On April 3, 2009, a new promotion burst onto the MMA scene: Bellator Fighting Championships. Bellator, Latin for “warrior,” brought a slightly different format to the MMA landscape in the form of seasons featuring single-elimination tournaments, the brainchild of founder Bjorn Rebney. Events typically led with non-tournament fights, then featured tournament bouts. The tournament winners at the end of the inaugural season were crowned the promotion’s new champions
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