Latest Bellator MMA news. The fight league is owned by the Professional Fighters League (PFL), was founded in 2008, and is based out of Santa Monica, California.
Even at 38 years old, Lorenz Larkin is not slowing down.
Now, his next fight will present a likely last opportunity to earn gold thanks to his win at Saturday’s Bellator Champions Series event in San Diego.
Larkin, a former UFC and Strikeforce fighter, faced Levan Chokheli in the co-main event at Pechanga Arena. The Georgian appeared set to present some challenge after catching a kick from Larkin and knocking him down.
Chokheli, however, allowed the veteran back to his feet, a decision that proved to be a costly mistake when Larkin landed a right hand that wobbled Chokheli moments later.
That started a flurry, paving the way for the American to score a TKO finish in just under two minutes.
Lorenz Larkin Stops Levan Chokheli Quickly To Earn Bellator Welterweight Title Shot
Larkin has now won nine of his last 11 fights and will take on Bellator welterweight champion Ramazan Kuramagomedov at some point to be determined.
“The Monsoon” challenged for the same belt in his Bellator debut back in 2017 but fell to Douglas Lima. That result came off the back of a two-fight win streak in the UFC, with wins over Jorge Masvidal and Neil Magny concluding his four-year stint on MMA’s biggest stage.
Chokheli, meanwhile, sees a three-fight winning run snapped. He is now 4-3 under the banner of Bellator, which was acquired by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in late 2023.
The return of the Bellator brand to England’s capital has taken a major blow less than two weeks out.
After the Professional Fighters League (PFL) acquired Bellator MMA and announced the Bellator Champions Series, founder Donn Davis outlined plans for two titles to be on the line at each of the eight events.
While that promise came through for event one in Belfast, the subsequent cards in Paris and Dublin saw just one piece of gold at stake. And although that trend continues in San Diego this week, London has now lost its one and only championship clash.
But just days out, fans planning to attend have received some disastrous news…
Eblen vs. Edwards Postponed, McCourt Headlines Championshipless Champions Series Card
Topping the lineup on Sept. 14 was scheduled to be middleweight kingpin Johnny Eblen and England’s own Fabian Edwards, with the latter slated to challenge for “The Human Cheat Code’s” title for the second time in as many years.
On Tuesday, however, a post on the Bellator MMA social media accounts announced that the pair’s main event has been scrapped from the card and will be rescheduled for a later date. The reason for the cancellation is unclear as of this writing.
Next week’s Bellator Champion Series: London main event rematch featuring Johnny Eblen (15-0) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-3) Middleweight World Title fight has been rescheduled. A new fight date will be announced in the coming days. The September… pic.twitter.com/sTe2Yzf2S2
With insufficient time to book a replacement bout with similar stakes and name value, the original women’s featherweight co-main event between Leah McCourt and Sara Collins has been elevated to the headline spotlight.
That news was met with frustration from plenty of UK fans, some of whom took to the comment sections on X and Instagram to enquire about possible refunds.
Below the promoted main event matchup, notable UK names like former PFL Europe standout Simeon Powell, ex-UFC contender Marc Diakiese, and highly touted American Archie Colgan are all set to be in action.
UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov has an idea of who could inherit the promotion’s lightweight crown from Islam Makhachev upon the conclusion of his career.
Makhachev has occupied the throne at 155 pounds since UFC 280 in 2022, where he emphatically got the better of former champ Charles Oliveira, first dropping “Do Bronx” and then finding the submission in round two.
The reign of Makhachev is far from over, with a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan expected to serve as his next task. Beyond that, a potential shot at two-division glory up at welterweight could be on the cards depending on if frequent training partner Belal Muhammad remains champion.
But given how his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov departed the sport on top, comparisons with “The Eagle” have included talk of such a departure for Makhachev, who has already tied Khabib for most lightweight title wins and consecutive defenses.
When the reigning king does decide to relinquish his grip on the crown at 155 pounds, it would appear that his team already have plans for the division’s future — and they include the UFC poaching one of the PFL’s best…
Umar Reveals Plans For Nurmagomedov Takeover Post-Makhachev
Before the current titleholder reached the mountaintop, the plan had long been laid out by Khabib, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and their team for Makhachev to succeed “The Eagle.”
Now, Usman Nurmagomedov is the highly regarded lightweight seemingly lying in waiting.
“After Islam? We have plans for Usman,” Umar Nurmagomedov said. “Yes, (Usman will come to the UFC). Why not? I don’t know what’s going to be in the future, but that’s the goal.”
Usman currently rules as the Bellator 155-pound champ, now under the banner of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The undefeated Dagestani won the belt from Patricky Pitbull in 2022 and subsequently defended it against Benson Henderson.
