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Bellator MMA has found a new home. The fighting promotion recently announced it is moving to Showtime as both parties are owned by ViacomCBS. The television deal begins in April with the first being a series of Friday night events. Bellator 255 will air on Showtime on April 2 and feature Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez for the featherweight title.

The fights will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. The venue has previously hosted NCAA college basketball games after gradually reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mohegan Sun Arena has been Bellator's home since returning to action in July 2020.

🚨 IT'S SHOWTIME! 🚨

Bellator is now on @SHOWTIME. Use this link: https://t.co/TbKTQ7Dlk2 to get a 30-day free trial, then pay just $4.99/mo for the next 6 months (end of April). New subscribers only. #BellatorOnShowtimepic.twitter.com/35R7X0BBpZ

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 9, 2021

Viacom merged with CBS in December 2019. In 2011, Viacom bought a majority stake in Bellator after years of licensing rights to air its matches, according to Deadline. Over the years, Bellator has aired on various network channels, including Spike (now called Paramount Network) and the CBS Sports Network. Stephen Espinoza, Showtime's president of sports and event programming said adding Bellator will make Showtime the “preeminent home of premier combat sports in America. We are excited to build on what Bellator MMA has created and to amplify the momentum they’ve gained over the last several years.'

In September last year, Bellator announced that CBS Sports Network would be the US broadcast home of its live events, with further coverage coming digitally on CBS Sports platforms and the MMA. Up-to-date 2021 Bellator event schedules. Find out when the next Bellator event is and see specifics about individual fights.

The plan is to have Showtime air two Bellator events per month for the rest of the year. YouTube will stream preliminary undercard matchups, and Showtime is offering new subscribers a promotional rate for Showtime's OTT streaming service for $5 a month for the next six months.

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'Everyone in this industry knows the history that I have with SHOWTIME. We have done things together that have shaped the sport of mixed martial arts that you see today,' Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said in a press release. 'But what's really exciting about this news is that everything we have already accomplished is just the beginning. Today marks a new era for Bellator MMA. With our new teammates at SHOWTIME, we are going to take this brand to a new level, and you are going to see us build upon the foundation set throughout my time with Bellator.'

Last Bellator Event Schedule

Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator 241 officially has been postponed, promotion president Scott Coker announced Friday just hours before the event was set to begin.

The health and safety of everyone involved have, and will remain, our top priority as we move forward,” Coker said in a statement after the news was first reported by Fightful.com. “After carefully monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Bellator MMA has chosen to postpone this evening’s Bellator 241 event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. We would like to apologize to our athletes and fans, as well as our broadcast partner DAZN, but we feel this is the best decision to be made at this time.”

Bellator List Of Events

Bellator officials told MMA Junkie that all fighters will be compensated with their show money being paid.

Last Bellator Event

On Tuesday, Connecticut Gov. Ted Lamont declared a public health emergency and on Thursday signed an executive order that, in part, prohibits public gatherings in excess of 250 people.

Following that order, Bellator transitioned their event to a behind-closed-doors show, but now, after further monitoring of the situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, the promotion has taken the decision to postpone the show.

The global coronavirus pandemic has prompted a plethora of sporting events and leagues – including the NBA, NHL, NCAA tournaments, MLS, and English Premier League among others – to be suspended or postponed.

Bellator 241 was due to be headlined by featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Freire (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA), who was set to put his 145-pound title on the line against Pedro Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the quarterfinals of Bellator’s ongoing featherweight grand prix. The co-main event was scheduled to feature the other remaining quarterfinal matchup, between Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) and Daniel Weichel (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA).