Tag: Arlene Blencowe

Bellator Dublin video: With Conor McGregor cageside, Arlene Blencowe drops and submits Sinead Kavanagh

Sinead Kavanagh received a boost of support with Conor McGregor by her side, but it wasn’t enough in her rematch with Arlene Blencowe.

[autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] received a boost of support with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] by her side, but it wasn’t enough in her rematch with [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] on Saturday at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin.

Kavanagh (9-7) got off to fine start as she controlled most of Round 1, but Blencowe (16-10) turned things around by dropping her in the final 30 seconds of the opening frame. The momentum from that sequence carried over into Round 2 where Blencowe again landed an overhand right that dropped Kavanagh and led to a standing guillotine submission victory as McGregor watched helplessly from Kavanagh’s corner at 3Arena.

You can watch the finish in the video below (via X):

The fight between Blencowe and Kavanagh was a rematch from nearly seven years ago, which Blencowe won by split decision. Her victory this time around was definitive – and just might give her an inside track to a fourth Bellator women’s featherweight title shot.

Up-to-the-minute BCS: Dublin results include:

  • Arlene Blencowe def. Sinead Kavanagh via submission (standing guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:02
  • Dalton Rosta def. Norbert Novenyi Jr. via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Darragh Kelly def. Mathias Poiron via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:29
  • Kasum Kasumov def. Matheus Mattos via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Nathan Kelly def. Jose Sanchez via submission (front naked choke) – Round 1, 3:04
  • Khasan Magomedsharipov def. Tyler Mathison via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Sarvadzhon Khamidov def. Marcirley Alves da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Shinobu Ota def. Roger Blanque via submission (north-south choke) – Round 1, 2:18
  • Michelle Montague def. Karolina Sobek via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:41

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator Champions Series: Dublin.

Bellator 294 post-event facts: Liz Carmouche crafting strong stats during title reign

Liz Carmouche is making her footprint on the Bellator record books after recording another title defense at Bellator 294.

The first half of Bellator’s doubleheader in Hawaii went down Friday with Bellator 294, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and saw a champion defend her title in the main event.

[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) recorded a second consecutive defense of her women’s flyweight title when she rallied from a 3-0 deficit on the scorecards to submit [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (13-8-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth frame of their rematch.

For more on the numbers behind Carmouche’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts form Bellator 294.

Bellator 294 results: Sara McMann’s relentless wrestling attack smothers Arlene Blencowe

Former UFC title challenger Sara McMann made her Bellator debut Friday in Honolulu and she won.

[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] stuck with what got her to the dance Saturday, as she smothered former Bellator title challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] for much of three rounds to win her Bellator debut.

In the Bellator 294 featured bout, McMann (14-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated Blencowe (15-10 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-26) at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

From the opening bell, McMann pushed the pace with a relentless wrestling attack. Whether double legs or single legs, McMann latched onto Blencowe however she could. In Round 2, McMann opened up with her striking in a vicious muay thai display of a tight plumb clinch and brutal knees. Blencowe survived.

After a dominant first two rounds, McMann nearly let the win slip away when Blencowe drilled her with a violent combination in the opening seconds of Round 3. McMann was visibly stunned as the two clashed heads, too. McMann survived and the wrestling attack started back up again.

McMann’s first Bellator fight was a successful one. After back-to-back cancellations in the UFC vs. Aspen Ladd, McMann parted ways with the promotion to test free agency. She entered Bellator with two wins in her most recent three fights with the loss in that stretch against Julianna Peña.

Blencowe, 40, has now lost back-to-back fights. Prior to Friday’s bout, Blencowe fought valiantly against in a title challenge against champion Cris Cyborg in April but lost a unanimous decision.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 294 results include:

  • Sara McMann def. Arlene Blencowe via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Danny Sabatello def. Marcos Breno via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:10
  • Levan Chokheli def. Michael Lombardo via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Killys Mota def. Kenneth Cross via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:14
  • Tyrell Fortune def. Sergey Bilostenniy via disqualification (illegal strikes) – Round 1, 3:26
  • Cris Lencioni def. Blake Smith via submission (rear triangle) – Round 2, 3:39
  • Sharaf Davlatmurodov def. Anthony Adams via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 294.