Most recently, Nurmagomedov had a victory over Brent Primus overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance in a prescription drug. He’s set to return from suspension to defend against Alexandr Shabliy at the Bellator Champions Series event in San Diego next month.
For the second time this year, Patchy Mix will put his Bellator bantamweight title on the line in the French capital.
After unifying the titles and securing undisputed status with a submission of Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 last November, Mix returned for his first defense — and first appearance following the PFL’s acquisition of his organization — this past May.
At the second Bellator Champions Series event, the 30-year-old retained possession of his gold by narrow margins inside Paris’ Accor Arena, falling on the right side of a split decision verdict in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov.
He’ll be looking for a more definitive victory when he returns to France this November, where a first-time matchup with Brazil’s Leandro Higo awaits him at the Adidas Arena.
The Bellator main event was announced in a PFL press release this week, alongside a co-headliner between Oliver Enkamp and the highly regarded and undefeated Baissangour “Baki” Chamsoudinov, who look set to be the main attraction for the home crowd.
𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙎… 𝙒𝙀'𝙍𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆! 🇫🇷
👑🇺🇸 Patchy Mix 🆚 Leandro Higo 🇧🇷
🇫🇷 Baissangour Chamsoudinov 🆚 Oliver Enkamp 🇸🇪
Patchy Mix returns to Paris on Saturday November 16, looking to defend his Bellator Bantamweight crown once more against Brazilian number one contender… pic.twitter.com/Eo6yOqDIPn
In Higo (23-6), Mix will face an opponent looking to achieve title glory at the second time of trying. “Alter” previously fell short of the bantamweight gold against Darrion Caldwell back in 2018. Since a loss to Aaron Pico that same year, the Brazilian has won five of six, most recently winning back-to-back outings against Nikita Mikhailov and James Gallagher to secure number one contender status.
Image: PFL MMA
While headliner Mix emerged victorious at a Bellator Champions Series event in Paris this year, co-main event star Chamsoudinov (8-0) extended his undefeated record in controversial fashion under the PFL Europe banner. “Baki” competed in a highly anticipated main event against fellow French standout Cédric Doumbé this past March, but their bout came to an anticlimactic end in round three after the former Glory Kickboxing champion’s calls to remove a splinter from his toe resulted in Marc Goddard waving the contest off.
To record a more definitive win on home soil this year in what will be his Bellator Champions Series debut, “Baki” is tasked with getting past Enkamp (11-4). The Swedish 32-year-old competed six times for Bellator following an 0-2 run in the UFC. Among a number of notable highlights is the rare buggy choke he secured at Bellator 281 in London just over two years ago.
At the start of the year, former Bellator fighter Ryan Curtis suffered an injury in training that was compared by doctors to being in a severe car crash or falling from a balcony.
The freak accident required extensive surgery to replace the discs from his spine with titanium cages.
Curtis’ close friends and teammates were there to support him, his partner and his young daughter through this incredibly difficult process which started with him being paralyzed from the neck down.
Since then, thanks to the surgeries and a ton of support coming in from his loved ones, supporters and other members of the MMA community, promising updates have continued to come in.
Curtis posted on his Instagram page back in April to say that he had been able to exercise on a cycling machine while lying down, just two months on from being told that he may never walk again.
His remarkable recovery is still ongoing but once again, there are more positive signs.
Ryan Curtis Shares More Inspirational Videos Of His Recovery Process – This Time, Doing What He Does Best
The latest video to come out and track his path to recovery was once again posted by Curtis via Instagram.
A series of videos show him slowly hitting the heavy bag with gloves on, walking uphill on a treadmill and even lifting weights by sitting up without any kind of assistance.
His caption on the post says it all as this inspirational fighter continues to push towards the light at the end of the tunnel following the incredibly difficult events that he was forced to face just over six months ago.
“Sometimes life sacrifices you for what you are, So that you can be what you can become. 🧱 by 🧱 don’t ever give up on yourself.”
"You'll never walk again" "You'll be lucky if you can sit up in your bed" "Best case scenario, You'll be in wheelchair the rest of your life"
Since parting ways with the UFC after 2016, Kyoji Horiguchi has enjoyed continued success in MMA.
He went on to hold the Bellator and RIZIN bantamweight championships simultaneously until getting injured, and he is now the current (and inaugural) RIZIN flyweight champion.
With his ongoing triumphs outside of the Octagon, and given his success during his tenure with the UFC, some have wondered if Horiguchi would ever be given another shot at competing in the UFC. That question became more prominent when the fighter himself expressed interest in an Octagon comeback.
If one were to ask Horiguchi now, however, that day will never come.
In the latest episode of RIZIN Confessions, Horiguchi said he’s heard the UFC has no interest in signing him. He also called the promotion out for being focused on profits more than fighters, including a lack of promotion for the UFC’s flyweight division.
Kyoji Horiguchi Says ‘Big Shot’ UFC Has No Interest In Signing Him
“[Everyone at American Top Team is] like ‘Why can’t you get signed?’” Horiguchi said. “It’s a big mystery. ‘What? They don’t want Kyoji?’ They’re like, ‘That’s insane…if they don’t want you, I don’t know what else to do.’
“They went public and now they’re big shots. They are prioritizing profit is what I think. Like, their fight purses are very low. There are only a limited amount of guys who can live off of it. They’re not putting in the efforts for the flyweight division.”
The UFC and the flyweight division have had a tumultuous history since Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson was crowned the first champion at UFC 152 in September 2012.
After Johnson was finally dethroned by Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in August 2018 and traded to ONE Championship, there were rumors that the UFC was looking to close the flyweight division.
Horiguchi competed in the Octagon eight times between late 2013 and late 2016, going 7-1. His sole loss came against Johnson, challenging for the flyweight title at UFC 186 and getting submitted with just one second remaining in the fight.
Endeavor, the UFC’s parent company since 2016, became a publicly traded company in 2021 and was merged with WWE to form TKO in 2023.
Horiguchi will face former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis at RIZIN 47 on June 9. This will be a rematch of their Bellator bantamweight title fight from Bellator 272, which saw Pettis pull off a comeback with a spinning-backfist knockout in the fourth round to retain the title.
Mousasi had teased a potential move to light heavyweight by the end of 2022, but that plan appears to be on hold at the moment. He is coming off one of the most dominant wins of his career over Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275 in a quick TKO victory.
Mousasi earned the belt by defeating Douglas Lima for the then-vacant title at Bellator 250. He went on to successfully defend it against John Salter and most recently against Vanderford.
Mousasi also had a brief title reign by defeating Rory MacDonald at Bellator 206 in a second-round ground-and-pound barrage.
Mousasi will face a tough test in Eblen, who has been on a roll and is undefeated in his MMA career. The former NCAA wrestling standout and American Top Team trainee most recently earned lopsided wins over Salter and Collin Huckbody.
Eblen made his Bellator debut back at Bellator 218 following his full-time transition to MMA. He has also earned wins over Taylor Johnson and Mauricio Alonso on the way to the title shot.
As Helwani reported, the Mousasi vs. Eblen matchup is tentatively in the works for sometime in June. The venue and exact date regarding the planned fight could be announced within the coming weeks.
What is your prediction for the rumored Gegard Mousasi vs. Johnny Eblen fight?
MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko’s last fight in the Bellator cage won’t take place in Moscow amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Emelianenko is coming off of a violent knockout of former interim title challenger Tim Johnson last October. He returned to fight in front of the Russian faithful and delivered one of his best performances in recent memory.
Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA
Bellator and Coker had previously planned to have Emelianenko fight one more time in Moscow, but those plans have been scratched amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bellator became the latest organization in sports to take a stand against Russia’s actions and disruption of the world order.
“It’s definitely not going to happen in Moscow this year,” Coker said of Emelianenko’s next fight. “We’re not gonna do Fedor’s retirement fight there for obvious reasons. We’ll be looking for an alternative site at some point, but we’re going to sit down with Fedor when he comes to [Bellator 277] in San Jose and see what he’s thinking.”
Before his win over Johnson, Emelianenko had won three of his previous four fights over the likes of Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen, and Frank Mir. He lost to Bader for the heavyweight tournament championship at Bellator 214 via first-round knockout.
Depending on how things play out in the upcoming Bader vs. Kongo fight, Emelianenko could face the winner for his final outing. He’s arguably the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history and would love the opportunity to go out on top.
Who do you want to see Fedor Emelianenko fight before he retires?
Bellator 276 took place live tonight from The Family Arena in St. Louis Missouri, and we’ve got you covered with all the results and highlights!
In tonight’s Bellator 276 main event, Adam Borics (17-1) and Mads Burnell (16-3) looked to break the tie for the #2-ranked featherweight in the promotion. The winner of this fight is almost surely next in line to face the winner of the upcoming McKee/Pitbull rematch slated for April 15.
The co-main event featured top-5 light heavyweights Phil Davis (#2) and Julius Anglickas (#4) doing battle. Davis is a former champion who has won four of his last five bouts. In his most recent outing, Davis defeated Yoel Romero via split decision at Bellator 266. As for Julius Anglickas, he most recently headlined Bellator 268 against champion Vadim Nemkov, with Nemkov picking up the fourth-round submission victory.
You can check out the highlights for both bouts below followed by the quick results!
