Bellator’s 2021 Schedule is Beginning to Come Together

Bellator MMA made its triumphant return back in July of 2020. Over the next six months, the promotion put on many high-profile events featuring its best fighters. This week, we received more information about Bellator’s 2021 schedule.

2020 proved to be one of the most difficult years in history for all US sports leagues. Fortunately, the future looks bright for the sports world over the next twelve months. Now is a great time to discuss some of Bellator’s public plans for this year.

Here’s what we know!

Bellator MMA is Capitalizing on the UFC’s Roster Cuts

For more than a decade, the UFC and Bellator have been the world’s two biggest mixed martial arts promotions. Just about everyone agrees that the UFC holds the top spot right now. Bellator officials are doing everything they can to bridge that gap, though.

In early December, UFC President Dana White revealed that his promotion was being forced to lay off a huge number of fighters. The UFC is looking to cut down on costs right now. All expensive fighters on a losing streak are now at risk of being let go from the roster.

Recently, Bellator has started signing many of the UFC’s roster cuts. That includes Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson, two of the scariest knockout artists in MMA. Bellator officials are capitalizing off the UFC’s need to thin out its stable of fighters.

This opens up some massive fights to take place in 2021. Each division in Bellator now features world-class talent. The welterweight division, in particular, is one of the best in MMA. It’s here that fighters like Douglas Lima, Andrey Koreshkov, and Michael Page are based.

Bellator held its final event of 2020 on December 10. Since that time, fans have been eagerly waiting on news of when the promotion will return. Many are curious to see which fights Bellator decides to book for its first events of the year.

It seems company officials already have a few dates in mind. Here’s a look at when Bellator is planning to resume its operations.

Here’s an Exciting Update on Bellator’s 2021 Schedule!

The sport of MMA has grown considerably over the past decade. The events that unfolded throughout 2020 actually helped the sport grow. The UFC was the first major sports league to return after the sports shutdowns back in March.

As we mentioned earlier, Bellator took a little longer to get its operations up and running again. It wasn’t until July that this promotion started holding shows. It finally got on track, though, and put on several world-class events throughout the year.

This week, Scott Coker revealed some more information on Bellator’s 2021 schedule. He claims the promotion is targeting late February as a return date. He also says that the promotion is interested in another string of events to take place in Europe.

“We’ll probably still produce our 22 to 26 events,” Coker said. “That’s what we’re thinking in the ballpark, then some fights in Europe as things open up. That’s kind of the thought process. As far as starting, we’re probably thinking sometime in February. We haven’t locked a date down yet, but that’s probably what we’re thinking in February to launch with our first fight of 2021.”

Some are surprised to hear that Bellator is waiting so long to begin holding events again. The UFC, for example, is slated to make its next fight card on January 16. It’s clear that Bellator is taking its time, ensuring its return is as successful as possible.

It will be fascinating to see some of the fights that kick off Bellator’s schedule this year. We’ll be sure to offer updates! Now, many MMA fans are choosing to bet on the UFC’s upcoming events on Fight Island.

There’s Still Time to Bet on the UFC’s Fight Island Cards

Bellator is taking some much-needed time off right now. The UFC, meanwhile, is jumping right into the swing of things. The world’s biggest promotion is scheduled to hold a trio of events on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

BetOnline, one of the top US MMA betting sites, is offering some incredible odds on every single fight taking place here next month. Most fans are choosing to bet on the main events. That includes the massive bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier on January 23.

The first main event between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar has massive ramifications for the UFC featherweight division. Holloway, the former champ, enters this bout with odds of -151. Calvin Kattar has looked incredible lately and comes into this fight with odds of +131.

The second Fight Island event was initially intended to feature a main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards. That fight was unfortunately scrapped. Now, Neil Magny (-127) will be taking on Michael Chiesa (+107) in the main event of this card. It’s another exciting welterweight clash that will have ramifications for the division moving forward.

Lastly, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will be fighting in what is likely the biggest MMA bout in years. McGregor, a former double-champ in the UFC, comes in with odds of -270 to win. Dustin Poirier is a former interim champion but holds odds of +230 to get the victory on January 23.

MMA fans have a lot to look forward to.

Are you excited to hear about Bellator’s 2021 schedule? Which fight do you think should headline the promotion’s first event? Let us know in the comments section below!