Tag: Bellator 288

Bellator 288 post-event facts: Usman Nurmagomedov makes history with title win

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 288, which saw Usman Nurmagomedov move to 16-0 while claiming gold.

The penultimate Bellator event of 2022 went down Saturday with Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

With two title fights on the card, one champ defended while another belt changed hands.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) earned a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) to defend light heavyweight gold in the main event, while [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) outpointed [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-11 MMA, 15-9 BMMA) on the scorecards to claim the lightweight strap.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 288.

Why Vadim Nemkov values Bellator title defense, grand prix win over $1 million prize

Belts over money, says Vadim Nemkov.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] is champion, and that’s all that matters to him.

The Bellator light heavyweight champ defended his belt once again, defeating Corey Anderson by decision in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 288. The title bout served as the final of the promotion’s 205-pound grand prix.

The victory came with a $1 million prize for winning the tournament. But although that’s a hefty bonus, Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) is happier about remaining champion and winning the tournament than the money.

“As I said before, victory is more important for me than money,” Nemkov told reporters at the Bellator 288 post-fight press conference. “But when the $1 million hits my bank account, I’ll probably feel it a little better, but it’s more important to get this belt and win a tournament of this magnitude. That’s what’s more important to me.”

The bout against Anderson (16-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) was a rematch, as they fought to a no contest back in April. The bout ended after an illegal accidental clash of heads ruled Nemkov out of action.

It was a tough moment for Nemkov, as the fight wasn’t going his way prior to the collision. However, today, he feels he showed an accurate representation of how he’d fare against Anderson.

“I was very disappointed with my last fight,” Nemkov said. “I think I showed 10 percent of my capabilities. In this fight, I was able to show 100 percent. I was able to show I can counter wrestle, wrestle, strike, and I’m just very well-rounded, so I’m very happy.”

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Nemkov already has a return date for his next title defense. The Russian fighter is expected to take on [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] on Feb. 4 at Bellator 290 in California.

Nemkov very much likes the matchup.

“It is an honor,” Nemkov said regarding a fight with Romero. “I watched him fight when I was just starting up, and I remember his fights, and now I get to fight him, so it’s definitely an honor.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Vadim Nemkov def. Corey Anderson at Bellator 288: Best photos

Check out these photos from Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson at Bellator 288.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag]’s light heavyweight title defense and grand prix final victory over Corey Anderson at Bellator 288 which took place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patricky Freire at Bellator 288: Best photos

Check out these photos from Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Patricky Freire at Bellator 288.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s title-winning victory over Patricky Freire at Bellator 288 which took place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 288 results: Vadim Nemkov shuts down Corey Anderson, defends light heavyweight title in grand prix final

Vadim Nemkov remains champion, and is $1 million richer for winning the light heavyweight grand prix.

CHICAGO – The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix is over and [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] was the last man standing.

The Bellator light heavyweight champion retained his title by defeating former UFC contender [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] in the light heavyweight grand prix final at Bellator 288. Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) defeated Anderson (16-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in a unanimous decision, winning 48–47, 49–46 and 49–46 on the scorecards.

It was the second time they fought, as they competed back in April at Bellator 277. The bout ended in a no contest after there was an accidental clash of heads that rendered Nemkov out of the bout due to a severe cut.

This bout was Nemkov’s third title defense. He also took home the $1 million prize that came from winning the grand prix.

Bellator 288 took place on Friday at Wintrust Arena. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

It was a great showing by Nemkov, who completely shut down Anderson’s wrestling. Anderson attempted 15 takedowns and was unable to complete one.

The fight started at a high pace. It was high volume from both fighters as they went back and forth on the feet. As the round went by, Nemkov began leading the way. He was having good success with the right hand, connecting it multiple times. Anderson tried multiple takedowns, but none were successful. In the last seconds, Nemkov connected with a spinning wheel kick that dropped Anderson, who went for the takedown immediately after falling back and survived the round.

