The ascension for Bellator featherweight champion has been quick and unexpected. Although he holds word class credentials as a wrestler, those same accolades have not always meant instant success in the mixed martial arts world. However, Warren already boasts big wins over opponents such as the legendary "Kid" Yamamoto, former WEC champion Chase Beebe, and in his last outing, he claimed the Bellator title after running a roughshod through last season's 145-pound tourney. When Warren defeated former champ Joe Soto for the promotion's title, it put everyone on notice that not only is the Olympic hopeful a force to be reckoned with, but he is one of the best fighters in the world. Now, Warren will take his accolades elsewhere as he tries to claim a title in a second-weight class, but first he must face Marcos Galvao. ...

After yesterday's exciting Bellator event was brought to an end, we witnessed a concise semi-final picture. In the main-event of the evening, former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough showed an indomitable spirit where in the first-round of his bout with Patricky Freire, he was taken down and brutalized on the mat, staving off several submission attempts, having barely survived the onslaught. In the second, the former champ picked up the pace and begin landing a series of lowkicks and stinging punches that likely earned him the nod on the judges score cards---but it didn't matter. Midway through the second-round, Freire connected on hard right hand that sent Rob crashing to the mat. Two more blows sealed the deal and declared Patricky the victor by way of knockout. Now, Freire finds himself in the semi-finals of the season four lightweight tournament, however now Toby Imada, the two-time finalist, will be there to greet him. ...

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. And I will fully and freely admit that it was pretty tough to pick one single performance from Bellator 36, since all of the televised fights ended with dramatic finishes. But one fighter clearly rose above all the rest: here’s why Toby Imada and his awesome first-round Armbar submission victory took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Although I’ve only just become fully acquainted with Bellator FC, I’ve known for some time now that the Bellator Lightweights are a highlight of the promotion. That principle was put into practice at Bellator 36, with a night of fun fights and fantastic finishes. But now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after the opening round of Bellator’s “Season 4” Lightweight tournament? 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 36. ...

After an event like Bellator 36, it’s hard not to cheer on Bellator FC. Bellator may not boast the best talent, but Bellator 36 featured constant action, great finishes, and more. It was a solid event all around, and a great second event to air on MTV2 after the early success of their first event. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of Bellator 36. ...

For the second week in a row, upstart promotion Bellator FC put forth a live event on MTV2, and also for the second week in a row, the event saw the first four matches of Bellator’s latest “Season 4” series of tournaments. This time it was the Lightweights in action, and as expected, the lighter fighters did not disappoint in the slightest. From slick submissions to dramatic KO’s, Bellator 36 put the best of Bellator on display. There was no sophomore slump here, so here are the full results as well as some commentary on Bellator 36. ...

On March 12, 2011, upstart promotion Bellator FC will hold its thirty-sixth event, and the second event of their new partnership with the MTV network, featuring the start of Bellator’s “Season 4” Lightweight tournament. It’s a night full of potential, with several high-level stars making their Bellator debuts while other Bellator favorites return for another run at the gold. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch Bellator 36. ...

We’re barely past Bellator 35 and already Bellator 36 will soon be upon us. But that’s the nature of the game when you plan to put on weekly, live MMA shows. Still, I’ve talked about Bellator 35 at length since it was my first real Bellator show and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Apparently a whole lot of other people enjoyed it too, as the ratings just came in and MMA fans appear to have sent a clear message to MTV2: we want Bellator. ...

One single day after Shark Fights' debut on HDNet, fellow upstart promotion Bellator FC will hold its second show on MTV2. And much like their first, this show will see the opening round of a “Season Four” tournament. On this night it’ll be the Lightweights in action. As my interest in Bellator grows, so does my appreciation of this event. At least on paper, some of these fights have great potential. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), this time focusing on Bellator 36 ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to the second “Crash Course” of the day. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event.  So let’s get right to it with the second “Crash Course” of the day, now featuring Bellator’s upcoming thirty-sixth event. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another new edition of “Best of the Rest”! I really enjoy taking the time to give my detailed thoughts on a show after watching it, but after the serious discussion and debate I’ll raise in topics like “Top 5 Best Moments” and “Best Performance of the Night”, I think it’d be nice to have a tongue-in-cheek topic where I give out some other “awards”. It’s all in good fun, so don’t take any of it too seriously. So let’s dive right into this latest edition, now featuring Bellator 35. ...

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. It was tough to single out the best performance of Bellator 35 for two main reasons: first and foremost, none of the fights were boring and all of them kept me consistently entertained. But I also had very little knowledge of Bellator, so I was unsure of how to properly gauge the talent level of the promotion’s fighters. But here’s one thing I do know: I know who Jay Hieron is, and he reminded me why I know him at Bellator 35. Here’s why Jay Hieron’s triumphant, dramatic, and utterly dominating Bellator debut took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Bellator 35 needed to be a success, and judged solely on the quality of its fights, it certainly was. It remains to be seen if MMA, and Bellator’s unique take on it, can succeed on the MTV2 network, though. But now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after Bellator’s inaugural show on MTV2? 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 35. ...

Bellator 35 was a very important show for a number of reasons, chief of which was that it was the upstart promotion’s debut on their new television home, the MTV2 network. Although only one of the main fights saw a finish, I definitely enjoyed Bellator 35. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of Bellator 35. ...

While it may have been a bit overshadowed by Strikeforce’s “Feijao vs. Henderson” event, today marked an important date in the history of the upstart Bellator FC promotion. Bellator 35 debuted live on MTV2 tonight, featuring several exciting fights that included a great three-round war to open the show and a great three-round war to close it. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on Bellator FC’s thirty-fifth show. ...