Bellator president Scott Coker is questioning Kayla Harrison’s decision to re-sign with the PFL and not sign with either Bellator or the UFC.
Harrison concluded her free agency this week when she opted to re-sign with the PFL on a multi-year deal. She also had conversations with the UFC and Bellator before ultimately deciding to stay loyal to PFL.
Coker and Bellator pitched the top offer to Harrison before the PFL matched shortly afterward.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Coker opined that Harrison could have ongoing issues finding elite competition in the PFL.
“With Kayla right now, I don’t know who she’s gonna fight over there,” Coker said of Harrison. “She’s got to fight the girls that are the dominant girls in that weight class, (who) are Cyborg, to me the greatest female fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes, and then Kayla. She’s growing, she’s doing very well, but she’s got to fight somebody to really showcase that she has that ability to fight at that elite level.
Kayla Harrison and Cindy Dandois in their lightweight fight at PFL 6 (PHOTO: Cooper Neill / PFL)
“And that’s why we made a run because Cris Cyborg was like, ‘Look, I’ll fight anybody, and let’s get her on.’ And we said, ‘Hey, that would be a fun fight to promote,’ but listen, it didn’t work out. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, good for them, but we’re gonna move forward with our business with Cris. We’re in the Cris Cyborg business. I just hope they find somebody to fight Kayla at some point.”
Harrison is getting ready to compete in the 2022 PFL season and will look to defend her women’s lightweight title. Harrison defeated Taylor Guardado for the PFL Championship last October.
Harrison had been rumored to be tied to superfights with former UFC champions Amanda Nunes and Cris “Cyborg” Justino. In addition to Harrison’s new deal, the PFL has announced that they will open a “superfight division” to attract top talent to the league.
Do you think Kayla Harrison made the right move to return to PFL?
Bellator MMA is set to return to Hawaii next month and will be bringing some blockbuster matchups with it to the islands.
The promotion hasn’t headed to the off-the-mainland state since it held Bellator 235 and 236 on consecutive nights in 2019. Now, with a pandemic that shut down travel, sport, and large gatherings across the world beginning to die down, the mixed martial arts spotlight is set to return to Hawaii.
As first reported by KHON2, Bellator will once again be putting on two events on back-to-back dates. As well as hosting Bellator 278 on April 22, the Neal S. Blaisdell Center will see Bellator 279 go down the very next night.
Bellator is finalizing a return to Hawaii, the weekend of April 22-23, per multiple sources. The Aloha State hasn’t held MMA events since the pandemic outbreak. April is the first month allowing permit applications.
While there’s yet to be any fights added to the opening night, Bellator 279 is already shaping up to be a must-watch card. With multiple title fights set to go down, two of Bellator’s top champions will return to action.
Challenging her in Honolulu will be familiar foe Arlene Blencowe (15-8). Since falling short of dethroning Cyborg in 2020, the Australian 38-year-old has won back-to-back contests against Dayana Silva and Pam Sorensen, earning herself a second crack at the belt.
Elsewhere, as part of the $1 million Bantamweight Grand Prix, Sergio Pettis (22-5) will put his 135-pound title on the line against Raufeon Stots (17-1). Since leaving the UFC for Bellator in 2019, “The Phenom” has built a four-fight win streak that includes a championship crowning versus Juan Archuleta and a successful defense and knockout of the year contender against the great Kyoji Horiguchi.
Like Pettis, Stots has remained unbeaten on the Bellator stage. In five appearances, “Supa” has extended his MMA win streak to nine and defeated the likes of Magomed Magomedov and Josh Hill. In 18 career fights, Stots’ one defeat came at the hands of top-10 UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili.
In another notable bout, Horiguchi (29-4) will make his third appearance in the Bellator cage against Patchy Mix (15-1). That clash will mark another first-round Grand Prix context. Elsewhere, Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will square off against Justine Kish (7-5).
Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi wants a shot at the promotion’s light heavyweight title by the end of 2022.
Mousasi is fresh off his dominant win over Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275. After a flurry of strikes from both men in the opening minute, Mousasi got the fight to the ground and finished Vanderford with a ground-and-pound barrage in the first round.
Mousasi has now won four straight since falling to Rafael Lovato Jr. at Bellator 223. He earned the Bellator middleweight title by defeating Douglas Lima at Bellator 250.
Mousasi went on to defend his title against John Salter at Bellator 264 before his recent dismantling of Vanderford. The former UFC standout has become a household name in Bellator despite being in the latter stages of his career.
“I’m going to do a weight up in Bellator,” “Even heavyweight maybe. If I win the light heavyweight belt, maybe it’s nice also to fight for the heavyweight belt. Let me get the light heavyweight belt first, and dream even bigger. At the end of the year is what my manager thinks [for light heavyweight]. To achieve something no one else [has].”
Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov will face off with former UFC contender Corey Anderson at Bellator 277. The fight will conclude the promotion’s Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix.
Mousasi has previously competed at 205 pounds but hasn’t fought at light heavyweight since beating Ilir Latifi at a UFC Fight Night in 2013. He earned a light heavyweight title in Dream by defeating Tatsuya Mizuno at Dream 16.
Mousasi has previously hinted at retirement after a few more MMA fights. Before he calls it quits, he plans on attempting to mark a few goals off his MMA bucket list and cement his legacy as arguably an all-time great.
Do you think Gegard Mousasi could beat Bellator light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov?
Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has confirmed that his promotion is in talks with rising boxing sensation Jake Paul.
Paul, who made his name as a widely-followed YouTuber and Disney star, ventured into combat sports in 2020. After victories in the ring over fellow Internet personality AnEsonGib and former NBA athlete Nate Robinson, Paul’s competition increased to MMA veterans in 2021.
Having moved to 5-0 and begun to receive more respect for both his in-ring abilities and apparent pursuit for improved fighter pay outside it, Paul’s prominence on the combat sports circuit continues to rise.
While his next steps and opponent in the squared circle are unclear, Paul has seemed increasingly keen on trying his hand at MMA in the future, a desire that’s followed constant back and forth with UFC President Dana White.
That hat feud means an appearance in the Octagon is hard to envision. However, another promotional kingpin would be happy to welcome the Cleveland native in with open arms.
Coker Tells Paul “We’re Here”
While White has always refused to entertain the idea of getting the likes of Jake and Logan Paul onboard in the UFC, Bellator’s Coker has consistently displayed the opposite mindset.
“If Jake Paul is serious and wants to do it, we’re here. We’re already talking about (it). You know, when I say talking about it, he’s with Showtime boxing and he did the fight with T-Wood (Tyron Woodley). There’s dialogue… I think he wants to do 10 boxing fights and then come over to MMA,” Coker revealed. (h/t talkSPORT)
. @danawhite when I make my MMA debut, I could cut 20 pounds & do it at Welterweight / 170 pounds. That’s what all UFC fighters do and many have destroyed their bodies & minds doing it.
But I’m gonna do it at Middleweight (185). Health first.
With Coker referencing Paul’s boxing matches with Woodley, it is possible that Bellator is in talks with Paul about boxing a Bellator contracted-fighter as opposed to Paul making the move over to MMA, which would truly be a game-changer for the promotion.
Given Paul’s exchanges with Dana White, which even included a recent diss track, it would certainly not be surprising to see “The Problem Child” look to deal some damage to the 52-year-old’s promotion by joining one of its largest rivals.
Would you like to see Jake Paul take Scott Coker up on his offer and enter the Bellator cage?
Amosov, a native of Kyiv, has been outspoken regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military actions against Ukraine. After months of tension along the Ukraine-Russia border, Russia opted to invade Ukraine and targeting major cities around the country.
In a recent post on his Instagram page, Amosov updated his fans on the situation in Ukraine and his message to his fellow countrymen.
“Greetings, probably, many will think that I ran away, I’m hiding or something like that, but this is not so,” Amosov said. “I took my family to the safe zone. Now I have returned and will defend this country as best I can, with what I can.
“I love this country, our own. Russia came to our house and started a war here, many people are dying – innocents, women and children. We have to defend this country, and we succeed, friends. And we will succeed, because the truth is behind us.
“I would like to address those who subscribed to me from Russia. What is shown to you on TV, you may not watch – this is not true. If I were you, I wouldn’t even watch your news. We are in a real war. I cannot understand those people who do not believe that Russian troops entered Ukraine. I see it with my own eyes, I hear it. Terrible things are happening here. We can do this.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Amosov isn’t the only notable combat sports star to join forces with the Ukrainian military. Former boxing champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko recently announced that they are willing to fight against the Russian attack.
Many MMA fighters have addressed the current situation in Ukraine, including non-Ukrainians. Amosov will look to fight and represent his home country later this year.
What is your reaction to Yaroslav Amosov defending Ukraine?
Bellator 275 went down at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland today with a middleweight title fight between Gegard Mousasi and Bellator MMA’s No. 1 ranked middleweight, Austin Vanderford.
The 31-year-old Vanderford is known to casual fans of the sport for being the husband of Paige VanZant, but for anyone that has been paying attention, he’s definitely a world-class fighter.
Mousasi is only a few years older than Vanderford but his experience in mixed martial arts competition was considered a key factor by pundits ahead of his title defense against Vandeford at Bellator 275.
You can peep the highlights from the main event below followed by the Bellator 275 quick results!
