Tag: Bellator 261

Valentin Moldavsky has nothing to say to Ryan Bader, but looking forward to their fight

Valentin Moldavsky is set up for an eventual title unification fight with champion Ryan Bader.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator has a new heavyweight king – or perhaps more accurately, a co-king.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) outworked a game and gritty Tim Johnson (15-7 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) for a unanimous decision win in the Bellator 261 main event to take the interim heavyweight title. The interim belt is the first in Bellator’s long history.

Now Moldavsky is set up for an eventual title unification fight with champion Ryan Bader, whose participation in Bellator’s ongoing light heavyweight grand prix necessitated the interim belt. After his win, Moldavsky said he doesn’t have much to say to Bader – but is looking forward to their fight down the road.

Check out the full interview with Moldavsky in the video above.

Bellator 261 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Scott Coker: Josh Barnett, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem among those in talks for Fedor Emelianenko

Plenty of hands were raised when Bellator announced Fedor Emelianenko is returning this October.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – When Bellator announced [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag]’s return Friday morning, a lot of hands went up according to promotion president Scott Coker.

While the announcement revealed Emelianenko (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) will fight Oct. 23 at VTB Arena in Moscow, the opponent has still not been decided. Following Bellator 261 on Friday, Coker was pressed on potential matchmaking options and revealed a few of the names he’s been talking to in recent days.

“Believe me, there is no shortage of opponents (for) Russia right now,” Coker said at a post-fight news conference. “Listen, the managers of all the free agents are calling. [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] was texting me today. I talked to ([autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]’) manager a couple days ago. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]. The list goes on and on and on.”

Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is currently under contract with Bellator, though he has not competed for the organization – or at all, since 2016. He’s been vocal about his desire for the Emelianenko matchup, something he asked for publicly as recently as Friday.

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Dos Santos (21-9) was released from the UFC in March and has not signed with another organization.

Overeem (47-19), who was released the same day as Dos Santos, recently announced he signed with GLORY Kickboxing. However, the terms of his contract and its exclusivity pertaining to MMA is not known. Additionally, Bellator and GLORY have cross-promoted in the past.

Coker said one matchup he has not considered and looked into is former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] (34-11), who defeated boxing star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by split decision in an exhibition match June 19.

Bellator 261 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 261 results: Valentin Moldavsky claims interim title to set up Ryan Bader unification bout

Valentin Moldavsky became the interim heavyweight champion at Bellator 261 and will fight Ryan Bader next.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] is the new Bellator interim heavyweight champion and has guaranteed a position to unify the title with Ryan Bader.

With Bader absent to defend his crown due to his participation in the light heavyweight grand prix, Moldavsky (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) picked up the interim strap in Friday’s Bellator 261 headliner when he beat [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) by unanimous decision at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The scores were 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.

“I thought the fight was going to be a little easier,” Moldavsky said through an interpreter post-fight in his interview with John McCarthy. “It is what it is.”

The fight started out with a bit of a feeling out process, but then Johnson started to pick up the pace and pressure Moldavsky with his combinations. He found solid success backing Moldavsky up and forcing him to exchange, but the Russian was able to absorb the blows throughout the first round and slow Johnson down with some late clinch work.

Moldavsky collected himself well in the second round. He found his range in the striking exchanges with Johnson and was able to land some solid head shots. Johnson stayed in his face and consistently threw back, keeping the bout very competitive through 10 minutes.

The pace slowed down in the opening minutes of the third round, with Moldavsky utilizing the clinch. He broke free at roughly the midway point, and was able to chip away at Johnson from the outside. Moldavsky shot for his first takedown with less than two minutes left, and was able to burn time off the clock with a rear body lock position and get the edge in the round.

With both men starting to show fatigue in the championship rounds, the output slowed with clinch work near the fence. There were moments of exchanges, with Moldavsky having more success due to his speed and strike selection. Johnson received a cut around his right eye that the replay later showed came as the result of a head butt, and he showed some desperation with his late flurries.

With Moldavsky in control going into the final round, he didn’t take much in the way of chances. He stayed on the outside and picked his shots, while also fending off Johnson’s advances every time he got too aggressive. Johnson tired to push until the final bell, screaming at Moldavsky and pushing forward. Moldavsky obliges in some late chaos, but it wasn’t enough for Johnson to get the result-altering moment he needed to take the win and the belt.