Sara McMann’s debut, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane’s return, more added to Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader

Sara McMann will begin the next chapter of her career in Bellator when the promotion returns to Honolulu in April.

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] has a date and opponent for her Bellator debut.

McMann will take on veteran and former Bellator title challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) in a women’s featherweight bout at Bellator 294. The event is part of a two-night series set to go down on April 21 and April 22, which marks Bellator’s return to Hawaii.

News of the matchup was announced Wednesday by the promotion.

Both Bellator 294 and Bellator 295 go down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

McMann (13-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was last seen in action in March, when she defeated Karol Rosa by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 33. That was her only fight in 2022. McMann was scheduled to make a return in two other separate occasions in 2022, one in August and the other in September, against Aspen Ladd, but both bouts fell through due to Ladd’s weight-cutting issues. Following the cancelations, McMann was released from her final fight of her UFC contract, and she signed with Bellator shortly after.

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Additionally on that card, a heavyweight matchup between [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Said Sowma[/autotag] will serve as the co-main event. Johnson (15-9 MMA, 3-5 BMMA) looks to snap a three-fight losing streak. His last win came against Cheick Kongo back in 2020. Sowma (8-4 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) looks to snap a losing streak himself as he lost his two most recent bouts.

Bellator 295 also saw an addition to its lineup. Former women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] returns against top contender [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag].

Both fighters look to build momentum and turn it into streaks as Macfarlane (12-2 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) is coming off a decision win over Bruna Ellen last August, while Watanabe (11-1-1MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is on the heels of a submission finish over Denise Kielholtz last May.

Below are the updated lineups for both Bellator 294 and Bellator 295:

Bellator 294

  • Liz Carmouche vs. DeAnna Bennett
  • Tim Johnson vs. Said Sowma
  • Arlene Blencowe vs. Sara McMann

Bellator 295

  • Raufeon Stots vs. Patchy Mix
  • Adil Edwards vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • Charlie Leary vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Weber Almeida
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Veta Arteaga
  • Bobby King vs. Aalon Cruz
  • Davion Franklin vs. Kasim Aras

Bellator 279 results: Cris Cyborg retains title after winning battle with Arlene Blencowe

Arlene Blencowe was tough this time, but Cris Cyborg still came out victorious after 25 hard minutes.

HONOLULU –  Like the first time they fought, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag].

Unlike the first time they fought, however, Blencowe (15-9 MMA, 8-5 BMA) went all five rounds against Cyborg (26-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) – and had her moments, no matter how brief. But in the end, Cyborg defeated Blencowe by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) for her fourth defense of the Bellator women’s featherweight title.

In the opening round, Cyborg displayed her power early. But unlike their first fight, Blencowe willingly stood and traded in the pocket with the champion. Cyborg made her pay, however, as she flattened Blencowe with a big punch that sent the Australian to the canvas.

Cyborg pounced, but her finish attempt was stopped short when she fouled Blencowe with a knee deemed to be illegal by referee Jason Herzog. After a brief timeout and warning, Herzog docked Cyborg a point, and the action resumed.

Round 2 kicked off frantically with some big Cyborg punches. Blencowe brought the fight to Cyborg at times as she landed a big punch here and there. Bloodied up, Blencowe continued her fearless pocket-exchanges.

Midway through Round 3, Blencowe’s biggest moment came when she dropped Cyborg to a knee with a hard punch. Cyborg smiled and resumed her stalking. The inside of Blencowe’s thigh was discolored from the combination of the blood, sweat and swelling caused by Cyborg leg kicks.

The action hit the mat in the fourth round with a big Cyborg suplex. Cyborg worked from side control for the crucifix position, but Blencowe scrambled up. More exchanges came from both women until the Round 4 horn sounded.

