Lossis Archives: Darion Caldwell

FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS, QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR MMA 259: CYBORG VS. SMITH 2

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COMPLETE FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS HERE (PLEASE CREDIT: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

POST-FIGHT VIDEO INTERVIEWS HERE

c-Cris Cyborg (24-2, 1 NC) defeated #4-Leslie Smith (12-9-1) via TKO (strikes) tom 4:51 kev hloov tsib

Cris Cyborg after retaining the title:

“I knew she was tough and I’ve fought her before. I know her and respect her and she’s a real fighter. I knew with her it would be a great match, because she’s capable and she’s tough.

“I was really working in sparring to keep going and going because I knew it was going to be this way. I noticed I enjoyed it a little more. It’s going to be 16 years as a professional fighter this month so I started to enjoy it in there.



“I’ve been working on grappling my whole life but I just feel like I’m getting better and better every day. I got a black belt, but it’s like a white belt because I’m always learning.

“I’ve been doing this 16 xyoo, I’ve got four titles. But before you can be a G.O.A.T. you have to fight the ‘Cat.’ So, I’d like to fight with Cat Zingano and I will ask Scott Coker. Because before you can be a G.O.A.T. you have to fight the ‘Cat.’”

#6-Leandro Higo (20-5) defeated Darrion Caldwell (15-5) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for three years now. It’s exactly how I wanted it to go. I used my wrestling and I used my jiu-jitsu. I’m a complete fighter and I’m ready for any fighter on the planet because I believe I’m the best. I knew I had lost the first round, but in the second when he was throwing all those elbows and cut me open, I’m from a poor family in Brazil and that was nothing I hadn’t seen before. I felt happy being in that cage with blood all over me.

“He ended up taking me down in the second and I went for a kimura, which is something I’m very accustomed to doing, but he reversed it but then he didn’t do anything and I hit him with a lot of strikes on bottom. A lot of elbows and strikes and I stayed very on bottom and he wasn’t doing anything. That’s why I won the second and third round.”

“I think that I deserve a title shot. I just beat three of the biggest names in the game and I just beat a former world champion. And nobody has beaten the top three guys of this world-class caliber like I have done in three consecutive wins. I’m going for that world title and that’s what’s next for me. So let’s make it fast.”

#3-Austin Vanderford (11-0) defeated #4-Fabian Edwards (9-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Austin Vanderford following his unanimous decision win:

“I like my fights bloody, whether it’s me or my opponent. I’ll get a scab. But hats off to Fabian who cut me up a little bit. But happy to get the win.”

“He was a big, strong guy. I started feeling him give me that head and arm choke. Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on it. But I knew what I was going to do. I was going to just grind it out. He’s a good striker so I had to be careful but I felt good. Wrestling … it’s my heart. I’m ready for the next step.”

Jaleel Willis (15-2) defeated Maycon Mendonca (11-5) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Hannah Guy (3-1) defeated #8-Valerie Loureda (3-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Hannah Guy following her first win inside the BELLATOR cage…

“I felt like I had really good cardio, so that was awesome because I was really worried about that a little bit. I’m so thankful she took the fight and I’m so thankful BELLATOR gave me this opportunity.

“I thought I was going to finish with the triangle (choke), honestly. She just slipped right out of there, so that was awesome of her. Her defense was really good. I was really impressed with that. I didn’t know what her ground game was but it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

“Grappling is just where I want to be if you’ve seen any of my other fights. My striking has really improved a lot though so I’m hoping to change that. But grappling has always been my strong suit. I didn’t want to just depend on my grappling, but I thought I landed some shots pretty well a few times. In this fight I thought I could see when the punches were coming. And I was able to defend a little bit better and how I’ve grown. So I’m just really proud of myself right now.”

