Tag: Bellator 259

‘Stop the stupid sh*t’: Video shows Valerie Loureda’s cornerman at Bellator 259 being brutally honest

Valerie Loureda’s cornerman was frustrated with her performance at Bellator 259 and laid into her in between Rounds 2 and 3.

[autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] showed incredible toughness at Bellator 259. What she didn’t show was the ability to listen to her corner’s advice – and she got an earful for that.

On Friday night, Loureda lost for the first time in her young career, dropping a unanimous decision to Hannah Guy at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Loureda started the fight with an early knockdown thanks to a crisp 2-3 combo, but she struggled after that.

Loureda got herself into – but somehow also out of – two seriously precarious situations in the first two rounds. She managed to escape a deep armbar attempt in Round 1 and a mounted triangle position that almost got the referee to stop the fight in Round 2. Through those first 10 minutes, Loureda had several instances of abandoning her striking fundamentals in favor of spinning backfists and spinning wheel kicks.

The use of those flashy moves drew the ire of American Top Team coach Steve Bruno, who was brutally honest with Loureda as she sat on the stool before Round 3. His advice was captured on video during the Showtime broadcast.

https://twitter.com/MMAHistoryToday/status/1396120793189339141

“You can’t get taken down this round, OK? You’ve got to box. You have to punch. Stop the stupid sh*t with the spinning backfists and box her. Your corner has been telling you to box her. Stop running away. The ground work is atrocious. Stay off the ground with her. Every opportunity you have to get up, get up. And if you don’t punch, you will lose. You have to throw 50 punches this round – five-zero. And it better be smart. …”

In Round 3, Loureda continued with the flashy striking, leaving herself open to takedowns, which secured her defeat.

Loureda, 22, made her Bellator debut in February 2019, coming in as a taekwondo master. She got off to a 3-0 start before Friday night’s setback.

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Bellator 259 results: Cris Cyborg TKOs Leslie Smith with 9 seconds left to retain title

Cris Cyborg retained her title with a dominant showing against Leslie Smith at Bellator 259.

[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] continued her dominance in Bellator.

Cyborg all but had her way with [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] for the majority of their championship main event before winning by TKO at the 4:51 mark of Round 5 to retain her women’s featherweight title.

The title fight was a rematch of a 2016 UFC bout in which Cyborg (24-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) stopped Smith (12-9-1 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) in the first round. The bout was contested at a 140-pound catchweight, and it marked Cyborg’s debut with the UFC.

In the first two rounds Friday, Cyborg completely dominated the action. The Brazilian connected with hard shots and wobbled and dropped Smith multiple times. On the ground, Cyborg was also ahead, scoring time on top while landing ground-and-pound.

Round 3 was Smith’s best. She avoided many big shots and absorbed less damage while also landing a few strikes of her own. Still, Cyborg maintained control and dominated the majority of the exchanges.

The last two rounds saw a much more patient Cyborg. She picked her shots and remained ahead on the scorecards, but her volume and aggression seemed significantly lower. She also mixed in takedowns in her offense, not often seen in her previous bouts.

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With the fight winding down, Cyborg countered with a right hook that sent Smith to the canvas. She followed up with a barrage of punches to force the referee to call off the fight before the bell sounded.

With the result, Cyborg is now on a three-fight winning streak under the Bellator banner and on a four-fight run since her TKO defeat against two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes back in 2018.

Meanwhile, Smith now has alternating wins and loses since joining Bellator in 2019.

Complete Bellator 259 results include:

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Bellator 259 results: Austin Vanderford suffers nasty gash in decision win vs. Fabian Edwards

Austin Vanderford picked up a big win and likely a nasty scar at Bellator 259.

[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] picked up a big win and likely a nasty scar Friday at Bellator 259.

The American Top Team product won a unanimous decision over [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Vanderford (11-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) defeated Edwards (9-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) with 30-27 scores from all three judges’ scorecards.

The bout ended a bloody mess despite it being a relatively clean affair with very little damage throughout the majority of the fight.

Vanderford used his wrestling to take down and control Edwards in the first two rounds. Edwards certainly did a good job at defending some takedowns and had good strikes on the feet, but his efforts were overshadowed by Vanderford’s persistence with the takedowns and top control.

In the third round, Vanderford’s strategy held strong, but Edwards was able to sneak in several bottom strikes, including an elbow that opened up a huge gash in the middle of Vanderford’s forehead. Blood poured down relentlessly, but that didn’t deter Vanderford from holding top position and throwing ground-and-pound.

