Aiden Lee – Syndication Server

Bellator 273 predictions: Who’s picking champ Ryan Bader to upset Valentin Moldavsky?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 273 main card with heavyweight champ Ryan Bader vs. interim champ Valentin Moldavsky.

	Bader vs. Moldavsky	Henderson vs. Mamedov	Corrales vs. Lee	Homasi vs. Willis
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 6-5	Moldavsky (65%)	Mamedov (80%)	Corrales (71%)	Willis (75%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 9-2 2021 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 7-4	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 7-4	Bader	Henderson	Lee	Homasi
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 7-4	Bader	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 6-5 2014 Champion	Bader	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Homasi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Lee	Willis
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 6-5 2018 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Homasi
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 5-6	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Brian Garcia @thegoze 5-6 2017 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Nolan King @mma_kings 5-6	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis

Bellator is back for the first time in 2022, and there’s a heavyweight title unification bout at the top of the lineup.

Bellator 273 takes place Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix. 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, heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) takes on interim champ [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), in a title unification fight. Moldavsky is a sizable -260 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Bader is +195. Our 12 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are backing Moldavsky fairly heavily at a 9-3 clip.

In the co-feature, former UFC and WEC lightweight champ [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-11 MMA, 5-6 BMMA) will try to snap a three-fight slide against [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (20-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Mamedov is a big -475 favorite, and he’s got a huge 11-1 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in a featherweight fight. And though Lee is a -125 favorite in a close fight at the betting window, our staff members are going with Corrales with a big 10-2 margin.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is a -230 favorite at welterweight against [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 4-4 BMMA). Willis, like Corrales, has a hefty 10-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Moldavsky (65 percent), Mamedov (80 percent), Corrales (71 percent) and Willis (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Bellator 260 post-event facts: Yaroslav Amosov is Bellator’s 10th unbeaten champ

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 260, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

The promotion’s second title change of the year unfolded Friday in the Bellator 260 headliner at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) became the new king of the welterweight division when he shut down [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-9 MMA, 14-5 BMMA) for five rounds to claim the gold by unanimous decision and join the short list of fighters to get their hands on a belt without ever experiencing a loss.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 260.

Bellator 260 results: Aaron Pico taps Aiden Lee with anaconda for fourth straight win

Aaron Pico keeps building momentum in the Bellator featherweight division.

There’s no denying [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] is on a roll.

The Bellator featherweight picked up yet another dominant victory in his latest outing on Friday. Pico (8-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) completely outclassed [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) over the course of two rounds, then finally secured the anaconda choke at the 1:33 mark of Round 3.

Bellator 260 took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

It took Pico no time to get going in the fight. The 24-year-old took down Lee seconds into the fight and didn’t let his foot off the gas for the entirety of the fight. In every round, Pico would takedown Lee control him and take him right back down whenever Lee would get back up to his feet.

CLINIC!

The final round between @AaronPicoUSA and @AidenLeeMMA is NOW.#Bellator260 is LIVE on @SHOsports. pic.twitter.com/BhRkEGUcJl

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) June 12, 2021

Pico stayed more than busy on the ground, constantly improving positions, landing ground-and-pound and looking for the submission. Pico had attempted the anaconda choke multiple in the first two rounds, but was unable to finish the job. In Round 3, Pico persisted with the anaconda attack until he got the tap.

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With this result, Pico is now 4-0 since suffering back-to-back KO losses in 2019. The JacksonWink MMA product has picked up finishes over Daniel Carey, Chris Hatley, John de Jesus, and now, Lee.

In his post-fight interview with Josh Thomson, Pico put the top-10 of the 145-pound division on notice.

"I'll fight anybody in the top 1️⃣0️⃣!"@AaronPicoUSA delivered an incredible performance tonight!#Bellator260 is LIVE NOW on @SHOSports!

🔗 https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ #MMA #Bellator pic.twitter.com/BF2iu4PWtX

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) June 12, 2021

“I’ll fight anybody in the top 10, honestly,” Pico said. “I’ll fight Adam Borics, I’ll fight anybody. I feel I’m ready mentally and physically.”

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Bellator 260 faceoff video highlights: Douglas Lima, Yaroslav Amosov buddy up

Check out the ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs ahead of Bellator 260 at Mohegan Sun.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the welterweight championship is on the line.

Bellator 260 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill is [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-7 MMA, 14-3 BMMA), who defends his title against [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (25-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) in the main event.

The co-main event also features a 175-pound catchweight fight. U.K. MMA legend [autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] (43-17-2 MMA, 9-4 BMMA) faces [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 5-1 BMMA).

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 260 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Lima vs. Amosov, Daley vs. Jackson, [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag], and more.

