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Home Field Advantage: Fan Favorite Sean O’Malley Bulldozes Sterling at UFC 292, Chris Weidman’s Return Sparks Talk of Retirement, Katona vs. Gibson Earns Fight of the Night…and much more from the UFC’s return to Boston last Saturday

By: Rich Bergeron

UFC 292 was the first UFC event I attended in 16 years. As the MMA writer most known for exposing the Xyience scandal (see www.xyiencesucks.com), I dug out my old Xyience hat to commemorate the occasion. Once the UFC’s most prolific sponsor, Xyience is now primarily an energy drink company and does not even associate with any MMA league anymore. Needless to say, I was the only one in the entire arena sporting Xyience merch.

I paid for my own tickets this time, but I couldn’t avoid thinking about what my UFC 292 experience would have been like if my UFC 78 experience, paid for by Xyience, had turned out much differently for me almost 16 years ago.

I will be ruminating more on the personal story of my own Boston homecoming and the changes we’ve seen for the UFC between the last fight I attended and this one in a new piece I plan to write on www.paythefighters.com. Stay tuned for that, but first let’s get to the UFC’s well constructed fight card for Saturday night.

It began with a tale of two flyweight Silvas: Karine Silva and Natalia Silva. Those bouts ended with two Silva wins by two different methods, but each fighter proved dominant in their particular styles. Karine dispatched Maryna Moroz with a last-second guillotine choke just before the end of the first round. It was a fantastic start to a show that had a few peaks and valleys as far as the entertainment value of some of the match-ups. Natalia took her time and picked apart a game Andrea Lee from a distance for the majority of the contest. She cruised to a unanimous decision by being cautious and careful with her striking aim.

Next, a controversial split decision gave the odds-makers’ favorite fighter Andre Petrovski a win over Gerald Meershaert. Petrovski did not appear to have the cardio to hang with the seasoned veteran Meerschaert. All that was lacking in this fight was the concentrated striking power from Meershaert to put Petrovski down and out. Both fighters had their moments, but it seemed obvious to me Gerald was the busier and more effective fighter. He was only one of the robbery victims accosted by the judges Saturday night after clearly winning a primarily technical fight. The touches of slugfest sprinkled in from time to time seemed to always favor the more game and eager Meerschaert. He definitely deserved the win. We’ll talk about another robbery of equal caliber a bit later.

A pair of Ultimate Fighter Finale fights came next with Bantamweights Brad Katona and Cody Gibson kicking it off by earning “Fight of the Night” honors. Their toe-to-toe kickboxing match that rarely hit the ground for very long certainly had the crowd riled up from start to finish. Katona ended up being a second quicker on the draw and sharp enough with his jabs and counters to secure a win in a scrap where he often had to take one good punch to land two of his own. Gibson wore the results of Brad’s accuracy on his battered face at the final bell, but he also earned great respect for his never-quit approach from both the crowd and the organization. The UFC offered both fighters contracts for their efforts instead of only the winner getting the nod.

Kurt Holobaugh had to fight friend and fellow Team Chandler fighter Austin Hubbard in the Lightweight finale. It was a fight that started better for Hubbard than it ended. Eventually after a short feeling out process, Holobaugh took the momentum away and secured a phenomenal Triangle Choke just 2:39 into the second frame. Both fighters had their dominating moments, but it was Holobaugh’s black belt jiu jitsu skills that won the night and the TUF trophy.

Gregory Rodrigues absolutely demolished Russian Dennis Tiuliulin in a middleweight fight that had the Beantown crowd chanting “USA” briefly while rooting for a Brazilian fighter. “Robocop” enjoyed the crowd support and quickly obliged their cheers with his finishing skills in full display. Rodrigues coincidentally looks a bit like the main character in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” if the character bulked up after a few rounds of steroids. Rodrigues certainly laid down the law and pummeled the Russian into unconsciousness with a machine-like precision. He took just one minute and 43 seconds to give the crowd their last stoppage until the main event.

Five straight decisions followed, two of them decided by perfect placement of monstrous leg kicks from the victors. The most painful of those two bouts to watch was Chris Weidman finishing out the preliminaries by facing off with Brad Tavares in a punishing middleweight battle. Weidman, coming back from a vicious rubber chicken leg injury where he tried to plant on a completely broken leg against Uriah Hall, looked rusty as rusty can be. Every takedown he attempted seemed to get stuffed easily by Tavares.

Every punching exchange seemed to be too little, too late for Weidman to come back from the constant leg kicks peppering both the leg with the old injury and Weidman’s other leg for good measure. Even with a torn MCL or ACL (according to Dana White who compelled Weidman to retire after the fight), Weidman stalked Tavares around the cage and tried his best to take the fight to him despite the busted wheel. Tavares won a very strategic and smart fight, disappointing the entire pro-Weidman crowd hoping for that miracle comeback performance that never came.

Marlon “Chito” Vera and Pedro Munhoz opened up the main card with a one-sided affair showcasing Vera’s patience, striking acumen, and nearly-flawless technique. Munhoz finished the fight on his feet, but he endured plenty of facial damage getting there. Chito stayed at a safe range for the majority of the bout and took few risks on the way to his unanimous decision win. The reach and speed of Vera seemed to be the most effective advantages he enjoyed against the shorter and stockier Munhoz. Vera, boring as he may be to watch at times, proved he deserves his own bantamweight title shot.

The third-straight decision gave Mario Bautista a very controversial unanimous decision win over Da’Mon Blackshear. Bautista edged out Blackshear in terms of ground control, but Blackshear was more accurate in his striking and landed more significant strikes in the featherweight scrap. I certainly thought he did enough to win, but the judges did not see the fight the same way and gave the contest to Bautista.

Ian Garry and Neil Magny clashed next in a mismatched welterweight contest. Magny showed tremendous heart in getting back up after every knockdown, but he could not overcome the incessant leg kicks thrown by Garry. Referee Keith Peterson came close to stopping the bout a few times, but Magny kept doing just enough to keep it going, hopping around on one leg at times. Garry’s striking was just as on point as his trash talk game, evoking the spirit of Nate Diaz with a few well-timed hand gestures. The crowd celebrated his continued dominance with Garry telling them about his desire to be the best fighter on the face of the earth someday in his post-fight speech. Magny will have to find an answer to his recent struggles if he wants to remain relevant in the UFC.

Weili Zhang and Amanda Lemos squared off in an epic title fight next. Lemos nearly secured a couple miraculous submission attempts, but the strawweight title fight turned into a question of whether or not Lemos could survive until the final bell. Zhang showcased her talents in all her areas of expertise, and Lemos could only hope to win by way of a couple Hail Mary submission attempts Zhang wriggled out of. Zhang’s speed, power and durability overwhelmed Lemos and left her struggling to avoid a stoppage through much of the later rounds. Somehow she managed to do it, taking a tremendous amount of damage on her way. Zhang walked away retaining her title, much to the delight of fans who backed her through the entire fight.

