Bellator 39 was a very important event for both the promotion itself and it’s new home, the MTV2 network. It saw the high-profile debut of former UFC star Ben Saunders, two Semi-Final match-ups, and the high-profile return of Bellator’s Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after Bellator 39? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring Bellator 39. ...

Another day, another good MMA event. Another week, another live Bellator. Today marked the thirty-ninth Bellator event, featuring several amazing finishes and several fantastic performances. From Ben Saunders dominating Matt Lee to Patricky Freire knocking out Toby Imada, from Lyman Good and Rick Hawn battling to a close three-round decision, Bellator 39 had a little something for everyone. And in the main event, Eddie Alvarez solidified his status as one of the best in the world with a dominating victory over Pat Curran. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on Bellator 39. ...

One of the hardest punchers in the lightweight division, Eddie Alvarez will finally be defending his Bellator title when he takes on tournament winner Pat Curran come this April. Curran, cousin to UFC and WEC veteran Jeff Curran, has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury since late last year, however Pat is now healthy and determined to become the promotion's new 155-pound title holder. He will have a daunting task ahead of him as he meets with one of the division's best in Alvarez. ...

That question is posed honestly and not cynically, by the way. It’s recently been confirmed that Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez has extended his contract with the promotion, to the point where he should be calling Strikeforce home for the next several years. But what’s left for him to do? I think it’s a valid point to state that the UFC has the better Lightweight division, but even so, I think Melendez has some interesting bouts ahead of him in Strikeforce. So, in order to flesh out why I think Melendez made the right decision, here’s a “Top 5” list of five things “El Nino” has left to do in Strikeforce, in no particular order. ...

The famed New Year's Eve “DYNAMITE” show in Japan has traditionally been one of the most star-studded events of the year, combining both K-1 and MMA fights into one super-show that usually sells out arenas with ease. But this December, Japanese fight fans won’t be able to look forward to seeing one of their biggest stars get a shot at both revenge and redemption. According to a new report, Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki 2 has now been officially scrapped from the upcoming “DYNAMITE 2010” card. Here are all the details. ...

Although Bellator FC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez stands out as the fighter most talked about in regards to next opponents, when it comes to strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez nothing is certain. It had been rumored that Melendez would rematch DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki at the annual end-of-year Japanese super-show “DYNAMITE”. Aoki famously lost to Melendez stateside at Strikeforce: "Nashville" earlier this year. But according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, there’s a large possibility that Melendez/Aoki 2 won’t be happening now that rumors of fiscal irresponsibility have begun to plague DREAM. ...

The back and forth between CEO's Bjorn Rebney and Scott Coker has gone on long enough, with no resolution in sight. I don't think there was really any outcry for a Gilbert Melendez vs Eddie Alvarez fight to begin with, at least not until both champions of their respective organization's went on a media frenzy calling out one another like kids before recess. Would I like to see this fight? Absolutely. But, according Rebney, it looks like the possibility of a match up between these two stellar lightweights seems to be thinning as we speak. Bjorn, the Bellator owner and founder, has now responded in kind to Coker, the Strikeforce CEO, asking him to "Have (Gilbert Melendez) stop talking about the fight, so that Eddie can not have to respond to it and I don’t have to respond to it, or just sit down with me and let’s work it out". ...

The once-friendly rivalry between Bellator FC and Strikeforce has begun to fully emerge as a real-life MMA promotional war. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has been on the attack for the last several weeks, his latest salvo involved the posting of text messages online that show him frequently talking to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker about a supposed “Champion vs. Champion” match revolving around Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had in fact denied receiving any texts from Rebney prior to these texts going online. Not phased in the slightest and definitely not amused, the soft-spoken Coker recently said that Rebney simply texted a number that is no longer used and that his “high school” tactics are detrimental to a working relationship. ...

Everyone knows people from Philly have the pre-conceived notion of being "tough guys". But perhaps nobody personifies that notion more then the top-10 ranked lightweight, Eddie Alvarez. After a fairytale run through DREAM's 2008 lightweight grand prix was cut short when the ring side doctor's claimed Alvarez unable to continue due to large swelling around his right eye, despite defeating Tatsuya Kawjiri to claim the final spot in the tournament run. We would later return to the states after a brief stint in Japan, and signed with Bellator Fighting Championships. From there, even the initiated who weren't familiar with Eddie Alvarez and his punching prowess, were going to get a rude introduction to the punch-face-spectrum. ...

