2021 in Bellator MMA
Mixed martial arts events
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2021 in Bellator MMA was the thirteenth year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 18 events in 2021.
| 2021 in Bellator MMA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Promotion | Bellator MMA |
| First date aired | April 2, 2021 |
| Last date aired | December 3, 2021 |
| Events | |
| Total events | 18 |
| Fights | |
| Title fights | 13 |
Background
The promotion went on a hiatus following Bellator 254 on December 10, 2020, which would be the final card to air on CBS Sports Network.[1] Beginning in April, Bellator's U.S broadcasts moved to the premium Showtime network.[2] Bellator 255, which took place on April 2, 2021, was the promotion's debut on Showtime, and the first MMA card to air on the network in over eight years; the last event being Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine on January 12, 2013.
Events list
Past events
Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Tournament
| Opening round | Quarterfinals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
 A. J. McKee | KO | |||||||||||||
 Georgi Karakhanyan | 1 | |||||||||||||
| A. J. McKee | SUB | |||||||||||||
| Derek Campos | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Derek Campos | UD | |||||||||||||
| Daniel Straus | 3 | |||||||||||||
| A. J. McKee | SUB | |||||||||||||
| Darrion Caldwell | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Darrion Caldwell | UD | |||||||||||||
| Henry Corrales | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Darrion Caldwell | SUB | |||||||||||||
 Ádám Borics | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Ádám Borics | TKO | |||||||||||||
| Pat Curran | 2 | |||||||||||||
| A. J. McKee | SUB | |||||||||||||
 Patrício Pitbull (c) | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Patrício Pitbull (c) | UD | |||||||||||||
| Juan Archuleta | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Patrício Pitbull (c) | KO | |||||||||||||
 Pedro Carvalho | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Pedro Carvalho | SUB | |||||||||||||
| Sam Sicilia | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Patrício Pitbull (c) | SUB | |||||||||||||
| Emmanuel Sanchez | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Emmanuel Sanchez | SUB | |||||||||||||
| Tywan Claxton | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Emmanuel Sanchez | UD | |||||||||||||
 Daniel Weichel | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Daniel Weichel | UD | |||||||||||||
 Saul Rogers | 3 | |||||||||||||
Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
 Vadim Nemkov (c) | UD | |||||||||
| Phil Davis | 5 | |||||||||
| Vadim Nemkov (c) | SUB | |||||||||
 Julius Anglickas[a] | 4 | |||||||||
| Anthony Johnson | KO | |||||||||
| Jose Augusto | 2 | |||||||||
| Vadim Nemkov (c) | UD | |||||||||
| Corey Anderson | 5[b] | |||||||||
| Corey Anderson | TKO | |||||||||
 Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov | 3 | |||||||||
| Corey Anderson | TKO | |||||||||
| Ryan Bader | 1 | |||||||||
| Ryan Bader | UD | |||||||||
| Lyoto Machida | 5 | |||||||||
- Original final match was held at Bellator 277 and ended in a No Contest;[22] A rematch final took place November 18, 2022 at Bellator 288.[23]
Title fights
| Title fights in 2021 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Event | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Patrício Pitbull (c) | def. | Emmanuel Sanchez | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 3:35 | Bellator 255 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Vadim Nemkov (c) | def. | Phil Davis | Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 48–47, 48–47) | 5 | 5:00 | Bellator 257 | [b] |
| Bantamweight | Sergio Pettis | def. | Juan Archuleta (c) | Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 49–46, 49–46) | 5 | 5:00 | Bellator 258 | [c] |
| Women's Featherweight | Cris Cyborg (c) | def. | Leslie Smith | TKO (punches) | 5 | 4:51 | Bellator 259 | [d] |
| Welterweight | Yaroslav Amosov | def. | Douglas Lima (c) | Decision (unanimous) (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) | 5 | 5:00 | Bellator 260 | [e] |
| Heavyweight | Valentin Moldavsky | def. | Timothy Johnson | Decision (unanimous) (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) | 5 | 5:00 | Bellator 261 | [f] |
| Women's Flyweight | Juliana Velasquez (c) | def. | Denise Kielholtz | Decision (split) (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | Bellator 262 | [g] |
| Featherweight | A. J. McKee | def. | Patrício Pitbull (c) | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 1:57 | Bellator 263 | [h] |
| Middleweight | Gegard Mousasi (c) | def. | John Salter | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:07 | Bellator 264 | [i] |
| Light Heavyweight | Vadim Nemkov (c) | def. | Julius Anglickas | Submission (kimura) | 4 | 4:25 | Bellator 268 | [j] |
| Lightweight | Patricky Pitbull | def. | Peter Queally | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:05 | Bellator 270 | [k] |
| Women's Featherweight | Cris Cyborg (c) | def. | Sinead Kavanagh | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:32 | Bellator 271 | [l] |
| Bantamweight | Sergio Pettis (c) | def. | Kyoji Horiguchi | KO (spinning backfist) | 4 | 3:24 | Bellator 272 | [m] |
- For the interim Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.
- For the vacant Bellator Lightweight World Championship.