Finally, the main event arrived, well after midnight. Sean O’Malley entered the arena first, and the crowd erupted. Many of them sported green or pink wigs to imitate O’Malley’s signature look. O’Malley honestly looked pretty petrified, as if he didn’t even sleep at all the night before the event. Aljamain Sterling entered the cage to a chorus of boos he attempted to make light of by egging the crowd on to boo him more.

The first round was mostly a showcase of footwork from both fighters. O’Malley’s head games might have worked on Sterling, because he promised in pre-fight interviews he would secure a first round TKO of his own. Rather than rely on his greatest strength, his wrestling, Sterling wanted to beat O’Malley at his own game. That turned out to be the wrong strategy, a fact Sterling eventually realized by the time he ended up on the wrong side of that TKO. There were scant attempts to take O’Malley down, and all of them were completely stuffed. Sterling folded and fell to the canvas after getting hit with an O’Malley counter punch early in the second round. The rest was history as O’Malley closed “the Suga show” with some McGregor-esque ground and pound.

Both fighters gave great post-fight speeches, true to form. Sterling was gracious in defeat and showed his respect for O’Malley striving to reach his dream. Considering Sterling criticized O’Malley before the fight for being Dana White’s pet project and not deserving a title shot, it was a huge mea culpa. Also, if it was indeed all about being favored by Mr. White, O’Malley might have ticked off the Baldfather by indicating he’d like to fight Boxer Gervonta Davis more than any other actual UFC fighter.

As only the second Dana White Contender Series fighter to earn a world title, O’Malley can certainly call his own shots to some extent, but a boxing crossover is a very sensitive subject in the wake of Francis Ngannou recently making waves for backing out of his UFC contract and signing up for a heavyweight boxing match with Tyson Fury that will eclipse his career UFC earnings by a mile. Only Conor McGregor has been able to convince UFC brass to go all in on a crossover fight into boxing so far. Dana White has since completely scrapped tentative plans to create “Zuffa Boxing” to account for his fighters wanting to emulate McGregor’s profile, financial track record and bold bravado that earned him that opportunity to fight Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout.

Often, to get Dana White’s attention and respect, fighters simply have to sell themselves enough for that to translate into massive merchandise and ticket sales generated off their buzz. Much like the WWE, big personas and colorful characters often win out on opportunities in the UFC over athletes who just concentrate on their physical skill sets. Strikers are especially favored, because they deliver on the UFC’s implied “put on a show” standard of excellence imposed on every fighter who steps into the cage. It’s a style of management and carrot and stick leadership that fools fighters into thinking it’s better for their careers to constantly come forward with little concern for defense and take tremendous risks to be much more exciting and entertaining than they need to be to win a particular fight.

Now this kid O’Malley confesses to want to be like Dana himself, comfortable enough financially to bet $250,000 per poker hand. The most special talent prior to O’Malley used his own rising star persona to build his own name brands and buy his own whiskey company. He has a yacht and a Lamborghini, and he’s still the most talked about and called out fighter in the organization even after losing such a one-sided battle with Dustin Poirier and being sidelined with a broken leg for a few years. The fact that O’Malley can realize and internalize that he’ll probably never get to Conor’s level without a huge crossover fight in boxing speaks volumes about where the UFC is at today.

It is the kind of development I have to chuckle at knowing how hard it’s been to bring all the fighter pay and contract issues to court without an army of lawyers to face the UFC’s formidable legal team. One such legal army recently secured the go ahead to pursue a class action anti-trust lawsuit on behalf of over 1,200 former UFC fighters. The judge in the case appears to be already siding with the plaintiffs. Reaction to UFC class-action lawsuit certification: What happened, and what’s next? (msn.com)

Whenever the organization is confronted by statistics that show the revenue share for fighters is minuscule compared to other major sports with players’ associations, the response is typically something to the effect of: “We’ve made so many millionaires. Our fighters are doing just fine, and they all get plenty of financial opportunities with the fame we’ve helped them achieve.”

As an expert on the UFC’s financial history and an audience member at UFC 292, I couldn’t avoid confronting the reality that so many “UFC Nut-hugger” journalists get all the fringe benefits of press privileges because they play along so well with that “Zuffa Myth” mentality. The folks who put the UFC on the map subliminally seduce their supporters with access and promises of fame and opportunity, and fighters and media members alike get sucked into those kind of management theatrics. In turn, you don’t end up with much investigative reporting in MMA media circles, and fighters who ask a lot of questions and demand better contract conditions don’t get re-signed or set up with prime fight match-ups.

It took the main event result to really clarify the issue for me of how the UFC constantly keeps the focus on their supposed ability to create superstars just by letting a fighter sign any contract with the organization. Some who agree that’s the case would say it was the organization’s ability to see enough talent in O’Malley to put him on Dana White’s Contender Series that led to the spectacular rise to fame the new champ’s riding. Certainly, O’Malley wouldn’t have even been in Boston Saturday night if he never got into the organization. However, there have been plenty of DWCS fighters who didn’t get any more UFC opportunities because they lost that entry-level fight. O’Malley had to win and keep winning to be where he was on Saturday night.

The point is: Sean O’Malley’s cult following and tremendous self-confidence is a result of his own personal crusade to be someone special with unlimited potential and amazing talent. He would never even be in the conversation for a title if he did not put in all the untold hours in the gym striving to be better. The UFC did not create Sean O’Malley, they just gave him a platform to show what kind of fighter he could be. And while he is enjoying the superstardom the UFC will credit themselves for, O’Malley has to know the only way he can maximize his earning potential is to eclipse the organization itself. He has to go above and beyond their restrictive financial borders to a sport where the revenue share is so much better and a guy like Francis Ngannou can make more in one fight than he made in his entire UFC career.

So, If Dana White really did make Sean O’Malley his pet project as Aljamain Sterling suggested, he did a great job. Unfortunately, the monster he created may come back to bite him in the long run. Another UFC co-promoted boxing card will get too many of their employees trying to take the same route and wondering why Dana’s little buddy is getting all the breaks and benefits. Veterans and newcomers will both likely look at any hyped up Davis vs. O’Malley boxing match as an admission by their leadership that the UFC can’t pay their fighters enough to keep them in the cage.

“Kid, you have no idea how much money you’re gonna to make,” Dana White told O’Malley after the win according to a recent O’Malley interview. I imagine in his head, Dana finished that thought with “us.”

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Multiple High-Profile Fights Added to Both Nights of BELLATOR MMA’s Hawaii Double-Header on April 21 and 22

BELLATOR 295 MAIN CARD GETS AN UPDATED MAIN CARD START TIME OF 11 P.M. ET/8 P.M. PT

FRIDAY’S SHOW IS FREE TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS, MILITARY PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHILE TICKETS FOR SATURDAY’S EVENT ARE CURRENTLY ON SALE

LOS ANGELES – The two main cards for BELLATOR MMA’s annual doubleheader on the Hawaiian island of Oahu are complete with the addition of today’s confirmed bouts. 

Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to a pair of events on back-to-back nights with BELLATOR 294 taking place Friday, April 21 and BELLATOR 295 taking place Saturday, April 22

BELLATOR 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 – Friday, April 21

Main card airs live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. local HST

BELLATOR 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 on Fridayhas two new main card contests, bringing Friday’s slate to five fights in total. Former BELLATOR bantamweight title challenger and No. 5-ranked Danny Sabatello (13-2) will return to action for the first time since his shot at the world championship, when he competes against Marcos Breno (15-2), who surprised many people when he bested Josh Hill on the scorecards in his BELLATOR debut. A welterweight contest pitting Levan Chokheli (11-2) and American Top Team’s Michael Lombardo (13-3) is also official for the SHOWTIME-aired portion of the event.

The preliminary card for BELLATOR 294 currently features four fights, including No. 4-ranked heavyweight Tyrell Fortune (12-3), who looks to get back to his winning ways against Russia’s Sergei Bilostennyi (10-2). No. 5-ranked light heavyweight Alex Polizzi (10-2) returns to the BELLATOR cage and will compete against a streaking Karl Moore (11-2), who holds the No. 8 ranking. A lightweight tilt between five-fight BELLATOR veteran Killys Mota (14-3) and promotional newcomer Kenneth Cross (13-3) is official, as is a 145-pound bout between Oregon’s Cris Lencioni (10-3) tangling with Blake Smith (7-3). Rounding out the preliminary card is a middleweight affair between Colorado’s Anthony “Sugafoot” Adams (9-3) and Tajikistan’s Sharaf “Sherkhan” Davlatmurodov (18-4-1).

The card is headlined by a Women’s Flyweight World Championship main event rematch pitting current champion and U.S. Marine Liz Carmouche (18-7) against No. 4 ranked flyweight challenger, DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1). In the evening’s co-main event, No. 6-ranked heavyweight and Minnesota National Guardsman Tim Johnson (15-9) will compete against Said Sowma (8-4). A women’s featherweight contest featuring former UFC title challenger Sara McMann (13-6), who makes her highly anticipated BELLATOR debut against former No. 1 contender, Arlene Blencowe (15-9).

Friday night’s event is being held in honor of America’s Military, Veterans and First-Responders, all of whom are eligible to attend the event with a guest for free entry the day of with valid proof of ID. Free admission is based on a limited capacity and available on a first come-first serve basis.

The BELLATOR 294 preliminary card will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST. The complete bout listing for both events can be found below.

BELLATOR 295: Stots vs. Mix – Saturday, April 22

Updated Start Time – Main card airs live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT/5 p.m. local HST

The main card for Saturday’s BELLATOR 295: Stots vs. Mix event has also been sweetened with the addition of homegrown BELLATOR talent and No. 3-ranked Aaron Pico (10-4), who returns from his highly publicized shoulder injury to square off against Brazil’s Otto Rodrigues (13-1), who makes his BELLATOR debut.

The preliminary portion of Saturday’s event also features multiple new, high-profile additions confirmed including a marquee bout pitting two top-ten contenders against each other at featherweight, when No. 6-ranked Mads Burnell (16-4) tests his skills against No. 7-ranked Justin Gonzales (14-1). No. 8-ranked Ilara Joanne (11-6) meets fellow Brazilian Bruna Ellen (6-4) in a women’s flyweight contest, and a welterweight tilt between Alexey Shurkevich (13-5) and Japan’s Masayuki Kikuiri (8-2-1). 

BELLATOR 295 on Saturday is main evented by the Finals of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix, which will see current Interim Champion Raufeon Stots (19-1) face No. 2-ranked Patchy Mix (17-1). In the co-main event, the pride of Honolulu, No. 3-ranked Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (12-2) looks to defend home turf against Japan’s No. 2-ranked Kana Watanabe (11-1-1). Also, at 125-pounds, former BELLATOR World Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (31-5) moves down a division to welcome former UFC Title Challenger Ray Borg (16-5) to the Paramount-owned promotion.

Tickets for BELLATOR 295: Stots vs. Mix are on sale now and are available at Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

The BELLATOR 295 preliminary card will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT/1 p.m. HST. The complete bout listing for both events can be found below.

BELLATOR 294: CARMOUCHE VS. BENNETT 2 MAIN CARD:

Friday, April 21 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. HST (local)

Flyweight World Title Bout: C-Liz Carmouche (18-7) vs. #4-DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #6-Tim Johnson (15-9)vs. Said Sowma (8-4)

Featherweight Bout: #2-Arlene Blencowe (15-9) vs. Sara McMann (13-6)

Bantamweight Bout: #5-Danny Sabatello (13-2) vs. Marcos Breno (15-2)

Welterweight Bout: Levan Chokheli (11-2, 1 NC) vs. Michael Lombardo (13-3, 1 NC)

BELLATOR 294: CARMOUCHE VS. BENNETT 2 PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST (local)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #5-Alex Polizzi (10-2) vs. #8-Karl Moore (11-2)

Lightweight Bout: Killys Mota (14-3) vs. Kenneth Cross (13-3)

Heavyweight Bout: #4-Tyrell Fortune (12-3, 1 NC) vs. Sergei Bilostennyi (10-2)

Featherweight Bout: Cris Lencioni (10-3) vs. Blake Smith (7-3)

Middleweight Bout: Anthony Adams (9-3) vs. Sharaf Davlatmurodov (18-4-1)

BELLATOR 295: STOTS VS. MIX MAIN CARD:

Saturday, April 22 – live on SHOWTIME

11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT/5 p.m. HST (local)

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Final: IC-Raufeon Stots (19-2) vs. #2-Patchy Mix (17-1)

Flyweight Bout: #3-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (12-2) vs. #2-Kana Watanabe (11-1-1)

Featherweight Bout: #3-Aaron Pico (10-4) vs. Otto Rodrigues (13-1)

Flyweight Bout: Kyoji Horiguchi (31-5) vs. Ray Borg (16-5)

BELLATOR 295: STOTS VS. MIX PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT/1 p.m. HST (local)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Mads Burnell (16-4) vs. #7-Justin Gonzales (14-1)

Lightweight Bout: Yancy Medeiros (16-8, 1 NC) vs. Charlie Leary (17-13-1)

Featherweight Bout: Kai Kamaka III (10-5-1) vs. Adli Edwards (9-2)

Flyweight Bout: #9Sumiko Inaba (5-0) vs. #7-Veta Arteaga (7-4)

Featherweight Bout: Keoni Diggs (10-2) vs. Weber Almeida (7-1)

Lightweight BoutBobby King (12-5) vs. Aalon Cruz (10-4)

Heavyweight Bout: Davion Franklin (5-1) vs. Kasim Aras (7-1)

Flyweight Bout: #8-Ilara Joanne (11-6) vs. Bruna Ellen (6-4)

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Shurkevich (13-5) vs. Masayuki Kikuiri (8-2-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events – click links for updated fight cards

Fri. Mar. 31 // BELLATOR 293: Golm vs. James // Pechanga Resort Casino // Temecula, CA

Fri. Apr. 21 // BELLATOR: 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 // Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, HI

Sat. Apr. 22 // BELLATOR: 295: Stots vs. Mix // Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, HI

Fri. May 12 // BELLATOR 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards // Accor Arena // Paris, France

Complete Results, Photos, Quotes, & Videos for BELLATOR MMA 291: Amosov vs. Storley 2

FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS HERE – PLEASE CREDIT: LUCAS NOONAN/BELLATOR MMA

POST-FIGHT INTERVIEWS HERE

Dublin – BELLATOR 291 saw Yaroslav Amosov (27-0) mark his return to the BELLATOR cage in perfect fashion, as he unified the BELLATOR Welterweight World Title with a victory over Logan Storley. Amosov also continues to boast the longest active win streak in MMA, adding to his record for the first time since returning to Ukraine to defend his country in 2022.

In the co-main event Jeremy Kennedy silenced the home crowd as he defeated Pedro Carvalho with a unanimous decision victory. ‘JBC’ will be hoping to move closer to a title shot as he continues to climb the featherweight rankings following his statement victory in the Irish capital.

BELLATOR announced its return to the ‘Emerald Isle’ will come on Saturday, September 23 with what will undoubtedly be a stacked card at the 3Arena in Dublin. More information will be announced soon. BELLATOR returns to action on Friday, March 10 for BELLATOR 292: Nurmagomedov vs. Henderson at theSAP Center San Jose, CA. The card airs in the U.S. on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

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BELLATOR MMA 291 MAIN CARD RESULTS:

  (C) Yaroslav Amosov (27-0) defeated #1-Logan Storley (14-1) via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

Amosov quotes:“I feel very good because I waited for this for a long time. I train hard training, and I feel a lot of motivation and responsibility. Now, I relax. I’ll relax after the fight, and I’m happy because I think I gave my country a good day. It’s the first time I’ve had big support in the cage. In America, I’ve had support, but not like today. Many Ukrainian flags, many Ukrainian people. My uncle, my friends; I see many people. It was a big support, and it gave me very good energy.”

On His Message to the People of Ukraine: “Thank you for my country, thank you for my army and the fans. It was for my country. Today I think it is a very good day for my country. To hold two gold belts.”

On If He’s the Best Welterweight on the Planet: “I think yes, [that was my best performance]. Of course [I think I’m the best welterweight in the world]. I am here. If a UFC champion wants to fight, come to BELLATOR. Scott Coker will give the contract, and we’ll make the fight.”

On His First Match with Logan Storley: “Before this fight, I said this fight was different. I have many kilograms that I cut for my first match with Logan [Storley]. Now I had a very good camp and recovery as well as different training. Every day I train hard and become better. I have the best team with me. He’s [Logan Storley] a very good fighter, and I knew this. All people who enter the cage are strong, so if you go in the cage, you’re a high-level fighter. It’s not a surprise to me, but I’m ready [for everything].”

On Training with BELLATOR Middleweight World Champion Johnny Eblen: “He’s my friend [Johnny Eblen]. I train with him every time, he’s very high level. He’s a very good fighter and a real champion. When we spar, many people watch and I think it’s beautiful.”

#5-Jeremy Kennedy (19-3) defeated #3-Pedro Carvalho (13-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Kennedy quotes: “I’m happy with the win, regardless. I would’ve liked to get the finish, but there’s a lot of circumstances whenever you travel across the world. I’m just ready for the next one. It was my rehydration, I think. I made mistakes on the rehydration. I was really dry – I wasn’t sweating, but I felt exhausted there; my gas tank’s [normally] much better than that. He had a tight squeeze right at the beginning but he jumped for it too early but I think I am the best grappler in the division. He had a little bit of a squeeze but it ultimately got me the takedown. I wanted to really hurt him with some hands, but he’s a pressure fighter. I thought I could sit him down, but as soon as I got ahold of him, I was like, ‘This is my path to victory.’”

On Fighting for the Title Next: “I believe so, I don’t know who else is there for me to fight. Three wins in a row. Sanchez, Pico, and Carvalho and they have all been dominant victories.. I’ve been all around the world; it’s a cool way to see the world. In a perfect world, I get to fight somewhere in the United States, but I’d fight ‘Pitbull’ in a WalMart. I’m coming. I’ve been on his heels the whole time. When I was fighting Borics and I was fighting Pico, I was like: I can’t wait to get the opportunity to fight him. Now there’s talk of him going down to 135; he’s probably calling his nutritionist right now because he doesn’t want this fight. Let’s do it. We can go ASAP. I’ll fight him in any corner of the world, in any timeframe.”

Bryce Logan (12-8) defeated #10-Peter Queally (12-8) via TKO (punches) at 2:32 of round two

#3-Sinead Kavanagh (9-5) defeated Janay Harding (6-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Kavanagh quotes: “I feel good. It feels good to get back in there. It was a nice win. I went and put on a show, and that’s all I needed to do. I kept in one piece; I can go again soon, which is great. I put on a clinic. I knew she was a striker, so I showed in there what I’ve done for the last 12 weeks. All is good.”

On a Potential Rematch with Cris Cyborg: “That’s two great wins, and I put on a show both times. I’m ready. I want [Cris] ‘Cyborg’ in Dublin. That’s what I want. Fight the best in Ireland, Sinead Kavanagh. I’ve been well-prepared for Cris ‘Cyborg.’ I won’t rush into things. I’ll be ready.”

“I got a good 15 minutes [in] there. Good strikes. My power was there. I do want ‘Cyborg’ here. I want her in Dublin. But that’s in September, that’s too long. I want another one and then ‘Cyborg.’”

On Rectifying the Outcome from First Harding Fight: “It feels good; I got me win back. It’ll be on my record forever. I did win, and I am better.”

Ciaran Clarke (7-0) defeated Leonardos Sinis (11-6-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Clarke quotes: “It was a clean performance. I obviously would’ve liked the finish. [Opponent Leonardos Sinis has] fought at welterweight and lightweight before; he’s a big lad.”

On his Opponent’s Size Advantage, Weight Miss: “I thought he was a good actor. Look, I didn’t think that mattered at all because I knew I was giving up a few kilos anyways. It was a catchweight and he missed weight. I knew he was coming big.”

On What He Wants Next: “Two Dublin shows every year. Get better for the next one, end of June, July. Those decisions, all of my decisions, I had 10-8 rounds. 7-0. I think that’s right up there with the win streaks in the company. It’s a bit gray with BELLATOR; the rankings are solid, then it’s gray underneath that. People are mentioning the rankings — I’m trying to gradually get to that point. If they offer it, I’ll accept it because that’s just who I am, but as long as it makes sense and its progression. I’m here in BELLATOR; whatever they say I’m worthy of.”

