Tag: Bellator 239

Meet Bellator 239’s Davion Franklin, the second recipient of the Jackson Wink scholarship

A former standout junior college wrestler and football player made quite an impression at one of the world’s most renowned gyms in a short period.

Meet [autotag]Davion Franklin[/autotag].

Largely unfamiliar to fans outside of the “hardcorest” of the hardcores, Franklin (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) never has stepped into a cage for mixed martial arts competition – pro or amateur. But that changes Friday when he makes his professional debut at Bellator 239 against J.W. Kiser (5-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).

In late 2019, Franklin became the second fighter to receive Bellator’s Jackson Wink/Mata Leon scholarship. Franklin’s teammate and Bellator light heavyweight, Christian Edwards, was the first to earn the scholarship earlier in the year.

A standout junior college wrestler and football player, Franklin began his journey down the MMA path approximately 12 months ago. In less than one year’s time, he gained the reputation of a standout up-and-comer at one of the world’s most renowned gyms.

“I felt like MMA was something I should have done a long time ago,” Franklin told MMA Junkie. “I really wish I didn’t wait until I was 24 to get into it. I got into it because I was a wrestler. There aren’t many outlets for wrestlers. I always had people (telling me), ‘You should do MMA. You should do MMA.’ I’ve been hearing that since I was 18.

“When I finally decided to give that a shot, it didn’t go as well. Then, one of my good friends, Jon Jones, I was inspired by him. I went back and used my wrestling. It just worked out, and I became more serious with MMA. It just so happened that I come to Jackson Wink and became, from what I understand, kind of a standout.”

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Wrestling, football, and now MMA – Franklin’s journey in pursuit of a pro athletic career has had its ups and downs. While the success was great, Franklin stresses the memory of failure helps his pursuit of MMA greatness.

“I’m 25, so I feel like I’ve been in these kind of situations,” Franklin said. “I’ve been on scholarships for football in college – and wrestling, of course. It just tells me not to make the same mistakes I made before. I have to take full advantage of the opportunity. I’ve got to prove my coaches right and prove myself right.”

Friday night will be Franklin’s introduction to the mainstream MMA world. He’s excited and itching to make his debut, especially due to his originally scheduled debut falling apart in November 2019.

“You’ve just got to think of it like, I’ve been in an eight-month training camp,” Franklin said. “Now up until this point, it’s been a 13-month training camp. I never stop training. It was frustrating, but I think anyone would be frustrated.”

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The Bellator heavyweight roster is talented, but Franklin sees voids that need to be filled. According to the 24-year-old fighter, there’s no one like him in the division.

“I’m not there just to win,” Franklin said. “I want to dominate. I want to be the most dominating heavyweight on Bellator’s roster. I’ve seen everybody in the division. There’s no one there like me. I don’t want to come off as someone who’s fooling myself or getting too ahead of themselves, but there’s no excitement on the Bellator heavyweight roster.

“I want to be exciting and go out and have fun. I want to entertain people.”

Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 239 pre-event facts: Tyrell Fortune stacking heavyweight stats

Check out the key facts and figures heading into Bellator 239, which takes place Friday with a Ed Ruth vs. Yaroslav Amosov main event.

The first Bellator event in nearly one month goes down Friday with Bellator 239, which takes place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., with a main card that airs on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A matchup of welterweight contenders is featured in the main event. [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) looks for continued success after suffering his first loss when he takes on the riddle that is [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), who has never been beaten.

For more on the numbers, check below for 20 pre-event facts about Bellator 239.

* * * *

Main event

Ed Ruth

Ruth competes in his first Bellator main event.

Ruth is 3-1 since he dropped to the Bellator welterweight division in June 2018.

Ruth has earned six of his eight career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Amosov’s 22-fight winning streak in MMA competition is the longest among active Bellator fighters.

Amosov has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage.

Co-main event

Brandon Girtz

[autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) five stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Patricky Freire (nine) and Michael Chandler (nine).

