Tag: Bellator 297

Bellator 297 loses two bouts including former title challenger

Two fights have been removed from next week’s Bellator 297 card in Chicago, bringing the lineup down to 16 bouts.

Bellator 297 has taken a pair of hits the week prior to the June 16 event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Former Bellator middleweight title challenger [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) was expected to face [autotag]Imamshafi Aliev[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), but that fight has been canceled for undisclosed reasons.

Additionally, the bantamweight bout between [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Nikita Mikhailov[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is off due to an illness with the former.

The card is set to proceed with 16 bouts including a light heavyweight title fight in the main event, as champion Vadim Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) tries to defend his title against former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA).

In the co-main event, Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) looks to become the first fighter to win three divisional titles in the same major promotion when he takes on Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA).

With the cancellations, the Bellator 297 card includes:

  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title
  • Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis
  • Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam
  • David McKinney vs. Max Metzgar
  • Wladmir Gouvea vs. Gabriel Sayeg
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Bobby Nash
  • Pieter Buist vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov
  • Ramazan Kurmagomedov vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Mike Hamel vs. Shamil Nikaev
  • Norbert Novenyi vs. Kamil Oniszczuk
  • Archie Colgan vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
  • Karl Moore vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Timur Khizriev vs. Richie Smullen
  • Jordan Newman vs. Matthew Perry
  • Edwin Chavez vs. Cody Law

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

Bellator’s Sergio Pettis ‘definitely’ interested in champ-champ status but admits flyweight cut is brutal

With Bellator’s addition of the flyweight division, Sergio Pettis isn’t ruling out the possibility of a return to 125 pounds.

With Bellator’s addition of the flyweight division, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] isn’t ruling out the possibility of a return to 125 pounds.

Pettis (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA), the current Bellator bantamweight champion, defends his title against featherweight champ Patricio Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) in the co-main event of Bellator 297 on June 16 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Bellator will crown an inaugural flyweight champion when Kyoji Horiguichi (31-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) takes on Makoto Takahashi (16-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at Bellator x Rizin 2 on July 30 at Saitama Super Arena.

Pettis had a solid flyweight run in the UFC, scoring wins over former multiple-time title challenger Joseph Benavidez and current 125-pound champ Brandon Moreno. While the drop back down would be hard for Pettis, he’d consider it if a big opportunity presented itself.

“Definitely something I’m interested in,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “Obviously to have that champ-champ status, but man, that cut to 125 is not fun for anybody. The older I’m getting, I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I really see myself going back down.’ If it made sense and the opportunity presented itself, the competitor in me and the ego in me would be like definitely could make it. But how I feel at 135 is a lot different than how I feel at 125.”

“Pitbull,” a former lightweight champion and current featherweight title holder, will attempt to win a belt in a third weight class when he makes his 135-pound debut against Pettis. As someone who’s competed in two different weight classes, Pettis thinks the extra 10 pounds to cut will likely impact Freire.

“It’s definitely interesting,” Pettis said. “I fought at 125, so I know the difference of how I felt at 135 to 125. That extra 10 pounds makes a hell of a difference. He’s getting older. I did it at a younger age – he’s older – so we’ll see how his body adjusts. We’ll see if he’s as durable.”

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

Sergio Pettis: I’m facing ‘death row’ at Bellator, beating Patricio Freire would be ‘great for my career’

Bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis is happy with big Bellator tests. Next he gets featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in Chicago.

Bantamweight champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] is happy to continue getting tested at Bellator.

Pettis (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) defends his title against featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA), who will attempt to win a title in a third weight class in the co-main event of Bellator 297 on June 16 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Freire widely is considered the greatest Bellator fighter in history. Pettis has fought top-level competition throughout his UFC and Bellator career, and sees the addition of “Pitbull” to his resume as very valuable.

“If I beat Patricio and be able to stop him from being a three-time world champ, it’ll be great for my career and my resume,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m here to fight some of the best in the world, and my last couple of fights for Bellator, you’re seeing it.

