Tag: Bellator 289

With first title defense handled, Liz Carmouche pushes Bellator for 135 division and shot at two belts

Liz Carmouche has a vision, and it includes a second Bellator title after her rematch win over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] has a vision for her future, and it includes a second Bellator title.

Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) on Friday submitted Juliana Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in a rematch to defend the women’s flyweight title in the Bellator 289 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Carmouche finished Velasquez with a fourth-round TKO to win the title in Honolulu in April, but Velasquez lobbied to get the result overturned and said it was a bad stoppage. The result stayed on the books, but Velasquez got a rematch – only to have Carmouche leave no doubt the second time around.

“In all honesty, one of the things I’ve been really working is a crucifix from every single position,” Carmouche told MMA Junkie after the fight. “So I was really trying to bait her to get back into a crucifix, just anywhere, so I could say, ‘Not only am I going to finish you in the exact same position, but I’m going to do it more dominant and a lot more dangerous.”

Carmouche fought Ronda Rousey at bantamweight in the first women’s fight in UFC history. But Bellator doesn’t have a 135-pound weight class, and Carmouche has been at 125 since she changed promotions.

With her first title defense in the books, Carmouche thinks it’s time Bellator gave women’s bantamweight a shot, and she’d gladly move up to go after a belt there.

Moreover, she thinks she should fight one of her longtime teammates and regular training partners for an inaugural Bellator women’s 135-pound belt: former flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

“Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and I have been training partners for years,” Carmouche said. “We have a lot of respect and we’re really great friends. She wants to retire, and she wants a fight against me to be her retirement. After her not making weight (at flyweight) her last time – and who wants to cut all the way down all the time? – it would make sense to me.

“I want to be Bellator’s 135 champion and I want to hold a belt in two divisions. And I can’t think of anybody better to do that with than Ilima – her retirement fight and my opening to a new division in Bellator. So I want to fight her in Hawaii for her retirement …”

Carmouche said her hope for a women’s bantamweight division largely is wishful thinking, but Bellator president Scott Coker said it may be a move the promotion is willing to make soon.

“It’s mostly wishful thinking, but if there’s one thing I’ve been doing since I’ve been in Bellator, it’s trying to put things into fruition and putting out there what I want,” Carmouche said. “… I think that Bellator is going to listen, and hopefully they’ll meet me with this and we’ll make a 135 division.”

Check out Carmouche’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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

[vertical-gallery id=2603694]

[vertical-gallery id=2603755]

Patchy Mix says he undoubtedly is bantamweight grand prix final’s favorite after Bellator 289

After he became the first fighter to finish Magomed Magomedov, Patchy Mix thinks he should be the one everyone’s talking about at bantamweight.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After he became the first fighter to finish Magomed Magomedov, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] thinks he should be the one everyone’s talking about at bantamweight.

Mix (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) choked out Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in the first of two bantamweight grand prix semifinals on the Bellator 289 main card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Magomedov was a slight favorite in the fight.

The win moved Mix into the final, and two fights after he put Magomedov out cold, he was cageside to see interim champion Raufeon Stots beat Danny Sabatello to defend his belt and move on to the $1 million final and a matchup with Mix.

Mix said his finish of Magomedov should make people reassess who should be expected to win once he and Stots have a date on the books.

“I saw in the (Enrique) Barzola fight (Magomedov is) susceptible to that guillotine, but I felt like he has a warrior spirit – a true warrior code,” Mix told MMA Junkie after his win. “I knew I wasn’t going to get him unless I put him out. I knew I had to put him out. He showed his true heart and he went unconscious.

“You know what? I’ve been telling people all f*cking (week): I’m the favorite to win this tournament. Now what? Now we’re going to be talking I’m the favorite. Want to know why? (Stots or Sabatello) in the (main event)? I could submit them, too.”

Mix said Stots’ unanimous decision win over Magomedov in August 2021 gives him a confidence boost when he compares it to his finish of Magomedov.

But once the dust settles and Stots starts to make plans for the final, Mix said it’s constant improvements in his game that should worry him for their eventual meeting.

“If I was on Level 5 before, I’m on Level 50 now. I’m way better. I’m way (more) progressed, and I’ve learned a lot more,” Mix said. “These guys don’t have to worry about what I did (Friday). They’ve got to worry about how much better I’m going to get until the next fight because I’m going back in the gym. Me and my team are getting together, and we have a big f*cking prize to win right now – a big prize, and it comes with a world title.

“You know what I just did? I earned my shot at the world title. I earned it again. This is my second time coming around and I’m not going to waste it.”

The tournament winner will get $1 million – and also will move on to a bantamweight title unification fight with champ Sergio Pettis, who has been out rehabbing after knee surgery.

Check out Mix’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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

[vertical-gallery id=2603723]

[vertical-gallery id=2603755]

Raufeon Stots satisfied with Bellator 289 win over Sabatello, looking forward to Mix’s challenge

Raufeon Stots had a pretty good idea of how he’d bid farewell – for now – to his rivalry with Danny Sabatello if he won at Bellator 289.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] had a pretty good idea of how he’d bid farewell – for now – to his rivalry with Danny Sabatello if he won at Bellator 289.

Win, Stots did, in the main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. But the result, a split decision, may be debated by some people for a while.

Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) beat Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) with a pair of 48-47 scores to not only defend his interim bantamweight title, but move into the grand prix final. A third judge scored all five rounds for Sabatello, who had more than 10 minutes of ground control time in the fight.

Stots said the amount of trash talk and beef that had built up between the two of them for the past nearly half-year made the win a little more gratifying – and is what led to him getting on the microphone in the cage to drop one final F-bomb in Sabatello’s direction while he left the arena floor.

“I’m satisfied I got the win, but I wanted to get that motherf*cker out of there,” Stots told MMA Junkie after the fight. “I wanted to cause a little more damage. I definitely got to see the look I was looking for – like, he wasn’t ready for the pain that I was going to bring him. So yeah, I guess that was the most satisfying (win of my career), given the talk … I’m glad to be the one to shut him up for a little bit. I feel like if I would have finished him, it would have shut his mouth for a longer time. But he’s going to be mad, and I can sleep well at night knowing that.”

Stots moved on to the bantamweight tournament final, which Bellator president Scott Coker said likely will take place the first quarter of 2023. He’ll meet Patchy Mix (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), who choked out Magomed Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in the other Friday semifinal fight.

The tournament winner will get $1 million – and also will move on to a bantamweight title unification fight with champ Sergio Pettis, who has been out rehabbing after knee surgery. Stots and Pettis are former teammates who trained together at Roufusport in Milwaukee.

Stots said the matchup with Mix is one he’s excited about given Mix’s recent resume with a win over ex-champ Kyoji Horiguchi and his Friday finish of Magomedov.

“I’m looking forward to that fight, actually, because he’s proven himself to be among the greats,” Stots said. “He beat Horiguchi. He beat Magomed, who I also have a win over. I would say he’s deserving of the spot, and I’m actually looking forward to putting my fist through that gap in his teeth.”

Check out Stots’ full post-fight interview in the video above.

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

[listicle id=2603655]

[vertical-gallery id=2603690]

[vertical-gallery id=2603755]

Bellator 289: Best photos from Connecticut

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289 in Uncasville, Conn.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289, headlined by an interim bantamweight title and grand prix semifinal bout between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Patchy Mix def. Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289: Best photos

Check out these photos from Patchy Mix’s submission win over Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289.

Check out these photos from Patchy Mix’s submission win over Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Liz Carmouche def. Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289: Best photos

Check out these photos from Liz Carmouche’s flyweight title victory over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s flyweight title victory over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Raufeon Stots def. Danny Sabatello at Bellator 289: Best photos

Check out these photos from Raufeon Stots’ interim title defense and semifinal grand prix win over Danny Sabatello at Bellator 289.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]’ interim bantamweight title defense and semifinal grand prix split decision win over Danny Sabatello in the main event of Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Twitter reacts to Raufeon Stots’ Bellator 289 split decision win, judge’s 50-45 Danny Sabatello scorecard

Check out how social media responded to the Bellator 289 main event between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello.

The main event of Bellator 289 was a close fight between [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] that went the full 25-minute distance.

With the interim bantamweight title and a spot in the grand prix final on the line, the fight came down to the judges’ scorecards, who were split in deciding a winner.

