Tag: Bellator 242

On track once again, Bellator’s Aaron Pico motivated ‘to be a complete fighter’

Blue chip prospect Aaron Pico had been focused on knockouts and moved away from his grappling, but that changed at Bellator 242.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] is looking to continue adding new wrinkles to his game.

Pico (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) notched his first win by submission, a first-round rear-naked choke over Solo Hatley Jr. in the main card opener of Bellator 242 at Mohegan Sun Arena last Friday.

In his pre-fight interview, Pico talked about how he simply wanted to win and come out as unscathed as possible, citing UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as inspiration. Pico did just that by running right through Hatley Jr., taking him down to the mat and finishing him in the first round.

Although Pico has proven he has knockout power, his continued improvement on the ground has resulted in a more diverse skillset, giving him more ways to win.

“I fell in love with grappling,” Pico told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the Bellator 242 post-fight news conference. “I love grappling and jiu-jitsu. I do it with the gi and no gi. … I feel like just all aspects of grappling I love. Gi, no gi, and I’ve actually fallen in love with it a lot.

“Especially in this game, you’ve gotta be good everywhere, so that’s my motivation, to be a complete fighter. Like I always say, the guy I looked up to, (Georges St-Pierre), he worked on it, he did a lot of grappling, so that’s an option for me.”

Pico has been finished in all three of his losses, which has prompted a new and more tactical approach to fighting that has seen many great champions excel.

“GSP, Kamaru, Khabib, I watch them a lot,” Pico said. “It’s just being smart. It’s just being very, very smart, and that’s the most important thing. I’ve been – like people say, oh, I don’t have a chin, I don’t have this. Well, there’s a lot of great fighters who have been knocked out. It’s not a matter of not having a chin, I’ve made some small, minor mistakes that have cost me very, very big, but that’s OK. That’s why I’m growing as a person and as a fighter, so it’s all good.”

He continued, “I’ve been on a four-fight win streak before and then I fought some very, very tough guys. I just know that I love this sport, and I really had to pick myself out of a deep hole with all the expectations on me.”

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Spinning Back Clique: Herb Dean. Dan Hardy. Who’s right about stoppage controversy?

Check out this week’s edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” which unpacks what went down at UFC on ESPN 14 and Bellator 242.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, Simon Head hosts and is joined by MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” as well as MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

SHOW TOPICS

  • It all got a little heated cageside at UFC on ESPN 14 as [autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag] and Herb Dean exchanged views after Francisco Trinaldo’s third-round TKO finish of Jai Herbert. Hardy clearly was livid at what he thought was an egregious late stoppage, but Dean has since come out and defended his handling of the fight, saying there was no late stoppage. It’s sparked a lot of debate, so whose side are you on in this situation? Team Dean or Team Hardy?
  • Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] bounced back from his title defeat to Israel Adesanya as he returned from a nine-month layoff to outpoint Darren Till in Saturday night’s main event. Whittaker said afterward that he’s “championship-level,” but what did you make of his display, and do you think “Bobby Knuckles” will go on to eventually recapture the 185-pound strap?
  • Swedish grappling sensation [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] was the talk of “Fight Island” this past week after registering two stoppage wins in 10 days. Now the super confident Chimaev wants to mix it up with some of the division’s best and has vowed to “smash them all.” He even called out Demian Maia and challenged the Brazilian to see whose grappling is best. Are you aboard the Chimaev hype train, or does everyone need to slow down?
  • Saturday night’s event saw a ton of callouts, but one of the most interesting came from [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]. The former UFC champion has beaten a who’s who of heavyweight greats, including [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag]. After his victory over Alexander Gustafsson, “Vai Cavalo” said he wanted to face “The Last Emperor” one more time. Does this mean the free agent is a lock to join Bellator, or do you think there’s a better landing spot for him elsewhere? And is the Fedor rematch one that you’d be excited to see 10 years later?
  • Speaking of Bellator, the promotion was back in action this weekend with Bellator 242 marking its long-awaited emergence from the COVID-19 lockdown. It was only a seven-fight card, but there were some important victories on the night. Whose performance excited you the most on Friday night at Mohegan Sun, and what did you make of Bellator’s first show back?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 39 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

MMA Junkie Radio #3073: UFC on ESPN 14 and Bellator 242 recaps, Herb Dean controversy, more

Check out the latest edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

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

On Episode 3,073 of the podcast, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” recap both UFC on ESPN 14 and Bellator 242, including the Herb Dean controversy with Dan Hardy, how they thought [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] should’ve been scored, the [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] hype train after his second win in 10 days (and Dillon Danis’ silly callout), [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]’s future (Fedor rematch?), how Bellator did in its return from COVID, and more. The guys also dive into what’s going on with Lance Palmer and PFL in the wake of the promotion’s reaction to his father’s social media posts.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, 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.

Bellator 242 reactions: Winning and losing fighters on social media

See how the Bellator 242 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 Friday’s Bellator 242 event in Uncasville, Conn., several of the winning and losing fighters, 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

The victorious

View this post on Instagram

Hard work, blood, sweat, tears that went into @bellatormma we walked away with the win 6️⃣ and 0️⃣. A village makes a fighter ! Without my team I would not be here, a big thank you to @johnnysd for the being not only my professor, but also a father figure. My wrestling coach @jflojudo who has brought my wrestling up to the highest tier, Thank you for everything you do for me. @jhanex.team_parusa for sharpening my hands and getting me ready for war the work is much appreciated! @himarkimus my brother my manager you go far and beyond for me and I am very great full. @gamblersjiujitsuclub @mikeciprianni My brother in arms who always has my back no body moves no body gets hurt Also a big thank you to all my sponsors @dreamscapes_by_mgr_inc @pb_pokehouse @tracemineralsresearch @virusintl @riseupclothingcompany @lolitastacoshop @johnsshields @invictustarr

A post shared by Jay-Jay Wilson (@themaorikid) on

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.

