Tag: Bellator 260

Ready to fix his mistakes, Douglas Lima says Bellator 260 title loss just ‘another bump in the road’

Douglas Lima is no stranger to bouncing back and that’s exactly what he plans on doing after losing his welterweight title.

[autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] is no stranger to bouncing back and that’s exactly what he plans on doing after losing his welterweight title.

Former three-time welterweight champion Lima was dethroned by undefeated Yaroslav Amosov in the Bellator 260 main event Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Lima was controlled by the Ukrainian Sambo champion throughout the fight, having no answer for his wrestling.

Lima (32-8 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) took to Instagram to reflect on his setback, offering no excuses for his second straight loss.

“First thank you Lord for another day of work! I am nothing without you. Not much just say, had an amazing camp, thankful for everyone at my team, my family, all of you that supports me win or lose! I love you all. Another bump in the road and I’m ready to get back and fix my mistakes! See yal soon! ❤️ #PHIL413.”

After reclaiming his welterweight title by defeating Rory McDonald in the welterweight grand prix final, Lima moved up in weight to challenge former champ Gegard Mousasi for the vacant Bellator middleweight title. However, Lima would fall short in his pursuit to become a dual-champ and now finds himself with no belts.

The Brazilian has been able to string together numerous winning streaks after championship setbacks and plans on doing the same after losing to Amosov.

Bellator president Scott Coker floated the idea of Lima running things back with Michael Page or taking on top contenders Jason Jackson and Neiman Gracie for his next fight.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 15: Yaroslav Amosov makes major statement

Some questioned whether Yaroslav Amosov deserved to be considered among the welterweight division’s elite – but that’s no longer the case.

While his undefeated career record was stellar even before he became a Bellator champion, some questioned whether [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] truly deserved to be considered among the welterweight division’s elite.

That’s no longer the case.

Amosov (25-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) absolutely dominated Douglas Lima (32-8 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) at this past weekend’s Bellator 260 event to claim the promotion’s welterweight title and keep his perfect career record unblemished. He also makes a massive impact in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, debuting at No. 6.

Of course, that wasn’t the only change to the rankings this week, with the UFC also crowning a new champion at the organization’s latest pay-per-view event. Check out the new look for every division using the dropdown menu above.

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‘Star of the night’: Scott Coker marvels at Aaron Pico’s growth after Bellator 260 win

Aaron Pico is ready take on top contenders again, and Bellator president Scott Coker finds it hard to disagree with him.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] is ready take on top contenders again, and Bellator president Scott Coker finds it hard to disagree with him.

Pico (8-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) notched his fourth consecutive win when he submitted Aiden Lee in the third round Friday at Bellator 260, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Jackson Wink MMA fighter, who had his momentum halted early in his career, has come into his own, displaying a dominant and well rounded game against Lee, which had Coker in awe.

“From what I saw tonight, to me, he was the star of the night,” Coker told reporters at the Bellator 260 post-fight news conference. “Because his improvement of his complete game, and we’re talking left, right, body shot, takedown, his transitions were amazing.

“So I saw a lot of combinations I haven’t seen before with Aaron, and I think his level of improvement has gone up drastically, so we’ll have a conversation with his management and his coach and see what they’re thinking, but he looked amazing tonight. The guy he was fighting was no joke, so he was impressive.”

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With Bellator 260 being Pico’s first fight of the year, Coker is looking to ramp up his activity. The 24-year-old is targeting the division’s best, and Coker thinks it’s likely he will get a major step up in competition by the end of the year.

“What I saw tonight was spectacular and tremendous growth from where I saw him fight last time,” Coker said. “I think he’s more on the program of what we’re looking for now, and the frequency of which we’ll fight him will be more than we did before, and I think by the end of the year, he’ll be right back up there to where he could start fighting top guys again.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67c74Yzaqwc

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MMA Junkie Radio #3166: Guests Belal Muhammad, Brandan Loughnane, plus UFC, Bellator, PFL recaps

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

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

On Episode 3,166, the gents welcome in UFC 263 winner Belal Muhammmad and 2021 PFL 4 winner Brendan Loughnane. Plus, they’ll recap this past week’s three straight days of fight cards with 2021 PFL 4, Bellator 260 and UFC 263. Tune in!

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.

Lucas Brennan takes slick Bellator 260 submission win in stride, focused on progression

Lucas Brennan acted like he’d been there before following his first-round anaconda choke victory at Bellator 260.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Lucas Brennan[/autotag] spoke to the media Friday night after his first-round submission win over Matt Skibicki at Bellator 260.

Brennan (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) discussed his performance and the slick anaconda choke he used for the win, not dwelling on getting the finish, wanting some time off to get his body right, and more.

You can watch his full interview in the video above.

Bellator 260 took place at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 260 post-event facts: Yaroslav Amosov is Bellator’s 10th unbeaten champ

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 260, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

The promotion’s second title change of the year unfolded Friday in the Bellator 260 headliner at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) became the new king of the welterweight division when he shut down [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-9 MMA, 14-5 BMMA) for five rounds to claim the gold by unanimous decision and join the short list of fighters to get their hands on a belt without ever experiencing a loss.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 260.

Aaron Pico wants to start avenging losses after Bellator 260: ‘They fought me when I knew nothing’

Aaron Pico’s early career struggles feel like a distant memory after his dominant display at Bellator 260.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] believes he’s paid his dues, and now it’s time to step back into top-level fights.

The Bellator featherweight prospect believes he’s ready to once again share the cage with the best in his weight-class. Pico (8-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) is coming off four straight wins with the latest being a submission of Aiden Lee in what was a thoroughly dominant performance Friday at Bellator 260.

