Tag: Bellator 243

Video: Behind the scenes of Michael Chandler’s knockout of Benson Henderson at Bellator 243

On his quest to regain the lightweight title he once held, former champion Michael Chandler had to have a win this past Friday.

On his quest to regain the lightweight title he once held, former champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] had to have a win this past Friday.

He delivered in a rematch with authority against a former UFC and WEC champ who has proven hard to put away through the years. Chandler (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) stopped [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) with a first-round knockout in the Bellator 243 main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The win gave Chandler two in a row since he lost the lightweight belt to featherweight champ Patricio Freire in May 2019. Chandler also has a split decision win over Henderson in November 2016 when Henderson challenged for the title.

In the wake of Bellator 243, the promotion takes us behind the scenes of the fight with both former champs in Connecticut. Check out the video above.

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Charlie Campbell wants to continue his Bellator journey – for the right price

After claiming a TKO victory on his Bellator debut, Charlie Campbell said he wants a contract that will allow him to fight full-time.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] made the most of a huge opportunity at Bellator 243. Now he hopes he can secure his fighting future and become an asset for the promotion.

Campbell (2-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) stopped Nainoa Dung (3-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) with leg kicks in the second round of their preliminary card bout at Mohegan Sun Arena and, speaking to reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage after his victory, the debutant said he was happy to be given the chance to step in and compete on the big stage.

“I’m just grateful to have the opportunity in the first place,” he said. “I guess it’s still kinda hitting me – every couple of seconds that went by, I’m realizing that wasn’t just a dream, that really did just happen. Again, I’m thankful I got the chance in the first place. I raised my hand for the opportunity and I’m glad they took me up on it and took me serious.”

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Campbell said that he’s ready to make an impact with Bellator, and he hopes the promotion will give him the opportunity to do so with a contract that will allow him to put his full focus into being a better fighter, both for himself and for Bellator.

“I know I’ve only got three pro fights – I don’t expect to make crazy money right now,” he explained. “It just needs to be worth it for me, I can’t put it any other way. Because I want to do it. I’d love to stick to Bellator. I would love to stick with fighting. It just needs to be worth it for me. That way I can support myself. That way I don’t have to work other jobs. If I don’t have to work other jobs I can train harder. If I can train hard I can perform even better. So, make it worth it for me and I’ll make it worth it for the promotion.”

Check out Campbell’s full post-fight interview via the video above.

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Undefeated Grant Neal promises the best is yet to come after Bellator 243 victory

Colorado light heavyweight Grant Neal extended his perfect professional record at Bellator 243, then said he has plenty of room for improvement.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] continued his perfect start to life as a professional mixed martial artist with a shutout victory on the scorecards at Bellator 243, but admitted there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Neal (4-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) defeated Hamza Salim with scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 30-24 in a dominant performance in his preliminary card bout at Mohegan Sun Arena. Reflecting on his victory, the Colorado light heavyweight said the scorecards showed not just his dominance, but also his opponent’s staying power.

“Well, I mean, it’s definitely rare, and that’s actually a compliment to my opponent,” Neal told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after the fight. “I mean, 30-24, that sounds like a finish to me, but he stayed in there and he stayed tough. He was sticky, like, he wanted to be there in the cage, so that’s kudos to him (for) coming out there tough. It’s a tough sport.

But rather than being satisfied with his dominance on the scorecards, Neal saw the result against Salim (5-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) as an opportunity to improve, and said that he should be turning positions of dominance into fight finishes.

“That’s just back to me and the drawing board,” he said. “I’ve got to recognize those positions and finish the fight.”

Just four fights into his professional MMA career, Neal is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, and said he’s looking forward to seeing how far he can progress in the sport after his latest victory.

“He was a tough opponent, and that just gives me excitement, because it means there’s a lot more to come,” he said. “I’m not anywhere near the peak or the pinnacle, so I’m super-excited about it.”

Rather than resting on his laurels, Neal said he’d love the opportunity to keep the momentum rolling, and said he would be happy to take whatever opportunities to compete Bellator throws his way. During the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he feels an obligation to take whatever he’s offered.

“Right now I really feel for everybody out there in the world who don’t have the opportunity to work,” he said. “The coronavirus has really uprooted a lot of people’s lives. So it would be absolutely selfish of me to have an opportunity to continue to work and not do it. And I have an awesome opportunity and I’m just going to continue to put on shows for all of my fans and gain more fans. I want to bring everybody along for the ride, especially during such hard times.”