“I’m fighting guys who have really great records. I fought Juan Archuleta when he was 25-2. I fought (Kyoji) Horiguchi when he was 29-3. Now I’m fighting Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ 35-5. So they’ve got me over here at death row, definitely, at Bellator. They’re putting me with the big boys and I’m showing that I can hang – and I can bang too.”

Pettis rallied to knock out Horiguchi in his most recent outing to notch his first title defense. A torn ACL kept him out of the recent bantamweight grand prix, but he’s eager to pick up where he left off and try to play spoiler once again vs. Freire.

“It puts a chip on my shoulder,” Pettis said. “He’s thinking that he can come through and come down to 135 and walk through me and get what I have, which is the belt. To go out there and spoil that moment for him would be a great moment for my career.

“Just based off of the scenario, coming off an ACL injury, I know these guys are looking past me and thinking I’m going to come back and not be the same fighter. They’re right: I’m not going to be the same fighter. I’m different. I’ve learned so much last year.”

Freire will be dropping to 135 pounds for the first time in his career. Having competed at flyweight and bantamweight, Pettis knows how taxing the cut down can be and questions how it will impact Freire.

“It’s definitely interesting,” Pettis said. “I fought at 125, so I know the difference of how I felt at 135 to 125. That extra 10 pounds makes a hell of a difference. He’s getting older. I did it at a younger age – he’s older – so we’ll see how his body adjusts. We’ll see if he’s as durable.”

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

Bellator free fight: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ halts Adam Borics’ momentum to defend featherweight title

Watch Patricio Pitbull’s most recent title defense as he gets ready to make his bantamweight debut against Sergio Pettis.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s reign as champion in Bellator has been as dominant as any in company history.

Time and time again, ‘Pitbull’ has racked up many title defenses over the years, making him easily one of the best fighters the promotion has ever seen. And in his most recent title fight in October, Freire defeated a streaking Adam Borics in a comfortable, unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator 286 in Long Beach, Calif.

You can watch Freire’s latest title defense in the video above, courtesy of Bellator.

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Freire (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) returns to the cage on June 16, as he attempts to capture another belt in his their weight class. The Brazilian drops down to the bantamweight division to challenge champion Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-main event of Bellator 297 in Chicago. The event takes place at Wintrust Arena and airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Freire is a former two-division champion in Bellator, but now only holds the featherweight title after he vacated lightweight gold in 2021. He’s currently 10-1 in his past 11 fights. Freire’s lone loss during that stretch came against A.J. McKee, which he later avenged.

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

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Bellator 297’s Kyle Crutchmer explains recent move from AKA to Fortis MMA

When you’re one of the most highly touted wrestlers in MMA, a move from one elite training camp to another is going to raise a few eyebrows.

DALLAS – When you’re one of the most highly touted up-and-coming wrestlers in MMA, a move from one elite training camp to another is going to raise a few eyebrows.

But when Bellator welterweight standout [autotag]Kyle Crutchmer[/autotag] made the shift from American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., to Fortis MMA in Dallas, he said it was only so he could put his family first, ahead of what had become his gym family.

He said his longtime wrestling coach at AKA, Daniel Cormier, who is Crutchmer’s mentor and a former two-division UFC champ, helped facilitate the move from California to Fortis under head coach Sayif Saud. Cormier, like Crutchmer, is an Oklahoma State wrestling alum.

“I have a daughter that lives in Dallas, and that was the main reason,” Crutchmer recently told MMA Junkie. “(It was) nothing against AKA or anything, but I heard about Coach Sayif. I talked to DC and they got us here, and we were here for about a month, just trying it out, checking everything out. We just kind of fit in with these guys. I’m a Midwest guy, myself, so it was an easy transition.”

Crutchmer started his MMA career hot at 5-0 before he dropped a decision to Kemran Lachinov at Bellator 294. After three straight decision wins, Crutchmer was upset by Jaleel Willis this past December.

Next month, Crutchmer (9-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) will try to get back in the win column when he takes on Bobby Nash (12-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Bellator 297 in Chicago. Nash fill be making his Bellator debut, but he has three UFC fights on his resume in 2017 – all three knockout setbacks to Li Jingliang, Danny Roberts and Song Kenan.