Nemkov carried that momentum to the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds. Anderson had his moments on the feet, but Nemkov was clearly having more success. Anderson again attempted multiple takedowns over and over, but Nemkov stuffed them all.

Nemkov would slow down and his attack would decrease in the championship round. And although Anderson upped the pressure and seemed to be the fresher fighter, Nemkov did enough to stuff any takedown attempt and score significantly on the feet.

Nemkov is now expected to defend his title on Feb. 4 at Bellator 290 in California. His challenger is former UFC contender Yoel Romero, who’s on a two-fight winning streak.

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This win kept Nemkov unbeaten in his Bellator career. Since joining the promotion in 2027, Nemkov has notched eight victories and the one no contest against Anderson. The Russian fighter has only lost twice in his career – a TKO loss to current UFC champion Jiri Prochazka back in 2015 and a split decision loss to Karl Albrektsson. Both defeats came under the Rizin FF banner.

On the other hand, Anderson suffered his first loss since leaving the UFC. The 33-year-old joined the Bellator ranks in 2020 and picked up three straight wins, defeating Melvin Manhoef, Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, and Ryan Bader. He followed up that streak with the no contest bout against Nemkov.

Full results of Bellator 288 include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Bellator 288 live and official results

Bellator 288 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

CHICAGO – Bellator 288 took place Friday, and MMA Junkie was on-site providing live and official results.

The event took place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) put his title on the line against Corey Anderson (16-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). The fight was a rematch from an April title bout that ended in a no contest after an accidental clash of heads left Nemkov with too deep of a cut to continue.

This time, Nemkov looked much improved and swept the scorecards after five rounds. The fight also was also the $1 million final of Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament.

In the co-feature, unbeaten Usman Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) made history when he defeated Patricky Freire (24-11 MMA, 15-9 BMMA) to become the first Bellator champion from Dagestan, ushering in a new generation of lightweights.

Official Bellator 288 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Vadim Nemkov def. Corey Anderson via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament final
  • Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patricky Freire via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44) – for lightweight title
  • Timur Khizriev def. Daniel Weichel via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Daniel James def. Tyrell Fortune via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 0:27
  • Levan Chokheli def. Roman Faraldo via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Imamshafi Aliev def. Sean Fallon via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 3:20
  • Killys Mota def. Jairo Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Archie Colgan def. Jesse Hannam via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:50
  • Sullivan Cauley def. Jay Radick via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:01
  • Jordan Newman def. Jayden Taulker via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:20
  • Laird Anderson def. Rob Fenicle via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:28
  • Isaiah Hokit def. Matias Nader via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:48
  • Wladmir Gouvea def. Kory Moegenburg via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:46

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Twitter reacts to Vadim Nemkov’s light heavyweight grand prix final win over Corey Anderson at Bellator 288

Check out the reaction to Vadim Nemkov’s grand prix final win over Corey Anderson in Chicago.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] turned in a much-improved performance in his rematch with Corey Anderson in the main event of Bellator 288.

Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) picked Anderson (16-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) apart with sharp strikes and perfect takedown defense to retain his light heavyweight title and win the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix. As an additional bonus, Nemkov takes home a $1 million prize for winning the tournament.

With the win, Nemkov stretches his unbeaten streak to 10, and is now set up to face Yoel Romero at Bellator 290 in February.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nemkov’s title and grand prix final win over Anderson at Bellator 288 in Chicago.

Bellator 288 results: Usman Nurmagomedov dominates Patricky Freire to win lightweight title

Usman Nurmagomedov turned in a one-sided performance to win the lightweight title.

CHICAGO – Bellator has its first champion from Dagestan.

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] entered the first five-round fight of his career aiming to make history, and after a dominant 25-minute performance, he accomplished his goal with little resistance. Remaining undefeated Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), took the lightweight title from Patricky Freire with a clean sweep on the scorecards.