On a Potential Matchup with Khasan Magomedsharipov: “I think we match up well and like said I will fight anyone. They’re all getting behind me: the whole town, the whole country, I feel. They’re bringing buses up. I really feel like a winner already. I’ve brought the whole town here. People talk. That buzz in the town, everyone gets behind me. It’s unreal.”

PRELIMINARY CARD:

#9-Karl Moore (11-2) defeated Maciej Różański (14-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Mike Shipman (15-4) defeated Charlie Ward (10-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Oleg Popov (16-1) defeatedGokhan Saricam (8-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Norbert Novenyi Jr. (6-0) defeated Andy Manzolo (26-7) via TKO at 3:12 of round one

Brian Moore (16-9) defeated Luca Iovine (18-9) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Richie Smullen (10-2-1) defeated Piotr Niedzielski (17-5) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Darragh Kelly (3-0) defeated Dorval Jordan (2-3) via TKO (punches) at 1:58 of round three

Asaël Adjoudj (5-1) defeated Liam McCracken (3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Khasan Magomedsharipov (8-0) defeated Rafael Hudson (7-5) via TKO at 4:40 of round one

Jena Bishop (5-0) defeated Elina Kallionidou (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Kenny Mokhonoana (5-0) defeated Craig McIntosh (3-5) via TKO (elbows) at 3:13 of round one

Dmytrii Hrytsenko (8-0) defeated Daniele Scatizzi (12-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Steven Hill (7-0) defeated Joel Kouadja (7-10)via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:03 of round two

*Card subject to change 

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For more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit BELLATOR.com

Updated Schedule of BELLATOR Events

Fri. March 10 // BELLATOR 292: Nurmagomedov vs. Henderson // SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. March 31 // BELLATOR 293: Golm vs. James // Pechanga Resort Casino // Temecula, CA

Fri. April 21 // BELLATOR 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, Hawaii

Sat. April 22 // BELLATOR 295: Stos vs. Mix // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu, Hawaii

Fri. May 12 // BELLATOR 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards // Accor Arena // Paris, France

Sat. Sept. 23 // BELLATOR Dublin // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

UNDEFEATED AMATEURS WILL SQUARE OFF IN BANGOR FOR BANTAMWEIGHT STRAP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bangor, Maine (November 14, 2022) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on February 11, 2023, with its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event “NEF 51: Banger in Bangor.”  The fight promotion has announced an amateur title fight for the card.  Key Baltazar (2-0) is scheduled to face Nate Dorr (2-0) for the vacant NEF Amateur Bantamweight Title.

Key Baltazar remains undefeated after debuting as an amateur in 2022.  His first fight took place at “NEF 46” last February in Portland.  Baltazar submitted Quinn Poirier that evening in the second round.  He would return this past summer at “NEF 48” to take on Hannon Sanford.  After a hard-fought, three-round battle, Baltazar got the win by unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.  He currently represents Nostos MMA based in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

“I like the energy Nate brings into the cage,” noted Baltazar.  “But that’s about it. I’m excited to show a different side of my style. The bantamweight belt will go home with me to Nostos.”

Like Baltazar, Nate Dorr also made his amateur MMA debut in 2022 and is currently undefeated with two wins.  His first fight was against Tyler Parent last spring at “NEF 47” in Auburn, Maine.  Dorr was able to pull out a unanimous decision victory in that bout.  He would return at “NEF 48” for his sophomore fight against Clifford Redman.  Dorr defeated the more experienced Redman via technical knockout in the first round.  He represents Acadia BJJ based in Ellsworth, Maine.

“The belt has always been in my sights,” said Dorr. “I’ve been training for that title shot this entire time and I feel ready. Didn’t expect a shot this early, but I have every intention of wearing that belt after the fight.”

“NEF 51: Banger in Bangor” is scheduled for Saturday night, February 11, 2023, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  Tickets are available now at www.TicketMaster.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

NEF CLOSES OUT TENTH YEAR OF BUSINESS WITH SOLD-OUT, BLOCKBUSTER EVENT IN PORTLAND

On a milestone New England Fights card dominated by first-round fireworks, Jonathan Piersma went the distance with a ground-and-pound clinic and overwhelmed one of the promotion’s most enduring stars Saturday night.

Piersma followed his gameplan to the letter and hammered out a unanimous decision over Ryan Sanders to win the vacant professional welterweight title in the main event of NEF 50, held at Aura in Portland, Maine.

Fighting in front of a sold-out crowd heavy with Sanders’ supporters and targeted by the Bangor, Maine veteran’s taunts and trash talk in the lead-up to the fight, Piersma (5-1) arrived from Rochester, New York, and did all his talking on the canvas.

True to Sanders’ forecast that he would shoot for the leg and try to force the action to the mat, Piersma did so in every round and never gave Sanders enough breathing room to unleash his vaunted strikes.

Piersma swept all five rounds on each of three scorecards and enjoyed the last word on the microphone in the center of the cage.

“It feels good to win in my first trip to Maine,” Piersma said. “He did a lot of talking, and he’s a tough guy, but I felt like I dominated the fight.”

All but one of Piersma’s wins as a pro have gone to the final bell. The setback for Sanders (20-10) ended a streak of five consecutive wins by stoppage, four in the first round.

Others experienced that rush on the historic anniversary docket with a parade of electrifying, early endings.

Twelve supporting bouts reached a verdict in the first round, several in a matter of a few seconds. Two others were halted in the second stanza, while only one bout prior to the main event went to the scheduled limit.

Jared Turcotte, Ras Hylton, and Robert Gray were the three prime contenders for knockout of the night.

Turcotte, formerly one of Maine’s most decorated high school and college football players, backed up a 35-second choke-out in his summer debut with a 13-second demolition of Regian Da Silva, Jr.

After a brief exchange in the center of the cage, Turcotte landed one shot that sent his New Hampshire opponent by way of Brazil into la-la land.

“I work hard at this. My goal is to get knockouts, and that’s what the fuck happened,” Turcotte said. “My goal actually was for this one to get to the second round, but I’ll take a 13-second KO any time.”

Bellator veteran Hylton (9-6) has decked his past two opponents in a total of 29 seconds. He expended only 16 ticks of the watch Saturday in a heavyweight shellacking of Indiana’s Jordan Mitchell.

Hylton followed Mitchell to the canvas after the first haymaker and continued his assault to solidify the stoppage.

He dedicated the win to his wife, Janice, in honor of 10 years together.

“She took a drug-addled moron and turned him into something respectable,” the heavy hitter known to his fans as Rasquatch and the Jamaican Shamrock said.

