Tag: Bellator 236

Video: Bellator’s Jay Glazer and Robin Black administer ‘The Dose’

Jay Glazer and Robin Black team up to deliver a YouTube update on all things Bellator in the promotion’s newest video feature, “The Dose.”

Do you have Bellator fever? Then the only prescription is “The Dose.”

Jay Glazer and Robin Black have teamed up for the promotion’s latest video franchise, with the duo shooting the Bellator breeze as they look back at some of the biggest performances from recent events and look ahead to the big-time matchups to come.

In the first episode of “The Dose,” Glazer and Black preview the Bellator 239 main event in Oklahoma, as former collegiate wrestling standout [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) faces off against Ukraine’s undefeated [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in a pivotal welterweight bout, while also highlighting the co-main event between [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA).

The duo also take look back at flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA), who enjoyed a memorable win – and a memorable walkout – at Bellator 236, and the throwback fight between former PRIDE FC legends [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-13 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) at Bellator 237.

[lawrence-related id=485952,477348,473768]

We also hear from the fighters themselves, as Jenn Brown chats with newly-crowned featherweight queen [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and featherweight grand prix semifinalist [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) following their winning performances at Bellator 238.

Finally, Glazer and Black run through the current state of play in the Bellator featherweight grand prix, with the second half of the bracket set to play out and produce the second semifinal matchup with [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) set for Bellator 241 in Uncasville on Mar. 13.

Check out “The Dose” via the video above.

MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for December: A slugfest between wrestlers

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2019: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

* * * *

Rob Font def. Ricky Simon at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) had to battle through early adversity to get his 17th professional win, topping a game [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

Font came back from getting dropped in the first round to outpoint Simon in a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, giving Font back-to-back wins for the first time in more than two years.

Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington at UFC 245

The highly anticipated welterweight title fight between [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) surpassed all pre-fight expectations, but in the end it was the champion who came away with his title reign intact.

Usman and Covington went toe-to-toe for nearly five rounds, exchanging strikes on the feet and not once putting a wholehearted effort into a takedown attempt. Usman proved more dangerous on the feet in the matchup of wrestlers, breaking Covington’s jaw before dropping and stopping him in the fifth for the fight-ending TKO.

Charles Jourdain def. Dooho Choi at UFC on ESPN+ 23

After falling short in his UFC debut earlier this year, [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) showed what he was all about in his sophomore octagon appearance when he won a featherweight thriller against [autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC).

Jourdain gave “The Korean Superboy” a rude welcome back to action from a long layoff when he fearlessly found a home for his strikes for nearly two full rounds. Eventually Choi couldn’t hold up, because Jourdain connected with a shot that set up a TKO to end the “Fight of the Night” affair.

A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos at Bellator 236

[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) from picking up another impressive win to extend his record winning streak in Bellator.

McKee fought Campos from every area over the course of the bout, then suddenly in the third, from his back, he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos to tap out and made him the first man to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

Tofiq Musaev def. Patricky Freire at Rizin FF 20

[autotag]Tofiq Musaev[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 5-0 Rizin) made light of his underdog status as he surged into the Rizin lightweight grand prix final and claimed a unanimous decision victory over pre-tournament favorite [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 2-1 Rizin).

The two semifinal matchups in the lightweight grand prix tournament produced brutal, quick-fire finishes as Azerbaijan’s Musaev and Brazilian Bellator star Freire registered impressive stoppage wins. They went all three rounds in the final, though, each trying to overcome severe hand injuries. Musaev had the bigger moments, though, and was given the nod by the judges.

View this post on Instagram

🇦🇿AZERBAYCAN🇦🇿

A post shared by Tofiq Musayev (@tofiq__musayev) on

* * * *

The Winner: Usman vs. Covington

[vertical-gallery id=471456]

After a heated buildup and a compelling fight, Usman came out “and still” the UFC welterweight champion.

With the clock winding down in the UFC 245 main event, Usman finished former interim champ Covington at 4:10 of Round 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As Covington walked out to Kurt Angle’s WWE theme song, he was met with boos and middle fingers from the crowd, although the controversial competitor also had a noticeable share of supporters. A calm, cool and collected Usman made the walk second, draped in the Nigerian flag.

When it came time to fight, the two combatants, who did not touch gloves at the outset, delivered. Known for their wrestling abilities, not one takedown attempt was tried. Covington set a frenetic pace in the first, while Usman was more calculated with his strikes.

