Tag: Bellator 297

Corey Anderson was ‘shivering’ from nerves prior to Bellator 297 win: ‘Am I washed up?’

Corey Anderson has felt the pressure of a big moment before in his MMA career, but nothing like what he experienced prior to Bellator 297.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] has felt the pressure of a big moment before in his MMA career, but nothing like what he experienced prior to Bellator 297.

After failing to capture the promotion’s light heavyweight title in a pair of fights with champ Vadim Nemkov, Friday’s fight against Phil Davis (24-7 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) at Wintrust Arena was a significant one for Anderson (17-6 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) and his career.

He ultimately got the win by split decision in a competitive fight, and Anderson could finally exhale when he got his hand raised. He knew it was a make-or-break fight in terms of his ability to return to title contention, and he felt all the weight of the stakes from the moment he arrived in Chicago for fight week.

“It was huge not just career-wise, but mental,” Anderson told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at Bellator 297. “This is one where I knew I’m better than him, I know how good I am and I was so confident just knowing, ‘There’s nothing this guy can do with me.’ But then you get to the fight and your last fight was a loss and you think, ‘Am I washed up? Am I done? If I lose to Phil Davis there’s no way I’m getting a title fight. He was already the champ, and got beat by the champ.’

“So, fight week the jitters really got to me. The what ifs and, ‘I don’t think it could do it.’ Then today it really hit me hard. I thought I had the chills or the flu all day. I was like shivering (from) the nervousness. So to go out there and get that win, it was a relief and took a burden off my chest and back.”

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Now that he’s back in the win column and has confidence back on his side, Anderson is turning his attention back to the title. The way his two-fight series with Nemkov unfolded does not sit well with him, and it’s his biggest goal to rectify that.

The first meeting between the pair at Bellator 277 in April 2022 ended in a no contest when Anderson, who was winning the fight, connected with an accidental head butt that cut Nemkov open forced the doctor to halt the action. They had a rematch seven months later at Bellator 288 in November, and Nemkov looked sharp in taking a unanimous decision.

Anderson is convinced a third showdown would look similar to the first fight where he thrived before the foul, and he wants to prove that to the world, too.

“There’s nothing else to do,” Anderson said. “I’m No. 1 contender. Why would I go back and fight back to get back here? I just beat the No. 2 (in the Bellator rankings). We should’ve done the trilogy in the first place, but they already announced the Yoel (Romero) fight (for Nemkov).

“Everything (goes different in a third fight). I’m going to back like it’s the first fight. The second fight, I’m not one to make excuses. The only thing it was, was me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Vadim Nemkov: Yoel Romero’s durability at Bellator 297 ‘was kind of weird,’ teases heavyweight move

Vadim Nemkov thinks he’s cleaned out the Bellator light heavyweight division and is now considering a move up after Bellator 297.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] thinks he’s cleaned out the Bellator light heavyweight division and is now considering a move up to face the big boys after Bellator 297.

Nemkov (17-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) put on a masterclass on Friday when he dominated Yoel Romero (15-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) for almost five full rounds to win a lopsided unanimous decision in their main event showdown at Wintrust Arena. It was his fifth consecutive title defense, and made the Russian just the fourth in Bellator history to start a promotional tenure on a 10-fight unbeaten streak.

The 30-year-old won the 205-pound grand prix prior to defeating Romero, and his defeated all the most notable contenders in his division – some twice. Because of that, Nemkov is mulling a jump to heavyweight where he could face greater challenges.

“I am one of the best light heavyweights in the world,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter post-fight at Bellator 297. “I don’t think there’s any challenge for me in the light heavyweight division, so I may try myself in heavyweight division now, because there’s no one else to fight there.”

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Nemkov had his way with Romero in the cage at Bellator 297. Although the challenger was arguably beyond his prime at 46 years old, Romero’s power and athleticism makes him a danger in any fight. He only had a few small moments over 25 minutes, though, and that was because Nemkov was overwhelming with his pace, pressure and output.

The champion landed some clean and powerful shots on multiple occasions, and he admits to be being stunned not only by Romero’s ability to take damage, but the fact he would try to taunt him.

“I was surprised about his head,” Nemkov said. “It’s really strong. There was a lot of great shots that I landed that I felt through the glove. It was kind of weird that he didn’t get injured or anything. At the end of the second round I thought I got him, but then I understood he was acting.”

If Nemkov does move up to heavyweight, a familiar foe holds the title. He already took one belt from Ryan Bader, who was a simultaneous two-division champion before Nemkov emerged and took over at light heavyweight with a second-round TKO win in August 2020.

