Tag: Bellator 238

Nate Diaz protege Chris Avila added to Bellator 238

A close friend and confidant of the Diaz brothers, Chris Avila has a date, location, and opponent for his next fight.

The Diaz brothers have kept a close, tight-knit circle over the years.

Among the crew is lightweight fighter [autotag]Chris Avila[/autotag]. A multiple-time UFC and Bellator veteran, Avila (7-8 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) returns to action at Bellator 238 against [autotag]Anthony Taylor[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 1-3 BMMA).

A Bellator official confirmed the booking with MMA Junkie, following a Saturday announcement by Taylor on Twitter.

Bellator 238 takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card will stream live on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Since Avila was signed to the UFC in 2016, he has struggled to pick up wins. In his most recent seven fights, Avila has lost six decisions: five unanimous and one split. His lone win in that stretch came against Brandon Pieper at Bellator 212 in December 2018.

As for Taylor, the 30-year-old fighter has won his most recent four outings for notable promotions such as Combate Americas and BAMMA.

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The up-to-date Bellator 238 lineup now includes:

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

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell – featherweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Dillon Danis vs. Kegan Gennrich – 175-pound catchweight

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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Bellator 237 medical suspensions: ‘Rampage’ Jackson gets 60 days for KO, three out indefinitely

“Rampage” Jackson is among six Bellator 237 main card combatants facing medical suspensions.

With five finish losses and two weight misses among them, many of Bellator 237’s main card competitors are facing medical suspensions.

Most prominently, headliner [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-14 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) has been suspended 60 days as a result of his first-round knockout loss to [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA).

Winners [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) are facing indefinite suspensions until they’re cleared by a kidney doctor, presumably because both fighters missed weight at Friday’s weigh-ins.

In a list acquired by MMA Junkie, six of the 12 main card combatants have received medical suspensions from commission head Mike Mazzulli, who oversaw Saturday’s event in Japan.

Check out the Bellator 237 main card medical suspensions below:

  • Daron Cruickshank: no suspension
  • Goiti Yamauchi: suspended indefinitely until kidney check cleared by a nephrologist (Yamauchi missed weight)
  • Kana Watanabe: no suspension
  • Ilara Joanne: suspended 30 days for TKO loss
  • Keita Nakamura: no suspension
  • Lorenz Larkin: suspended indefinitely until kidney check cleared by a nephrologist (Larkin missed weight)
  • Shinsho Anzai: suspended indefinitely until MRI is cleared by doctor; also suspended 60 days for knockout loss
  • Michael Page: no suspension
  • Sidney Outlaw: suspended 60 days for knockout loss
  • Michael Chandler: no suspension
  • Quinton Jackson: suspended 60 days due to knockout loss
  • Fedor Emelianenko: no suspension

Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, took place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Dillon Danis to return at Bellator 238 in another 175-pound catchweight bout

Dillon Danis has his first fight of 2020 booked.

[autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] has his first fight of 2020 booked.

The jiu-jitsu star will take on [autotag]Kegan Gennrich[/autotag] on Jan. 25 at Bellator 238 from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The bout will be contested at a 175-pound catchweight. The fight booked was announced by Bellator president Scott Coker on Friday.

Danis (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) last fought in June, when he submitted Max Humphrey in the first round at Bellator 222 in New York. The 26-year-old grappling ace remains undefeated with two submission wins under his belt.

Meanwhile, Gennrich (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will be making his Bellator debut in this fight. He’s on a two-fight winning streak after having lost his professional debut via submission.

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Bellator 238 will be headlined by a women’s featherweight title fight involving champion Julia Budd and women’s MMA legend Cris Cyborg.

With the addition, the latest 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
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Gabriel Green
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • AJ Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta

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Bellator 238 free fight: Fedor Emelianenko turns back the clock against Chael Sonnen

Ahead of Bellator 238, relive Fedor Emelianenko finish Chael Sonnen by TKO.