The fifth round was more Cyborg, but Blencowe called her forward multiple times. Unafraid to trade, Blencowe chucked her hardest shots, although labored. Cyborg once again just laughed. The crowd went bananas as the final buzzer sounded. Cyborg was later declared the victor.

The first fight between Cyborg and Blencowe took place at Bellator 249 in October 2020. At that event, Cyborg submitted Blencowe in Round 2 for her first career submission.

With the win, Cyborg continues her reign as Bellator women’s featherweight champion. Other title defenses since she defeated Julia Budd for the title include Sinead Kavanagh and Leslie Smith. As for Blencowe, the loss snaps the two-fight winning streak that followed her original defeat to Cyborg.

The full Bellator 279 results include:

  • Bobby King def. Keoni Diggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Dayana Silva def. Janay Harding via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Justin Gonzales def. Kai Kamaka via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Nainoa Dung via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)

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Bellator 279 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs video: Title fights, grand prix bouts, and more

The event in Honolulu features Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe, Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots, Patchy Mix vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, and more.

HONOLULU – The pre-fight necessities are in the books for the second of two Bellator events this week, and all that’s left to do is fight.

The Bellator 279 fighters got face to face for the first and only time, officially at least, at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins. Included in that mix were headliners [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who fight for Cyborg’s women’s featherweight title.

A few quick words were exchanged, though seemingly nothing personal. Cyborg sported artistically-worked facepaint of the Brazilian flag.

The most intense faceoff was between co-main eventers [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who compete in an interim bantamweight title fight that doubles as a grand prix quarterfinal. The other quarterfinalists competing Saturday, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) had a lighter mood as the two flexed and shook hands.

Former women’s flyweight champion and Hawaii native [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) showed a sign of respect to opponent [autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) when she presented her with a lei.

Saturday’s card at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu is the second of back-to-back Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. Check out all the faceoffs for Bellator 279 in the video above.

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Bellator 279 video: Cris Cyborg, Arlene Blencowe come in under the championship limit

The main event for the second of back-to-back Bellator shows in Hawaii is official after Cris Cyborg and Arlene Blencowe made weight.

HONOLULU – The main event for the second of two back-to-back Bellator shows in Hawaii is official after both title fighters made weight.

Women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) both hit their marks on the scale Friday in Honolulu to make the Bellator 279 headliner official.

Cyborg was the first fighter to the scale in the one-hour official weigh-in window. She came in under the title-fight limit at 144 pounds. Carmouche was right behind her, also under the limit at 144.6.

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. It is the second of back-to-back Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the headliners’ trips to the scale in the video above.

Bellator 279 predictions: Three unanimous picks in Hawaii – but who are they?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 279 main card, including champ Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe.

Cyborg
vs.
Blencowe		 Archuleta
vs.
Stots		 Kish
vs.
Macfarlane		 Horiguchi
vs.
Mix
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
59-30		 cyborg2022
Cyborg
(83%)		 stots2022
Stots
(61%)		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
(88%)		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
(65%)
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
59-30		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
58-31
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
58-31		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
58-31		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
58-31		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 mix2022
Mix
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
57-32
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 mix2022
Mix
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
56-33		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
55-34		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
53-36
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 mix2022
Mix
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
51-38		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 mix2022
Mix
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
41-48		 cyborg2022
Cyborg		 stots2022
Stots		 macfarlane2022
Macfarlane		 horiguchi2022
Horiguchi

Bellator is in Hawaii for the first time since late 2019 with back-to-back events – the second of which has the women’s featherweight title on the line, plus two key bantamweight grand prix bouts.

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. It is the second of back-to-back nights of Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. 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, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her women’s featherweight title on the line in a rematch with [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), whom she has a win over already. Cyborg, like she usually is when she fights, is a heavy betting favorite. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have her as one of three unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) meets [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the opening round of the bantamweight grand prix – and also for the interim bantamweight title. The winner will be interim champ and take that belt into the semifinals. Stots is more than a 3-1 favorite and our second unanimous pick.

Also on the main card, former women’s flyweight champ [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Macfarlane is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a shutout in the picks at 11-0.

