Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284.
Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284 which took place at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S. D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)
(Gallery updated throughout the event.)
Billed as one of the top prospects in Bellator, Sullivan Cauley added another highlight to his reel in devastating fashion.
[autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is pushed by Bellator as one of the promotion’s most highly-touted budding prospects. At Bellator 284, he showed a sample of perhaps why that is.
Bellator 284 took place Friday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., and featured Cauley (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) against [autotag]Tyson Jefferies[/autotag] (14-11 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a middleweight prelim.
After some feeling out on the feet, Cauley clinched Jefferies against the cage. That’s where he clattered his knee off the side of Jefferies temple. The blow knocked Jefferies unconscious as he went facedown on the canvas. As referee Bobby Wombacher dove in, Cauley landed a hard punch on his downed foe. The TKO stoppage came at 1:39 of Round 1.
๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ ๐คฏ
Undefeated Sullivan Cauley NAILS Jeffries with a crazy KO!
Tune in to the #Bellator284 prelims, brought to you by @MonsterEnergy and fueled by @Cardenas_Market.
๐ https://t.co/Ht9tHlZcDo pic.twitter.com/tz6pKYjNmA
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) August 12, 2022
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ ๐โ๐ธ๐!
Sullivan Cauley locked in his W at #Bellator284 quickly & skillfully.
Catch the @MonsterEnergy Prelims, fueled by @Cardenas_Market LIVE now on the Bellator app.๐
๐ฒ https://t.co/yleh37GN23 pic.twitter.com/WAjCEI82zg— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) August 12, 2022
Cauley, 26, is an underling of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. All of his professional fights have come under the Bellator banner. All four of which have ended via TKO.
The up-to-the-minute Bellator 284 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
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A former NCAA Division I All-American, Pat Downey says he was “canceled” from wrestling. Friday, he moved to 1-0 in his new venture.
[autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag]’s MMA debut Saturday was years in the making โ and it only lasted 36 seconds.
At Bellator 284, Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) ran through opponent [autotag]Keyes Nelson[/autotag] (0-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a 36-second submission victory. The event took place Saturday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Downey, a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, went for the takedown immediately at the start of the fight. Two double underhooks later, he secured a grip and dumped Nelson to the canvas. After a few seconds in side control, Downey powerfully tore into the mount position. With Nelson mounted, Downey locked in an arm-triangle choke and squeezed. The tap came shortly thereafter.
In his post-fight interview, Downey declared he is coming for everyone in the Bellator middleweight division. He then celebrated with his lone cornerman, former UFC fighter Luis Pena.
Thatโs how you make an ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐!
36 seconds is all it tookย @PatDowneyย to get the W inside the Bellator cage. Talk about a spectacular debut.
Tune in to the #Bellator284 prelims, brought to you by @MonsterEnergy and fueled by @Cardenas_Market.
๐ https://t.co/Ht9tHlZcDo pic.twitter.com/zsi6ZVXJKn
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) August 12, 2022
Downey, 30, publicly planned a transition into MMA since 2020. A massive talent on the mats, Downey was a polarizing figure away from them.
Legal issues and social media controversies caused a butting of heads with the wrestling community, which Downey claimed “canceled” him as a result. Downey told MMA Junkie in February he had no regrets about his time in wrestling but hoped to live up to his true potential in MMA.
The up-to-the-minute Bellator 284 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
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Bellator 284 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results.
Bellator 284 took place Friday, and MMA Junkie provided a live preliminary stream and official results.
The event took place at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, Goiti Yamauchi (28-5 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) finished Neiman Gracie (11-4 MMA, 9-4 BMMA) with a well-timed uppercut in the second round of their key welterweight contest.
In addition, Valentin Moldavsky (11-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) met unbeaten rising standout Steve Mowry (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) at heavyweight, although their fight would result in an early no contest after an accidental eye poke.
Former women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (12-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) got back on track against Bruna Ellen (6-4 MMA, 4-4 BMMA), winning her first contest since 2019.
Also on the main card, recent middleweight title challenger Austin Vanderford (11-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) was stunned by Aaron Jeffery (13-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who pulled off a fast TKO finish on short notice.