It’s well-known by now: [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] is a legend of the sport.

While he’d suffered a handful of losses since his heyday, the Russian heavyweight proved he still had more mileage left in the tank at Bellator 208 in October 2018.

At Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York, Emelianenko turned back the clock when he took on three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen.

The fight saw an aggressive Emelianenko tag Sonnen with big punches on the feet. Midway through the first round, Sonnen scored a takedown. Upon Sonnen’s entry into mount, Emelianenko reversed position.

When the fight rose back to the feet, Emelianenko tossed Sonnen to the canvas. From there, Emelianenko produced an onslaught of ground-and-pound. Referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the fight with 14 seconds left in the first frame.

With the victory, Emelianenko advanced to the Bellator heavyweight grand prix final.. He took on light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader, but lost by first-round TKO.

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On December 29, Emelianenko (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) returns to action when he takes on Quinton Jackson (38-13 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) in the main event of Bellator 238.

The event takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main card will air on Paramount Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Ahead of Bellator 238, relive Fedor Emelianenko’s finishof  Chael Sonnen in the video above.

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Sergio Pettis gets opponent, main card slot for Bellator 238 debut

Sergio Pettis’ Bellator debut will come against a fellow promotional newcomer at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25.

[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag]’ Bellator debut will take place next month.

After a 14-fight UFC stint, Pettis (18-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) switched promotions last month and is set to make his first appearance when he meets [autotag]Alfred Khashakyan[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a bantamweight bout at Bellator 238, which takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with multiple people close to the situation.

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Following a six-year tenure that spanned across the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight divisions, Pettis closed out his contract with the organization with a unanimous decision win over Tyson Nam at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in September. Just weeks later, he signed with Bellator.

In his debut, Pettis will face a fellow newcomer of the Bellator roster. Khashakyan, who is a veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, is coming off a streak of three consecutive first-round knockouts.

The latest Bellator 238 lineup now includes:

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

  • Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell
  • Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sergio Pettis

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

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

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Curtis Millender returns to Bellator, takes on Moses Murrietta at Bellator 238

A 175-pound catchweight bout between Curtis Millender and Moses Murrietta is the latest addition to the Bellator 238 card.

[autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] will be giving Bellator another try.

After dropping his last two in a row to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Belal Muhammad, Millender was subsequently released from the UFC. He was then signed by Bellator, a promotion for which he’s previously competed.

Millender (17-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) will take on [autotag]Moses Murrietta[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Bellator 238 in his promotional return in a 175-pound catchweight bout, a promotion official confirmed to MMA Junkie following an initial Monday report from FanSided.

Bellator 238 takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card will stream live on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Murrietta, an LFA veteran, will be making his Bellator debut and has also dropped his last two fights. He failed in his attempt to capture the LFA middleweight title, losing a unanimous decision to Brendan Allen in February, followed by a first-round stoppage loss to Lucas Rota in August.

Millender competed for Bellator three times in 2015, going 1-2, then made one more appearance for the promotion in 2017, picking up a second round TKO over Johnny Cisneros at Bellator 170.

The up-to-date Bellator 238 lineup now includes:

  • Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Gabriel Green
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • A.J. Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi
  • Curtis Millender vs. Moses Murrietta

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dec. 3: The month ahead is big

With all the big fights coming up, the end of the year will impact our rankings immensely.

Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the U.S., there was no major MMA action that took place. And so, that means no changes in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

That being said, the end of the year is packed with fights that undoubtedly will impact the rankings in the coming month. It starts with UFC on ESPN 7 this weekend before the massive UFC 245 card that features three title fights on Dec. 14. Then Bellator takes over the following week with a doubleheader in Hawaii on Dec. 20 (Bellator Salute) and Dec. 21 (Bellator 238), but you’ve also got UFC on ESPN+ 23 on Dec. 21. Then there’s a big Bellator card in Japan on Dec. 28 to close out the year.

