Tag: Bellator 267

Judges Gonna Judge: Was Douglas Lima robbed in the rematch against Michael Page at Bellator 267?

Our panel puts on their judging hats and takes a look at Michael Page’s split decision win over Douglas Lima at Bellator 267.

Welcome to Judges Gonna Judge, where our MMA Junkie staff panel revisits the most controversial decision that occurred over the weekend.

For the first installment in this new series, we take a look at [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] 2, a highly-anticipated rematch that took place at Bellator 267 on Friday in London, England at the SSE Arena, Wembley.

Page was awarded the victory via split decision, earning 29-28 scores from judges Eric Colon and Douglas Crosby, while Ben Cartlidge saw the fight for Lima with a dissenting score of 29-28.

The official scores caused quite a stir on social media, so we asked our panel to take another look at this outcome. Was this a robbery? Was it too close to call? Did the judges get it right?

MMA Junkie’s Matthew Wells, Farah Hannoun, and Nolan King put on their judging hats and break the fight down round by round.

Bellator 267 matchmaker: What’s next for Michael Page after Douglas Lima rematch?

See whom Michael Page should fight next after his victory over Douglas Lima in the Bellator 267 headliner.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] got some redemption from the sole loss of his career on Friday when he came out of his rematch against Douglas Lima with his hand raised.

Although it was a controversial result, “MVP” ultimately left the cage with a split decision win in the Bellator 267 main event, which took place on his home soil at The SSE Wembley in London.

Page (20-1 MMA, 16-1 BMMA) was badly knocked out by Lima (32-10 MMA, 14-6 BMMA) in their first meeting in May 2019. He’s been seeking a second opportunity since, and although he didn’t get revenge in a similar spectacular fashion to how he was beaten, he ultimately left the winner.

It seemed the victory would catapult Page to a Bellator welterweight championship fight with undefeated titleholder Yaroslav Amosov, but he expressed post-fight how he would rather do a trilogy fight with Lima to settle the score once and for all.

What should Page’s next play be? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after Bellator 267.

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Bellator 267 post-event facts: ‘MVP’ climbs Bellator’s all-time wins list

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 267, which took place Friday in London.

Bellator returned overseas to London on Friday with Bellator 267, which took place at The SSE Wembley and aired on Showtime.

One of the most anticipated rematches in company history took place in the main event. It didn’t deliver as many had expected, but in the end [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 16-1 BMMA) avenged his sole career defeat against former champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-10 MMA< 14-6 BMMA) with a split decision win in the matchup of welterweight contenders.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 25 post-vent facts to come out of Bellator 267.

Michael Page prefers Douglas Lima trilogy over title shot: ‘It’s a belt, who cares?’

Michael Page explains why he wants trilogy bout with Douglas Lima and not Bellator welterweight title shot.

LONDON – Believe it or not, [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] is not interested in getting the next title shot at 170 pounds.

Despite defeating former champion Douglas Lima in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 267, and arguably becoming the No. 1 contender in the weight class, Page is not looking to be the next challenger for champion Yaroslav Amosov, despite initially stating as such during his in-ring post-fight interview. “MVP” would much rather have a trilogy bout with Lima and look for the stoppage win he was unable to get.

Page defeated Lima in a close split-decision, winning two 29-28 scores and losing 28–29 on one of the judges’ cards. The Englishman will make an effort to get the third fight against Lima.

“In all honesty, I’ll probably push to run this one back again,” Page told reporters at the Bellator post-fight press conference. “Let’s do five rounds, why not? Let’s go longer.

“If by the end of the third round that had happened again, I got two more rounds to find you and finish you properly. I’ve gone from one end to the other and hopefully, I find that balanced middle and finish him.”

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Page settled the score with Lima and avenged his only career defeat. The 34-year-old lost to Lima in 2019 in the semi-final of the Bellator welterweight grand prix. He was knocked out in the second round of the contest.

Page is determined to do the same to Lima and cites it as the main reason for wanting the trilogy next. He also doesn’t see fighting for the title as the pinnacle for his career.

“It’s a belt, who cares?” Page explained. “How many people that are titleholders are nowhere near as popular as I am? The belt don’t mean anything. It does obviously, but for me, it doesn’t. That moment right there (the decision win over Lima), there’s so many Bellator belt holders that can’t pull off what I did today.

“I feel like people are drawn to me because of my enjoyment of the sport, not because I’m chasing anything. It’s about my journey and pushing myself. I didn’t get to prove that today. I won but I didn’t make his eyes roll to the back of his head and not get back up. I know I can do it, so I prefer to run it back.”

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Bellator 267 results: Michael ‘Venom’ Page avenges prior defeat, outpoints Douglas Lima in rematch

At Bellator 267, “MVP” avenged his 2019 loss when he defeated Douglas Lima in a close fight.

LONDON – Knockdowns and wrist control proved crucial as England’s Michael “Venom” Page claimed a split-decision win over [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] in their Bellator 267 rematch.
Page (20-1 MMA, 16-1 BMMA) dropped Lima (32-10 MMA, 14-6 BMMA) three times over the course of a tense three-round battle that saw both men sent to the canvas during their main event battle at the SSE Arena, Wembley.
Page opened up as relaxed as ever and dropped Lima with the first punch of the fight as the Wembley crowd roared its approval. Lima stalked Page around the cage, but Page immediately struck with another right hand that decked Lima for a second time.

With the crowd’s chants of “MVP!” ringing around the arena, Page continued to circle the outer reaches of the cage then, after making Lima swing and miss, connected with a spinning heel kick. Lima composed himself, then landed his first major offensive move of the fight as he shot in and took the Englishman to the mat.
Lima shunted Page against the cage and looked to posture up from inside Page’s guard. Page initially controlled Lima’s hands well to prevent the Brazilian from landing any offense, but Lima managed to eventually connect with a pair of powerful ground strikes.
Lima stood up and backed away, but Page had learned his lesson from the first fight and remained on the canvas and opted to fend off the former champion with his legs for the remainder of the round, rather than risk getting caught by Lima in the process of standing up. Round 2 started with Lima cuffing Page with a left hand, but Page stepped in and connected with a nasty leg kick that forced Lima to back away.
Page was back in his comfort zone as he made Lima miss with shots, then connected with a two-punch combination, finishing with a head-kick that narrowly missed its target. Lima continued to hold the center of the cage, and clipped Page as he looked to leap in with a big right hand. Page took the shot well, however, and returned to the outside once again.

A flying knee from Page missed its mark and Lima countered with a right hand as the Brazilian started to time the Englishman’s attacks. A solid leg kick, then an attempted head kick, from Lima gave Page a moment’s pause, but the Brit fired back with another right hand that sent Lima to the canvas for the third time in the fight.
The final round started with Page setting his range with a jab to the body as he bounced around the outside looking to strike. Lima closed the distance, then dropped Page with a left hook, but the Englishman scrambled his way out of trouble and back to his feet.
Page recomposed himself and, after a jumping switch kick fell narrowly short, connected with a solid right hand. But Lima kept the pressure on and continued to stalk Page around the cage, with his right hand getting ever closer to “MVP’s” chin. With just over two minutes remaining, Lima snatched a takedown, and Page hugged the Brazilian close to smother any offense from the Brazilian. However, Lima managed to free his hands and scored with a big ground strike before Page looked to connect with an up-kick.

Page continued to frustrate Lima with his wrist control off his back and, as the final seconds ticked down, Lima could manage only a solitary elbow for his efforts.
A bout that threatened a knockout finish ended up going all the way to the judges’ scorecards and, after a nervous wait, the London crowd erupted as Page was declared the split-decision winner with scores of 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 from the cageside judges.
During his post-fight interview, “MVP” made his case for a title shot, leaving the idea of a rubber match with Lima off the table for now.

