Tag: Bellator 277

A.J. McKee changes tune on leaving featherweight, wants Freire trilogy before lightweight move

Three weeks after he vowed his time at featherweight was done, A.J. McKee has changed his mind.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Three weeks after he vowed his time at featherweight was done, [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] has changed his tune.

After a unanimous decision loss to Patricio Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) in the Bellator 277 main event in San Jose, Calif., in April in what was his first attempted title defense as featherweight champion, McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA) said he was done fighting at 145 pounds.

“I’m done with 145 unless we’re getting some superfights going,” McKee said at the post-event news conference. “I’ve been at 145 for years, and years, and years, and years, cutting a lot of weight. I don’t think people (really) see what goes into it. It’s a lot of work, not just for myself but my team, for my family. It’s rough seeing me get down to 145. … (At) 155, why not? (I’m) faster, stronger, bigger. I’m going to unleash that beast, monster style, baby. … I’m done with 145.”

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But now McKee seems to have changed his mind about that, and it appears the thought of not having a chance to get the featherweight title back from Freire is something he’s not willing to live with.

While at the PFL’s third event of the 2022 season this past Friday in Arlington, Texas, McKee told media members his comments about leaving featherweight behind are ones he needs to retract.

“I think in the heat of the moment, obviously being a little amped up, obviously not happy with the result – yeah, there was no interest for me in that moment,” McKee said. “Even leading up after the first fight, there was no real interest. But obviously him being a champ, give him the respect he deserves, and honor him with a rematch. Now it’s my turn. I was the champ. I feel I should be honored with my rematch, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

McKee submitted Freire quickly into their first fight in 2021 to win the title. His loss to Freire in the rematch was one he disputed. Two of the three judges scored it 48-47 for Freire; a third had it 49-46 for Freire. Of the media outlets tracked by MMADecisions.com, 13 of 16 had the fight for Freire.

McKee said a trilogy fight with Freire won’t end with anyone questioning who won.

“It won’t go to the judges,” he said. “There was a lot to learn within that (second) fight. … We know I won the fight, but I lost in a different realm. For me, it’s making the correct adjustments to come back properly and fuel the beast. This just adds fuel to the fire. That’s the next step: Just get back in there, get a date locked in, and go retrieve my title.

“The next fight, I think is going to look a lot like the first one. I’ve always felt you need to beat the champ. I don’t feel I was really beaten, but obviously I took an ‘L.’ 145s, I can’t leave the division on a loss, that’s for sure. (We’re) 1-1, so let’s see. Let the best man win.”

When McKee talked about going to lightweight just after his loss to Freire, he suggested a third fight could take place at 155 pounds – where Freire also was champion until he vacated that belt after he lost the featherweight title to McKee. By vacating the belt, he opened the door for his brother, Patricky Freire, to win the title.

Now McKee wants to win back the featherweight title from Patricio Freire, then go up to lightweight and take that title from Patricky. He also said despite a lot of talk about his contract heading into Bellator 277, he has no plans on leaving the promotion.

“(Patricio is) not coming up to 155 – we all know that,” McKee said. “That’s why he released the belt in the first place. He wanted his brother to be the champ. That’s cool. … Bellator’s home – definitely. Definitely. That’s still the goal – I want to be champ-champ. First step is retrieving my (featherweight) title back, then game plan to get that second one.”

Check out McKee’s full interview in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3253: Bellator President Scott Coker joins the show, PFL results, more

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

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,253, the guys Bellator President Scott Coker join the show, went over the PFL results and previewed this weekend’s action.

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.

Josh Thomson: Justice system failed Cain Velasquez, ‘breaks my heart to see him have to go through this’

Josh Thomson is simply hoping for the best possible outcome for his friend, Cain Velasquez, as he faces an attempted murder charge.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] has been supporting good friend [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag] ever since he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Velasquez was arrested Feb. 28 after allegedly shooting a man while targeting another man, 43-year-old Harry Goularte, accused of molesting his family member who is a minor.

Velasquez, the former UFC heavyweight champion, faces charges of attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count), and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count).

Velasquez has remained jailed since Feb. 28. Goularte, on the other hand, has been out on bail since shortly after his arrest.

“It breaks my heart to see him have to go through this,” Thomson told MMA Junkie. “I think that the justice system failed his son in this situation. They failed him as a law-abiding citizen and then he went out and took it into his own hands. It’s really sad, but hopefully something happens that we can start remedying this situation nationwide, not just locally.

“We can’t be letting pedophiles out, sex offenders out with no bail, especially back to a daycare-type setting where this guy lives. And so it’s sad. It really is, but all you can do is support him and be there for him and his wife and his kids and his family and wish them all the best and just be there if they call. That’s all we can do.”

