Tag: Bellator 236

Bellator 235/Bellator 236 reactions: Winning and losing fighters on social media

See how the Bellator 235/236 winners and losers reacted on social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Since the early days when the sport was anything but a mainstream endeavor, the MMA industry has thrived and survived through various websites, forums and, perhaps most importantly, social-media platforms.

Fighters interact with fans, each other and many more through the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, which helps outsiders get a deeper look into the minds of the athletes.

Following the organization’s weekend doubleheader in Hawaii, several of the winning and losing fighters from Bellator 235 and Bellator 236, along with their coaches, training partners or family members, took to social media to react to the event or share a message with supporters.

Check out some of those reactions.

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The defeated

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Repost. @leowsouza1 Fala galera, ontem lutamos aqui no Bellator Havaii e não tivemos um dia bom de trabalho. Foi a primeira vez que na minha opinião a bruna realmente perdeu na organização lutando com toda certeza com a melhor lutadora da categoria numa divisao que não é a dela. Estamos esperando uma possível luta na divisão de baixo, 115 pounds na Itália em abril, sendo assim, caso abra a categoria com toda certeza vamos dominar e a bruna vai ser a campeã da divisão. Ela é a mais baixa dessa categoria mas como todos podem acompanhar a que tem o maior coração, ela nasceu pra lutar e aqui é o lugar dela, nos maiores eventos do mundo. Agradeço muito a Deus por me dar saúde e a oportunidade de estar entre os melhores do mundo. Só isso já me faz um vencedor porque são poucas pessoas que chegaram ate aqui e sei que são muitos que gostariam de estar no meu lugar. Já foram 12 vezes participando em eventos internacionais somente com o suor do meu trabalho e dedicação. Agora vou aproveitar e descansar mais uma semana aqui nesse paraíso que é o Havaíi, voltar e focar na inauguração da nova academia e 2020 acreditem vai ser o meu ano sem decepções como tive nesse final de ano somente com muitas conquistas e glórias porque DEUS está comigo e eu só paro quando ele ordenar! Agradeço de coração a todos que mandaram mensagens de apoio com certeza isso sempre nos dá mais força!

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I've just landed at Heathrow. Almost home ❤️ Performance aside, I had an absolutely amazing time and I even enjoyed the booing 🤣⁣ ⁣ Thank you so much to @therealscottcoker @rich_chou and all the @bellatormma staff for both the opportunity and for looking after us this week.⁣ ⁣ I'm incredibly grateful to @mrowlett, @kennybakerbjj, @lanchanagreen and my parents for flying out to LA and Hawaii, especially given how close to Christmas it is.⁣ ⁣ To all my teammates and coaches @flomartialarts, @konceptgym @puregrappling and @plymouthperformancegym, your support means the world to me, as does that of my friends, family and the rest of the UK who watched at 5am. 🇬🇧 Sorry I fell short. I'm better than I was a year ago and this is beyond anything I could even have imagined 10 years ago, and all I can do is work on improving going forward.⁣ ⁣ Thank you to @rainhafw, @apakswarriors, @gaetaguard, @mindsport.co.uk @duellosportsmanagement and @strikingokhan⁣ ⁣ Last, but not least, congratulations to @ilimanator!⁣ ⁣ #Bellator236 #BellatorHawaii

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The victorious

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Post fight interview @mmajunkiedotcom

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The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

A.J. McKee wants to fight for Bellator lightweight title after featherweight grand prix

A.J. McKee has his sights set on the Bellator featherweight championship, but that’s not all.

HONOLULU – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] has his sights set on the Bellator featherweight championship, but that’s not all.

On Saturday night, the undefeated 24-year-old McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) advanced to the Bellator 145-pound grand prix semifinals with a third-round submission win over Derek Campos.

Although McKee’s next opponent will be the winner of the Bellator 238 co-main event between Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics, McKee is thinking ahead.

McKee believes he’ll be the last one standing when the dust settles and a tournament champion is crowned. A similar status at lightweight will be obtained afterwards, according to McKee.

“Where’s my belt?” McKee asked, a question directed at Bellator double champ Patricio Freire. “After this 145-pound tournament, I want the 155-pound (belt) right after.

“That’s why I didn’t mind if we could have ran it before. So he could get prepared for that ass-whooping to come. Show him a little taste of it. I hope you like sweets, because it’s going to be sweet.”

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Freire is expected to take on SBG’s Pedro Carvalho in March at an event to be named. The fight is a quarterfinal fight in the Bellator featherweight grand prix, so it’s possible McKee and Freire will square off before the tournament is over.

With his most recent victory, McKee’s unbeaten streak as a professional has been extended to 16. All of McKee’s pro fights have been under the Bellator banner.

Bellator 236 took place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out McKee’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3012: Reaction to Bellator Hawaii doubleheader, UFC on ESPN+ 23

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack a trifecta of major MMA events and react to the latest news and notes.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,012 of the podcast, the guys unpack a trifecta of major events from the weekend, with Bellator 235 and 236 in Honolulu, as well as UFC on ESPN+ 23 in Busan, South Korea. The guys also react to the latest news and notes.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • The weekend got off to a bad start for Bellator, with former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] forced to withdraw hours before the Bellator 235 headliner because of illness. When and where should Barnett vs. Ronny Markes take place now?
  • At UFC on ESPN+ 23, [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] took care of business in a big way with a first-round TKO finish of ex-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Did “The Korean Zombie” do enough to shake up plans of title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway? Are you warm to the idea of a No. 1 contender fight against [autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag]?
  • At Bellator 236, [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] retained her flyweight title with a dominant performance against Kate Jackson, and [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] advanced to the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix with a submission of Derek Campos. The guys weigh in on both outcomes and more from the card.
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] gave an endorsement speech of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a rally in Las Vegas. Pretty cool?
  • [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], the Glory Kickboxing middleweight champion better known as the guy who knocked out Israel Adesanya, wants to fight MMA. Are you into it?
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] has his next fight lined up for Jan. 25 at Bellator 238. Is this guy a star for the promotion?
  • It sure does seem like [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] would rather fight [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] instead of receive a welterweight title shot vs. Kamaru Usman. Does this make sense?
  • Former Bellator champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] left the promotion to sign with PFL. Good or bad move for him?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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Jason Jackson says Ed Ruth loss sharpened his focus for Bellator 236 victory, expects to meet again

Jamaican welterweight Jason Jackson chats to MMA Junkie after his decision win over Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 236.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]’s short-notice assignment at Bellator 236 proved to be a successful one as he stepped in on just seven days’ notice to defeat Japanese veteran Kiichi Kunimoto.

Jackson’s unanimous decision victory gave him a welcome notch in the win column after his split decision defeat to Ed Ruth at Bellator 231 in October. And the Jamaican, known as “The Ass-Kicking Machine” said he’s was happy to showcase his full MMA skillset after admitting he fought within himself against Ruth last time out.

“As you guys could see, Jason Jackson is not just only a boxer. He can wrestle, he can grapple, he can stop shots,” he told MMA Junkie backstage after his victory. “But the thing is, I felt I held myself back with Ed Ruth because I heard everybody talk well about him (being) the best wrestler in the United States, all this, and I forgot about my grappling, my MMA grappling. And you know, I just left it. But now I’m going to do everything; I’m going to show everything. I’m better than you guys at everything, the all-around game. That’s the scariest Jason Jackson.”

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After carrying that disappointment from his last fight into his short-notice bout with Kunimoto (20-9-2, 0-2 BMMA), Jackson (11-4, 2-1 BMMA) was determined to do his skillset justice.

“Absolutely. Because I knew I fought five rounds before. I fought for three world titles,” Jackson said. “And coming in here and fighting Ed Ruth, I knew if I can stop Ed Ruth (taking me down), (Kunimoto) can’t take me down. I knew that.”

