Bellator 246 results: Juan Archuleta wins vacant bantamweight title in slugfest over Patchy Mix

In the Bellator 246 main event, Juan Archuleta defeated Patchy Mix by unanimous decision to claim the vacant Bellator bantamweight title.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Bellator bantamweight championship finally has a home, around the waist of [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag].

In a stirring battle, Archuleta (25-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) defeated [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) on Saturday night in the main event of Bellator 246 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Largely a high-action striking affair through five rounds, the fight’s opening five minutes took place mostly on the ground. Mix (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) snuck under an Archuleta punch to get a takedown. On the back, Mix worked for submissions but came up empty-handed.

The second round was somewhat the same, with Mix getting Archuleta to the mat. After a few dominant-position reversals, Archuleta landed heavy ground-and-pound.

In Round 3, both men opened up and exchanged. Hard shots from each bantamweight loudly clattered off the other’s forehead. Archuleta found perhaps his best success in the latter half of the round, utilizing his boxing.

For the entirety of the fight, Mix pushed the pace with Archuleta doing his best to counterstrike and stand in the pocket. It was no different in Round 4. The striking battle continued through the fourth and into the fifth.

Body shots proved to be the difference for Archuleta in Round 5, as he brutalized Mix’s midsection. When Mix would flinch in anticipation of a body blow, Archuleta would change levels.

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The victory marks Archuleta’s second straight as he won his first major promotional title. He has only lost once since March 2015 – a September 2019 unanimous decision defeat to current Bellator lightweight and featherweight titleholder Patricio Freire.

As for Mix, the loss marks his first defeat of his entire career – amateur of professional.

The bout for the vacant bantamweight belt was the main event of Bellator 246, which took place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

  • Juan Archuleta def. Patchy Mix via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
  • Neiman Gracie def. Jon Fitch via submission (heel hook) — Round 2, 4:47
  • Liz Carmouche def. DeAnna Bennett via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 3:17
  • Keoni Diggs def. Derek Campos via technical submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 4:59
  • Daniel Madrid def. Pat Casey via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
  • Ty Gwerder def. George Tokkos via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 1:05
  • Davion Franklin def. Ras Hylton via unanimous technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 246 results: Neiman Gracie submits Jon Fitch, who retires after loss

Jon Fitch called it a career on Saturday night after his submission loss to Neiman Gracie.

[autotag]Jon Fitch [/autotag] is one of the finest minds at adapting wrestling for MMA usage the sport has ever produced. But even the knowledge gained by a long career’s worth of experience could only fend off a submission artist like [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] for so long.

Gracie (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) basically spent the entirety of their Bellator 246 co-main event welterweight fight hunting for a submission, and he finally got the nod at the 4:47 mark of the second round.

After the fight, Fitch (32-8-2 MMA, 1-1-1 BMMA) put his gloves down to symbolize his retirement.

“It’s been a long journey, my body’s been through a lot I have a lot of things I’m looking forward to in the future outside the cage, so it’s time to go,” Fitch said.

Gracie put on a grappling clinic in the opening round, as he attempted nearly a half-dozen submission attempts, from rear-naked chokes to heel hooks and everything in between. It was to Fitch’s credit that he managed to finagle his way out of several hairy situations.

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Fitch was doing a better job neutralizing Gracie in the second round for the majority of the stanza. But Gracie none the less found himself in a position he wanted on the mat with Fitch in the final minute, and he sunk the knee bar in tight, giving Fitch no choice but to submit.

Gracie shook off his first career loss, to then-welterweight champion Rory MacDonald, in earning his ninth career submission out of 10 victories. Fitch, in his final fight, had a six fight unbeaten streak (5-0-1) snapped.

The welterweight fight was the co-feature bout of Bellator 246, which tool place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 246 results:

  • Neiman Gracie def. Jon Fitch via submission (heel hook) — Round 2, 4:47
  • Liz Carmouche def. DeAnna Bennett via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 3:17
  • Keoni Diggs def. Derek Campos via technical submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 4:59
  • Daniel Madrid def. Pat Casey via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
  • Ty Gwerder def. George Tokkos via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 1:05
  • Davion Franklin def. Ras Hylton via unanimous technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 246 results: Liz Carmouche finishes DeAnna Bennett in third

DeAnna Bennett gave her a run for her money, but Liz Carmouche was victorious in her Bellator debut.

For a minute or two, there, it looked like [autotag]DeAnna Bennett [/autotag]might ruin [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s Bellator debut.

Their flyweight main card bout at Bellator 246 on Saturday night seemed tied going into the third, and the underdog got off to a solid start in the third.

But just as soon as you thought there might be an upset, Carmouche (14-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was the winner. A well-executed rear-naked choke finished things at the 3:17 mark of the final round as the pioneering former UFC and Strikeforce title challenger got off to solid start in her new promotion.

“I knew going into the third round I was getting the finish,” Carmouche said.  “I was convinced I was getting the finish, it wasn’t going to the decision tonight.”

Carmouche did her best to finish things in the opening round, as she scored a slam early in the round and attempted to get into position for a twister. Bennett (10-7-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) got back to her feet, but Carmouche was the aggressor and beat her foe to the punch for the bulk of the round.

In the second, though, it was Bennett’s turn to shine, as she scored a takedown and worked from top position. The veteran Carmouche managed to lock Bennett in a heel hook, but Bennett escaped and spent the rest of the round in top position, landing frequent strikes.

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In the third, Bennett appeared to be going for broke, but she eventually gave Carmouche an opening on which she instantly seized. Bennett did her best to fight it off before finally tapping.

Carmouche’s third win in her past four fights was her fourth career submission victory. Bennett has lost three in a row, the past two via submission.

The flyweight fight was on the main card of Bellator 246, which took place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 246 results:

  • Liz Carmouche def. DeAnna Bennett via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 3:17
  • Keoni Diggs def. Derek Campos via technical submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 4:59
  • Daniel Madrid def. Pat Casey via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
  • Ty Gwerder def. George Tokkos via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 1:05
  • Davion Franklin def. Ras Hylton via unanimous technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 246 video: Keoni Diggs puts Derek Campos to sleep with one second left in fight

Keoni Diggs pulled off a buzzer-beater against Derek Campos at Bellator 246.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The NBA playoffs are well underway, but at Bellator 246 on Saturday, [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] proved basketball isn’t the only sport with buzzer-beaters.

Taking a step up in competition, Diggs (9-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) served as a short-notice replacement against [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] in the main card opener at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Diggs displayed a well-rounded attack in the first two rounds. After gaining the top position, Diggs took Campos’ back and began searching for a rear-naked choke.

At the time fo the 10-second clacker, Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) appeared to be alright. But as the seconds wound down, Diggs readjusted his grip. Milliseconds before the final horn, referee Kevin MacDonald saw Campos’ consciousness leave him. MacDonald stepped in at the 4:59 mark of the fight, earning Diggs the right to call himself a multi-time Bellator winner.

Bellator 246 took place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasted on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie. It served as the second half of the promotion’s doubleheader weekend.

Check out Keoni Diggs’ submission of Derek Campos above.

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.

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