Tag: Adam Borics

Bellator free fight: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ halts Adam Borics’ momentum to defend featherweight title

Watch Patricio Pitbull’s most recent title defense as he gets ready to make his bantamweight debut against Sergio Pettis.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s reign as champion in Bellator has been as dominant as any in company history.

Time and time again, ‘Pitbull’ has racked up many title defenses over the years, making him easily one of the best fighters the promotion has ever seen. And in his most recent title fight in October, Freire defeated a streaking Adam Borics in a comfortable, unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator 286 in Long Beach, Calif.

You can watch Freire’s latest title defense in the video above, courtesy of Bellator.

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Freire (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) returns to the cage on June 16, as he attempts to capture another belt in his their weight class. The Brazilian drops down to the bantamweight division to challenge champion Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-main event of Bellator 297 in Chicago. The event takes place at Wintrust Arena and airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Freire is a former two-division champion in Bellator, but now only holds the featherweight title after he vacated lightweight gold in 2021. He’s currently 10-1 in his past 11 fights. Freire’s lone loss during that stretch came against A.J. McKee, which he later avenged.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

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Bellator 286 post-event facts: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ adds to legacy with 12th title-fight win

Patricio Freire added to his records for most wins and title-fight victories in Bellator history with a dominant defense at Bellator 286.

The final stretch of Bellator’s 2022 schedule kicked off Saturday with Bellator 286, which took place at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif., and featured a 13-fight lineup.

The main event saw the most decorated fighter in company history further enhance his legacy when [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) cruised to a lopsided unanimous decision over [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) to defend his featherweight title for the first time in what’s his third title reign in the division.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 286.

Bellator 286 results: Patricio Freire wins lackluster decision vs. Adam Borics to retain featherweight title

The fans booed as the Bellator 286 main event came to an end – just as they did when it started.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Not a single round of the Bellator 286 main event was complete Saturday night without significant boos from the crowd at Long Beach Arena.

That’s how lackluster the title fight was between featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag]. In the end, Freire did more to earn a unanimous decision win from the judges, with scores of 48-47, 49-46, and 50-45.

From the start, neither Freire (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) nor Borics (18-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) was willing to take many risks as both men felt each other out in the early going of Round 1 – and that continued with each subsequent round.

Freire managed to find success taking the fight to the mat in the first three rounds, which gave him the edge in control time. Beyond that, the champ’s most effective weapon was his counter-left hook, which caused a small cut over Borics’ eyebrow in Round 2.

With Freire up on the scorecards heading into Round 5, Borics finally tried to push the action and threw a wild flying knee that missed without about 3 minutes remaining. The result was Borics falling to the mat, Freire taking his back and ending up as a backpack as Borics walked around the cage not making much effort to break free – the second time it happened in the fight. Finally, with 1:40 remaining, Borics managed to reverse the position and took down Freire from the clinch. Borics controlled the rest of the round until Freire locked in a standing Kimura before the bell rang.

The fans booed as the fight came to an end – just as they did when it started.

For Freire, the win was his 12th in a Bellator championship fight, which is a promotional record. Borics, meanwhile, had his four-fight winning streak snapped.

Complete Bellator 286 results:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

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Bellator 286 salaries: Patricio Freire, Jeremy Kennedy lead all disclosed paydays

Bellator 286 is in the books. Patricio Freire, Jeremy Kennedy, and four others made six-figures in disclosed pay. Check out the full list.

Twenty-six fighters competed Saturday at Bellator 286, but no one walked away with a higher disclosed purse than champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Saturday to MMA Junkie.

One of six fighters who pocketed six-figure disclosed paydays, Freire topped the list with $150,000 for his win over [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag]. Former UFC fighter [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] made the second most, as he took home $110,000 for his win over Aaron Pico.

Former Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], headlining title challenger [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag], rising star [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag], and former Bellator bantamweight champion [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] also took home six figures.

Scroll below to see what the 26 fighters on Bellator 286 were paid. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.

Twitter reacts to Patricio Freire’s title defense over Adam Borics at Bellator 286

See the top Twitter reactions to Patricio Freire’s featherweight title defense over Adam Borics at Bellator 286.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] further added to his legacy as Bellator’s greatest fighter with the first defense of his third featherweight title reign on Saturday at Bellator 286.

“Pitbull” Freire (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) defeated challenger [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision in their headlining bout at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif., adding to his plethora of records under the Bellator banner.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Freire’s victory over Borics at Bellator 286

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Scott Coker on all things Bellator 286: Patricio Freire vs. Adam Borics, A.J. McKee’s lightweight debut, Aaron Pico, more

Here are the highlights of Scott Coker’s pre-Bellator 286 scrum Friday in California.

LOS ANGELES – Bellator has a big weekend ahead.

The promotion is hosting one of its biggest events of the year, Bellator 286. The card takes place Saturday at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif.

Ahead of the action, Bellator president [autotag]Scott Coker[/autotag] spoke to the media about an array of topics pertaining to the card. These include [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s title defense against [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag], [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s move up to 155 pounds, a potential title shot to be earned for [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag], [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] missing weight, and much more.

Check out Coker’s thoughts on all things Bellator 286 below.

Bellator 286 predictions: Two unanimous picks – but is Patricio Freire one of them?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 286 main card, featuring Patricio Freire vs. Adam Borics, plus the return of A.J. McKee.

