Tag: Bellator: Salute the Troops

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dec. 24: Did Bellator’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane climb the pound-for-pound chart?

Take a look at the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA rankings for Dec. 24 after a pair of Bellator fights and a UFC event.

This past weekend featured three big events with a lot of opportunities for movement in the rankings.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) once again defended her women’s flyweight title with a decisive scorecard sweep of Kate Jackson (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in the Bellator 236 main event in front of her home fans in Honolulu. Macfarlane may have a hard time climbing higher in her divisional rankings, but she still can make leaps on the women’s pound-for-pound list.

In the UFC, Chan Sung Jung (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had a dominant finish of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) in their featherweight headliner in Busan, South Korea. How far did “The Korean Zombie” climb in the 145-pound charts?

Take a look at the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings in all divisions after the UFC show and a pair of Bellator cards.

Spinning Back Clique: Bellator Hawaii, UFC Busan, free agent moves and more

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 8 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what went down at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in South Korea, what went down at Bellator’s two events in Hawaii, the UFC’s flyweight division, big free agent signings, Jorge Masvidal’s next move and more.

Show rundown:

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 8 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

MMA Junkie Radio #3012: Reaction to Bellator Hawaii doubleheader, UFC on ESPN+ 23

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack a trifecta of major MMA events and react to the latest news and notes.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,012 of the podcast, the guys unpack a trifecta of major events from the weekend, with Bellator 235 and 236 in Honolulu, as well as UFC on ESPN+ 23 in Busan, South Korea. The guys also react to the latest news and notes.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • The weekend got off to a bad start for Bellator, with former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] forced to withdraw hours before the Bellator 235 headliner because of illness. When and where should Barnett vs. Ronny Markes take place now?
  • At UFC on ESPN+ 23, [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] took care of business in a big way with a first-round TKO finish of ex-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Did “The Korean Zombie” do enough to shake up plans of title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway? Are you warm to the idea of a No. 1 contender fight against [autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag]?
  • At Bellator 236, [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] retained her flyweight title with a dominant performance against Kate Jackson, and [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] advanced to the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix with a submission of Derek Campos. The guys weigh in on both outcomes and more from the card.
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] gave an endorsement speech of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a rally in Las Vegas. Pretty cool?
  • [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], the Glory Kickboxing middleweight champion better known as the guy who knocked out Israel Adesanya, wants to fight MMA. Are you into it?
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] has his next fight lined up for Jan. 25 at Bellator 238. Is this guy a star for the promotion?
  • It sure does seem like [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] would rather fight [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] instead of receive a welterweight title shot vs. Kamaru Usman. Does this make sense?
  • Former Bellator champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] left the promotion to sign with PFL. Good or bad move for him?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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Toby Misech takes upset KO of Erik Perez with humility at Bellator 235

When Toby Misech woke up Friday, he had no idea he would be headlining Bellator 235 later that night.

HONOLULU – When [autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] woke up Friday, he had no idea he would be headlining Bellator 235 later that night.

But thrust into the spotlight with just a few hours’ notice that he was elevated from co-feature to main event, Misech took major advantage against a highly touted new Bellator signing in Erik Perez.

Misech (12-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) drilled Perez (19-7 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with a vicious left that had the nine-fight UFC veteran on his butt on the canvas immediately. Misech paused for a second, then followed Perez to the ground and landed a thunderous second punch and a couple more for good measure.

The first-round knockout brought the fans at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) to their feet at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The show was filled with locally stationed military members.

Those same fans found out moments earlier that the planned headliner between Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes was called off when Barnett was declared too ill to fight by the commission.

But somehow, Misech seemed to make up for it to spoil Perez’s Bellator debut.

“I said from the beginning I knew I was going to catch him,” Misech, from Hawaii, told MMA Junkie. “But I was expecting a longer fight. I watched his fights. He takes beatings, and he’s hard to finish. I was expecting a little bit longer fight, but eventually I would have caught him.”

Misech took all the steam out of any push Bellator may have wanted to give Perez with a win. But he doesn’t necessarily think he ought to get the same kind of push in return.

The way he sees it, he’s been fighting big names all along, anyway. After a decision loss to former champion Eduardo Dantas earlier this year, the Perez knockout has Misech back in a big way.

“We don’t get the recognition we need and we want,” he said. “They’ve been giving me top contenders my whole career. I just feel like they think I’m a stepping stone. But no matter what, I always come to fight. That should put me closer – I hope.”

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Josh Barnett pulled from Bellator 235 main event vs. Ronny Markes after arrival at venue

The Bellator 235 main event fight between Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes has been scrapped, just hours before it was to take place.

HONOLULU – The Bellator 235 main event fight between [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] and [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] has been scrapped, just hours before it was to take place.

Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) were set to meet in a heavyweight fight that was to be each of their promotional debuts. But an undisclosed illness to Barnett kept him from being cleared by medical staff after he arrived at the venue in Honolulu.

Multiple persons with knowledge of the decision informed MMA Junkie of the decision to pull the fight.