Before he makes any firm decisions on his future, though, Nemkov said he wants to relish beating Romero, who he has admired for years.

“I’m very happy about this win,” Nemkov said. “It was very important to me. He’s a great fighter. He’s a legend. He’s an Olympian, so to win over somebody like him who was fighting with a lot of great fighters, top fighters, it means a lot to me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Scott Coker prefers Patricio Freire at featherweight after Bellator 297 loss, teases Aaron Pico fight

Bellator president Scott Coker will leave the decision up to Patricio Freire, but he prefers “Pitbull” returns to featherweight.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] attempted something historic and came up short.

While Bellator president Scott Coker appreciates Freire’s crack at gold in a third weight division, he thinks it’s best “Pitbull” returns back to where he’s found the most success throughout his career.

“The one thing with Patricio is we have to sit down and have a conversation,” Coker told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “Are you going to stay at 135? Do you want to go back to your normal weight at 145? He might feel more comfortable at 145. Maybe that’s where he should be. If he fights at 135, he’s going to run into speed all the time. So maybe he’ll be better off at 145.

Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) dropped to bantamweight for the first time at Bellator 297 when he lost a unanimous decision to Sergio Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the main event Friday at Winstar Arena. Had Freire won, he would be the first three-weight world champion to hold titles in the same promotion.

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Ultimately, Coker said Freire will be able to choose his own destiny, especially considering he’s the longest-tenured fighter on the promotion’s roster – a part of the company since Bellator 15 in April 2010.

“I can tell you what I think, which is he should go up to 145,” Coker said. “These young kids are coming up. Speed kills and they’re super fast. To me, you’ve been so dominant at 145. Let somebody come up to your weight and test you out and see how it works for them. Again, he’s one of the fighters in this company we’ll always sit down and listen to, because he deserves that respect. He’s been around a long time. He’s been around for so much, we’re going to give him that conversation when the time comes. We’ll let him tell us what he wants to do, then say our input, then figure it out.”

Should Freire choose featherweight, there’s one fight in particular that Coker finds intriguing whether it happens now or later.

“Listen, it’s no secret. I’d love to have him fight Aaron Pico at some point in the 145-pound weight class,” Coker said.

Pico (11-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) fights Sept. 23 at Bellator 299 against Pedro Carvalho. He most recently competed in April when he defeated James Gonzalez by unanimous decision.

The current Bellator featherweight champion, Freire had a three-fight winning streak snapped with the defeat Friday.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

‘Battles with myself’: Sergio Pettis opens up about self-doubt, anxiety prior to Bellator 297 victory

Sergio Pettis opens up about the mental battles he faced ahead of Bellator 297 – and during his career as a whole.

CHICAGO – To the outside observer, it appeared smooth sailing for [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] when he defended his title Friday at Bellator 297.

During the lead-up to his main event bout at Winstar Arena, it seemed all eyes and most headlines were on Pettis’ opponent Patricio Freire, despite being title challenger. The spotlight wasn’t as much on the champion as it normally is.

Even Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) admits that he may have given in to doubt a little bit, though it’s not necessarily irregular for him pre-fight.

“I ain’t going to lie,” Pettis told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I was telling my girl like, ‘Hey, if I lose to anybody, it’s OK to lose to Patricio ‘Pitbull.’ He’s a legend. I didn’t think I was going to lose, I just had battles in my mind. I was nervous, scared, all of the above. Eighteen months off from competing, so I kind of forgot how all this felt. It’s the opposite of Nate Diaz. I am surprised, motherf*ckers.”

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Pettis, 29, opened up in pre-fight interviews pertaining to his ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression. The issues became particularly spotlighted recently due to Pettis’ knee injury and recovery over the past year.

“It was something I had to battle for sure,” Pettis said. “It was an intense day for me today, pacing back and forth, sweating nonstop. I was definitely nervous. To get past that and have these battles with myself, I think that’s the thing that makes me perform my best. Thinking I’m going to lose and possibly going out there willing to risk it but not being afraid to lose. It’s a weird thing. I’ve got to figure it out.”

Despite the noise, Pettis defeated Freire (35-6 MMA, 23-6 BMMA) via unanimous decision. For the first time since the injury, Pettis has stability and clarity on his career path. He’ll fight interim bantamweight champion Patchy Mix next at a date and location to-be-announced.

“It’s awesome, man. My career is all lined up right now. Last year, I had no goals, no nothing set up for me – just recovery. To come back and be successful and have Patchy Mix next, I have some hitters at me over here at Bellator.”

