Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney
Tournament format a permanent fixture in Bellator Fighting Championships
Throughout the history of mixed martial arts, tournaments have their special place. The first UFC events were tournaments. Who can forget the Pride FC Grand Prix tournaments that made legends of men?
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney says the tournament format is what separates his organization from the rest.
“I never see us abandoning the tournament format. I think the objectivity of fighters controlling their destiny is kind of what has made Bellator what it is,” said Rebney. “It’s our seminal point of difference from the industry leader in the UFC. We’re two very, very different formats.
“If you looked at a lot of the organizations that have come and gone, those organizations don’t have a significant point of different. I mean some of them tried to add peripheral things like team concepts and uniforms and ridiculous stuff that didn’t help a bit,” added the Bellator CEO.
“From a reality perspective, we are a different dynamic, a different format, a different way of watching mixed martial arts, which I think is infinitely fair. I think it’s what’s duplicated in ever other sport.”
Bellator runs seasonal tournament to crown a divisional champion or the No. 1 contender in a specific weight class.
Bellator 39 takes place this Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., and will air live on MTV2 at 9 p.m. ET.