To open the main card, on the other side of the grand prix bracket, former champion [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA). That bout is the only contentious one among our pickers, who have the favored Horiguchi with a 7-4 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (83 percent), Stots (61 percent), Macfarlane (88 percent) and Horiguchi (65 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Cris Cyborg not trying to outdo herself in Arlene Blencowe rematch: ‘I always have five rounds to finish the fight’

Less than two years ago, Cris Cyborg dominated Arlene Blencowe en route to a second-round submission.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] made relatively quick work of [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] when they fought in 2020. That’s why many fans were surprised when a rematch was announced to headline Bellator 279 on Saturday.

The motivation is clear for Blencowe (15-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who wants to avenge her loss, upset an all-time great and become Bellator champion. For Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), however, it’s just about continuing to fight the best options available and she thinks Blencowe is that right now.

“She’s been beating all the girls,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie at a news conference Thursday. “She’s continued to be No. 1 in the division. I just have to be ready, training. For sure, she’s going to be stronger than before. I’m ready. When you get the rematch, you have to prepare for any situation in the fight. I just feel ready and strong to go.”

Cyborg hasn’t really seen improvement in Blencowe’s game since their Bellator 249 clash in October 2020 – at least not ones big enough to make a difference in result. Despite this, Cyborg isn’t putting pressure on herself to outperform the result, a second-round submission. It’s not a contest to outdo herself.

“I think I just have to do my game, focus on what I want to do in the fight, and for sure I have to be careful what my opponent is going to do,” Cyborg said. “I have to be ready for any situation in a fight. … I always have five rounds to finish the fight. You never go into a fight thinking it’s going to finish fast. If it’s fast, it’s lucky. You did your best. But I’m ready to do five rounds and just have patience to see if the opportunity is going to happen. … I think have to finish the fight and I have five rounds to do that.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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‘Be Angerfist’: Arlene Blencowe thinks being herself at Bellator 279 will lead to a ‘Julianna Peña’ upset vs. Cris Cyborg

Less than two years after her loss to Cris Cyborg, Arlene Blencowe has a shot at redemption.

HONOLULU – Upsets happen in MMA, and if all goes according to plan [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] plans to remind everyone as much.

Julianna Peña shocked the world when she beat Amanda Nunes via second-round submission in the UFC. At Bellator 279 on Saturday, Blencowe (15-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) aims to etch something similar into the record books when she takes on champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) for the second time.

“If anyone is an MMA fan, history has just shown recently that major upsets are quite doable,” Blencowe told MMA Junkie at a news conference Thursday. “They’re achievable. No one would’ve thought Julianna Pena would’ve beat Amanda Nunes. She was a major underdog, too. Look what she came out and did. She shocked the world. As an Australian, we love being an underdog. There have been some big fights in history. I’ve got teammates that have shocked the world. Yeah, I’m ready to do that. I let a moment slip by in 2020 when I had the first opportunity and I’m grateful that I have the second opportunity to go in there and just get the job done.”

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The first time Blencowe and Cyborg fought, it was a fairly one-sided affair at Bellator 249. Cyborg finished the fight by second-round rear-naked choke. Since then, both fighters have gone 2-0. Mentally, she’s steady, but Blencowe admits physical improvements and adjustments were made.

“I was actually happy with my mentality and how focused I was from fight week,” Blencowe said. “Even the first round or anything, (I never) went, ‘Sh*t, what did I get myself in for?’ I was there to fight. I feel like I’ve picked up technically. I’m more skilled now and ready to bring that aggression. I think that was lacking last fight. ‘Anger Fist’ didn’t show up. She was mentally there, but not physically there.”

“… I really do just have to be ‘Anger Fist’ and do what I did to my other opponents. Whenever I faced someone who ranked lower than me, I go out there and I’m aggressive because I don’t want my ranking taken. I want to solidify my No. 1 ranking and face girls that are above me. Marloes Coenen, Julia Budd, now, Cris Cyborg, (I need to) freeze and think, ‘Oh, I need to take it to them. Be ‘Angerfist.'”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaidsell Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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