Back when Bellator’s Season Four Featherweight Tournament was just beginning, several notable fighters stood out as potential favorites. There was Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Finalist Patricio Freire. There was former EliteXC Bantamweight Champion Wilson Reis. There was also fast-rising newcomer Nazareno Malegarie, who came into Bellator unbeaten at 19-0. And then there was a little-known fighter by the name of Daniel Straus. And now, with the Featherweight Tournament reaching its finale, Straus has stepped out of his role as the tournament’s “dark horse” and is only one fight away from establishing himself as one of Bellator’s elite. ...

What does the future hold for Ben Askren? The immediate future is more or less set in stone: Askren will defend his Bellator Welterweight Championship against Jay Hieron, the well-traveled multi-promotion veteran that stormed into Bellator and won its Season Four Welterweight Tournament. But if Askren beats down such a respected veteran in the same way he’s thoroughly dominated almost all of his opponents, the question must be asked: would anyone in Bellator really pose a threat to Askren? Read on for Askren’s own thoughts on his future, including a possible run in the ufc or Strikeforce. ...

Douglas Lima, for a longtime, has been one of the most talked about welterweight that nobody knows about. Within the industry, I can't tell you how many times I've heard his name come up. "Dude, the guy is legit. Phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu, great striking with some serious POW behind his punches"---yes, the anonymously embarrassed associate of mine used the word "pow", regardless, he ranted and raved about the skills of a relative unknown fighter. However, now with the internet at our disposal and HdNet carrying live mixed martial arts events on a regular basis, more people are now aware of the talents of one Douglas Lima, and apparently so was Bjorn Rebney the CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships, whom have since signed the Brazilian dynamo. ...

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. As always, I found it tough to hand this award out. But unfortunately, this is not one of the times where that’s a good thing. Bellator 44 featured some tough fighters, but the only breakthrough performances were marred by controversy. And with a precedent already set, I’m going to give this award to one of Bellator 44’s losers, and not winners. Here’s why Patricky Freire’s gutsy and heartfelt performance took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Bellator 44 was an event that saw several unexpected occurrences. Some of them weren’t of the good variety, although some of them were. Even though I did have some problems with this show, overall I think it could’ve been worse and it did have its moments of glory. 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 44. ...

Bellator 44 was certainly an interesting event, although sometimes not for the best of reasons. Several fights were entertaining, but both the main and co-main events were marred by a bit of controversy. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after Hector Lombard earned another KO on his record, and Michael Chandler won Season Four’s 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 44. ...

At Bellator 44 last night, there were a lot of highlight reel moments, but none more than the fifteen-minute war between Brett Cooper and Alexander Shlemenko. The two men met in a pivotal middleweight qualifying bout for the upcoming middleweight tournament, which is said to kickoff sometime this summer. Both are all too familiar with the tournament format and were hoping for an impressive showing, and thought only one man left the cage the winner, both put on memorable performances. ...

Hector Lombard has long been regarded as one of the best kept secrets in the mixed martial arts world. His lone losses in his career stand at two early career defeats to Japanese legend Akihiro Gono and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi--both bouts which took place under the PRIDE banner. However, the the Olympic Judoka has transitioned his skills on the mat to now a full fledged MMA fighter. But, he may be more known to the fans as the little guy with knockout power in both hands, and he helped assert those claims last night when he polished off UFC and Strikeforce veteran Falaniko Vitale just seconds into the third-round. ...

Many people pegged knockout artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Patricky Freire as the next big thing in the Bellator lightweight division. After dispatching notables Rob McCullough--the former WEC lightweight champion--and then two-time tournament finalist Toby Imada with impressive knockout wins, not much else was expected for wrestler Michael Chandler. Exuding confidence, Chandler took it to Freire from the jump and not only turned in a very exciting bout against arguably his most dangerous opponent to date, but Michael has now booked his ticket to fight titleholder Eddie Alvarez and now earned $100k for his efforts in becoming this season's tournament champion. ...

During the Bellator 44 broadcast, it was clear early that one man's loss was another man's gain. Originally, a welterweight tilt pitting former champion Lyman Good and season two-finalist Dan Hornbuckle was scrapped after Good was injured and left unable to compete. The search for a replacement was left in vain and eventually an anticipated bantamweight tilt pitting WEC vet Anthony Morrison versus Bryan Goldsby was then set for the live broadcast. However, after "Cheese Steak" weighed in a staggering ten-pounds over the required limit of 135-pounds, the New Jersey State Athletic Commission later opted to not have Morrison attempt to cut the additional weight, leaving the bout scrapped altogether. The frantic change up then meant that a preliminary bout would then move up to the televised broadcast, so when it came down to the addition of a welterweight match featuring Giedrius Karavackas and Sam Oropeza making the program, neither man disappointed though Giedrius' finish of the local favorite was one to remember. ...

