Tag: Bellator 238

Juan Archuleta wants revenge on Henry Corrales at Bellator 238: ‘He’s beaten all my teammates’

Former Bellator title challenger Juan Archuleta explains why he’s out to get revenge against Henry Corrales at Bellator 238 in California.

[autotag]Juan Archuleta [/autotag]wants to get one for the team.

The Bellator featherweight staple will get a chance on Jan. 25 to perhaps not settle the score, but at least start shifting things toward his side once he sets foot in the cage at Bellator 238 in Inglewood, Calif. Archuleta (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is out to avenge the many defeats Bellator veteran [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] has handed down to his teammates over the years.

“He’s beaten Seth Dikun twice, he beat Cody Bollinger, Aaron Pico, Georgi Karakhanyan. So yeah – that’s a good resume against us,” Archuleta told MMA Junkie. “He’s beaten every one of my teammates he’s fought. He’s got our number.

“He’s a knockout artist and he’s a guy that can take punishment to give punishment. He’s good at taking an ass-whooping and giving an ass-whooping like myself, so it brings up a tough challenge for me because mentally, everything is there for him. He’s beaten all my teammates and he’s undefeated against all my teammates. So it’s exciting for me. It lifts me up. I’m a fan of his, because when I started to fight MMA, I saw him fight in King of the Cage. So we’re going to bring a scrap, that’s for sure.”

It’s uncommon for fighters to face opponents who are 5-0 against their camps. Archuleta faces a unique challenge ahead of Bellator 238, and he and his teammates are looking forward to revisiting the tough test Corrales presents.

“They want me to get some revenge on him, of course,” Archuleta said. “It sucks when teammates lose, but here I am. I get to fight this guy I’ve been hoping to fight for a while now.”

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Although Archuleta can’t wait for Jan. 25 and is very much looking forward to handing Corrales a defeat, he has a great deal of respect for his opponent and thinks he’s one of the more genuine fighters on the Bellator roster.

“A guy like Henry is very respectful and you can’t help but love his style, love who he is as a person, and he’s definitely a role model in the sport,” Archuleta said. “(He’s) a guy that goes out there and wears his heart on his sleeve and goes out there to fight. (Fighters are) all sick in the head to begin with, so for a guy to be cool and casual when you see him, not trying to be the big fish in the pond all the time, he flies under the radar. He’s a cool guy for sure.”

Apart from revenge, the 32-year-old Archuleta will look to bounce back from his defeat to two-division champion Patricio Freire this past September. The loss to the champ snapped an impressive 18-fight winning streak for Archuleta.

“Losing always sucks,” he said. “No one wants to lose their money. No one wants to lose their jobs. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. I’m still fighting and I’m still moving on. All I have to do is go out there and show I’m a better athlete and fighter than I showed that night (against Freire).”

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Juan Archuleta frustrated with lack of activity: ‘I want to fight five, six times a year’

Former Bellator title challenger Juan Archuleta is not content with the frequency of the fights he’s been getting in Bellator.

[autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] wants to clock in more hours.

The former Bellator title challenger hasn’t been content with the amount of fights he’s been getting. Archuleta (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) last fought in September, where he lost to champ-champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in the co-main event of Bellator 228, and he was recently booked to fight Henry Corrales in the main card of Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 in Inglewood, Calif.

Archuleta hopes to see more contracts coming his way and less time in between fights heading into this new year.

“This is what I love doing, win or lose,” Archuleta said speaking with MMA Junkie. “I’ve told people before, it’s not the win or the loss that I’m looking at, I just want to go out there and perform at the best of my abilities. I love this sport, I love competing, I love fighting, and I just love to go out there and show off. The wins and loses don’t matter; it doesn’t matter if I win a belt or not. The thing that matters to me is having security and being able to go out there and perform.

“I’ve been telling Bellator since I signed with them, I don’t care to fight for the title. I just want to fight the best, and the best at every weight class, if I can. I want to stay active, and being with Bellator the last two years have been the slowest two years of my career, and it’s a little frustrating, but I have to deal with it. They don’t put on as many shows and they have so many fighters, so it sucks.

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“I want to stay active, so the jealousy of seeing like an ‘MVP’ (Michael Page) being able to compete so many times after he loses, hey, I’m asking for the same thing. And it’s not a money issue because when I first signed with them, I only fought three times in one year, so I know it’s not a money thing, it’s just they’re pushing people through.

“When I re-signed with (Bellator president Scott) Coker, he said I would be able to stay active and fight a lot, and I only fought three times last year, so that did hamper my performance going into the fight with ‘Pitbull.’ But at the same time, it is what it is. I can’t complain about it, just take the fights as they come. I don’t care about fighting for the title, I care about fighting the best guys out there and performing and fighting as much as I can to stay relevant.”

Archuleta joined Bellator in March 2018 and has since fought a total of six times for the promotion. If Archuleta doesn’t fight again by March – outside of his booked contest against Corrales, of course – the “The Spaniard” would have logged in seven fights in two years.

That kind of hustle is often seen across MMA, and many fighters consider it a common level of activity. Yet, for Archuleta, the perceived average doesn’t do it for him.

“Those guys just want to say they’re fighters,” Archuleta explained. “I do this for a living, this is my life – like after my loss I was in the gym the next week, going out and trying to expand the sport. I want to fight every month if I can, every two months if can. For me, three fights, it’s definitely not enough; four fights a year is barely enough. I want to fight five, six times a year.”

Archuleta admits he’s off to a good start being booked in January against fan-favorite Corrales. He’s hopeful 2020 is a year full of fights, even if it means jumping up and down in divisions or in and out of grand prix tournaments.

“When I re-signed my contract, they said they’d keep me active, and they were trying to book me on the Japan card but that fell through,” Corrales said. “So, we’ll see this year. The year is just starting, so we’ll find out how healthy I can stay and how active I can be.

“Like I said before, I’m a fan of the grand prix and everything that goes on with it. It’s an entertaining tournament, especially if it’s a weight class you fight in. If anyone gets pulled out, I would love to jump in, whether it’s 155, 145 or 135 the people that fall off the tournament.

“I definitely want to be in a position to fight the winner of the tournament next now that I’m out. Or I can jump in if someone gets hurt or whatever, so you know, it doesn’t matter what weight class I fight, it’s just who is the opponent and are they the best opponent I can get at the time.”

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Bellator 238 free fight: Relive Aaron Pico’s explosive finish of Leandro Higo

As Aaron Pico attempts to turn things back around, here’s a clip the will remind you just what he can do.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] looks to get back on track in his backyard on Jan. 25, when he meets [autotag]Daniel Carey[/autotag] in a featherweight bout.

The Southern California native has run into a couple speed bumps on the fast track to success. But he’s still just 23 years old, still has tremendous potential, and, having moved to Jackson Wink MMA, clearly still has the right attitude.

In case you forgot just what Pico (4-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) can do, Bellator has made one of his most impressive performances available for free online. In just his fifth pro fight, Pico put on a show for the fans at Bellator 206 in San Jose, Calif. Pico showed off his skills against a respected veteran in Leandro Higo, using elbows and punches to finish the job with a first-round TKO.

Bellator 238 takes place Saturday, Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

As the days count down to Pico’s return to the cage against Carey (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), check out Pico’s fight with Higo in the video linked above.

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Julia Budd plans to remind debuting Cris Cyborg who runs division at Bellator 238

Julia Budd has no intention of rolling over for Cris Cyborg at Bellator 238

VANCOUVER – [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] has no intention of rolling over for Cris Cyborg at Bellator 238.

Budd (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) has controlled Bellator’s featherweight division with an iron fist since its inception. She’s the only titleholder in the history of the company’s weight class, but later this month will face a challenge unlike any other in Cyborg (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), the former UFC, Invicta FC and Strikeforce champ who will make her promotional debut at the event.

No one who has come for Budd’s belt has possessed the skills and accolades of Cyborg, but the champion said she is not intimidated. Budd admitted the fight definitely has different vibe, but it’s one she’s relishing.

“It does feel different,” Budd told MMA Junkie. “It feels different because of who she is, who she’s been in the 145-pound division, which I feel like is my division and I feel like I’ve got to go out there and make a statement. It’s been extra motivation this whole camp and I’m just excited to go out there and defend my belt.”

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Bellator 238 takes place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Budd vs. Cyborg headlines the main card, which streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator president Scott Coker has touted Cyborg as the greatest female fighter of all-time ahead of Bellator 238. Given her accomplishments, she is certainly at the forefront of the conversation. The Brazilian has been in the game since 2005, though, and an argument can also be made that she’s started to show some drop off in performance.

After putting together a 20-fight unbeaten streak that lasted more than 13 years, Cyborg finally lost when she dropped the UFC title to Amanda Nunes in a stunning 51-second knockout in December 2018. She rebounded with a decision win over Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 in July, then parted ways with the promotion in free agency and joined Bellator.

Budd said she hasn’t seen any diminishment, though, and has prepared herself for a version of Cyborg that exceeds anything she’s even shown in her prime.

“I prepare for every opponent like they’re going to be the toughest opponent I’m getting into the cage with,” Budd said. “I’m preparing for the very best Cris Cyborg. I’ve watched all her fights, all the good ones, I watched the Amanda Nunes fight. I’ve watched everything her whole career because I’ve known about her my whole career. I’ve always known we’d face each other, but this is just the perfect time.”

For Budd, Bellator 238 represents the moment for which she’s waited years. Since starting her career with a 2-2 record with losses to Nunes and Ronda Rousey, the Canadian has turned a corner and has won 11 consecutive bouts, including four consecutive defenses of her Bellator belt.

It’s hard to ignore what Nunes is doing in the UFC, but given the 145-pound division has been a career-long home for her and Cyborg, Budd said she’d “like to think” the winner of her upcoming fight will be viewed as the best fighter in the world in the weight class.

All that big-picture talk is not of major concern to Budd, though – at least not now. She knows those conversations become a moot point if she doesn’t win at Bellator 238, so until that happens, she said her focus is narrow.

“I never look past (anyone), so this is it for me,” Budd said. “This is everything. I’m imagining that this is just everything, so I put all my eggs in one basket. This preparation, mentally, physically, emotionally – it’s just been so good the last few months. So I’m not looking past this. This is it. That’s how I look at every fight.”

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Henry Corrales predicts Bellator 238 fight against Juan Archuleta will bring the noise

Henry Corrales predicts Bellator 238 fight against Juan Archuleta will bring the noise.

[autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag]’ most recent performance wasn’t his best.

On Jan. 25, the featherweight contender returns to action at Bellator 238 against [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag]. The fresh matchup presents the opportunity to get back into the win column, but Corrales (17-4 MMA, 5-4 BMMA) is keeping his most recent defeat in the forefront of his mind.

At Bellator 228 in September, Corrales dropped a unanimous decision to former bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell in the opening round of the promotion’s featherweight grand prix tournament.

The Arizona-based fighter uses the Caldwell bout as a mental blueprint on what not to do this time around. Corrales thinks he was too hesitant in his approach and should have been more aggressive.

“It was a good learning experience,” Corrales told MMA Junkie. “He did a good job of avoiding my strengths. I was trying to get in there and bang. He did a great job of shutting down any type of fight. He had great movement, a lot of control, and a lot of strategic stalling on his part.

“I think I was just a little too patient. I thought I’d catch this guy slipping sooner or later. That time never came. (I was) a little bit bummed when it first happened, but I’ve had a lot worse to deal with in life than that (expletive). We’re all good.”