After three rounds of back-and-forth face-punching, Covington informed his corner he thought he broke his jaw. Upon replay, a hard straight right was the culprit.

[lawrence-related id=474280,472439,472026]

Fighting through the pain in the fourth round, Covington showed tremendous heart. He stunned Usman on multiple occasions and dug deep to return to his first-round pacing.

With the fight being relatively close, there was no consensus leader entering the fifth. It could have been anyone’s fight. Midway through the round, Usman showed championship mettle and began to land some of his hardest punches of the fight.

In a wild fifth-round sequence, Usman battered Covington, dropping him to the canvas. Covington survived, but only for so long. He was promptly met with more hard shots from the champion. As a bloody, battered, and swollen Covington clutched onto a single leg, Usman’s hammer fists finished the fight.

Upon the stoppage from referee Marc Goddard, the bloodied and battered Covington protested, but to no avail.

After the fight, Covington left the cage and ran to the back. He did not give a post-fight interview.

Conversely, Usman took the high road. The champion celebrated his win, but also turned attention to a tragedy his family had recently endured. Usman’s brother Mohammed, a pro MMA heavyweight, lost his son in a drowning accident earlier this year.

The victory means Usman has now won 15 straight outings. As for Covington, the loss was only the second of his career.

[opinary poll=”what-was-your-fight-of-the-month-for-dec-ZP15″ customer=”mmajunkie”]

[jwplayer LlgEEnq7-RbnemIYZ]

MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for December: A stunning twister

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from December 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from December 2019. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

* * * *

The Nominees

Virna Jandiroba def. Mallory Martin at UFC on ESPN 7

After stumbling in her octagon debut, [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) showed what she’s all about when she rolled over Mallory Martin (6-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in their strawweight bout for her 12th career submission victory.

Jandiroba managed to assert her game over Martin in the first round. Then, in the second, she earned an advantageous position to lock in a rear-naked choke. Martin had no answer, and the result was a submission victory for the former Invicta FC champion.

Bryce Mitchell def. Matt Sayles at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) pulled off the rarest of submissions in his featherweight bout against Matt Sayles (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) to remain undefeated in his young career.

Mitchell became just the second fighter in octagon history to finish a fight by twister submission. After getting Sayles on the mat, he began to set up the multi-step process for the difficult technique. Sayles couldn’t defend it, though, and “Thug Nasty” got his place in the record books.

Billy Quarantillo def. Jacob Kilburn at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) used the platform of his octagon debut to showcase the full extend of his ability by utterly dominating Jacob Kilburn (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) before earning a merciless finish.

Quarantillo did everything he wanted to and more in inflicting a one-sided beating of Kilburn in the lightweight matchup. He finished the with a triangle choke in the second round, but not before landing 139 total strikes and threatening with five total submission attempts.

Tim Means def. Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) and Thiago Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) have built up reputations as violent, high-action fighters in the welterweight division. And once again, he delivered.

The two fighters did not disappoint in a short, but action-packed spectacle. They traded heavy shots on the feet before Alves got hurt and Means was able to take advantage and lock in a tight guillotine choke that forced the former UFC title challenger to tap out.

A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos at Bellator 236

Derek Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) from picking up another impressive win to extend his record winning streak in Bellator.

McKee fought Campos from every area over the course of the bout, then suddenly in the third, from his back, he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos to tap out and made him the first man to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

* * * *

The Winner: Bryce Mitchell

[vertical-gallery id=468764]

Mitchell pulled off an all-time submission in just his third UFC appearance.

Facing off against Sayles, pulled off a rare twister submission at the 4:20 mark of the first round.

As the fight wore on, Mitchell and Sayles became tangled on the ground. With his opponent’s leg locked, Mitchell swung his head under the arm of Sayles.

From there, Mitchell wrapped his arms around Sayles’ neck. One grip adjustment was all it took. Clearly in pain due to the torque on his torso, Sayles was forced to tap.

The submission was only the second of its kind successfully executed in UFC history. The first came at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung pulled off a second-round twister submission in a rematch against fellow WEC alum Leonard Garcia.

[jwplayer HJCVl8e3-RbnemIYZ]

[opinary poll=“submission-of-the-month-for-december_mma” customer=“mmajunkie”]

Video: Check out A.J. McKee’s triumphant evening on ‘Bellator Fight Night’

Go behind the scenes with A.J. McKee and Derek Campos on Bellator 236 fight night.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] is one of the hottest up-and-coming-stars in mixed martial arts, and he proved why once again last week at Bellator 236.

