Lee, 29, went 8-5 in MMA from 2017 to 2022, including a four-fight stint in Bellator with an even split of wins and losses. Despite a win over Jeremiah Labiano under Uriah Faber’s A1 Combat in September 2022, Lee was already on his way as a social media food critic, amassing millions of views on streaming platform TikTok.

Now, at the inaugural TikTok Awards in Los Angeles this week, Lee has been named Creator of the Year. In addition, the streaming platform, set to see its U.S. operations sold to a group of investors (taking it out from under the umbrella of Chinese parent company ByteDance), is donating $50,000 to to Feeding America, a charity combating food insecurity.

The awards were held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA and hosted by TV’s La La Anthony. Winners were voted on by fans.

Lee is best known for his simple, to the point reviews of everything from mom and pop shop restaurants to fast food joint promotional meals, including The SpongeBob meal at Burger King and countless others.

Lee’s mere presence at a restaurant and a favorable review has been known to send sales skyrocketing, leading to what has become known as “The Keith Lee Effect.” The fighter-turned-creator has over 17 million followers on the video streaming platform.

The post Former Bellator Star Keith Lee Wins Creator of the Year at Inaugural TikTok Awards appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kavanagh was aboard the aircraft, set to travel from Gran Canaria, Spain, to Dublin, Ireland on Monday evening when the incident transpired. In video footage circulating online, Kavanagh can be seen in a physical altercation with two agents of the Civil Guard.

Footage shows Kavanagh striking the officers in a scuffle, though the short clip does not depict how the fracas broke out.

Video footage of the incident involving Irish MMA fighter, Sinead Kavanagh.

Spanish police on boarded a Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria to Dublin earlier this week. pic.twitter.com/83X5W9dNgm

— Kirk_Loco (@TezTruth81) November 26, 2025

A report by the Spanish language Atlantico Hoy claimed that takeoff was delayed due to the fighter, who allegedly displayed a “violent attitude” towards crew members.

When the Civil Guard arrived to remove Kavanagh from the plane, things took a physically violent turn.

Kavanagh was taken into custody, but later freed under a “provisional release” following a court appearance the following day in Telde, Spain. The incident remains under investigation.

Sinead Kavanagh has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

A member of SBG Ireland alongside the likes of Conor McGregor and Gunnar Nelson, Kavanagh (9-7) challenged for Bellator’s women’s 145lb title in 2021, losing via knockout at the hands of Cris Cyborg. The 39-year old last competed in June of 2024, when she was submitted by fellow Bellator alumni Arlene Blencowe.

Kavanagh holds notable wins over Olga Rubin, Katharina Lehner, Janay Harding, Leah McCourt, and UFC vet Zarah Fairn dos Santos.

The post Bellator Alum Sinead Kavanagh Arrested After Altercation on Airplane appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bader (31-8, 1NC), who signed with Bellator in 2017, and the PFL parted ways this week after coming to an amicable agreement, per a report by Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani.

The Professional Fighters League acquired Bellator in late 2023, picking up stars like Bader, Patricio Pitbull, and Cris Cyborg, among others. However, they’ve lost their grip on several, including Pitbull, now competing for the UFC, and Bader, whose future at age 41 is very much in question.

Others including Cyborg and Corey Anderson have been vocal about their lack of activity. Star featherweight Aaron Pico, now a free agent, has previously requested his outright release.

Bader competed just once under the PFL banner, at the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions card in February of 2024, where he lost to his PFL heavyweight counterpart Renan Ferreira.

In a statement provided to Helwani, Bader’s manager, Dave Martin, stated that “Ryan had a great run at Bellator with every single fight being either a title fight or a fight in one of the Grand Prix tournaments. We appreciate Mike Kogan recognizing Ryan’s body of work and helping to facilitate a departure that Ryan was very happy with.”

Prior to his loss against Ferreira, Bader had defended his Bellator heavyweight championship against Fedor Emelianko, Cheick Kongo, and Valentin Moldavsky, setting the promotion’s heavyweight title defense record in the process.

“Darth” Bader claimed light heavyweight gold in his promotional debut at Bellator 180 in 2017, defeating fellow UFC ex-pat Phil Davis to do so. He defended that title once before losing the promotion’s 205lb title to Vadim Nemkov in 2020, though for a time he held both championships simultaneously.

The post PFL Parts Ways with Former Bellator Double Champ Ryan Bader appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ireland’s James Gallagher, a bantamweight who has trained alongside the likes of Conor McGregor at SBG Ireland, announced the news on Wednesday. Numerous Bellator stars have voiced their displeasure at the lack of action they’ve seen since the PFL took over Bellator and briefly renamed it the Bellator Champions Series.

