Nine fighters have parted ways with Bellator, including a pair of notable veterans.
Bellator officials informed MMA Junkie that former UFC standout Roger Huerta and longtime featherweight Brandon Girtz are among those who have departed the promotion.
It is unclear if each fighter was released or the promotion simply elected not to re-sign them.
Scroll below to see the nine names who have parted ways with Bellator.
Cal Ellenor
Weight class: Bantamweight
MMA record: 8-3
Bellator record: 1-1
The U.K.’s Cal Ellenor departs the promotion after just two appearances. Following his promotional debut victory by first-round rear-naked choke against Nathan Greyson, Ellenor was matched with Irish star James Gallagher. The fight was booked and canceled three times. The fourth booking, however, took place, and Gallagher submitted Ellenor in Round 1.
Brandon Girtz
Brandon Girtz
Weight class: Featherweight
MMA record: 16-10
Bellator record: 8-8
Previously one of the longest-tenured members on the promotion’s roster, Brandon Girtz exits Bellator after nearly nine years with the company. Girtz debuted in November 2012 at Bellator 80. During his tenure, Girtz battled some of the promotion’s best lightweights, including Michael Chandler, Saad Awad, Myles Jury, and Herny Corrales. His July 2017 loss to Derek Campos was one of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Year” candidates. Prior to his departure, Girtz lost six of eight.
Roger Huerta
Weight class: Lightweight
MMA record: 24-13-1
Bellator record: 1-6
Roger Huerta’s second Bellator stint has come to an end. A UFC standout, Huerta rejoined the promotion in 2018. Losses to Benson Henderson, Patricky Freire, and Sidney Outlaw led him to a matchup against highly touted Team Alpha Male prospect Chris Gonzalez at Bellator 255 on April 2. Huerta tapped due to strikes and lost the fight in Round 3.
Arbi Mezhidov
Weight class: Featherweight
MMA record: 13-4
Bellator record: 0-1
For Austria’s Arbi Mezhidov, it was one and done with Bellator. His lone appearance came at Bellator 248 in October when he was submitted by Saul Rogers inside the first round.
Frans Mlambo
Weight class: Bantamweight
MMA record: 9-5
Bellator record: 3-1
Frans Mlambo is no longer on the Bellator roster despite winning three of four fights with the promotion. He beat Nathan Greyson, Dominique Wooding, and Cory Tait. His lone loss came when he was knocked out by Ricky Bandejas in February 2020.
Paul Redmond
Weight class: Lightweight
MMA record: 15-8
Bellator record: 2-1
Paul Redmond’s time in Bellator is also over. A seasoned veteran who stopped in the UFC, BAMMA, Cage Warriors, and KSW, Redmond has proudly represented Ireland across the globe. His final Bellator fight came in February 2020 when he was submitted by Georgi Karakhanyan.
Ryan Roddy
Weight class: Lightweight
MMA record: 8-1-1
Bellator record: 1-0
Another Irish standout, Ryan Roddy has shown many glimpses of brilliance in his mixed martial arts career. However, he’s only competed once since 2015. The lone appearance was a unanimous decision win over Patrik Pietila at Bellator 227 in September 2019. Roddy was booked to fight Chris Duncan at Bellator 240 in February 2020 but later withdrew.
Richie Smullen
Weight class: Featherweight
MMA record: 6-2-1
Bellator record: 3-1
The third Irish fighter in this batch of departures, Richie Smullen was a split decision loss away from being perfect in his Bellator tenure. His promotional victories came against Adam Gustab, Sean Tobin, and Harry Hardwick. The loss was to Alberth Dias.
Gabriel Varga
Weight class: Featherweight
MMA record: 1-1
Bellator record: 1-1
An accomplished kickboxer, Gabriel Varga transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2019. After he won his debut via jumping knee and punches, Varga lost a split decision against TeeJay Britton in February 2020. He was scheduled to fight Brandon Phillips in November. However, Phillips missed weight and the bout was scrapped.