4. Vitaly Minakov
Minakov held sway over Bellator’s heavyweight division for the better part of three years: 911 days to be exact. The four-time combat sambo world champion made his promotional debut at Bellator 79 in November 2012, won the 2013 Summer Series heavyweight tournament and laid claim to the heavyweight crown at Bellator 108 on Nov. 15, 2013, when he disposed of Alexander Volkov with first-round punches at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Minakov successfully defended his championship with a five-round unanimous decision over Cheick Kongo at Bellator 115 five months later. He then became embroiled in a contract dispute with the company, which elected to strip him of the title due to inactivity on May 14, 2016. Though rumors of a move to the UFC have swirled, Minakov has instead chosen to compete on the European circuit. His record currently sits at 20-0.
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