At this point, Pico’s two-fight skid that halted his early career momentum feel like a distant memory. Pico wants to fight contenders and even avenge losses if the opportunity comes.

“These guys, Henry Corrales, Zack Freeman, Adam Borics, they fought me when I knew nothing about the game,” Pico told reporters at the Bellator 260 post-fight news conference. “I mean, I laugh at the stuff I used to think about before a fight.

“I was so scared going into a fight before. I would have to get pumped, grab my balls, flake those motherf*ckers, and step in the cage. I was so scared. I just didn’t know what was going on. I was so new. But yeah, I want to fight those guys. I’m a different person, a different fighter. I’m evolving.”

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Pico was impressive Friday night, perhaps his best performance to date as he displayed both his ground game and striking before securing a third-round anaconda choke for the win. The Jackson Wink MMA product is happy with his win and is glad the fight didn’t end quickly.

“Overall, it was good for me to go into the third round, expand my lungs and feel the pressure going into the third.” Pico said. “Thank God everything is good, and I’m healthy. My team and I had a great fight week. I have no complaints.”

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Bellator 260 results: Yaroslav Amosov dominates Douglas Lima with wrestling to win title

Yaroslav Amosov is the new Bellator welterweight champion after a lopsided performance.

[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] is the new Bellator welterweight champion.

The Ukrainian fighter dethroned [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] in the Bellator 260 main event Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Amosov (25-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) outpointed Lima (32-8 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) to win a clear unanimous decision that read 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 on the judges’ scorecards.

Amosov had a huge edge in the wrestling department and made sure to use that to his advantage.

In every round, Amosov closed the distance, got a hold of the Brazilian, and took him down with relative ease. From there, Amosov stayed on top while not being particularly busy, but busy enough to avoid getting a stand-up from the referee.

The little time of the fight spent on the feet, Amosov stayed out of trouble and Lima had very little output to create opportunities to land flush. Lima was hesitant and never showed a sense of urgency in the fight, giving Amosov a clear path to victory.

With 30 seconds left in the round, Lima did lock up an armbar attempt that threatened a miracle win, but Amosov was able to stay composed and eventually escaped.

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Lima was unable to make a successful title defense in his third stint as champion.

Lima had first picked up the belt in 2014 just to lose it in his following bout. He then won it again in 2016 and defended it against Lorenz Larkin just to lose it to Rory MacDonald in his next fight. Lima avenged his loss to MacDonald a year later to become champion for a third time.

Meanwhile, the new champion, Amosov remains unbeaten in his MMA career. He currently has the longest winning streak in any major promotion with 26 victories. The 27-year-old added another notable name to his resume, as he also holds wins over Erick Silva, Gerald Harris, Ed Ruth, and Logan Storley.

Complete Bellator 260 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Yaroslav Amosov’s dominant title win over Douglas Lima at Bellator 260

See the top Twitter reactions to Yaroslav Amosov’s one-sided title win over Douglas Lima at Bellator 260.

[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] accomplished the rare feat of becoming an undefeated champion on Friday when he claimed the welterweight belt from [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] in the Bellator 260 headliner.

Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) started a new era in the 170-pound division when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Lima (32-9 MMA, 14-5 BMMA) in the main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Amosov’s title win over Lima at Bellator 260.

Bellator 260 results: Jason Jackson decisions Paul Daley, takes smart approach with grappling

So what if it wasn’t exciting, Jason Jackson is happy he earned a big win over Paul Daley.

If you engage in brawl with [autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag], history has proven you could find yourself in a world of hurt. [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] knows this, and for that reason, he avoided any potential chaos at Bellator 260.

Jackson executed a smart game plan full of takedowns and grappling in their 175-pound catchweight bout as he defeated Daley by unanimous decision Friday night, with the judges rendering scores of 30-27 across the board.

The victory was Jackson’s fifth in a row, and it continued a them in his career of late – his seventh consecutive bout to go to a decision. Jackson is 6-1 in those matchups.

Fans at Mohegan Sun weren’t pleased with the action – or lack thereof. They booed throughout, but Jackson had a message for them.

“Hey, Connecticut, it’s not easy to do what me and Paul just did,” Jackson said. “We came here. We fought our ass off.”

Jackson (15-4 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) established the center of the cage and had Paul (43-18-2 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) on his back foot near the fence from the opening bell. Daley worked the body repeatedly with jabs until Jackson secured his first of several takedowns about halfway through. While he controlled the remainder of the round, Jackson didn’t do much with his top position – a theme throughout the fight.

In Round 2, Daley came out more aggressively, but Jackson put an end to that with a takedown about a minute in and controlled the round. Daley took the center of the cage to start Round 3, but Jackson again secured a takedown about 40 seconds in. He eventually worked to take Daley’s back, but Daley transitioned to his back, with Jackson laying on top of him. The referee stood them up with 1 minute remaining, which gave Daley a chance to score a knockout down two rounds. Daley threw big punches and went for it, but he missed a flying knee and fell right into another takedown to close out the round.

As unhappy as fans might’ve been, Jackson was not.

“I needed to prove to myself that I could go in there and fight the champ,” Jackson said. “This guy went five rounds with Douglas Lima. I know if I can go with him and beat him, I can beat the champion Doulgas Lima.”

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 260 results include:

  • Jason Jackson def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – 175-pound contract weight
  • Aaron Pico def. Aiden Lee via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 3, 1:33
  • Mark Lemminger def. Demarques Jackson via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:30
  • Kyle Crutchmer def. Levan Chokheli via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Justin Gonzales def. Tywan Claxton via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Bobby King def. Nick Newell via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Lucas Brennan def. Matthew Skibicki via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 1:54
  • Marina Mokhnatkina def. Amanda Bell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Alex Polizzi def. Gustavo Trujillo via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:22