Tag: Bellator 289

After upset of Cody Law at Bellator 289, Cris Lencioni calls out Kai Kamaka for Hawaii fight

Cris Lencioni has four straight wins under the Bellator banner, and he thinks that warrants a trip to Hawaii.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Cris Lencioni[/autotag] has four straight wins under the Bellator banner, and he thinks that warrants a trip to Hawaii.

Lencioni (10-3 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) on Friday upset Cody Law (6-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) at Bellator 289 in Uncasville, Conn. A couple fights earlier, Kai Kamaka (9-5-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) took out Kevin Boehm (9-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with a third-round TKO. And Lencioni liked what he saw.

“I actually liked watching that Kai Kamaka guy,” Lencioni told MMA Junkie after the fight. “I want to throw down with him in Hawaii in April. I have respect for him – mahalo, one love, much love. I don’t speak native Hawaiian, but I would love to fight that guy in April.”

Bellator has not yet announced an April event or events in Hawaii, but did back-to-back cards in Honolulu in April and tentatively has planned to return around that same time in 2023.

Neither Lencioni or Kamaka was ranked in Bellator’s featherweight division heading into Bellator 289, but could be on the cusp with their wins. And certainly a win over Kamaka on the heels over his upset of Law could be big for Lencioni, who said he was surprised Law brought to the table what he did.

“All these highlights of him knocking dudes out and throwing dudes around and just wrapping them up – and I get in there and instantly drop him,” Lencioni said. “He doesn’t land a single shot on me, clean, in the entire fight – on the feet or on the ground. How even one judge saw any rounds for him is insane – asinine.”

To hear Lencioni talk about his win over Law, his preparation for it the Kamaka callout and more, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Emotional Kai Kamaka reflects on first finish in more than eight years at Bellator 289

Kai Kamaka’s MMA career had been more down than up the past couple years, but is hoping his Bellator 289 win will jumpstart something.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]’s MMA career had been more down than up the past couple years, but is hoping his Friday win will jumpstart something.

Kamaka (9-5-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) was favored in his featherweight fight against Kevin Boehm (9-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at Bellator 289 in Uncasville, Conn. The Hawaiian put Boehm away with a third-round TKO. Not only was it the first knockout finish of his career, it was his first stoppage win of any kind in more than eight years.

“It’s a nice way to bounce back from a lot of (losses),” Kamaka told MMA Junkie after the fight. “Every win is a big one. I don’t think I’m fighting the guy in there. I’m just fighting myself. It was good to get that finish. … I’m glad to get that finish.”

Kamaka had been 1-3-1 in his previous five fights before he beat Boehm. He went 0-2-1 in his final three fights in the UFC before he was cut loose and signed with Bellator for a win over John de Jesus in December 2021. But a few months later, he lost on his home turf in Honolulu to Justin Gonzales.

The win over Boehm was big for Kamaka to bounce back, and now he’ll await his next assignment. Cris Lencioni, who also won at Bellator 289, called out Kamaka for an April fight in Honolulu if the rumors hold and Bellator returns there.

To hear Kamaka talk about his win over Boehm, his preparation for it and what he wants next, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3319: UFC 282 and Bellator 289 reaction show

Check out the latest edition 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 3,319, the boys recap all the madness from UFC 282 and Bellator 289, including the bizarre Jan Blachowicz-Magomed Ankalaev draw, Paddy Pimblett’s controversial win, the Bellator bantamweight grand prix final being set, and more. 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.

Spinning Back Clique: UFC 282 judging controversies, Bellator grand prix, more

Join us for this week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” looking at the biggest news and topics in MMA.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • The UFC 282 main event was supposed to crown a new light heavyweight champion. Instead, a lackluster fight resulted in a split draw – and the title stayed vacant. An upset Dana White moved on from former champ [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] and [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] and now will put the title up for ex-champ [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. We react to a crazy scenario.
  • In the UFC 282 co-main event, [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] won his fight against Jared Gordon. But very few people concurred with the judges’ scorecards, and many people already have called his win one of the year’s biggest robberies. Did his stock drop despite the win?
  • UFC 282, prior to the co-main and main events, featured 10 straight finishes – and all 10 of those fighters got $50,000 bonuses. So of all of them, who was the biggest star of the card?
  • For the first time, [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] went home with a loss at UFC 282. [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag]’s struggles continued. Pimblett won in controversial fashion. Across the country at Bellator 289 the night before, [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] got a 50-45 scorecard in his favor, but lost his fight to Raufeon Stots. Whose star power took the biggest hit this past weekend?
  • Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix has its finalists: Interim champ [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] will meet sometime in 2023 with Stots’ belt on the line and $1 million for the winner. The winner also will set up a title unification bout with Sergio Pettis, who said he’s ready to return from knee surgery. Has the tournament played out well for Bellator?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Dalton Rosta will cross bridge for Bellator title bout vs. teammate Johnny Eblen if it comes

Dalton Rosta wrapped up his 2022 calendar at a perfect 3-0, and if he keeps the same pace in 2023 could have something big in his future.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] wrapped up his 2022 fighting calendar at a perfect 3-0, and if he keeps the same pace in 2023 could have something big in his future.