In an amateur cruiserweight contest, Robert Gray (1-0) knocked out Cody Dular (1-1) in 30 seconds.  Gray landed a right hand so powerful that it actually launched Dular off his feet into the air.  Dular was unconscious for several moments following the knockout and needed attention from the ringside physician.

In an eagerly anticipated grudge match, Matt Denning (8-16) entered the cage in arguably the best shape of his career and exploded to a convincing win over Carl Langston (2-7) at 145 pounds.

Denning backed up his own self-assured forecast and simultaneously dispelled Langston’s claim that he was merely fighting for the paycheck. After intercepting one of several sweeping kicks from Langston, Denning gained control of his opponent’s back and earned a tap to rear naked choke at 1:01 of the first round.

The quick turn of events ended Langston’s modest two-match winning streak as a pro while giving Denning his third win out of eight fights in the past six months alone.

Three other pro bouts ended in short order.

Mohammad Al Kinani (4-1) spoiled Tymar Miles’ debut with a technical knockout in 1:57. It was the second straight win for the rising lightweight star.

Detroit’s Darren Gibbs (3-10) showed that his record is beyond deceiving with a vicious kick to the inside of Nate Grimard’s leg, followed by a heelhook to end the night for Grimard (2-2) at 1:49 in their 150-pound catchweight clash.

Brian Cosco, a knockout victim of Denning in his pro debut earlier the year, turned the tables and spoiled the maiden paying voyage for Justin Kangas with a keylock at 1:18.

As was the case on the pro side, the main amateur attraction also went to the scorecards, with Zach Faulkner (5-3) grinding out a majority decision over newcomer Chase O’Brien.

O’Brien landed a late barrage that might have ended the fight in a few more seconds. Instead, he settled for a 28-28 draw in one judge’s view and a slim 29-28 loss on the other two cards.

Danny Wahlberg rose from the ashes to defeat Eddy Pena by rear naked choke at 2:13 of the second round in easily the most sensational comeback of the evening.

Pena may have emptied his arsenal with an explosion that nearly persuaded the referee to call a halt on at least two occasions. In desperation mode, Wahlberg threw a couple of token counterpunches before taking Pena’s back to set up the fantastic finish to the featherweight scrap.

In another stunning twist of plot, Nick Mulrey (2-0) escaped a near-guillotine from Chris Strout (0-3) and just as quickly locked in a D’arce choke to hasten the end of their featherweight showdown in only 41 seconds.

The lone women’s bout of the occasion went to Cassidy Bedard (2-0), who subdued Lindsey Kelley by rear naked choke with just 20 seconds remaining in their opening round. It was the mixed martial arts debut for Kelley, who accepted the challenge on two weeks’ notice.

Other amateur results:

Ed Davis (2-0) defeated Patrick Mitchell (1-1) by strikes one minute into the first round.

Tristan Wood (1-0) overpowered Armon Bryant (0-1) via guillotine at 42 seconds of the second round.

Soren Mercer (1-0) finished Rosen Iliev (0-1) with an arm triangle at 1:55 of the first round.

Teddy Politis (3-1) TKO’d Aaron Rodriguez (0-1) in the second round at 1:23.

NEF announced that its next card is set for Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. One of the featured attractions at NEF 51: “Banger in Bangor” will be an amateur title bout between 2-0 bantamweights Key Baltazar and Nate Dorr. Tickets are available now at www.TicketMaster.com

NO. 10-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHTWEIGHT GADZHI RABADANOV WILL REPRESENT THE PROMOTION AT THE HISTORICAL BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN EVENT AGAINST JAPAN’S KOJI TAKEDA ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

Los Angeles — BELLATOR MMA has announced that its fifth participant for the New Year’s Eve spectacle against RIZIN Fighting Federation opponents will be No. 10-ranked lightweight, Gadzhi Rabadanov (18-4-2), taking on 27-year-old Japanese standout Koji Takeda (15-3) in a compelling matchup between two competitors riding high on the strength of consecutive victories.

A first-of-its-kind blockbuster co-promotion, BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZIN takes place inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday, December 31, and can be seen in the United States on SHOWTIME at 8 p.m. ET/PT on New Year’s Eve.

Rabadanov versus Takeda will join a star-studded five-fight BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZIN main card, which is stacked from top to bottom with current and former champions competing in the four-sided ring under RIZIN’s unique rules. Headlining the event will be a dream matchup between RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza (14-1) against No. 3 BELLATOR pound-for-pound talent AJ “Mercenary” McKee (19-1), with BELLATOR and RIZIN featherweight champions Patricio Pitbull (34-5) and Kleber Koike (31-5-1) co-headlining the must-see event.

Former BELLATOR champions Juan “The Spaniard” Archuleta (26-4) and Kyoji Horiguchi (30-5) will round out the unparalleled main card, facing off with RIZIN’s Soo Chul Kim (18-6-1) and Hiromasa Ougikubo (25-6-2), respectively.

Gadzhi Rabadanov, 29, signed with BELLATOR in 2021 after capturing the Eagle FC lightweight title, and has made an immediate impact on the promotion’s remarkably deep lightweight division. He announced his arrival in thunderous fashion at BELLATOR 263 with an emphatic viral knockout of Daniel Carey, which he followed up with back-to-back dominant unanimous decision victories over Jay Jay Wilson and Bobby King in 2022. The product of the renowned Club Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s School in Dagestan and the prestigious American Kickboxing Academy, Rabadanov’s pedigree is world-class. On New Year’s Eve, Rabadanov will look to continue building upon his momentum with an impressive performance against Koji Takeda.

“It is a childhood dream come true to fight in Japan at the legendary Saitama Super Arena,” said Rabadanov. “I’m very excited and I know I have a tough opponent, who always leaves everything in the ring. Expect a masterpiece from me, it will be a memorable fight.”

A former DEEP lightweight champion, Japan’s Koji Takeda has been an active fighter since his 2017 professional debut. Takeda boasts a compelling case for inclusion on this historic fight card, winning seven of his last ten and three of his last four outings under the RIZIN and DEEP banners. Takeda is also familiar with BELLATOR foes; he has previously fought Spike Carlyle and submitted Zach Zane by armbar, both of whom fought recently for the Scott Coker-led promotion. Takeda will look to add a third straight win to his resume against the highly-touted Rabadanov in his hometown of Saitama, Japan, on December 31.

BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME

Saturday, December 31 — 8 PM ET/PT

Lightweight Non-Title Main EventAJ McKee (19-1) vs. Roberto de Souza (14-1)

Featherweight Non-Title Main Event: Patricio Pitbull (34-5) vs. Kleber Koike (31-5-1)

Bantamweight Feature Bout: Juan Archuleta (26-4) vs. Soo Chul Kim (18-6-1)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Kyoji Horiguchi (30-5) vs. Hiromasa Ougikubo (25-6-2)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Gadzhi Rabadanov (18-4-2) vs. Koji Takeda (15-3)

For more information on this and other upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit Bellator.com.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events – click links for updated fight cards


Fri. Nov. 18 // BELLATOR 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 / Pitbull vs. Nurmagomedov // Wintrust Arena // Chicago, Il.


