Tag: Bellator 292

With title shot lined up, Linton Vassell awaits another rematch on Bellator revenge tour

With a Bellator heavyweight title shot all but official, Linton Vassell gave credit to his mental game for the biggest win of his career.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – With a heavyweight title shot all but official, [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] gave credit to improvements in his mental game for what he thinks was the biggest win of his career.

Vassell (24-8 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) had some early bumps in the road in his rematch with Valentin Moldavsky (11-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) at Bellator 292 this past Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. But instead of going into panic mode, he stayed calm and rallied for a big knockout win to avenge a past loss.

“It didn’t start the way I expected at all,” Vassell told MMA Junkie at his post-fight news conference. “But like my mind coach said, adversity and game plans, and what can you do when it doesn’t go your way? And I said, ‘Keep calm and get back to work.’ The groundwork didn’t work for me. That’s what usually is my bread and butter. But today, it was the hands. I’m not mad about that at all. Obviously, (I was) wanting to get that revenge back because we’re one apiece now.

“… If this was me, maybe even like six (to) 10 fights ago, I would have panicked. As soon as we got back to our feet, I would’ve done some stupid stuff and probably tried to take him down. (This time), I just composed myself, went back to my hands, and it was funny as I threw, I didn’t even know I’d hurt him until I had my head down and then when I looked up, he was on the floor.”

Vassell’s win over Moldavsky avenged a loss he had when he first moved to heavyweight from light heavyweight, a division in which he lost a title shot to then-champ Ryan Bader in 2017 before he moved up to heavyweight.

But since his move up, he has five straight wins, including four knockouts of Sergei Kharitonov, Ronny Markes, Timothy Johnson, and now Moldavsky. Now he’ll get a chance, Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed, to take Bader’s heavyweight title later this year.

Regardless of when the Bader rematch happens, Vassell said the win over Moldavsky was the biggest of his career so far.

“I’m going to say yes – one, because of the way I did it, and two, it was a very special fight, should I say, because it was a No. 1 contender and it was a rematch,” Vassell said. “So I had those two things on my mind. But to be honest, it wasn’t that that was playing my mind. It was just like, ‘I can’t lose again to him,’ beause I’m 39 now, so it’s not like I’ll get him next time. Probably more like, ‘I won’t get you next time and I won’t fight for the belt’ if I had lost. It was just icing on the cake to get the win, and winning the way I did, as well.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.

Bellator 292 post-event facts: Michael Page takes sole possession of company knockout record

Check out the numbers to come out of Bellator 292, where Michael “Venom” Page broke a longstanding tie for most KO/TKO wins in history.

Bellator put on its third event of the year Friday with Bellator 292, which took place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

The lightweight grand prix got its start on the card with a pair of quarterfinal matchups. Reigning champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (17-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) made his first step in defending through the tournament when he quickly stopped former UFC and WEC champ [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 7-7 BMMA) by first-round submission.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 292.

After gruesome ending vs. Yamauchi, Michael Page not in the mood for another long wait

Michael Page sees no real next option beyond a Bellator title shot – but knows it could be a matter of bad timing.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] sees no real next option beyond a Bellator title shot – but knows it could be a matter of bad timing.

Page (21-2 MMA, 17-2 BMMA) on Friday opened up the Bellator 292 main card in San Jose, Calif., with a bizarre knockout win over Goiti Yamauchi (28-6 MMA, 14-5 BMMA) that stemmed from a Page kick and a gruesome apparent patella tendon injury to Yamauchi.

Minutes after he left the cage, at a post-fight news conference at SAP Center, Page still was unsure what happened, other than he went from jubilant to concerned.

“I saw him go down and I just thought, I don’t know – nerve (damage), whatever,” Page told MMA Junkie. “But when I saw him grasp his leg, I was like, ‘He’s not getting back up.’ I didn’t see the lump (in his kneecap) until I looked up at the screen. I’m in my celebrating element, and then I actually looked up to see what it was, and it kind of took the energy out of me

“I come here to win fights – 100 percent. But I don’t like taking money out of people’s pockets. And what I mean is, yes, he’s going to get paid for this fight. But because of the damage, he’s going to be out a lot longer, whereas if I knocked him out or whatever, 90-day (suspension), blah, blah, blah, which is, he’s not going to get a fight in between that time anyway. Then he’d be back ready, making money again, ready to fight again. So I just hate that for him.”

