Tag: Bellator Champions Series: Belfast

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, April 2: Manon Fiorot climbs closer to top

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 54 in New Jersey.

Following UFC on ESPN 54, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

Making her case for a title fight even stronger, [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] shut out Erin Blanchfield in the UFC on ESPN 54 main event in front of a sold-out crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. It was a dominant performance for Fiorot, who kept her UFC unbeaten record alive, while handing Blanchfield her first loss in the promotion. Entering the week at No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s flyweight rankings, Fiorot jumps two spots to claim No. 3.

Also making a splash this week is [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag], who enters the welterweight rankings after stopping Vicente Luque with heavy ground and pound. Buckley has won three straight since dropping down from middleweight, and settles in at the No. 14 spot, while Luque falls to the honorable mentions.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, March 26: Corey Anderson rises with title win

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following Bellator Champions Series: Belfast and UFC on ESPN 53 in Las Vegas.

Following UFC on ESPN 53 and Bellator Champions Series: Belfast, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

At the Bellator event in Northern Ireland, [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] defeated Karl Moore by unanimous decision to claim the vacant light heavyweight title. Along with Anderson’s new hardware comes a new spot in the rankings, as he climbs from No. 6 to No. 5.

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 53, former UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] won a flyweight fight over Amanda Ribas by unanimous decision. Entering the bout unranked at 125 pounds, Namajunas now has a number next to her name, settling in at No. 12.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC antitrust settlement, Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, Paul-Tyson and more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the UFC’s antitrust lawsuit settlement, Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • The UFC reached a settlement in the antitrust lawsuits against it and will pay approximately 1,200 fighters a total of $335 million in periodic installments. That number is a far cry from what the class group was seeking. We react to the news.
  • Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Conor McGregor says he’s back. This time, it’s for real. He says he’s fighting this summer. Michael Chandler said so, too. The UFC has said nothing. So here we are again, having the same conversation we’ve had for two years: When is he coming back, and against whom?
  • Ronda Rousey, who changed the game in women’s MMA, made some news when she said she retired from MMA because of concerns with a history of concussions. She said she had to keep that secret in the UFC – presumably to avoid athletic commissions denying her a fight license. She’s also promoting this as part of her new book. She went on to wrestle for WWE, a profession that historically has been rife with former wrestlers’ stories about the bumps and bruises and physical rigors, including brain trauma, that go with the job.
  • Everyone has an opinion on Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Tyson’s going to be way older. But let’s not sugarcoat it – it does look like he can still bring the heat. Do we like the fight or hate it, or do we have to just merely tolerate it because this is the world we live in now?
  • Corey Anderson won his first major title for Bellator. Patricio Freire added another notch to his historic resume belt. And Rose Namajunas got her first flyweight win. Whose victory this past weekend was most important

Bellator Champions Series: Belfast: Best photos from Northern Ireland

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast which took place at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Patricio Freire def. Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast: Best photos

Check out these photos from Patricio Freire’s featherweight title defense against Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s featherweight title victory over Jeremy Kennedy in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series: Belfast. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Corey Anderson def. Karl Moore at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast: Best photos

Check out these photos from Corey Anderson’s title-winning victory over Karl Moore at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag]’s vacant light heavyweight title victory over Karl Moore in the main event of Bellator Champions Series: Belfast. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Bellator Champions Series: Belfast results: Corey Anderson outwrestles Karl Moore, wins vacant light heavyweight title

Corey Anderson wins the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title after defeating Karl Moore at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] finally got what he’s been chasing all of his career – a championship belt of a major MMA organization.

The former UFC contender and current Bellator fighter won the vacant light heavyweight title for the promotion after defeating [autotag]Karl Moore[/autotag] in the headliner of Bellator Champions Series: Belfast. The event went down on Friday at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Anderson (18-6 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) defeated Moore (12-3 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) by unanimous decision, winning 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45 on the three judges’ scorecards.

Anderson, who’s been fighting professionally for over a decade, won the vacant title after two previous attempts. In November 2022, he lost to then-champion Vadim Nemkov and previously fought Nemkov to a no-contest in April 2022. Anderson also came close to fighting for a title in the UFC, as he was a top contender for many years, but the opportunity never materialized.

Although it was a clear win for Anderson, he had to work for it, given that Moore was constantly looking for a way to win. He stunned Anderson in the first with a hook and then came close to getting an armbar in the third.

Regardless, Anderson was able to take down and control the Irishman throughout the fight while also landing ground-and-pound. It was a smart and measured performance by Anderson.

Anderson now finds himself on a two-fight winning streak, as he defeated Phil Davis in a split decision in his previous bout back in June. Anderson now adds world champion to his resume, along with an impressive list of names he’s defeated in the past, such as Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira, Davis, Ryan Bader, Johnny Walker, and others.

On the other hand, Moore saw a four-fight winning streak come to an end. He had been undefeated since joining Bellator in 2019. In his previous fight, he defeated Alex Polizzi in a unanimous decision.

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Up-to-the-minute BCS: Belfast results include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Bellator Champions Series: Belfast results: Patricio Freire swarms Jeremy Kennedy, calls for UFC, PFL title fights

Patricio Freire wants UFC and PFL title opportunities after stopping Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] is back in a big way and wants to claim gold across multiple promotions after scoring another defense of his Bellator featherweight title.

In the co-feature at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast, Freire (36-7 MMA, 24-6 BMMA) shared the cage with title challenger Jeremy Kennedy (19-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA). Although there was a slight scare for the champ, Fereire overcame the moment to finish Kennedy (19-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in the same round. The stoppage came by strikes at 4:07 of Round 3.

