Bellator Announces Eight Participants for 2022 Bantamweight Grand Prix

The Bantamweight World Grand Prix is official!

Coming in 2022, the #BellatorBWGP will feature @SergioPettis, @Kyoji1012, @LeandroHigoMMA, @TeamMixMMA, @JArchMMA, Magomed Magomedov, @StrabanimalMMA and @RaufeonStots.#Bellator272 pic.twitter.com/1koQ0yvMeu

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 4, 2021

Bellator MMA made sure to leave fans wanting more at its year-end show, announcing a stacked eight-man tourney for next year.

During the Bellator 272 main card broadcast, the organization announced its next tournament in the form of a 135-pound grand prix. Eight fighters in the division, the top seven in its rankings plus the title challenger later that night, will participate in the brackets that will be set at a later date. No events have been confirmed for 2022, and no date has been given on when the tourney will launch.

The top two fighters at the tournament are competing in the main event of Bellator 272, as Sergio Pettis looks to defend his throne against Kyoji Horiguchi. According to the promotion, the victor between Pettis and Horiguchi will defend their title against a contender in the to-be-announced bracket, while the losing fighter will still enter the race for the belt. Every fight throughout the grand prix will be contested over five rounds, and one alternate was announced after prevailing later that night: Josh Hill, who demolished Jared Scoggins to earn a place as a backup competitor should one withdraw.

In addition to Pettis and Horiguchi, the following ranked bantamweights will make their way into the tournament: #1 Juan Archuleta, #2 Raufeon Stots, #3 Patrick Mix, #4 Magomed Magomedov, #5 Leandro Higo and #6 James Gallagher. The winner-take-all tourney will grant the victor a tournament championship belt, the division’s title and a check for $1 million.