Bellator 279 – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Bellator 279 weigh-in results (4 p.m. ET)

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official Bellator 279 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 4 p.m. ET

HONOLULU – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s official Bellator 279 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at the Bellator host hotel in San Jose, Calif. The nearby Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. It is the second of back-to-back shows in Honolulu.

Among those weighing in are women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and Arlene Blencowe (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who meet in the main event rematch, and Juan Archuleta (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and Raufeon Stots (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who fight for the interim bantamweight towel.

The full Bellator 279 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 10:30 p.m. ET)

Champ Cris Cyborg () Arlene Blencowe () – for women’s featherweight title
Juan Archuleta () Raufeon Stots () – for interim bantamweight title
Kyoji Horiguchi () Patchy Mix () – bantamweight grand prix opening round
Justine Kish () Ilima-Lei Macfarlane ()

PRELMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8 p.m. ET)

Janay Harding () Dayana Silva ()
Nainoa Dung () Lance Gibson Jr. ()
Justin Gonzales () Kai Kamaka ()
Levan Chokheli () Goiti Yamauchi ()
Yancy Medeiros () Emmanuel Sanchez ()
Keoni Diggs () Bobby King ()
Randi Field () Maraya Miller ()
Ryan Dela Cruz () Jordan Winski ()

Bellator 279 predictions: Three unanimous picks in Hawaii – but who are they?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 279 main card, including champ Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe.

	Cyborg vs. Blencowe	Archuleta vs. Stots	Kish vs. Macfarlane	Horiguchi vs. Mix
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 59-30	Cyborg (83%)	Stots (61%)	Macfarlane (88%)	Horiguchi (65%)
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 59-30	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 58-31 2014 Champion	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Nolan King @mma_kings 58-31	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 58-31	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 58-31	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Mix
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 57-32 2018 Champion	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Mix
Simon Samano @SJSamano 56-33	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 55-34	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi
Brian Garcia @thegoze 53-36 2017 Champion	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Mix
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 51-38	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Mix
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 41-48	Cyborg	Stots	Macfarlane	Horiguchi

Bellator is in Hawaii for the first time since late 2019 with back-to-back events – the second of which has the women’s featherweight title on the line, plus two key bantamweight grand prix bouts.

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. It is the second of back-to-back nights of Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her women’s featherweight title on the line in a rematch with [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), whom she has a win over already. Cyborg, like she usually is when she fights, is a heavy betting favorite. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have her as one of three unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) meets [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the opening round of the bantamweight grand prix – and also for the interim bantamweight title. The winner will be interim champ and take that belt into the semifinals. Stots is more than a 3-1 favorite and our second unanimous pick.

Also on the main card, former women’s flyweight champ [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Macfarlane is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a shutout in the picks at 11-0.

To open the main card, on the other side of the grand prix bracket, former champion [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA). That bout is the only contentious one among our pickers, who have the favored Horiguchi with a 7-4 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (83 percent), Stots (61 percent), Macfarlane (88 percent) and Horiguchi (65 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Goiti Yamauchi: ‘Health and performance’ triggered move to welterweight at Bellator 279 despite lightweight success

A staple of the lightweight division, Goiti Yamauchi explains why he moved up a weight class after he won four of five.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] competed much of his career at lightweight, but not any more.

A staple of the division, Yamauchi (26-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA) seldom lost fights at 155 pounds, which makes his shift up 15 pounds seem a little out of left field. But for Yamauchi, who competes at Bellator 279 it made sense for multiple reasons.

“A lot of things changed a lot because it’s 15 pounds more,” Yamauchi told MMA Junkie at a news conference Thursday. “Whoever cuts weight knows how difficult it is to cut weight. It makes a (big) difference. It’s way better. … We decided to move up just because of my health and performance. If you’re healthy, you will automatically gain performance. Me and my team and all the Bellator staff, we thought about it.”

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With contender status at lightweight, Yamauchi doesn’t think it’ll take long for his name to start being mentioned at the top of the welterweight division. His new weight class journey starts with Levan Chokheli (10-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) on Saturday’s prelims.

“For me, it’s a new beginning,” Yamauchi said. “I’m not shying away to start a new weight class. For me, if I had to start in the other weight class, I would do it because it’s what I love. I do MMA regardless of the weight class. So for me being here, competing and doing what I love, pursing my dream, it’s what matters. My goal is to be the best. My goal is to be the champion and I plan to do it as fast as I can.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Video: Watch Friday’s Bellator 279 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 5:30 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the Bellator 279 ceremonial weigh-ins.

HONOLULU – Bellator 279 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at the Bellator host hotel in Honolulu. The nearby Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. It is the first of back-to-back shows in Honolulu.

In addition to the video stream above, you can check out the early and official Bellator 279 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

Cris Cyborg not trying to outdo herself in Arlene Blencowe rematch: ‘I always have five rounds to finish the fight’

Less than two years ago, Cris Cyborg dominated Arlene Blencowe en route to a second-round submission.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] made relatively quick work of [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] when they fought in 2020. That’s why many fans were surprised when a rematch was announced to headline Bellator 279 on Saturday.

The motivation is clear for Blencowe (15-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who wants to avenge her loss, upset an all-time great and become Bellator champion. For Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), however, it’s just about continuing to fight the best options available and she thinks Blencowe is that right now.

“She’s been beating all the girls,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie at a news conference Thursday. “She’s continued to be No. 1 in the division. I just have to be ready, training. For sure, she’s going to be stronger than before. I’m ready. When you get the rematch, you have to prepare for any situation in the fight. I just feel ready and strong to go.”

Cyborg hasn’t really seen improvement in Blencowe’s game since their Bellator 249 clash in October 2020 – at least not ones big enough to make a difference in result. Despite this, Cyborg isn’t putting pressure on herself to outperform the result, a second-round submission. It’s not a contest to outdo herself.

“I think I just have to do my game, focus on what I want to do in the fight, and for sure I have to be careful what my opponent is going to do,” Cyborg said. “I have to be ready for any situation in a fight. … I always have five rounds to finish the fight. You never go into a fight thinking it’s going to finish fast. If it’s fast, it’s lucky. You did your best. But I’m ready to do five rounds and just have patience to see if the opportunity is going to happen. … I think have to finish the fight and I have five rounds to do that.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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‘Be Angerfist’: Arlene Blencowe thinks being herself at Bellator 279 will lead to a ‘Julianna Peña’ upset vs. Cris Cyborg

Less than two years after her loss to Cris Cyborg, Arlene Blencowe has a shot at redemption.

HONOLULU – Upsets happen in MMA, and if all goes according to plan [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] plans to remind everyone as much.

Julianna Peña shocked the world when she beat Amanda Nunes via second-round submission in the UFC. At Bellator 279 on Saturday, Blencowe (15-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) aims to etch something similar into the record books when she takes on champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) for the second time.

“If anyone is an MMA fan, history has just shown recently that major upsets are quite doable,” Blencowe told MMA Junkie at a news conference Thursday. “They’re achievable. No one would’ve thought Julianna Pena would’ve beat Amanda Nunes. She was a major underdog, too. Look what she came out and did. She shocked the world. As an Australian, we love being an underdog. There have been some big fights in history. I’ve got teammates that have shocked the world. Yeah, I’m ready to do that. I let a moment slip by in 2020 when I had the first opportunity and I’m grateful that I have the second opportunity to go in there and just get the job done.”

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The first time Blencowe and Cyborg fought, it was a fairly one-sided affair at Bellator 249. Cyborg finished the fight by second-round rear-naked choke. Since then, both fighters have gone 2-0. Mentally, she’s steady, but Blencowe admits physical improvements and adjustments were made.

“I was actually happy with my mentality and how focused I was from fight week,” Blencowe said. “Even the first round or anything, (I never) went, ‘Sh*t, what did I get myself in for?’ I was there to fight. I feel like I’ve picked up technically. I’m more skilled now and ready to bring that aggression. I think that was lacking last fight. ‘Anger Fist’ didn’t show up. She was mentally there, but not physically there.”

“… I really do just have to be ‘Anger Fist’ and do what I did to my other opponents. Whenever I faced someone who ranked lower than me, I go out there and I’m aggressive because I don’t want my ranking taken. I want to solidify my No. 1 ranking and face girls that are above me. Marloes Coenen, Julia Budd, now, Cris Cyborg, (I need to) freeze and think, ‘Oh, I need to take it to them. Be ‘Angerfist.'”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaidsell Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Justin Gonzales took Aaron Pico loss personally, made adjustments for Kai Kamaka fight: ‘I’m going to f*ck him up’

Former LFA champion Justin Gonzales isn’t used to losing and doesn’t want it to happen again.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Justin Gonzales[/autotag] comes into Bellator 279 with a sour taste in his mouth, but one he’s ready to wash out as soon as possible.

For the first time in his professional career, Gonzales (12-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) enters a fight coming off a loss, a unanimous decision defeat to Aaron Pico at Bellator 271 in November. Defeat stung.

“I took that loss pretty personal,” Gonzales told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference. “It was the first one of my career. Obviously, I take it personal. I didn’t like it. I hate losing. It doesn’t matter if it’s chess. It’s doesn’t matter if it’s cards. It doesn’t matter if it’s a race. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fight. I hate that sh*t. I hate losing.”

At Bellator 279, Gonzales has a chance to restart his momentum when he fights King (11-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in lightweight prelim bout. While a loss is a loss, Gonzales thinks he accurately identified and adjusted the necessary fixes.

“I took it personal, took some time, reanalyzed some things, focused on some things, and we weren’t too far off. I’m better than ever. (I’ve) evolved, grown, ready to handle some business.”

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Gonzales, a former LFA champion, now has a chance to further put the loss behind him when he fights former UFC fighter Kai Kamaka (9-4-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), a home-state fighter, on the Bellator 279 prelims.

“If I’ve got to beat this dude up on the feet, then so be it. I’ll beat him up on the feet. If I’ve got to wrestle him (or) break him down, then that’s what’s going to happen. Kai is tough. He’s a gamer. He’s going to bring the fight. I know that. Especially being here in Hawaii, he wants to put on a show. But in my eyes, I’m just all-around better than him – so I’m going to f*ck him up.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Keoni Diggs rooted for Bobby King in the past, but won’t in Hawaii vs. Hawaii matchup at Bellator 279

“I’m screaming at the screen, ‘Let’s go Hawaiian,’ Keoni Diggs said.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] remembers sitting in front of his television audibly rooting for an unfamiliar Hawaiian fighter who marched down Aviv Gozali on the Bellator 274 prelims.

Bobby King picked up the win by TKO that night and Diggs (9-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) was pleased to see his fellow Islander win. Little did he know, but Diggs’ next opponent would be King. The two lightweights square off Friday at Bellator 279 – in front of a Hawaiian crowd.

“I’m screaming at the screen, ‘Let’s go, Hawaiian,’ when I heard everyone had him as a big underdog,” Diggs told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “We’re always going to root for the home team guys. I never thought I’d be fighting him on the next one. But hey, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do sometimes. That’s why it’s super funny, because I was legit rooting for him at that 274 card. I won’t be rooting for him on Saturday, though.”

Diggs, 35, is on the heels of his first professional loss, a split decision to former Bellator title challenger Daniel Weichel in June 2022. The fight was his first at featherweight, so it was a big learning experience all around.

“I need to be more tactical in my approach,” Diggs said. “There were some traps set in that fight that I kind of just went into straight forward. Put your toes down and just swing, you know what I mean? Try to catch him with some big shots, because I knew I probably lost that first round. It’s all a learning experience. That was probably one of the best guys I’ve fought to date.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 279: Make your predictions for Cyborg vs. Blencowe, bantamweight grand prix

We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator 279 event in Honolulu.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator 279 event in Honolulu

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 279 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. It is the second of back-to-back nights of Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Bellator 277/279 faceoffs: McKee-‘Pitbull’ 2, Nemkov-Anderson, Cyborg-Blencowe 2, more

Four upcoming Bellator title fights had faceoffs at Monday’s press conference in Los Angeles.

April is a massive month for Bellator, with three events on the docket and five championship fights scheduled.

The festivities kick off Friday, with Bellator 277 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The event is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA). The co-headliner for the Showtime-televised card will see the conclusion of the light heavyweight grand prix when [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (30-8-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) clashes with [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) to determine the divisional and tournament champion.

The organization will then head to Hawaii for back-to-back events on April 22 and April 23. The latter of those events, Bellator 279, also featured a championship doubleheader. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) run it back for women’s featherweight gold in the main event, while [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) for the interim bantamweight title in the opening round of the 135-pound grand prix.

Those four matchups in particular were part of Monday’s Bellator press conference in Los Angeles, and after taking questions from the media, they participated in faceoffs.

Check out the staredowns below.