Tag: Bellator 131

Bellator 131 Draws a Reported 2 Million Viewers (!!), Setting a Promotional Viewership Record


(“Hey, is this one of those kiss cams? Because if it is, I invite Dana White to come KISS MY ASS.” Photo via Getty.)

“At the end of the day, the person who laughs last, laughs loudest and hardest. And that’s me.” — Jacob Christopher Ortiz

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Tito Ortiz is an entrepreneurial genius who has been working one over on us since at least 1999. What? You thought he was just making that whole “I Put an Undercover Double Agent in Stephan Bonnar’s Training Camp” stuff just for the sake of making stuff up? You ignorant sluts. Tito Ortiz knows what audiences eat up. He watches Scandal. He knows that the only thing MMA fans love more than a grudge match is a grudge match with a twisty, turny backstory, and he manipulated us like a blob of silly putty in the palm of his hand. And don’t you feel like dum-dums now.

What am I blabbering on about? Oh, just that the ratings figures are in from last weekend trifecta of MMA events and Bellator 131 CRUSHED IT, setting a live gate and attendance record for the promotion and shattering a heap of viewership records as well. From a press release sent out earlier today:

Bellator 131 knocked out the competition on Saturday, November 15 with record ratings for the emerging MMA franchise under new president Scott Coker. The Bellator 131 main event between Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar (11:50pm-12:16am) drew 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2 million, making it the most-watched and highest­rated MMA fight on cable in 2014.

The Ortiz-Bonnar fight ranks as 2nd highest-rated MMA fight telecast in all of television with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49, including broadcast, in 2014. Also, Ortiz-Bonnar ranked #2 in its timeslot in all of cable with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49.

Overall, the entire fight card delivered (9:00-12:16) delivered 1,241,299 viewers, a record for Bellator MMA on Spike TV.


(“Hey, is this one of those kiss cams? Because if it is, I invite Dana White to come KISS MY ASS.” Photo via Getty.)

“At the end of the day, the person who laughs last, laughs loudest and hardest. And that’s me.” — Jacob Christopher Ortiz

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Tito Ortiz is an entrepreneurial genius who has been working one over on us since at least 1999. What? You thought he was just making that whole “I Put an Undercover Double Agent in Stephan Bonnar’s Training Camp” stuff just for the sake of making stuff up? You ignorant sluts. Tito Ortiz knows what audiences eat up. He watches Scandal. He knows that the only thing MMA fans love more than a grudge match is a grudge match with a twisty, turny backstory, and he manipulated us like a blob of silly putty in the palm of his hand. And don’t you feel like dum-dums now.

What am I blabbering on about? Oh, just that the ratings figures are in from last weekend trifecta of MMA events and Bellator 131 CRUSHED IT, setting a live gate and attendance record for the promotion and shattering a heap of viewership records as well. From a press release sent out earlier today:

Bellator 131 knocked out the competition on Saturday, November 15 with record ratings for the emerging MMA franchise under new president Scott Coker. The Bellator 131 main event between Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar (11:50pm-12:16am) drew 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2 million, making it the most-watched and highest­rated MMA fight on cable in 2014.

The Ortiz-Bonnar fight ranks as 2nd highest-rated MMA fight telecast in all of television with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49, including broadcast, in 2014. Also, Ortiz-Bonnar ranked #2 in its timeslot in all of cable with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49.

Overall, the entire fight card delivered (9:00-12:16) delivered 1,241,299 viewers, a record for Bellator MMA on Spike TV.

YOU HEAR THAT, DANA? Old, dumb, big-headed Tito Ortiz can still put asses in seats, and here your UFC 180 prelims only pulled in a measly 624k viewers. Please, tell us more about the how the UFC is totally succeeding in their quest to create new stars. WAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

On a serious note, this has to be a huge boost of confidence fr Bellator. Their first true event under Scott Coker was a massive success, and with the acquisition of prospects like Aaron Pico and an anticipated move back to a one show a month schedule, it’s looking pretty bright for the #2 promotion in MMA. If only the same could be said for World Series of Fighting.

So laugh all you want, h8ers who never believed in Tito like *I* did. Laugh at the seemingly ridiculous taco-eating contests and scavenger hunts used to promote Bellator 131. Laugh at Justin McCully, his masks, and that in-ring brawl that was totally legit and in no way staged. Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar was the highest rated MMA event on cable in 2014, and the most watched fight in Bellator history.