Bellator later released a statement from president Scott Coker on Twitter that read:

“On the advice of the Hawaii State Boxing Commission, tonight’s main event bout between Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes has been cancelled. Barnett has not been cleared tonight due to severe illness. Toby Misech vs. Erik Perez is the new #BellatorUSO main event.”

Barnett showed no signs of any health issues during a Wednesday open workout session. With training partner Erik Hammer, he launched an impromptu pro wrestling match that included throwing Hammer off the stage, the two throwing each other into ice coolers on the Great Lawn of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and the always classic folding chair.

At Thursday’s official weigh-ins for the event, Barnett came in at 251.6 pounds.

Barnett was set to return from the longest layoff of his career. He hadn’t been in an MMA fight since a September 2016 win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, a third-round submission that won him a double bonus.

He was notified of a potential drug test by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in December 2016, but was given a mere reprimand in March 2018 due to a contaminated supplement. The UFC allowed him to be released from his contract in June 2018, and he signed with Bellator earlier this year.

But now his highly anticipated debut with the promotion, which was set to headline the “Salute the Troops” show in Honolulu, is on hold.

Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for more on the story as it develops.

Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator 235 discussion thread

Bellator 235 takes place Friday in Hawaii, and you can discuss the event here.

HONOLULU – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) event at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, which kicks off at 8:45 p.m. ET (5:45 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our Bellator 235 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 8:45 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.

After impressing at Hawaii tryouts, Braydon Akeo ready for stiff first test at Bellator 235

Braydon Akeo impressed the Bellator brass earlier this year at open tryouts in his native Hawaii and earned a spot on Friday’s card.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Braydon Akeo[/autotag] impressed the Bellator brass earlier this year at open tryouts in his native Hawaii and earned a spot on the promotion’s return to Honolulu.

But he’s not getting any kind of layup his first time out with the promotion. Akeo (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on recent featherweight tournament entrant Tywan Claxton (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”), which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Claxton is coming off the first loss of his MMA career, a second-round submission setback in the tournament’s opening round. He’s a 5-1 favorite from the oddsmakers in the fight, which Akeo said makes him all the hungrier for an upset.

To hear from Akeo about Friday’s fight, check out the full interview above.

Bellator’s multi-fight offer was great for Ty Gwerder – and sooner than expected

Ty Gwerder had an inkling he was on Bellator’s radar and that he might be getting a phone call. It came sooner than he thought it would.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Ty Gwerder[/autotag] had an inkling he was on Bellator’s radar and that he might be getting a phone call. But it came sooner than he thought it would.

Gwerder tore through his first four opponents in quick order, including three first-round knockouts for LFA. When Bellator called to swoop him up, the promotion didn’t just want him for one spot on the prelims with other local fighters. He got a multi-fight deal right out of the gate. And the whole thing happened even sooner than he thought it would.

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Friday, Gwerder (4-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his promotional debut against Joseph Creer (6-1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”), which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

To hear from Gwerder about Friday’s fight, check out the full interview above.

Pierre Daguzan wonders if he’s being overlooked by Cass Bell ahead of Bellator 235

Pierre Daguzan was born in France, has lived in China and fought there and India and Alaska. It might seem odd he’s now a Hawaiian.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Pierre Daguzan[/autotag] was born in France, has lived in China and fought there and India and Alaska. So it might seem a little odd that now he’s a Hawaiian.

Daguzan met his wife when he was in China, and when she wanted to return to her native Hawaii, they made the move. It may have been the best thing for his MMA career, given the type of training partners he’s had since then, including former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.

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It also meant Daguzan (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) could take part in Bellator’s open tryouts in Hawaii earlier this fall. He was one of 10 fighters to earn a shot with the promotion, and Friday he’ll take on Cass Bell (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”), which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bell is one of Bellator’s home-grown fighters and is a highly touted prospect at 4-0. Daguzan is just 5-3, but he cautioned to not let those numbers fool anyone – particularly his opponent.

To hear from Daguzan about Friday’s fight, check out the full interview above.

Bellator Hawaii preview video: What to expect from doubleheader in Honolulu

MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom runs down what to watch for as Bellator returns to Honolulu, where Ilima-Lei Macfarlane headlines the weekend.

HONOLULU – Bellator returns to Hawaii for the second consecutive year with another two-night doubleheader.

On Friday, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett makes his anticipated promotional debut when he takes on Ronny Markes in the main event of “Bellator 235: Salute the Troops.”

Then on Saturday, Hawaii’s own Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will defend her flyweight title against Kate Jackson in the Bellator 236 headliner. The co-main event features the continuation of the featherweight grand prix, as undefeated A.J. McKee meets Derek Campos in the tournament’s first quarterfinal.

For a rundown of what to watch for and key storylines heading into the weekend, watch the preview view above with MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom and KHON’s Rob DeMello.

Bellator 236 (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET) is the second of the promotion’s back-to-back events at Neal S. Blaisdell Center. Bellator 235 on Friday (Paramount/DAZN, 10 p.m. ET) is the promotion’s second year of a “Salute the Troops” event in conjunction with the USO and will be attended exclusively by military members from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu.