In their season finale, Bellator Fighting Championships was able to capture very solid ratings to conclude the season. The May 21 live broadcast of Bellator 45 on MTV2 secured an average of 264,000 viewers.
Bellator 45’s strong viewership was second only to Bellator 44 from the previous week, which averaged 325,000 viewers. Bellator 45 was highlighted by the finals of the fourth season’s featherweight and light heavyweight tournaments and earned “season-high scores in the Males 18-34 and M18-45 demographics, posting ratings of 0.4 and 0.33 in those respective categories.”
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire defeated Daniel Straus by unanimous decision to win the featherweight tournament and in the main event, Christian M’Pumbu defeated Richard Hale via third round TKO to become Bellator’s inaugural 205-pound champion.
Bellator 45 was staged at L’Auberge du Lac Casino and Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