Another week in, another live event on MTV2 featuring the Bellator cast and crew. Bellator 44 featured Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, highly-decorated veteran Alexander Shlemenko, and the final fight of Bellator’s Season Four Lightweight Tournament. From all-out wars to dramatic stoppages, Bellator 44 delivered them all. So why is my reaction to this show so decidedly mixed? Here are the full results as well as some early commentary for Bellator 44. ...

In tonight's featured "super fight", Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard was to take on arguably one of his toughest tests to date in former Icon Sport titleholder and UFC veteran Falaniko Vitale. There's a lot of pressure for the Bellator titleholders, as none of them have faltered in non-title bouts, going a perfect 9-0 before tonight's event. And though the bout began in less than exciting fashion, it ended the same way Lombard ends most of his fights--with an abrupt and very fast knockout. ...

After the Lyman Good and Dan Hornbuckle bout was scrapped, Anthony Morrison and Bryan Goldsby were then promoted to the main-card for Bellator 44. The event, which airs live on MTV2, remains to be one of the larger cards of the year, and Morrison nixed his opportunity to put his name amongst the masses when he came in a staggering 10-pounds over the bantamweight limit, and his bout with Goldsby was eventually scrapped altogether. However, one mans loss is now two's gain. Local favorite Sam Oropeza impressed many with his performance turned in tonight, though it will be Giedrius Karavackas' submission that everybody will be talking about, which earned him a late rally victory in the last frame of the welterweight tilt. ...

The middleweight match-up pitting Alexander Shlemenko against Brett Cooper had all the promises of being a slobber knocker of a bout. Both men are familiar with each other's styles, as they have trained together in the past. Cooper moved up to the middleweight class full time following an impressive showing against Matt Major under the Bellator banner while Alexander won the season two middleweight tournament, pocketed $100k and earned his shot at the title against champion Hector Lombard. Though he came up short in his bid to become champion, Shlemenko did much to improve his image when tonight he defeated Cooper over the course of a riveting three-round affair. ...

It’s that time, fans and friends. With this entry, today’s special one-day-only four-part mini-series “A Look Ahead” comes to a close. I’ve given three very in-depth looks into Bellator’s upcoming Season Five tournaments, and it’s time to cover the final fourth. To take a look at part one of the series, click here. For Part 2, please click here. And part three can be seen by clicking here. And for the fourth and final entry into today’s mini-series, we’ll be taking a look at Bellator’s Season Five Heavyweight Tournament. ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to part three of today’s special four-part mini-series “A Look Ahead”. With Bellator’s Season Four tournaments all beginning to reach their conclusion, all eyes are beginning to focus on Season Five. Even this early, Season Five is looking quite good, with many big-level stars either rumored or confirmed to be fighting in the tournament or competing in qualifier bouts. For the first part of the series, click here. For Part 2, please click here. For the third part of “A Look Ahead”, we’ll be focusing on Bellator’s Season Five Middleweight Tournament. Let’s dive right in. ...

Originally, a bout pitting former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good against Dan Hornbuckle was to serve as one of the four main-card bouts for this evenings card. However, after Good suffered an injury in the lead up to the event, officials failed to find a suitable opponent to replace Lyman and so Hornbuckle was removed from the card altogether. Then a bout pitting WEC veteran Anthony Morrison against Bryan Goldsby was promoted to the televised portion of the card after initially being relegated to the preliminary card. However, after Morrison fumbled the weigh-ins by coming in a staggering 10-pounds over the bantamweight limit, the fight has been called off altogether, in an effort to protect the fighter from cutting the additional weight. ...

As Bellator 44 comes to ahead later tonight, let's take a look back at the weigh-in results heading into the festivities up ahead. The card will be headlined by an intriguing middleweight bout pitting Bellator champion Hector Lombard against UFC and Strikeforce veteran Falaniko Vitale in a "super fight" non-title bout. While the headlining duo made weight with no problem, the attention later shifted to a proposed bantamweight bout between WEC veteran Anthony Morrison and Brian Goldsby, though there's been a hitch in plans when Morrison came in 10-pounds over the limit. ...

Welcome back fans and friends, it’s now time for part two of today’s special one-day-only mini-series entitled “A Look Ahead”. “A Look Ahead” will focus on Bellator’s upcoming Season Five tournaments, giving an in-depth look at what you should expect, who is competing, and even who the early favorites are. For the first part in the series, please click here. Now it’s time to focus on Bellator’s upcoming Season Five Welterweight Tournament. ...