Laugh all you want, but know that there’s only one man laughing louder than you…

–J. Jones

Tito Ortiz Fined $2,500 for Acting Like a Jackass After Bellator 131 Win Against Stephan Bonnar


(Photo via Elias Rodriguez)

As if the fight itself wasn’t enough of a downer following the otherwise-fantastic Bellator 131 main card, Tito Ortiz ended his match with Stephan Bonnar by throwing double middle fingers behind his back, then spraying water at Bonnar’s prone body and giving him more middle fingers when the decision was read.

On some level, we respect Ortiz for not breaking kayfabe; most other MMA fighters would have hugged it out with Bonnar afterwards, then told the crowd that all the animosity and harsh words were just to promote the fight. Ugh. But the California State Athletic Commission did not appreciate Ortiz’s realness, and fined him $2,500 for his antics.

That $2,500 hit represents less than 1% of Ortiz’s reported $300,000 salary from the fight, so don’t shed any tears for the Huntington Beach Bad Boy. Bonnar’s reported salary was $100,000, according to figures released by the CSAC. You can see the rest of the Bellator 131 salaries here — though they list Melvin Manhoef and King Mo as making just $10,000 from their fights, so take those numbers with a grain of salt.


(Photo via Elias Rodriguez)

As if the fight itself wasn’t enough of a downer following the otherwise-fantastic Bellator 131 main card, Tito Ortiz ended his match with Stephan Bonnar by throwing double middle fingers behind his back, then spraying water at Bonnar’s prone body and giving him more middle fingers when the decision was read.

On some level, we respect Ortiz for not breaking kayfabe; most other MMA fighters would have hugged it out with Bonnar afterwards, then told the crowd that all the animosity and harsh words were just to promote the fight. Ugh. But the California State Athletic Commission did not appreciate Ortiz’s realness, and fined him $2,500 for his antics.

That $2,500 hit represents less than 1% of Ortiz’s reported $300,000 salary from the fight, so don’t shed any tears for the Huntington Beach Bad Boy. Bonnar’s reported salary was $100,000, according to figures released by the CSAC. You can see the rest of the Bellator 131 salaries here — though they list Melvin Manhoef and King Mo as making just $10,000 from their fights, so take those numbers with a grain of salt.

Bellator 131 Results and GIFs: Ortiz Decisions Bonnar, Brooks Weirdly KOs Chandler, Manhoef Gets KTFO


(Photo via Getty)

Bellator 131, the first of Bellator’s BIG events under Scott Coker was pretty god damn awesome.

Look, we know you’re busy and just want the GIFs, so we won’t burden your minds by making you read a painstaking punch-by-punch recap.

BUT FIRST, Bellator debuted a wicked new entrance ramp. Look at King Mo and Jo Vedepo’s entrance:

Check out the GIFs (via Zombie Prophet) from Bellator 131 below, and the card’s full results are written at the bottom of the post:


(Photo via Getty)

Bellator 131, the first of Bellator’s BIG events under Scott Coker was pretty god damn awesome.

Look, we know you’re busy and just want the GIFs, so we won’t burden your minds by making you read a painstaking punch-by-punch recap.

BUT FIRST, Bellator debuted a wicked new entrance ramp. Look at King Mo and Jo Vedepo’s entrance:

Check out the GIFs (via Zombie Prophet) from Bellator 131 below, and the card’s full results are written at the bottom of the post:

King Mo smothered Joe Vedepo in the first two rounds while landing some intermittent ground and pound. He finally managed to put Vedepo away in the third round:

In the next fight, Mike Richman FUCKING DESTROYED Nam Phan. We’re not exaggerating. Richman straight up punching bagged him, landing unanswered combo after unanswered combo. Don’t believe us? Look at the GIF?

Melvin Manhoef vs. Joe Schilling was perhaps the fight of the year…or at least the bar room brawl-in-a-cage of the year. It was a true back-and-forth contest that saw both men hurt at times, but ultimately it was Schilling who prevailed and put Manhoef out COLD.

In the co-main event, Will Brooks scored a BIZARRE TKO finish over Michael Chandler, and in doing so defended his Bellator lightweight title. The fight was close going into the fourth round, but then Brooks landed a punch so hard it made Chandler literally forget he was in a fight. Chandler backed away and tried to wave off the fight, which proved to be a bad idea. Brooks blasted him multiple times, ending the match.

And finally, the main event bbetween Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar. This fight wasn’t particularly good, but it could’ve been WAY worse. Ortiz won a split decision by smothering Bonnar and also bruising and cutting up his face with some of the slowest punches we have ever seen. Like the only thing slower than Ortiz’s punches were Bonnar’s attempts at evading them. Ugly stuff. Even better (or worse), both fighters continued their feud after the bell. Ortiz flipped off Bonnar and threw his water at him. Bonnar told Ortiz to eat a turd burger (ugh). Here are some GIF highlights from the fight:

The complete results:

Main Card

Tito Ortiz def. Stephan Bonnar via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Will Brooks def. Michael Chandler via TKO (punches), Round 4, 3:48
Joe Schilling def. Melvin Manhoef via knockout (punches), Round 2, 0:32
Mike Richman def. Nam Phan via knockout (punches), Round 1, 0:46
Muhammed Lawal def. Joe Vedepo via TKO (punches), Round 3, 0:39

Preliminary Card

Joao Faria def. Ian Butler via submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 1:58
A.J. Matthews def. Kyle Bolt via knockout (punches), Round 1, 1:39
Jonathan Santa Maria def. Ron Henderson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Andy Murad def. Bubba Pugh via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Nick Garcia def. Matthew Ramirez via submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 0:56
Jordan Bailey def. Alex Higley via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:27
Rolando Perez vs. Mark Vorgeas ruled split draw (29-27 Vorgeas, 26-30, 28-28)

Damn, Scott Coker & Co. Are Really Pulling Out All the Stops to Promote Bellator 131

In the MMA marketing game, the list of tactics used to promote a fight card goes something like this:

1. Bring in a recently disgraced legend from your more popular rival promotion to play skeeball/sign autographs.

2. Everything else.

Unfortunately for Bellator, option 1 is no longer on the table, as Wanderlei Silva has been contractually cock-blocked from appearing at their Dave & Busters party this Friday. So with their backs against the wall, Scott Coker’s crack team of ad execs have been forced to reach deep into their idea banks to promote this weekend’s Bellator 131 card. The results have been nothing short of hilarious — like something Jackie Moon would come up with if he was stuck in a creative slump.

Bellator kicked things off in style last night with (what I can only assume was) their first “Taco Tuesday” event, hosted at Dave & Busters and MC’ed by Bellator colorman Jimmy Smith — who I absolutely refuse to talk trash about because he seems awesome. If you hadn’t guessed, “Taco Tuesday” pitted 10 or so diehard MMA fans against one another in a taco-eating competition, with the winner earning a ticket to Bellator 131. And right now, AS WE SPEAK, the promotion is hosting a scavenger hunt across San Diego for, you guessed it, tickets to Bellator 131.

After the jump: Play-by-play analysis of said scavenger hunt (not really), and a few of our ideas about how Bellator can promote themselves in the future.

In the MMA marketing game, the list of tactics used to promote a fight card goes something like this:

1. Bring in a recently disgraced legend from your more popular rival promotion to play skeeball/sign autographs.

2. Everything else.

Unfortunately for Bellator, option 1 is no longer on the table, as Wanderlei Silva has been contractually cock-blocked from appearing at their Dave & Busters party this Friday. So with their backs against the wall, Scott Coker’s crack team of ad execs have been forced to reach deep into their idea banks to promote this weekend’s Bellator 131 card. The results have been nothing short of hilarious — like something Jackie Moon would come up with if he was stuck in a creative slump.

Bellator kicked things off in style last night with (what I can only assume was) their first “Taco Tuesday” event, hosted at Dave & Busters and MC’ed by Bellator colorman Jimmy Smith — who I absolutely refuse to talk trash about because he seems awesome. If you hadn’t guessed, “Taco Tuesday” pitted 10 or so diehard MMA fans against one another in a taco-eating competition, with the winner earning a ticket to Bellator 131. And right now, AS WE SPEAK, the promotion is hosting a scavenger hunt across San Diego for, you guessed it, tickets to Bellator 131.