Daley has recently said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he intends to retire after one more fight in the Bellator cage. He most recently lost to Jason Jackson at Bellator 260 after winning three in a row.
The Bellator London card is scheduled to take place at The SSE Arena on May 13.
Koreshkov is just days removed from his first-round knockout over Chance Rencountre at Bellator 274. He landed a heavy spinning back kick before finishing the fight with a flurry of ground-and-pound punches.
Daley looked to be back in the welterweight title picture in Bellator after back-to-back wins over Saad Awad and Erick Silva in 2019. He followed it up with an impressive knockout over Sabah Homasi before the loss to Jackson.
Daley made his Bellator debut back in 2015 at Bellator 134, earning a unanimous decision win over Andre Santos. This was after he received a lifetime ban from the UFC for sucker-punching Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.
The Bellator London card will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between the champion Yaroslav Amosov against Michael Venom Page. If Koreshkov can get past Daley, he may move one step closer to a potential title shot in 2022.
What is your prediction for Paul Daley vs. Andrey Koreshkov?
The reason behind the switch-up was not given at first and many theories began to pour in. Now, Bellator President Scott Coker is ready to shed some light on the situation.
“So basically Cat wanted to have one more fight before she fought Cris,” Coker told MMA Fighting. “I don’t even think she was the one that really made that call; it was her manager.”
Cyborg accepted Zingano’s challenge and seemed ready to fight—that is until the announcement of Zingano vs. Sorenson. After that news came out, Cyborg tweeted and deleted a message accusing Zinagno of running.
“So the manager said ‘we want one more fight.’ So we said ‘OK’ and we put together the fight for her. From there if she wins, she can fight Cris,” Coker explained.
Zingano has won two fights in the Bellator featherweight division since joining the organization following the end of her UFC run. If she wins this third fight Coker claims that she will get Cyborg next, however, if she loses it could be Sorenson who leapfrogs into the title shot.
At this time, Cyborg does not have another option in the works. She could just wait for the winner of this bout featuring Zingano and Sorenson.
Do you think Cat Zingano really wanted to face Cris Cyborg next?
Bellator 274 has wrapped up, and we’ve got you covered with the live results and highlights!
In the main event, the #4 Bellator MMA ranked welterweight Neiman Gracie took on the #5-ranked Logan Storley in a five-round main event. In the co-main event, the #9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov took on UFC vet Chance Rencountre. Below, you can find the highlights from both bouts followed by the fast results of Bellator 274!
12 years ago, MMA fighter Kane Mousah spent four years in prison but has refused to let it ruin his career.
As a young MMA fighter, Mousah feared his career was over when he got sent away. Every day, his prison sentence reminds him of where he came from.
It happened early in his career and was the consequence of his involvement in a gang. Reportedly, Mousah and others were searched and found guilty of possessing a handgun, bullets, and a silencer.
At the time, Mousah was only 23 years of age—young and with a promising career in MMA. Even the judge described the sentencing as a “tragedy” for the rising star.
He was given a 9-year sentence but served only four. The prison experience truly turned his life around.
“Prison deterred me from the life that I used to live – I think it needed to happen for me. I did my time and I used it to change my perspective on life, to make sure I’d come out as a better person. Since I’ve come out of prison, all I’ve tried to do is help other people out along the way. I think I do that,” Mousah told Manchester Evening News.
“The Danger’s” return was incredible, winning by TKO inside round 1. Then, in 2014, he continued to win three back-to-back fights before the second round. He has found success across many MMA platforms before winning two bouts at Bellator.
Now, at 35, Mousah is training hard with one of the UFC’s most exciting prospects, Khamzat Chimaev for his 15th fight since his return to the cage in 2013.
Kane will fight Irishman Peter Queally in Ireland at Bellator 275 on February 25.
Peter Queally and Kane Mousah, Photo Credit: Fight Nights Global / Bellator MMA
Both Peter and Kane return to the cage after suffering losses in their last bouts. Mousah is the underdog, as the fight will take place in Queally’s home country.
Regardless of the home advantage for Queally, Mousah is excited for the match and expects to win.
Are you excited for Kane Mousah Vs Peter Queally at Bellator 275?
Brennan Ward will fight at Bellator 274 after nearly a year of sobriety from drug abuse.
Ward has seen success and failure within the cage. Most of his wins were finished before the final bell. Only one of his bouts went to decision in his 20-fight career.
The 14-6-0 fighter faced many battles since his 2008 debut. But his most difficult battle was with drug addiction.
“I used fentanyl all day, every day,” Ward said. “I found opiates young, when I was in high school — Oxy, Vicodin — and I loved them. I loved them since the first time I did them at 14 years old. And I have chased them ever since. I had lots of money when I was fighting so I was buying lots of drugs and then the pills got hard to find, so we all started doing heroin and then heroin turns to fentanyl. And there you are,” Ward said, according to CT Insider.
