Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Four


Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Four was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Featherweight. There was also an inaugural Light Heavyweight Tournament taking place during this season, which crowned the first Light Heavyweight Champion in Bellator. This was the first season to air on MTV2.

Events

Bellator 35

Bellator 35 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on March 5, 2011 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California. The card kicked off Bellator Season Four and featured opening round fights in the Season Four Welterweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
On December 14, 2010, Bellator and MTV2 announced a three-year deal to broadcast Bellator's tournaments and special events. This will be the first Bellator event to air on MTV2.
Bellator's Women's Strawweight Champion Zoila Frausto fought in a non-title catchweight bout against Karina Hallinan.
At this event Steve Carl was expected to fight Jay Hieron in the opening round of the welterweight tournament. However, Carl injured himself during training and was removed from the tournament. His replacement was Anthony Lapsley.
Poppies Martinez was expected to fight at this event, but a bout never materialized.
The event drew an average of around 200,000 viewers on MTV2. Which helped MTV2 in several key advertising demographics including, an 83 percent increase among men aged 18 to 49, an 80 percent increase among men 18 to 34, and a 133 percent increase among men aged 25 to 34.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 36 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on March 12, 2011, at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The card featured opening-round fights in the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
Toby Imada was originally scheduled to face French fighter Ferrid Kheder; however, Kheder refused to weigh in and Josh Shockley was moved up from the preliminary card to face Imada.
Shockley's original opponent, Kelvin Hackney, still weighed in, but was pulled off the card and paid his show money and win bonus. Hackney was expected to fight at Bellator 45.
The event drew an estimated 230,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local feature fights
Bellator 37 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on March 19, 2011 at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Oklahoma. The card featured opening round fights in the Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2. The event drew an estimated 173,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 38 was mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on March 26, 2011 at Harrah's Tunica Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Mississippi. The card featured the opening round fights in the Bellator Season Four Light Heavyweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
This event showcased the inaugural light heavyweight tournament.
Originally, Blagoy Ivanov was set to fight John Brown on the undercard. However, Brown pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Johnathan Ivey. Ivey was then pulled off the card for a suspension by the Georgia Athletic Commission. Ivanov instead fought William Penn.
The event drew an estimated 150,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 39 was a mixed martial arts held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on April 2, 2011 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The card featured one semi-final fight in both the Bellator Season Four Welterweight and Lightweight Tournaments. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
The lightweight semifinal bout between Toby Imada and Patricky Freire was originally set to take place at Bellator 40.
In a last-minute change not announced by the promotion, Luiz Azeredo stepped in to replace Matt Veach in a preliminary card matchup.
The event drew an estimated 174,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 40 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on April 9, 2011 at First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The card featured fights in the Welterweight and Lightweight Bellator Season Four Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
Bellator Welterweight champion Ben Askren competed in a non-title bout against Nick Thompson at this event.
A lightweight semifinal bout between Toby Imada and Patricky Freire was originally set to take place on this card. However, the fight was moved to Bellator 39 and replaced with the welterweight semifinal fight between Brent Weedman and Jay Hieron. The Hieron-Weedman fight was rescheduled because Weedman needed to receive clearance for a facial laceration suffered in his Bellator 35 victory over Dan Hornbuckle.
Former Sengoku fighter Ronnie Mann was expected to make his Bellator debut at this event. However, visa issues kept Mann from entering the United States and his fight has been pushed back to the Bellator 42 card.
The event drew an estimated 218,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 41 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships on April 16, 2011 at Cocopah Resort and Casino in Yuma, Arizona. The card featured two semi-final fights in the Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
Tony Johnson was expected to fight Carlos Flores at the event, but for unknown reasons was replaced by Rudy Aguilar.
The event drew a season low of 132,000 average viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 42 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on April 23, 2011 at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Oklahoma. The card featured the semi-finals in the Bellator Season Four Light Heavyweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
Bellator Heavyweight champion Cole Konrad was scheduled to compete in a non-title "super fight" bout against Paul Buentello at this event. However, it was revealed that Buentello had to pull out of the bout due to a back injury.
Former Sengoku fighter Ronnie Mann was expected to make his Bellator debut at Bellator 40. However, visa issues kept Mann from entering the United States and the fight was moved to this card.
Chris Guillen was originally set to fight Mark Holata, but Guillen suffered a last minute injury and was replaced by Tracy Willis.
The event drew an estimated 199,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 43 was a mixed martial arts held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on May 7, 2011 at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The card featured the final fight in the Bellator Season Four Welterweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
A heavyweight bout between Neil Grove and The Ultimate Fighter 10 alumnus, Zak Jensen was scheduled for this event; however, Grove pulled out of the bout on May 3 due to an injury.
A local feature bout between George Burton and John Bryant was also scratched.
The event drew an estimated 182,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 44 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on May 14, 2011, at Harrah's Resort. The card featured the final fight in the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
EliteXC and Ring of Combat veteran James Jones was expected to fight at this event, but a bout did not materialize.
Lyman Good was scheduled to face Dan Hornbuckle in a welterweight bout. However, on May 6, Good pulled out of the fight due to an injury.
A scheduled bout between Anthony Morrison and Bryan Goldsby was canceled due to Morrison weighing-in 10 pounds over weight.
The event drew a season high of 325,000 average viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights
Bellator 45 was a mixed martial arts event held by Bellator Fighting Championships. The event took place on May 21, 2011 at the L'Auberge du Lac Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The card featured final round fights in the Bellator Season Four Featherweight and Light Heavyweight Tournaments. The event was distributed live in prime time by MTV2.
Background
Kalvin Hackney, whose fight was canceled at Bellator 36, was moved to fight at this event.
A bout between Thiago Santos and Derrick Lewis was scrapped after Santos suffered an injury.
The event drew an estimated 264,000 viewers on MTV2.
Results
Main Card
Local Feature Fights

Featherweight tournament bracket

Lightweight tournament bracket

Welterweight tournament bracket

Light Heavyweight tournament bracket