Who’s ducking who, now? In a rivalry that seems to be growing bitterer by the day, Bellator FC CEO Bjorn Rebney and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez continue to seek a “champion vs. champion” match against Strikeforce and its Lightweight Champion, Gilbert Melendez. Rebney and Alvarez officially played the “ducking” card a few turns ago, insinuating that Strikeforce had too much to lose if Alvarez beat their champion and that Melendez was being protected. Recently, the Cesar Gracie-trained “El Nino” fired back with a burst of his own. In summary: Gilbert Melendez will fight anybody and everybody, and ducks nobody. He’d even fight the UFC’s champion if he got the chance. ...

The back and forth between CEO's Bjorn Rebney and Scott Coker has been well documented. Without question both Bellator and Strikeforce are two of the top-tier promotions in the business (behind the UFC) and have become so by consistently putting on some of the best fights in recent memory. Now with the acquisition of world class fighters within each promotion, it has been Bjorn, the Bellator CEO, that has gone out of his way to get in touch with Scott Coker of Strikeforce. However, Coker has refuted claims that Bjorn has contacted him, let alone text him. Rebney upped the ante recently when he released pictures indicating otherwise. ...

Trying to keep a co-promotional rivalry friendly is like trying to not get wet when it’s raining. The recent back-and-forth between Strikeforce and Bellator FC is simply further proof that a co-promotional rivalry can quickly turn ugly despite the best of intentions. What began as a great fight between two great champions (Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez versus Bellator FC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez) has now turned into Melendez ducking Alvarez and Strikeforce ducking Bellator, at least according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.  But according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, it’s all a glorified publicity stunt. ...

Yesterday I posted an article stating that Eddie Alvarez, the current Bellator FC Lightweight Champion, is now a “Top 5” fighter after destroying Roger Huerta at Bellator 33. That opinion hasn’t changed, and it won’t change for quite some time. Following his big win over the former UFC star, talks have once again centered on Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez, the Lightweight Champion of the more-famous Strikeforce promotion. And according to Bellator FC’s CEO, and even Eddie Alvarez himself, Melendez/Alvarez has officially crossed the line from “it just needs to be worked out” and is now a case of “Gilbert Melendez is ducking Eddie Alvarez, Strikeforce is ducking Bellator FC”. Here are all the details. ...

The upstart Bellator FC promotion recently held its thirty-third event, featuring a major championship bout and perhaps the biggest fight in Bellator FC history. In the co-main event, Ben Askren kept his undefeated record intact when he defeated Lyman Good to become the Bellator Welterweight Champion. And in the main event, Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez thoroughly dominated former UFC fighter Roger Huerta. Here are the full results to Bellator 33. ...

The people's champion, Roger Huerta has been in the minds of all media and fans alike with his recent accolades. With his drubbing of an alleged 220-pound ex-Texas Longhorn football player, who knocked out a woman outside of a bar (to whom Roger was avenging), Huerta has virtually all but erased his recent struggles in his mixed martial arts career. After a strong run in the UFC, where Roger racked up an impressive 6-2 record, he left the worlds largest organization in favor of the upstart promotion, Bellator Fighting Championships. An early favorite to become the second season lightweight tournament finalist, Roger's rise to the top was cut short by lightweight prospect Pat Curran (UFC and WEC veteran Jeff Curran's cousin). Now, losing the last 3 of his last 4 fights, Huerta knows that his next scheduled bout against Eddie Alvarez, in a non-title fight on Oct. 21 is either do-or-die for his career. ...

The recent talk of a Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez “strikeforce Champion vs. Bellator Champion” dream-fight got me thinking: how would cross-promotion benefit these two drastically different companies? Bellator is home to some of the most promising newcomers in the sport although they lack a lot of big-name talent, Strikeforce has a large roster of big-name talent but don’t have a lot of low-to-mid-level fighters to fill their ranks. I think both promotions would only profit from a co-promotional agreement, so here are my top five reasons why I think a Bellator/Strikeforce partnership would work. ...

