We want your predictions for Bellator 257, featuring champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis in a title fight and light heavyweight tourney bout.
We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 257 event in Connecticut.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesdday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 257 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 257 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 238, which took place Saturday and saw Cris Cyborg beat Julia Budd in the main event.
The first Bellator event of the year unfolded Saturday with Bellator 238, which went down at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., with a main card that streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) enhanced her legacy with another championship belt when she scored a fourth-round TKO of [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) to claim the women’s featherweight belt.
The card also featured a quarterfinal bout in the ongoing Bellator featherweight grand prix, as well as some other notable results. For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 30 post-event facts about Bellator 238.
General
Betting favorites went 4-2 on the main card (5-2 overall in fights where odds were available).
Total fight time for the six-bout main card was 41:59.
Main card
Cris Cyborg
Cyborg became the first in history to win titles in Bellator, UFC, Invicta FC and Strikeforce.
Cyborg became the second in history to win titles in Bellator and UFC. Eddie Alvarez also accomplished the feat.
Cyborg has earned 18 of her 22 career victories by knockout.
Budd had her 11-fight winning streak snapped for her first defeat since November 2011.
Budd has suffered all three of her career losses by stoppage.
Budd suffered her first knockout loss since Jan. 7, 2011 – a span of 3,306 days (more than nine years) and 14 fights.
Darrion Caldwell
[autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) improved to 6-0 in Bellator featherweight competition. He’s 8-0 in the weight class during his career.
Caldwell’s six-fight Bellator winning streak in featherweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind A.J. McKee (16).
Caldwell’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (seven).
[autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) had his 14-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) has earned four of his six Bellator victories by decision.
Sergio Pettis
[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) earned his first submission victory since Sept. 28, 2013 – a span of 2,311 days (more than six years) and 15 fights.
[autotag]Alfred Khashakyan[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) earned the first submission victory of his career.
[autotag]Raymond Daniels[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) improved to 2-0 since he returned to MMA competition from a nearly 11-year layoff in May.
Daniels has earned both of his career victories by knockout.
[autotag]Jason King[/autotag] (8-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage. He’s suffered all those defeats by knockout.
[autotag]Emilee King[/autotag] (4-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is on a four-fight winning streak after starting her career 0-4.
[autotag]Ava Knight[/autotag] (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) suffered the first loss of her career.
Preliminary card
Aaron Pico
[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) improved to 5-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in September 2017.
Pico has earned all of his career victories by knockout.
Pico’s five knockout victories in Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (six) and Patricio Freire (six).
[autotag]Adel Altamimi[/autotag] (8-7 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has suffered six of his seven career losses by stoppage.
Altamimi suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Alfred Khashakyan says anyone thinking he’s just a stepping stone for Sergio Pettis at Bellator 238 will be very much mistaken.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — [autotag]Alfred Khashakyan[/autotag] plans on playing spoiler this Saturday.
Khashakyan (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on former UFC fighter [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] at Bellator 238, and will also be making his promotional debut. But while most eyes are on Pettis, Khashakyan says anyone viewing him simply as a springboard for Pettis’ Bellator career is very much mistaken.
“I don’t know if they think that, but I don’t know if they’ve seen my fights or not,” Khashakyan told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I hope that’s not what they brought me for, because it’s definitely going to be an upset.”
Khashakyan is happy to be taking on a name like Pettis (18-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), which means more eyes will be on him, too.
“He is Anthony Pettis’ brother. He has a big name, good following,” he said. “It’s a better opportunity for me to show who I am, so I’m actually happy to fight him.”
All 11 of Khashakyan’s professional victories have come by way of knockout, and he’s notched wins over some notable names, including UFC veterans Albert Morales and Chris Beal. Despite his solid resumé he wasn’t able to secure a UFC contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, where he ran into Sean O’Malley. But that experience was a valuable one for Khashakyan, who has since worked his way back up to the big stage.
“I feel like that fight I didn’t take my diet seriously and just getting in the cage I was already dizzy, light-headed,” he recalled. “So I learnt a lot about preparation. Just because I can knock everybody out, doesn’t mean that if I don’t feel good, I might not be able so knock them out. So, I took my diet seriously, came back, I got three knockouts (in the) first round to show people that I’ve still got what I have. The power is still there.”
Khashakyan is relaxed and confident ahead of the matchup, and says he believes his knockout power will see him add another finish to his resume on Saturday night.
“I feel like I got so much power maybe first-round KO if not second-round KO,” he said. “I don’t see it going three rounds.”