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It was a solid performance from Vanderford, who remains unbeaten in his professional MMA career. The 185-pound fighter entered No. 3 in the Bellator rankings and could be in line for a title shot next. He’s been competing with the promotion since early 2019.

Meanwhile, Edwards is now on a two-fight skid, having lost to Costello van Steenis in a split decision. Prior to the pair of defeats, the 28-year-old was unbeaten with nine consecutive wins.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 259 results include:

  • Austin Vanderford def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Jaleel Willis def. Maycon Mendonca via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Hannah Guy def. Valerie Loureda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Saad Awad def. Nate Andrews via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:16
  • Grant Neal def. Tyree Fortune via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:20
  • Sumiko Inaba def. Kristina Katsikis via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:35
  • Aviv Gozali def. Sean Felton via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:17
  • Davion Franklin def. Tyler King via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:02
  • Leah McCourt def. Janay Harding via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:42
  • Danny Sabatello def. Brett Johns via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Alexander Shabliy def. Alfie Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 259 results: Hannah Guy hands Valerie Loureda first loss in scrappy fight

Hannah Guy brought the fight to Valerie Loureda, nearly finished her twice, and came away the victor at Bellator 259.

[autotag]Hannah Guy[/autotag] threw caution to the wind against [autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag], and it paid off Friday night at Bellator 259.

Guy withstood some initial adversity but rebounded in a big way to hand Loureda her first defeat in a scrappy fight, as Guy earned unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 from the judges at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Given how the fight unfolded, it’s hard to believe Guy didn’t come away with a submission as she had Loureda in trouble on two occasions.

Guy (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) came out as the aggressor in Round 1, but she paid for it when Loureda (3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) landed a 2-3 combo and dropped her with a left hook. Loureda rushed in for the finish, but when she realized she couldn’t get it, she decided to let Guy up. Loureda’s standup continued to look good as Guy marched forward, but then Guy changed levels and secured a takedown. Guy transitioned to an armbar, and had it locked in tight, but Loureda managed to escape and get back to her feet. Between Loureda’s knockout and Guy’s threatened submission, it was a close round for the judges to score.

Round 2, however, was a different story, after Guy changed levels in the early going. Loureda initially stuffed the takedown and ended on top, but Guy reversed the position and secured full mount with 3:30 remaining. Loureda was in serious danger as Guy secured an S-mount with Loureda’s arm trapped and eating punches and elbows. The referee appeared close to stopping the fight until Loureda’s toughness shined through again, and she somehow managed to escape a dire situation.

“I thought I was gonna finish with the triangle honestly,” Guy said. “She just slipped right out of there, so that was awesome of her. Her defense was really good. I was really impressed by that actually. I didn’t know what her ground game was, but it was a lot better than I thought. No offense to her.”

In Round 3, Guy wasted no time trying to get the fight to the mat by jumping for a guillotine. Loureda escaped and smartly backtracked to stand up, but she was visibly exhausted, while Guy marched forward. Loureda abandoned her basics and instead threw flashy strikes that didn’t connect and only left her in bad positions. Guy secured a takedown in the final minute and ended in dominant position to secure the round and victory.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 259 results include:

  • Hannah Guy def. Valerie Loureda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Saad Awad def. Nate Andrews via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:16
  • Grant Neal def. Tyree Fortune via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:20
  • Sumiko Inaba def. Kristina Katsikis via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:35
  • Aviv Gozali def. Sean Felton via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:17
  • Davion Franklin def. Tyler King via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:02
  • Leah McCourt def. Janay Harding via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:42
  • Danny Sabatello def. Brett Johns via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Alexander Shabliy def. Alfie Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bellator 259 live and official results

Bellator 259 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).

Bellator 259 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.

In the main event, women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line against challenger Leslie Smith (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

Official Bellator 259 results include:

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

  • Champ Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith – for women’s featherweight title
  • Darrion Caldwell vs. Leandro Higo
  • Fabian Edwards vs. Austin Vanderford
  • Maycon Mendonca vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Hannah Guy vs. Valerie Loureda

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

  • Nate Andrews vs. Saad Awad
  • Tyree Fortune vs. Grant Neal
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Kristina Katsikis
  • Sean Felton vs. Aviv Gozali
  • Davion Franklin vs. Tyler King
  • Janay Harding vs. Leah McCourt
  • Brett Johns vs. Danny Sabatello
  • Alexander Shabliy def. Alfie Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bellator 259 breakdown: Will Leslie Smith fight fire with fire in Cris Cyborg rematch?

