Tag: Bellator 297

Bellator 297 weigh-in results: Patricio Freire lighter than necessary for bantamweight debut

Check out the results from the official Bellator 297 fighter weigh-ins in Chicago.

CHICAGO – MMA Junkie was on scene at Friday’s official Bellator 297 fighter weigh-ins, which 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.

Among those who weighed in were light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), who meet in the main event. Both fighters made weight. Nemkov was first of all the fighters to take the scale and weighed 203.8. Minutes later, Romero weighed 205 with a towel, which created a comedic moment with Bellator fighter operations’ Burt Watson.

Bantamweight champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and featherweight titleholder [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA), who is trying for Bellator history with a title in a third division, also took to the scales.

Much buzz was made about Freire’s move to bantamweight, but Friday he proved any doubters wrong when he came in lighter than needed – at 134.2 pounds. Pettis affirmed his reputation as a professional when he came in even lighter, at 134 pounds.

The weigh-ins were rapid-fire to start, as 29 athletes weighed in during the first 15 minutes of the one-hour window. Welterweight [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) was the lone fighter outside of the initial burst, but he made 171 with the towel.

The full Bellator 297 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Champ Vadim Nemkov (203.8) vs. Yoel Romero (205) – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Sergio Pettis (134) vs. Patricio Freire (134.2) – for bantamweight title
  • Corey Anderson (205) vs. Phil Davis (206)
  • Daniel James (265) vs. Gokhan Saricam (246)

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

  • Wladmir Gouvea (264) vs. Gabriel Sayeg (261)
  • Kyle Crutchmer (171) vs. Bobby Nash (171)
  • Pieter Buist (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (156)
  • Ramazan Kuramagomedov (170) vs. Jaleel Willis (171)
  • Mike Hamel (155) vs. Shamil Nikaev (156)
  • Norbert Novenyi Jr. (185) vs. Kamil Oniszczuk (186)
  • Archie Colgan (155) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (155)
  • Karl Moore (205) vs. Alex Polizzi (204)
  • Timur Khizriev (145) vs. Richie Smullen (145)
  • Jordan Newman (186) vs. Matthew Perry (184)
  • Edwin Chavez (146) vs. Cody Law (145)

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

Video: Whose legacy will be impacted most between the two Bellator 297 title fights?

We discuss how Yoel Romero, Vadim Nemkov, Sergio Pettis, and Patricio Freire could have their legacies impacted in a big way at Bellator 297.

Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago with two title fights at the top of the bill.

In the main event of Bellator 297, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] puts his light heavyweight title on the line against former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returns from injury to defend his bantamweight title against featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

Nemkov is in the conversation for the best light heavyweight in the world, and if he’s victorious against the always-dangerous Romero, his argument will only strengthen. If Romero wins at 46, he will have an incredible achievement in the late stage of his career.

Freire is attempting to make history again, as he looks to claim a world title in a third division. Questions surround him about his weight cut for this one, but also, Pettis may have some rust to knock off after being out of action since December 2021.

Who has the most on the line here? History and legacies are at play, but which outcome has the biggest impact? Would it be Romero’s late title run? Would it be Freire daring to be great, and even going further for a fourth title at flyweight? Will a Pettis victory place him among the greats at 135 pounds?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

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‘On his way to greatness’: Norbert the Shootfighter | Video

Undefeated Bellator prospect Norbert Novenyi Jr. is in the beginning stages of what he hopes will be a prominent and prosperous MMA career.

LONDON – Rising prospect [autotag]Norbert Novenyi Jr.[/autotag] looks to remain undefeated Friday at Bellator 297 in Chicago, where he meets Kamil Oniszczuk in a lightweight bout.

At 23, Novenyi (6-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is one of Bellator’s most promising young talents. Ahead of Bellator 297, MMA Junkie spent time in his training camp at London Shootfighters as he spoke about coming to the U.K. from Budapest, Hungary at 14 and getting started in the gym, the influence of his Olympic champion father, turning professional at 18, his Bellator career to this point, and more.

You can watch the full feature in the video above.

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

Video: Watch Friday’s Bellator 297 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 2 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the Bellator 297 ceremonial weigh-ins.

CHICAGO – Bellator 297 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Thursday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The same venue 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 297 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

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

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Bellator 297’s Richie Smullen ready to climb featherweight rankings with win over Timur Khizriev

Richie Smullen, who’s a huge underdog, is excited by the opportunity in front of him at Bellator 297.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Richie Smullen[/autotag] is excited by the opportunity to start climbing the Bellator featherweight rankings.

Smullen (10-2-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) takes on No. 8 featherweight [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in Friday’s Bellator 297 event at Wintrust Arena. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The SBG Ireland fighter has won his past five fights in a row and sees a win over Khizriev catapulting him into the rankings.

“I can’t wait,” Smullen told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “It’s time that I climb the ranks now. I’ve got a ranked opponent, so it’s time to beat this guy and go from there, beat the next guy.”

Smullen is not afraid of the ground game of Dagestan-born Khizriev. In fact, he plans on taking the fight to the mat himself.

“I’ll be taking him down,” Smullen said. “I’m taking him down. I’m on top of him, teach him what real grappling is then. … Him on his back, me on top elbowing his face in.”

According to Bet MGM, Smullen is a massive +650 underdog against undefeated Khizriev, who is a -1000 favorite. But Smullen is a little perplexed by the wide odds.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” Smullen said. “Underdog or not, I’m hard to deal with. So I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know why I’m the underdog. We have the same amount of fights. I fought high-level opponents, as well. So, that’s just someone’s opinion underdog or not. I don’t give a f*ck about people’s opinions.”

