Ballator Fighting Championships is largely unheard of in MMA, but they are taking big steps forward, recently signing a deal with ESPN Deportes.  This fight promotion is looking for the best fighters in the world and are backing a tournament style ladder to the top.  How high a fighter goes is determined by his wins,  not fan popularity.  This is a great addition to the MMA world.  Here is the story by MMA Payout:

“Los Angeles, Calif. – November 19, 2008 – Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, officially launched operations today from offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Three years in development, Bellator has an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes.  Bellator season #1 premieres on ESPN Deportes in April, 2009.

Bellator (Latin for warrior), marks a step forward in the evolution of professional Mixed Martial Arts with a business model unique in the fight industry, yet followed in every other major sport.  At Bellator, a fighter’s wins or losses control his future.  Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder & CEO states, “We are implementing a tournament structure to determine champions and #1 challengers so that world-class fighters can control their destiny based on their performance.”  Bellator events will showcase highly competitive fights between top competitors with each tournament bout winner earning substantially larger purses and moving closer to a championship fight.  “Simply put, at Bellator, fighters fight their way to the title,” Rebney adds.”

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