Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") promotion was started in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and Brad Epstein as a tournament based alternative to other MMA organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforce. Prior to 2015, when president Scott Coker made the decision to drop the 8-man tournament format, Bellator fighters participated in a series of tournament bouts in a set weight class over a season (usually between 10 and 13 events over 3 or 4 months). The winners of these tournaments were crowned Bellator champions, with the winners of successive tournaments in the same weight class earning the spot of no. 1 contender.