Often, Ward fought while under the influence of drugs. The addiction was controlling most of his life. He missed out on precious times with his daughter because he was either in jail or rehab.
Brennan Ward
Still, his addiction came first and he continued to spiral further into its control.
Although Ward appeared fine on the outside, he experienced frequent blackouts, called out of many fights, broke contracts—leading a life with hard drugs at the reins.
“I was [messed] up all the time,” Ward said. “I know [people] that get away with it for however long they’re using for. I’m like, ‘How does your wife not know?’ I’m a dead giveaway. Enough was enough. My daughter doesn’t deserve this. It’s not fair for her to get brought into this world and have a father like that. It’s almost like growing up, dude. I was getting too old for that. It’s a selfish, selfish lifestyle because you keep saying, ‘I’m only hurting myself.”
“Irish” made many attempts to overcome addiction; this one proves the most successful. No one has seen Ward in the cage since his 2 losses in 2017. Now, he has a chance for redemption against Brandon Bell.
Bellator 274 kicks off Saturday, February 19. And he will enter the cage already feeling like a winner. For the first time in years, he breathes air free of addiction.
Ward Joins List Of Inspirational Fighters
Many mixed martial artists have become martyrs for change to help fight drug addiction.
Terrance McKinney(top), Isaac Vallie-Flagg(bottom), Court McGee(right); Photo Credit: LFA / UFC Fight Pass / The McGee Project
And a little over five years ago, Terrance McKinney was hospitalized after a fatal drug overdose in which he died twice. He now tells his story to fans via social media, and many have thanked him for sharing the personal and shocking ordeal.
American welterweight Isaac Vallie-Flagg fought the awful disease. For years, he struggled with it, and even after a stint with the law, he continued to abuse drugs until it started to ruin his relationship with his family. He now spends his time out of the gym helping others with the disease.
Similarly, all these fighters believed they should be dead or in jail, but have turned their lives around for the better and could not be more thankful for a second chance.
Since opening up about his issues with substance abuse, Ward has inspired others to get their lives back on track.
“My inbox went crazy,” he said. “To see these people now — they’re going to detox, they’re getting clean. I’m trying to talk to all these people the best I can. I might have needed somebody like me years ago, another dude I could relate to, another dude who was an absolute savage like I was. I couldn’t find that. I couldn’t relate to anybody,” Ward explained.
Sometimes, it takes hitting rock-bottom or destroying the lives of others to really see the destruction of drug addiction. All of these fighters, and many others, are perfect examples that anyone can overcome drug or alcohol addiction.
Whether fighting in a cage or sitting at a desk, the disease of addiction can affect anyone.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are helpful resources available:
A massive Bellator double-header is booked for April 15 when AJ McKee vs. Patricio Pitbull II and Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson take place in the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Both McKee and Pitbull fought their way through the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix last year to make it to the finals. On July 31, 2021, the two met in the final with the featherweight belt and one million dollars on the line. Pitbull was holding the strap coming in, but it would be McKee who would walk out with it. He was able to stop Freire by submission in the first round.
McKee was on the last fight of his Bellator contract, but winning the title renewed it. He will now begin his title reign against a very formidable foe. Prior to losing the featherweight title, Pitbull was simultaneously holding the lightweight belt as well. He decided to vacate that 155-pound belt so that his brother could have a shot at it. Now without any belt, Pitbull will be coming in hard against McKee to regain what he lost.
In the co-main event, we will see the finals of the light heavyweight grand prix when defending champion Vadim Nemkov takes on Corey Anderson. To reach this point, Nemkov defeated Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas while Anderson defeated Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov and Ryan Bader, both via TKO.
Which two fighters do you think will emerge victorious in this massive double-header?
Cat Zingano will not be fighting for the Bellator featherweight title next.
It seemed like the Bellator featherweight title picture was pretty clear. Cris “Cyborg” Justino was being called out by Cat Zingano and both had publicly agreed to fight one another. Now, it seems that Zingano will not be facing Cyborg for the title next. Instead, a bout was announced where Zingano is matched up with Pam Sorenson.
“She turned down a World Title Fight to compete on the prelims?!” Cyborg wrote and deleted (via Yahoo! Sports.)
Sorenson is ranked seventh in the Bellator rankings, and Zingano sits in second. Sorenson is coming off a loss to Arlene Blencowe back in November. Before that, she won two in a row in Bellator and Invicta FC. Most likely with a win, Zingano would be next for a title shot; however, the terms that led to the potential fight falling through this time around could very well create issues going forward.
