Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2022.
Another year is in the books for Bellator.
The promotion hosted 17 fight cards to maintain its status among the top dogs in the MMA space. During that time, many records were set and a host of historic moments were produced.
Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2022’s most significant fights and individual performances.
Peru’s Enrique Barzola recounts his Bellator debut win over Darrion Caldwell at Saturday’s Bellator 273.
There was a lot more than met the eye in [autotag]Enrique Barzola[/autotag]’s successful Bellator debut.
The season two winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” made a good first impression in Bellator, outworking and stopping one of their former champions. In a bantamweight contest, Barzola (17–5–2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) scored a third-round TKO stoppage win over Darrion Caldwell at last Saturday’s Bellator 273.
It was a grueling and high-paced bout that had Barzola tested early. Caldwell proved effective early on with his wrestling, but Barzola remained calm and turned the tide halfway through the fight.
Although Barzola showed great decision making, wrestling, and ground-and-pound to secure his first victory under the Bellator banner, there was plenty more that went into his winning performance.
“I haven’t spoken about this to anyone, I’ve only told my wrestling coach Abel Herrera, who’s a personal friend,” Barzola told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I’ve been working a ton on the mental aspect of my game, but also on my spiritual part. When he saw a ‘Fuerte’ Barzola face-to-face, he didn’t see ‘Fuerte’ Barzola. He saw a monster, a massive energy. That’s what I transmitted to him. How? With the eyes, with my energy, with my calmness, and never at any point showing him my fatigue.
“If a fighter just shows one second of fatigue, the other fighter is going to pick it up and say, ‘he’s also tired.’ And from that, he’ll be able to recover and get back in the fight. But I never showed him at any time that I was tired. I trusted my strength, my cardio, my spirit, and my mind.
“I broke him in the first round – and yes, he won it – and then the second round was even. But I knew that sooner or later his cardio was going to give out on him. Every time I took him down, I would talk to myself. I would murmur in his ears. I wasn’t insulting him, no. I was just motivating myself and speaking to myself. And that’s when I entered into a connection within myself, and that’s something personal. I knew he wasn’t going to beat me. I was going to destroy him. I would say, ‘Come one, come on. What do you have?’ I’d tell myself.”
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The TKO win over Caldwell was a very important moment for Barzola’s career.
The Peruvian hadn’t competed since completing his UFC contract back in March 2020 in Brazil where he fought Rani Yahya to a majority draw. Despite being 6-3-1 in the UFC, Barzola wasn’t resigned, as it was almost impossible for him to get a visa in Peru to go fight abroad due to the pandemic.
Now training at AKA in San Jose, Calif., Barzola is not surprised he didn’t experience the infamous “ring rust” in his first appearance in almost two years.
“I was very prepared, I was prepared for it all,” Barzola said. “I’m the type of fighter who’s always ready and working in all areas of the game. Those two years of no competition could affect a fighter, but I’ve been improving throughout that time.
“I’ve been getting better and I’ve been training. It was different because there weren’t many training partners (due to the pandemic). I didn’t fight for two years, which could be tough on a fighter even if they spar. But I managed to maintain a level of competition. Darrion Caldwell did surprise me in the first round, attacking me hard, but I knew how to counter that.”
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Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,230, the guys brought on guest [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag], who is preparing to fight Renato Moicano at UFC 271 next month. They also recapped this past Friday’s Eagle FC 44 card in Miami and Bellator 273 in Phoenix. 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.
There’s a score to settle, according to Ryan Bader, and he’s not wasting any time.
PHOENIX – When[autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] stepped into the cage Saturday, ghosts of a devastating October loss still loomed large at Footprint Center.
However, Bader (29-7 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) silenced many critics and doubters when he defeated then-interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky (11-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) via unanimous decision in a title unification bout at Bellator 273.
“It felt so good, considering the last fight,” Bader told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a post-fight news conference. “If I were to have had a fight that I lost but it was going back-and-forth or even if we went the whole (five rounds). But the last fight was just under a minute. It was anticlimactic. To go out there and have an exciting, heavyweight championship five-rounder with a tough, tough dude in Arizona? I wanted that bad.”
