Bellator 288 – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Bellator 288 video: Freire, Nurmagomedov face off ahead of co-main event title fight

Bellator’s lightweight champion will put his title on the line for the first time Friday.

CHICAGO – Bellator’s lightweight champion will put his title on the line for the first time Friday.

[autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) is set to take on the unbeaten [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who is a heavy favorite in the fight even though he’s the challenger. The two meet in the Bellator 288 co-main event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out their faceoff from the ceremonial weigh-ins in the video above.

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

Photos: Bellator 288 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos of the Bellator 288 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs in Chicago.

Check out these photos of the Bellator 288 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs in Chicago. (Photos by Lucas Noonan, Bellator)

Bellator 288 predictions: Nemkov or Anderson, Freire or Nurmagomedov in Chicago title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 288 main card in Chicago, which features light heavyweight and lightweight title fights.

	Nemkov vs. Anderson	Freire vs. Nurmagomedov	Khizriev vs. Weichel	Fortune vs. James	Chokheli vs. Faraldo
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 180-106	Anderson (57%)	Nurmagomedov (87%)	Khizriev (75%)	Fortune (91%)	Faraldo (90%)
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 190-101 2018 Champion	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 182-109	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Weichel	Fortune	Faraldo
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 182-109	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 179-112	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Weichel	Fortune	Faraldo
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 178-113 2014 Champion	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 176-115	Anderson	Freire	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Simon Samano @SJSamano 175-116	Anderson	Freire	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Nolan King @mma_kings 170-121	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Weichel	Fortune	Faraldo
Brian Garcia @thegoze 169-122 2017 Champion	Anderson	Freire	Weichel	Fortune	Faraldo
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 157-134	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 142-149	Anderson	Nurmagomedov	Khizriev	Fortune	Faraldo

Bellator makes its return to Chicago this week with a pair of title fights leading the card in the “Windy City.”

Bellator 288 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. 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, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA). The fight is a rematch from an April title fight that ended in a no contest after an accidental clash of heads left Nemkov with too deep of a cut to continue. The fight also is the $1 million final of Bellator’s light heavyweight tournament. Anderson was the underdog in the first fight, but now is a -230 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Nemkov is +175. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Anderson as one of three unanimous picks at 11-0.

In the co-feature, lightweight champion [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) puts his belt up for the first time when he takes on the unbeaten [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Usman is the biggest favorite on the main card at a whopping -750, but he’s not a unanimous pick. Three of our staff members are taking “Pitbull” Freire in what would be a major upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) in a featherweight bout. Khizriev is a big -320 favorite at the betting window, but he has just a 7-4 picks lead.

[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) is one of our three unanimous picks in his heavyweight bout against Chicago native [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Fortune is a 3-1 favorite in the fight.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is our third unanimous pick at 11-0 in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Levan Chokheli[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) – even though he’s the smallest main card favorite at about 2-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Anderson (57 percent), Nurmagomedov (87 percent), Khizriev (75 percent), Fortune (91 percent) and Faraldo (90 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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

VIDEO: Vadim Nemkov, Corey Anderson make weight for Bellator 288 headliner

The Bellator 288 main event rematch is official after the title fighters made weight Friday in Chicago.

CHICAGO – The Bellator 288 main event rematch is official after the title fighters made weight Friday.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) meet in the headliner with not just Nemkov’s title on the line. The bout also is the $1 million final of Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix.

Nemkov and Anderson fought in April, but an accidental clash of heads late in the third round led to a stoppage when a cageside doctor said Nemkov’s cut was too bad to continue. The fight was ruled a no contest because it hadn’t gone three full rounds.

Friday, Nemkov and Anderson finally run it back at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out their trips to the scale at the official weigh-ins in the video above.

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

VIDEO: Patricky Freire, Usman Nurmagomedov on point for Bellator 288 title fight

The Bellator 288 co-main event title fight is set after the fighters made weight Friday in Chicago.

CHICAGO – The Bellator 288 co-main event title fight is set after the fighters made weight Friday.

Lightweight champion [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) meets unbeaten challenger [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-feature Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out their trips to the scale at the official weigh-ins in the video above.

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

Bellator 288 weigh-in results: Nemkov-Anderson, Freire-Nurmagomedov title fights official after flawless session

Check out the results from the official Bellator 288 fighter weigh-ins in Chicago, featuring light heavyweight and lightweight title fights.

CHICAGO – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s official Bellator 288 weigh-ins, where all the fighters on the card hit their marks.

In the main event, light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) takes on Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in a rematch. Their first fight ended in a no contest in April from an accidental head butt.

Nemkov weighed in at 203.8 pounds. Anderson was the last fighter to come to the scale in the official weigh-in window and was 204.2 a little more than 40 minutes into the session to make the rematch official.

In the co-feature, lightweight champ Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) meets unbeaten challenger Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Freire came in a pound under at 154. Nurmagomedov was 0.2 pounds heavy on his first attempt, but removed his shorts and with the towel was 154.8.

