Bellator was founded in 2008 and is currently the second-biggest MMA promotion in the world. The promotion has organized many historic and entertaining events since its establishment and has been home to many great MMA fighters. Over the past 15 years, there have been some incredible matches, so in this article, we will have a look at the best MMA fights in the promotion’s history.
Patricky Pitbull vs. Roger Huerta at Bellator 205
When Roger Huerta faced Patricky Pitbull in 2018 at Bellator 205, he was well past his best days. Still, “El Matador” put up an amazing fight and showed his trademark heart one last time. Huerta came out, landing big shots and traded shots with Pitbull. Ultimately, Pitbull still emerged victorious in the second round by landing a knockout punch, but it was much more difficult than he expected.
Julian Marquez vs. Chris Harris at Bellator 150
This was an incredible matchup on the undercard of Bellator 150. The unknown Julian Marquez faced Chris Harris. This was years before Marquez entered the UFC. This fight took place in the prelims of a less important Kansas card. Both fighters gave tough competition to each other, and Harris eventually scored the victory over “The Cuban Missile Crisis” via unanimous decision.
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Douglas Lima II at Bellator 164
The trilogy bouts between Andrey Koreshkov and Douglas Lima are arguably the greatest in the history of Bellator. However, their best fight was the second one that took place in 2016 at Bellator 164. In the beginning of the bout, Koreshov landed big shots, while “The Phenom” started hitting him with leg kicks. Eventually, Koreshkov’s momentum began to slow and he went to break in the third round. This resulted in Lima scoring a knockout victory and winning the Bellator Welterweight World Championship.
L.C. Davis vs. Hideo Tokoro at Bellator 135
Bellator 135 was an exciting event, as the main event saw Marcos Galvao defeat Joe Warren to win the Bellator Bantamweight title. But the co-main event was far more exciting as LC Davis faced Japanese fighter Hideo Tokoro. The audience got to watch non-stop action for 15 minutes, with both fighters going back and forth. Ultimately, Davis scored the victory by a split decision.
Joe Schilling vs. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 131
The bout between Joe Schilling and Melvin Manhoef was not very important in the grand scheme as it took place on the undercard of Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar. Schilling and Manhoef were good fighters but were not viewed as contenders. When the fight began, both fighters made waves and exchanged massive shots throughout the bout. It was “Stitch ’em Up” who emerged victorious with the second-round knockout victory.
Derek Campos vs. Brandon Girtz III at Bellator 181
The trilogy of Derek Campos and Brandon Girtz is massively underrated in MMA history. While all three bouts were exciting, their last bout of the trilogy at Bellator 181 in July 2017 was the most thrilling one. Both fighters were bleeding all over the cage and the scene was definitely horror. Ultimately, it was Campos who won the match via stoppage in the second round, after the doctor said to stop the match due to Girtz’s cuts.
Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi at Bellator 257
Paul Daley is the most entertaining fighter in the history of Bellator. Although “Semtex” never won a title in the promotion, he has had many entertaining bouts, such as his war with Nick Diaz in Strikeforce. However, Paul’s bout with Sabah Homasi is arguably the biggest and greatest. These two men spent their entire fight swinging with full force at each other. Ultimately, it was Daley who won the match by knockout, but not before taking some big shots himself.
Eddie Alvarez II vs. Michael Chandler at Bellator 106
The fight between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez defined the early days of Bellator. Their second fight took place on November 2, 2013 at Bellator 106. Just like their first matchup, the second one was thrilling as well. However, unlike the first one, the second fight went much further. This time, it was Alvarez who scored the victory via split decision and won the Bellator Lightweight Championship.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Daniel Straus 2 at Bellator 132
One of the biggest feuds in the history of Bellator is a quadrilogy. Patricio Pitbull is one of the best fighters in the history of Bellator, but Daniel Straus has been largely forgotten. All four fights between these two were entertaining to watch, but their second fight was filled with the most action. That bout had it all and the world title was at stake. Straus won that bout via submission and successfully defended his Bellator Featherweight World title.
Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 58
The first ever bout between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez is the greatest fight in the history of Bellator. Chandler and Alvarez were just getting into the limelight. They faced each other in the main event of Bellator 58, the bout was for the Lightweight title. The fight was really wild, as “Iron” and “The Underground King” spent a long portion of the bout trying to empty each other’s gas tanks. Ultimately, it was Chandler who got the victory via submission in the fourth round and won the Bellator Lightweight title.
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