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Corrales thinks Archuleta (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is best off trying to implement the same game plan Caldwell did. But Corrales thinks Archuleta can’t resistfrom the “stand and bang” approach.

“That’s the smart game plan, but this guy can’t help himself,” Corrales said. “He’s a (expletive) banger. He loves to fight. I’m going to have some opportunities. If I don’t, I’m going to make it happen.

“The last fight, I didn’t put myself in a position to make something happen. A great fighter makes things happen, and I wasn’t great that night. I believe in myself that I am a great fighter, so I’ve got to make some (expletive) happen. I’m ready.”

Corrales thinks the matchup with Archuleta will bring the energy. When the two 145-pounders step into the cage, fans should expect an exciting fight, he said.

“Me and this guy are known for bringing the noise,” Corrales said. “Bellator put this one together because it’s a fan-friendly fight. I think that we’re right. He’s a hard-worker, and I’m ready to get after it.”

Bellator 238 takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Why catchweight again? Dillon Danis says ‘when you’re the owner, you can do what you want’

Dillon Danis explains why his Bellator 238 fight vs. Kegan Gennrich, will be his third in a row at 175 pounds.

It appears [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] has created his own Bellator weight class.

He returns to action on Jan. 25 when he takes on Kegan Gennrich at Bellator 238 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., in his third consecutive 175-pound catchweight bout.

And Danis says the fight is at 175 pounds because he calls his own shots.

“Why catchweight? Yeah because I mean, when you’re the owner, you can do what you want so why not make your own weight,” Danis recently told media personality The Schmo. “Why do I have to go to everybody else’s weight class, when I can make my own weight class and have my own belt and do what I want so (expletive) everybody else.

“I just say it, and it happens. Just one text message from me.”

Danis is off to a 2-0 start to his Bellator tenure and is already one of the promotion’s biggest stars. A teammate of former UFC double champ Conor McGregor, Danis is happy with his career trajectory so far.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought that far yet,” Danis said on his future. “I’m having fun at what I’m doing. I think it’s hard to say, just keep going on my route now. I’m kinda already half owner of the company, maybe one day I’m going to own the full company, see what we do so I think everything is just going to plan.”

His high billing and placement on fight cards has proven his promotional pull, as Danis continues to boast about his relationship with the company, even going so far as to claim he owns a stake in the promotion.

“Yeah I already had ownership stake,” Danis said. “Right when I came in, right when I signed, I said the only way I sign to Bellator is if I get ownership stake so that’s what I mean – Coker, he calls me his business partner, you don’t ever hear him say that about anyone else. I’ve been on the main card since every single one of my fights.”

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Former boxing champion Ava Knight returns at Bellator 238

Former WBC boxing champion Ava Knight returns at Bellator 238, where she’ll meet Emilee Gettys.

[autotag]Ava Knight[/autotag] has her next MMA fight booked.

The former IBF flyweight boxing champion will take on [autotag]Emilee Gettys[/autotag] on the main card of Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., MMA Junkie has learned. The bout will be contested at strawweight and is the final addition to the Bellator 238 main card.

The bout at Bellator 238 marks Knight’s second professional MMA fight. Knight (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made her debut in September, stopping Shannon Goughary in the third round at Bellator 228. She enters MMA with a decorated boxing background, having held WBC and IBF titles. The 31-year-old fighter holds a 19-2-5 boxing record in boxing.

Knight’s opponent, Gettys (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), will be making her debut with the promotion. The 26-year-old Tennessee native is on a three-fight win streak, which helped her bounce back from a 0-3 start to her professional MMA career.

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With the addition, the Bellator 238 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg – for women’s featherweight title
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell – featherweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Dillon Danis vs. Kegan Gennrich
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales
  • Ava Knight vs. Emilee Gettys King

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

  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Joshua Jones
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • AJ Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta
  • Chris Avila vs. Anthony Taylor

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Valerie Loureda set to return at Bellator 238 after reality show stint

Undefeated taekwondo specialist Valerie Loureda gets back to work at Bellator 238.