Jackson said he fully expects to face off with Ruth inside the Bellator cage further down the line as the pair make their way toward the top of Bellator’s 170-pound division.

“The Ed Ruth fight will happen again, for sure,” he stated. “Because right now we’re the two best up-and-coming (fighters). We’re the ones to watch out for, and we have to meet (again). It’s destined.”

That fight is unlikely to be next, however, and Jackson said his priority now is simply to fight and pick up more wins as he moves his way up the ladder.

“I can’t give you who I want (or) where I want. I just want to fight and enjoy it,” he said.

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Bellator 236 video highlights

Check out highlights from the main card of Bellator 236 in Honolulu.

The second half of Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader took place Saturday with Bellator 236, which went down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, with a main card that streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Hometown hero and women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] had another magical moment in her career when, for the second consecutive year, she defended her title on her own soil with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag], who became the first in six fights to push “The Ilimanator” to the scorecards.

Also victorious on the main card were A.J. McKee, who advanced to the Bellator featherweight grand prix semifinals, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag], [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag], and [autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag].

You can watch highlights of the six bouts in the video above.

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Complete Bellator 236 results include:

Bellator 236 post-event facts: A.J. McKee’s record-book takeover nearly complete

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 236, which took place Saturday in Honolulu.

The second half of Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader took place Saturday with Bellator 236, which went down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, with a main card that streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Hometown hero and women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) had another magical moment in her career when, for the second consecutive year, she defended her title on her own soil with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who became the first in six fights to push “The Ilimanator” to the scorecards.

For more on numbers to come out of main event, as well as the rest of the main card, check below for 30 post-event facts from Bellator 236.

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General

Betting favorites went 5-0 on the main card. One fight did not have odds available.

Betting favorites improved to 13-8 (with two no contests and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the six-bout main card was 1:36:08.

Main card

Macfarlane’s four consecutive Bellator title defenses are tied for most among current champions.

Macfarlane’s five victories in Bellator title fights are tied for third most in company history behind Patricio Freire (eight) and Michael Chandler (six).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak is the second longest active streak in the company behind A.J. McKee (16).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak is tied with Michael Page for the second longest streak in company history behind McKee (16).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak in the longest among female fighters in the organization.

Macfarlane’s 10 Bellator victories are most among female fighters in the organization.

Macfarlane’s 10 victories in Bellator flyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Jackson has suffered both of her Bellator losses by decision.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) 16-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest active streak in the company.

McKee’s 16-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest streak in company history.

McKee’s 16-fight Bellator winning streak in featherweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

McKee’s 16 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Chandler for second most in company history behind Freire (18).

McKee’s 16 victories in Bellator featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Freire (17).

McKee’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied with Freire and Chandler for most in company history.

McKee’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

McKee’s five submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to February 2018.

Campos fell to 1-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in December 2018.

Campos has suffered seven of his eight Bellator losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Kiichi Kunimoto[/autotag] (20-9-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) fell to 2-2 since his final UFC appearance in June 2017.

[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag]’s five-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Macfarlane (10).

Velasquez’s five victories in Bellator flyweight competition are second most in divisor history behind Macfarlane (10).

[autotag]Bruna Ellen[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) has suffered all three of her career losses by decision.

[autotag]Cheyden Leialoha[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] (14-9 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Nainoa Dung[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 3-0.

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Liz Carmouche: UFC ‘PR nightmare’ ended up being a ‘blessing for me’ to sign with Bellator

Former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche reflects on her release from the UFC after having signed with Bellator.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] is happy with the way things turned out in the latest chapter of her MMA career.

The former two-time UFC title challenger signed with Bellator last week after she was abruptly released from the UFC earlier in the month. Carmouche (13-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a notable name in the UFC women’s flyweight division, had fought for the promotion for almost seven years, with her debut being a championship bout against UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey – the first female fight in UFC history.

Having challenged for the flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko in August and being a ranked contender in the division, many were surprised by the UFC’s decision to release Carmouche. Yet, Carmouche wasn’t caught too caught off guard.