Bellator 242 highlights: Relive the best of the action as Bellator emerged from COVID-19 lockdown

Recap the best of the action from Bellator 242 as the promotion staged its first event since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S.

Bellator are back, and they have a bantamweight contender ready to make his bid for the vacant 135-pound title.

The promotion emerged from its COVID-19 lockdown with its first event since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic as Bellator 242 took place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Friday night.

The event saw former UFC flyweight contender [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] register his second win in two Bellator fights as the Milwaukee man outpointed Ricky Bandejas to position himself for a possible shot at the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title.

The event also saw a big win for Florida-based welterweight [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag], who welcomed Jordan Mein to the promotion by handing him a unanimous decision defeat in the night’s co-main event.

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The main card battle of featherweight prospects went [autotag]Jay Jay Wilson[/autotag]’s way, despite “The Maori Kid” missing weight by 1.9 pounds at Thursday’s weigh-ins.

It was also a big night for another of Bellator’s most promising 145-pounders, as [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] registered the first submission victory of his career with a first-round rear-naked choke of Solo Hatley Jr.

Check out the official highlights of the night, courtesy of Bellator, via the video above.

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Bellator 242 post-event facts: Aaron Pico’s presence felt in the record books

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 242, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator made its return from a 153-day hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday with Bellator 242, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A title eliminator in the bantamweight division served as the main event of the card as former longtime UFC contender [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) remained undefeated in his Bellator career when he outworked [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) to a unanimous decision.

Pettis’ performance closed out a seven-fight card that included a few notable feats. For more on the numbers, check below for 17 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 242.

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General

Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.

Betting favorites improved to 4-0 in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 47:10.

Main card

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Pettis’ two-fight Bellator winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Pettis has earned 13 of his 20 career victories by decision. That includes 10 of his past 11 wins.

Bandejas has suffered two of his three Bellator losses by decision.

[autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) has earned two of his three Bellator victories by decision.

[autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) was unsuccessful in his Bellator debut following a nine-fight UFC stint.

Mein fell to 2-3 since he returned from retirement in December 2016.

[autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) improved to 6-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in September 2017.

Pico earned the first submission victory of his career.

Pico’s six stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (11) and Patricio Freire (10).

Preliminary card

[autotag]Jake Smith[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) had his five-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Rudy Schaffroth[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.

Schaffroth suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Bellator 242’s Mark Lemminger talks win over Jake Smith, more

Mark Lemminger talks about his big win at Bellator 242 and what might come next.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] earned an impressive victory Friday night with his second-round TKO win over Jake Smith on the evening’s featured undercard at Bellator 242 in “The Fightsphere.”

After the fight, Lemminger spoke with MMA Junkie about his victory, what the fight means to him, and what he’d like to do next as he makes his way up the Bellator ladder.

Bellator 242 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

Check out the interview with Lemminger in the video above.

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Bellator 242’s Raufeon Stots talks win over Cass Bell, future plans

Raufeon Stots talks about his big win at Bellator 242 and what might come next.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — [autotag]Raufeon Stots [/autotag]earned a big victory on Friday night with his third-round submission win over Cass Bell on the evening’s undercard at Bellator 242 in “The Fightsphere.”

Afterwards, Stots spoke with MMA Junkie about his victory, where this places him in pursuit of his Bellator goals, and what he’d like to do next.

Bellator 242 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

Check out the interview with Stots in the video above.

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Ras Hylton emotional after Bellator 242 win, hopes to stay with promotion

Three days ago, Ras Hylton wasn’t planning on fighting at Bellator 242. Now he hopes to stick around after an upset win.

UNCASVILLE, CONN – Three days ago, [autotag]Ras Hylton[/autotag] wasn’t planning on fighting at Bellator 242.

Instead, he was supposed to be cornering his friend Chris Sarro at BKFC 11 in Mississippi. But opportunity knocked and Hylton (6-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) answered – that opportunity being a short-notice fight against Rudy Schaffroth.

Friday, the Maine-based heavyweight notched his first Bellator win, in the preliminary card opener. Hylton defeated Schaffroth (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision.

“I’ve been looking to go to Bellator since I started my amateur career,” Hylton told MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “I heard it. I immediately called my wife and said, ‘I’m sorry, honey, but I’m going to say yes. Over the course of the day, we got everything together. We got in touch with the matchmaker here and it was real. I was here Wednesday.”

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As reality sunk in, Hylton became emotional. He thanked his coaches, gyms Dragon Fire Martial Arts and First Class MMA, and supporters.

“We’ve been trying to do this for a long time,” Hylton said. “I’m glad I got here. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to everybody who helped me do it. I know it’s me alone in that cage but there’s a lot of people who made it happen.”

Hylton implied his deal with Bellator was for one figh,t but hopes the victory changes that situation. Improvement is still in his plans, but Hylton has his eyes set on Bellator gold.

“I never want the judges to do anything during my fight, but I guess I did enough tonight,” Hylton said. “I guess I’m going to have to do more next time. I’ve been hunting down a title for a while now. I lost my first two attempts.

“Hopefully, Bellator is going to want me back again. I know they’ve got a badass champ. ‘Darth’ Bader, I know I’m not ready yet but I will be. My kids call me Darth Vader at home and I’m willing to take that.”

The heavyweight fight was the preliminary card opener of Bellator 242, which took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Paramount Network and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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