With the win, Moldavsky becomes the second fighter from Team Fedor to hold a Bellator strap, joining 205-pound titleholder Vadim Nemkov. He’ll now meet Bader, who delivered a message to the new champion on social media.

Great fight! Moldavsky looked good, fast and his cardio was on point. Tim brought it but would have liked to see him threaten some takedowns. looking forward to coming back to Heavyweight let’s get it!

Complete Bellator 261 results included:

  • Valentin Moldavsky def. Tim Johnson via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) – for interim heavyweight title
  • Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:35
  • Sidney Outlaw def. Myles Jury via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:44
  • Daniel Weichel def. Keoni Diggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Christian Edwards def. Simon Biyong via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • John De Jesus def. John Teixeira via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Taylor Johnson def. Lance Wright via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:58
  • Jaylon Bates def. Cody Matthews via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:04
  • Corey Samuels def. Isaiah Hokit via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:10
  • Soren Bak def. Bobby Lee via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)

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Bellator 261 results: Liz Carmouche swarms Kana Watanabe for 35-second knockout

Liz Carmouche recorded the fastest victory of her career against Kana Watanabe at Bellator 261.

[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] wasted no time making her statement for a title shot at Bellator 261.

Not only did Carmouche (16-7 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) take the unbeaten record from [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (10-1-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), but she did it in a mere 35 seconds, finishing the women’s flyweight co-headliner by knockout at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The former UFC title challenger came out of the gate on fire. She pressured Watanabe and hurt her with a big right hand, forcing the Japanese fighter to back up against the fence.

Carmouche was relentless once she had Watanabe in trouble, throwing a flurry of strikes and tagging her opponent over and over. Although Watanabe didn’t go down, the referee decided he’d seen enough and waved it off.

It was Carmouche’s intention to deliver a memorable performance, and she did just that with the fastest win of her career. Now she wants the winner of the next title fight between Juliana Velasquez and Denise Kielholtz on July 17.

“I wanted that finish. I want that belt and I know tonight I needed to put on a strong finish,” Carmouche said in her post-fight interview with John McCarthy. “I wanted her, when she looks back at that loss on her record, she remembers me and a hard finish.”

The latest Bellator 261 results include:

  • Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:35
  • Sidney Outlaw def. Myles Jury via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:44
  • Daniel Weichel def. Keoni Diggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Christian Edwards def. Simon Biyong via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • John De Jesus def. John Teixeira via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Taylor Johnson def. Lance Wright via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:58
  • Jaylon Bates def. Cody Matthews via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:04
  • Corey Samuels def. Isaiah Hokit via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:10
  • Soren Bak def. Bobby Lee via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)

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Bellator 261 video: Corey Samuels upsets Isaiah Hokit with 10-second knockout

Corey Samuels tied the record for the fourth fastest knockout in Bellator history with his win over Isaiah Hokit at Bellator 261.

[autotag]Corey Samuels[/autotag] gave [autotag]Isaiah Hokit[/autotag] a rude introduction to professional MMA Friday at Bellator 261 with a lightning-quick knockout.

Samuels (3-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) needed just 10 seconds to flatten massive betting favorite Hokit (0-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with punches, tying the record for the fourth fastest knockout in Bellator history in their lightweight bout at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

Hokit came into Bellator 261 with some hype behind him due to his amateur wrestling background. He didn’t get to showcase any of his grappling game, though. Samuels knocked him out before he could even get going.

For Samuels, it was the first win of his career stemming from strikes. He said he was prepared for Hokit’s wrestling, but was confident he could find the finish before it hit the ground.

“I knew I had the better striking, but we tried to prepare more so for wrestling,” Samuels said in his post-fight interview with John McCarthy. “I wanted to end it with a head kick, but my shin is a little messed up. So we decided to box him up, and that’s what happened.”

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Bellator 261 live and official results (6:30 p.m. ET)

Bellator 261 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT).

Bellator 261 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 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, Tim Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) meets Valentin Moldavsky (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) for the interim heavyweight title. In the co-feature, Liz Carmouche (15-7 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) takes on Kana Watanabe (10-0-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in a key women’s flyweight bout.

Official Bellator 261 results include:

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

  • Tim Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky – for interim heavyweight title
  • Liz Carmouche vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Myles Jury vs. Sidney Outlaw
  • Simon Biyong vs. Christian Edwards

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6:30 p.m. ET)

  • Soren Bak vs. Bobby Lee
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Corey Samuels
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Cody Matthews
  • Taylor Johnson vs. Lance Wright
  • John de Jesus vs. John Teixeira

Bellator 261 discussion thread

Bellator 261 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 261 event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our Bellator 261 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 9 p.m. ET for the main card.

