20 of the best Bellator fighters of all time
With Bellator on the verge of collapse, we take a look at the top 20 Bellator fighters of all time.
By Chad Porto
Coming up with a list of the top Bellator fighters of all time was not an easy feat. The brand has had so many great fighters come through their doors, ranging from legends like Tito Ortiz and Fedor Emelianenko, to the biggest names of their day, like Benson Henderson and Rampage Jackson. Yet, none of those men made the list.
So who did? Well, before we get to the top 20, let's look at who just missed the cut.
Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal
Muhammad Lawal is a legend in the world of MMA, and while many will see his listing on the "Honorable Mention" list, it's important to remember that his biggest wins in the world of MMA came outside of Bellator. His biggest win in the promotion came against Quinten "Rampage" Jackson, who was past his prime. He did win the 2013 Light Heavyweight Tournament, but he did so against the likes of Seth Petruzelli, so again, nothing to write home about. His name brand, however, does warrant him a mention.
Patricky "Pitbull" Freire
It's fair to say Patricky is a very talented fighter, but not as talented as his younger brother Patricio. Patricky Pitbull is most well known for getting jobbed out by Michael Chandler in one of Bellator's most well-known knockouts. That said, the elder Pitbull brother is a former Bellator lightweight champion and has two lightweight season tournaments to his name. Plus he has a win over Benson Henderson and Saad Awad
A.J. McKee
A.J. McKee just misses the cut with wins over Patricio Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell. Had he defeated Curran and Caldwell in their primes, he'd be much, much higher. His Grand Prix win, and subsequent featherweight title victory has established McKee as one of the best fighters going today. He just needs more time to establish his legacy within the promotion.
Joe Warren
Wins over Joe Soto and Patricio Freire are impressive enough, but Joe Warren didn't stop there. He was a two-time seasonal tournament winner in both the featherweight and bantamweight division. He was also the world champion of both weight classes as well. While the divisions weren't as deep then as they were come 2023, Warren could only beat who he was put in front of and for a long while, it was hard to imaigne another lighter-weight fighter being as tough and skilled as Warren.
Now here's our top 20.