With today’s Bellator 44 event, the fourth season of Bellator and the first season to air on the MTV2 network begins to wind down in earnest. It’ll be two finals down and only two more to go once Bellator 44 wraps, and as a Bellator fan, I’m very excited at how many great title fights should be in store. And as season four comes to a close, we’re getting more and more information on Season Five, which is why I’m pleased to present a special one-day only four-part series entitled “A Look Ahead”, focusing on all four tournaments of Bellator’s upcoming fifth season. I’ll do my best to cover everything, from who’s been announced, to who’s been rumored to be participating, to what matches I’d like to see and even who I think are the early favorites to win. Let’s get started with Bellator’s Season Five Bantamweight Tournament. ...

I hate to keep bringing this up, but I really am quite shocked at how few MMA events happened in April, and how few are scheduled to happen in May. I recently updated the fighters.com calendar for June 2012, and I was struck by how many more MMA events were scheduled for that month. So I got to thinking: why the dry spell in these spring months? Here’s why I think most major MMA organizations took a bit of a spring break. ...

As this season of Bellator comes to an end, there will be some big fights ahead for us before Summer finds us. After this weekends festivities featuring champion Hector Lombard taking on UFC veteran Niko Vitale in a non-title middleweight bout and Patricky "Pitbull" Freire meeting Michael Chandler in the lightweight tournament finals--Bellator will turn right back around on May 21st for an even bigger show of epic proportions. And despite having been almost exclusively serving up fights on the mid-west and west coast for the better part of the year, the promotion will now be featuring a stellar card hitting the deep south with two-tournament finals to boast. ...

We’re now only a few days away from Bellator 44. In the main event, tough veterans with very high win/loss ratios will do battle: Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard takes on Falaniko Vitale in a non-title contest. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as the Season Four Lightweight Tournament comes to a close with Michael Chandler taking on Patricky Freire. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring Bellator 44. ...

On May 14, 2011, Bellator will hold its highly-anticipated “Bellator 44” event, featuring Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, the man that some consider to be the best non-UFC Middleweight right now, in a non-title fight. Also, Michael Chandler faces Patricky Freire in the finals of Bellator’s Season Four Lightweight Tournament. 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 44. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “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. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring Bellator 44. ...

Since making its debut on the MTV2 network, the weekly ratings of Bellator’s events have, at times, fluctuated wildly. Shows that have been rather underwhelming ended up doing great in the ratings, while under-appreciated “sleeper hits” seem to have flopped with the MTV2 audience. So, how did the recent Bellator 43 event perform? Has Bellator’s ratings begun to even out, or are we in for several more weeks of uncertainty as Bellator’s fourth season comes to a close? Here are all the details. ...

For former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe, his debut under the Bellator banner would likely be a "make it or break it" scenario in his career at the moment. After earning the prestigious world title in 2007 with a dominating win over perennial top-10 fighter Eddie Wineland, Beebe would then go on to successfully defend his strap against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Rani Yahya, in yet another dominating performance adding to the legacy he began to build at the tender age of 21. However, after going on a five-fight losing streak to notables such as Miguel Torres, Will Ribeiro, and current Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren (among others), Beebe would have a difficult time regaining the momentum he once had. He may have put any doubters to rest when he quickly submitted season-three semi-finalist Jose Vega last Saturday. ...

At Bellator 43, Jay Hieron did what many expected him to do when it was first announced that he had signed with Bellator: he won Bellator’s Season Four Welterweight Tournament. But Hieron’s much-hyped debut fizzled after only one fight: after looking greet in the quarterfinals, Hieron edged out both his semi-finals and finals opponents via very, very close decision wins. Now all that’s left for Hieron to do is challenge Ben Askren for the Bellator Welterweight Championship. Here are some early thoughts on how I think this fight will go down. ...

While there weren't any implications that a win over one another would clinch a future tourney spot, both Joe Riggs and Bryan Baker both knew the gravity of their middleweight match-up. Riggs, a veteran of both Strikeforce and the UFC, is arguably one of the more notable acquisitions that the Bellator brass has made in recent memory. Despite having been bounced around some of the larger promotions in the last couple of years, Joe has proven that on any given day he has the skills beat just about anybody out there. However, such was not the case when "Diesel" stepped inside the cage against Baker last Saturday, when the the Judoka in Baker was able to deftly put an end to Riggs' promotional debut in a definitive matter. ...

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. Bellator 43 featured several interesting fights and several big finishes. As a whole, it was a worthy addition to a series of shows that, for the most part, have been very enjoyable. But one fighter’s performance perfectly summed up one of the main reasons I enjoy this sport so much: nothing is impossible in MMA, and a fighter that at one time lost five fights in a row could one day possibly return to the championship status he once held. With that in mind, here’s why Chase Beebe’s first-round submission took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...