Bellator 234 – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Linton Vassell dismisses skid ahead of Bellator 234: ‘You can’t just give up’

Linton Vassell is only looking at the upside of his Bellator 234 headliner with Sergei Kharitonov.

[autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] is only looking at the upside of his Bellator 234 headline matchup with Sergei Kharitonov.

Despite a three-fight losing skid, Vassell (18-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA) gets the main-event spot against heavyweight contender Sergei Kharitonov (29-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) on Thursday. Another defeat would seemingly be detrimental to the 36-year-old’s his career, but Vassell said he’s not fretting over his position.

“You can’t just give up because you lose a few fights,” Vassell told MMA Junkie. “I know where I’m at. I know the people I’ve fought before and beat. It’s the fight game. You win, you lose and it’s just part of the game.”

To his credit, Vassell’s recent losses have come against two-division Bellator champ Ryan Bader, former champ Phil Davis and highly touted prospect Valentin Moldavsky.

Vassell can wipe away the hardship of his skid in one moment, though, and that comes at Bellator 234. The event airs via tape-delay Friday on Paramount from Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel.

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Kharitonov enters the matchup riding a eight-fight unbeaten streak. The Russian has managed to earn all of his Bellator wins by knockout, but Vassell said he doesn’t see himself succumbing to that same fate.

“This is my time,” Vassell said. “I don’t think he’s ever fought anyone like me before. A lot of his last fights were strikers and I like to take people down and beat them up and choke them out, as well as strike. I’ll bring more to the table other than just try to knock him out standing. I’m going to beat him up. I have a lot of tools for him.”

Vassell feels those tools are going to take him forward in prosperous fashion. Bellator 234 marks his second fight since moving up to heavyweight, and while his debut didn’t go according to plan, Vassell said he’s used the past eight months between fights to physically and mentally prepare for what’s to come.

“I’ve been watching the division,” Vassell said. “I’ve been watching everyone. They’re big guys but they don’t like to work. If they have to work they lose. They get taken down and they’re stuck. You’ve seen my ground game. I feel my style works really well against the big guys.”

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Bellator 234 weigh-in results: Linton Vassell gives up 22 pounds to Sergei Kharitonov

The weigh-ins are in the books for this week’s Bellator 234 event, and the fighters on the main card all hit their marks.

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(Editor’s note: The weights for Kharitonov and Vassell initially were listed incorrectly based on Bellator’s press release but have since been corrected.)

The weigh-ins are in the books for this week’s Bellator 234 event, and the fighters on the main card all hit their marks.

In the main event, heavyweight contender Sergei Kharitonov (29-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will attempt to continue to make his case for a title shot when he takes on Linton Vassell (18-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA), who is looking for his first win in the heavyweight division.

Kharitonov tipped the scale roughly 22 pounds heavier than Vassell, but both men came in under the 266-pound heavyweight limit, so the fight is official.

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Bellator 234 takes place Thursday at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv. The main card airs on Paramount and the following day via tape delay.

Complete Bellator 234 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD

Sergei Kharitonov (260.2) vs. Linton Vassell (238.6)
Roger Huerta (155.6) vs. Sidney Outlaw (156)
Zaka Fatullazade (152.6) vs. Aviv Gozali (156)
Haim Gozali (170.2) vs. Artur Pronin (171)
Grachik Bozinyan (185.8) vs. Austin Vanderford (184.2)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Sinead Kavanagh (145.4) vs. Olga Rubin (145.4)
Ameer Bashir (173.4)* vs. Robson Gracie Jr. (170.8)
Vladimir Fedin (217.2) vs. Adam Keresh (256.5)
Illia Hladkii (169.2) vs. Shimon Smotritsky (170.4)
Vugar Keramov (157.8)** vs. Gustavo Wurlitzer (158.8)**
Akhmed Fararzha (151.6) vs. Kirill Medvedovsky (157)
Raz Bring (135.6) vs. Naziri Daniliuk (134.2)
Mikail Dulgher (153.6) vs. Ofir Leibel (154.4)
Ron Becker (135.8) vs. Artem Kazartsev (132.2)
Ben Cohen (134) vs. Maksym Tkachuk (132.4)
Eli Aronov (202.8) vs. Sari Hleihil (197)
Itay Lipszyc (125.2) vs. Itzik Yakobov (123)
Rafael Aronov (169.8) vs. Nika Ben Tuashy (171)
Nisim Rozalis (221) vs. Noam Voldman (219.4)
Elias Mamadov (144.6) vs. Itay Tratner (144)
David Malka (164.2) vs. Tomer Maslis (168.4)

*Bashir forfeits 20 percent of his purse to Gracie Jr.; fight continues
** Karamov vs. Wurlitzer fines cancel out after both missed weight; fight continues

Austin Vanderford says toughest test of career lays ahead at Bellator 234

Austin Vanderford is not lost on the significance of what his fight at Bellator 234 means for his overall career prospects.

