Top 5 Bellator fights of 2021
It was a year of growth for Bellator MMA as they welcomed back fans and held international events again. The promotion also went through changes in 2021. One of those changes was the move to Showtime, which now serves as their American broadcast partner.
Bellator concluded their featherweight Grand Prix, began their light heavyweight Grand Prix, and announced plans for their highly anticipated bantamweight Grand Prix. There have been many fights that have exceeded expectations and had surprising outcomes. The promotion has proven to be a solid alternative to the UFC.
The promotion also saw many prospects take a giant leap in their development, which is promising as they head into 2022. With their roster improving, Bellator has had many great fights during the year. This list will look back at the top 5 Bellator fights in 2021.
#5. Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – Bellator 272
Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi was unique as it was a champion vs. champion bout between the bantamweight champions of two major promotions.
Pettis - Bellator bantamweight champion – defended his title against Horiguchi – RIZIN bantamweight champion – to determine who the better champion was. Horiguchi was looking to regain the Bellator bantamweight championship which he was forced to relinquish due to injury. The fight was important to Pettis because a win over Horiguchi would legitimize his title reign.
Horiguchi was in control for the majority of the fight. He won every round and it looked like he’d be closing in on another championship. However, Pettis caught Horiguchi off-guard when he followed up a head-kick attempt with a spinning back-fist that knocked Horiguchi out. Pettis put the exclamation point on his title reign with one of the best knockouts of the year.