25 of the best Bellator fights of all-time
By Chad Porto
While not as celebrated as the UFC, Bellator has had its fair share of nail-biting, knuckle-busting, over-the-top action, same as any major MMA promotion. For Bellator, however, the conversation around the best fights isn't as talked about. The why as to "why that is" is anyone's guess, but today, we're going to look back at some of the best fights in the promotion's history.
And while the future is up in the air for the long-time promotion, the hope is that with this article, some of the most iconic moments are immortalized for fans to look back at fondly. With that said, let's get to the Top 25 fights in Bellator history.
25. Patricio Pitbull vs. Emmanuel Sanchez – Bellator 209
With no crowd, it's a bit harder to understand just how incredible this fight was. Emmanuel Sanchez came into the rematch with the hope of taking the Bellator featherweight world championship home with him. Sanchez did everything he could to keep his distance but Patricio Pitbull would not be denied, locking in what has to be the most gruesome and devastating guillotine choke ever seen in promotion history.
24. Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki 2 - Bellator 66 (April 20, 2012)
A good fight doesn't have to be a long fight and that was something that Eddie Alvarez proved against Shinya Aoki in their much-anticipated rematch at Bellator 66. The two fought previously in DREAM, with Shinya getting the win in under 90 seconds. The rematch was set four years later and a very different Alvarez was in town that night. In just over two minutes, Alvarez beat Shinya in a rematch with a barrage of strikes. Strikes that were so bad, Shinya's corner threw in the towel. It was one of the most dramatic rematches in MMA history.
23. Pat Curran vs. Patricio Pitbull - Bellator 85 (Jan. 17, 2013)
Watching Pat Curran in his prime was a treat. The man could set and keep a pace that few others would be able to match and in his fight against Patricio Pitbull, that was on full display. For five rounds Curran stifled Patricio's normally aggressive and hyper-active style, keeping him at bay and landing stifling strikes that kept the younger Pitbull brother off-balanced. Curran would get the win via unanimous decision. Due to how great Patricio would end up being in his career, this marks one of the best dismantlings of a legend ever.
22. Daniel Weichel vs. Patricio Pitbull – Bellator 138 (June 19, 2015)
Another Patricio bout, this time against Daniel Weichel. What made this fight make the list was the fact Patricio was on the ropes, so to speak. Weichel closed out the first round on-top, almost literally and was making the younger Pitbull brother uncomfortable throughout the first round. It was so bad, many thouht Weichel won the fight at the end of the first. Pitbull would pull the shock of the year, however, with Weichel looking to finish the fight, Patricio caught him with an unexpected hook that put Weichel on his back, ending the fight with a dramatic comeback.
21. Henry Corrales vs. Aaron Pico – Bellator 214 (Jan. 26, 2019)
Aaron Pico came into his fight against Henry Corrales with four straight KO/TKO wins and the entire company behind him. He was the next "it" guy in MMA. He was super exciting and beyond electric and was willing to swing with anyone. And it's what did him in. Despite going right at Corrales, Corrales slowed the fight down, got in close, and ate a few huge shots to the head and body. But when Pico dropped his chin, Corrales caught it in what would be one of the best knockouts of the year.