Bellator overshadowed, but not overlooked

video via @BellatorMMA.
With the eyes of the mixed martial arts community fixed on San Jose, Calif. and UFC 139's epic main event between two legends of the sport, Bellator quietly had one of its greatest main event fights of all-time.

The instant classic between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez, which can be seen above, was a five-round bout for the Bellator Lightweight title. Unlike the epic Shogun vs. Hendo at UFC 139, this battle did not go to the judges. It ended via a rear naked choke submission for Chandler, who won the title off of Alvarez.

For those that don't know, Bellator is quite different from UFC. It has seasons, which play out as tournaments in their weight divisions with titles up for grabs. Some, including myself, would say this promotion has been struggling to garner the attention of the casual MMA fan. The battle between Chandler and Alvarez can change that.

What Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin was for the UFC, is what Chandler vs. Alvarez can be for Bellator. This is a young MMA promotion that has its own niche in the fight community, which can prove to be the reason they last for a longer period of time than PRIDE and WEC.

Follow me on Twitter @NiteshDutt.