Bader, 38, admitted he checked out the betting odds prior to the fight and saw the bookmakers counted him out. That further lit a fire under the former UFC contender, who wasn’t willing to lose in front of his home crowd for the second straight fight.
“MMA is a weird, fickle sport,” Bader said. “They can look at your last fight, even though it’s big guys, small gloves, throwing at each other – the best in the world. You take one step back and people write you off. They don’t look at your body of work. It’s, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ I always knew I was going to feel good coming up at heavyweight. This is where I wanted to be. I saw those odds and was like, ‘Awesome. They’re counting me out. Now is the time to shut everybody up and keep this train rolling.’ Because I know I’m one of the best in the world and I can be on any given night.”
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There wasn’t much time for Bader to breathe after the fight before his next task was laid out in front of him. Immediately after the belt was wrapped around his waist, Bader was informed by his manager, Dave Martin, that he’d be fighting[autotag]Cheick Kongo[/autotag] in a rematch May 6 in Paris. The two squared off following the conclusion of Bader’s in-cage interview.
The first meeting between Bader and Kongo (31-11-2 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) took place at Bellator 226 in September 2019. The fight ended in a no contest when Bader poked Kongo in the eye inadvertently.
“I mean, unfinished business, right?” Bader said. “I always wanted to get that fight back. He was talking so much sh*t from after I poked him in the eye. I’m like, ‘Dude, there’s video of you wincing and it’s in your nose.’ Again, he came out last fight with, ‘I’ll beat your ass in Paris,’ and all this sh*t. Whatever. So, yeah, I like that fight. I’ve been asking for that fight forever. I wanted to run that back before I went down to light heavyweight. So now we get to do it.
“… I’m comfortable at this weight. I’m no longer going back-and-forth. I’m going to be even better coming in at heavyweight. Because I just fought at light heavyweight in October and then put on weight to fight in January. Now I’m a heavyweight. I can just actually get in my body.”
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Ryan Bader hurt Valentin Moldavsky early in the fight, and while he never landed that good again, he kept his heavyweight title.
[autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] hurt [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] early in the fight, and while he never landed that good again, he kept his heavyweight title.
Bader (29-7 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) took a unanimous decision from Moldavsky (11-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) with a trio of 48-47 scores in the Bellator 273 main event. The fight was back and forth and took place largely in the clinch and wrestling exchanges. But in the end, Bader did enough to outwork Moldavsky, the interim heavyweight champ.
After his win, Bader quickly was matched up with one of his past opponents, Cheick Kongo, for a May 6 title fight in Kongo’s home city of Paris. The two fought in 2019, but the fight ended in a no contest when Kongo couldn’t continue after an accidental eye poke in the first round.
Moldavsky pushed Bader back early, but Bader drilled Moldavsky with a right hand that stunned him. Bader rushed in and tried to finish and landed several more right hands. But Moldavsky survived and tied him up along the fence.
Moldavsky shook off the cobwebs and dragged Bader to the canvas and into side control. Bader briefly scrambled back to his feet, but Moldavsky pulled him right back to the canvas. Midway through the round, Bader got back upright, but Moldavsky kept him tied up. Bader pummeled under and got to a better position with two minutes left. With 80 seconds left, Bader exploded out with a punch, and a few seconds later Bader was the one who pushed Moldavsky to land a takedown that allowed him to close the round on top.
Moldavsky threw a big right early in the second, and Bader did the same, but was off the mark. A minute in, Bader moved in tied Moldavsky up to look for a takedown along the fence. But 100 seconds into the round, Bader threw a knee that drilled Moldavsky low and led to a timeout for Moldavsky. On the restart, both threw heavy punches, then tied up again with three minutes left. Moldavsky controlled much of the rest of the round in the wrestling department to seemingly get back in the fight.