Fri. Dec. 9 // BELLATOR 289: Stots vs. Sabatello // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Sat. Dec. 31 // BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZIN // Saitama Super Arena // Tokyo, Japan


Fri. Feb. 24 //BELLATOR: DUBLIN // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

COMPLETE BELLATOR 280: BADER VS. KONGO FIGHT CARD CONFIRMED FOR THIS FRIDAY NIGHT

RYAN BADER DEFENDS HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST NO. 2 RANKED CHEICK KONGO IN MAIN EVENT REMATCH IN PARIS

MELVIN MANHOEF’S FAREWELL BOUT DELAYED AFTER THE DUTCHMAN WITHDRAWS DUE TO INJURY, YOEL ROMERO NOW MEETS NO. 7 RANKED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT ALEX POLIZZI IN CO-MAIN EVENT

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PARIS – A massive night of championship-level MMA guaranteed to bring fireworks is set for this Friday, May 6 from the Accor Arena in Paris and airs live at a special time of 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME.

Anchoring the card will be a heated rematch between BELLATOR Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader (29-7, 1 NC) against French combat sports legend and No. 2-ranked heavyweight Cheick Kongo (31-11-2, 1 NC). Both Bader and Kongo will be looking for closure when they run it back inside the BELLATOR cage, following a controversial no-contest stemming from a disputed eye-poke during their first meeting in 2019.

In an equally action-packed co-feature event, Yoel Romero (13-6) who was originally slated to take on Melvin Manhoef at 205-pounds, has agreed to meet No. 7 ranked-Alex Polizzi (10-1) on less than a week’s notice. Polizzi has won three consecutive contests en route to his opportunity in Paris against one of the sport’s most popular athletes.

Newly announced, No.6-ranked middleweight Lorenz Larkin (23-7, 1 NC) will now face Kyle Stewart (15-5) during the Bellator 280 main card. France’s Davy Gallon (20-7-2) will go to battle in front of his fellow countrymen and women when he faces Switzerland’s Benjamin Brander (13-8) at lightweight. Opening the Bellator 280 televised card, English middleweight Mike Shipman (14-3) will clash with proud Parisian Gregory Babene (21-11, 1 NC).

Nine titillating preliminary matchups have been announced, including a smash between former featherweight title challenger Pedro Carvalho (12-5) and newly signed Polish standout Piotr Niedzielski (16-4), plus a 160-pound contract weight clash between “The True Viking” Søren Bak (15-1) and England’s Charlie Leary (17-12-1).

The preliminary bouts will stream live three and a half hours earlier at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

Limited tickets for the fight remain on sale at accorarena.com and bellator.fr. Follow Bellator France on Instagram @BellatorFrance and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorFrance/

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BELLATOR 280: BADER VS. KONGO 2 MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME (U.S.) / RMC SPORT (FRANCE) / BBC Three & BBC iPlayer (U.K.) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, May 6, 10 p.m. CEST/9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Heavyweight World Title Main Event: C-Ryan Bader (29-7, 1 NC) vs. #2-Cheick Kongo (31-11-2, 1 NC)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Yoel Romero (13-6) vs. #7-Alex Polizzi (10-1) 

Lightweight Bout: Davy Gallon (20-7-2) vs. Benjamin Brander (13-8)

Middleweight Bout: #6-Lorenz Larkin (23-7, 1 NC) vs. Kyle Stewart (15-5)

Middleweight Bout: Mike Shipman (14-3) vs. Gregory Babene (21-11, 1 NC)

BELLATOR 280: BADER VS. KONGO 2 PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6:30 p.m. CEST/12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT

Featherweight Bout: Pedro Carvalho (12-5) vs. Piotr Niedzielski (16-4)

Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (19-6) vs. Thibault Gouti (14-5)

Featherweight Bout: Fabacary Diatta (8-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-2-1)

160-lb Contract Weight Bout Søren Bak (15-1) vs. Charlie Leary (17-12-1) 

Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (16-9) vs. Gavin Hughes (10-2)

Welterweight Bout: Nicolò Solli (3-1, 1 NC) vs. Levy Carriel (3-0)

Flyweight Bout: Lucie Bertaud (3-3) vs. Katarzyna Sadura (5-4)

Middleweight Bout: Youcef Ouabbas (2-0) vs. Matthieu Duclos (2-1)

Welterweight Bout: Victor Verchere (5-1) vs. Bourama Camara (4-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR 281: MVP vs. Storley // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

Fri. June 24 // BELLATOR 282: Mousasi vs. Eblen // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, CT

Fri. Sep. 23 // BELLATOR DUBLIN // 3Arena // Dublin

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries by an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO OAHU FOR AN EXPLOSIVE TWO-NIGHT DOUBLEHEADER APRIL 22-23

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23 – BELLATOR 279 
BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX QUARTERFINALS
Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Raufeon Stots
Patchy Mix vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
 
PLUS, BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe 2
 And Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Justine Kish
 
DETAILS FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 22 TO BE ANNOUNCED
 
LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to an extremely stacked duo of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.
 
Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 will be a special event free for current military, veterans, and first responders. Matchups and additional details for the event will be announced shortly.
 
Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The headliner will see current bantamweight world champion Sergio Pettis (22-5) take on No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1), while the co-main event features a rematch between the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) and Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title.
 
Saturday’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
 
Tickets for Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 go on sale this Friday, March 11 and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena Box Office. A special presale will take place on Thursday, March 10.
 
Also scheduled for a return to action, Honolulu’s own former Women’s Flyweight World Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will return home to compete against Justine Kish (7-5) as the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight looks to start her journey back to a world title in the same arena two of the most memorable BELLATOR main events in recent memory took place. Opening the four-fight main card is another BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchup between No. 2-ranked bantamweight Patchy Mix (15-1) and former BELLATOR and Rizin Bantamweight World Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4).
 
Current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis sits at No. 7 on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list. He successfully defended his belt for the first time against former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi with a “knockout of the year” style finish at BELLATOR 272 in December. The hard-hitting Midwesterner out of Milwaukee originally captured the crown by outpointing former champion Juan Archuleta. The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be in for one of the toughest fights of his career when he takes on Raufeon Stots. Stots, who used to train alongside Pettis for several years, has been flawless since making his promotion debut in December 2019. He most recently scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Magomed Magomedov at BELLATOR 264.
 