Check out the full Bellator 267 results below:

  • Michael Page def. Douglas Lima via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Leah McCourt def. Jessica Borga via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Andrew Fisher vs. Robert Whiteford ruled a no contest due to unintentional eye pokes – Round 2, 2:50
  • Luke Trainer def. Yannick Bahati via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:50
  • Tim Wilde def. Yves Landu via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Lewis Long def. Michael Dubois via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:41
  • Davy Gallon def. Kane Mousah via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Elina Kallionidou def. Petra Castkova via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:07
  • Jack Grant def. Nathan Jones via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 2:16
  • Fabacary Diatta def. Nathan Rose via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chiara Penco def. Katharina Dalisda via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:45
  • Khurshed Kakhorov def. Jair Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Twitter reacts to Michael Page’s controversial win over Douglas Lima in Bellator 267 rematch

See the top Twitter reactions to Michael Page’s split decision win over Douglas Lima in their Bellator 267 rematch.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] earned revenge on his sole career loss on Friday when he emerged victorious from the Bellator 267 main event rematch.

After getting knocked out by [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-10 MMA, 14-6 BMMA) in their first meeting in May 2018, Page (20-1 MMA, 16-1 BMMA) got the redemption and signature win he’s been looking for. “MVP” secured controversial split decision victory in the headlining matchup, which took place at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London on Friday.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Page’s victory over Lima at Bellator 267.

Bellator 267 results: Leah McCourt sticks and moves to dominant decision win in London

A key women’s featherweight fight co-headlined Bellator 267 on Friday.

LONDON – [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] showcased her improving striking skills as she stuck and moved her way to a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Jessica Borga[/autotag].

McCourt (6-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) and Borga (3-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) faced off in the co-main event of Bellator 267, which took place at the SSE Arena, Wembley, London, and streamed live on Showtime.

From the opening bell, Borga immediately closed the distance on McCourt, but was quickly reversed against the cage as the Northern Irish fighter used her size advantage to good effect in the clinch.

McCourt went to work with knees to the body as she kept Borga pinned to the fence, then swept the American down to the canvas.

Borga went on the attack from her guard and immediately grabbed a Kimura, but McCourt stayed composed and maintained top position as “Black Widow” continued to pursue the submission.

McCourt eventually escaped and returned to the feet, then connected with jabs and follow-up right hands against the tiring Borga.

McCourt took advantage of a missed kick to take Borga’s back and force her opponent against the fence once again. “The Curse” looked to punish the American’s hamstrings with knees from behind, while Borga looked for another Kimura.

The American gained more purchase with her second attempt and dragged McCourt to the mat, where McCourt was forced to fend off the submission attempt until the bell sounded to end the round.

Round 2 started with both fighters exchanging punches, with Borga connecting with some solid early shots.

But McCourt took the initiative when she caught a kick and swept Borga down to the canvas.

Once again, Borga attempted to stay active off her back, but McCourt eventually backed away and the action returned to the stand-up once again.

McCourt found her range with some stiff jabs and a push kick to the midsection as she showcased her evolving striking game, and pushed the pressure to keep Borga on the back foot.

After scoring a quick takedown, McCourt instantly returned to her feet and continued to pepper Borga with strikes for the remainder of the round.

McCourt returned to her jab at the start of the third round, and connected with a solid kick that had Borga backing up.

Borga, perhaps sensing the fight was ebbing away, pushed forward gamely, but ran into McCourt’s near-constant left jab. McCourt conceded the center of the cage and instead worked on the outside as she forced Borga to pursue her around the cage, then picked her off with jabs when she stepped into range.

Borga kept on searching for a fight-changing strike, but was unable to land too many clean shots to the chin of McCourt, who stuck and moved her way through the remainder of the round as the bout went the distance.

When the scores were totaled, the three judges were all in agreement on the victor, with McCourt claiming the win with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 to continue her unbeaten run inside the Bellator cage to five fights.