Personally, I think these promotional stunts are brilliant. Whereas Dana White just gives UFC tickets away on Twitter, Bellator really wants to make you earn the right to see Stephan Bonnar fight Tito freakin’ Ortiz in 2014. I mean, how can you *not* appreciate a company that is backed by the multi-billion dollar Viacom, yet resorts the same promotional strategies as a minor league baseball team? It’s like Scott Coker wandered into a Chuck E. Cheese for the first time ever last weekend and got really, really inspired.

And his inspiration is inspiring me, dammit. So if Bellator is looking for some other promotional ideas for Bellator 131 or any future card, really, they can either hire me or observe the following list.

Topple “The Colossus” Night

This would be kind of like of like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, only with James Thompson‘s chin serving as the donkey and a Bellator fan’s fist as the tail. Basically, you’d give a bunch of average Joe’s the opportunity to KO Thompson while blindfolded, and the first 5 to do so would win tickets, a Power Card, jalapeno poppers, etc.

Wac-a-Mole Night With Stephan Bonnar’s Training Partners! 

The criminal mastermind known as Tito Ortiz has placed a mole somewhere inside Bonnar’s camp, and it’s up to you to smoke it out!

Date a Fighter Night

Think The Dating Game. One lucky lady gets to choose 1 out of 3 fighters to go on a date with based on their answers to a series of blindly-asked questions. Those 3 fighters: Dave Rickels, Dakota Cochrane, Tim Sylvia.

Domestic Violence Awareness Night

More often than not, this would follow “Date a Fighter Night.”

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader: Bellator Edition?

Blah blah blah the fifth grader is Tito Ortiz.

So there you go, Bellator. Remember, there’s plenty more where that came from and I work for relatively cheap.

–J. Jones

Update: Wanderlei Silva Contractually Cock-Blocked From Appearing at Dave & Buster’s Bellator Party


(Damn. Bellator spent $14.99 on those generic-ass MMA gloves for nothing? / Props: @zprophet_mma)

I know, I know — you were really looking forward to sharing some chicken tenders with MMA legend Wanderlei Silva at the San Diego Dave & Buster’s this Friday, and nod your head in agreement/confusion as he rants about the playboy promoters in business class. Well that’s not going to happen. Bellator announced yesterday that Silva will not be a part of the Dave & Buster’s fan event or any of the Bellator 131 pre-promotion festivities, “due to prior contractual obligations.” MMAJunkie adds:

“According to a source close to the promotion, who spoke to MMAjunkie on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, Bellator agreed to not utilize the former PRIDE champ and recently retired fighter when informed that he was still under contract with the UFC…

Late this past month, a UFC official told MMAjunkie that Silva remains under contract despite a rumored fight with Phil Baroni in Japan on New Year’s Eve. Typically, a fighter’s contract with the industry-leader is frozen, but not dissolved, in the event they retire.”


(Damn. Bellator spent $14.99 on those generic-ass MMA gloves for nothing? / Props: @zprophet_mma)

I know, I know — you were really looking forward to sharing some chicken tenders with MMA legend Wanderlei Silva at the San Diego Dave & Buster’s this Friday, and nod your head in agreement/confusion as he rants about the playboy promoters in business class. Well that’s not going to happen. Bellator announced yesterday that Silva will not be a part of the Dave & Buster’s fan event or any of the Bellator 131 pre-promotion festivities, “due to prior contractual obligations.” MMAJunkie adds:

“According to a source close to the promotion, who spoke to MMAjunkie on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, Bellator agreed to not utilize the former PRIDE champ and recently retired fighter when informed that he was still under contract with the UFC…

Late this past month, a UFC official told MMAjunkie that Silva remains under contract despite a rumored fight with Phil Baroni in Japan on New Year’s Eve. Typically, a fighter’s contract with the industry-leader is frozen, but not dissolved, in the event they retire.”

If you’ve been following the sport for a while, you’ll recall that the UFC sued Randy Couture back in January 2008 for providing comfort to the enemy in similar fashion, and we have no doubt that Wandy would be slapped with a lawsuit if he tried to attend the event at D&B’s, even as a civilian. Coincidentally, Couture will be in attendance to take pictures and sign autographs for fans at the San Diego Dave & Buster’s on Friday, along with Frank Shamrock and “Brand Ambassador” Royce Gracie.