Official Bellator 284 results include:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)
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Pat Downey says he always knew he’d fight as he gets set to make his professional MMA debut at Bellator 284.
[autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag]’s wrestling career might have taken an unexpected turn, but MMA was always inevitable.
Downey (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, was kicked off the Iowa State University wrestling team in 2017 for repeated violations of team rules and found himself in the midst of various other controversial incidents that impacted his career.
The 29-year-old is set for his professional MMA debut when he takes on promotional newcomer Keyes Nelson (0-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Friday’s Bellator 284 card at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” Downey told MMA Junkie Radio. “But it’s easy to say that now in hindsight when you’re going through it. I’m like, ‘What the f*ck is happening?’ I’m losing my career, my life, my house, my insurance, my sponsors, my stipend, my ability to compete. They stacked the deck against me to make this Olympic team, which was a big goal of mine.”
He continued, “I always knew I was gonna fight. It was never a matter of if I’m gonna do MMA. For me it was about when I’m gonna do MMA. I wanted to do it on my terms with my accolades, have a successful career, finish my masters degree. I had this plan.”
Despite Downey’s plans not panning out the way he expected, he’s ready to capitalize on his current opportunities, but he’s not ready to leave wrestling behind just yet.
“I can confidently say I’m back on my purpose, but there was a little weird, transitional phase there where I didn’t know if I was f*cking coming or going,” Downey said. “I didn’t know what was going on. My life was kind of up in a blender. I moved three times this past year, then my grandfather died, I crashed my car, a couple of near-death accidents back in Baltimore with some personal sh*t I’d rather not get into, but it’s been a hell of a past two years since hitting what some would call my peak. The wrestling world team, I didn’t lose for two years in this country, but that just seems to be the nature of my life. The highs and the lows, I’m on a roller coaster, it feels like.”
He continued, “The drive, the hunger, the chip on the shoulder, the feeling of unfulfillment, the actual ability, the opportunity I have to supersede what I did in wrestling. … I got some things in store too for these next Olympics, 2024. Don’t be surprised if you see me representing another country in Paris.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
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Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has been enduring a rough patch lately.
[autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] has been enduring a rough patch lately.
Macfarlane (11-2 MMA, 10-2 BMMA)ย weighed in three pounds over the division’s non-title fight limit at 129 for her flyweight matchup against Bruna Ellen on Friday’s Bellator 284 main card at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
The fight will proceed after Ellen (6-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) agreed to take a percentage of Macfarlane’s purse. Macfarlane, a former Bellator flyweight champion, posted Instagram to explain why she missed weight and expressed gratitude to Ellen for accepting the fight.
“Super shame. First and last time Iโll ever miss weight. Iโm sorry Bruna for not being professional and making our contracted weight. People donโt understand what a difficult situation this puts you in, but youโre a gangster for accepting the fight and I appreciate you for doing so ๐๐ฝ.
My body has been going through a lot of changes in the last two years and this week it told me to fuck right off. Iโm learning to listen to it, especially as the end of this chapter draws near. Iโm going to take a long break after this fight to allow myself time to heal and reassess things. But like I said, this is the one and only time I will ever miss weight. Mark my words.
We got a fight tomorrow night ladies and gentlemen, thanks to Bruna. Sheโs the real MVP.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChJI-CeMoXu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After going unbeaten for 11 straight fights and defending her Bellator flyweight title four times, the 32-year-old has lost back-to-back bouts. Macfarlane was dethroned by Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 254, then lost a unanimous decision to ex-UFC fighter Justine Kish at Bellator 279 in April in Honolulu in front of her home fans.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
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Check out these photos of the fighters on the scale and the final faceoffs at the Bellator 284 ceremonial weigh-ins in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Check out these photos of the main card fighters on the scale and the final pre-fight faceoffs at the Bellator 284 ceremonial weigh-ins in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)
Check out these photos of the fighters on the scale at the Bellator 284 official weigh-ins in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Check out these photos of the fighters on the scale at the Bellator 284 official weigh-ins in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 284 main card in Sioux Falls, S.D.