The lightweight title bout served as the co-main event of Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena, and aired on Showtime.

Nurmagomedov took control of the center early, setting the tone with a variety of kicks as Freire (24-11 MMA, 15-9 BMMA) measured from the outside. The frequency of kicks kept the champion from establishing his own offensive rhythm, aside from a couple of single strikes.

The gameplan remained the same for Nurmagomedov early in the second, scoring with kicks to the legs and to the body, while Freire remained in close proximity, but without offering much offense of his own. A couple of minutes in, Nurmagomedov blasted with a punch to pop Freire’s head back, and smoothly used the opportunity to complete a takedown.

Looking like his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, the challenger began smashing Freire on the ground with hard strikes with smothering control. The bell saved Freire as Nurmagomedov rained down hard elbows in the closing seconds.

Nurmagomedov attempted to get the fight to the ground early in the third, but his takedown was stuffed. He then went back to offering kicks while Freire remained neutral for most of the round.

The crowd grew restless in the fourth, as patches of boos were heard while Nurmagomedov continued to cruise in the one-sided fight. Freire put some power behind a couple of counter combinations, but Nurmagomedov was able to evade any serious damage.

“Pitbull” looked alive and came out with heavy punches to start off the final round. However, his initial success was quickly stifled by a takedown. Working from guard, Nurmagomedov maintained top control while mixing in a few punches. Freire was able to get back to his feet with a minute to go, but was unable to empty the tank to change the outcome.

The judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-44 and 50-44 in Nurmagomedov’s favor, crowing him the new champion.

During his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov expressed the importance of winning the lightweight title.

“For me, this is so important,” Nurmagomedov said. “… I’m so happy. A lot of emotions, you know? I just want to say thank you. Like, first of all, Alhamdulillah after. A lot of guys, everybody from around the world send me messages to support me. Thank you.”

Nurmagomedov, 24, becomes champion in his fifth win under the Bellator banner. He entered on the heels of three consecutive first-round finishes over Manny Muro, Patrik Pietila, and Chris Gonzalez.

Freire, 36, won the vacant title by defeating Peter Queally a year ago, but was unable to defend. “Pitbull” walks away with the 11th loss of his professional career.

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 288 include:

  • Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patricky Freire via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44) – for lightweight title
  • Timur Khizriev def. Daniel Weichel via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Daniel James def. Tyrell Fortune via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 0:27
  • Levan Chokheli def. Roman Faraldo via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Imamshafi Aliev def. Sean Fallon via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 3:20
  • Killys Mota def. Jairo Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Archie Colgan def. Jesse Hannam via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:50
  • Sullivan Cauley def. Jay Radick via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:01
  • Jordan Newman def. Jayden Taulker via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:20
  • Laird Anderson def. Rob Fenicle via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:28
  • Isaiah Hokit def. Matias Nader via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:48
  • Wladmir Gouvea def. Kory Moegenburg via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:46

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Bellator 288 video: Daniel James blasts Tyrell Fortune, finishes with vicious ground-and-pound

Daniel James had quite the show for his hometown.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] put on a show for his hometown.

The Bellator heavyweight pulled off an impressive comeback, topped with a vicious finish over wrestling standout [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] at Friday’s Bellator 288 event at Wintrust Arena. The official stoppage came 27 seconds into the second round.

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James (14-6-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) had some rough moments in the first round, as he was taken down and hit by ground-and-pound from Fortune. However, early in Round 2, James tagged Fortune with a huge uppercut and then finished him with strikes on the ground. It was a vicious finish.

You can watch James’s stoppage victory in the video below (via Twitter):

James, 40, fought for the first time under the Bellator banner. With Friday’s result, he stretches his current win streak to four, all by TKO, and none later than the second round.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Bellator 288: Best photos from Chicago

Check out these photos from Bellator 288 in Chicago.

Check out these photos from Bellator 288 which took place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)