Bellator MMA Tickets

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a relatively new phenomenon compared to its competitors, boxing and professional wrestling. Both these sports have been part of the mainstream for decades, and as such have a well established fan following that stretches all across the globe. However, in the twenty odd years since MMA began to find public support for the first time, it has grown to rival both sports. Today promoters like the Bellator MMA have come to the fore and are doing everything in their power to take MMA to levels unheard of before.

The First Bout

Bellator MMA is a comparatively new entry into the MMA world and was founded by Bjorn Rebney. Rebney was a solicitor working for a sports-law firm. He was also an avid MMA fan and wanted to get involved in the promotion of the sport. After going to countless investors and taking out loans and mortgages, he finally succeeded in 2008. He created the new company with a view to integrate a new format which would set it apart from its competitors and give the organization the unique selling point it required.

Bellator MMA’s first event took place in 2009 and was broadcasted on ESPN Deportes and became the first MMA event to be televised on the network. It was well received by audiences but it was the fight between Toby Imada and Jorge Masvidal that propelled the show to worldwide success. At the end of a closely contested match, Imada managed to use an inverted triangle submission choke to beat Masvidal. The video of this incident went viral and garnered almost two million views on YouTube.

Within a few months, Bellator would become the hottest new MMA show around and sign a new major television deal that would increase the company’s market share tenfold over the next few years.

How Does it Work?

Bellator MMA’s biggest selling point is the unique format. Based on an eight man sports tournament, the fighters have been put in different weight categories like bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. The weights can range anywhere between a hundred and thirty five pounds for bantamweight to two hundred and sixty five pounds for heavyweights.

Each weight category has eight fighters each who compete in one on one matches to decide who progresses to the next round. The starting round is the quarterfinals, after which four contestants are eliminated and the remaining four move to the semifinal stage. The top two then compete in the finals to not only win the tournament but to also pocket the hundred thousand dollar prize money on offer. Each match follows the regularized MMA rules and can only end through a submission, a knockout, a technical knockout or a judges’ decision.

The Best of the Best

Bellator MMA has seen its fair share of action over the years and that is all down to its amazing roster of fighters who put everything on the line for personal and professional glory. In its inaugural season, the show featured only four weight classes, three of which were won by Americans and the other one by a Cuban. Since that time, the Americans have continued to dominate the series with eighteen division champions and twenty six tournament winners. Russia is second with thirteen titles in total while Brazil is a close third with twelve championships to date.

One of the most successful fighters in Bellator history is Ben Askren. He is the only person to win five consecutive title bouts. He is also the only man to defend his title four times. Alexander Shlemenko is a fight behind him with three title defenses to his credit.

The Future is in Safe Hands

Bellator MMA appointed a new President, Scott Coker, in 2014 and he has come with a lot of new ideas to improve the show. The series will soon get a brand new format and with new television deals in place, Bellator MMA is expected to be broadcasted to over a hundred and fifty countries around the globe by the end of 2015.

This is one show that has it all for the fans of mixed martial arts. If you are a fan of this exciting sport, then get your Bellator MMA tickets and watch some of the biggest names in the business slug it out live from the stands.