The full Bellator 267 results include:

  • Leah McCourt def. Jessica Borga via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Andrew Fisher vs. Robert Whiteford ruled a no contest due to unintentional eye pokes – Round 2, 2:50
  • Luke Trainer def. Yannick Bahati via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:50
  • Tim Wilde def. Yves Landu via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Lewis Long def. Michael Dubois via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:41
  • Davy Gallon def. Kane Mousah via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Elina Kallionidou def. Petra Castkova via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:07
  • Jack Grant def. Nathan Jones via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 2:16
  • Fabacary Diatta def. Nathan Rose via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chiara Penco def. Katharina Dalisda via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:45
  • Khurshed Kakhorov def. Jair Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Photo: Kane Mousah suffers horrific gash in decision loss at Bellator 267

Kane Mousah battled through one of the nastiest cuts in recent memory and went the distance at Bellator 267.

[autotag]Kane Mousah[/autotag] sure kicked off the spooky season in the combat sports world.

The Bellator lightweight suffered one of the most horrific cuts sustained in recent memory in MMA during his clash against Davy Gallon in the preliminary card of Bellator 267. The event took place on Friday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London.

Below is a picture of the cut that was opened up by Gallon in the first round from an elbow:

Shortly after the conclusion of the fight, and being stitched up by the doctors, Mousah posted a video to his Instagram story explaining how he felt about the outcome, and of course, the nasty gash on his forehead.

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“It didn’t go our way but I think I won the fight,” Mousah said on his Instagram stories. “A fight is a fight. This is the thing about MMA, it’s such an amazing sport and it can be scored any way. That was the fight of the night. You saw me in there gritty; southpaw; head kick; hurt him; split me; blood in my eyes, but never quit once. Heart of a lion.”

Mousah (13-4 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) fought through the cut, but unfortunately didn’t get the nod from the judges despite the gutsy performance. Gallon was awarded a unanimous decision win.

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 267 include:

  • Lewis Long def. Michael Dubois via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:41
  • Davy Gallon def. Kane Mousah via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Elina Kallionidou def. Petra Castkova via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:07
  • Jack Grant def. Nathan Jones via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 2:16
  • Fabacary Diatta def. Nathan Rose via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chiara Penco def. Katharina Dalisda via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:45
  • Khurshed Kakhorov def. Jair Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 267 video: Elina Kallionidou scores nasty heel-hook finish over Petra Castkova

Watch Elina Kallionidou pull off a nasty heel-hook finish over Petra Castkova at Bellator 267.

[autotag]Elina Kallionidou[/autotag] knows how to bounce back in style.

The Bellator women’s flyweight snapped a two-fight losing streak with a quick, first-round heel-hook submission over [autotag]Petra Castkova[/autotag] in the preliminary card of Bellator 267.

The event took place on Friday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London.

You can watch Kallionidou’s (8-4 MMA, 1-4 BMMA) submission win in the video below.

Castkova looked to clinch and take the fight to the ground early in the fight and that’s when Kallionidou dropped to her back and began to attack the legs of Castkova. It didn’t take long for Kallionidou to get a 50-50 position and lock the heel-hook to get the tap.

Kallionidou was coming off back-to-back defeats Bec Rawlings and Bruna Ellen. The victory marked her first win under the Bellator banner and her first fight in 2021.

Up-to-the-moment results of Bellator 267 include:

  • Elina Kallionidou def. Petra Castkova via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:07
  • Jack Grant def. Nathan Jones via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 2:16
  • Fabacary Diatta def. Nathan Rose via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chiara Penco def. Katharina Dalisda via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:45
  • Khurshed Kakhorov def. Jair Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page in one word: What fighters think of Bellator’s U.K. star

Perhaps the most polarizing fighter on Bellator’s roster, Michael Page has a way about getting people to talk about him.

Perhaps the most polarizing fighter on Bellator’s roster, [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] has a way about getting people to talk about him.

Sometimes, it’s because of the way he dazzles us with highlight-reel knockouts, while other times it’s because of how frustrating it can be to watch him fight. And then, of course, there’s the constant questioning of his level of competition. Regardless, the fact of the matter is the man wins – to the tune of an 18-1 record as of this moment.

On Friday at Bellator 267, Page looks for his sixth consecutive win as he tries to avenge the only loss of his career in a rematch against former welterweight champion Douglas Lima.

Ahead of MVP’s headliner, we asked Bellator 267 fighters to describe the U.K. star in one word.

Watch the video above.

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