A planned eight events in 2024, airing on HBO MAX, somehow became just five, with dates in Chicago, Paris, and Japan cancelled. The Bellator name was put to rest earlier this month, with the promotion rebranded as the PFL Champions Series, starting with the Road to Dubai card a week ago.

Confirming he’d asked for and been granted his release, Gallagher (12-3), still just 28, wrote on social media that “I want to thank [PFL MMA] for granting me my release out of my contract. I signed up to Bellator as a 19 year old kid with a 3-0 record right into the main card in the [O2 London]. Bellator MMA was something special. I’m so grateful for all the years of hard work that I put in that I could be the first Irish guy at the fore front for them in Ireland to build up Bellator Europe. I put my heart in sole into each and every event. I’m sad that this area (sic) of my life is over, but excited for my future as a 28 year old young man who had to learn on the job as I built my way up to CO main eventing Bellator 180 in a sold out [Madison Square Garden] in NYC to being main eventing on multiple occasions at home, the place where every Irish fighter dreams of selling out 3 Arena Dublin.”

“It was really just a cocky kid that worked hard and achieved his dreams. I’m so thankful to everyone at Bellator MMA they were a pleasure to work with and grow with over the years. I am only 28 years old young and have got veteran experience now from handling crowds, media and everything that comes with it. as the area of my life is over a new one begins. Thank you to absolutely everyone who supported my career with @bellatormma who spent their hard earned money to come and see me fight. The next rise is going to blow it out of the water and We will make one thing clear there’s no f*cking show like a JIMMY SHOW this is not the end, it’s the beginning of something bigger. Thank you Bellator MMA.”

Known as “The StrabAninal,” James Gallagher debuted for the then-Viacom owned promotion in 2016, and won his first four fights there. He’d then drop a bout against Ricky Bandejas, before embarking on a four-fight win streak that led him to a fight with future champ Patchy Mix. Since dropping that, Gallagher is 1-1, and coming off a loss to Leandro Higo in March of 2024, which marks his most recent MMA action.

Bellator featherweight champ Patricio Pitbull and brother Patricky were also granted their release this month.

The post PFL Grants Bellator Star James Gallagher His Release appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ariel Helwani broke the news on his show on Monday.

“Right now I can tell you, on Monday, January 13th, at 1:20 pm Eastern time: Bellator is dead. Bellator as we know it is no more,” he said on his show.

“Bellator is dead. You will not see Bellator events anymore.”

PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023 with the mindset that they would run both promotions simultaneously with different types of events. Just over a year later that clearly hasn’t worked.

Bellator will now go by a new name “PFL Champions Series” which will have the traditional divisional titles. They will be separate from the PFL tournament which will have it’s own tournament champions. No word as to how those Champions Series title fights will be determined.

The points system will also be removed and will be more “grand prix style”. The points system was implemented to give MMA a traditional sports feel between a ‘regular season’ and ‘playoffs’. Points would determine standings and playoff seeding. That will no longer be the case.

“The PFL season format is no more. What it is now is somewhere in the range of 6-8 weight classes being featured, 8 fighters, 2 alternates, single-elimination tournament,” he said.

“There’s no more standings. There’s no more points or anything like that.”

The prize money for winning the PFL tournament has also changed. No longer will fighters be going for the $1 million prize, which to be fair had fighter purses subtracted, which didn’t really make it a million dollar prize.

Instead tournament champions will win $500k on top of whatever purses they win on the way to the final.

MMA has seen promotions come and go. Strikeforce, WEC, PRIDE, Affliction, Elite XC among others are just a memory now. Bellator joins those ranks today.

“Bellator as we know it is dead. From the Bjorn (Rebney) era, to the Scott Coker era, to the PFLattor era. It is no more,” Helwani emphasized.

The post “Bellator is dead”, PFL Makes Changes To Their Format appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pitbull goes OFF on PFL and Donn Davis #PFL #Bellator

(1/4) pic.twitter.com/2ufgcNrM4z

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 24, 2024

“My management team had a call with @PeteMurrayPFL tonight and despite making clear my desire to leave and some of my reasons, even noticing my contract is up in May, @pflmma won’t let me go and intends to hold me there against my will. @arielhelwani @DonnDavisPFL.”

Pitbull (36-7) has gone to social media before to express his frustration with being put on the shelf after PFL purchased Bellator and absorbed the roster. He last fought in March where he finished Jeremy Kennedy by TKO.

Since then the featherweight claims he’s had poor communication with the promotion and joined fellow Bellator stars bantamweight champ Patchy Mix and light heavyweight champ Corey Anderson in speaking out.

Anderson actually got booked against Vadim Nemkov at heavyweight, but the fight has since then fallen off.

Pitbull goes OFF on PFL and Donn Davis #PFL #Bellator

(2/4) pic.twitter.com/GSYMLFZGND

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 24, 2024

“You say you’re fighters first but decided to keep me hostage @DonnDavisPFL @PeteMurrayPFL. You know I want to pursue something else but want me to fight in April and intend to enforce other clauses in my contract after it’s up. How is that the best for me?”