“It’s been 18 months off and come back and have a performance like that,” Pettis said. “I didn’t get to watch it yet, but in my head it looked kind of good so I hope it looked good for everybody else.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Vadim Nemkov def. Yoel Romero at Bellator 297: Best photos

Check out these photos highlighting Vadim Nemkov’s light heavyweight title defense over Yoel Romero at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag]’s light heavyweight title defense over [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan)

Sergio Pettis def. Patricio Freire at Bellator 297: Best photos

Check out these photos highlighting Sergio Pettis’ bantamweight title defense over Patricio Freire at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXm3gutbf8E

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag]’ bantamweight title defense over [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan)

Twitter reacts to Vadim Nemkov’s lopsided title defense over Yoel Romero at Bellator 297

The MMA community recognized the skill of Vadim Nemkov after a dominant display of Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297h headliner

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] continued his unblemished run in Bellator on Friday when he registered a title defense against [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] in the Bellator 297 headliner.

Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) earned a third defense of the light heavyweight strap with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Romero (15-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the main event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nemkov’s title defense over Romero at Bellator 297.

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Bellator 297 results: Vadim Nemkov dominates inactive Yoel Romero to defend title

Vadim Nemkov showed 46-year-old Yoel Romero had no place challenging for his title with a dominant effort in the Bellator 297 main event

CHICAGO – [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] showed 46-year-old [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] had no place challenging for his title with a dominant effort in the Bellator 297 main event.

Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) delivered a five-round display of striking excellence against the former UFC title challenger Romero (15-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), who had almost nothing to offer over the course of five rounds at Wintrust Arena. In the end, the Russian champion was awarded a lopsided unanimous decision by scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 49-46.

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Nemkov started the fight strong, coming up with a high volume attacking consisting of punch and kick combinations. The pressure put Romero into a defensive shell, where he remained for essentially the entirety of the round as Nemkov racked up points.

The champion kept the pressure up into the second round. Nemkov kept Romero guessing with his striking attacks, and Romero barely threw anything back, as he was outstruck at a nearly 8-to-1 rate through 10 minutes.

Nemkov was fully in rhythm going into the third round, where Romero is known to be at his most dangerous. The beatdown only got more ferocious, though, as Nemkov unleashed beautiful punching and kicking attacks that forced Romero to the point of trying to play rope-a-dope to get back in it. However, Nemkov wasn’t having any of it.

As the fight hit the championship rounds, Nemkov was firmly in control of the action. He battered Romero for nearly the whole fourth round, but “The Soldier of God” did show a few signs in life in springing forward with his signature lunging attacks – including a clean Superman punch – but Nemkov absorbed it all without issue.

It was more of the same from Nemkov in the final round, as he picked Romero apart and avoided taking a desperation shot from the Cuban on the feet. Romero got a late takedown, but he couldn’t threat with a finish and Nemkov was able to coast to the final bell and keep his title reign in tact.

With the win, Nemkov continues his run of success under the Bellator banner, becomes the fourth fighter in company history to go undefeated in their first 10 fights with the promotion. A.J. McKee, Michael Page and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane were the others.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 297 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Bellator 297 results: Sergio Pettis denies Patricio Freire’s historic attempt, sets up Patchy Mix fight

Sergio Pettis denied Patricio Freire’s attempt at history Friday when he swept the judges’ scorecards in Chicago.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] played historic spoiler Friday when he swept the scorecards and defeated featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

In the Bellator 297 main event at Wintrust Arena, Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) defeated Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) to retain the bantamweight title.

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The first round was competitive, as Pettis utilized his striking and Freire found success with a caught kick into a takedown. In Round 2, the momentum changed dramatically when Pettis landed a late spinning wheel kick to the head that put Freire on the retreat. Freire wobbled backward to the fence and avoided a finishing blow until the horn sounded.

For the remainder of the fight, Pettis found success with his kicks and jab, the latter of which sliced and diced the face of Freire. While Freire found some success with his boxing and cage control, it wasn’t enough to sway the judges in his favor.

When the official decision read, Freire dropped to his knees in disbelief while an elated Pettis interviewed with John McCarthy.

Pettis successfully defends the title in his first attempt. He won the bantamweight championship in December 2021, but months later suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for 14 months.

The win aligns Pettis with a unification bout against interim champion Patchy Mix, who the bantamweight grand prix with a knockout of Raufeon Stots in April. The two fighters squared off after the bout.

Freire falls short of history in an attempt to become the first fighter to win championships in three weight classes for the same major promotion. He currently holds the promotion’s featherweight title and held the lightweight title from 2019 to 2021.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 297 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.