18 of the best male Bellator fighters of all-time [UPDATED]

Best male Bellator fighter: Darrion Caldwell

Darrion Caldwell doesn’t have the same amount of experience as some of the people on the list, but he tore through the division upon his entrance to Bellator, becoming one of the promotion’s most talented performers.

Caldwell made his professional MMA debut in September 2012, winning three straight in the Legacy Fighting Championships (now Legacy Fighting Alliance) promotion before making his Bellator debut at Bellator 112 in March 2014. Caldwell won six in a row, including a win over former bantamweight champion Joe Warren, before suffering his first-ever loss at Bellator 159 to Joe Taimanglo. The two rematched at Bellator 167 later that year, with Caldwell coming out on top, before he challenged and defeated Eduardo Dantas 10 months later to win the bantamweight title at Bellator 184.

Caldwell successfully defended the belt at Bellator 195 against Leandro Higo and knocked out Noad Lahat at Bellator 204 in a featherweight bout.

He's on a bit of a slump since losing to AJ McKee in the grand prix but there's hope that he rebound and get back to his former glory soon.

- Thomas Albano