5 Longest title reigns in Bellator history
Even though Bellator MMA haven’t been around as long as the UFC, they still have had many dominant champions. Since Scott Coker took over as the promotion’s President, they have gained a larger following. He has a proven track record as he was previously in charge of Strikeforce and put on many entertaining events.
The promotion has grown significantly since their early years and is now being broadcast on Showtime. During their earlier years, the promotion would have tournaments for their weight divisions, with the season culminating in a title fight.
Despite fighters like Hector Lombard, Ben Askren and Michael Chandler having lengthy reigns, there have been much longer reigns in recent years. The quality in each weight class has significantly improved, so there’s an opportunity to become bigger stars in the sport. This list will look at the 5 longest title reigns in Bellator history.
#5. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane – Bellator women’s flyweight champion
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane had a historic reign as Bellator women’s flyweight champion. She submitted Emily Ducote with a triangle armbar to become the promotion’s inaugural women’s flyweight champion. Her reign lasted from November 3, 2017 until December 10, 2020 for a total of 1133 days.
During her reign as champion, ‘The Iliminator’ made 4 successful title defenses. Not only did she defeat some of the promotion’s top flyweights, but she also defeated UFC opponents with UFC experience. It was a significant title reign as she headlined the promotion’s first event in her native Hawaii. This was important because she proved that she is capable of being a star for the promotion.
‘The Ilimanator’s reign came to an end in 2020, when she lost a close decision to Juliana Velasquez. Even though she hasn’t competed since the loss, there’s no doubt that she’s still one of the promotion’s top flyweights.