Tag: Adam Piccolotti

With Adam Piccolotti out, Georgi Karakhanyan steps in to face Saul Rogers at Bellator 266

Georgi Karakhanyan will look to take out another top European prospect when he steps in on short notice to face Saul Rogers.

[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] will look to take out another top European prospect in his ascent up the lightweight ladder.

[autotag]Adam Piccolotti[/autotag] has been forced out of Bellator 266 and Karakhanyan (31-11-1 MMA, 9-9 BMMA) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]Saul Rogers[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday after an initial post by Karakhanyan on social media. The person asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Bellator 266 takes place Sept. 18 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Since moving back up to 155 pounds, Karakhanyan has won three of his past four and back-to-back fights for the first time since 2016. He’s coming off a first-round submission of Kiefer Crosbie at Bellator 263 in July.

Season 22 “Ultimate Fighter” finalist Rogers has split his past four appearances. After submitting Arbi Mezhidov in the first round at Bellator 248, Rogers was submitted by Mads Burnell at Bellator 257 in April.

With the change, the current Bellator 266 lineup includes:

  • Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Mark Lemminger
  • DeAnna Bennett vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Saul Rogers
  • Grant Neal vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish
  • Pedro Juarez vs. Socrates Hernandez
  • Erin Hunter vs. Bobby Seronio III
  • Khalid Murtazaliev vs. Travis Davis
  • Abraham Vaesau vs. Albert Gonzales

Cris Cyborg headlines Bellator 259 in rematch with Leslie Smith

One of the most dominant female fighters in MMA history will return this spring in a rematch.

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One of the most dominant female fighters in MMA history will return this spring in a rematch.

[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will put her women’s featherweight title on the line against [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the Bellator 259 main event. The promotion announced the headliner during Friday’s Bellator 255 broadcast, which was its debut on Showtime.

Bellator 259 is set for May 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card for that event will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. In addition, [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) will fight [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout on the card, and [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (30-11-1 MMA, 8-9 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Adam Piccolotti[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) has been booked at lightweight.

Cyborg and Smith first fought at UFC 198 in May 2016 in a 140-pound catchweight bout. That fight, in Cyborg’s home country of Brazil, was her UFC debut after signing as Invicta’s featherweight champion. She took Smith out with a TKO just 81 seconds into the fight.

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After she lost the UFC women’s featherweight title to current two-division champion Amanda Nunes in late 2018 – her first loss since her May 2005 pro debut – Cyborg had one more win in the UFC, then signed with Bellator.

In her promotional debut in January 2020, she took out longtime champion Julia Budd with a fourth-round TKO to win the belt. This past October, she had her first title defense and submitted Arlene Blencowe in the second round.

Smith signed a new deal with Bellator ahead of her shot at Cyborg’s title. It will be Smith’s first title bout in seven and a half years. She lost a fight for Invicta FC’s flyweight title to Barb Honchak in December 2013.

After that, Smith moved back to bantamweight in the UFC, where she went 4-3 in seven fights from 2014-2017. Her relationship with the UFC was a rocky one toward the end when it came to contract issues and, she has said, because of her involvement with Project Spearhead, an organization that wants to unionize MMA fighters.

Smith signed with Bellator and has gone 2-1 with decisions wins against Sinead Kavanagh and Amanda Bell sandwiched around a decision loss to Arlene Blencowe.

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Bellator 242 gets Sidney Outlaw vs. Adam Piccolotti, three additional bouts

Four fights have been added to the Bellator 242 lineup, complimenting a championship main and co-main event.

Four fights have been added to the Bellator 242 lineup, complimenting a championship main and co-main event.

Before Ryan Bader defends his title against Vadim Nemkov, and Gegard Mousasi faces Douglas Lima for the vacant middleweight belt, lightweights [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] and [autotag]Adam Piccolotti[/autotag] will square off.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a promotion official following an initial report from Fansided.

Bellator 242 takes place May 9 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The event airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Outlaw (14-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) debuted with the promotion with a victory over veteran Roger Huerta. However, in December, he stepped up as a short-notice replacement and was knocked out by Michael Chandler in 179 seconds.

Meanwhile, Piccolotti (12-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) has won three out of four fights entering Bellator 242. After he lost a split decision to former UFC champ Benson Henderson in April 2019, Piccolotti reentered the win column with a second-round submission of Jake Smith in September.

A welterweight fight between [autotag]Joaquin Lopez[/autotag] (5-1, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]James Terry[/autotag] (20-11 MMA, 4-5 BMMA), as well as a flyweight fight between [autotag]Jonathan Adams[/autotag] (0-1-1 MMA, 0-1-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Edwin De Los Santos[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and a 165-pound contractweight fight between [autotag]Mikey Gonzalez[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arturo Hernandez[/autotag] (4-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

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With the additions, the Bellator 242 lineup is as follows:

  • Ryan Bader vs. Vadim Nemkov – for light heavyweight title
  • Gegard Mousasi vs. Douglas Lima – for vacant middleweight title
  • Sidney Outlaw vs. Adam Piccolotti
  • Joaquin Lopez vs. James Terry
  • Jonathan Adams vs. Edwin De Los Santos
  • Mikey Gonzalez vs Arturo Hernandez

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