MORE, 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 roto i te Uncasville, Conn. will host a stacked doubleheader weekend on Friday, E whitu. 11 and Saturday, E whitu. 12. On night one, Bellator 245is headlined by former world champsPhil Davis (21-5, 1 NC) aLyoto Machida (26-9) in a light heavyweight rematch, iaBellator 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, riteCat Zingano (10-4) e i runga iGabby Holloway (6-5) in a featherweight matchup atBellator 245, iaLiz Carmouche (13-7) meets the newly signedDeAnna Bennett (10-6-1) at flyweight during the main card ofBellator 246.

Bellator 245: Davis vs. Machida 2i runga i te Paraire, E whitu. 11 aBellator 246: Archuleta vs. Mixi runga i Rāhoroi, E whitu. 12 air live onParamount Whatunga aDAZN i 10 p.m. ET/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 iBellator 231 in October of last year. A four-time NCAA D-I All-American wrestler at Penn State University, "Mr. 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 CarvalhoiBellator 213and would later go on to defeat the now-retiredChaelinside 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 iBellator 238 mua i tenei tau, 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 (Welterweight marama, Kōmāmā, flyweight and bantamweight). Following a hard-fought featherweight world title bout withPatricio Pitbull last September, “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.20i roto i te fenua Tapone. 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. Na, 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) i taumahamaha te marama; hard-hitting heavyweightsTyrell Fortune(8-1) aJack May(11-6) collide; “Killa” Keith Lee (6-3) kanohiDominic “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) aNeiman Gracie (9-1) square off in the co-main event; Derek "Ko e tāriana" Campos(20-10) aRoger “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) e i runga iRas “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.

WhakahōutiaBellator 245: Davis vs. Machida 2Kāri Main:

Whatunga Paramount me DAZN

Rāmere, E whitu. 11 - 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Phil Davis(21-5, 1 NC) vs.Lyoto Machida (26-9)

Featherweight Co-Main Event: Cat Zingano(10-4) vs.Gabby Holloway(6-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Na ka Ruth (8-2) vs.Taylor Johnson(5-1)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels(2-1) vs.Peter Stanonik(5-4)

Updated Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel

Taumaha Maamaa Taumaha Pae Tuatahi: Rafael Carvalho(16-4) vs.Alex Polizzi(6-0)

Taumaha Whakatupuranga Tuatahi: Tyrell Fortune(8-1) vs.Jack May(11-6)

140-LB. Contract Weight Preliminary Bout: Keith Lee(6-3) vs.Dominic Mazzotta(15-3)

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WhakahōutiaBellator 246: Archuleta vs. Mix Kāri Main:

Whatunga Paramount me DAZN

Rāhoroi, E whitu. 12 - 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Juan Archuleta(24-2) vs.Patchy Mix(13-0)

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

Flyweight Feature Bout: Liz Carmouche (13-7) vs.DeAnna Bennett(10-6-1)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Derek Āpure(20-10) vs.Roger Huerta(24-12-1, 1 NC)

Updated Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Ty Gwerder(4-1) vs.George Tokkos(4-1)

Taumaha Whakatupuranga Tuatahi: Davion Franklin (1-0) vs.Ras Hylton(6-4)

*Ka whakarerekehia te kaari.

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