McKee kept his undefeated record intact, and ran his company record win streak at 16, with a second-round submission victory over the always-tough Derek Campos in Honolulu. By doing so, McKee became the first fighter to reach the final four of Bellator’s featherweight grand prix tournament.

Now, you can ride along with both fighters on fight night and follow their exploits from the time they reach the arena, through the exciting fight itself, and on to the post-fight scene.

Click on the video linked above to check out Bellator’s “Fight Night: McKee vs. Campos” video.

[vertical-gallery id=473852]

MMA rankings report: UFC, Bellator weekend fallout

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Chan Sung Jung had big wins over the weekend. How did they affect the rankings?

The final weekend of dueling UFC and Bellator events didn’t have a gigantic impact on the rankings. But there are still some items worth pondering in the aftermath of UFC on ESPN+ 23 and Bellator 235 and 236.

  • [autotag]Ilima-Lei MacFarlane [/autotag] had another impressive defense of her Bellator flyweight title in defeating a tough Kate Jackson, and both shows in Honolulu featured fights with solid showings from those who wish to be next in line for “The Ilimanator.”
  • [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] put on a show at UFC Busan, as he finished former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in the opening round and made it clear he is a force to be reckoned with at 145 pounds.

How did these results and more play out in this week’s USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through all the changes of note in the video above.

[jwplayer j2bEm8kL-RbnemIYZ]

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane: Liz Carmouche and I ‘totally prepared to fight each other’ in Bellator

If it’s meant to be for these teammates to throw down in the cage, it’s meant to be.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] says she would have no issue fighting her teammate and newly signed Bellator flyweight [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] if their paths cross in 2020.

Macfarlane, the Bellator 125-pound champion, notched her fourth successful title defense when she defeated Kate Jackson via unanimous decision in the Bellator 236 main event.

And with company president Scott Coker hinting at a possible flyweight grand prix, both Macfarlane (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and Carmouche (13-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) have stated that they’d have no issue facing each other inside the Bellator cage.

“We are totally prepared to fight each other,” Macfarlane told MMA Junkie backstage at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena. “Obviously we’d want to be on the opposite sides of the brackets, but yeah, I am so down for a tournament. In fact, when I heard that Scott announced it, I was like, ‘OK, great, I don’t have to call it out on the mic.'”

[lawrence-related id=473809,473810,474094]

The only potential issue in a possible Macfarlane-Carmouche matchup is a conflict of interest with regard to their cornering situations. Both fighters come from the same camp and share the same coaches. But Macfarlane said she has a simple solution.

“The only thing that we have to figure out – and we’ve already talked about this with our coaches – because Liz and I have been with Manolo and Bill since the beginning, and so they’re like, ‘What are we going to do?’ And we’re like, ‘OK, why don’t you guys just be in the audience, and we’ll just have our teammates corner us or something?'”

It remains to be seen whether the two are destined to face off, but it seems both Macfarlane and Carmouche are making sure all their bases are covered, just in case.

[jwplayer KRWGrkn5-RbnemIYZ]

[opinary poll=”interested-in-seeing-friends-liz-carmouc” customer=”mmajunkie”]

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dec. 24: Did Bellator’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane climb the pound-for-pound chart?

Take a look at the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA rankings for Dec. 24 after a pair of Bellator fights and a UFC event.

This past weekend featured three big events with a lot of opportunities for movement in the rankings.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) once again defended her women’s flyweight title with a decisive scorecard sweep of Kate Jackson (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in the Bellator 236 main event in front of her home fans in Honolulu. Macfarlane may have a hard time climbing higher in her divisional rankings, but she still can make leaps on the women’s pound-for-pound list.

In the UFC, Chan Sung Jung (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had a dominant finish of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) in their featherweight headliner in Busan, South Korea. How far did “The Korean Zombie” climb in the 145-pound charts?

Take a look at the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings in all divisions after the UFC show and a pair of Bellator cards.

Spinning Back Clique: Bellator Hawaii, UFC Busan, free agent moves and more

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 8 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what went down at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in South Korea, what went down at Bellator’s two events in Hawaii, the UFC’s flyweight division, big free agent signings, Jorge Masvidal’s next move and more.

