A detailed timeline of every Bellator champion ... ever
By Chad Porto
In 2008, what would become second largest MMA promotion in the United States launched and in doing so, gave fighters everywhere another place to ply their craft. While rarely ever close to the level of the UFC, Bellator not only put on some of the best fights since 2008, but turned out some of the best fighters that the world of MMA has ever seen, and to help honor that contribution to the sport, we've compiled a comprehensive list of every title winner the promotion has ever seen.
New Bellator champions in 2009
June 5 - Joe Soto wins the Bellator featherweight title by defeating Yahir Reyes at Bellator 10.
June 12 - Lyman Good wins the Bellator welterweight title by defeating Omar de la Cruz at Bellator 11.
June 19:
- Hector Lombard won the Bellator middleweight title by defeating Jared Hess at Bellator 12
- Eddie Alvarez won the Bellator lightweight title by defeating Toby Imada at Bellator 12.
New Bellator champions in 2010
Sept. 2 - Joe Warren won the Bellator featherweight title by defeating Joe Soto at Bellator 27.
Oct. 14:
- Zach Makovsky won the Bellator bantamweight title by defeating Ed West at Bellator 32.
- Cole Konrad won the Bellator heavyweight title when he defeated Neil Grove at Bellator 32
Oct. 21 - Ben Askren wins the Bellator welterweight title by defeating Lyman Good at Bellator 33.
Oct. 28 - Zoila Gurgel won the Bellator women's strawweight title by defeating Megumi Fujii at Bellator 34.
New Bellator champions 2011
ay 21 - Christian M'Pumbu won the Bellator light heavyweight title by defeating Rich Hale at Bellator 45.
Nov. 19 - Michael Chander won the Bellator lightweight title by defeating Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 58.
New Bellator champions in 2012
March 12 - Pat Curran won the Bellator featherweight title by defeating Jore Warren at Bellator 60.
April 13 - Eduardo Dantas wins the Bellator featherweight title by defeating Zach Makovsky at Bellator 32.
April 24 - Hector Lombard vacates the Bellator middleweight title when he leaves the promotion.
Sept. 12 - Cole Konrad vacates the Bellator heavyweight title when he retires.
Dec. 14 - Alexander Volkov won the vacant Bellator heavyweight title by defeating Rich Hale at Bellator 84.
New Bellator champions in 2013
Feb. 5 - Zoila Gurgel vacated the Bellator women's strawweight title when she left the company.
Feb. 7 - Alexander Shlemenko won the vacant middleweight championship by defeating Maiquel Falcao at Bellator 88.
Feb. 28 - Attila Vegh won the Bellator light heavyweight title by defeating Christian M'Pumbu at Bellator 91
Nov. 2 -
- Daniel Straus won the Bellator featherweight title by defeating Pat Curran at Bellator 106.
- Nov. 2 - Emmanuel Newton won the Bellator interim light heavyweight title by defeating Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 106.
- Nov. 2 - Eddie Alvarez won the Bellator lightweight title by defeating Michael Chandler at Bellator 106.
Nov. 14 - Ben Askren vacates the Bellator welterweight title when he left the promotion.
Nov. 15 - Vitaly Minakov won the Bellator heavyweight title by defeating Alexander Volkov at Bellator 108.