Rosta (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) kept his perfect record intact with a unanimous decision win over Anthony Adams (9-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) to open the Bellator 289 main card Friday in Uncasville, Conn. If he goes 3-0 in 2023, it would make him 11-0 – the same record his American Top Team teammate Austin Vanderford had earlier this year when he got a middleweight title shot, and the same record teammate Johnny Eblen had when he beat Gegard Mousasi to win the belt a few months later.

So it’s reasonable to think an 11-0 Rosta could find himself in the title picture, especially considering he already was No. 5 in Bellator’s rankings at 185 pounds before his win over Adams.

“I continue to get better,” Rosta told MMA Junkie after the fight. “… I’m getting my experience in the cage. One thing I can take away from these decision victories, even though I don’t want to (have decision wins), is I’m getting more cage time and I’m learning to chain things together as I go.

“Johnny Eblen’s the champ in our weight class. He’s one of my teammates and he pushes me every day in the gym. One day, we might have to fight each other. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but at the end of the day, it’s just business. But until that day, I’m going to keep training with him and keep getting better, because he pushes me. He’s a beast … I think he has all the qualities I have, plus a good gas tank. He’s a really good fighter, and I’m blessed to have people like him in the gym.”

Rosta said he’d like to fight John Salter, who is ranked No. 3 in Bellator’s middleweight division, but so far hasn’t been able to get it on the books.

“(Salter) is like Romero Cotton 2.0 – he keeps ducking me,” Rosta said. “They tried making the fight twice. There was never any contracts like there was with Romero Cotton. Nonetheless, they’ve offered me the name and the fight never came to fruition. I don’t know what’s going on on his end, but hopefully they can make that fight happen.”

To hear Rosta talk about his win over Adams, training with the champ, and what he wants next, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Ilara Joanne eyes ranked opponents and women’s flyweight title consideration

After her second straight big win, Ilara Joanne is hoping she’ll start to draw some attention in Bellator’s women’s flyweight division.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After her second straight win over a big name, [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] is hoping she’ll start to draw some attention in Bellator’s women’s flyweight division.

The belt was on the line in Bellator 289’s co-main event Friday in Uncasville, Conn., and champion Liz Carmouche beat ex-champ and challenger Juliana Velasquez, who was the favorite, with a second-round submission.

But just three fights prior, Joanne (11-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) picked up a unanimous decision over Denise Kielholtz (6-5 MMA, 6-4 BMMA). The 28-year-old Brazilian beat Alejandra Lara in June to snap a two-fight skid. Now Joanne is hoping she’ll get a spot in the rankings – and maybe even some title consideration.

“When I beat Lara, she was No. 5 in the rankings,” Joanne told MMA Junkie through a translator. “Now I beat Denise, and she was No. 3. I hope I get to be in the rankings now because I’m not there.

“I think this puts me one fight away from a title shot. … That was my goal when I got here. … I feel I’m pretty close to it, and I’m certain when the time comes the belt is going to my home and it’s going to stay with my mother.”

The reality is, Joanne is not likely to fight for the title next, though. But a fight she said she’d be interested in is one against former division champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

“That’s great – I would be very excited,” Joanne said of that fight’s potential. “It would be an honor for me. She’s a great athlete, and I can assure you I would be ready.”

To hear Joanne talk about her win over Kielholtz and what she wants next, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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MMA world surprised at his massive upset of Pat Downey – but not Christian Echols

Christian Echols knew the odds against him at Bellator 289. He heard all about them. He just didn’t care and was glad to prove people wrong.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Christian Echols[/autotag] knew the odds against him at Bellator 289. He heard all about them.

Echols was a huge underdog against highly touted wrestling standout Pat Downey on Friday in Uncasville, Conn. Downey was a 15-1 favorite in the middleweight fight. A 36-second submission win in his pro debut earlier this year had a lot to do with that for Downey.

And at the start of his fight with Echols, it looked like things might play out in the same kind of way. Downey put Echols on the canvas and before long had a tight choke that Echols had to find a way out of. Eventually, he did – and then Echols (3-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) knocked out Downey (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) for one of the year’s biggest upsets.

“I was 2-2, so everybody looked at me as a scrub,” Echols told MMA Junkie after the fight. “What they didn’t understand was, when I changed my life around and I stopped doing the stupid things I was doing and I found God, I started training six hours per day. I’m training all the time. My last two fights, I had a total of 55 seconds in total through both fights. Nobody sees that. They look at 2-2 and say, ‘Oh, we’ll get this scrub in here. He’ll fight Pat Downey. Pat Downey will whoop his butt, (and we’ll) go on with the day.’