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If found guilty of attempted murder, Velasquez faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. He faces additional time if found guilty of other counts. On Tuesday, Velasquez was granted a continuance at the request of lawyer Mark Geragos, who said he planned to file a motion for Velasquez’s release before his next scheduled May 6 hearing.

Thomson was among dozens in attendance to show support for Velasquez.

“I’m hoping that the laws change,” Thomson said. “I’m hoping that they stop allowing sex offenders out. I hope that they stop allowing them to be released with no bail. I’m hoping that the state does something to take that into consideration and start changing that. The bottom line is he’s gonna try and get some sort of – there’ll probably be some sort of plea, they’re probably trying to get him to plea because there has to be some sort of repercussions for what he did. But if it goes all the way to court, the outcome could not go in his favor also.

“So there’s a lot to be discussed, and he’s in a really bad position when it comes to making sure that his family could continue to be taken care of and what’s he gonna do. Is he gonna see his kids grow up? Do you take it all the way to court? Do you plea out and hopefully get out sooner? I don’t know. I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t think anyone does.”

Goularte did not attend his plea hearing this past Wednesday in South County Morgan Hill (Calif.) Courthouse and joined the hearing virtually. He faces a felony charge of lewd acts with a minor child. Both the prosecution and defense asked Judge Le Jacqueline Duong for a continuance in the case. The judge approved the request and set Goularte’s plea hearing for June 6.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3252: UFC on ESPN 34 and Bellator 277 reactions, what’s next for A.J. McKee, more

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

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,252, the fellas break down the good, bad and ugly from Bellator 277 and UFC on ESPN 34. 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.

Judges Gonna Judge: Was A.J. McKee’s work against Patricio ‘Pitbull’ overlooked at Bellator 277?

Our MMA Junkie judging panel takes a closer look at the scorecards in the rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire.

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

This week, we look at the featherweight title fight between [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] at Bellator 277. The rematch between these two headlined the event Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and caused quite the stir after the official scores were read.

After 25 minutes of action, “Pitbull” was declared the winner on the judges’ scorecards, much to the surprise of McKee, who appeared to genuinely believe he won unanimously.

Official judges Derek Cleary and Ron McCarty turned in scores of 48-47 in favor of “Pitbull,” although they differed on who won the third and fourth rounds. Judge Michael Bell submitted a score of 49-46, scoring only the final round in favor of now-former champion McKee.

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

Scott Coker reacts to Nemkov-Anderson headbutt in Bellator grand prix final, explains what’s next

The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix reached its conclusion, but it still lacks resolution.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix reached its conclusion, but it still lacks resolution.

The tournament final between champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] ended in a no contest after an accidental headbutt from Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) to Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) that caused huge cut on his eyebrow. The officials overseeing the fight Friday at SAP Center ruled it a no contest as since it hadn’t reached the three-round threshold to go to the judges’ scorecards.

It was a messy way to end the tournament, with Bellator president Scott Coker expressing that he wasn’t happy with how things unfolded and he expects to run back the fight later this year.

“It’s unfortunate the way that fight ended,” Coker told reporters at the Bellator 277 post-fight press conference. “I was surprised. I didn’t realize that his cut was so deep to the bone because I was asking (California State Athletic Commission executive) Andy Foster, ‘What happened? There’s only three or four seconds left. Why couldn’t they finish the fight?’ And he said, ‘No, the damage was too much, and we couldn’t safely move forward.’

“They have the rule here where it has to go three rounds to go to a decision, so there’s no tournament champion. So what we’re going to do is regroup and put that fight together in the next three or four months as soon as everyone is healthy and ready to go. We’re definitely going to re-run that fight. That’s probably in late summer maybe.”

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As far as the logistics on how the promotion proceeds with the no contest, Nemkov remains Bellator champion, but the grand prix title remains in neutral hands until Nemkov and Anderson can settle it in the cage. The promotion will also hold the $1 million prize until the final gets rebooked and there’s a winner.

“Basically you have to win the tournament to win the money because the tournament prize is on top of the regular purses they get paid,” Coker explained. “So both sides get paid their normal contract pay. And the million dollars is just a bonus check on top of their pay.

“So in order to win that money, you have to win the fight, be the champ. So there’s no champ here, so it will continue on, and we will give the million-dollar check once we continue the tournament in sometime, let’s say, August or September.”