PFL co-founder Donn Davis has repeatedly said in the past that the PFL is for the fighters, but it’s clear Pitbull doesn’t feel that way.

It’s not surprising that the PFL is planning, according to Pitbull, to enforce clauses in his contract to keep him with PFL/Bellator. Davis has been very critical and outspoken about former PFL champion Kayla Harrison’s move to the UFC.

Losing more of their top talent to the UFC would be a bad look for PFL.

Pitbull goes OFF on PFL and Donn Davis #PFL #Bellator

(3/4) pic.twitter.com/DY2grT4zlW

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 24, 2024

“It’s really absurd and disappointing that I have to come on X to voice all this. Do the right thing and release me @PeteMurrayPFL @DonnDavisPFL. I was a @BellatorMMA fighters and it no longer exists. The promotion is gone and so should I.”

He’s not completely wrong here. Although an official announcement of Bellator’s demise has yet to be put out there, it’s been pretty easy to see some of the signs. A few Bellator events have been canceled without much explanation lately, and it seems as though the top talent in Bellator has taken notice.

Pitbull goes OFF on PFL and Donn Davis #PFL #Bellator

(4/4) pic.twitter.com/AEngTd5sBt

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 24, 2024

“I haven’t fought since March. They want me to fight in April. Over a year of my life and career that I’ll never get back. Why force me to stay @DonnDavisPFL @PeteMurrayPFL? Focus on those that want to fight for @PFLMMA and let me move on.”

It’s to be seen, but with Pitbull going very public with his grievances, fans can expect more fighters to join him on social media in a push to gain their release.

The post Patricio Pitbull Goes Off On Social Media, Demands Release appeared first on Cageside Press.

A few weeks back, Nemkov was announced as facing Ante Delija at the Champions Series (it appears the Bellator name has been dropped) event. Almost immediately, multiple sources came forward to state that Delija was recovering from surgery.

Then, just days back, promotion officials announced a new co-main event for the January 25, 2025 card in Dubai: Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson. The fight would be contested at heavyweight, where Nemkov recently moved, and would close out their trilogy.

That match-up made all the sense in the world, but it seems it’s not to be. At least according to Anderson, who says the PFL has told him that Nemkov wants a “lesser” opponent for his return.

“Fights off an according to Bellator/PFL Nemkov was being a crybaby about the fight. They agreed then declined because I’m “too tough of a fight,” wrote Anderson on social media, encouraging doubters to “fact check me!!”

“But wai!! There’s more, he wants to stay on the card, but wants to fight a lesser opponent… Last time we fought, his cameraman said I was easy work and didn’t deserve to fight him again… then, after I earned it, his cameraman then said he was now too big to fight LHW [light heavyweight].”

Anderson went on to question what the excuse was now, tagging Nemkov’s cameraman and pointing out that he was moving to heavyweight to make the fight happen. “I come to HWT and yall still running from the fight…”

Anderson finished by suggesting Nemkov be pulled from the rankings, adding “scared money don’t make no money!”

Corey Anderson won Bellator’s vacant light heavyweight title back in March, and has not fought since. Nemkov, who previously held the title, vacated it in January to move up to heavyweight. The pair’s first meeting, part of Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix, ended in a No Contest due to an accidental headbutt. Nemkov claimed victory in their second meeting.

Promotion officials have yet to comment on the situation.

The post Corey Anderson Says Nemkov Trilogy Off: “I’m Too Tough of a Fight” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bellator made the announcement on Wednesday.

Nemkov (18-2) is undefeated in his Bellator run. The former Bellator light heavyweight champion made his move up the heavyweight after defending his 205 title for a fourth time. Training under MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko he’s put together a 9-0-1 record in Bellator with one victory under PFL. He holds one victory over Anderson as their first bout was declared a No Contest after Nemkov suffered a cut over his left eye due to a headbutt.

Anderson (18-6) took the light heavyweight title shortly after Nemkov vacated it by beating Karl Moore in March. The light heavyweight champion has gone 5-1-1 in Bellator following a 10-5 run in the UFC earlier in his career.

It’s said closed mouths don’t get fed, and it seems to be true in Anderson’s case. Recently some of the top fighters in Bellator have taken to social media expressing frustration with lack of fight bookings.

Anderson joined Patchy Mix, Patricio Pitbull, Leandro Higo and others in expressing their disappointment with Bellator and PFL.

Seems like Bellator must have been listening as Anderson gets the call to fight Nemkov after Delija withdrew.

Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai takes place on Jan 25 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Currently the card looks as follows:

• Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes – Bellator Lightweight Championship
• Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderso – Heavyweight Bout

The post Vadim Nemkov And Corey Anderson Set For Bellator Jan 25 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In execution, however, the merger of two promotions under one roof (but still run as separate entities of sorts, with Bellator MMA now the “Bellator Champions Series“) has been anything but smooth.

Picking up a broadcast deal with HBO MAX, the Bellator side of things promised eight events in 2024, then delivered just five, with dates in Paris, Chicago, and Japan scrapped. That has led to fighters under the Bellator banner struggling to compete, and in recent days, bantamweight champ Patchy Mix, featherweight champ Patricio Pitbull, and bantamweight contender Leandro Higo have voiced their frustrations publicly.

“I’ve been training my ass off for the last half of year for nothing. This is frustrating in the prime of my career and I’ve had my fight in November cancelled?” a clearly aggravated Mix wrote on social media. “Then now again I’m being told I’m off January Dubai card? I am the best in the world and I want to fight to prove it.”

Mix had been scheduled to face Leandro Higo at Bellator Paris in November, one of the cancelled events. Bellator’s next show is set for Dubai in January, billed as the Road to Dubai, and headlined by lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

“This is very frustrating. We have no clue about when we might be fighting after two fight cancellations in a row,” a post to Higo’s Twitter/X account said in response. “Time is of the essence in this game, we can’t waste our primes on the sidelines. I’m working hard to take that title, spending money, sweat and blood. What’s going on?

Featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull (or whoever manages his social media presence) had a longer statement.

“I haven’t fought since February. I wanted to fight 3x this year, but I was told I’d have to wait until December 31st and found out online my opponent would fight someone else,” Pitbull began. “Then they had a replacement, I bring people over, spend more money with the camp and there’s no fight.”

“They said things didn’t work out with Japan and that it wasn’t their fault. Ok. So why don’t you stage a show somewhere else? What kind of promotion can’t give fighters at least two fights a year? Some haven’t even fought this year! Bellator used to be BIG. Things worked and we always had answers. They never just cancelled a show and said they had no idea when we would be booked. Even regional promotions have dates set for April of next year already! This merger has been a disaster to the sport of MMA. Meanwhile we have to see the top brass talking about offering tens of millions of dollars to social media personalities and semi-retired fighters, while cutting 90% of the roster and telling guys making 30+30 they’re too expensive. How can you become number 1 in the world if you don’t stage events and don’t want to pay fighters?”

“I am very worried about the future of Bellator and MMA in general. I feel very sorry for all the fighters who didn’t even get to fight this year or were cut because they just don’t make shows or think they’re expensive, and all the fighters who were forced to take paycuts,” Pitbull continued. “This is wrong. We need answers, we need the fighters and fans to be respected. This is not a game or just some business, these are people’s lives we are talking about. A serious promotion would give fighters the chance to fight at least 3 times a year if they’re healthy.”

Light heavyweight champ Corey Anderson also chimed in. “Aging like warm cheese over here waiting for [PFL MMA] to give me a call. But don’t get it twisted…. we still ready to defend the strap against ANYBODY! Young or Old!!” he wrote on his own social media account.

Josh Hill and Sabah Homasi were among the fighters who were released following the PFL’s purchase of Bellator MMA. So far, the only fight scheduled for a Bellator event between now and January 25 is Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes. However, a number of the promotion’s names were added to the PFL Championship/PFL MENA card later this month.

The post Mix, Pitbull, Higo Among Bellator Fighters Frustrated with Lack of Action appeared first on Cageside Press.

Daiane Silva was to have faced Eman Almudhaf at Bellator London on September 14, 2024, only for their fight to be cancelled on short notice. Promotion officials announced the bout’s cancellation on weigh-in day, without revealing details behind the decision.

Fast forward over a month, and Cris Cyborg’s team revealed the news on social media, stating they wanted to extend solidarity to CM System, Silva’s team, and noting that the fighter remained hospitalized in London, England “in serious condition” after she suffered “complications during her weight cut.”

Adding that they had helped launch Daiane Silva’s career (via Nacao Cyborg Fights), the Cyborg Nation account added that they were “committed to going deep to identify and hold the culprits accountable who allowed this to happen,” adding “we will bring you more information in the coming weeks.”

Per the Women’s MMA Rankings account on Twitter, Silva remains in a coma; Uncrowned’s Drake Riggs confirmed news that the fighter had slipped into a coma following her weight cut, but noted that it’s unclear as to whether she remained in one, given the scarcity of details surrounding the incident.

Silva, with an undefeated 3-0 record in professional MMA, was making her professional debut at the Bellator Champions Series event in London on September 14.

Cageside Press reached out to PFL and Bellator MMA officials on Saturday to verify the news, but did not receive a response by deadline.

The post Bellator’s Daiane Silva Remains Hospitalized Following September Weight Cut Gone Wrong appeared first on Cageside Press.