The win put England’s Page back in the win column, and it came not long after welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov defended his title against then-interim champ Logan Storley. Bellator president Scott Coker has said Jason Jackson is next in line for a shot at the 170-pound belt, but given Amosov just had a five-round fight with Storley, an Amosov-Jackson title bout isn’t likely until the summer months at the earliest.

If Page wants a title shot next, he could be looking at the end of the calendar year for a return. That would be a situation he’s all too familiar with. After his split decision loss to Storley for the interim title in May 2022, Page so badly wanted to fight again that Bellator let him have a one-off bareknuckle boxing match with former UFC fighter Mike Perry at BKFC.

So the 35-year-old “MVP” doesn’t seem like he’s going to want to wait again, particularly since he walked away from the Yamauchi fight virtually unscathed.

“I feel like I’m already in that (title) race with a win like that,” Page said. “There are not many others in the division. I think a few people have lost just below me in the rankings, so I’m looking at the top. It’s just dependent on how long I’m going to have to wait. I haven’t taken too much damage at all, so I don’t want to have to wait months on end before I’m back again.

“I enjoyed being back in there – the crowd, just that energy. So (I want to fight again) as soon as possible. If it’s not the title, then just whoever’s (ready). … It’s just progression. That’s all it is – whoever’s next in line. I need to fight to keep progressing and going forward. That’s what I’m going to do. I can’t say specific names – our division, everyone’s kind of waiting and it’s always difficult, and the promotion itself has a difficult time to match people at the right times and blah, blah, blah. But I’m ready.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.

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Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t care who comes next in Bellator grand prix

Usman Nurmagomedov’s resume continued its expansion with a monumental win over former UFC and WEC champ Benson Henderson at Bellator 292.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s resume continued its expansion Friday with a monumental win.

Lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) backed up why oddsmakers had him as much as a 25-1 favorite to beat former UFC and WEC champ Benson Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-7 BMMA) in the Bellator 292 main event. The champ landed a brilliantly timed and placed question mark kick that knocked Henderson to the canvas.

That was the beginning of what ultimately became a rear-naked choke for Nurmagomedov to retain his title and move on into the Bellator lightweight grand prim semifinals. Henderson announced his retirement after the loss.

“I was not in a rush to finish him because I knew that if I waste too much energy, he might get away – and then it’s going to cost me a lot,” Nurmagomedov said through a translator. “So I was taking my time, and then when I saw the opportunity, I grabbed it, and I went all the way.”

Nurmagomedov said he will observe Ramadan soon, then resume hard training after that. His next assignment will be in the semifinals against the winner of Mansour Barnaoui and Brent Primus, who fight at Bellator 296 in May.

But he said it doesn’t matter who it is.

“I honestly don’t care,” Nurmagomedov said. “It can be Barnaoui or Brent. I really don’t care. See you in the second round with any(one).”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.

Benson Henderson on decision to retire from MMA: ‘It’s my wife’s turn to shine’

Benson Henderson explains his decision to retire from MMA.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] has decided to put an end to his fighting career so someone else can flourish.

The former UFC and WEC champion hung up his gloves Friday following his submission loss to Usman Nurmagomedov in their lightweight championship bout in the main event of Bellator 292.

Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-7 BMMA, who got emotional during his post-fight news conference, explained why it was time for him to walk away from fighting.

“It’s my wife’s turn to shine – her turn to practice three, four times a day and get after it,” Henderson said. “I’ll leave that to her, and I’ll be doing the majority of taking care of the kids. But I’ll still be in the gym, helping my team, and of course helping out my wife.”

Henderson’s wife Maria is 1-0 as a professional. She’s scheduled for her promotional debut at Bellator 293 later this month. Henderson, 39, thinks this is the right time to end his career so he can help launch Maria’s.

“The majority of the time will be taking care of the kids so that she can train more,” Henderson said. “I signed that deal with Bellator and I told myself, ‘Anytime you lose in these four fights, that’s probably it,’ and that’s what happened. It’s time to lay the gloves down. I’ll still be around and help the guys out. I love my team.”