Check out Neal’s full post-fight comments via the video above.

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Adam Borics hopes to revisit Derek Campos booking following Bellator 243 win

Following his split decision win at Bellator 243, Adam Borics says he’d like to rearrange his originally-booked bout with Derek Campos.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. –  It may not have been the best performance of his career, but [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] was still more than a little surprised when he realised one judge had scored his fight at Bellator 243 to his opponent.

Borics (15-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) faced short-notice replacement Mike Hamel in the featured preliminary card bout at Mohegan Sun Arena Friday night, and while he came away with the victory, the scorecards left him somewhat shocked.

“Yeah, a little bit,” he admitted to reporters, including MMA Junkie, after the fight. “I lost the first round, then after I thought I won the second and third round, so I thought, ‘Split decision? Why?’ But it’s OK.”

Borics faced Hamel (7-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at a 150-pound catchweight after his opposite number was unable to make the 146-pound featherweight limit on Thursday’s weigh-in, and the Hungarian said he could feel the weight discrepancy in the cage on fight night,

“He was heavy, man,” he said. “He missed the weight, and then he took me down. Usually, I feel really strong at 145, but this was a catchweight at 150. He missed the weight and I asked him, ‘Hey, how much is your weight now?’ and he’s like, ‘Ah, 175,’ and I’m 165, so it’s 10 pounds different.

“But I am really thankful for him. He took the fight on short notice. I am a little bit disappointed with my performance, because I know I’m much better than this.”

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Borics’ win helped get him back on track after he suffered his first career defeat to former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell in the featherweight grand prix. It was a defeat Borics described as “the worst memory of my life,” as he admitted that he lost his focus ahead of the bout.

But now he’s back in the win column, Borics is looking to re-establish himself as a dangerous force in Bellator’s 145-pound division, and hopes the promotion’s matchmakers revisit his original booking for Friday night and rebook him against [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] later this year.

“I would like to fight against him,” he admitted. “I think he’s a real fighter, you know, so I would like to fight against him.”

Check out Borics’ full post-fight press conference via the video above.

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Dalton Rosta calls out ‘troll’ Dillon Danis after Bellator 243 win: ‘He’s not as good as he says he is’

Dalton Rosta extended his unbeaten pro record to 3-0 at Bellator 243, then called out fellow undefeated prospect Dillon Danis.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] made it three wins in a row as a Bellator fighter as he claimed a first-round TKO win over debutant Mark Gardner at Bellator 243, then set his sights on one of the roster’s notable names.

Speaking to reporters, including MMA Junkie, after his preliminary card win at Mohegan Sun Arena, Rosta (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) said he’d love the opportunity to take on [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag], who hasn’t fought since June 2019.

“I don’t know if it made the TV or not, but I got on the camera at the end there and I asked – well, I didn’t ask – I called out Dillon Danis,” he said. “He’s been fighting at catchweight at 175-180 (pounds). He’s never even made it down to 170 yet, I believe. He’s calling out a lot of guys he can’t even fight – guys that are UFC champs and world champion boxers and stuff like that. He’s calling these guys out to be a troll on social media.”

With Danis (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) a seasoned grappler, former NCAA wrestler Rosta said he’s perfectly placed to offer the next test for Danis inside the Bellator cage, and said he’d put a stop to the hype surrounding Conor McGregor’s teammate,

“He’s 2-0, I’m 3-0. We’re both in the same organization. In my eyes, he’s a middleweight until he makes that 170-pound limit. So I would love that fight. I would love to show everybody that he’s not as good as he says he is, and stop that hype train.”

Recap Rosta’s full post-fight press conference via the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3077: UFC on ESPN+ 32, Bellator 243 recaps and more

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

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

On Episode 3,077 of the podcast, the guys look back at Bellator 243 and UFC on ESPN+ 32, plus look ahead to some key matchups that were booked the past few days.

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 243 post-event facts: Michael Chandler makes history with blistering knockout

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 243, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator’s second event since returning from a hiatus brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic took place on Friday with Bellator 243. The event again went down at the “Fightsphere,” which is located at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

The most decorated athlete in Bellator history headlined the card in winning fashion. Former three-time champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 18-5 BMMA) knocked out former UFC and WEC titleholder [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) in the first round of their anticipated rematch. With the win, Chandler went to 2-0 against Henderson and ended his current Bellator contract.