Aaron Pico won’t look too far ahead or underestimate ‘tricky’ Aiden Lee at Bellator 260

Learning to “stay in the process” of preparing for each fight is what helped Aaron Pico have a big 2020 and what he continues to focus on.

Just a few months shy of his 25th birthday, [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s professional MMA career already has been a rollercoaster.

One of the most highly touted prospects in the sport’s history, Pico has shown moments of brilliance, but he’s also had devastating setbacks that saw him get knocked out in back-to-back fights, bringing his overall record to 4-3 at one point.

But now, after going 3-0 in 2020 with three finishes, Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) has learned to pump the brakes and enjoy the process. He takes on [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) next week at Bellator 260 and while he’s confident he can take out any featherweight on the roster, he’s solely focused on the task at hand.

“One thing that Greg Jackson always tells me is you gotta stay in the process and control what you can control,” Pico told MMA Junkie Radio. “For me, I gotta just stay focused on June 11. This guy is a very tough opponent. I try not to look too far into the future and say I have to do this or I want to be here, because then I’m pulling out of the process, and I guess we have to cross that bridge when it comes, but I hope I’m in a very good position God willing, and I believe I will. I believe we’re gonna get to the top.”

He continued, “He’s a tricky fighter. Yeah, he’s not ranked, but these fights, people don’t realize that they’re scary because they have nothing to lose. There’s a lot riding on it for me, but I feel like that with every fight. I don’t take any opponent lightly to be honest. Every fight I look at it, and I feel it’s a world championship fight.”

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Pico may have been just as surprised as everyone else when he suffered those losses, but he admits it was a blessing in disguise. It allowed him to reevaluate and make the necessary changes to fully live up to his potential.

“I’m only 24 and the fights that I lost, now I can beat those guys,” Pico said. “I really can. If you go back, it wasn’t like I got my ass kicked for three rounds. I just got caught, and it was just a lack of inexperience. Everything worked out for the good. I met the coaches that I have now in my corner, and yeah, a lot of people were calling me greatest prospect of all time, and I had a lot of good skill sets. I had great boxing, I had good wrestling, but I had a rude awakening early on, and I just knew that after looking at that, I was very, very green. And so being with the coaches here, I really progressed rapidly.

“I think for me, I’m surprising myself every day and how fast I’m developing and it was a blessing. I don’t really pay attention to those losses. I think those guys know that if we fought now, it’d be a different story, but hey, what could you do? Sh*t happens, and I’m not worried about that anymore. That’s the past. I’m looking onto the future, and I would take on these guys any day of the week, and I’d beat them all three in one night to be honest with you. I really would.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTSDp2muYss

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Aaron Pico vs. Aiden Lee rebooked for Bellator 260 on June 11

Originally booked for April 16, Aaron Pico’s return bout is back on the books.

A pair of featherweights boasting a string of stoppage wins are on a path to meet at Bellator 260, as a fight between [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] and [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] is in the works for the second time.

A Bellator official confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by ESPN on Tuesday.

Bellator 260 takes place June 11 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) and Lee (9-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) were originally targeted to fight April 16 at Bellator 257. However, Pico withdrew from the event due to undisclosed medical issues, and the fight was postponed.

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Pico returns to the cage following a banner 2020 in which he went 3-0 with three stoppage victories, scoring knockout wins over John DeJesus and Daniel Carey while slipping in a submission win over Solo Hatley Jr. between those two results.

Meanwhile, Lee is a former Cage Warriors title challenger who made his way to Bellator in 2019. After suffering a decision loss to Saul Rogers in his promotional debut, Lee has since bounced back with a submission win over Damian Frankiewicz and a knockout of Jeremy Petley.

With the addition, the Bellator 260 lineup includes:

Champion Douglas Lima vs. Yaroslav Amosov – for welterweight title
Paul Daley vs. Jason Jackson – 175-pound catchweight
Aiden Lee vs. Aaron Pico
Bobby King vs. Nick Newell
Tywan Claxton vs. Justin Gonzales
Lucas Brennan vs. Matt Skibicki
Amanda Bell vs. Marina Mokhnatkina
Demarques Jackson vs. Mark Lemminger
Alex Polizzi vs. Gustavo Trujillo

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Aaron Pico vs. Aiden Lee off Bellator 257; promotion eyes rebooking

Bellator 257 won’t feature Aaron Pico.

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[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] won’t be happening at Bellator 257.

The fight has been canceled after Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) was forced to withdraw. Bellator president Scott Coker recently announced the news to Insider. He also added the promotion aims to reschedule the fight for late May or sometime in June.