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the Bellator 259 featherweight title fight between Cris Cyborg and Leslie Smith.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 259.

Bellator 259 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator 259 faceoff video highlights: Cris Cyborg, Leslie Smith have one last faceoff before rematch

Check out the ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs ahead of Bellator 259 at Mohegan Sun.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday and the women’s featherweight title will be on the line.

Bellator 259 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill is [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who defends her title against [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (12-8-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in the main event. The fight is a rematch of the two fighters’ 2016 bout, which Cyborg won by first-round TKO.

The co-main event also features a rematch. Former Bellator bantamweight champion [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) returns to the division he once sat upon the throne of. He faces [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), who missed weight by 1.5 pounds ahead of the bout.

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 259 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Cyborg vs. Smith, Caldwell vs. Higo, [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], [autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Hannah Guy[/autotag], and more.

Bellator 259 predictions: What are our three unanimous picks on the main card?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 259 main card, featuring Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith.

Cyborg
vs.
Smith		 Caldwell
vs.
Higo		 Edwards
vs.
Vanderford		 Mandonca
vs.
Willis		 Edwards
vs.
Parrish
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 66-45		 cyborg2021
Cyborg
(86%)		 caldwell2021
Caldwell
(77%)		 vanderford2021
Vanderford
(70%)		 willis2021
Willis
(85%)		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
(83%)
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 68-43		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 68-43		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 66-45		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 mendonca2021
Mendonca		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 66-45
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 fedwards2021
F. Edwards		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 65-46
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 65-46
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 65-46		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 65-46		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 63-48
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 62-49		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 61-50		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 fedwards2021
F. Edwards		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 60-51		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 mendonca2021
Mendonca		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 cyborg2021
Cyborg -1400		 caldwell2021
Caldwell -350		 vanderford2021
Vanderford -225		 mendonca2021
Mendonca -125		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards -650

Bellator is back this week with a title fight at the top of the card.

Bellator 259 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line in a rematch with challenger [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). Cyborg is a huge favorite at -1400 at BetMGM, so it’s no surprise she’s one of three unanimous picks on the main card from our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-feature, former bantamweight champ [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA). Caldwell is a -350 favorite, and he’s a 12-0 unanimous pick from our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Vanderford is a -225 favorite, but two of our pickers are taking Edwards in an upset.

[autotag]Maycon Mendonca[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a slight favorite at -125 in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). But it’s Willis with a big 10-2 picks lead.

Unfortunately, the bout expected to open the main card, which saw [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) as a big -650 favorite at light heavyweight against [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), was called off following the day’s official weigh-ins. Edwards was our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (86 percent), Caldwell (77 percent), Vanderford (70 percent), Willis (85 percent) and Christian Edwards (83 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Christian Edwards wants ranked opposition if successful at Bellator 259

Christian Edwards previews his upcoming bout against Ben Parrish at Bellator 259.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] answered questions at a media day ahead of his bout with Ben Parrish at Bellator 259.

Edwards (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) meets Parrish (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout on Friday’s preliminary card at Mohegan Sun Arena. The 22-year-old looks to maintain his undefeated record and build towards title contention.

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Listen to Edwards discuss the matchup with Parrish and more in the video above.

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Bellator 259 weigh-in results

Check out the results from the official Bellator 259 fighter weigh-ins.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s official Bellator 259 fighter weigh-ins.

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

Among those weighing in are women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and challenger Leslie Smith (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), who meet in the main event.

The full Bellator 259 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Champ Cris Cyborg (144.6) vs. Leslie Smith () – for women’s featherweight title
  • Darrion Caldwell (135.6) vs. Leandro Higo ()
  • Christian Edwards (205.3) vs. Ben Parrish (205.3)
  • Maycon Mendonca (170.9) vs. Jaleel Willis (170.3)
  • Fabian Edwards (185.5) vs. Austin Vanderford (185.3)

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

  • Nate Andrews (155.7) vs. Saad Awad ()
  • Tyree Fortune (205.3) vs. Grant Neal (204.4)
  • Sumiko Inaba (125.5) vs. Kristina Katsikis (125.8)
  • Sean Felton (154.3) vs. Aviv Gozali (155.7)
  • Hannah Guy (125.2) vs. Valerie Loureda (125.8)
  • Davion Franklin (264.8) vs. Tyler King (246.3)
  • Janay Harding (145.1) vs. Leah McCourt ()
  • Brett Johns (135.4) vs. Danny Sabatello (135.6)
  • Alfie Davis () vs. Alexander Shabliy (154.8)