March 5 is shaping up to be a pretty fun day for MMA fans. In addition to Strikeforce’s “Feijao vs. Henderson” event, the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships promotion will hold its thirty-fifth event in its short three-year history. Not only does this show mark the debut of Bellator’s “fourth season” and its next Welterweight Tournament, but this is also the first event that will be shown on the MTV2 network. This will also be my jumping-on point for this promotion, so here are my final, assorted thoughts on what should be an interesting, pivotal show. It’s another “Finally Final Thoughts”, now featuring Bellator 35. ...

We’re now only a few days away from Bellator 35. This event marks the first live Bellator event to be shown on the MTV2 network, and the start of Bellator’s next Welterweight Tournament. Bellator newcomers and veterans alike are all scheduled to compete on this card, from former champions to grizzled veterans. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring Bellator 35. ...

On March 5, 2011, upstart promotion Bellator Fighting Championships will hold its highly-anticipated “Bellator 35” event. The event sees the start of Bellator’s latest Welterweight Tournament, and this show marks the promotion’s debut on the MTV2 network. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch Bellator 35. ...

Bellator Fighting Championships has now added a welterweight fighter to their fold, and he is as dangerous as they come. A one-time veteran of the WEC, Santos is currently on the heels of a five-fight win streak, four of which ended by way of knockout. In fact, what's more impressive is how many victories the Brazilian dynamo has been able to string together since his inception in the mixed martial arts world in 2000. ...

Although fans are still divided on Bellator’s future ever since it was announced that the upstart MMA promotion would be moving to the MTV2 network, the promotion itself has continued to move forward and is currently in the process of setting up several interesting tournaments for their upcoming fourth season. Recently, two more names were added to the planned Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, rounding out the brackets. Here are all the details. ...

Former Bellator title holder Lyman Good will not sulk in his lone career defeat. The dynamic welterweight star will return to the cage for the upcoming season-four 170-pound tournament, in order to vie for the promotion's title once again and bank in another $100k. Good was the inaugural champion, having defeated a slew of opponents in an exciting tournament bracket which featured the likes of King of the Cage veteran Hector Urbina and Sengoku vet Omar de la Cruz--who Good defeated in June of 2009 to claim the welterweight title in the finals of the Bellator tourney. ...

UFC veteran Joe Riggs has found a new home. Recently under contract with the San Jose based mixed martial arts promotion, Strikeforce, it looks like Riggs has fufilled his contractual obligations with the organization and will now venture into new territory as he now joins the Bellator Fighting Championships. To date, Bellator has done a great job and acquiring some big names in the sport, including the likes of Roger Huerta, Eddie Alvarez, Megumi Fuji, Jay Hieron, and now Joe will be an ample name to add to their bolstering stock of fighters. ...

Undefeated welterweight prospect Rick Hawn, who made a successful debut in Bellator earlier this year, will be returning in the promotion's season four welterweight tournament. Hawn's last appearance came in spectacular fashion when the Olympic Judoka finished the game Levon Maynard inside of the first round. Though Levon looked good early on, picking his shots on the feet and shrugging off takedown attempts by Hawn, Maynard left an arm extended and Rick instinctively hip tossed Maynard to the mat. Rick followed up with a barrage of punches and before Levon could regain his senses, the referee intervened and called a halt to the bout in the waning moments of the first frame. ...

Merry Christmas fans and friends! The day is still young, but hopefully it’s already treating you well. In the spirit of the season, I’m going to be taking a break from my usual routine and instead launching a special little mini-series called “All I Want for Christmas”. It’ll be a time for wishing as well as predicting, as I give my thoughts on what I’d like to see and what I think we as MMA fans can look forward to as the clock turns ever closer to 2011. So let’s get right to it with my first entry in today’s series of Top 5 lists: 5 things I really want to see happen in 2011. ...

The Gracie lineage is a long and proud name, passed on from generation to generation. Royce Gracie first popularized his family's name with resounding tournament victories in the early days of the sport, as he was heralded as the Ultimate Fighting Championship's champion on three separate occasions. Now after some years later, there's a Gracie that has left his mark in nearly every major promotion around the world, and now Daniel Gracie is no different. ...

Former strikeforce welterweight contender Jay Hieron has now officially been released from his contract with the San Jose based promotion and since then has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships. Promised two title shots in his time with Strikeforce, Hieron was relegated to the preliminary slot in his two fights in the organization, after initially coming in as an immediate contender to the title. Decision victories over Jesse Taylor and Joe Riggs anchor his résumé with Strikeforce, and after an extended period of time spent mostly waiting, Jay shopped around the free agency market once his contract with the aforementioned promotion ran up. Bellator seemed to be the perfect fit for the 34-year-old. ...

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". ...

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. ...

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. ...

With all this talk of the WEC-UFC merger, new dream match ups, it looks like we almost all forgot about the "little promotion that could"--Bellator Fighting Championship's continues to impress, and once again has crowned a new champion amongst it's ranks. While a steady stream of new upstart prospects have claimed the titles from the season's past champions, specifically former featherweight champion Joe Soto relinquishing his title to current title holder Joe Warren in a come-back finish in their September tussle, and former welterweight champion Lyman Good losing to talented Olympic wrestler Ben Askren. The pressure was all on Hector Lombard, who remained one of the last original champions from Bellator's first season (Eddie Alvarez has yet to defend his title against season 2 tournament winner Pat Curran sometime in the near future). ...