Bellator had its biggest and busier year to date in 2018, with 22 events that helped raise the promotion’s profile to a true position of prominence in MMA. During that time, many records were set and a host of historic moments were produced.

Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2018’s most significant fights and individual performances.

GENERAL

Bellator held 22 events in 16 different cities across five countries and two continents. The 22 events are tied for the most for the organization since 2013.

Those events had 105 main card fights across 11 different weight classes (including catchweight bouts).

Those 105 main card fights combined for a title cage time of 16:37:13.

The longest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 209 (1:11:12).

The shortest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 198 (15:47).

Betting favorites went 66-24 during Bellator main card fights. 13 fights had no odds available while two fights had even odds.

Five cards saw all the betting favorites win.

Bellator 213 was the only card of the year where more underdogs won than favorites.

CHAMPIONSHIP FEATS

Rory MacDonald became the sixth Bellator welterweight champion when he defeated Douglas Lima at Bellator 192.

Darrion Caldwell became the only Bellator bantamweight champion other than Eduardo Dantas to record a successful title defense when he defeated Leandro Higo at Bellator 195.

Gegard Mousasi became the first to earn Bellator and Strikeforce titles when he won the middleweight belt at Bellator 200.

Gallery Gegard Mousasi def. Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 200: Best photos view 17 images

Ryan Bader became the first champion to earn two non-title victories while holding a belt when he won at Bellator 207.

Patricio Freire set a new record for most title-fight victories in Bellator history with his sixth at Bellator 209.

Freire became the first champion in Bellator history to earn multiple title defenses over multiple title reigns when he won at Bellator 209.

Michael Chandler became the first to appear in 10 Bellator championship bouts when he competed at Bellator 212.

Chandler became the second in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class when he won at Bellator 212. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.

Chandler tied Freire for the most title-fight victories in Bellator history with his sixth at Bellator 212.

Valerie Letourneau becomes the first female fighter to compete in Bellator and UFC championship bouts when she challenged for the flyweight title at Bellator 213.

INDIVIDUAL FEATS

Goiti Yamauchi tied the record for most submission victories in Bellator history with his sixth finish at Bellator 192.

A.J. McKee became the first in Bellator history to earn a 11-fight winning streak when he defeated Justin Lawrence at Bellator 197.

Gallery A.J. McKee def. Justin Lawrence at Bellator 197: Best photos view 15 images

Chandler became the first in Bellator history with 15 victories when he defeated Brandon Girtz at Bellator 197.

Chandler tied the record for most submission victories in Bellator history with his sixth finish at Bellator 197.

Frank Mir competed in a non-UFC bout for the first time since August 2001 when he made his Bellator debut at Bellator 198.

Cheick Kongo became the second fighter in history with 30 combined Bellator/UFC appearances when he competed at Bellator 199. Tito Ortiz also accomplished the feat.

Kongo became the first with 10 Bellator heavyweight victories when he won at Bellator 199.

Bader’s 15-second knockout of Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 199 was the second fastest in Bellator heavyweight history behind Eddie Sanchez’s 10-second victory at Bellator 8 in May 2009.

Mike Shipman’s 11-second knockout at Bellator 200 marked the fastest in middleweight history.

David Rickels became the first to make 20 Bellator appearances when he competed at Bellator 200.

Michael Page tied Ben Askren for the longest winning streak in Bellator welterweight history with his ninth consecutive win at Bellator 200.

Michele Martignoni’s six-second knockout at Bellator 203 tied Hector Lombard’s finish of Jay Silva at Bellator 18 for the fastest knockout in Bellator history.

Patricky Freire set a new record for most knockouts in Bellator history with his ninth at Bellator 205.

Andrey Koreshkov became the first to make 15 Bellator welterweight appearances when he competed at Bellator 206.

Douglas Lima set a new record for most stoppages in Bellator welterweight history with his eighth at Bellator 206.

Mike Kimbel’s six-second knockout at Bellator 207 tied Martignoni and Lombard for the fastest knockout in Bellator history.

Kongo extended the longest heavyweight winning streak in Bellator history with his seventh consecutive win at Bellator 208.

Patricio Freire set a new record for most wins in Bellator history with his 16th at Bellator 209.

Joe Warren became the first to make 15 Bellator bantamweight appearances when he competed at Bellator 210.

John Salter set a new record for most submissions in Bellator middleweight history with his sixth at Bellator 210.

McKee extended his own record for longest winning streak in Bellator history when he earned his 13th consecutive win at Bellator 212.

Javy Ayala set a new record for most stoppages in Bellator heavyweight history with his sixth at Bellator 212.

Lyoto Machida competed in his first non-UFC bout since July 2006 when he made his Bellator debut at Bellator 213.

Liam McGeary set a new record for most wins in Bellator light heavyweight history with his ninth at Bellator 213.

McGeary set a new record for most stoppages in Bellator light heavyweight history with his ninth at Bellator 213.

McGeary set a new record for most knockouts in Bellator light heavyweight history with his fifth at Bellator 213.

Neiman Gracie tied the record for most submission victories in Bellator history with his sixth finish at Bellator 213.

Gracie set a new record for most submission victories in Bellator welterweight history with his fifth finish at Bellator 213.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane tied the record for most submission victories in Bellator history with her sixth finish at Bellator 213.

For more on the Bellator schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.