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag]’s (17-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Jury was unsuccessful in his return to the lightweight division at Bellator 227 in September. He hasn’t earned a victory in the weight class since September 2014.

Remaining main card

Tyrell Fortune

[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag]’s (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) eight-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Fortune’s eight victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (12).

Fortune’s six stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Fortune’s five knockout victories in Bellator competition are tied with Vitaly Minakov for most in divisional history.

[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He’s 1-3 in his past four fights and hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Javy Ayala

[autotag]Javy Ayala[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) competes in his 11th Bellator heavyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Kongo (15).

Ayala’s six victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Kongo (12) and Fortune (eight).

Ayala has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his Bellator wins.

Ayala’s six stoppage victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied with Fortune for most in divisional history.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) three-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Fortune (eight).

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Javy Ayala dishes on difficult 2019, makes bold Bellator 239 prediction

It’s been a trying 18 months for Bellator heavyweight Javy Ayala, who’s itching to return at Bellator 239.

It’s been a trying 18 months for [autotag]Javy Ayala[/autotag].

During this time, Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) was booked for two fights – both against Vitaly Minakov. However, each bout fell through during fight week. Ayala hopes a third booking against a different opponent will be the charm for his return at Bellator 239, where he takes on Valentin Moldavsky on Saturday.

“I feel good,” Ayala told MMA Junkie. “I’m excited to get back in the cage, finally. It’s been over a year, but I’ve been ready, and I’m excited for it. … It’s been a little frustrating for me, especially with these last two fights. They ended up falling off last minute. It’s been hard staying in fight camp, falling off, and then going right back into fight camp – but I feel like it helped keep me in shape. It helped keep me sharp and ready for this one.”

Although he wishes he had been able to compete sooner, Ayala thinks the layoff had its upside, too. For a year-and-a-half, Ayala has been able to focus on improvement.

“I’m going to look a lot sharper,” Ayala said. “I’ve been able to get a lot more one-on-one time. This layoff, I’ve been able to sharpen and tighten things up with my coaches.”

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Moldavsky (8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) doesn’t have the name recognition of former Bellator heavyweight champ Minakov. However, Ayala recognizes the challenge the under-the-radar Moldavsky presents. He expects the Russian fighter will look to drag the bout into the later rounds.

“They told me, and I was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, that’s a good matchup,'” Ayala said. “They actually offered me a while back to fight him, and it ended up falling off. I’m happy they’re giving it back to me and giving me the opportunity to step in there with him.

“… Honestly, (the later rounds) is where I feel like he’s going to want to go. I’m comfortable going into the later rounds, like when I fought Roy Nelson. I feel like my cardio is there, and I can still perform in those late rounds.”

When he looks into his crystal ball, Ayala sees his hand being raised at the end of the night. How? Ayala expects to hand Moldavsky the first stoppage loss of his career.

“I see us starting off, we collide, and it’ll become an inside fight,” Ayala said. “I’ll land a lot of bigger elbows and drop him with one of those elbows. I’ll finish the round with ground-and-pound.”

Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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6-foot-8 heavyweight Steve Mowry withdraws from Bellator 239 due to ‘a health concern’

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Steve Mowry will have to wait a little longer for his next fight.

Undefeated heavyweight prospect [autotag]Steve Mowry[/autotag] will have to wait a little longer for his next fight.

Just five days prior to when he was supposed to compete at Bellator 239, Mowry (7-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has pulled out of his scheduled bout with Rudy Schaffroth (6-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA).

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with a Bellator official on Monday, though additional details were not revealed. According to Mowry, though, it’s because of a medical issue (via Instagram):

Hey guys. Due to a health concern I won’t be fighting this weekend. I’m hoping the issue will resolve soon and i’ll be rescheduled in a few weeks.

Mowry, 27, most recently competed at Bellator 231 in October when he earned a second-round submission of Gokhan Saricam. He’s finished all seven of his career opponents.

With Mowry unable to compete, MMA Junkie confirmed Schaffroth will not receive a replacement opponent and is off the Bellator 239 card, as well.

