Bellator Announces Heavyweight Grand Prix Featuring Chael Sonnen, Frank Mir, Fedor, Rampage Jackson, And Many Others
Bellator President Scott Coker told MMAjunkie and USA TODAY Sports that the company will host an eight-man heavyweight tournament known as the Bellator MMA World Grand Prix 2018, with the winner earning the vacant Bellator belt.
“This is going to be something that’s iconic for us,” Coker said. “Tournaments, traditionally, are kind of the way martial arts contests happen. Now we get to put eight iconic brand names in our sport together over a year, and then whoever wins will be crowned the heavyweight champion.”
The eight contestants include some of the organization’s most recognizable heavyweights, including former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko, two-time former UFC titleholder Frank Mir, Matt Mitrione, and Roy Nelson.
Additionally, four light heavyweight stars are moving up a division for a chance at heavyweight gold, with current 205-pound champ Ryan Bader, former UFC champ Quinton Jackson, ex-Strikeforce titleholder Muhammed Lawal, and multi-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen also confirmed for the grand prix.
Ohhhhhhh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. I’m excited. The violence lover in me is very excited. I’ve seen the MMA hardos come out of the woodwork, saying this is gonna be a trainwreck, saying everyone’s gonna get hurt and pull out of their fights, saying it’s a tournament full of “ex-“s and washed up fighters, and to them, I say, have some fuckin’ fun. Use the Joey Diaz philosophy. We’re all movin’ up weight classes, we’re all mixin’ rankings, who gives a fuck? We’re tryna see some fireworks at the heavyweight level. You want the elite of the elite? Watch the UFC’s Lightweight Division or something. We watch Bellator for it to be Bellator, and this is very Bellator. Icons of the sport’s past looking for another shot at glory. Let’s. Fucking. GO!
Who am I rooting for here? Hmmm. I love Chael, Rampage was one of my first favorite fighters, FEDOR is FEDOR, but I think I gotta go with my man Matt Mitrione. He may or may not be employed by Barstool, I legitimately have no clue, but he does content for Heartland a lot so maybe we’re coworkers. Let’s go Meathead.