Featherweight world champion and top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter Cris “Cyborg” has made three straight title defenses including a second-round submission of Arlene Blencowe in 2020, which surprisingly is the lone submission victory of her storied career. The Brazilian native who currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nev. is a “Grand Slam Champion” having won belts in four different organizations. She sports 20 wins by finish with victories over elite competition including Holly Holm, Leslie Smith (twice), Gina Carano and aims to further her legacy as the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time in the rematch versus Blencowe. Australia’s Blencowe is BELLATOR’s No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter and the No. 1 ranked featherweight. She has won five of her last six fights and earned her shot at the world title rematch with a unanimous decision over Pam Sorenson at BELLATOR 271 in November.
 
Currently BELLATOR’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight, Patchy Mix recently defeated James Gallagher via submission in his last outing at BELLATOR 270 in Dublin. Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions and his lone professional loss came to former champion Juan Archuleta. He now faces Horiguchi, another former world champion who hails from Takasaki, Japan. The American Top Team prodigy Horiguchi became a simultaneous, two-promotion champion in 2019 after he upset then-BELLATOR champion Darrion Caldwell while also holding the RIZIN Championship. After he was forced to relinquish his BELLATOR title due to an injury, Horiguchi nearly got his hands back on BELLATOR’s title but was stopped by current champion Sergio Pettis in December. The No. 5 ranked bantamweight now aims to get back in the winning column and recapture his belt, along with the million-dollar prize that awaits the winner of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix.           
 
BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Main Card:
Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME
10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)
 
Bantamweight World Title Bout: C-Sergio Pettis (22-5) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)
Featherweight World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg” (25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)
Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)
Bantamweight World Grand Prix Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)
 
*Card subject to change.
 
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
 

TWO WORLD TITLE FIGHTS! MCKEE-PITBULL 2, NEMKOV-ANDERSON TOP INCREDIBLY STACKED NEW FIGHT CARD SET FOR APRIL 15

UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPION A.J. MCKEE TO DEFEND BELLATOR MMA 145-POUND WORLD TITLE IN REMATCH AGAINST FORMER NUMBER ONE POUND-FOR-POUND & TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION PATRICIO PITBULL

205-POUND CHAMPION VADIM NEMKOV TO BATTLE TOP-RANKED COREY ANDERSON FOR $1 MILLION PRIZE IN BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX FINAL

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BELLATOR 277  SET FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 15, AT 10 P.M. ET/7 P.M. PT LIVE ON SHOWTIME INSIDE THE SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16, 2022) – Two outstanding world-championship showdowns. Four of BELLATOR MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighters. One highly anticipated rematch. The promotion’s all-time greatest athlete striving to avenge a highlight-reel loss to the company’s homegrown superstar. A tournament final awarding a seven-figure jackpot to the victor.

BELLATOR’s fourth phenomenal fight card of 2022 promises to be one for the ages.

Fresh off a 117-second destruction of his upcoming opponent and claiming the $1 million bounty at the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, unbeaten BELLATOR Featherweight World Titleholder A.J. McKee (18-0) hopes to take the next step toward becoming the sport’s greatest fighter as he battles former top pound-for-pound and two-division champion Patricio Pitbull (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, April 15, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME.

In the co-feature of BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World Champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2) will defend his title for the third time and aims to take home the $1 million prize three days before U.S. Tax Day when he squares off against the surging No. 1-ranked contender Corey Anderson (16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 go on sale this Friday, Feb. 18 at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com with a special presale starting the day prior.

Additionally, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-ranked Tim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-ranked Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC) in a rematch from BELLATOR 239. Their first fight ended with Johnson securing a win that earned great consideration for the 2020 KO of the Year. The preliminary bouts will stream live three hours earlier at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza at BELLATOR MMA 263 on July 31, 2021. The champion then continued the onslaught by unleashing a series of brutal unanswered head shots that floored the Brazilian legend.

Moments later as McKee prematurely raised his arms in celebration, Pitbull rose from the depths of defeat only to be greeted by a fighter hell bent on stealing his crown and claiming the $1 million prize. With the 25-time BELLATOR MMA veteran backed up against the fence, MMA’s brightest young brawler locked in a guillotine choke. With Pitbull seeming to lose consciousness, referee Mike Beltran halted matters at 1:57 of the opening frame.

“Hosting the world’s best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter and I’m happy to continue that with our card on April 15,” BELLATOR President Scott Coker said. “The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson are two fights that could headline any event on their own, but we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years.”

A native of Long Beach, Calif., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20th birthday. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, who will turn 27 eight days before his rematch against Pitbull, has shown a knack for securing lightning-fast finishes with 10 coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every fighter who has opposed him, including former World Champions Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted with a rare-modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” The winner of the 2020 Submission of the Year Award for his 71-second annihilation of Caldwell has fought a total of 33 rounds across 18 career contests (1.8 rounds per bout), while logging less than 41 total minutes in the BELLATOR cage since turning pro in August 2012.

One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he currently sits at No. 3 in the BELLATOR MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable 32-5 record with wins over elite competition, including the likes of former World Champions Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, and Daniel Straus (twice). In 2019, the 34-year-old Brazilian captured the BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship from Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. With 23 finishes in 37 professional fights, Pitbull has shown repeatedly that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.

Currently BELLATOR MMA’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Nemkov captured the BELLATOR MMA light heavyweight crown by defeating Ryan Bader via second-round TKO at BELLATOR MMA 244 in August 2020.  Riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to June 2016, the ferocious 29-year-old sports seven first-round knockouts, with two in the initial minute of action. After successfully defending his light heavyweight belt by earning a tough unanimous decision over Phil Davis, the pride of Belgorod, Russia and Fedor Emelianenko protégé scored a fourth-round submission of late replacement Julius Anglickas in the semifinals of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix during his last outing on Oct. 16, 2021.

Anderson, of Robbinsville, N.J., has ascended to the top of the BELLATOR 205-pound rankings by vanquishing seven of his past eight opponents, including a third-round stoppage of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov at BELLATOR MMA 257 on April 16, 2021. Exactly six months later at BELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, Ill., native walked into the cage to the spellbinding sounds of The Doors’ “Five to One,” and took the song title literally by knocking out Arizona State University wrestling legend Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in front of Bader’s hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz.  In his first promotional appearance, “Overtime” registered a second-round TKO over Dutch kickboxing legend Melvin Manhoef at BELLATOR MMA 251 in November 2020. Prior to joining BELLATOR, Anderson tallied a 10-5 record with a rival promotion, winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19” tournament in 2014, and boasting impressive wins over Glover Teixeira, Jan Błachowicz and Johnny Walker, among others.

Timeline

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Additional bouts will be announced soon.

BELLATOR 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2 MAIN CARD:

Friday, April 15 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 

Featherweight World Championship: CA.J. McKee (18-0) vs. No. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)

 Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. No. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Heavyweight Bout: No. 5-Tim Johnson (15-8) vs. No. 6-Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: No. 10-Kyle Crutchmer (8-1) vs. Michael Lombardo (12-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: Shane Keefe (2-0) vs. Tyson Miller (2-0)

140-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Gaston Bolanos (5-3) vs. Cass Bell (5-2)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London