The fight started slowly, and with five rounds to work, there wasn’t much need to rush.

Freire began working behind a steady, patient gameplan of intermittent leg kicks and counter strikes. Kennedy studied, and worked behind a left jab, but the strikes were few and far between in the opening round.

The slow pace rolled over into Round 2, however, causing a few boo birds to chirp throughout the crowd. Kennedy began to turn up the forward pressure, but soon found himself eating a big right hand from Freire. Swelling on Kennedy’s left leg became apparent, with Frerie continuing to land hard leg kicks.

In the third round, everything changed as both fighters had big moments.

Kennedy sat down on a punch, sending Freire to stumble backward. Kennedy rushed in to follow up, but Freire quickly gathered himself and kept his defense solid. However, a cut was opened on “Pitbull” from a nice elbow during the sequence.

After weathering the storm, Freire reset and began marching forward.

Just when Kennedy’s confidence was mounting, “Pitbull” clipped him with a clean punch, rocking the challenger. Freire noticed his opponent was hurt and quickly swarmed with strikes. Kennedy covered up against the cage, as Freire unloaded until the referee stopped the fight.

During his post-fight interview, Freire called for a title fight he missed out on against Jesus Pinedo at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, and even called for a cross-promotional UFC title fight. After shooting for the moon, he did offer one name in particular, Aaron Pico, who is likely the next man up in Bellator.

The result marked a return to the win column for Freire, who suffered back-to-back losses in a Bellator bantamweight title bid against Sergio Pettis and a short-notice appearance against Chihiro Suzuki at Bellator x Rizin 2.

In addition to being back in the winner’s circle, Freire adds to his all-time Bellator records for most wins (23), most finishes (14) and most title fight wins (13).

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Up-to-the-minute BCS: Belfast results include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Bellator Champions Series: Belfast results: Fabian Edwards edges out Aaron Jeffery to earn title rematch vs. Johnny Eblen

Fabian Edwards got himself a title rematch vs. Johnny Eblen after defeating Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Belfast.

It wasn’t pretty, but [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] got the job done.

The Bellator middleweight contender was able to edge out [autotag]Aaron Jeffery[/autotag] in a lackluster unanimous decision win on the main card of Bellator Champions Series: Belfast, which took place on Friday at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Edwards (13-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) officially defeated Jeffery (14-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) by winning 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards.

The bout between Edwards and Jeffery was labeled as a title eliminator ahead of the event. After the verdict, it was confirmed that Edwards earned a title shot against Johnny Eblen.

“I’m coming,” Edwards said in his post-fight interview when asked about Eblen. “Listen, in September last year, I was winning that fight, and I made the wrong decision and got caught, but I’m coming.”

Edwards, brother of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was knocked out by Eblen in the third round of their championship fight back in September at Bellator 299. It was his first professional KO loss. The only two prior defeats for Edwards had come by decision.

The fight against Jeffery was Edwards’ first fight since losing the championship bout. It was a lackluster decision where Jeffery was constantly looking to pressure and control Edwards against the cage. Although Edwards gave up a lot of control time, he was able to do the most damage and land the bigger shots of the fight.

Edwards is now 4-1 in his past five outings – a run that includes notable wins over veterans Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi.

On the other hand, Jeffery now finds himself 1-2 in his past three performances. He has defeated Dalton Rosta in his previous outing in August, which allowed him to bounce back from a decision loss to John Salter.

Up-to-the-minute BCS: Belfast results include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Bellator Champions Series: Belfast results: Strong third round lifts Leandro Higo past James Gallagher

Leandro Higo and James Gallagher were pretty evenly matched until one of them pulled away late in their Bellator Belfast fight. 

[autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] and [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] were pretty evenly matched until one of them pulled away late in their Bellator Champions Series: Belfast fight.

Higo (23-6 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) used a strong third-round performance to close out a unanimous decision win over Gallagher (12-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) on Friday at SSE Arena. After 15 minutes, all three judges saw the fight 29-28 in Higo’s favor, which was hard to argue.

After a cautious few minutes from both men in Round 1, Higo landed the first big shot when he wobbled Gallagher with a spinning elbow with about 1:45 remaining. Higo pointed at Gallagher and then rushed in to take him down to the mat. Gallagher did his best from bottom position to try for an ankle lock, but Higo punished him with ground-and-pound to ensure the round was his.

Round 2 proved much closer as there wasn’t a ton of action, although Gallagher was beginning to find a rhythm in the striking department before Higo hit him with an inadvertent kick to the groin. After the timeout, Gallagher closed out strong in the standup.

Likely tied one round apiece, the third round was all Higo, who lifted Gallagher off his feet for huge takedown with about 2:20 remaining. From there, he controlled Gallagher on the mat and inflicted damage in the final minute with a lot of strikes. Gallagher didn’t have much of an answer at that point, which proved to be enough for Higo to get the win.

Higo now has won two fights in a row, while Gallagher failed to keep momentum in his favor following a split decision win against James Gonzalez last August.

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Up-to-the-minute BCS: Belfast results include:

  • Leandro Higo def. James Gallagher via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Manoel Sousa def. Tim Wilde via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ciaran Clarke def. Darius Mafi submission (arm-triangle choke)
  • Alfie Davis def. Oscar Ownsworth unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Luke Trainer def. Grant Neal unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Nathan Kelly def. Vikas Singh Ruhil knockout (elbow)
  • Abraham Bably def. Isaiah Pinson unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.