But because Nash is a Michigan State wrestling product and there’s a built-in Big 10 (MSU) vs. Big 12 (Oklahoma State) rivalry, this one has some extra intrigue.

“He wrestled at Michigan State,” Crutchmer said. “He’s a Big 10 wrestler vs. Big 12. There’s a rivalry there a little bit with that. But I respect all the wrestlers. I’m just ready to go out and perform and then put a different show on than maybe what I’ve put on before.

“Coming from AKA, everybody knows that style. So I’m just kind of blending the Fortis style of Coach Sayif, learning from these guys, and trying to blend everything. I’m about five years into this. A lot of these guys have been fighting a long time. I’m still blending these things. I’m still learning and I’m still excited. That’s the best thing about me right now is I still get excited about coming and learning these things.”

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

Scott Coker on ‘Pitbull’ Freire’s shot at history, Cyborg, Harrison and more after Bellator 293

See what company president Scott Coker had to say about Daniel James, Cat Zingano, Cris Cyborg, Patricio Freire and more after Bellator 293.

TEMECULA, Calif. – The heavyweight title picture got a fresh name Friday, but that’s not the only big thing going on with Bellator lately.

After Bellator 293 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif., promotion president Scott Coker talked to MMA Junkie and other media members at a post-event news conference.

Coker talked about [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag]’ emergence at heavyweight, [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] as the No. 1 women’s featherweight title contender for champ [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s upcoming shot at the bantamweight belt.

See what Coker had to say about those topics and more below.

Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis added to Bellator 297 in Chicago

Bellator 297 continues to stack with notables as Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis is the newest addition to the June 16 lineup in Chicago.

[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] have been atop major promotions’ light heavyweight divisions for nearly a decade but have never crossed paths.

That will change June 16 as a 205-pound bout between Anderson (16-6 MMA, 10-5 BMMA) and Davis (24-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) has been added to Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Promotion officials announced the booking after an initial report by ESPN on Thursday.

Anderson, 33, looks to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to champion Vadim Nemkov in November. The bout, which took place at Bellator 288, doubled as the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix final. It was also a rematch. Anderson and Nemkov fought in April 2022 at Bellator 277. The fight was declared a no contest after an inadvertent headbutt caused a cut on Nemkov.

Prior to the Nemkov bouts, Anderson was undefeated in Bellator with TKO wins over Ryan Bader, Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, and Melvin Manhoef.

Davis, 38, seeks his third straight victories as he enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak that includes victories over Yoel Romero and Julius Anglickas. Davis is a former Bellator light heavyweight champion who, like Anderson, has only lost in the promotion to Nemkov.

With the addition, the Bellator 297 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title
  • Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis

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

Bellator 297 heads to Chicago with Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero, Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull

A massive Bellator card is headed to the “Windy City” with two titles on the line.

Bellator is headed back to Chicago, and two title fights are coming with it.

The promotion has booked Bellator 297 for June 16 at Wintrust Arena where light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) will face [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the night’s headliner. In the co-main event, featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) drops to bantamweight to challenge 135-pound titleholder [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA).

Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report by NBC Sports Chicago. The event will air on Showtime after prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

Nemkov and Romero were originally expected to square off at Bellator 290 in February. However, Nemkov withdrew from the bout. Nemkov is coming off his grand prix-winning title defense against Corey Anderson in November. He has not lost since 2016.

Romero, 45, makes his first Bellator title challenge after multiple tries at middleweight gold in the UFC. Since joining Bellator in 2021, Romero lost a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut before back-to-back wins over Melvin Manhoef and Alex Polizzi.

In what will be his Bellator bantamweight debut, Freire aims to pick up a title in a third weight class with the promotion. A former lightweight champion, Freire has reigned as featherweight champion since 2017 – with the exception of a nine-month period after a loss to A.J. McKee. In a rematch, Freire avenged his previous defeat before more recent victories over Adam Borics and Kleber Erbst.

Pettis, 29, is set to compete for the first time since he won the Bellator bantamweight title with a spinning backfist knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi in December 2021. Pettis was scheduled to compete in the ongoing Bellator bantamweight grand prix but withdrew prior to its start due to an ACL tear.

With the additions, the Bellator 297 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title