Among the ranked fights that should be on your radar:

  • Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
  • Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski
  • Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie
  • Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Moraes
  • Ilima-Lei MacFarlane vs. Kate Jackson
  • Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee
  • Brian Ortega vs. Chan Sung Jung
  • Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson

Be sure to check above for where these fighters and more stand in the current rankings before the inevitable shakeup this month.

A.J. Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi booked for Bellator 238

A.J. Agazarm will return to take on an American war hero at Bellator 238.

[autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] is back.

A decorated grappling world champion, Agazarm (2-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) will return to action at Bellator 238 against [autotag]Adel Altamimi[/autotag] in a preliminary card bout, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday.

Altamimi previously had alluded to the fight in a recent Instagram post.

Bellator 238 takes place Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card will stream live on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Since he lost his professional MMA debut in January 2019, Agazarm has won back-to-back fights. Despite being victorious in his most recent outing, Agazarm stressed his desire to be more “mean-spirited” the next time he steps into the cage.

“You can go do whatever you want to do to think you’re going to be tough,” Agazarm told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at Bellator 228. “There’s certain guys that think that’s going to do the trick, but it all comes down the wash. It’s about being mean-spirited.

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As for Altamimi (8-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), his decorated military background and story of courage has been well documented. The Iraq-born California resident lived out a dream when he stepped into the cage at Bellator 214 in January. Altamimi submitted Brandon McMahan that night, but lost his second bout to Salim Mukhidinov in October.

The up-to-date Bellator 238 lineup now includes:

  • Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Gabriel Green
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor
  • A.J. Agazarm vs. Adel Altamimi

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Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell grand prix matchup set for Bellator 238

Adam Borics will take on Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 238 in a featherweight world grand prix quarterfinal.

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The [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] featherweight grand prix quarterfinal matchup has found a home.

The undefeated Borics (14-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) today took to social media to reveal he’ll take on Caldwell (14-3 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) in the co-main event of Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

In the opening round of the grand prix, Borics took out Pat Curran in the second round at this past September’s Bellator 226, advancing to the quarterfinals. “The Kid” has finished all five of his Bellator bouts to date.

Meanwhile, former Bellator bantamweight champion Caldwell defeated Henry Corrales via unanimous decision at Bellator 228, also in September making good on his return to 145 pounds.

Bellator 238’s main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The current Bellator 238 lineup includes:

  • Champ Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg – for women’s featherweight title
  • Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell – featherweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Aaron Pico vs. Daniel Carey
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Brandon Bender vs. Gabriel Green
  • Dominic Clark vs. Ricardo Seixas Filho
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Connor

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Aaron Pico, Daniel Carey verbally agree to scrap at Bellator 238

Aaron Pico has verbally agreed to face Daniel Carey at Bellator 238 in Inglewood, Calif.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] has his next fight in his sights.

Pico (4-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), a 23-year-old featherweight,  has verbally agreed to face [autotag]Daniel Carey[/autotag] at Bellator 238. MMA Junkie confirmed the targeted bout after an initial report from ESPN.

Pico will look to rebound after back-to-back knockout losses. At Bellator 214 in January, Pico appeared to be on the verge of victory early against Henry Corrales. On the attack, Pico had Corrales in trouble, but left himself open for a brutal punch by the MMA Lab product. Pico was knocked out cold on impact.

At Bellator 222 in June, Pico was knocked out once again. In that bout, he fell victim to Hungarian featherweight Adam Borics, who nailed Pico with a flying knee before finishing him off with punches.

As for Carey (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), the 29-year-old Californian is coming off of an upset victory against Gaston Bolanos at Bellator 226 in September. A 7-1 underdog, Carey submitted the Peruvian by guillotine choke in the first round.

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

The current Bellator 238 lineup includes:

  • Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
  • Daniel Carey vs. Aaron Pico
  • Khonry Gracie vs. Hector Saldana
  • Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Brandon Bender vs. Gabriel Green
  • David Pacheco vs. Craig Plaskett
  • Tyler Beneke vs. Jarrett Conner

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