“That’s not the case, and I’m here to show everybody: I’m not to be played with. Screw the Internet. Screw Joe down the road that put me at a 15-1 underdog. I can do this, and I know I can. I’ve just got heart.”

To hear Echols talk about his upset of Downey, that choke and what he wants next, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Bellator 289 post-event facts: Underdogs shine on final card of 2022

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 289, which took place Friday and saw a number of significant betting upsets.

Bellator put on its 17th and final event of the year on Friday with Bellator 289, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Two champions defended their titles at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) edged [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) by split decision in their grudge match to defend interim bantamweight gold and advance to the finals of the promotion’s grand prix.

The co-headliner saw [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) earn a second consecutive win over [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA), this time without controversy as she scored a second-round submission to defend women’s flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 289.

Scott Coker says Raufeon Stots-Patchy Mix tournament final should happen in first few months of 2023

Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix final is set, but it wasn’t without a little controversy.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix final is set, but it wasn’t without a little controversy.

Danny Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) was less than thrilled with his split decision loss to interim champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) in the Bellator 289 main event Friday. The one scorecard in Sabatello’s favor read 50-45 – a shutout. But the other two were 48-47s for Stots.

Sabatello had more than 10 minutes of ground control time in the fight. But it was Stots who is moving on to a matchup with Friday’s other semifinal winner, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), who choked out [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA).

“It’s tough being a judge. The 50-45, I don’t know where that came from,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “To me, it could’ve went either way. But Stots is moving forward in our tournament, fighting Patchy Mix, which is going to be an unbelievable fight. … We’re going to have a great finals.”

The Stots-Mix winner will get a $1 million check and will have the interim bantamweight belt. From there, a title unification fight awaits with champ Sergio Pettis, who is out rehabbing after a major knee surgery.

Coker said he hopes Bellator can wrap up the bantamweight grand prix pretty quickly into the start of 2023.

“We’re going to have to see who’s injured, who’s not injured, and that’s going to determine when they fight,” Coker said. “We want them to be healthy, fresh and ready to go and not just training through injuries or having to cut weight too quick from this fight.

“We’re going to talk to all the managers Monday and see how everybody’s feeling and then we’ll decide when we throw that fight. Our goal is to get that fight done in the first quarter if we can.”

Check out Coker’s full post-event interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Danny Sabatello flabbergasted by scores in Bellator 289 loss to Raufeon Stots: ‘I don’t know how the f*ck I lost that fight’

Danny Sabatello took umbrage with earning a 50-45 score from one judge but still losing a split decision to Raufeon Stots at Bellator 289.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – When he heard [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] announced as the winner of their Bellator bantamweight grand prix semifinal, [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] stormed out of the cage. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if Sabatello ditched the Bellator 289 post-event news conference, but he didn’t.

He had some things to get off his chest.

“Pissed off,” Sabatello told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at Mohegan Sun Arena. “I think I won that fight. My team thinks I won that fight. Obviously I take full responsibility for the loss. Anytime you lose a decision, you could’ve obviously stopped the other guy and won by stoppage whether it’s by KO or submission.”

Sabatello lost a split decision to interim champ Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), who will move on to the $1 million final against Patchy Mix. The fight was the culmination of a heated build-up filled with trash talk from both men. For that reason alone, the loss would sting Sabatello. Making the feeling worse was the judges’ scorecards, with two judges awarding Stots 48-47 while one scored it 50-45 in favor of Sabatello.

“I don’t know how the f*ck I lost that fight,” Sabatello said. “I think the judges f*cked this one. I don’t know how one judge has it 50-45, I won every single f*cking round, and then the guy sitting next to him has me lose a close fight. Doesn’t f*cking make sense to me.”

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Unofficially, Sabatello had more than 10 minutes of mat control to Stots controlling less than a minute, which is a big reason why Sabatello believes he won. Stots, however, was the more effective striker by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. How much damage he did may be up for debate – or not, if you asked Sabatello.

“I don’t have a bump or a bruise on me,” Sabatello said. “I am perfectly fine. He never f*cking hit my face. Again, it’s very frustrating, because I think I won that fight. But again, I do take full responsibility.”

Despite the outcome, Sabatello isn’t disheartened about his future.

“Regardless of how I view what happened with the outcome of that fight, I still go back to the f*cking best gym in the world in American Top Team and go balls to the wall and train and keep striving to get that f*cking belt,” Sabatello said. “I’m young. I only started MMA about four years ago, I got in Bellator a year ago, and I already got this title shot. Obviously it’s a very bright future for me. This is just a little speed bump. I’m gonna be motivated no matter what. …

“I still think I’m the best f*cking bantamweight in the world. I still know that I f*cking won that fight. It’s become a sport where you’re just trying to trick three f*cking judges, and that’s it. Doesn’t matter how anyone else sees the fight. It’s just three f*cking people that don’t even know what they’re looking at.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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