Bellator vs UFC – it’s been a questioning battle since the Bellator promotion appeared on the horizon of the MMA world. Before that time UFC was the only place to gain all attention and to cream off from this sport. And as a cradle of contemporary MMA, it is deservedly.
UFC is still the biggest in all senses of MMA promotion – popularity, profit, etc.
But the fact that the comparison between UFC vs Bellator arises, means something has changed in the mixed martial art scene. Let’s dive into the Bellator MMA vs UFC question and see if we will find something significant.
Bellator vs UFC: What is common between them?
| Both MMA promotions are not about amateur MMA fights but arrange professional fights. |
| UFC and Bellator are the places where the best MMA fights of all time revealing to the world. |
| Were founded in the USA. |
UFC vs Bellator vs ONE Championship
The Singaporean fighting sports promotion ONE Championship started later than UFC and Bellator – in 2011 – but MMA fans want to know Is ONE Championship or UFC is better?
Upcoming ONE Championship results and events are updated on the official site.
We will dedicate ONE Championship promotion to a separate article to focus on here specifically on the UFC and Bellator.
What is the difference between MMA and UFC and Bellator?
MMA (mixed martial arts) is a combat sport while UFC and Bellator are organizations that arrange MMA fight events.
What does UFC stand for?
The American mixed martial arts organization UFC is an acronym standing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Who owns UFC?
UFC was started in 1993. You may think UFC is owned by Dana White. But he is the President of the Championship. The founders are Art Davie, Bob Meyrowitz, Campbell McLaren, David Isaacs, John Milius, and Rorion Gracie from the Gracie Family.
UFC is a daughter company of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc.
How many fighters are in the UFC?
The promotion lists a total of 2680 athletes from different countries, comprising 248 women and 2432 men.
The list of current UFC fighters is presented on the official website.
How much do UFC fighters get paid?
If a fighter signs a contract with UFC he may earn from $10 000 to $3 000 000 per fight. The earnings depend on the number of fights and win in the octagon, popularity, and reputation.
According to information, NBA and NFL pay their athletes 50% of the revenue while UFC pays its fighters 16%-20%.
What is Bellator MMA?
Bellator MMA is an American mixed martial arts event organization the same as the UFC. Was founded in 2008 and is located in California, USA. The first event took place in 2009.
Previously it was called Bellator Fighting Championships.
The founder is Bjorn Rebney and the current President is Scott Coker – founder of the MMA promotion Strikeforce which existed till 2013.
Does UFC own Bellator?
No, Bellator and UFC are two separate promotions. Bellator MMA is owned by Paramount Global. That’s right, the Paramount mass media and entertainment company.
How many fighters are in Bellator MMA?
And is Bellator bigger than UFC or vice versa?
According to the roster on the official website, there are 229 Bellator fighters listed, male and female.
Bellator and UFC are the biggest MMA promotions in the world, but UFC is bigger than Bellator.
How much do Bellator fighters get paid?
As an example of how much Bellator fighters can earn, we will take the Bellator 266 event in 2021. At the event, the former UFC fighter, who is currently signed to Bellator, Yoel Romero earned $150 000.
At the same fight event, Ben Parrish earned $20 000 meanwhile Jonathan Adams took home $1500.
How to watch Bellator MMA and UFC?
UFC fights can be seen on ESPN sports TV while Bellator MMA main events are live on SHOWTIME.
UFC’s YouTube channel has over 13 million subscribers. Bellator’s channel counts almost 1,5 million followers.
Are Bellator rules different than UFC?
In general, UFC and Bellator rules have adopted the Unified Rules of MMA since 2000 to ensure fair competition.
The Bellator athletes fight in a 36 feet circular cage while UFC uses a 30 feet Octagon (eight-sided steel cage).
Best Bellator fighters
Obviously, like any other sports championship or promotion, Bellator has its own MMA Rankings. What are the names of the best Bellator fighters?
Here are the Top 3 best Bellator fighters from each MMA weight class. The full list of the official Bellator MMA fighter rankings is available on the official site.
Bellator Rankings
*Special marks: C – Champion, IC – Interim Champion
**What does pound for pound mean? It’s a term used in combat sports in relation to a fighter who is recognized as the best regardless of weight category. The term came into use thanks to boxer Benny Leonard, who dominated as Champion from May 1917 to January 1925.
| 1. Patricio Pitbull 33-5 | |
| Men’s Pound for Pound | 2. Vadim Nemkov 15-2 |
| 3. Gegard Mousasi 49-7-2 |
| 1. Cris Cyborg 26-2 | |
| Women’s Pound for Pound | 2. Liz Carmouche 17-7 |
| 3. Juliana Velasquez 12-1 |
| C. Sergio Pettis 22-5 | |
| Bantamweight | IC. Raufeon Stots 18-1 |
| 2. Patchy Mix 16-1 |
| C. Patricio Pitbull 33-5 | |
| Featherweight | 1. AJ McKee 18-1 |
| 2. Adam Borics 18-1 |
| C. Patricky Pitbull 24-10 | |
| Leightweight | 1. Sidney Outlaw 16-4 |
| 2. Brent Primus 11-2 |
| C. Yaroslav Amosov 26-0 | |
| Welterweight | IC. Logan Storley 14-1 |
| 2. Michael Page 20-2 |
| C. Gegard Mousasi 49-7-2 | |
| Middleweight | 1. Johnny Eblen 11-0 |
| 2. Austin Vanderford 11-1 |
| C. Vadim Nemkov 15-2 | |
| Light Heavyweight | 1. Corey Anderson 16-5 |
| 2. Phil Davis 24-6 |
| C. Ryan Bader 30-7 | |
| Heavyweight | 1. Valentin Moldavsky 11-2 |
| 2. Linton Vassell 23-8 |
| C. Liz Carmouche 17-7 | |
| Women’s Flyweight | 1. Juliana Velasquez 12- |
| 2. Kana Watanabe 11-1-1 |
| C. Cris Cyborg 26-2 | |
| Women’s Featherweight | 1. Arlene Blencowe 15-9 |
| 2. Cat Zingano 12-4 |
Bellator vs UFC gloves
On the official online stores, the Bellator MMA gloves price is $89, and the UFC gloves cost $100.
According to the comparison, UFC gloves by Dyaco International have issues with eye pokes because it’s difficult for the fighters to clench their fingers into a fist.
Meanwhile, the Bellator MMA gloves by Everlast don’t cause this situation.