Henderson retires from MMA after 17 years of fighting professionally. In his biggest feats, Henderson won and defended the WEC title in 2010, and then became UFC champion in 2012 and defended that belt three times. Throughout his career, he beat many notable names lilke Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Melendez.

Henderson isn’t sure how he’ll be remembered in the sport, but hopes his work ethic is recognized.

“I’ve gotten that question many times over the years, but I’ll leave it to you pundits,” Henderson said. “You guys give my career scope and put some cool words to it.

“If anything, the thing I’m highest on in this life is hard work. I don’t care what it is that you do – a journalist, a cameraman, a fighter. It doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all about how hard you work. I think maybe for my career, I want to be known as the guy who worked his butt off.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.

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Usman Nurmagomedov def. Benson Henderson at Bellator 292: Best photos

Check out these photos from the Bellator 292 main event, in which Usman Nurmagomedov retired former UFC champion Benson Henderson.

Check out these photos from the Bellator 292 main card bout between [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], which took place Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and aired on Showtime. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan and Bellator MMA)

Michael Page def. Goiti Yamauchi at Bellator 292: Best photos

Check out these photos from Michael Page vs. Goiti Yamauchi, which ended in a gruesome injury at Bellator 292.

Check out these photos from the Bellator 292 main card bout between [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (“MVP”) and [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag], which took place Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and aired on Showtime. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan and Bellator MMA)

‘Lightweight legend’: Twitter reacts to former UFC champ Benson Henderson retiring after Bellator 292 loss

Former UFC and WEC champion Benson Henderson announced his retirement at Bellator 292 – and the MMA world reacted.

Former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] called it a career Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., after he lost in the Bellator 292 main event to Usman Nurmagomedov.

Henderson, 39, competed as a professional mixed martial artist since 2006. He competed for the UFC and Bellator 14 times each, as well as six times for WEC, among many other smaller promotional stops.

As news of Henderson’s retirement spread across the MMA world, fans, fighters, personalities, and media members had plenty to say as they reacts to the news. Scroll below to see what they had to say.

Bellator 292 live and official results

Bellator 292 takes place Friday. Join us for a live video stream and official results.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Bellator 292 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results.

The event takes place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on challenger Benson Henderson (30-11 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) in the 155-pound grand prix quarterfinals. In the co-feature, Tofiq Musayev (20-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) meets Alexander Shabliy (22-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in a quarterfinal on the other side of the bracket.

Full Bellator 292 results include:

Bellator 292 results: Former UFC champ Benson Henderson retires after first-round loss to Usman Nurmagomedov

Former UFC and WEC champion Benson Henderson called it a career after he lost quickly to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292.

[autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] has called it a career.

It took [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (17-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) all of 2:37 to finish Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-7 BMMA) and defend his Bellator lightweight championship at Bellator 292.

In the main event of Friday’s event at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Nurmagomedov submitted Henderson with a rear-naked choke after a question mark kick floored the former UFC champion in the opening seconds.

Henderson recovered from the initial knockdown, though he was continually punished with follow-up punches. Nurmagomedov shifted to the back and worked for a submission. Initially, Henderson defended but after he scooted to the cage, Nurmagomedov used his punches, found a grip on the neck, squeezed, and got the tap.

After the fight, Henderson announced his retirement inside the cage in an interview with analyst John McCarthy. Henderson, who had two more fights left on his Bellator contract, said he told himself prior to signing the deal that if he lost, he’d call it quits. Friday, he made good on that promise and will now focus on his wife, Maria, as she embarks full-force on an MMA journey of her own.

“I’ve had a nice long run,” Henderson said. “I’ve done a lot of great things. I was able to do a lot of accomplishments. Thank you to everybody around the world. Thank you guys for your love and support. I appreciate that.”

Henderson, 39, finishes with a lengthy resume of high-level accolades. He is a former UFC lightweight champion and former WEC lightweight champion. Victories include Frankie Edgar, Josh Thomson, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, Donald Cerrone, and Patricio Freire.

With the victory in a bout that served as a grand prix quarterfinal, Nurmagomedov advances to the semifinal round against the winner of a Bellator 295 bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Brent Primus in May.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 292 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.