“I kind of had suspicions of what was going to happen with the UFC,” Carmouche told reporters backstage at Bellator 235. “I didn’t think it was going to happen in that form, but I certainly had my suspicions that they were going to cut me just in the fact that I had been reaching out in the promise that, ‘Hey, you’ll have a fight in November or December the latest.’

“And every time I had a competition for jiu-jitsu or anything else, they would keep saying, ‘Hey, you’re still on standby.’ And then we went into December, and I was like, ‘Well, December is here. All the fights for the rest of the year have been announced.’

“I had this feeling inside, so I let my management know, ‘Hey, can we start reaching feelers out? I just have a sneaking suspicion.’ So we were kind of set there. I thought, ‘OK, this would happen after (Washington D.C.), maybe them bringing me out to D.C. (for promotional work), I was wrong, and it’s not going to happen that way.’ So I was definitely surprised, but what their PR nightmare happened to be, it was a blessing for me.

“And to come here (in Hawaii), come out and support the troops – and they also support my training partner, Ilima-lei (Macfarlane) – and just come out and bring my family to Hawaii and have a good time and close out the year on a good note, it was just even better.”

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Having been eager to compete while signed to the UFC, Carmouche wants to get in the Bellator cage sooner rather than later. She hopes she can get booked for a fight in early 2020.

“I hope those talks start really soon,” Carmouche said. “I was really hopeful I was going to start fighting in November, December for the UFC, so when I got that cut, I was already ready, and I’m staying ready.

“I’m hoping I can get a fight as early as February, so I can get right back in there. I want to support the organization and the division. I want to work my way up just like everyone else has. I don’t want to be that person that just slides in and goes right into contention for the belt. That’s not fair for everyone who’s been working up, so I really want to work my way to the top and earn my right to fight for the belt just like everyone else.”

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Raufeon Stots reveals big names who turned him down before Bellator 236 victory

“You know that I’m a legitimate threat to your career path or whatever you’ve got going on, so you don’t want a part of that right now.”

HONOLULU – Bellator bantamweight [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] enjoyed a winning start in his new promotion, then revealed a pair of the 135-pound division’s big names had already swerved fights with him.

Stots (13-1, 1-0 BMMA) kicked off his Bellator career with a unanimous decision victory over Hawaii’s Cheyden Leialoha (7-2, 0-1 BMMA), earning scores of 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 to extend his overall winning streak to five. And the Roufusport-trained prospect paid tribute to his opponent for battling all the way to the scorecards.

“Yeah, I knew he was going to be tough,” Stots told MMA Junkie backstage after his debut win. “I thought I could get him out of there with a finish, but it was a little different. It was a different experience. I was trying to enjoy everything. It was a good win. I’ve got to thank my opponent, because he’s a tough mofo, and not a lot of people want to fight me, so I end up fighting the toughest around, and he proved to be just that. It’s nice to find a tough opponent.”

Finding a tough opponent hasn’t always been easy for Stots, as he explained that his attempts to jump into the bantamweight division with a big short-notice fight against a top name fell through after a pair of the division’s top contenders turned down fights with him.

When pressed to name names, Stots shrugged and spilled the beans.

“Not to stir up trouble, but there was a guy by the name of Patchy Mix who needed an opponent short notice, and I offered to step in. That didn’t come to fruition. I know James Gallagher needed an opponent late notice, (and) I got a message back that they’re not interested. I had a fight for Japan … and I don’t know what happened with that. But I was way happier to fight here. I’m just happy to know where I’m at, and if we meet each other in the future I’m always more than willing to make those fights.

“I was told that they didn’t want it … because it was short notice for them. But I’m the one stepping in for the fight that they have, so it is what it is. So when I see that, I’m like: ‘OK, you recognize. You know that I’m a legitimate threat to your career path or whatever you’ve got going on, so you don’t want a part of that right now.’ So that’s how I look at it. Who knows if that’s the case or whatever, but they’re more than welcome to prove me wrong. Step in the cage with me.”

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Stots admitted fighting for Bellator was a significant step up from life on the regional circuit as he felt the difference in quality, right down to the fighting canvas inside the cage itself.

“It was almost like, I’m used to sleeping on cotton sheets, (but) it’s silk here,” Stots said with a grin. “It’s just a little different, getting comfortable and being able to sleep. That’s how it’s feeling. It was cool.”

Stots said he came through his victory over Leialoha without any serious injuries, and he’d love nothing more than to jump straight back into the Bellator cage as quickly as possible.

“I could fight next week, if I can,” he said. “I’m just ready to fight. I like to fight. This is fun to me. So if I don’t get harmed, why not do it again?”

And after getting the first win of his Bellator career under his belt, the 31-year-old plans on making big waves in the promotion’s bantamweight division in 2020.

“I was happy to get my feet wet, but in 2020, I’m diving in,” Stots said. “Bellator bantamweights, beware. I’m putting you all on notice, I’m here now. Move over, get out of the way, do what you’ve got to do, but I’m coming for the belt. And that’s no disrespect. I just want to fight the best. I want to fight whoever’s going to put me to that next step towards being known as one of the greatest.”

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A.J. McKee overcame pre-fight illness to advance in grand prix at Bellator 236

Bellator 236 fight week wasn’t smooth for A.J. McKee. He battled illness, but managed to overcome it and get a crucial career win,

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HONOLULU – Fight week wasn’t particularly smooth for [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] ahead of Bellator 236. He battled illness, but managed to overcome it and get a crucial victory,

Just days prior to his scheduled fight against Derek Campos on Saturday, McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) was fighting a bug that was causing him to get sick. He pushed through it, though, and still successfully made weight before showing up on fight night and pulling off a slick third-round submission.

Although McKee doesn’t think pulling out of any fight is acceptable, this one in particular was never an option. With a spot in the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix on the line, McKee knew following through was his only option.

“Before the opening morning workout I actually ran six miles to the mountain and back,” McKee told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at Bellator 236. “I threw up four times on the run, I think I had slight food poisoning. I don’t know. I knew I just needed to get it out of my system whatever it was. It was nothing really. It’s a mindset. I’m going to fight regardless. I’m a warrior, I’m always going to fight.”

The pre-fight illness didn’t seem to hinder McKee’s performance against Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) in the co-main event matchup at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Hawaii. He was in control for the majority of the fight, and in the third round locked in a tight armbar in the midst of a scramble.

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McKee appeared to be quite proud of his effort when reflecting after the fight. He came in hoping to show some new tools in his arsenal, and feels he achieved that goal.

“I’m playing and it’s fun,” McKee said. “I never come out and do the same thing. That’s where I just continue to evolve. Nobody knows what to expect or train for with me. One second I’ll take you down, then I’m trying to throw elbows, then I’m trying to throw spinning stuff. I’m just always trying to be different, stand out.”

McKee certainly does stand out. His 16th consecutive victory extended the longest winning streak in Bellator history, and his finish of Campos put him into a tie for the most finishes in company history.

Additionally, McKee became the first man to advance to the semifinals of Bellator’s 145-pound grand prix. He will fight the winner of Darrion Caldwell vs. Adam Borics, who will meet in a quarterfinal bout at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 in Inglewood, Calif.

McKee said he’s indifferent about who comes out of that matchup, and he feels he hold the advantage over both men.

“I could give a (expletive) less, honestly,” McKee said. “I pay attention to my side. The belt’s irrelevant at that point because I’ve still got to fight until I get it. My next concern, if I had a concern about anything, is on Caldwell and Borics. I’m comfortable off my back, so Caldwell, go ahead, you can take me down. Striking-wise, I’m probably one of the most elite strikers in the game – not just Bellator.”

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Bellator 236: Raufeon Stots full post-fight interview

Bellator 236: Raufeon Stots full post-fight interview

Bellator 236: Raufeon Stots full post-fight interview