Show rundown:

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 8 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Scott Coker: Jiu-jitsu community called A.J. McKee’s armbar one of the ‘sickest submissions’ ever

Renzo and Royce Gracie were among those impressed by A.J. McKee’s slick submission.

HONOLULU – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s submission win at Bellator 236 has made all kinds of headlines.

The undefeated McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) submitted Derek Campos in the third round Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center, as he grabbed a slick armbar from the bottom to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

After the event, Bellator president Scott Coker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, that the jiu-jitsu community had raved to him about McKee’s finish.

“I was talking to Renzo Gracie and Royce and all the jiu-jitsu community, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, that was one of the sickest submissions I’ve ever seen,'” he said.

McKee came out strong early, as he threw a flying knee and used his grappling to try to secure a submission opportunity. The two engaged in numerous scrambles in a back-and-forth fight. In the second round, McKee dropped Campos and got clipped during a wild striking exchange, but it was largely another impressive showing from the undefeated featherweight.

[lawrence-related id=473806,473759,473586]

Coker had nothing but praise for his rising, undefeated prospect after a fight that he thinks tested McKee.

“I think A.J. was in a little scrap, and I think he learned a lot tonight,” Coker said. “I think he probably had to dig a little deeper than maybe he thought he was going to have to. He’s scrappy, the opponent is scrappy, and he is just rough and tough, and he got caught, I think, once or twice in there. I think A.J. learned a lot, but I will say this: That submission at the end was unbelievable.

“When a fighter finds a way to win, that really tells a lot about their character because he said, ‘I’m not going to lose this fight, I’m going to go out and submit this guy.’ Or in his mind, ‘I’m going to knock him out, I’m going to submit him.’ He found a way to win, and sometimes that’s what it takes. It’s just that will to win, and he caught him.”

[jwplayer KRWGrkn5-FLu19iir]

[vertical-gallery id=473852]

Bellator 236 winner Zach Zane says he will take on anyone – except another Hawaiian

Hawaii’s Zach Zane talks to MMA Junkie backstage after his unanimous decision victory over Nainoa Dung at Bellator 236 in Honolulu.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] claimed a unanimous decision in his all-Hawaii battle at Bellator 236, then said he never wants to face a fellow islander again.

“Man, that was a lot of fun,” he told MMA Junkie backstage after his victory over fellow Hawaiian Nainoa Dung on Saturday night. “Nothing but gratuity in my heart. Just kinda in shock and lost for words. I’m such a grateful guy.”

Zane (14-9, 1-0 BMMA) went into his battle with Dung (3-1, 2-1 BMMA) with a significant experience advantage, but it seemed pre-fight that it was his opponent who received the greater promotional push. While that situation may have irked some fighters, Zane said he appreciated why that was the case.

“I totally understand that,” he admitted. “Look at the kid, he’s 21 years old, kind of a phenom, he has a big following. I wish nothing but the best for him and his future. He’s 21 years old, but I need a future too. I want an opportunity and the blessing to show my heart to the world.”

[lawrence-related id=473800]

Usually, fighters have a clear idea of where they want to take their career next, whether it’s a particular fight card they want to feature on, or a specific opponent they’d like to face next. But Zane isn’t your regular MMA fighter. Rather than saying who he does want to fight, he told reporters who he didn’t want to share the cage with.

“I don’t want to fight another Hawaii guy,” he explained. “I want to represent Hawaii. I want to go all around the world, fighting in Bellator, fight anybody around the world. I humbly would fight anyone. I have no fear in my heart, I love this, I’m a martial artist and I’m a warrior. The sky’s the limit for me.”

And if that globetrotting quest means he has to run the gauntlet and face a local favorite in their own backyard, he’s cool with that, too.

“I fought in Brave. I was a 16/1 underdog, the number-one underdog on the card in Ireland,” he said. “I know that feeling of pressure and people doubting you. I overcome adversity outside the cage, and I truly believe that if you can do that outside the cage, you can do anything in the cage. I’ve been in dark places, and the light right here, that’s where it’s at. That’s where I want to be, that that’s where I’m gonna stay.”

And for the 30-year-old, he is just happy to follow his dream and pursue his goals in the only true vocation he has found in life.

“This is all I know,” he admitted. “All I know is fighting. People go to school, people become police (officers), people become whatever they become. I became a martial artist, and here I am.”

[jwplayer KRWGrkn5-RbnemIYZ]