Tag: Bellator 244

Bellator 244 live weigh-in results (9 a.m. ET)

Check out the results from the official Bellator 244 fighter weigh-ins.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s early and official Bellator 244 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT).

The early weigh-ins take place at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. The same venue hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Among those weighing in are light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Ryan Bader (27-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) and Vadim Nemkov (12-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who fight for Bader’s 205-pound title in the main event.

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The full Bellator 244 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Champ Ryan Bader () vs. Vadim Nemkov () – for light heavyweight title
  • Julia Budd () vs. Jessy Miele ()
  • Valentin Moldavsky () vs. Roy Nelson ()
  • Andrew Kapel () vs. John Salter ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7:30 p.m. ET)

  • Sidney Outlaw () vs. Adam Piccolotti ()
  • Josh Hill () vs. Erik Perez ()
  • Lucas Brennan () vs. Will Smith ()
  • Chris Gonzalez () vs. Vladimir Tokov ()
  • Weber Almeida () vs. Salim Mukhidinov ()
  • Yaroslav Amosov () vs. Mark Lemminger ()
  • John de Jesus () vs. Vladyslav Parubchenkno ()

Valentin Moldvasky focused solely on Bellator 244 opponent Roy Nelson, not heavyweight title

Ahead of Bellator 244, Valentin Moldvasky spoke with MMA Junkie at media day.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Ahead of Bellator 244, [autotag]Valentin Moldvasky[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday during media day.

Moldavsky (9-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) discussed watching Bellator 244 opponent Roy Nelson throughout his career, if he thinks Nelson is still sharp, and how he isn’t focused on a Bellator title.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 244 underdog Andrew Kapel relishes status for second straight fight

Ahead of his Bellator 244 fight vs. John Salter, Andrew Kapel discusses potentially being the promotion’s dark horse at middleweight.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Ahead of Bellator 244, [autotag]Andrew Kapel[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday during media day.

Kapel (15-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) discussed his time away from competition during the pandemic, breaking into the national spotlight against Muhammed Lawal, fighting John Salter, and potentially being the dark horse in the Bellator middleweight division.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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John Salter confident Bellator 244 win puts him in middleweight title mix

John Salter knows he’s getting close to Bellator gold.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Ahead of Bellator 244, [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday during media day.

Salter (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) discussed his middleweight bout with Andrew Kapel, the state of the division, wanting to be in he title mix, and much more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

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Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Jessy Miele ‘psyched’ to be in Bellator 244 co-main event vs. Julia Budd

Jessy Miele is ready to spoil the party.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Ahead of Bellator 244, [autotag]Jessy Miele[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday during media day.

Miele (9-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) discussed her co-main event bout against former champ Julia Budd, fighting with no fans, title aspirations, and more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

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Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Roy Nelson: ‘Competitive’ sparring with Francis Ngannou shows I still belong

This late in his career, Roy Nelson derives motivation from his sparring sessions with UFC title contender Francis Ngannou.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Ahead of Bellator 244, [autotag]Roy Nelson[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday during media day.

Nelson (23-18 MMA, 1-4 BMMA) discussed sources of his motivation to continue fighting after a 16-year professional MMA career, hopes of competing for a Bellator heavyweight title, his fight against Valentin Moldavsky, and more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

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Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Ryan Bader: With Jon Jones vacating, Bellator 244 could determine best light heavyweight

Could Ryan Bader be considered the best light heavyweight in the world should he retain his title at Bellator 244?

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – With [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] officially out of the light heavyweight picture, could the Bellator 244 main event determine the world’s best 205-pound fighter?

One half of that headliner, dual champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag], thinks the argument certainly can be made. Bader, the Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, takes on surging Russian fighter Vadim Nemkov in a 205-pound title fight Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“Arguably, right now you can say the winner of this fight is one of the best heavyweights right now that’s out there,” Bader told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “DC retired and had a great career. He was always up there. Then, obviously, Jon Jones was one of the greatest of all time. I think that the whole division was in his shadow. Him moving up definitely opens it up.

“With my accomplishments, it’s not like I haven’t been there. I was a top-five guy consistently in there. I’ve grown as a fighter since I came over here – tremendously. Yeah, you can argue the winner of this fight is the best light heavyweight right now.”

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Bader had his crack at Jones before the longtime UFC light heavyweight champion held the promotion’s title around his waist. At UFC 126 in January 2011, Jones earned a title shot by submitting Bader late in the second round.

As for Cormier, he too has history with Bader, though the two fighters never competed against one another inside the cage. They were booked to fight at UFC Fight Night 68 in 2015 after a news conference run-in. However, Cormier was pulled from the fight to take on Anthony Johnson for the vacant title at UFC 187.

Bader would’ve liked to fight Cormier, but more so wishes he could have the opportunity now. Bader voiced his faith in his improvement since making the jump from the UFC to Bellator in early 2017.

“You look at fights you wish you woulda, shoulda, coulda,” Bader said. “That was a big fight. I was in training camp for it, and he got pulled out to fight for the title. I’d like to have that fight now where I am in my career now – how I am mentally (and) physically rather than back then. I’m a totally different fighter, a complete fighter, so now would be the time.”

Bellator 244 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Julia Budd fueled by loss to Cris Cyborg, plans on making statement at Bellator 244

At Bellator 244, Julia Budd is out to show that she deserves a rematch with Cris Cyborg to regain her title.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] wants her title back.

The former Bellator women’s featherweight champion is out to earn a rematch with Cris Cyborg in hopes to reclaim her belt. Budd (13-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) plans on making a statement in her first fight since losing the title at Friday’s Bellator 244 event.

The 37-year-old Budd takes on Jessica Miele in the night’s co-headliner.

“I never look past any opponent. You never underestimate anyone, so I’m ready for Friday night,” Budd told MMA Junkie. “I’m ready to go out there and put on an amazing show and showcase who I am as a mixed martial artist. And after that, we’ll see what they decide, but with the statement I plan on making, yeah, (a fight with Cris Cyborg) will be next.”

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Budd’s defeat to Cyborg in January marked her first defeat since losing to former UFC champion Ronda Rousey back in 2011 under the Strikeforce banner, breaking an 11-fight winning streak.

Budd admits the loss stung, but she’s now using her short coming as motivation.

“It drives me,” Budd said. “It went from being really disappointing to something that is motivating for me. I can actually go back and look at it from a technical standpoint where I made some errors and get better from that.

“I’d say it took a little bit of time. I had to reevaluate and see what I wanted, and I just want to get back to the cage. I think I was messaging them (Bellator) two weeks after. So it took me a little bit, and after two weeks we checked out the footage. I was like, I see where I made some big mistakes that night and some little mistakes that cost me. And from here, I look forward to getting in there and showcasing my skills.”

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