Based in Santa Monica, California, Bellator MMA was founded by former chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney in 2008 and has since grown into the second largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
Rebney gave birth to “the toughest tournament in sports” -- a single-elimination competition that crowned champions in various weight classes and awarded subsequent winners an opportunity to challenge for those titles. The tournament format was discontinued when Scott Coker replaced Rebney in 2014, as the promotion followed a more traditional format under Viacom’s ownership. However, it has returned to its roots in 2018, with a heavyweight grand prix featuring Frank Mir, Fedor Emelianenko, Ryan Bader, Muhammed Lawal and others.