Bellator 214 Does Best Viewership Numbers In A Year

Bellator 214 this past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) was the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion’s most successful event in a year. The show featured the finals of Bellator’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. In the main event, light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko via first-round knockout. With the victory, Bader is Bellator’s first-ever […]

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Bellator 214 this past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) was the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion’s most successful event in a year.

The show featured the finals of Bellator’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. In the main event, light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko via first-round knockout. With the victory, Bader is Bellator’s first-ever “champ champ.” Also, Aaron Pico co-main evented the card in his second-ever MMA loss.

Former WWE star Jack Swagger (real name Jake Hager) made his MMA debut as well. Dave Meltzer of MMA Fighting is reporting that the show as a whole drew an average of 697,000 viewers. That’s Bellator’s best since January 20th last year, which was headlined by Chael Sonnen vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The main event between Bader and Fedor garnered 1.2 million viewers. Henry Corrales’ knockout victory over Pico saw 808,000 viewers. And of course, Swagger’s MMA debut was seen by 809,000. Bellator 214 was up against some tough competition Saturday night, namely the Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics NBA game on ABC. The game was seen by a total of 4,290,000.

Keith Thurman vs. Josesito Lopez on FOX’s Premier Boxing had 1,980,000 viewers. The NHL All-Star Game on NBC carried 1,778,000 viewers.

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Bellator 214 Draws Strong Viewership Numbers

This past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) Bellator 214 put on a tremendous mixed martial arts (MMA) event. In the finals of the promotion’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament, light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko. Bader…

This past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) Bellator 214 put on a tremendous mixed martial arts (MMA) event. In the finals of the promotion’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament, light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko. Bader’s first-round knockout victory earned him Bellator’s heavyweight championship, and the honor of being the promotion’s first-ever dual-weight champion. […]

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Ryan Bader Believes He’s One Of P4P Best In MMA

This past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) Ryan Bader picked up one of the biggest victories of his career. The Bellator light heavyweight champion defeated Fedor Emelianenko to capture the vacant heavyweight title. Bader is now the first-ever dual-weig…

This past weekend (Sat. January 26, 2019) Ryan Bader picked up one of the biggest victories of his career. The Bellator light heavyweight champion defeated Fedor Emelianenko to capture the vacant heavyweight title. Bader is now the first-ever dual-weight champ in Bellator history. With the victory, it marked the seventh-straight win for Bader inside the […]

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Tito Ortiz Eyes Light Heavyweight Title Fight With Ryan Bader In 2019

Tito Ortiz has always been one step ahead of the game when it comes to business. Even at 44 years old, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows the right moves. Ortiz didn’t waste much time. Shortly after Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko last Saturday (Jan. 26, 2019) night to become the promotion’s first ever “double-champ”, […]

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Tito Ortiz has always been one step ahead of the game when it comes to business. Even at 44 years old, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows the right moves.

Ortiz didn’t waste much time. Shortly after Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko last Saturday (Jan. 26, 2019) night to become the promotion’s first ever “double-champ”, Ortiz took to social media to lay out his plans for 2019.

So I tune up fight with “chale” @ChaelSonnen than take the title from the champ @RyanBader. @BellatorMMA #2019

Of course, Bader will have a say in who he fights next. And if his comments to reporters backstage after his victory at Bellator 214 are any indication, he is more than open to a fight with Ortiz. Provided Ortiz “proves himself” in the cage.

“Hell, yeah,” Bader told reporters after the Paramount and DAZN-streamed headliner. “After I won the title, I was bugging him. He was at the bar, we were both there, and I was like, ‘Hey, you coming back, you coming back?’ He’s like ‘I’m done, man. I’m done.’ So, yeah, that’d be fun. He has to come back and definitely prove himself. Obviously, that’s a fight I don’t dwell on. But a fight I want to get back, all my losses. It’d be a fun a fight.”