After putting her fighting career on pause to participate in a reality show, undefeated [autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] will return to action this month at Bellator 238.

A women’s flyweight matchup between Loureda (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Tara Gaff[/autotag] (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is targeted for the Jan. 25 card, two people with knowledge of the booking told MMA Junkie on Monday. The people wished to remain anonymous because contracts have not been signed but are expected to be.

The fight will be part of the Bellator 238 prelims, which stream on MMA Junkie prior to the main card on DAZN from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

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Loureda, 21, last competed at Bellator 222 in June, where she earned a unanimous decision over Larkyn Dasch in her second professional bout. The taekwondo specialist, who trains out of American Top Team, then took a spot on the Telemundo reality show competition “Exatlon Estados Unidos.”

Graf, 33, meanwhile, will make her promotional debut at Bellator 238. “The Tiny Terror” hasn’t fought since November 2018, when she suffered her lone career loss.

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The current Bellator 238 lineup includes:

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg – for women’s featherweight title
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Dillon Danis vs. Kegan Gennrich
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Joshua Jones
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • AJ Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta
  • Chris Avila vs. Anthony Taylor
  • Raymond Daniels vs. Jason King
  • Tara Graff vs. Valerie Loureda

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Raymond Daniels returns at Bellator 238 for first fight since ‘KO of the Year’ candidate

Can Raymond Daniels top his wild spinning knockout in his Bellator debut?

Those who didn’t know what [autotag]Raymond Daniels[/autotag] was all about learned in a hurry last year when he made his Bellator debut at Bellator Birmingham.

The Southern California native has long been a kickboxing star, but not every MMA fan follows kickboxing, so some were unaware of what he can do.

Turns out, his fight against Wilker Barros last May was quite an introduction: a ridiculous, flashy knockout.

Now, Daniels is ready for his Bellator return. The company announced Monday that Daniels, who is based out of Long Beach, will head up I-405 to Inglewood and compete on the company’s first major event of 2020, Bellator 238 in Inglewood.

There, Daniels (1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), will meet [autotag]Jason King[/autotag]. The Tennessee-based King (7-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has primarily competed in Valor Fighting Challenge and will make his Bellator debut. King has only gone the distance once in his career, with all seven of his career victories inside the distance, including a first-round TKO of Brian Jackson in his last fight Nov. 1.

Bellator 238 is headlined by the debut of former UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who will look to add a Bellator belt to her collection when she meets 145-pound champ Julia Budd in the main event at The Forum.

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The current Bellator 238 lineup includes:

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg – for women’s featherweight title
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Dillon Danis vs. Kegan Gennrich
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Joshua Jones
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • AJ Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta
  • Chris Avila vs. Anthony Taylor
  • Raymond Daniels vs. Jason King

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Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales on tap for Bellator 238 in California

Bellator’s first event of the new year has had some featherweight firepower added to it.

Bellator’s first event of the new year has had some featherweight firepower added to it.

[autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) will take on [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 5-4 BMMA) at Bellator 238 later this month. MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a Bellator official following an initial report from ESPN.com.

Bellator 238 takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Archuleta this past September fought featherweight champion Patricio Freire in the opening round of Bellator’s ongoing 145-pound tournament. He went the distance with the champ, but lost a unanimous decision at Bellator 228. The setback was his first since March 2015 and snapped an 18-fight winning streak.

Henry Corrales

Corrales was bounced from the tournament on the same night as Archuleta with a decision loss to former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell. Prior to that, he had rebounded from a three-fight skid with five straight Bellator wins, including a 67-second knockout of highly touted prospect Aaron Pico at Bellator 214 nearly a year ago.

With the addition, the Bellator 238 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg – for women’s featherweight title
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell – featherweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Dillon Danis vs. Kegan Gennrich
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales

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

  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Joshua Jones
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • AJ Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta
  • Chris Avila vs. Anthony Taylor

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