| Gracie vs. Yamauchi |
Moldavsky vs. Mowry |
Ellen vs. Macfarlane |
Saricam vs. Sowma |
Jeffery vs. Vanderford |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 131-79 |
 Yamauchi (58%) |
 Mowry (61%) |
 Macfarlane (79%) |
 Saricam (62%) |
 Vanderford (68%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 143-72  2018 Champion |
 Gracie |
Mowry |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 139-76 |
Gracie |
 Moldavsky |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 137-78 2014 Champion |
Gracie |
Moldavsky |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 135-80 |
Gracie |
Mowry |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 132-83 |
Gracie |
Mowry |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 131-84 |
Gracie |
Mowry |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 130-85 |
Gracie |
Moldavsky |
Macfarlane |
 Sowma |
Vanderford |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 127-88 |
Gracie |
Moldavsky |
 Ellen |
Sowma |
Vanderford |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 126-89 2017 Champion |
Gracie |
Moldavsky |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 117-98 |
Gracie |
Mowry |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 104-111 |
Gracie |
Moldavsky |
Macfarlane |
Saricam |
Vanderford |
Bellator returns to South Dakota this week with a welterweight bout atop the card, plus two former champions and a recent title challenger on the bill.
Bellator 284 takes place Friday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. 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]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) takes on first-time Bellator headliner [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) at welterweight. Gracie is a -200 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Yamauchi is +150. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Gracie as one of two unanimous picks on the main card โย but in a rarity, our readers disagree and are backing Yamauchi at a big 58 percent clip.
In the co-feature, former interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) takes on unbeaten up-and-comer [autotag]Steve Mowry[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA). Moldavsky is more than a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, but he has the narrowest possible edge over Mowry in the picks at 6-5.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Bruna Ellen[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) takes on former women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 10-2 BMMA), who is fighting outside her native Hawaii or homebase of California for just the second time in nearly five years. Macfarlane is a slight favorite at -135, but is a near-unanimous pick with our staff members at 10-1. (It should be noted Macfarlane missed weight for for the first time in her MMA career. She came in at 129 pounds at Thursday’s weigh-ins.)
[autotag]Gokhan Saricam[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is a 2-1 favorite in his heavyweight bout against [autotag]Said Sowma[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), and he’s got a blowout from our pickers at 9-2.
And to open the main card, our second unanimous pick is recent middleweight title challenger [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA), who is a -200 favorite against late replacement opponent [autotag]Aaron Jeffery[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Vanderford has an 11-0 shutout from our staff members.
Inย the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Yamauchi (58 percent), Mowry (61 percent), Macfarlane (79 percent), Saricam (62 percent)ย andย Vanderford (68 percent)ย are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
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The Neiman Gracie-Goiti Yamauchi headliner is safe, but one Bellator 284 fight was canceled after weigh-ins on Thursday.
Three fighters, including a former champion, missed weight Thursday for Bellator 284 โ but neither of them was a headliner.
Both Neiman Gracie and Goiti Yamauchi, who meet in Friday’s welterweight main event, stepped on the scale without issue. Gracie weighed in at 170.4 pounds, while Yamauchi was an even 170.
Among the three fighters to miss weight was former Bellator women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, who was three pounds over the division non-title fight limit at 129. Her opponent, Bruna Ellen, was 125.6. The fight will go on after Ellen agreed to take a percentage of Macfarlane’s purse, according to a Bellator official, though the amount was not revealed.
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The same thing happened between DeAnna Bennett and Justine Kish after Kish came in at 128.4 for their flyweight bout. Bennett made weight at 125.2.
One bout was canceled, though. Isaiah Hokit, who weighed 154, will no longer fight Nick Perez after Perez was 157.4 for their lightweight bout.
Bellator 284 takes place Friday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.
Here are the complete results from the official Bellator 284 weigh-ins:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)
*Macfarlane was 3 pounds over the flyweight limit; Ellen will receive an agreed-upon percentage of Macfarlane’s purse, and the fight will go on
**Kish was 2.4 pounds over the flyweight limit; Bennett will receive an agreed-upon percentage of Kish’s purse, and the fight will go on
***Perez was 1.4 pounds over the lightweight limit; the fight was canceled
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.