In the main event, women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) defends her belt against [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a former UFC and Strikeforce champ who is making her Bellator debut. Cyborg, regarded by many as the greatest women’s fighter in history, is a 4-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and she’s nearly a unanimous pick from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers. Only one picker is taking Budd to retain her title in an upset.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 10-2 BMMA) in a quarterfinal fight in Bellator’s ongoing featherweight tournament. The fight nearly is a pick’em from the oddsmakers, and it’s close with our pickers, as well. Borics has just an 8-6 lead.
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In another featherweight fight, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is more than a 2-1 favorite against [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 5-4 BMMA). Both fighters are looking to rebound from losses in the tournament’s opening round. Archuleta has a big 12-2 advantage from our staff members.
Former UFC fighter [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut at bantamweight against [autotag]Alfred Khashakyan[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). He’s nearly a 3-1 favorite, and all but one of our pickers is taking him to get off on the right foot in the promotion.
We have two unanimous picks on the main card. [autotag]Raymond Daniels[/autotag] (1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has the support of all 14 of our pickers in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Jason King[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).
And to open the main card, boxing standout [autotag]Ava Knight[/autotag] (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a unanimous pick against [autotag]Emilee King[/autotag] (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in their women’s strawweight fight, which is Knight’s second pro MMA bout.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (57 percent), Borics (55 percent), Archuleta (79 percent), Pettis (82 percent), Daniels (62 percent) and Knight (71 percent) are the choices.
MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks ahead to Bellator 238 as the action returns to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., will play host to the first big Bellator card of 2020 when the organization’s biggest signing in years gets set to make her eagerly anticipated debut.
Cris Cyborg’s title challenge against defending champion Julia Budd forms the headline act on a packed card of fights, with strong support provided by a fascinating clash in the Bellator featherweight grand prix. Throw a host of interesting matchups into the mix, including the return of Aaron Pico, and it all adds up to a solid card of fights on the West Coast.
Here are five burning questions ahead of fight night on Saturday:
Can “The Jewel” turn back the challenge of Cyborg?
Former UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] has won almost everything there is to win in the sport of MMA. Now she gets the opportunity to add another belt to her growing trophy cabinet when she takes on Bellator’s 145-pound women’s champion, [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag].
Cyborg (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) lost her UFC featherweight title in spectacular fashion to Amanda Nunes, and her quest to get back to the top of the promotion ended somewhat acrimoniously. The Brazilian eventually left the UFC as a free agent. Scott Coker and Bellator wasted no time in snapping up Cyborg’s services, and the promoter who helped guide the Brazilian to the top of women’s MMA during their time with Strikeforce has offered her a shot at championship gold in her first fight for the promotion.
But to label this fight as simply a coronation exercise would be to disrespect the current champion. Budd (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) hasn’t lost since she was armbarred in only hour fourth professional fight by a young Ronda Rousey back in Strikeforce nine years ago. Since then, “The Jewel” has gone from strength to strength as she has risen the ranks to become Bellator’s reigning 145-pound queen. She won the title with a TKO finish, and two of her three title defenses to date have also ended in stoppages. A similar finish over Cyborg would cement her status as Bellator’s most dominant female fighter.
Cyborg is heading into the fight with a point to prove and a chip on her shoulder. She wants to show the world her loss to Nunes was a rare aberration, and will be looking to serve up the sort of dominant display we’ve seen from her countless times over the years.
But against Budd, she faces a prodigious athlete who is likely to be every bit as strong as she is. Budd is a live underdog against Cyborg, but then again, so was Nunes at UFC 232 …
We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator 238 event in Inglewood, Calif.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator 238 event in Inglewood, Calif.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 238 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator 238 takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
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Make your picks for all five main card fights inside.
Sergio Pettis’ Bellator debut will come against a fellow promotional newcomer at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25.
[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag]’ Bellator debut will take place next month.
After a 14-fight UFC stint, Pettis (18-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) switched promotions last month and is set to make his first appearance when he meets [autotag]Alfred Khashakyan[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a bantamweight bout at Bellator 238, which takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with multiple people close to the situation.
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Following a six-year tenure that spanned across the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight divisions, Pettis closed out his contract with the organization with a unanimous decision win over Tyson Nam at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in September. Just weeks later, he signed with Bellator.
In his debut, Pettis will face a fellow newcomer of the Bellator roster. Khashakyan, who is a veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, is coming off a streak of three consecutive first-round knockouts.