Moldavsky tied Bader up quickly in the third. And though he stayed upright, Bader couldn’t break Moldavsky’s grip to get free and put any offense together. With a little less than two minutes left in the round, Moldavsky finally got Bader to the canvas. He threw short knees and punches. It wasn’t much offense to speak of, but Bader was strictly defensive for the whole round.
Bader shot for a takedown 20 seconds into the fourth, but couldn’t land it. Moldavsky landed a right a minute in, and Bader hit him with a left. When Moldavsky shot for a takedown not long after, Bader sprawled out of it and went after Moldavsky’s neck. Ninety seconds in, Moldavsky was back to his feet and landed a 1-2 combination. Just ahead of the halfway mark, Bader landed a big takedown and went to work from half guard. It was a big moment in a fight that likely was 2-1 Moldavsky at that point. Bader landed a big right from up top and Moldavsky turned over to give his back while looking for a way back to his feet. Moldavsky grabbed the fence twice, and blatantly, until referee Mike Beltran slapped his hand away. A third fence grab may have helped Moldavsky get back up. But Bader again took him down, and Moldavsky looked tired.
The fighters tied up for a minute to start the fifth. Moldavsky went after another takedown after that, but couldn’t get it and Bader hit him with a right, then a left. Moldavsky was determined to land another takedown, but Bader defended it. He landed a big right hand soon after, then again defended Moldavsky’s clinch. Midway through, Bader went after a takedown, but Moldavsky scrambled and took Bader’s back. He stayed stuck to Bader back on the feet, but Bader landed some short punches and elbows. With 15 seconds left, Moldavsky landed a big takedown just ahead of the end of the round.
Islam Mamedov was a heavy favorite, and Benson Henderson not only gave him a true test, but gave him his first loss in more than 12 years.
[autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] was a heavy favorite, and [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] not only gave him a true test, but gave him his first loss in more than 12 years.
Henderson (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) grinded out a split decision against Mamedov (20-2-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in a fight that saw big momentum swings and submission attempts from both fighters. Henderson took the fight with a pair of 29-28 scores in the Bellator 273 co-main event at Footprint Center in Phoenix. A third judge had it 29-28 for Mamedov.
Mamedov came into the bout on a 20-fight unbeaten streak. He hadn’t lost since his second pro fight in July 2009. Mamedov was as much as a 6-1 favorite in the lightweight bout.
Henderson tried to create distance early with some kick feints. Mamedov stayed patient in the middle looking for openings. Ninety seconds in, Henderson landed a solid inside low kick, and he followed it with a left to the body. After two minutes, Mamedov threw a combination that backed Henderson up, and a body kick came behind it. Midway through the round, Mamedov clinched Henderson and pushed him to the fence. When Mamedov tried a trip takedown, Henderson wound up on top, then went after a guillotine choke. He held it for a a lengthy stretch, but Mamedov worked his way out of it and finished the round on top.
Mamedov faked a few punches in the second, then finally fired off a punch. But when he went for a takedown again, Henderson rolled and went after another guillotine choke. It failed, though, and Mamedov wound up in side control. Then he took Henderson’s back and went for a rear-naked choke. Henderson survived the first effort, but Mamedov drilled him with punches midway through the round. Henderson rallied and went after a heel hook. Mamedov broke free perhaps with the aid of the fence and tried to take Henderson’s back again with a minute left in the round. With 30 seconds left, Mamedov locked in a rear-naked choke and went to the canvas when Henderson slammed them down. Henderson survived the middle frame to see a third.
The two traded punches early in the third, and Henderson pushed forward after 90 seconds with punches and kicks. He went after a big uppercut that missed, then tried a high kick. Midway through the round, Mamedov dropped down and took Henderson to the canvas in a key move to score points with the judges in a close fight. With 90 seconds left, Henderson rolled and looked for a leg submission. He had to eat punches from Mamedov for his effort while Henderson kept his right leg tied up with his own legs.
“I don’t know if I’m going to fight again, so going off with a ‘W’ is good,” Henderson said in the cage after the win.
Henderson snapped a three-fight skid with the upset. It was the longest losing stretch of his career.
Chris Gonzalez wanted to make a statement after the first loss of his pro career, and he did it with authority.
[autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] wanted to make a statement after the first loss of his pro career, and he did it with authority.
Gonzalez (7-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) took out longtime Bellator fighter [autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] (24-14 MMA, 12-11 BMMA) with a big left head kick and a few follow-up punches on the canvas. It took the lightweight just 36 seconds to finish the fight.
Bellator 273 took place at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Chris Gonzalez BLASTS through Saad Awad! 🤯
A quick start from Gonzalez leads to a perfect finish, and his 3️⃣rd career KO!
Catch the last #Bellator273 @MonsterEnergy Prelims LIVE NOW on the #Bellator YouTube channel!👇
▶️ https://t.co/YM98IF6W50 pic.twitter.com/4X0xchM9WY— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022
Gonzalez never gave Awad a chance to get started. Gonzalez said before the fight he was prepared to be patient and go deep into the fight. Awad threw an early kick that Gonzalez blocked. But a few seconds later, the first strike he threw was the head kick that landed flush and put Awad on the canvas.
After Gonzalez landed several right hands on the mat, the fight was over. Awad’s 11th loss in Bellator is a new promotional record.
“Coach told me to be patient, so I was just feeling him out,” Gonzalez said in the cage. “I respected his power. Saad’s been around for a long time. I wanted to give him the respect he deserved. … When I saw my opportunity, strike first, strike hard, put him out.”
Gonzalez was stopped in the first round by Goiti Yamauchi in Jully 2021 at Bellator 263. It was the first loss of his pro career after a 6-0 start, including 5-0 in Bellator.
Gonzalez called for a chance to fight Peter Queally, who is coming off a vacant lightweight title fight loss to Patricky Freire. Queally is scheduled to fight Kane Mousah at Bellator 275 next month.
Ben Parrish made a big splash with a big upset in his Bellator debut. But Sullivan Cauley had other ideas about upsets at Bellator 273.
[autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] made a big splash with a big upset in his Bellator debut. But [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] had other ideas about upsets Saturday at Bellator 273.
Cauley (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) took Parrish (5-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) down early and controlled him with relative ease on the canvas. Eventually, Cauley, a Ryan Bader protege, looked a lot like his mentor when he pounded Parrish out at the 4:35 mark of the opening round and kept Parrish from a second straight Bellator upset after his viral win over Christian Edwards in 2021.
Bellator 273 took place at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Talk about RELENTLESS! 👊💥
An epic way to kick off Bellator MMA’s 2022 season as @SullyTroy100 puts a ground & pound beating on Ben Parrish!
Tune in to the #Bellator273 prelims, brought to you by @MonsterEnergy.
🔗 https://t.co/YM98IF6W50 pic.twitter.com/II3v0n2EHW
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022
Parrish kicked high early, but missed. When he tried again to the body a few seconds later, Cauley caught the kick and took him down. Cauley quickly moved to side control to the delight of his home fans. Cauley recovered to half-guard, but still was in trouble on his back eating punches.
Parrish threw elbows and tried to crawl his way to the fence. Parrish went after a kimura midway through the round, which slowed Cauley’s attack for a few moments. But soon after, Cauley landed big right hands that started to spill Parrish’s blood.
Cauley jumped to mount with 90 seconds left, then took Parrish’s back. Parrish scrambled his way back to guard, but couldn’t get back to his feet. Cauley started to unleash with punches and was relentless with them, and before too long, referee Mike Beltran shut things down for the first-round TKO.
Bellator 273 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).
Bellator 273 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).
The event takes place at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, heavyweight champion Ryan Bader (28-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) meets interim champ Valentin Moldavsky (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) in a title unification bout. Benson Henderson (28-11 MMA, 5-6 BMMA) takes on Islam Mamedov (20-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in the lightweight co-feature.
Official Bellator 273 results include:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7 p.m. ET)
Bellator 273 takes place Saturday in Phoenix, and you can discuss the event here.
PHOENIX – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s Bellator 273 event at Footprint Center in Phoenix, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.
Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our Bellator 273 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.
Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 7 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.
