NÍOS MÓ, THE BELLATOR DEBUTS OF FORMER TITLE CHALLENGERS CAT ZINGANO AND LIZ CARMOUCHE

LOS ANGELES— For the first time, Bellator MMA’s “FightSphere” atMOHEGAN Sun Arena i UNCASVILLE, Conn. will host a stacked doubleheader weekend on Friday, Seacht. 11 and Saturday, Seacht. 12. On night one, Bellator 245is headlined by former world champsPhil Davis (21-5, 1 NC) agusLyoto Machida (26-9) in a light heavyweight rematch, cé goBellator 246on night two sees a bantamweight world championship fight featuring top contenderJuan Archuleta (24-2) taking on the undefeatedPatchy Mix (13-0) for the vacant title.

Two former world title challengers also make their long-awaited Bellator debuts, marCat Zingano (10-4) Bíonn arGabby Holloway (6-5) in a featherweight matchup atBellator 245, cé goLiz Carmouche (13-7) meets the newly signedDeAnna Bennett (10-6-1) at flyweight during the main card ofBellator 246.

Bellator 245: Davis vs. Machida 2ar an Aoine, Seacht. 11 agusBellator 246: Archuleta vs. Mixar an Satharn, Seacht. 12 air live onLíonra Paramount agusDAZN ag 10 p.m. AGUS / 9 p.m. CT. Preliminary action will stream onBellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming days.

A former Bellator light heavyweight world champion, Phil Davis returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since stoppingKarl Albrektsson agBellator 231 in October of last year. A four-time NCAA D-I All-American wrestler at Penn State University, "An tUasal. Wonderful” has earned professional victories over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Antônio Rogério Nogueira, and the man he will face again on Sept. 11, Lyoto Machida. With eight Bellator appearances already, the San Diego-based fighter has his sights set on reclaiming his world title in the sport’s toughest light heavyweight division.

After signing with Bellator in 2018, Lyoto Machida made his highly anticipated promotional debut with a victory over former champRafael CarvalhoagBellator 213and would later go on to defeat the now-retiredChael Sonneninside the famed Madison Square Garden atBellator 222. The former UFC light heavyweight champ, known to fans around the globe as “The Dragon,” owns notable career wins over Tito Ortiz, “Shogun” Rua, Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans and Randy Couture. Having lost to Davis in the first matchup in Brazil, the native ofSalvador, Bahia, Brazil is looking for redemption and a future shot at Bellator gold.

Fresh off of an impressive victory overHenry Corrales agBellator 238 níos luaithe i mbliana, Juan Archuleta will look to capture the promotion’s vacant bantamweight strap. Fighting out of Hesperia, Calif., the 32-year-old knockout artist will once again drop down a weight class for a shot at the world title, something he successfully accomplished on four separate occasions while competing for regional promotion King of the Cage (light welterweight, lightweight, flyweight and bantamweight). Following a hard-fought featherweight world title bout withPatricio PitBull Is speisialtóir Muay Téalainnis é a ghlac a chrios teidil meáchain welter M-1 Challenge Aibreán seo caite ag, “The Spaniard” returns to bantamweight, where he has been undefeated for over five years.

Currently fighting out of Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., Patchy Mix will make his fourth appearance for Bellator, where he has tallied three first-round submission victories. The 26-year-old Buffalo, N.Y.-native hopes to remain undefeated and build off of his most recent win on New Year’s Eve, which saw “No Love” earn a guillotine choke-submission over Yuki Motoya at Bellator’s co-promotional event with Rizin atRizin.20sa tSeapáin. Prior to his time with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Mix dominated his competition in all nine of his fights with King of the Cage, collecting five first round finishes. Anois, the submission specialist will face the toughest test of his young career, a matchup with the former Bellator featherweight world title contender and a shot at Bellator’s vacant 135-pound strap.

Also announced forBellator 245…“Easy” Ed Ruth (8-2) returns to middleweight against the debutingTaylor “Tombstone” Johnson (5-1) on the main card; current Bellator Kickboxing welterweight world champRaymond “The Real Deal” Daniels(2-1) returns to MMA againstPeter Stanonik(5-4); former middleweight champRafael Carvalho(16-4) squares off with undefeatedAlex “Easy” Polizzi(6-0) ag trom éadrom; hard-hitting heavyweightsTyrell Fortune(8-1) agusJack May(11-6) collide; “Killa” Keith Lee (6-3) aghaidheannaDominic “The Honey Badger” Mazzotta (15-3) in a 140-lb. contract weight preliminary matchup.

Also announced forBellator 246…top welterweight contendersJon Fitch (32-7-2, 1 NC) agusNeiman Gracie (9-1) square off in the co-main event; Derek "An Staile" Campos(20-10) agusRoger “El Matador” Huerta(24-12-1, 1 NC) go toe-to-toe in a lightweight battle; Jackson Wink MMA heavyweight prospectDavion “The Don” Franklin (1-0) Bíonn arRas “The Jamaican Shamrock” Hylton (6-4) on the prelims; Hawaii’sTy “Savage” Gwerder(4-1) meets London’sGeorge “Tuco” Tokkos(4-1) in a middleweight contest.

NuashonraitheBellator 245: Davis vs. Machida 2Príomh Cárta:

Paramount Network and DAZN

Dé hAoine, Seacht. 11 - 10 p.m. AGUS / 9 p.m. CT

Solas Heavyweight Main Imeacht: Phil Davis(21-5, 1 NC) vsLyoto Machida (26-9)

Imeacht Comhphríomhmheáchain cleite: Cat Zingano(10-4) vsGabby Holloway(6-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Agus Ruth (8-2) vsTaylor Johnson(5-1)

Welterweight Feature Bout: raymond Daniels(2-1) vsPeter Stanonik(5-4)

Updated Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Rafael Carvalho(16-4) vsAlex Polizzi(6-0)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune(8-1) vsJack May(11-6)

140-lb. Contract Weight Preliminary Bout: Keith Lee(6-3) vsDominic Mazzotta(15-3)

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NuashonraitheBellator 246: Archuleta vs. Mix Príomh Cárta:

Paramount Network and DAZN

Dé Sathairn, Seacht. 12 - 10 p.m. AGUS / 9 p.m. CT

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Juan Archuleta(24-2) vsPatchy Mix(13-0)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Jon Fitch(32-7-2, 1 NC) vsNeiman Gracie(9-1)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Liz Carmouche (13-7) vsDeAnna Bennett(10-6-1)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Derek Réimsí(20-10) vsRoger Huerta(24-12-1, 1 NC)

Updated Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel

Middleweight Réamh Bout: Ty Gwerder(4-1) vsGeorge Tokkos(4-1)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Davion Franklin (1-0) vsras Hylton(6-4)

*Cárta faoi réir athraithe.

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