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Emotional Corey Anderson on fluke headbutt and 3 seconds that cost him $1 million

A clearly frustrated Corey Anderson said he won’t stop until he’s officially Bellator’s light heavyweight champion.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – A clearly frustrated [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] said he won’t stop until he’s officially Bellator’s light heavyweight champion – with a belt, not just a fight he was cruising in that won’t be on the record books.

In the Bellator 277 co-main event, Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) challenged 205-pound champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) for the title in a bout that doubled as the grand prix final – and would have come with an extra $1 million paycheck on top of Anderson’s $250,000 flat purse for the fight.

But late in the third round, Anderson, after dominating the champion on the ground for the better part of 10 minutes, inadvertently clashed heads with Nemkov. He knew it right away and signaled to referee Frank Trigg what had happened.

Trigg stopped the action with three seconds left in the round because of the clash – and a deep cut that opened above Nemkov’s left eye. A cageside doctor said the cut was too deep for him to continue – and because the five-round title fight hadn’t made it to the fourth round, it had to be ruled a no contest.

That meant no light heavyweight title for Anderson, presuming things would have continued to go his way. And it meant no $1 million extra check.

“I’m over it now. I’m not over it-over it. But a coach of mine told me in college you have five minutes to sulk. I had those five minutes. I jumped in the shower. There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Anderson said at the post-fight news conference at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. “It’s very upsetting, especially because I broke him, you know? You can’t say I wasn’t winning the fight and the clash (of heads) happened. It is what it is. I went out there and did exactly what I was supposed to do, like I said I was going to do. I said I was going to go out there and dominate – he can’t handle my wrestling, my ground-and-pound. I was pacing myself and I knew the fourth round, it was going to be over.”

Anderson acknowledged that if he just would have kept going, there’s a chance the headbutt would have either gone unnoticed because it happened during other ground-and-pound, or if the third round just was completed and went to the fourth, the judges would’ve been allowed to score the fight.

Instead, he said it was his own sportsmanship that may have cost him.

“There’s a good sport in me. I saved him myself, you know?” Anderson said. “I felt the heads hit and the ref was like, ‘Keep going, keep going.’ And I said, ‘I head-butted him.’ And that’s why they stopped it. So if I wouldn’t have said nothing, that three seconds would’ve been over and I would’ve been the champ. But the good sport in me … it is what it is.”

Anderson said there’s no next option for him other than a rematch with Nemkov for the title. And Bellator president Scott Coker said after the fight that the promotion would rebook the bout as soon as both fighters could go – likely in the summer.

Coker also said the $1 million still will be up for grabs since right now, the light heavyweight grand prix doesn’t have a winner because of the no contest.

But Anderson isn’t sure about a timeline for a rematch coming that quickly.

“I’d like to go as soon as possible, but we were in the medical tent next to each other and the one cut, he’s got to get plastic surgery for that. And other than the cut, I guess I crushed his orbital, so he’s going to be out for a while on that, as well,” Anderson said. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to try to push the fight back as long as he can, maybe even to 2023 – I hope not. As soon as possible, I’d like to get it over with so I can move on, get this money and go back to living my life for my family and not in training camp for a year straight like I have been.”

The only win Anderson can take from Friday is that even though he was a betting underdog, he really didn’t seem to have many problems with the champ.

Moral victories won’t get him the $1 million or the title, so he’ll have to repeat that performance when they run it back. But it doesn’t seem like that’s something he thinks he’ll have an issue with.

“I know I’m the champ,” Anderson said. “You guys can’t say anything else. I don’t care what the casuals say, I don’t care what the media (members) say. We saw the accidental headbutt, but you guys saw the 15 minutes. You saw what happened. First round, yeah, it was a lot closer. But the second and third, you can’t tell me – no way (a judge) was going to score that for him. I am the champ.

“I’ve been saying it for years, so what do you mean? It ain’t going to change my mind. My mind don’t change: I am the best. I’ve said it, I believe it and I know it. Now I really know it. I just went out there and dominated. I didn’t just beat him – I broke him, the guy they said was untouchable, on an untouchable run. Nobody’s ever touched him since he got into the Bellator cage. Can he go out there and make it nine or 10 or however many it was? The answer is no.”

Check out Anderson’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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Patricio Freire: If A.J. McKee wants a trilogy fight, it has to be at featherweight

With the featherweight belt back around his waist, Patricio Freire has no plans on relinquishing it again anytime soon.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – With the featherweight belt back around his waist after a respite of a little more than eight months, [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] has no plans on relinquishing it again anytime soon.

Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) avenged his 2021 submission loss to A.J. McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA) in the Bellator 277 main event Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., with a unanimous decision. McKee was more than a 3-1 favorite to retain the title, but “Pitbull” handed him the first loss of his pro career.