The talk is getting stronger that Chandler’s storied Bellator run may come to an end with this fight. If that’s the case, he goes out with a special resume. For all the figures, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 243.

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General

Betting favorites went 2-2 on the main card.

Betting favorites improved to 5-0 in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 35:23.

Main card

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Chandler’s 18 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Patricio Freire for most in company history.

Chandler’s 15 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are most in divisional history.

Chandler’s 13 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.

Chandler’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are most in divisional history.

Henderson fell to 5-3 since he returned to the lightweight division in August 2016.

Henderson suffered his first knockout loss since Aug. 23, 2014 – a span of 2,176 days (nearly six years) and 12 fights.

[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has earned 11 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his Bellator wins.

[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag]’s (13-8 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) four-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Mitrione has suffered six of his eight career losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has earned both of his Bellator victories by decision.

[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 7-9 BMMA) fell to 1-3 since he returned to Bellator for a third stint in March 2019.

Karakhanyan fell to 1-1 since he moved up to the Bellator lightweight division in February 2020.

Karakhanyan has suffered eight of his 11 career losses by decision.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has earned both of her career stoppage victories by knockout.

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

Dung suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Commission head Mike Mazzulli responds to AJ Agazarm’s biased judging claim at Bellator 243

Mohegan Sun commission head Mike Mazzulli responds to AJ Agazarm’s comments about judge Doug Crosby.

[autotag]AJ Agazarm[/autotag] will not be fined for his behavior during and after his Bellator 243 fight vs. [autotag]Cris Lencioni[/autotag] on Friday.

The trash-talked-filled fight included a headbutt and post-round contact, and the bad blood continued boiling over after Lencioni was named the winner by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28).

According to Mohegan Tribal commission head Mike Mazzulli, Agazarm has been warned, but will not be fined for his language or actions. Mazzulli said Agazaram apologized for the clash of heads. Should Agazarm repeat such offenses in the future, Mazzulli said the fighter will face harsher disciplinary measures.

However, Mazzulli took particular exception with a particular post-fight claim. Agazarm insisted on speaking to reporters after the fight despite losing the bout. During the impromptu scrum, Agazarm claimed judge Doug Crosby had a conflict of interest and shouldn’t have been judging the fight.

Mazzulli disputed Agazarm’s claims when speaking to MMA Junkie on Saturday.

“What I don’t like is a fighter that has opinions that aren’t merited at all,” Mazzulli said. “There’s no merit in that at all. Basically, AJ came to me afterward and state that he couldn’t believe there was a 30-26 score. He automatically assumed that it was Doug Crosby and that was incorrect.”

Crosby scored the fight 29-28, making him the only of the three judges to score a round in Agazarm’s favor.

According to Mazzulli, all of his officials are required to sign a code of conduct, which includes avoiding conflict of interests. Mazzulli said numerous judges have notified him of conflicts in the past, including Crosby, who has been an official under his jurisdiction since 2002.

Mazzulli said, like many other members of the MMA community, Agazarm and Crosby had crossed paths in the past. However, he affirmed the two individuals do not have a direct relationship.

Additionally, Mazzulli said he spoke to referee Mike Beltran about his decision to pull the fighters together. While Mazzulli praised Beltran as one of the best referees in the world, he said a well-intentioned attempt to get the fighters to shake hands could have the potential to incite things further.

“It wasn’t necessary, but he was only trying to do the right thing,” Mazzulli said.

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Sabah Homasi dedicates Bellator 243 victory to people of Lebanon

Sabah Homasi dedicated his win over Curtis Millender to those affected in this week’s tragedy in Lebanon.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] went through Bellator 243 fight week with a heavy heart, as the Lebanese-American competitor learned of the explosion which killed nearly 150 people and injured thousands in the Middle Eastern country’s capital of Beirut.

But he also used it as motivation. Homasi (14-8 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who still has family over in Lebanon, fired on all cylinders in his main card catchweight matchup against Curtis Millender as he earned a unanimous decision victory with scores of 29-28 across the board.

After the bout, Homasi dedicated the victory to the people of his family’s homeland as they put the pieces back together following the devastating events of the last few days.

