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Bjorn Rebney's professional career started as a lawyer in construction litigation until he specialized in sports insurance with the law firm Steinberg, Moorad & Dunn. Rebney did business with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Steve Young. Through a meeting with boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in 1998, the two started Sugar Ray Promotions in 2001 with Rebney as its President and CEO. A dispute lead to the end of the partnership when Rebney accused Leonard of neglecting the company to be on The Contender (2005), while Leonard alluded to a "cancer" in the company. Sugar Ray Promotions closed in 2004.
Rebney turned his focus on the still relatively new sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), wanting to implement a NCAA-style basketball tournament concept in a MMA promotion. Rebney used his money to fund numerous trips to meet fighters and investors. In a profile, Rebney said he had sixty-one unsuccessful meetings with investors. In 2008, he pitched his idea to the Connecticut-based Plainfield Asset Management. The company's Vice President Tim Danaher was acquainted with MMA from past meetings with the people behind IFL: International Fight League (2006). Danaher arranged for a second meeting with Rebney in New York. Plainfield Asset Management agreed to invest and become a majority owner in Bellator Sport Worldwide LLC, doing business as Bellator Fighting Championships (2009). Rebney became Bellator's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, while Danaher was given the titles of President and Chief Operating Officer. Television and film producer Brad Epstein joined the company, along with sports programmer and producer Rob Beiner.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Bellator (named after Latin word for "Warrior"), used the mantra "Where Title Shots Are Earned, Not Given" to describe its tournament philosophy to inaugurate champions and title contenders. Rebney stated that "the toughest tournament in sports" provided fighters opportunities to determine their path to championships, instead of a promoter. On April 3, 2009, Bellator held its first card at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. It was among twelve total events in its first year of live events that were aired the next day on ESPN Deportes. In its first season, Bellator crowned champions in the Middleweight (185 pounds), Welterweight (170 pounds), Lightweight (155 pounds), and Featherweight (145 pounds) divisions. Tournaments were divided into quarterfinal, semifinal and final, with eight total competitors. No elbow strikes were allowed during tournament matches. Each champion would await a tournament's completion for each season's winner and title contender. To reduce their inactivity between championship fights, title holders were booked in "super-fights" where the titles were not at risk. Occasionally, the promotion would allow contracted fighters to take bouts outside of Bellator Fighting Championships (2009).
In late 2009, an agreement was made with Fox Sports Net to air Bellator's second and third season events, with a highlight program aired on Telemundo Network and National Broadcasting Company (NBC). While Bellator aired on Fox Sports Net, some of its events were preempted by hours and sometimes by days, an issue Rebney acknowledged. In February 2010, an agreement was made with Canada's Score Television Network to air Bellator's upcoming second and third seasons. Rebney made public entreaties to Strikeforce (2006) CEO 'Scott Coker' (I) to co-promote events and have inter-promotional matches between Strikeforce (2006) lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Bellator's lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Another fight suggested by Rebney was Bellator welterweight titleholder Ben Askren against Strikeforce (2006) counterpart Nick Diaz. Coker publicly said that Rebney should privately contact him to do business, but none was done between the two. In October 2011, Rebney sold a majority ownership of Bellator to Viacom, with a deal for live televised Bellator cards on MTV 2 and EPIX at the start of season 4 in 2012.
Rebney expressed plans to have more tournaments to increase the amount of challengers, reduce the time between title fights, and lessen "super-fights". These "super-fights" were criticized by some who felt that it diminished a championship, and discredited a champion who lost. One such instance happened when light-heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu lost to Travis Wiuff at Bellator Fighting Championships 55 (2011). (Bellator 55). Rebney's strict commitment to the tournament format came into question after two high-profile bouts inspired calls for rematches outside of tournaments: Bellator Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren close split decision win over Jay Hieron at Bellator Fighting Championships 56 (2011) (Bellator 56), and Michael Chandler defeating Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator World Lightweight Championship in the main event of Bellator Fighting Championships 58 (2011)(Bellator 58). Rebney stated that Hieron had to win another tournament to earn a rematch with Askren. Hieron never fought for Bellator again, and later said he had to pay money to be released from his contract. Rebney announced in November 2012 that the promotion would adopt a clause for future championship fights allowing for rematches "when a rematch was called for." It set the course for the rematch between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez at . Since losing to Chandler, Alvarez had two non-tournament wins over Shinya Aoki and Patricky Freire. The change began during its eight season of programming after switching to Spike TV in January 2013. It included the name change to Bellator MMA Live, relocating its headquarters to Santa Monica, California.