Ortiz might not be the most attractive opponent for Bader but it’s not surprising that the sports newest “double-champ” would like the chance to avenge a previous loss. That, after all, is an opportunity not too often received.

“I would love it,” Bader said then. “I’m not a (expletive)-talking guy. I respect everyone in this sport. If I have to hear that name, and, ‘You’re pretty good – but you lost to Tito Ortiz back in 1994.’ That one I would like to get. If there’s one fight I would like to get back, it would be that one, for sure. I would love to fight him for sure. I’d put the belt on the line and everything if he wants to come in. That fight intrigues me.”

All this talk could be for not, however, as Bellator President Scott Coker seemed lukewarm to the promotion resigning “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

“We have not had those conversations,” Coker said. “George, his manager, has reached out and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s talk after this fight is over.’ But we’ll see – fighting Chael, he’s already done that. And to me, like, why would you want to rehash that?

“And retirement after retirement – but, you know, if he wanted to fight again would we fight him? I’m not sure. That’s something we would decide if the opportunity came our direction. But we’re not that far down the road.”

Let us know what you think. Should Bellator re-sign Ortiz with the hopes of him challenging for the light heavyweight title sometime in 2019? Or should Bellator look for more suitable challengers?

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Ryan Bader Not Thinking About UFC Return After Bellator 214

Ryan Bader is riding high after knocking out Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 214 last weekend (Jan. 26, 2019) and now the promotion’s first-ever “champ-champ” is looking toward the future. Bader, 35, has found his stride since leaving the UFC as a free agent back in 2017. “Darth” now hold both the promotions light heavyweight title […]

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Ryan Bader is riding high after knocking out Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 214 last weekend (Jan. 26, 2019) and now the promotion’s first-ever “champ-champ” is looking toward the future.

Bader, 35, has found his stride since leaving the UFC as a free agent back in 2017. “Darth” now hold both the promotions light heavyweight title and the heavyweight strap. He hopes to become the first double champ in MMA history to actually defend both titles. Time will tell.

In order for Bader to defend both titles, he would need to reign with the Viacom owned promotion and forego free agency altogether. That, however, is exactly what the sports newest “champ-champ” is thinking about doing.

“No, I want to do a new deal now,” Bader said on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show earlier today. “I have one fight left, I have the champion’s clause or whatever, in my contract. Two-division champion, light heavyweight belt, heavyweight belt; if they want me to do something in particular, defend the heavyweight belt or whatnot. Let’s get a new deal done. I have been having a great time with Bellator and I want to stay there. But that has to happen first,” he said.

Bader came under some criticisms from fans for “not being able to get the job done in the UFC.” While it may be true that Bader never earned a 205-pound title shot in his eight years with the company, he never really got much of a push from the promotion either.

Looking Out For His Interests

All he has done since leaving the UFC is go 5-0, collect two championships, and win the World Heavyweight Grand Prix. He has done all that while taking very little if any damage. So it isn’t surprising that “Darth” is happy with his current employer.

“It’s a selfish sport and you are in business for yourself. Obviously, I have been treated well and I think I am going to be treated very well after this with Bellator. I haven’t really had those thoughts,” he added, regarding a UFC return.

“We are going to come to the table and go through all the hoopla with that. If they make me really happy…literally, I have no regrets and not even thinking about that at all. I’m happy where I am at and definitely hoping I can get it done”

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Aaron Pico Acknowledges Loss And Thanks Fans For Support

Aaron Pico suffered his second loss at Bellator 214. The 22-year-old was riding a four-fight win streak before he decided to go toe-to-toe with Henry Corrales in Bellator MMA’s first event of the year. The knock out he suffered was devastating in fashi…

Aaron Pico suffered his second loss at Bellator 214. The 22-year-old was riding a four-fight win streak before he decided to go toe-to-toe with Henry Corrales in Bellator MMA’s first event of the year. The knock out he suffered was devastating in fashion and in Pico’s own opinion, reckless on his part. Picos’s fight with […]

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