Do you think a fight between Cris Cyborg and Cat Zingano will ever be made?
Yoel Romero will be getting back in the Bellator cage in Paris.
After his promotional debut with Bellator didn’t go his way, Yoel Romero is scheduled to take another shot at a win. Romero will be taking on Melvin Manhoef at the upcoming Bellator Paris event set to take place on May 6. The news was first announced by the promotion in a press release. This matchup will serve as the co-main event.
The news of Bellator holding an event in France was met with applause by fighters and fans. Mixed martial arts as a sport was not legal in France until 2020. With the difficulty of holding an event during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of professional events held in the country has been minimal. Bellator held an event in Paris back in October of 2020 and it was a great success, so much so that they are doing it again.
Manhoef will be coming into this fight having lost his last outing as well. He lost via KO against Corey Anderson in Nov. of 2020. Prior to that, however, he won two in a row, both in Europe. Perhaps fighting in Europe could be his lucky charm, as he will have the chance to see against the hype of Romero.
Bellator Paris will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on May. 6.
The full fight card to date is as follows:
Heavyweight World Title Main Event: #C-Ryan Bader (29-7, 1 NC) vs. #2-Cheick Kongo (31-11-2, 1 NC)
Bellator heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo is looking to earn more than the heavyweight title in his upcoming rematch against Ryan Bader.
Kongo has proved that age may be just a number during his recent run-in Bellator. The 46-year-old has won 9 of his last 11 fights, including most recently against Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 265.
Just minutes after Bader earned a unanimous decision victory against Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 273, the promotion announced that Bader will defend his belt against Kongo in May at an event in Paris.
The Bader-Kongo rivalry is one of the most heated in recent Bellator history. The two top heavyweights fought to a no-contest after an accidental eye-poke by Bader stopped the fight. Bader later denied that he poked Kongo.
Kongo is looking to earn a decisive win this time against Bader. During a recent interview with Mirror, he revealed what he told Bader during their staredown following Bellator 273.
“I told him ‘karma is a b****’ and you did really good,” Kongo said. “I was impressed with his performance, it was a really good satisfaction. I wish he will be able to perform the same way [against me] but I’m going to kill you. When he left the cage, I told him ‘you better be ready, because I’m gonna murder you’. I wasn’t expecting to face him after three years, I thought it was just a utopia but they make it real. Now it’s happening. His salvation will probably for me to die with Covid or get hit by a car to not face me.”
Kongo will have the opportunity to exact his revenge against Bader in front of the hometown crowd in Paris. He has his own gym and team in France called “Kongo’s Smashin’ Club”, which features top prospects such as Djati Melan.
The Kongo-Bader rivalry doesn’t show any signs of cooling down anytime soon, and their fight is expected to be one of the most highly-anticipated in Bellator in 2022.
What is your prediction for Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo 2?
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida says he still has the desire to fight again.
Machida is set to fight out his Bellator contract in his next fight, and he revealed he plans to test free agency after that.
“[Bellator] came to us and said, ‘Let’s renew [the contract] one more time if Lyoto wants to,’ and whatever, and we said no, let’s fight this one first and then we’ll see,” Machida said to MMAFighting. “Every fight is a different fight for me. I saw it that way in the past, and even more now.”
Although Lyoto Machida says he wants to fight again, he isn’t sure where it will be. He says he wants to be challenged and doesn’t want any easy fights to end his career.
Fernando Quiles Jr., MMA News
Not only does he want to be challenged, but the former UFC champion says he wants to be the one to retire from MMA, not being forced out as many veterans are. He still believes he is competing at a high level at 43-years-old but is on a three-fight losing streak.
“I don’t want to end it like most people end their careers,” said Machida. “I want to get to a point and say, ‘Well, I think I’m good.’ I don’t want other people telling me, ‘Lyoto, I you can’t do it anymore,’ or whatever. The way I feel and train, I’m the one that decides. We must have the opportunity to fight, of course. I might know how to wire walk, but there’s no point if I don’t have the wire. I want to continue fighting. I don’t know if [I’ll do] three or four more fights.
“When I was younger, 10 years ago, I was taught to fight every fight as if it was my last; ‘Lyoto, a samurai enters a fight as if it’s last fight.’ You must give your all in training and in the fight, mentally speaking. And now, more than ever, I can’t come here imagining I’ll have three, four, five fights. Every fight is like my last fight. Not in a sense of ending my career, but in the sense of giving my all. And that’s when I’ll make my decision. The fire is still burning inside me and that’s what matters the most. I want to innovate. I want to create a different game. I want to do different things that give me a different experience. And [I want to] fight.”
When and who Machida fights next is uncertain, but it may be his final fight in Bellator.
Who would you like to see Lyoto Machida face next?
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