As Bellator grew it faced criticisms such as using matching clause rights over Roger Hollett and Tyson Nam, two fighters the promotion had released. Hollett said he had "Athlete's Heart" and that when Bellator found out they canceled his participation in a light-heavyweight tournament and released him. Bellator's implementation of matching rights canceled a UFC 152 bout Hollett and Vladimir Matyushenko replaced Hollett, later withdrew due to injury, and Hollett was able to accept the bout with Hamill after Bellator declined to match. Nam was fresh off a quick victory over Bellator's Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo Dantas in a non-title bout at Shooto Brazil 33. Nam was offered a contract by World Series of Fighting (WSOF) when Bellator intervened. Nam eventually competed in WSOF. Rebney was criticized by the outspoken President of Ultimate Fighting Championship (2000), Dana White. Rebney said that his promotion used matching rights to be competitive, especially since industry leader UFC used a similar clause in its fighter contracts. When King Mo was terminated from his Strikeforce (2006) contract by UFC owner, Zuffa, Rebney said he had to submit documents to Zuffa because they used matching rights before Lawal could sign a Bellator contract. White and Rebney had some history: In 2010, Rebney was named as a co-defendant in a Zuffa lawsuit accusing agent Ken Pavia of illegally sharing UFC trade secrets in the form of documents with Bellator. Weeks later Bellator sued UFC for damages over the rights to Jonathan Brookins, claiming he was under an exclusive Bellator contract while he competed on The Ultimate Fighter (2005).
After Eddie Alvarez became a free agent, Bellator granted him the early right to negotiate with UFC. After Alvarez received an offer, Bellator invoked its matching rights clause. A dispute ensued when Rebney claimed his company matched UFC's entire offer to Alvarez, while Alvarez claimed that Bellator manipulated language in its matching offer to disadvantage him. There were also questions if Bellator could truly match if UFC had offered Alvarez a percentage of Pay-Per-View (PPV) events he competed on, while at that point Bellator had not had a PPV event. A court case ensued in 2013 and animus developed between Alvarez and Rebney. Alvarez accused Rebney of paying his teammate Zach Makovsky less than the amount in his Bellator contract. Alvarez also said that Rebney denied Cosmo Alexandre income by not offering him fights. Rebney countered that Makovsky was paid his contracted salary, and that Alexandre had declined opportunities in two different tournaments. Paul Daley once complained that Bellator had prevented him from making outside income. Daley had been denied an American visa due to an assault charge in his native United Kingdom. Daley said his Bellator contract allowed him to fight in other promotions at Bellator's approval, but they had rejected two such matches, and complicated matters with their "booking fee". Bellator released Daley, his legal issue was resolved, and he later resigned with the promotion.
A legal settlement was reached and Eddie Alvarez re-signed with Bellator, leading to the rematch with Michael Chandler. Rebney's reputation was harmed in the view of some MMA fans who viewed Bellator as holding Alvarez against his will. Vice President of World Series of Fighting Ali Abdelaziz criticized Rebney on this point. The Alvarez situation increased tensions between Bellator and UFC, with Rebney and Dana White going after each other in the media. When Rebney was asked about White's comments that Bellator had "no value", Rebney mentioned UFC's business partner, Fox, paying Bellator for its Latin America television rights. Rebney said that Bellator MMA would not be a "feeder system" for UFC. In May 2014, Rebney presided over Bellator MMA's first Pay-Per-View: Bellator MMA 120: Rampage vs. King Mo (2014). It was to have been main-event by a third lightweight championship encounter between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, but an injury forced Alvarez off the card. The event was headlined by Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and King Mo (Muhammad Lawal). After Jackson's split decision win was announced, an irate Lawal made news when he accused Rebney of favoring Jackson before and during the fight. Bellator 120 was considered a success with a buy rate estimated to be over 100,000 PPVs purchased. The next month Rebney announced changes which would further relax the requirements for a fighter to challenge for a championship. There would be a "tournament pool" of past tournament winners who could qualify to fight for a title without winning a recent tournament. The "tournament pool" concept was never implemented. Six days after Rebney announced it, on June 18, 2014, Rebney revealed that he was leaving the company. Spike network president Kevin Kay had relieved him of his duties. Bellator's co-creator, the lesser known Tim Danaher, also lost his position as President and Chief Operating Officer. Scott Coker (Scott Coker) was brought in to replace Rebney. Kay later said that Rebney's attachment to the tournament format differed from his vision for the company.
On November 30, 2016, Rebney ended a two-year media silence to announce formation of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA). During a media conference call, Rebney said it became an idea after he left Bellator MMA. Along with fighters Georges St. Pierre, Cain Velasquez, T.J. Dillashaw, Tim Kennedy, and Donald Cerrone, Rebney stated that MMAAA was created to represent the interest of MMA fighters. The aforementioned fighters would staff the board of MMAAA, while Rebney would serve in an advisory capacity. Rebney's involvement was met with criticisms by some whom felt he implemented anti-fighter policies while he was in charge of Bellator MMA. Rebney countered that during the most profitable year he was in charge of Bellator MMA, that fighters were given fifty-three percent of profits.