“The fight that was supposed to happen in April is being pushed back,” Coker said. “(Pico) has some medical issues that he had to take care of, so now he’s probably being pushed back to the second fight [event] in May, or June.”

Bellator 257 takes place April 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Pico, 24, most recently competed in November when he knocked out John de Jesus. The victory extended his winning streak to three. As for Lee, the Englishman has won back-to-back fights in Bellator after he lost his promotional debut to Saul Rogers in May 2019.

With the change, the Bellator 257 lineup now includes:

Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis – for light heavyweight title, grand prix quarterfinal
Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov – grand prix quarterfinal
Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi
Veta Arteaga vs. Desiree Yanez
Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Marcus Surin
Grachnik Bozinyan vs. Demarques Jackson
John de Jesus vs. Alfred Khashakyan

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Aaron Pico targeted for return at Bellator 257 vs. England’s Aiden Lee

A pair of featherweights boasting a string of stoppage wins will meet at Bellator 257.

A pair of featherweights boasting a string of stoppage wins are on a path to meet at Bellator 257, as a fight between [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] and [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] is in the works.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the impending booking Thursday but asked to remain anonymous because Bellator has yet to officially announce the bout.

Featuring a light heavyweight title match between reigning champion Vadim Nemkov and former champ Phil Davis that serves as a grand prix quarterfinal, Bellator 257 takes place April 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Showtime.

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Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) returns to the cage following a banner 2020 in which he went 3-0 with three stoppage victories, scoring knockout wins over John DeJesus and Daniel Carey, while slipping in a submission win over Solo Hatley Jr. between those two results.

Meanwhile, Lee (9-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is a former Cage Warriors title challenger who made his way to Bellator in 2019. After suffering a decision loss to Saul Rogers in his promotional debut, Lee has since bounced back with a submission win over Damian Frankiewicz and a knockout of Jeremy Petley.

With the addition to the card, Bellator 257 now includes:

Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis – grand prix quarterfinal, for light heavyweight title
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero
Aiden Lee vs. Aaron Pico

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Saul Rogers, Rob Whiteford set for featherweight ‘Battle of Britain’ at Bellator London

A featherweight “Battle of Britain” between England’s Saul Rogers and Scotland’s Rob Whiteford heads a list of preliminary matchups added to the fight card for Bellator Europe 8 in London.

A battle between two of the U.K.’s most familiar featherweight names has been added to the preliminary card for Bellator Europe 8 in London.

Former contender from “The Ultimate Fighter 22,” England’s [autotag]Saul Rogers[/autotag], will go head-to-head with Scottish former UFC featherweight [autotag]Rob Whiteford[/autotag] in a 145-pound preliminary bout at SSE Arena, Wembley on May 16.

Rogers (13-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is looking to bounce back to winning ways after his decision loss to German contender Daniel Weichel in the first round of the Bellator featherweight grand prix, while Whiteford (16-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will be keen to claim back-to-back victories for his new promotion following his dramatic last-gasp knockout of Sam Sicilia with just six seconds of the fight remaining at Bellator Europe 6 last November.

Also added to the preliminary slate is a lightweight bout between rising English prospects [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag]. Davis (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) picked up a hat-trick of decision victories under the Bellator banner in 2019, and will be looking to kick off his 2020 campaign with an impressive win over Wilde (13-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), who rebounded from his gogoplata loss to Brent Primus in his debut by outpointing fellow Brit [autotag]Charlie Leary[/autotag] at Bellator Europe 8.

Leary (16-11-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is also scheduled for action in London, and will face rising lightweight prospect [autotag]Akonne Wanless[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), while English light heavyweight [autotag]Luke Trainer[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will make his Bellator debut after earning a contract with the organization by winning three fights in one night at last October’s Euro Fight Night tournament. He will take on fellow newcomer [autotag]Alex O’Toole[/autotag] (4-3-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who returns to action for the first time in two-and-a-half years to make his Bellator debut.

Also confirmed for the prelims in London is a featherweight bout between [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Jeremy Petley[/autotag] (13-8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), and a middleweight matchup between [autotag]George Tokkos[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Andy Manzolo[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).

Bellator Europe 8 will be streamed live on Bellator’s official YouTube channel.

Confirmed fights for Bellator Europe 8 include:

MAIN CARD

James Gallagher vs. Cal Ellenor
Fabian Edwards vs. Costello van Steenis
James Haskell vs. TBA
Janay Harding vs. Leah McCourt

PRELIMINARY CARD

Alfie Davis vs. Tim Wilde
Saul Rogers vs. Robert Whiteford
Aiden Lee vs. Jeremy Petley
Alex O’Toole vs. Luke Trainer
Charlie Leary vs. Akonne Wanliss
Andy Manzolo vs. George Tokkos