2020 | 1058 | ||||
| USA Ryan Bader | Heavyweight | Jan 26, 2019 - present | ** | ||||
| USA Liz Carmouche | Women's Flyweight | Apr 22, 2022 - present | ** | ||||
| USA Johnny Eblen | Middleweight | Jun 24, 2022 - present | ** | ||||
| RUS Usman Nurmagomedov | Lightweight | Nov 18, 2022 - present | ** |
Multi-division champions
Fighters who have won championships in multiple weight classes. Tournament champions are not included.
| Interim title |
|---|
| No. | Champion | Division | Won | Lost | Defenses | Reign | Total Reign | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Joe Warren | Featherweight | Sep 2, 2010 | ||||||||
| (Bellator 27) | Mar 9, 2012 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 60) | 0 | 554 days | days | |||||||
| Bantamweight | May 2, 2014 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 118) | Oct 10, 2014 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 128) | 0 | – | ||||||||
| Oct 10, 2014 | ||||||||||
| (Bellator 128) | Mar 27, 2015 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 135) | 0 | 169 days | ||||||||
| USA Ryan Bader | Light Heavyweight | Jun 24, 2017 | ||||||||
| (Bellator 180) | Aug 21, 2020 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 244) | 1 | 1154 days | ||||||||
| days | ||||||||||
| Heavyweight | Jan 26, 2019 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 214) | present | 3 | days | |||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Featherweight | Sep 5, 2014 | ||||||||
| (Bellator 123) | Nov 6, 2015 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 145) | 2 | 428 days | days | |||||||
| Apr 21, 2017 | ||||||||||
| (Bellator 178) | Jul 31, 2021 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 263) | 5 | 1562 days | ||||||||
| Apr 15, 2022 | ||||||||||
| (Bellator 277) | Apr 12, 2025 | |||||||||
| (Vacated) | 2 | 1,093 days | ||||||||
| Lightweight | May 11, 2019 | |||||||||
| (Bellator 221) | Oct 6, 2021 | |||||||||
| (Vacated) | 0 | 879 days |
Simultaneous two division champions
This table, different from the previous one, only counts the periods in which the fighter loaded the titles simultaneously and the defenses in that period of time.
| No. | Champion | Division | Span | Defenses | Simultaneous Reign | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Ryan Bader | Heavyweight | Jan 26, 2019 – Aug 21, 2020 | 0 | days | |||
| Light Heavyweight | 1 | ||||||
| BRA Patrício Pitbull | Lightweight | May 11, 2019 – Jul 31, 2021 | 0 | days | |||
| Featherweight | 3 |
References
References
- (26 November 2012). "Bellator announces championship-rematch clause with move to Spike TV". MMAjunkie.com.
- Erickson, Matt. (4 May 2013). "Rebney open to holding four-man tourneys in Bellator's regular season". MMAjunkie.com.
- (13 August 2013). "Bellator institutes 'tournament champion replacement clause' for title fights". MMAjunkie.com.
- Critchfield, Tristen. "New Bellator Rule Allows Former Tourney Winners to Fight for Title at Any Time". Sherdog.com.
- Stupp, Dann. (18 June 2014). "Bellator announces departure of executives Bjorn Rebney and Tim Danaher". MMAjunkie.com.
- Marrocco, Steven. (18 August 2014). "Scott Coker: Bellator moving to monthly events in 2015; Spike TV to remain focus". MMAjunkie.com.
- "Bellator confirms retirement of heavyweight champ Cole Konrad; title's future to be decided". mmajunkie.com.
- Mike Sloan. (2016-05-14). "Bellator cuts lightweight champ Will Brooks, strips Heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov". sherdog.com.
- Richardson, Andrew. (2025-03-27). "UFC Return? Bader Leaves PFL, Enters Free Agency".
- "Bellator Champ Hector Lombard Jumps to the UFC". Yahoo! Sports.
- Mike Sloan. (2015-05-14). "Bellator 137 Weigh-in Results: Brandon Halsey Misses Weight, Stripped of Title". sherdog.com.
- (February 10, 2020). "Rafael Lovato Jr. relinquishes Bellator middleweight title due to ongoing medical condition". MMAFighting.com.
- (November 14, 2013). "Bellator releases welterweight champion Ben Askren". mmajunkie.com.
- Alexander, Mookie. (19 August 2014). "Bellator releases lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez". BloodyElbow.com.
- Steven Rondina, Mookie. "Bellator Lightweight Champ Will Brooks Released, Fight for Vacant Title Booked". Bleacherreport.
- Mike Heck. (October 6, 2021). "Patricio Pitbull vacates lightweight title; Peter Queally vs. Patricky Pitbull elevated to title fight at Bellator 270". MMAFighting.com.
- (November 27, 2019). "Kyoji Horiguchi Vacates Bellator Bantamweight Title Due to Injury".
- "Inaugural Bellator Flyweight Title Fight Fizzles After Accidental Eye Poke".
- Whitman, Mike. "Zoila Frausto Gurgel Signs with Invicta FC, Makes April Debut Against Jennifer Maia". sherdog.com.
- (22 March 2012). "Bellator 62 weigh-in results: Thiago Santos heavy, Eric Prindle awarded tournament win". mmajunkie.com.
- Marrocco, Steven. (15 September 2014). "Sidelined 18 months, tourney champ Dave Jansen returns at Bellator 130 vs. Rick Hawn". MMAJunkie.com.
- Raimondi, Marc. (27 January 2015). "'One of the saddest stories in MMA':Where has former Bellator standout Frodo Khasbulaev been?". mmafighting.com.
- Stupp, Dann. (10 May 2014). "Bellator 120 to remain on PPV, Chandler meets replacement Brooks for interim title". MMAjunkie.com.
- "Scott Coker: Bellator moving to monthly events in 2015; Spike TV to remain focus". mmajunkie.com.
- (15 November 2014). "Four title fights highlight Bellator's first three events of 2015". mmafighting.com.
- (21 December 2014). "After 3-0 Bellator run, 'Rampage' Jackson re-signs with UFC for expected 2015 return". mmajunkie.com.
- "MMA All-time Record Holders". sportsillustrated.
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