Andrey Koreshkov – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Andrey Koreshkov thinks he’s back in contention, makes Page and Daley his key Bellator callouts

After nearly two years away from Bellator, former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov had a statement win in his return.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After nearly two years away from Bellator, in part thanks to visa issues, former welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] had a statement win in his return.

Koreshkov (24-4 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) outworked a tough and game Sabah Homasi (15-10 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) for a unanimous decision in the Bellator 264 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It was Koreshkov’s first fight for Bellator since an October 2019 loss to Lorenz Larkin.

Koreshkov, who picked up a win in his home country of Russia earlier this year, said it took him a few minutes to find his groove against Homasi, and then settled in thanks to his corner.

“I was nervous – very nervous – because two years I (was on) hold and waiting till my visa was open,” Koreshkov told MMA Junkie after the fight. “Now I’ve come back, and it was a good win. Maybe the first round, I was a little bit unsure. Then I felt good and listened to my corner, listened to my coach, and did everything he said. You saw many flying knees – that was his command. I did it, and it was great.”

Knees were the name of the game for Koreshkov, who often fired them with precision at Homasi, both on the feet and when the fight hit the canvas. Koreshkov credited Homasi for his “hard, stone chin,” particularly after his TKO loss to Paul Daley in April. Koreshkov wondered if that loss was a sign he might be able to take Homasi out, but ultimately he had to go to the judges.

Still, after such a long time away from the Bellator cage, Koreshkov thinks his return puts him right back into the welterweight title picture. Koreshkov won the 170-pound title in 2015 against Douglas Lima and defended it against Benson Henderson. Then he lost it back to Lima in November 2016.

Since then, he’s gone 5-2 – including another loss to Lima in the 2018 welterweight grand prix. But with a win over Homasi, who had a four-fight winning streak before his back-to-back losses to Daley and Koreshkov, Koreshkov is ready for some focused callouts.

“I tried to show everybody I’m here and I can beat anyone,” he said. “I think I’m one of the top fighters in this division. In my opinion, I must fight someone for third, second or first (in the rankings). I’m open to anybody – it doesn’t matter: Neiman Gracie, Jason Jackson, Paul Daley, Michael ‘Venom’ Page … anybody.”

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Bellator 264 post-event facts: Andrey Koreshkov sets new welterweight wins record

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 264, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator 264 took place this past Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (48-7-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) defended his Bellator middleweight title in the main event when he picked up a third-round TKO of [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA).

For more on the numbers, check below for 22 pre-event facts to come out of Bellator 264.

Bellator 264 results: Relentless Andrey Koreshkov shuts down Sabah Homasi

Looking to bounce back from a knockout loss to Paul Daley, Sabah Homasi ran into a relentless opponent in former champion Andrey Koreshkov.

Looking to bounce back from a knockout loss to Paul Daley, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] ran into a relentless opponent in former Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag].

Koreshkov (24-4 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) used a steady diet of knees and some well-timed takedowns to outwork Homasi (15-10 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) for a unanimous decision in the co-main event. Koreshkov won with a pair of 30-26 scores and a 30-27.

The welterweight bout was the Bellator 264 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Homasi threw leg kicks early to try to slow Koreshkov up. He ducked away from a big spinning kick from Koreshkov, then 100 seconds in found himself tied up with Koreshkov against the fence. Homasi slowed things down and landed knees to the thigh, but Koreshkov finally got separation and went back to the center of the cage. Another spinning effort from Koreshkov was countered by Homasi, who tied him up again. With a minute left, Koreshkov landed a flying knee that stunned Homasi. But Homasi threw a spinning elbow with 30 seconds left to get out of trouble. Another Koreshkov knee landed with 15 seconds left, and an elbow and uppercut came just before the bell.

Homasi again worked kicks to start the second, and Koreshkov kicked high and looked for knees. A minute in, Koreshkov landed a punch to the midsection that bent Homasi over. Koreshkov pushed him to the fence and kept after the body. Homasi mmountned a brief rally, but Koreshkov went right back to the knee and put Homasi on the canvas. Koreshkov went after the finish, but Homasi crawled his way to the fence to try to stay alive.

With two minutes left, though, Koreshkov scooped Homasi up, carried him a few feet, then slammed him and went into full mount. He went after an arm-triangle choke with Homasi bloodied up, then worked ground-and-pound. A rear-naked choke presented itself with a minute left, but Koreshkov postured up, drilled Homasi with two knees to the body, then put him back down.