The weigh-ins took place at the Bellator host hotel in Chicago. The nearby Wintrust Arena hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The full Bellator 288 weigh-in results included:

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

Champ Vadim Nemkov (203.8) vs. Corey Anderson (204.2) – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament final
Champ Patricky Freire (154) vs. Usman Nurmagomedov (154.8) – for lightweight title
Timur Khizriev (146) vs. Daniel Weichel (145.2)
Tyrell Fortune (257.2) vs. Daniel James (264.8)
Levan Chokheli (170.6) vs. Roman Faraldo (170.8)

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

Imamshafi Aliev (185.8) vs. Sean Fallon (185.6)
Killys Mota (155.6) vs. Jairo Pacheco (155.6)
Archie Colgan (154.8) vs. Jesse Hannam (155.8)
Sullivan Cauley (205.6) vs. Jay Radick (205.6)
Jordan Newman (185.6) vs. Jayden Taulker (185.6)
Laird Anderson (145.6) vs. Rob Fenicle (146)
Isaiah Hokit (145.4) vs. Matias Nader (144)
Wladmir Gouvea (265.8) vs. Kory Moegenburg (246.2)

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

Bellator 288 pre-event facts: Patricky Freire can take sole possession of all-time knockout record

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 288, where all four title competitors are fighting for history.

Bellator returns on Friday for its penultimate event of 2022 with Bellator 288, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader serves at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (14-2 MMMA, 7-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will try for a second time to determine the Bellator light heavyweight and grand prix champion when they meet in a rematch of their April fight that ended in a no contest due to a head butt.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see lightweight gold up for grabs as [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) looks to kick off his reign with a defense against the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov pupil [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

For more on the title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 288.

Undefeated Sullivan Cauley not looking to get fast tracked, ‘focused on developing a world-class skill set’

Sullivan Cauley has been putting people away quickly in Bellator, but he’s just fine with a slow build to his career.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is happy with a slow build to his career.

Cauley (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), a protege of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, has finished all four of his professional fights in the first round.

While Cauley’s performances have delivered, the 26-year-old unbeaten fighter is in no rush to get to the top.

“I’m just focused on staying busy right now,” Cauley told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day for Bellator 288. “I’m on a development contract. I’m focused on developing a world-class skill set, and a big part of that is getting experience. I’m 4-0 and it’s all in Bellator, so it’s been under the spotlight, and I’ve been wasting guys, which is great – but I’m still only 4-0.

“So I don’t want to fight Corey Anderson when I’m 7-0. I want to get a couple more fights. I want to build up a resume. The skills are there. I can compete with the world-class guys in the practice room today. But doing it under the lights is a little different, and this is coming from my coaching staff. I fully believe in them. This is their plan. We’re going to get a few more fights, get some more experience and then we’re going to start climbing through that top 10.”

Cauley returns to action Friday at Bellator 288 when he takes on Jay Radick (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

Video: Watch Thursday’s Bellator 288 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 2 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the Bellator 288 ceremonial weigh-ins from Chicago.

CHICAGO – Bellator 288 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Thursday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at the Bellator host hotel in Chicago. The nearby Wintrust Arena hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In addition to the video stream above, you can check out the early and official Bellator 288 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

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

Usman Nurmagomedov vows to become first Dagestani Bellator champion: ‘My name will be saved in the history books’

Usman Nurmagomedov is set on making history at Bellator 288.

CHICAGO – Undefeated Bellator lightweight [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is ready to make Bellator history.

At Bellator 288, Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) challenges Patricky Freire for the lightweight title in the co-main event at Wintrust Arena. It will be the first five-round fight of his unblemished career, but assures he is ready for the task.

Standing in his way of making history as the first fighter from Dagestan to win a Bellator title will be Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA), the 36-year-old Brazilian champion who will be putting his newly-acquired title on the line.

If Nurmagomedov has his say, there will be another changing of the guard in the lightweight division.

“What he used to do from the age of, let’s say 25 to 28, he will never be able to repeat it,” Nurmagomedov told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Even if he wants it too much, it’s not going to happen. He’s old, he’s 36.”

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Due to his age, Nurmagomedov believes it doesn’t make sense for him to watch footage of Freire’s old fights. “Pitbull” claimed the vacant lightweight title by defeating Peter Queally by second-round TKO at Bellator 270 a year ago.

With youth on his side, the 24-year-old Dagestani plans to pick up his fifth victory under the Bellator banner, and along with it, a piece of hardware and a place in history.

“My name will be written in the history books forever,” Nurmagomedov said. “There was a time nobody would sign fighters from the Caucasus. Nobody knew where Dagestan is, where this part of Russia is located. Now we have two champions from Dagestan in the UFC – past and present. I want to be the first Bellator champion from Dagestan. Nobody will take this away from me. No matter what happens in the future, my name will be saved in the history books.”

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