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Bellator 261 weigh-in results

Check out the results from the official Bellator 261 fighter weigh-ins.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s official Bellator 261 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 Tim Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and Valentin Moldavsky (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who fight for the interim heavyweight title in the main event.

The full Bellator 261 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Tim Johnson () vs. Valentin Moldavsky () – for interim heavyweight title
  • Liz Carmouche () vs. Kana Watanabe ()
  • Keoni Diggs () vs. Daniel Weichel ()
  • Myles Jury () vs. Sidney Outlaw ()
  • Simon Biyong () vs. Christian Edwards ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6:30 p.m. ET)

  • Soren Bak () vs. Bobby Lee ()
  • Isaiah Hokit () vs. Corey Samuels ()
  • Jaylon Bates () vs. Cody Matthews ()
  • Taylor Johnson () vs. Lance Wright ()
  • John de Jesus () vs. John Teixeira ()

Earn, ask, receive: Tim Johnson didn’t ‘overplay the game’ to get what he wanted at Bellator 261

With an interim title fight on the horizon, Tim Johnson still plans to make good on his “gentlemen’s agreement” with Ryan Bader.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Months of public self-advocating will pay off for [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] when he steps inside the cage at Bellator 261.

Atop the rankings of a Bellator heavyweight division that has been largely stagnant for the past year, Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) topped off a three-fight winning streak with a split decision victory over Cheick Kongo at Bellator Europe 10 last October.

When Bellator relaunched in 2021, the promotion announced the light heavyweight grand prix that included heavyweight champion Ryan Bader competing at 205 pounds. After wins over three contenders, Johnson thought he earned a title shot regardless of whether or not it would be against Bader. Johnson mentioned it every chance he could, through interviews, fight negotiations, and beyond – and it all paid off.

“Just kind of don’t play the overplay the game, I guess,” Johnson told MMA Junkie when asked what advice he’d give fighters advocating for opportunities. “I know everyone thinks they’re going to do the (Conor) McGregor thing. I’ve never been that kind of in-your-face kind of person. … I got something that I think I earned. It wasn’t because of my big following on Instagram or me talking crap on Twitter. I got this opportunity because I earned it.”

In 2018, Johnson departed the UFC and joined Bellator. Friday’s event will mark the first time he has competed for a major promotion’s title, which is the whole reason he elected to switch promotions in the first place. Given the UFC’s landscape at the time, Johnson didn’t think his abilities would be valued as much as someone who talked a good game.

“Right after I signed on, I remember this question, too, like, ‘What made you want to sign?'” Johnson said. “I’m like, ‘I came over because I didn’t want to be just a gatekeeper.’ I had goals and aspirations to reach the top and want to be known as one of the best fighters.”

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If he defeats Valentin Moldavsky (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), Johnson plans to wait until undisputed champ Bader moves back up to the heavyweight division. The two have displayed much respect toward each other despite Bader’s hiatus and, according to Johnson, they have a gentleman’s agreement.

“I think it was like two weeks after (my Kongo fight), we were communicating back and forth on social media,” Johnson said. “We made a gentlemen’s agreement, ‘Hey, let’s fight (in) like February. I’m like, ‘All right, let’s do it, you know?’ So it’s nice. It’s just like Moldavsky. We’ve communicated via Instagram back and forth. And it’s respectful, and we’re good sports. I like finding people that have good sportsmanship rather than jerks. It’s just a matter of respect for this competition.”

Bellator 261 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Why Liz Carmouche chose Kana Watanabe fight at Bellator 261 over waiting for title shot

Entering her third Bellator fight, Liz Carmouche is certain that an impressive win over unbeaten Kana Watanabe will earn her a title shot.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] spoke with MMA Junkie on Wednesday ahead of her women’s flyweight fight with Kana Watanabe at Bellator 261.

Carmouche (15-7 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) discussed why she chose to stay active vs. Watanabe (10-0-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) instead of waiting for a title shot, the challenge Watanabe presents as an undefeated opponent, her most recent win over Vanessa Porto, the upcoming title fight between champion Juliana Velasquez and Denise Kieholtz, and more.

You can watch Carmouche’s full interview in the video above.

Bellator 261 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena and airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

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