By press release

Leading mixed martial arts promotion BELLATOR MMA has today announced a renewal of its ground-breaking broadcast deal with the BBC which will see BBC iPlayer remain the exclusive home in the UK for all BELLATOR events.

Every BELLATOR event of 2023 will be available to watch live and on demand, from any device, on BBC iPlayer, including all UK, European and international shows.

The deal means sports fans in the UK will be able to watch some of the world’s most talented mixed martial arts, including Ryan Bader, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Johnny Eblen, Usman Nurmagomedov, Cris “Cyborg,” and Yaroslav Amosov plus British stars such as Michael “Venom” Page and Fabian Edwards.

After a successful two-years on the widely available network, the new deal represents a continued commitment from the BBC to show BELLATOR events across its platform as the sport of MMA continues to make huge strides in the UK. BELLATOR will continue to benefit from increased prominence across BBC Sport’s digital platforms such as the BBC Sport website and app.

The renewal will begin in style this week with BELLATOR’s highly anticipated return to Dublin’s raucous 3Arena on Saturday, February 25. The stacked card features welterweight unification match between BELLATOR Welterweight World Champion Yaroslav Amosov and interim titleholder Logan Storley.

BBC iPlayer viewers will be able to watch live and on demand the entirety of BELLATOR’s strong schedule, which has been announced through May.  Upcoming events include the launch of the Lightweight World Grand Prix at BELLATOR 292, the conclusion of the Bantamweight World Grand Prix at BELLATOR 295, four world title fights and a highly anticipated return to Paris in May.

Sat. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 291: Amosov vs. Storley 2 // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 10 // BELLATOR 292: Nurmagomedov vs. Henderson // SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Mar. 31 // BELLATOR 293: Golm vs. James // Pechanga Resort Casino // Temecula, CA

Fri. Apr. 21 // BELLATOR: 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 // Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, HI

Sat. Apr. 22 // BELLATOR: 295: Stots vs. Mix // Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, HI

Fri. May 12 // BELLATOR 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards // Accor Arena // Paris, France

Head of BELLATOR Europe, David Green, said: “We’ve enjoyed an incredibly successful relationship with the BBC to date, so we’re delighted to announce the renewal of this deal which has made world class MMA action more accessible than ever to fans in the UK. Our 2023 calendar shows the promotion is incredibly strong and we’re excited to continue bringing all our events and this amazing sport to as many people in the UK as possible with the BBC.”

President of BELLATOR MMA, Scott Coker, added: “MMA has never been in a better place in the UK and I’m very proud of the impact we as a promotion have had there. We’re excited by our growth in European markets like the UK and to have the continued support of the BBC as we bring the sport to more people than ever.”