In a related story, yesterday’s Bellator Taco Eating Contest was a massive success.

Stephan Bonnar, Justin McCully Admit to Pre-Planning Atrocious Bellator 123 “Brawl” [SHOCKED FACE]


(Bellator 131: Stubble. Will. Reign.)

I know it’s only Monday morning, but are you guys ready to have your f*cking minds blown?!! Because it turns out that, contrary to the opinions of almost everyone who witnessed it live, the super awesome Stephan Bonnar-Tito Ortiz brawl at Bellator 123 *might* have been pre-planned. I know, right? So sayeth Bonnar himself:

Listen @Lowkey1324, @titoortiz is a self absorbed ego maniac.The world needed 2 know.Tito, Coker, @BellatorMMA & @SpikeTV, didn’t know shit! It was all me & @JustinMcCully. If u wanna hate us 4 pulling a pro wrestling esque promo off while calling tito out on the BS he’s pulled on people over the years..Then by all means, go buy yourself some punishment gear, a front row ticket, and be sure to bring a rain coat, cuz things r gonna get bloody.

Well I don’t know about you guys, but I am shocked. Shocked I tells ya!! I could have sworn that cornrows rapist mask executioner mask guy was legitimately just there for moral support, and that Bonnar’s hi-larious Jenna Jameson jokes were ripped from the top of his dome, but now I feel cheated. Embarassed for the sport, even. So I say shame on you, Stephan Bonnar, for toying with our emotions so carelessly during an otherwise pleasant evening of fights. I can’t even look at you anymore, and it’s not just because you’re making that face again.

But I’m sure we’re all still wondering, whose idea was the f*cking rape mask? Well…


(Bellator 131: Stubble. Will. Reign.)

I know it’s only Monday morning, but are you guys ready to have your f*cking minds blown?!! Because it turns out that, contrary to the opinions of almost everyone who witnessed it live, the super awesome Stephan Bonnar-Tito Ortiz brawl at Bellator 123 *might* have been pre-planned. I know, right? So sayeth Bonnar himself:

Listen @Lowkey1324, @titoortiz is a self absorbed ego maniac.The world needed 2 know.Tito, Coker, @BellatorMMA & @SpikeTV, didn’t know shit! It was all me & @JustinMcCully. If u wanna hate us 4 pulling a pro wrestling esque promo off while calling tito out on the BS he’s pulled on people over the years..Then by all means, go buy yourself some punishment gear, a front row ticket, and be sure to bring a rain coat, cuz things r gonna get bloody.

Well I don’t know about you guys, but I am shocked. Shocked I tells ya!! I could have sworn that cornrows rapist mask executioner mask guy was legitimately just there for moral support, and that Bonnar’s hi-larious Jenna Jameson jokes were ripped from the top of his dome, but now I feel cheated. Embarassed for the sport, even. So I say shame on you, Stephan Bonnar, for toying with our emotions so carelessly during an otherwise pleasant evening of fights. I can’t even look at you anymore, and it’s not just because you’re making that face again.

But I’m sure we’re all still wondering, whose idea was the f*cking rape mask? Well thankfully, Justin “The NSane1″ McCully is here to clarify (from his official Facebook):

Clarification time – I planned the mask/s, Bonnar wrote the speech, Tito had no clue what to say and attacked. Period! I love it when a plan comes together… 

You’re playing it pretty fast and loose with the phrase “comes together”, NSane1. I ask you, how exactly could this WWE-style promo have gone any worse? It was laughably absurd and immediately ridiculed by every MMA fan who could tell their ass from a hole in the ground, yet here you are patting yourself on the back for it. In addition to being possibly illiterate, it appears that Juz10 McCulE has a somewhat inflated understanding of the non-reaction his double unmasking received. Go figure, right?


(Neither do we, Erik. Neither do we.)

And don’t for a second think that Tito Ortiz wasn’t in on this sham. Less than a month ago, Ortiz told ESPN that the Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier brawl (you know, the one that actually appeared to be for real) was “good for the sport” and would easily double the amount of PPV buys their fight received. You think that he isn’t going to apply that one-to-one correlation to a fight against a formerly retired journeyman? Well then you clearly never saw Ortiz’s run on The Apprentice. The man is nothing if not business savvy.

–J. Jones