Bellator Vs UFC: Who Has The Broader Audience Reach?
Contents
- Main Differences Between Bellator Vs. UFC
- Who Is Bellator?
- Who Is UFC?
- Comparing Bellator MMA and UFC Rules
- Grand Prix Bellator
- UFC Challenger Rule
- Quality of Fighters In The UFC and Bellator MMA
- Watch This!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Bellator Better than UFC?
- Does Bellator Pay More Than UFC?
- Why Do Fighters Leave UFC For Bellator?
- Does The UFC own Bellator?
- Final Thoughts
- Sources
Blood, sweat, and tears… This trio of elements summarises the thrill of mixed martial arts as trained fighters square off in the ring.
But…
For years, Bellator was the UFC's biggest rival in the US. Here's how the two promotions compare on size, format, fighters and pay, and what changed when the PFL bought Bellator.
Main Differences Between Bellator Vs. UFC
- The UFC is the largest MMA promotion in the world. Bellator was long the second-biggest US promotion.
- The UFC signs most of the top-ranked fighters and pays the biggest purses.
- The UFC earned far more revenue than Bellator, more than ten times as much through 2016 according to one expert report.
- Bellator was founded in 2008; the UFC was founded in 1993.
- The Professional Fighters League (PFL) bought Bellator from Paramount Global in November 2023.
Who Is Bellator?
Bellator was founded by its former CEO and Chairman, Bjorn Rebney, in 2008. This newborn promotion was touted to challenge UFC's hold on the industry.
Bellator is pronounced as "bell-luh-taw," Latin for "warrior."
Unlike the UFC, where the promotion picks title challengers, early Bellator ran elimination tournaments. The tournament winner earned a shot at the champion.
Viacom bought a majority stake in Bellator in 2011. Strikeforce founder Scott Coker replaced Rebney as the head of Bellator in 2014.
Coker moved away from tournament-based cards and focused on building stars. He later brought back tournaments as divisional Grand Prix events, starting with the heavyweight Grand Prix in 2018.
In November 2023, the PFL bought Bellator from Paramount Global, the company formed from Viacom and CBS.
Who Is UFC?
Photo by Kevlar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world's largest MMA promotion, with its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded in 1993 by businessman Art Davie and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Rorion Gracie.
It has hosted hundreds of events worldwide under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
Here's a fun fact:
Early UFC competitions aimed to identify the best martial art in a contest with no rules or weight classes between fighters of different disciplines.
At the first UFC event, the smaller Royce Gracie submitted the heavier Ken Shamrock. Kickboxer Gerard Gordeau also beat the much larger sumo wrestler Teila Tuli.
While this format didn't last (weight division, time limits, scoring system, and more rules were implemented), it helped put mixed martial art on the US market.
Thanks to multiple broadcast deals, the UFC now hosts events across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Dana White has led the promotion since 2001.
In an expert report, Hal Singer disclosed that UFC (Zuffa) earned more than ten times the revenue of Bellator from its inception until 2016. Worse, the report restricts UFC’s revenue to events in North America. Despite Bellator’s steady improvement over the years, the gap is likely still nowhere near close to this date.
Comparing Bellator MMA and UFC Rules
The main difference between both MMA promotions is they have different fighting formats. Bellator uses a Grand Prix and challenge format, while the UFC championship fights use only a challenge-style form.
Grand Prix Bellator
As you're probably aware, Bellator hosted unique season-long tournaments in its infancy stage. They had a slogan in this era that was an indirect tease at UFC: "where title shots are earned, not given."
Under Scott Coker, the promotion dropped the season format. It later ran occasional Grand Prix tournaments instead.
A Grand Prix is a single-elimination bracket, usually of eight or sixteen fighters from one division. Fighters advance through quarterfinals, semifinals and a final, often over about a year.
However…
Outside of these tournaments, Bellator also named title challengers, just like the UFC.
Tournaments carry a downside: one injury can derail the whole bracket.
UFC Challenger Rule
As listed on its official website, the UFC has eight men's divisions and three women's divisions. The UFC picks title challengers rather than running tournaments.
On the one hand, the challenger has to rack up enough individual wins to earn a shot. On the other hand, it's a matter of the opponent's popularity or who fans want to fight the champion.
The format of UFC fights reduces the risks of injuries to their clear title contenders, compared to Bellator, where the favorite contender might get injured in the Grand Prix. But MMA is a risky sport anyway.
In the UFC, title fights and main events are scheduled for five 5-minute rounds. Other bouts are three rounds.
Quality of Fighters In The UFC and Bellator MMA
The presence of gold-standard caliber of fighters in UFC is why the promotion would continue to dominate Bellator and the MMA scene at large.
Most of the top-ranked fighters in every division, from flyweight to heavyweight, compete in the UFC.
If you're an exceptional fighter in two or more martial arts, UFC is the place to be – either for competition or compensation.
Bellator also signed elite fighters, but the UFC's roster is deeper. Corey Anderson, for example, left the UFC after a knockout loss to Jan Błachowicz and went on to stop Bellator champion Ryan Bader in the first round.
Overall, the UFC has more top-ranked fighters than Bellator in every division.
Knock-Out Point: UFC appears to be more popular, after all! And speaking about the UFC, another interesting subject for discussion is Mexican fighters creating a name for themselves in this area. Know more of them here -- Mexican UFC Fighters.
Watch This!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellator Better than UFC?
Bellator became a real competitor after Viacom bought a majority stake in 2011. Still, the UFC has more elite fighters, higher revenue and a bigger audience.
Does Bellator Pay More Than UFC?
Generally no. A few Bellator stars signed big contracts, but the UFC's top purses and pay-per-view deals are far larger. Entry-level pay at both promotions is modest, and Bellator's lowest purses were below the UFC's.
Why Do Fighters Leave UFC For Bellator?
Usually for a better contract, more promotion, or a fresh start after losses in the UFC.
Does The UFC own Bellator?
No. Bellator was owned by Viacom (later Paramount Global) until November 2023, when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) bought it.
Final Thoughts
Bellator grew into a well-funded promotion with some of the world's best fighters, but it never seriously threatened the UFC. Since 2023 it has been part of the PFL.
Ultimately, UFC remains the most popular, lucrative, entertaining, and competitive promoter. You'll find the best and wealthiest fighters in the ultimate fighting championship.
Sources
- The Professional Fighters League has purchased rival MMA company Bellator, Associated Press
- UFC Rankings, UFC