MMA Junkie reader predictions: Make your picks for Bellator 239

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 239 event in Oklahoma.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 239 event in Thackerville, Okla.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesdy at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 239 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for all four main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Ed Ruth out to test Yaroslav Amosov’s wrestling in Bellator 239 main event

Ed Ruth wants to put Yaroslav Amosov’s wrestling skills to the test at Bellator 239.

[autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] wants to fight fire with fire.

The American Kickboxing Academy product wants to beat Yaroslav Amosov at his own game when they meet on Feb. 21 in the main event of Bellator 239. Amosov, who’s unbeaten with 22 wins, has climbed up the ranks in Bellator’s welterweight division, dominating opponents with his strong wrestling base.

Ruth (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA), who’s a three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, wants to see who excels better in the grappling department.

“I know most fighters want to stay away from where the guy is strongest, but me as a fighter myself, I always take it to where the guy is strongest because I feel like I have to dominate that part,” Ruth told MMA Junkie. “It’s not always the best strategy, but in this case, I feel like my wrestling trumps his.”

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With that approach in mind, Ruth expects his fight with Amosov to be mainly a wrestling match.

“I definitely see it with me somewhere in the middle of the ring, but both of us are not really going to give up, not going to want to give up too much ground,” Ruth said. “But I do see this being on the feet only for like the first couple of minutes. I think we’re going to be on ground mostly. I think it’s going to be pretty much wrestling match.”

Bellator 239 marks the first time Ruth headlines a Bellator event. The 29-year-old is taking the opportunity just like any other and doesn’t plan to make much of his biggest spotlight.

“You’re stepping in the cage and you know you’re going to be locked in there with somebody and you’re just going to fight,” Ruth said. “For me psychologically, I just have to look at it as the same event as always. That’s just the way I take it.”

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Bellator 239 adds promotional debut of former WSOF title challenger Josh Hill

Former WSOF title challenger Josh Hill is set to take on a former LFA title challenger at Bellator 239.

[autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] has his Bellator debut in his sights.

A former WSOF title challenger, Hill (18-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will take on former LFA title challenger [autotag]Vinicius Zani[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the Bellator 239 prelims.

A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of booking and confirmed an additional preliminary card booking between [autotag]Bobby Lee[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Shamil Nikaev[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), as well.

In 2013, Hill was featured on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” where he punched his ticket into the house with a win over Paddy Holohan. Eventually, he was eliminated when he lost a decision to Mike Wooten.

In WSOF, Hill challenged then-champion Marlon Moraes twice – once in December 2015 and another in July 2016. Hill lost both outings, the first by decision and the second by second-round knockout.

Hill has won four out of his last five fights, including a stoppage win over former TKO champion Jesse Arnett in May.

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As for Zani, the 32-year-old Brazilian has not competed since LFA 36 in March 2018, when he was finished in 59 seconds by Ricky Simon. The loss snapped a four-fight win streak.

With the additions, the Bellator 239 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Ed Ruth vs. Yaroslav Amosov
  • Brandon Girtz vs. Myles Jury
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Timothy Johnson
  • Javy Ayala vs. Valentin Moldavsky

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

  • Cris Lencioni vs. Salim Mukhidinov
  • Denise Kielholtz vs. Kristina Williams
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Jamese Taylor
  • Adil Benjilany vs. Kevin Croom
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Aaron McKenzie
  • Christian Edwards vs. Marco Hutch
  • Teejay Britton vs. Gabriel Varga
  • Grant Neal vs. Claude Wilcox
  • Davion Franklin vs. J.W. Kiser
  • Steve Mowry vs. Rudy Schaffroth
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Solo Hatley Jr.
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Scott Futrell
  • Shamil Nikaev vs. Bobby Lee
  • Mark Lemminger vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
  • Shawn Bunch vs. Keith Lee
  • Josh Hill vs. Vinicius Zani
  • Bobby Lee vs. Shamil Nikaev

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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.

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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.