Preliminary Card:
Saad Awad (24-13, 1 NC) defeated Nate Andrews (16-4) via KO (strikes) tom 3:16 of round one
#7-Grant Neal (6-0) defeated #8-Tyree Fortune (5-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) tom 4:20 of round one
Sumiko Inaba (2-0) defeated Kristina Katsikis (1-2) via TKO (strikes) tom 3:35 of round three
Aviv Gozali (6-0) defeated Sean Felton (5-3-1) via submission (heel hook) tom 1:17 of round one
#9-Davion Franklin (3-0) defeated Tyler King (12-10) via KO at 2:02 of round one
#7-Leah McCourt (5-1) defeated 6-Janay Harding (6-5) via submission (triangle choke) tom 2:42 of round two
Danny Sabatello (11-1) defeated Brett Johns (17-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alexander Shabliy (20-3) defeated #9-Alfie Davis (14-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

BELLATOR MMA™ CONFIRMS FULL FIGHT CARD FOR BELLATOR 259 – LIVE ON SHOWTIME® NEXT FRIDAY, MAY 21 AT 9 P.M. LI

CRIS CYBORG SET TO DEFEND WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST LESLIE SMITH IN A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED REMATCH

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LOS ANGELES– BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card forBELLATOR MMA 259: Cyborg vs. Smith 2qhov noHnub vas Xuv, Tej zaum 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The event caps off an exciting month of action for BELLATOR, and airs LIVE on SHOWTIME at9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

With plans to continue her dominance over the women’s featherweight divisionCris Cyborg(23-2, 1 NC) will put her world championship on the line against No. 4 ranked featherweightLeslie Smith(12-8-1) in a rematch to crown the world’s top 145-pound female athlete.

Tus BELLATOR MMA 259 main card on SHOWTIME is loaded from top to bottom, including former bantamweight champion Darion Caldwell (15-4) rematching Tsis yog. 6 ranked bantamweight Leandro Higo (20-5) in a 135-pound contest, a top-five middleweight clash between the undefeated No. 3 ranked Austin Vanderford (10-0) and No. 4 ranked Fabian Edwards (9-1), and a welterweight matchup that will see the streaking Jaleel Willis (14-2) face off against former LFA champion Maycon Mendonca (11-4), who’ll be making his promotional debut. Capping off the main card action will be the undefeated Jackson Wink-product and No. 9 ranked light heavyweight Christian Edwards (4-0) challenging Mississippi’s Ben Parrish (4-1).

As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMASubscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 and beyond, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.

The nine-fight preliminary card has no shortage of action-packed bouts, featuring a top-10 light heavyweight matchup between No. 7 rankedGrant Neal(5-0) and No. 8 rankedTyree Fortune(5-0) and the return of Israeli lightweight superstarAviv Gozali (5-0), as he looks to add to his five first round finishes and record breaking 11-second submission win. Ntxiv, the charismatic No. 8 ranked women’s flyweightValerie Loureda (3-0), the always-excitingSaad Awad(23-13, 1 NC), and No. 6 ranked Australian featherweightJanay Harding (6-4), who takes on No. 7 ranked Irish sensationLeah McCourt(4-1). Finally, Tsis yog. 9 ranked lightweightAlfie Davis (14-3) makes his sixth promotional appearance against BELLATOR newcomerAlexander Shabliy (19-3).

All prelims will stream live at5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Full bout listings are below:

BELLATOR MMA 259: Cyborg vs. Smith 2Main Card:

SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Featherweight World Title Main Eventc-Cris Cyborg(23-2, 1 NC) vs. #4-Leslie Smith(12-8-1)

Bantamweight Co-Main EventDarrion Caldwell (15-4) vs. #6-Leandro Higo(20-5)

Middleweight Bout#3-Austin Vanderford (10-0) vs. #4-Fabian Edwards (9-1)

Welterweight Bout: Jaleel Willis (14-2) vs.Maycon Mendonca (11-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #9-Christian Edwards (4-0) vs.Ben Parrish (4-1)

 Preliminary Card

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

5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Saad Awad (23-13, 1 NC) vs.Nate Andrews (16-3)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #7-Grant Neal (5-0) vs. #8-Tyree Fortune (5-0)

Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba (1-0) vs.Kristina Katsikis(1-1)

Lightweight Bout: Aviv Gozali (5-0) vs.Sean Felton (5-2-1)

Flyweight Bout: #8-Valerie Loureda (3-0) vs.Hannah Guy(2-1)

Heavyweight Bout: Davion Franklin (2-0) vs.Tyler King (12-9)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Janay Harding(6-4) vs. #7-Leah McCourt (4-1)

Lightweight Bout#9-Alfie Davis(14-3) vs.Alexander Shabliy(19-3)

*Card subject to change.

Please visitBellator.com for additional information.