Homasi threw a wild right hand right away in the third, and when Koreshkov avoided it, he took him back to the mat. Koreshkov delivered more knees to the body, then went to work on top in Homasi’s guard. Homasi hung tough, though, and reversed position in the latter half of the round. He finished the fight on top, but it was largely Koreshkov’s fight.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 264 results include:

Andrey Koreshkov def. Sabah Homasi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Raufeon Stots def. Magomed Magomedov via unanimous decision decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Davion Franklin def. Everett Cummings via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:21
Khadzhi Bestaev def. Ty Gwerder via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Pam Sorenson def. Roberta Samad via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Jeffrey Glossner def. Sebastian Ruiz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Jon McNeil def. Orlando Mendoza via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:57

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Bellator 264 live and official results

Bellator 264 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).

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

In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) puts his title on the line for the first time in his second reign when he takes on challenger [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). In the co-feature, former welterweight champ [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) meets [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA).

Official Bellator 264 results include:

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

Gegard Mousasi def. John Salter via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:07 – to retain middleweight title
Andrey Koreshkov def. Sabah Homasi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Raufeon Stots def. Magomed Magomedov via unanimous decision decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Davion Franklin def. Everett Cummings via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:21
Khadzhi Bestaev def. Ty Gwerder via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Pam Sorenson def. Roberta Samad via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Jeffrey Glossner def. Sebastian Ruiz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Jon McNeil def. Orlando Mendoza via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:57

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After unexpected hiatus, Andrey Koreshkov set on making people remember at Bellator 264

A former Bellator welterweight champion, Andrey Koreshkov was stuck without a visa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – It’ll be 679 days between Bellator appearances for [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] when he steps in the cage Friday against Sabah Homasi.

A former welterweight champion for the promotion, Koreshkov (23-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) has faced unexpected delays due to travel issues since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his paperwork has cleared and his visa has been approved. He’ll fight in the co-main event of Bellator 264.

“It’s been a while and I’m very happy to be back in Bellator’s cage,” Koreshkov told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “To be frank with you, I’m very excited and a little bit nervous because it’s an important fight for me and it’s important for me to show myself in the best way possible.”

During his time stuck in his homeland, Koreshkov received clearance from Bellator to compete in a one-off fight for Russian promotion AMC Fight Nights. In February, Koreshkov defeated Adriano Rodrigues via first-round submission.

“Of course it was a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take because I understood that if I lost that fight, it would’ve affected my career in a negative way,” Koreshkov said. “At the same time, I couldn’t wait any longer. I couldn’t just sit on the bench and wait. I needed to get back in the cage and get this feeling of a fight.”

Over the span of his 22 months away from Bellator, a lot has changed. Instead of his multi-time opponent Douglas Lima holding title gold, a new champion has emerged – one Koreshkov has actually befriended.

“Yes, of course, I know Yaroslav Amosov,” Koreshkov said. “I’ve followed his career and watched his fights. We communicate through Instagram. We congratulate each other with the fights. What I can say about him is he’s a very strong fighter. He’s a very strong champion. In his last fight against the former champion, Douglas Lima, he showed the world what kind of level of fighter he is. He’s a guy you cannot underestimate.”

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The most important order of business Friday for Koreshkov is getting the win, but he’s hyper-focused on doing it in a way that fans and the promotion won’t be able to ignore.

“I think in order to make some noise and to make an impression, I have to win in a manner that I shouldn’t lose – not just a round – I shouldn’t lose any moment in the fight,” Koreshkov said. “I should completely dominate him. Of course, if I would be able to finish him in a spectacular fashion, if I’m able to knock him out or submit him, I will do that. But at the same time, going back to one of the previous questions, I shouldn’t rush myself because I don’t want to make stupid mistakes in there. I want to dominate him completely. I want to finish him, but I will do it in a smart way.”

Whether he defeats Homasi (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) or loses to him, one thing is certain. Koreshkov wants to compete on Bellator’s inaugural Russia card on Oct. 23, which is headlined by mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko.

“It’s hard for me to say because we haven’t discussed it yet,” Koreshkov said. “I can tell you right now it’s my dream and I really, really want to fight in Moscow.”

Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 264 predictions: Is anyone picking John Salter over Gegard Mousasi?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 264 main card, which features middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi vs. John Salter.

	Mousasi vs. Salter	Homasi vs. Koreshkov	Magomedov vs. Stots	Cummings vs. Franklin	Bestaev vs. Gwerder
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 120-72	Mousasi (82%)	Koreshkov (85%)	Magomedov (76%)	Cummings (51%)	Bestaev (64%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 119-73	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Franklin	Bestaev
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 118-74	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Franklin	Bestaev
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 118-74 2018 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Gwerder
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 115-77 2020 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Gwerder
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 114-78 2014 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Bestaev
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 114-78	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 113-79	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Bestaev
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Homasi	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Cummings	Gwerder
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 110-82 2017 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 108-84	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 43-33	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder

Bellator is back in Connecticut this week, and the middleweight title is on the line.

Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. 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, middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) puts his title up against challenger [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). Mousasi is fighting for the first time since he recaptured the 185-pound title in October 2020 against Douglas Lima, and all 13 of our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him to defend the belt.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) takes on former welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA). Our staff members are picking the ex-champ by a wide margin at 12-1.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is a runaway pick in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Magomedov has a 10-3 lead in the picks.

Our most contentious fight is at heavyweight between [autotag]Everett Cummings[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Davion Franklin[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA). The top five pickers in our standings all like Franklin. But the lower eight all are going with Cummings.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Khadzhi Bestaev[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ty Gwerder[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Hawaii’s Gwerder has a sizable 9-4 edge in the picks from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Mousasi (82 percent), Koreshkov (85 percent), Magomedov (76 percent), Cummings (51 percent) and Bestaev(64 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Bellator 264 faceoff video highlights: Magomedov, Stots in each other’s face, touch foreheads

One final time before Bellator 264, Gegard Mousasi, John Salter and the rest of the card went face to face at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the promotion’s middleweight title will be on the line.

Bellator 264 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the card, 185-pound titleholder [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) defends his championship against surging contender [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA).

Also, former welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), and bantamweight contenders Magomed Magomedov (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) meet in a pivotal clash.

Following Thursday’s Bellator 264 official weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Mousasi vs. Salter, Koreshkov vs. Homasi, and Magomedov vs. Stots.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 19-25)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken 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 July 19-25:

Former champ Andrey Koreshkov targeted to return vs. Sabah Homasi at Bellator 264

At Bellator 264, former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov is expected to return against ex-UFC fighter Sabah Homasi.

Former Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] is nearing his first fight under the promotion’s banner since October 2019.

The promotion is putting the finishing touches on Koreshkov’s next fight, expected to take place at Bellator 264 vs. [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag]. The event takes place Friday, Aug. 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Two people with knowledge of the targeted booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Koreshkov (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) was allowed a one-off outside the promotion due to travel restrictions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bout took place for AMC Fight Nights in Russia. Against Adriano Rodrigues, Koreshkov won by first-round armbar. The victory returned him to the win column after a split decision loss to Lorenz Larkin.

Homasi (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) has fought three times in Koreshkov’s promotional absence. After consecutive wins over Curtis Millender and Bobby Voelker, Homasi was finished with punches in a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Paul Daley.

With the addition, the Bellator 264 lineup includes:

Champion Gegard Mousasi vs. John Salter – for middleweight title
Everett Cummings vs. Davion Franklin
Sabah Homasi vs. Andrey Koreshkov

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Video: Ex-Bellator champ Andrey Koreshkov finesses slick armbar in one-off for Russian promotion

Bellator lent former champion Andrey Koreshkov to AMC Fight Nights for a one-off fight.

[autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] made the most of his outside-of-Bellator opportunity on Tuesday.

At an AMC Fight Nights event, Koreshkov (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) defeated [autotag]Adriano Rodrigues[/autotag] in the main event of the card held in Sochi, Russia. A former Bellator welterweight champion, Koreshkov submitted Rodrigues (18-6) via armbar with about 30 seconds remaining in Round 1.

Following a few brief striking exchanges on the feet, Koreshkov dragged Rodrigues to the ground. From there, Koreshkov worked his way to mount. Ground-and-pound opened up the opportunity for Koreshkov to take Rodrigues’ back.

When Rodrigues rolled back to face Koreshkov, the Russian fighter snuck up the Brazilian’s torso. High up on Rodrigues, Koreshkov was in a perfect position to snatch and arm and get the tap, which is what he did.

Masterful performance by Andrey "Spartan" Koreshkov in the AMC Fight Nights main event.#AMCFightNights pic.twitter.com/yKzx3bWTIr

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 23, 2021

A former Bellator welterweight champion, Koreshkov was lent to Russian promotion AMC Fight Nights for a one-off bout in order to stay active during Bellator’s break from holding events.

Koreshkov, 30, has now won four of his most recent six outings since he lost the Bellator welterweight title to Andrey Koreshkov in November 2016. Tuesday’s fight was the first time Koreshkov had competed since an October 2019 split decision loss to Lorenz Larkin.

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