“For all the people in Lebanon, this victory was for you,” Homasi told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “The (expletive) tragedy that happened over there, you know? And I’m just happy my family is safe and I’m sorry for all the people who did lose loved ones or got affected by it.”

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The 31-year old American Top Team welterweight has now won three consecutive fights, and feels like he’s just reaching the point where he’s getting his game together.

“I’ve been in this sport a very long time and, as I’m getting older, I’m putting it together, said Homasi, who indicated he’d like to fight Paul Daley next. “In the beginning of my career, I wouldn’t say I was my record was (expletive). I had a rough road in the beginning. I have the physical ability, I just wasn’t putting it together properly. I reached a certain age where it just clicked for me. Everything just changed.”

Homasi said he plans on auctioning off his fight kit through Dustin Poirier’s “Good Fight Foundation,” with proceeds going toward Lebanon’s recovery efforts.

Bellator 243 was held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Cris Lencioni still isn’t a fan of ‘sore loser’ AJ Agazarm after Bellator 243 victory

After the bad blood continued following their bout at Bellator 243, Chris Lencioni labeled rival AJ Agazarm a ‘sore loser.’

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – It’s not uncommon to see fighters bury the hatchet after going head to head in the cage, but that wasn’t the case after [autotag]Cris Lencioni[/autotag]’s victory over [autotag]AJ Agazarm[/autotag] Friday night at Bellator 243.

The bad blood between the pair continued even after Lencioni (7-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) secured a unanimous decision victory. But while Agazarm (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) remained irked following the fight, “Sunshine” preferred to look on the bright side.

When asked if he had hate for his opponent after their ill-tempered preliminary card clash at Mohegan Sun Arena, Lencioni told reporters, including MMA Junkie, “Dude, hate? No way! I don’t hate anybody. Hate is such a strong word.”

However, it’s fair to say Lencioni still isn’t a fan of his opponent, as he explained, “I dislike him to a fair degree. I think he’s an incredibly disrespectful bully. I think he’s bad for the mixed martial arts community. I think he should go back to fighting YouTubers. I think he should go back to that.”

Lencioni explained how the bad blood began between the pair, after the Portland, Oregon native mistook Agazarm for a commission official before an amateur fight. Agazarm, Lencioni said, didn’t react well to not being recognized.

“I didn’t know who he was,” Lencioni explained.” I thought he was part of the Oregon State Athletic Commission. And I was like, ‘Hey man, I need a water. I’m about to go fight,’ and he was like, ‘I’m not going to get you a ‘bleep’ water… I’m A.J. Agazarm.’

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“I was 8-0 at the time as an amateur, and I didn’t see him again for a couple of years, then we did another SUG (Submission Underground) and he got beat by another Portland cat, Nate Orchard, humiliated him, and that’s just kinda where it started, you know? Just because I didn’t know who he was. Sorry!”

The ill-feeling continued after the decision was made when there was a terse exchange as the referee attempted to get the pair to shake hands. Lencioni said Agazarm’s reaction showed that he isn’t a true martial artist.

“Dude, fight’s over. I won. Get over it,” he said. “Tried to shake his hand. It’s the fight game, feelings get hurt. … We did the fight, I won, I destroyed you, shake my hand. I’m shaking your hand, let it go. Show everybody that you’re a martial artist here. He’s not, though. He’s not a real martial artist.”

Lencioni also stated that Agazarm hit him with illegal shots, including a headbutt, during the bout as he labeled his opponent a cheat.

“That’s a sore loser right there, I’ve gotta tell you that,” he said. “I was willing to shake his hand once it was all said and done. But, man, he is a cheater. He’s a cheater in every way. He headbutted me, he did a lot of illegal strikes. Yeah, sure, I was slow to get off of him one round, but he got a lot of free shots in there, and did nothing to me. Am I damaged right now? Do I have much on my face, mark-wise?

“That dude is effed-up. I molested that guy’s face. I know that’s not the best word, but I did very naughty things to that man’s face. And I’m going to do very naughty things when I get home to someone else that I’m very much acquainted with, because it’s been a while. I haven’t seen my wife for maybe three times in the last month. I’m trying to make some little ‘Sunshines’. Let’s get some positive stuff, man. I already fought somebody. I’m over that, I’m done. Look at my hand, I hit that guy so much my hand hurts. It’s like hitting a piece of fricking metal. Stupid metal.”

Recap Lencioni’s full post-fight press conference via the video above.

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