Freire
vs.
Borics		 Carlyle
vs.
McKee		 Kennedy
vs.
Pico		 Archuleta
vs.
Barzola
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
154-93		 freire2022
Freire
(60%)		 mckee2022
McKee
(84%)		 pico2022
Pico
(81%)		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
(63%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
165-87
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 barzola2022
Barzola
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
161-91		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 barzola2022
Barzola
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
159-93
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
157-95		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
156-96		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
155-97		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
155-97		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Nolan King
@mma_kings
148-104		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
147-105
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
138-114		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 kennedy2022
Kennedy		 archuleta2022
Archuleta
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
123-128		 freire2022
Freire		 mckee2022
McKee		 pico2022
Pico		 barzola2022
Barzola

Bellator has touched down in Southern California this week, and the featherweight title is on the line at the top of the card.

Bellator 286 takes place Saturday at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA), arguably the greatest fighter in Bellator history, takes on challenger [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA). Freire is just a slight -150 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Borics is +115. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have “Pitbull” Freire as a unanimous pick at 11-0.

The co-main event features former featherweight champ [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA) – Freire’s biggest rival – in a move up to lightweight for the first time in front of his home fans in Long Beach. He’ll take on [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) as a big 5-1 betting favorite. Not surprisingly, McKee is our second unanimous pick.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) is the biggest favorite on the main card in his featherweight bout against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). Pico is a -650 favorite at the betting window, but one of our 11 pickers is taking Kennedy to pull off a big upset. Pico still has a blowout in the picks at 10-1, though.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) meets [autotag]Enrique Barzola[/autotag] (19-6-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in a bantamweight bout between a pair of fighters looking to rebound after getting knocked out of the ongoing 135-pound grand prix. Barzola is a slight favorite at -140, but Archuleta has a big 8-3 lead in the picks from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Freire (60 percent), McKee (84 percent), Pico (81 percent) and Archuleta (63 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

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Bellator 286 weigh-in video: Champ Patricio Freire, challenger Adam Borics set for title clash

Bellator 286 on Saturday has a title fight locked in at the top of the bill after Patricio Freire and Adam Borics made weight.

LOS ANGELES – Bellator 286 has a title fight locked in at the top of the bill after [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] made weight.

Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) will put his featherweight title on the line against Borics (18-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) in Saturday’s main event at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif. The card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Both men did their part ahead of the contest as they made weight on Friday at weigh-ins. The champ “Pitbull” registered at 144.6 pounds, while the challenger Borics tipped the scale at an even 145 pounds.

Check out the video above for the Freire vs. Borics weigh-in.

Freire will compete in his record 15th Bellator title fight on the bout, while Borics challenges for gold for the first time.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

Adam Borics thinks Patricio ‘Pitbull’ near end of career, envisions bringing belt home to Hungary

Ahead of his Bellator 286 bout, Adam Borics explains why he thinks he’ll beat Patricio Freire – and his ultimate motivation to do so.

LOS ANGELES – [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] finally has his face on a poster, his image placed across from Bellator featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.

At Bellator 286, Borics (18-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) will challenge for the first time for the promotion’s strap in a five-round main event bout in Long Beach, Calif.

“I don’t put extra pressure on myself,” Borics told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I just try to enjoy the whole process.”

Seemingly unfazed by the change of environment, Borics likes his odds against one of the most prominent fighters in Bellator history. Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) has become a title mainstay. In his career to date, he lost the title twice – but both times rebounded. While Borics has respect for “Pitbull,” he thinks he’ll be the third man to dethrone the Bellator staple.

“Yeah, definitely. He changed a lot. In the beginning of his career, he was a different fighter (than) right now. But I understand. I was very different five years ago. We just get better always. I think the time is working for me, because I’m getting better every day. Maybe, he’s like 35 or something. Everybody knows he’s at the end of his career. … He’s a great fighter. He’s well-rounded. I really respect him. He’s been a great champion, but this is my time now.”

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The longer, younger fighter of the two, Borics thinks the matchup vs. Freire is favorable. He described how his most recent few camps have served as a working recipe, which he’ll replicate Saturday.

If it plays out the way Borics expects, his priority won’t be to buy new cars or unnecessary accessories. Instead, Borics continues to picture the joy that would come with bringing the belt to Hungary, his home country.

“I never would spend my money on some bullsh*t watch or something,” Borics said. “I’m not that kind of guy. I’m from a village of 2,000 people, so I’m a very simple guy. I’m going to help my family. I’m not that guy.

“… (The title) means a lot. I really want to do that, for the whole country. They are super excited and I just want to make them happy. … It’s a very, very big deal. Every news paper, every TV is talking about me right now.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

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Video: Champ Patricio Freire, Adam Borics get face to face ahead of Bellator 286

Check out the faceoff highlights from the Bellator 286 media day in Long Beach, Calif.

LOS ANGELES – Ahead of Saturday’s featherweight title fight, the champ and challenger got face to face Thursday.

Titleholder [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) squared off with challenger [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) at a media day for Bellator 286, which takes place Saturday at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Borics has won four straight fights, all by decision, including a March win in a title eliminator against Mads Burnell. “Pitbull” Freire will be putting his belt on the line for the first time since he won it back from [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] in April with a unanimous decision. McKee beat him in July 2021 with a first-round submission for the title.

In addition to Freire and Borics’ faceoff, you can check out the one between co-main event fighters [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA), who is moving to lightweight for the first time, and featherweights [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

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