[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] understands the significance of what his fight at Bellator 234 means for his overall career prospects.

That’s why Vanderford (8-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is taking his middleweight matchup with Grachik Bozinyan (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) extremely seriously. No one outside the most hardcore of fans know of the Russian, but Vanderford said he’s done his homework.

“I think this is definitely the toughest guy I’ve fought so far,” Vanderford told MMA Junkie. “It’s going to be the toughest fight of my career. He’s a very skilled fighter, a tough fighter and he has a lot of finishes on his resume. I’m going into the fight with that in mind and with that, I’m going to be the most prepared and ready Austin there is.”

Vanderford is the more recognizable name in the matchup with Bozinyan at Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday (and airs via tape-delay Friday on Paramount) from Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. However, he’s also the one with more to lose, and he’s trained hard to ensure a misstep doesn’t occur.

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Thus far, Vanderford’s Bellator run has been smooth. He’s picked up stoppage wins in his two fights since debuting with the promotion in February, and making it 3-0 under the Bellator banner is when some real momentum could start to pick up.

“I’ve had a good couple showings, I’ve got a couple finishes and I’m just kind of looking to go off that,” Vanderford said. “I really just focus on taking it one fight at a time and they presented this fight to me like two days after my last fight and I jumped right on it and I was thankful to make it through my last fight with no injuries and jump right back into a fight camp and start preparing for this fight.”

Vanderford said he’s not sure how close he’d be to a title shot with a win at Bellator 234. He will only have nine total fights after the upcoming bout, and other 185-pound contenders have put in more work. Vanderford will ultimately let his performances decide his path, though, and he anticipates a good one against Bozinyan.

“We just keep going a fight at a time and I think I’ll keep going up in competition,” Vanderford said. “I want to fight for a world title. Every win you rack up I just one step closer.”

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Bellator 234 pre-event facts: Roger Huerta seeks first Bellator win since 2010

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday with a Sergei Kharitonov vs. Linton Vassell main event.

Bellator’s busy November continues this week with Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel, but won’t air until Friday on Paramount via tape-delay.

A heavyweight matchup serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will look to inch close to getting a fight for Bellator gold, while [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA) looks to get his first win since moving up to the heavyweight division earlier this year.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 16 pre-event facts about Bellator 234.

* * * *

Main event

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Kharitonov is 11-1 (with two no contests) in his past 14 fights dating back to September 2011.

Kharitonov’s five-fight Bellator unbeaten streak at heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Cheick Kongo (nine) and Tyrell Fortune (eight).

Kharitonov has earned 27 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his Bellator wins.

Kharitonov vs. Matt Mitrione at Bellator 215 marked the third shortest no contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

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Vassell’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2017.

Vassell was unsuccessful in his heavyweight debut when he lost a decision to Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 218 in March.

Vassell’s seven victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Liam McGeary (nine), Phil Davis (eight) and Emanuel Newton (eight).

Vassell’s three submission victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied with four other fighters for most in divisional history.

Co-main event

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[autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag] (24-11-1 MMA, 1-4 BMMA) is 0-2 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in April 2018. He hasn’t earned a victory with the promotion since April 2010.

Huerta is 4-10 in his past 14 fights dating back to August 2008.

Remaining main card

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[autotag]Olga Rubin[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) competes in her sixth Bellator women’s featherweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Arlene Blencowe (nine) and Julia Budd (seven).

[autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 2-4 BMMA) is 1-3 since she moved up to the Bellator women’s featherweight division.

[autotag]Grachik Bozinyan[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is the youngest of the eight scheduled main card fighters.

Bozinyan has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished seven of those wins in Round 1.

[autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag]’s (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) 11-second submission win at Bellator 225 stands as the fastest in company history.

Gozali, at 18, became the youngest fighter to earn a bellator win at Bellator 209 in November 2018.

Bellator 234: Make your predictions for Sergei Kharitonov vs. Linton Vassell

We want your predictions for Bellator 234 in Israel, featuring Sergei Kharitonov vs. Linton Vassell.

We want your predictions for this week’s Bellator 234 event in Israel.

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 Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 234 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 234 takes place Thursday at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN on Friday via tape delay.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

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