Shinya Aoki is probably one of the most reserved fighters in the sport. Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at "Dynamite!! 2009" would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that's why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts. However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um...us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while. ...

Bellator lightweight champion is a force to reckoned with in his weight class. After an illuminated run in Japan, where Alvarez has picked up some of the biggest wins of his career, which includes victories over the likes of former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen, former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri and current DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno. Not impressed? En route to Bellator gold, he was able to submit all three of his opponents, including the heralded Toby Imada, a Jiu-Jitsu whiz who became an internet sensation with his inverted triangle choke over lightweight notable Jorge Masvidal, which garnered Imada the "Submission of the Year" on several publications, including a trophy award at the 2009 World MMA Awards, hosted by Fighters Only. So when Alvarez, 26, heard word that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has called him out on numerous occasions, the Philly fighter didn't take too kindly to it. ...

Roger Huerta, the famous former ufc fighter who once sported a 20-1 record, is now 1-3 in his last four fights and is perhaps more famous nowadays for his widely-publicized street brawl. A trip to the upstart Bellator FC promotion seemed to signal the start of a career revival, with a showdown between "El Matador" and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez having dream-match status. A loss to Pat Curran seemed to put a halt to such a fight, but with Curran injured, Huerta/Alvarez is now planned as a non-title affair. While I don’t think that Roger Huerta is in such a slump that his career is on the line for this fight…apparently he does. ...

The fight everyone wanted to see, is back in business. Eddie Alvarez, the reigning and defending Bellator lightweight champion and DREAM veteran, will be facing UFC veteran and now-internet-sensation, Roger Huerta at Bellator 33. ...

With the hype train behind Fedor Emelianenko now derailed, many are left wondering what happens not only to strikeforce’s Heavyweight division, but where Strikeforce as a whole goes from here. Some call Strikeforce a breeding ground for UFC cast-offs, while followers of the San Jose-based promotion are quick to point out that Strikeforce contains world-caliber champions and aspiring newcomers, resulting in fight cards that are a hit more often than not. Going forward, here’s what I think will be the keys to success for Strikeforce. ...

Pat Curran (12-3) entered the night as an underdog yet again but pulled off a split decision, some are calling controversial, victory over Toby Imada (26-15) to win the lightweight tournament. We also saw Megumi Fujii (20-0) get her first TKO victory and become the only fighter that Fighters.com is aware of to go 20-0. ...

A fight between Strikeforce lightweight champion "El Nino" Gilbert Melendez (18-2) and Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez (17-2) is in the works. We are finally starting to see cross-promotional fights that the fans have been clamoring for since the days of Pride Fighting Championships. ...

Bellator Fighting Championships founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney announced today that "El Matador" Roger Huerta (21-3-1) will face rising star Pat Curran (10-3) while “Submission of the Year” title holder Toby Imada (25-14) will face Carey Vanier (8-1) at Bellator’s May 6th event at the Wang Theater in Boston. ...

Bellator has called a video press conference for Monday at 3 PM EST that streams live from Bellator.com. This press conference is expected to be when they announce the signing of former UFC lightweight "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-3-1). ...

It was announced today that Bellator just inked 6-foot, 3-inch "The Beast" Bryan Baker (11-1) for the season two middleweight tournament. The constant announcements of signed fighters for the up-coming season means we will see plenty of exciting fights. Bellator is doing exactly what they need to in order to build the organization but will the fans show their support and buy tickets? ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight "Bully" Gray Maynard (8-0) and Nate Diaz (10-5) will rematch an The Ultimate Fighter 5 exhbition match tonight at UFC Fight Night 20 in Fairfax, Virginia. ...

UFC lightweight title contender “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2) debuted at tenth in Fighters.com's Lightweight Rankings in November due mostly to former top tenner Katsunori Kikuno's (5-1-1) stoppage loss to third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25. ...

Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" BJ Penn (14-5-1) will defend his titles from unranked, but popular The Ultimate Fighter 1 champion “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2) at UFC 107 at the FedExForum in Memphis December 12, the UFC officially announced Tuesday. ...

As rumored, Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez (16-2) and DEEP champ Katsunori Kikuno (5-0) will fight at DREAm.12 in Osaka October 25, DREAM officially confirmed Tuesday. ...