Tag: Akhmed Magomedov

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2023

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2023, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2023. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded before the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, and ONE Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 16-21)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from May 16-21.

Bellator 290 gains: What all 28 fighters weighed on fight night

Find out how much weight all 28 fighters at Bellator 290 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night’s fights.

At Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in Inglewood, Calif., 16 of the 28 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Two of those 16 exceeded the 15 percent threshold.

MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.

In California, fighters have their weights checked on fight day – not solely when they have to hit their marks on the scale. The extra procedure was instituted in 2017 as part of the commission’s efforts to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.

If a fighter gains more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission can make a recommendation they move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gains more than 15 percent, the commission can potentially cancel their fight.

Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 28 fighters on the card at Kia Forum.

Bellator 290: Best photos from Inglewood

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 290 post-event facts: Ryan Bader keeps perfect rematch record

The attention was on Fedor Emelianenko after Bellator 290, but Ryan Bader continued to show he’s elite in a rematch setting.

The first Bellator event of 2023, Bellator 290, went down Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and it marked a monumental occasion for both the promotion and the sport.

In addition to being the organization’s debut showcase on CBS, the card marked the retirement fight of legendary former PRIDE champion [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight titleholder [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.

The co-headliner saw middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen [/autotag](13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remain undefeated with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for his first title defense.

For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 290.

Bellator 290 salaries: Ryan Bader, Johnny Eblen lead disclosed purses

Check out the disclosed pay for all 28 fighters on Bellator 290, according to the California State Athletic Commission.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Twenty-eight fighters competed Saturday at Bellator 290 with the titleholders leading all disclosed payouts.

California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Saturday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.

One of five fighters who pocketed six-figure disclosed paydays, [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] topped the list with $150,000. Legendary MMA fighter [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] and welterweight Sabah Homasi each made $100,000, despite losses.

Scroll below to see what the 28 fighters on Bellator 290 were paid – disclosed amounts only.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 31-Nov. 6)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

Undefeated Timur Khizriev, Sullivan Cauley, Jairo Pacheco among new additions to Bellator 288 in Chicago

Four undefeated fighters have been added to Bellator 288, an event scheduled for Nov. 18 in Chicago headlined by two title fights.

Less than three weeks away, Bellator 288 has some new additions.

Undefeated Russian prospect [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has officially signed with Bellator and will fight [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) on the Nov. 18 main card, filling in for [autotag]Akhmed Magomedov[/autotag], who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

In addition, rising light heavyweight [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) returns to fight [autotag]Jay Radick[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Also on the prelims, Glover Teixeira underling [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) fights [autotag]Jairo Pacheco[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a lightweight bout and featherweights [autotag]Laird Anderson[/autotag] (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Rob Fenicle[/autotag] (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) collide.

A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the additions Tuesday.

Bellator 288 takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with the main card airing on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The card is headlined by two title fights including the light heavyweight grand prix final rematch between champion Vadim Nemkov (14-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

In the co-main event, lightweight champion Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) will attempt to defend the title for the first time against undefeated challenger Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 288 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Vadnim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix final for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
  • Timur Khizriev vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James
  • Levan Chokheli vs. Roman Faraldo

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Khasan Askhabov vs. Otto Rodrigues
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Sean Fallon
  • Killys Mota vs. Jairo Pacheco
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Archie Colgan vs. Jesse Hannam
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Nick Talavera
  • Sullivan Cauley vs. Jay Radick
  • Jordan Newman vs. Jayden Taulker
  • Laird Anderson vs. Rob Fenicle
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Matias Nader
  • Wladimir Gouvea vs. Kory Moegenburg

[listicle id=2592300]

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 3-9)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Oct. 3-9.

Bellator 288 fight card announced: 13 bouts official for Chicago

Thirteen bouts including two title fights are set for Bellator’s return to Chicago.

Bellator’s long-awaited return to Chicago this fall now has 13 official fights on the docket.

Bellator 288 is set for Nov. 18 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with the main card airing on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The card is headlined by two title fights including the light heavyweight grand prix final rematch between champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

Their first meeting at Bellator 277 in April ended in a “no contest” after an unintentional clash of heads on the ground caused a fight-ending laceration on Nemkov’s face.

In the co-main event, lightweight champion [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) will attempt to defend the title for the first time against undefeated challenger [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

Rounding out the main card is [autotag]Akhmed Magomedov[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) at featherweight, [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at heavyweight and [autotag]Levan Chokheli[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 288 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadnim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix final for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
  • Akhmed Magomedov vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James
  • Levan Chokheli vs. Roman Faraldo
  • Khasan Askhabov vs. Otto Rodrigues
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Nick Talavera
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Sean Fallon
  • Archie Colgan vs. Jesse Hannam
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Jordan Newman vs. Jayden Taulker
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Matias Nader
  • Vlad Gouvea vs. Kory Moegenburg

[vertical-gallery id=443084]