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

Bellator 297 video: Why Yoel Romero ‘faced off’ with Vadim Nemkov virtually from his hotel bed

Bellator’s headlining champs and challengers had their first faceoffs of fight week Wednesday 1,350 feet in the air – absent one key player.

CHICAGO – Bellator’s headlining champs and challengers had their first faceoffs of fight week Wednesday 1,350 feet in the air … absent one key player, though.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the Bellator 297 main event.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) chases history when he tries to add the bantamweight title to his current featherweight belt. He challenges 135-pound champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-feature, and a win will make him the first fighter in Bellator history to have titles in three different divisions.

Wednesday, the fighters took questions from the media at a press conference at the Skydeck at Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), Chicago’s tallest building. At 1,451 feet, the Willis Tower is the 23rd tallest building in the world, third tallest in the U.S. and has the tallest public viewing area of any building in the country.

But Romero elected to stay at the host hotel in downtown Chicago rather than go to the 99th floor of the building. Romero, he said, is afraid of heights. He joined the press conference through a video feed in his hotel room. That meant no faceoff for the main event, but there were three others.

Check out the highlights from the co-main event faceoff in the video above, as well as the faceoff between [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) and former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (24-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) and an appearance from Chicago’s own [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), a heavyweight contender who opens the main card against Gokhan Saricam (8-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA).

Bellator 297 takes place Friday 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 297.

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Video: Bellator 297 pre-fight press conference live stream

Bellator 297 takes place Friday in Chicago, and you can watch a live video stream of the pre-event news conference right here.

CHICAGO – Bellator 297 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, and you can watch a live video stream of the pre-event news conference here on MMA Junkie at 3 p.m. ET.

The press conference takes place at the Skydeck at Willis Tower, Chicago’s tallest building. At 1,451 feet, the former Sears Tower, built in 1974, is the 23rd tallest building in the world and third tallest in the U.S. The media event will be hosted by Chael Sonnen.

Light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line against Yoel Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the Bellator 297 main event.

In the co-feature, Patricio Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) chases history when he tries to add the bantamweight title to his current featherweight belt. He challenges 135-pound champ Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-feature, and a win will make him the first fighter in Bellator history to have titles in three different divisions.

Additionally, Corey Anderson (17-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) meets former light heavyweight champion Phil Davis (24-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) on the main card, and Chicago’s own Daniel James (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) opens the main card against Gokhan Saricam (8-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in a heavyweight contenders bout.

Check out the press conference and subsequent faceeoffs in the video above.

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

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Bellator 297 breakdown: ‘Proven pound-for-pound talent’ should win Sergio Pettis-Patricio Freire fight

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the Bellator 297 co-headliner between Sergio Pettis and Patricio Freire.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down MMA’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for Bellator 297.

Bellator 297 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Why champ Vadim Nemkov is happy Yoel Romero fight was delayed to Bellator 297

Vadim Nemkov thought his initial booking with Yoel Romero was too quick of a turnaround.

CHICAGO – Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] believed his initial booking with [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] was too quick of a turnaround.

Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) was scheduled to defend his title against Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at Bellator 290 in February – less than three months after winning the promotion’s grand prix final against Corey Anderson.

Nemkov ended up withdrawing due to injury, and the pair have been rebooked for Friday’s Bellator 297 headliner at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

“I’m actually happy that this fight is happening (Friday) since I have the previous fight and the time between these two fights would have been very short,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter. “So right now I have more time to prepare properly.

“I had more time to prepare myself and be in better shape this time. When you’re preparing for a fight that goes five rounds, five minutes each, you have to prepare harder, and you have to have more time to get prepared. This is why it’s very hard to fight every three months for five-round fights.”

Nemkov, a Sambo champion, will be taking on Olympic silver medalist wrestler Romero. But based on what he’s seen from Romero recently, he expects a stand-up battle.

“We both can wrestle, and we both can strike,” Nemkov said. “But I watched the last couple of fights from him, and I know myself. It’s probably not gonna be too much wrestling in this fight.”

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

Yoel Romero ensures Bellator 297 won’t be ‘the same as last time’ he had title fight in Chicago

Yoel Romero wants to right the wrong of his prior UFC 225 title fight in Chicago when he meets Vadim Nemkov this Friday at Bellator 297.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] wants to right the wrong of his prior title fight that took place in the “Windy City.”

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), a former four-time UFC title challenger, came closest to capturing gold when he was edged out by Robert Whittaker in June 2018 at UFC 225. Despite dropping Whittaker multiple times, Romero lost the fight by split decision and wasn’t eligible to win the belt anyway after missing weight by 0.2 pounds.

Romero thought he won that fight and vows to leave Chicago with his hand raised this time when he challenges Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) in Friday’s Bellator 297 headliner at Wintrust Arena.

“On some occasions, it’s good to remember and believe in those things that motivate me,” Romero told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Tuesday’s media day. “When I trained, it was to come back and fight here. Years ago, I was a champion of another company. Everyone knows what happened in that fight. This time I’ll make sure it’s not the same as last time. So for the day, I tell my children. I’ll have another story to tell them.”

After back-to-back knockouts of Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef, Romero will get a title shot against Nemkov, who’s yet to lose in Bellator. Having fought the likes of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and a slew of former UFC champions, Romero, at 46, is confident he has the experience to prevail.

“Every fighter is different,” Romero said. “I’ve fought very good fighters before. They all have something special. Nemkov’s an exceptional, amazing fighter. I don’t think he’s above or below the level of fighters I’ve fought before. It is what it is.”

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