Judge Doug Crosby became the central point of social media reaction after his 50-45 score in favor of Sabatello was read. The other two judges, Bryan Miner and Eric Colon scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Stots.

Check out reactions to the fight and the scorecards below.

Bellator 289 results: Raufeon Stots wins tight split decision over Danny Sabatello, advances to grand prix final

Raufeon Stots retains his interim bantamweight title and advances to the grand prix final by taking a close decision over Danny Sabatello.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After a lengthy build up filled with trash talk, [autotag]Raufon Stots[/autotag] and Danny Sabatello finally got to settle their differences in the main event of Bellator 289.

With a spot in the bantamweight grand prix final and the interim title on the line, Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) went the 25-minute distance in a very close fight that left the official judges cageside at Mohegan Sun Arena split in their decision.

Naturally, there was no touch of gloves to start this bout given the heated build up.

Stots opened with a few strikes, but Sabatello soon went to work with his wrestling game. Sabatello found his way to the back, but Stots rolled to get back to guard, and then used a whizzer to get back to his feet. Sabatello stuck with the clinch though, and landed a few short strikes against the fence.

Stots exercised more caution in the second round, as he was on the lookout for takedown attempts from Sabatello. The champ was able to land a few solid strikes and stop some takedowns, but Sabatello eventually got what he wanted and brought the fight to the ground. While scrambling for position, Stots found a kneebar attempt, although the round would end with Sabatello on the champ’s back after escaping.

Sabatello looked for a takedown early in the third, but Stots sprawled and kept a knee on the canvas. Sabatello landed an illegal knee to the head, causing a brief pause in the action, but he was not docked a point.

After finding success with strikes, Stots switched things up by going for a takedown of his own, and dragged Sabatello to the mat. A moment later, Sabatello worked his way back up and reversed position before separating.

Stots continued to win striking exchanges on the feet, but gave up a takedown to Sabatello. Scrambles for position followed, but as Sabatello maintained a solid grip, he was unable to land strikes or attempt a submission. The fight returned to the feet where Stots landed a few solid punches.

Before the final round, both corners told their fighter the fight was likely tied on the scorecards.

As Stots pressured forward with strikes, blood began to trickle from Sabatello’s nose. After a wild scramble for a takedown, Stots ended up in a weird position with Sabatello hanging on to his waist, but was able to land a few elbows to the head. Sabatello kept his grip through more scrambles. They separated in the closing seconds and both emptied the tank with strikes until the fight concluded.

The razor-close fight went to the judges scorecards. Judges Bryan Miner and Eric Colon scored the fight the same, 48-47 in favor of Stots, while the dissenting judge, Doug Crosby, scored every round for Sabatello with a 50-45.

When hearing Stots won the fight, Sabatello stormed out of the cage. After leading the crowd in song sending his opponent on his way, Stots exclaimed, “F*ck you Sabatello!”

With the win, Stots records the first defense of his interim bantamweight title and advances to the grand prix final, where he will meet Patchy Mix. Earlier in the evening, Mix submitted Magomed Magomedov to earn his spot in the final.

The winner of the final bout will take home the interim bantamweight tile and a $1 million prize.

Full results of Bellator 289 include:

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

[vertical-gallery id=2603690]

[vertical-gallery id=2603755]

Bellator 289 live and official results

Bellator 289 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 5:25 p.m. ET (2:25 p.m. PT).

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator 289 took place Friday, and MMA Junkie was on scene providing live and official results.

The event took place at Mohegan Sun Arena, and aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) took on challenger Danny Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). The fight was a semifinal in Bellator’s ongoing bantamweight grand prix. Patchy Mix (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) and Magomed Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) fought in the other semifinal on the main card.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) put her belt on the line for the first time in a rematch with former champ Juliana Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA). Carmouche finished her with a fourth-round TKO in April to win the title.

Official Bellator 289 results include:

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

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5:25 p.m. ET)

  • Ilara Joanne def. Denise Kielholtz via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)
  • Jaleel Willis def. Kyle Crutchmer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Cris Lencioni def. Cody Law via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Christian Echols def. Pat Downey via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:27
  • Kai Kamaka def. Kevin Boehm via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:23
  • Michael Lombardo def. Mark Lemminger via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:23
  • Cass Bell def. Jared Scoggins via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

[vertical-gallery id=2603755]