Tag: Bellator 257

Do we know yet who has the best shot at Bellator’s light heavyweight tourney?

We know three of the four semifinalists in Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament – but do we know who the favorite is yet?

We know three of the four semifinalists in Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament – but do we know who the favorite is yet?

Champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] reached the semis with a title defense win over Phil Davis. Former champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] looked good in his first fight to move on. And so did [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag].

But we haven’t seen the fourth quarterfinal fight, and it’s between a pair of former UFC standouts making their Bellator debuts: [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag].

Is one of the three men in the semis the clear favorite to win the tournament? Or do we need to see Romero vs. Johnson before we know what’s what? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura broke it down with host John Morgan.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ngSXxYeUo

 

MMA Junkie Radio #3150: Joey Diaz, plus UFC, Bellator, Triller Fight Club recaps (noon ET)

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here and will be live on SportsCastr at noon ET.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here and will be live on SportsCastr at noon ET.

On Episode 3,150, the fellas will recap this past Friday and Saturday’s big trio of events from Bellator, the UFC and Triller Fight Club. They’ll also discuss the latest MMA news and bring on guest comedian Joey Diaz, who will give his picks for Saturday’s UFC 261.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. 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 257 winner Veta Arteaga felt she had unfinished business with Desiree Yanez

Veta Arteaga speaks about her win over Desiree Yanez at Bellator 257, wanting to build up to title contention, and more.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Veta Arteaga[/autotag] can rest easy knowing she’s back in the win column.

This past Friday, Arteaga (6-4 MMA, 5-4 BMMA) saw a two-fight losing streak come to an end when she outpointed Desiree Yanez (5-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) on the main card of Bellator 257 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Following the fight, Arteaga talked to the media about her win, having the first scheduled bout with Yanez canceled due to COVID-19, wanting to stay busy and build back toward title contention, and more.

Check out her post-fight interview in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=603894]

Bellator 257 results: Vadim Nemkov outlasts Phil Davis to defend title, advance in grand prix

Vadim Nemkov continued his unbeaten run in Bellator and moves on to the semifinals of the light heavyweight tournament.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag]’s first Bellator title defense is in the books.

The Bellator light heavyweight champion defeated challenger [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] in a rematch that headlined Friday’s Bellator 257 in Uncasville, Conn. Nemkov (14-2 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) outpointed Davis (22-6 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) in a unanimous decision that read 48-47 across all three judges’ scorecards.

The championship bout was part of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix. Nemkov advances to the semifinal and will take on the winner of Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero, which is set to go down on May 7.

In the first round, both fighters remained standing and no one attempted to take the action to the ground. On the feet, neither fighter landed anything significant. However, the champion was busier than Davis and landed more shots.

The second round is where the action picked up, as Nemkov was able to drop Davis with an uppercut and force him into survival mode. Davis did a great job at avoiding further damage and pressed Nemkov against the cage long enough to recover, but Nemkov outstruck him for the rest of the round.

The third round, Davis did a better job at pressing forward and forcing action, but Nemkov still managed to land cleaner and stay a little busier. The champion controlled most of the action on the feet up to that point of the fight.

[lawrence-related id=603832,603237]

The fourth was much of a continuation of the third. Nemkov was landing more and had a higher volume of strikes. Davis fell behind but did manage to wake up the champion late in the fourth. With about a minute left, Davis connected with a right hand that slightly stunned Nemkov. In the following exchanges, Davis connected clean a couple more times but didn’t significantly hurt the Russian. It was likely Davis’ best round.

In the final round, Davis attempted to capitalize on the momentum of the end of the fourth. He pressed the action and was looking more aggressive, making the fight a lot closer and even having a slight edge. It was an admirable attempt, but it came too late as Nemkov had done enough to steal the early rounds of the fight.

Nemkov remains unbeaten under the Bellator banner. He won the Bellator 205-pound title stopping Ryan Bader in the second round back in August. Nemkov is currently on a seven-fight winning streak. His last loss came to fellow Bellator light heavyweight Karl Albrektsson back in 2016 at Rizin FF 1.

Davis saw a three-fight winning streak come to an end. He’s 5-2 in his last seven outings with the two defeats coming to Nemkov as he has previously lost to the Russian in a split decision back in 2018.

Official Bellator 257 results include:

  • Vadim Nemkov def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
  • Corey Anderson def. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:15 – advances to light heavyweight grand prix semifinal
  • Veta Arteaga def. Desiree Yanez via majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Paul Daley def. Sabah Homasi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:44
  • Julia Budd def. Dayana Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Julius Anglickas def. Gregory Milliard via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Steve Mowry def. Shaun Asher via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:55
  • Grachik Bozinyan def. Demarques Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Raymond Daniels def. Peter Stanonik via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Marcus Surin via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Karl Albrektsson def. Viktor Nemkov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mads Burnell def. Saul Rogers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:08
  • Pedro Carvalho vs. Jay Jay Wilson def. Pedro Carvalho via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:53

[vertical-gallery id=603494]

Twitter reacts to Vadim Nemkov’s title defense against Phil Davis at Bellator 257

See the top Twitter reactions to Vadim Nemkov’s title defense over Phil Davis in their grand prix quarterfinal at Bellator 257.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] got his title reign off to a promising start on Friday when he defended the light heavyweight belt against [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] in the Bellator 257 headliner.

Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) retained the strap and subsequently advances to the semifinal round of the promotion’s 205-pound grand prix when he beat Davis (22-6 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) for a second time in his career, earning a unanimous decision victory in the headlining but at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nemkov’s victory over Davis at Bellator 257.

Bellator 257 results: Corey Anderson pounds out Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov in grand prix

The mystery of Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov was solved by Corey Anderson in a big way at Bellator 257.

Heading into the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix, [autotag]Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov[/autotag] was the big mystery man of the tournament. That mystery has been solved.

[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] figured out Yagshimuradov, using his wrestling and vicious ground-and-pound to earn a third-round TKO victory at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Anderson’s win sets up a semifinal showdown with former champion Ryan Bader.

In the first round, the debuting Yagshimuradov (18-6-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) initially looked like he could be a problem for Anderson (15-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). Yagshimuradov threw heavy hands, which kept Anderson at bay even though he often missed. Yagshimuradov closed out the round with a spinning wheel kick that caught Anderson on the neck and knocked him backward. It came just seconds before the horn sounded.

Anderson, though, wasted no time shooting for a takedown in Round 2. It resulted in a long clinch sessions against the cage. It was clear that Anderson’s strategy was to get the fight to the mat, and he eventually secured a takedown with about one minute left and quickly transitioned to full mount. It proved to be a strong finish to the round for Anderson, who poured on punches and elbows to cut open Yagshimuradov.

As the third round opened up, Anderson immediate brought the fight to Yagshimuradov as she shot in for a takedown. Although he failed, he tried again, and then a third time in which he secured the takedown inside the first minute. That all but signaled the beginning of the end for Yagshimuradov, who again was mounted and absorbed vicious ground-and-pound until the referee waved it off at the 2:15 mark.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 257 results include:

  • Corey Anderson def. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:15 – advances to light heavyweight grand prix semifinal
  • Veta Arteaga def. Desiree Yanez via majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Paul Daley def. Sabah Homasi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:44
  • Julia Budd def. Dayana Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Julius Anglickas def. Gregory Milliard via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Steve Mowry def. Shaun Asher via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:55
  • Grachik Bozinyan def. Demarques Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Raymond Daniels def. Peter Stanonik via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Marcus Surin via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Karl Albrektsson def. Viktor Nemkov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mads Burnell def. Saul Rogers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:08
  • Pedro Carvalho vs. Jay Jay Wilson def. Pedro Carvalho via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:53

[vertical-gallery id=603494]

Bellator 257 results: Paul Daley comes back for wild TKO win over Sabah Homasi

Paul Daley and Sabah Homasi had bad blood heading into Bellator 257, and their fight delivered fireworks as promised. 

[autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] and [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] had bad blood heading into Bellator 257, and their fight delivered fireworks as promised.

Homasi got off to a fiery start, but it was Daley getting the finish as he rallied to TKO Homasi in the second-round of their 175-pound catchweight bout Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The bout was a barnburner from start to finish, with wild swings in momentum. Homasi (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) came out in Round 1 throwing high kicks and leg kicks before he rushed in with a right hand that clipped Daley’s ear and stunned him. Homasi swarmed in for the finish, but with Daley (43-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) stumbling back to his feet and backpedaling, Homasi feel to the mat on a head kick attempt. That allowed a brief reset before Homasi landed a flying knee and dropped Daley with a follow-up punch on his landing. Homasi fell into Daley’s guard and employed ground-and-pound, but Daley managed to work his way back to his feet and ended the round strong. While in the clinch, Daley landed three knees to the face and dropped Homasi to the mat. The round ended with Daley in top position.

Given the frenetic pace of the first, Round 2 figured to be a case of who wants it more, and Daley seemed to flip a switch.

Daley dropped Homasi with a straight right hand just as he caught a body kick. Daley swarmed with hammerfists for the finish but couldn’t seal the deal. After Homasi got back to his feet, they settled in the pocket before Daley dropped Homasi a second time with a hard left hoook. Daley again pounced for the finish, and this time all Homasi could do was turtle up, forcing the referee to step in at the 1:44 mark.

The finish was Daley’s third consecutive win and second at 175 pounds, as prior to Bellator 257 he made it clear that he has no desire to continue fighting at welterweight. Daley, who hadn’t competed since October 2019, talked about potentially retiring in the lead-up to Bellator 257, but after his victory, he challenged anyone who wishes to meet him at 175, calling himself the “champion” of the “division.”

Homasi had a four-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 257 results include:

  • Paul Daley def. Sabah Homasi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:44
  • Julia Budd def. Dayana Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Julius Anglickas def. Gregory Milliard via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Steve Mowry def. Shaun Asher via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:55
  • Grachik Bozinyan def. Demarques Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Raymond Daniels def. Peter Stanonik via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Marcus Surin via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Karl Albrektsson def. Viktor Nemkov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mads Burnell def. Saul Rogers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:08
  • Pedro Carvalho vs. Jay Jay Wilson def. Pedro Carvalho via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:53

[vertical-gallery id=603494]

Bellator 257 video: Jay Jay Wilson’s spinning backfist signals TKO finish of Pedro Carvalho

Jay Jay Wilson wasted no time in the second round.

[autotag]Jay Jay Wilson[/autotag] keeps rising up the Bellator ranks.

The promising featherweight picked up his seventh Bellator win on Friday night at Bellator 257 in Uncasville, Conn. Wilson (8-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) stopped SBG Ireland’s Pedro Carvalho by second-round TKO in the preliminary card opener of the night.

[lawrence-related id=603237,603239]

Wilson scored a finish to remember, as he caught Carvalho with a spinning backfist right off the bat in the second round and then swarmed him with punches and ground-and-pound to pick up the stoppage victory. The 23-year-old Wilson is quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects in Bellator at 145 pounds.

Below you can check out Wilson’s finish of Carvalho (via Twitter):

[vertical-gallery id=603494]

Bellator 257 discussion thread

Bellator 257 takes place Friday in Connecticut, and you can discuss the event here.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s Bellator 257 event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., which kicks off at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our Bellator 257 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 6 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 9 p.m. ET for the main card.

Bellator 257 live and official results (5:30 p.m. ET)

Bellator 257 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

Bellator 257 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

For the preliminary card at 5:30 p.m. ET, use the video player above. Then tune in to Showtime for the main card beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

In the main event, light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) meets challenger Phil Davis (22-5 MMA, 9-2 BMMA). The title fight also is part of the opening round of Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament.

Official Bellator 257 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament opening round
  • Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov – light heavyweight tournament opening round
  • Veta Arteaga vs. Desiree Yanez
  • Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Julius Anglickas vs. Gregory Milliard
  • Julia Budd vs. Dayana Silva
  • Shaun Asher vs. Steve Mowry
  • Grachik Bozinyan vs. Demarques Jackson
  • Raymond Daniels vs. Peter Stanonik
  • Karl Albrektsson vs. Viktor Nemkov
  • Pedro Carvalho vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Marcus Surin
  • Mads Burnell vs. Saul Rogers