The fight was at times hard to score and closely contested. Freire got a 49-46 scorecard from one judge and a pair of 48-47s from two others. Of the MMA media outlets tracked by MMADecisions.com, 13 of 16 scored the fight for Freire.

The Brazilian, long considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in Bellator history, said he wasn’t deterred for long when McKee submitted him to win the belt in 2021.

“MMA is a tough sport,” Freire said at the Bellator 277 post-fight news conference. “To be defeated is normal. I don’t like it. Nobody likes it. I just went home, trained harder and smarter, and came back. That’s it: Focus.”

Now when it comes to his next focus, there likely are some options on the table – all of which Freire said he’ll just wait to hear answers on.

With their rivalry knotted at 1-1, the easy assumption is a trilogy fight against McKee would be the top option. But McKee said in his post-fight news conference he’d only welcome a third fight with Freire if it took place at lightweight since he intends to move up to that weight class – where Freire’s brother, Patricky, is the champion.

But Patricio Freire called no joy about such a potential move and said if McKee wants a shot at the title again, it’ll have to be at 145 pounds.

“He’s tough – he’s very good. But the king is here,” Freire told MMA Junkie. “The featherweight division is my division. I fought at lightweight (before) because of Michael Chandler (and our rivalry). My brother has the belt (at lightweight). I don’t care about that division. If he wants to fight me again, he has to come to featherweight. That’s it.”

And at featherweight, Freire has fighters like Adam Borics and former McKee teammate Aaron Pico waiting in the wings.

He also echoed a call many Bellator fighters have made over the years, which is the hope against hope that UFC president Dana White one day will agree to a cross-promotion matchup that would pit a Bellator champion against a UFC champion. In that case, Freire wants to fight UFC titleholder Alexander Volkanovski, even if it’s a pipe dream.

“If Dana White has some balls, let’s put champion vs. champion. That’s my goal,” Freire said. “(But) I don’t care who’s next. I’m going to kick all their asses.”

Check out Freire’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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Twitter reacts to Patricio Freire’s upset of A.J. McKee in Bellator 277 title rematch

The MMA community had strong thoughts on Patricio Freire’s title-winning upset of A.J. McKee at Bellator 277.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] recaptured the featherweight title from [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] on Friday in the Bellator 277 main event.

After suffering a quick loss in their initial meeting in July, Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) came back strong in the rematch and put on a competitive performance for the unanimous-decision win over McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

The scorecards for the fight varied, and McKee was shocked by the outcome. What did the rest of the MMA community think? Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Freire’s upset of McKee at Bellator 277.

Bellator 277 results: Patricio Freire upsets A.J. McKee in title rematch, evens series score

The two fights between Patricio Freire and A.J. McKee went much differently.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] has evened things up.

In the Bellator 277 main event Friday at SAP Center, Freire (33-5 MMA, 21-5 BMMA) defeated [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (28-1 MMA, 28-1 BMMA) via unanimous decision (48-46, 49-46, 48-47) to once again become featherweight champion.

The first round was closely contested with striking technique on full display from both men. “Pitbull” utilized his leg kicks, while McKee fired some head kicks – the strike that led to the beginning of the end in their first meeting.

Round 2 was a stronger one from the challenger as his counter timing on McKee’s head kicks and body kicks appeared to be down to a science. McKee remained competitive, though he struggled to find a rhythm.

The biggest moments of the fight came in Round 3 when Freire rocked McKee, who then wobbled and scored and secured a takedown. Freire popped up and snatched McKee’s neck for a signature guillotine choke. It appeared to get tighter and tighter with grip readjustments from Freire, but McKee leveraged his way out.

Round 4 was the strongest to date for McKee, who edged Freire out in the striking, a momentum he carried into Round 5. In between Round 4 and 5, coach Antonio McKee told his son he thought he was up on all scorecards. In Round 5, Freire found success with his striking before McKee secured a takedown late and finished the fight out on top.

The fight was a rematch of the Bellator 263 main event, in which McKee finished Freire with a standing guillotine choke at the 100-second mark of the fight. Neither fighter had competed since, with the rematch a long time in the making. The loss snapped a seven-fight winning streak for Freire, while it exploded McKee’s stock and popularity in the public eye.

With the victory, “Pitbull” gets his title back as a moderate underdog.  He has never lost back-to-back fights in his entire career. Bellator 277 marks the third time “Pitbull” won the featherweight title and the 10th time he won a Bellator title fight.

As for McKee, he lost a fight for the first time in his professional career. His last loss in MMA overall came in his second amateur fight, in 2013 when he was 18 years old.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 277 results include:

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