Tag: Billy Goff

DWCS 48 winner Billy Goff wasn’t affected by Dana White’s pep talk: ‘That’s what I do every time’

Whether or not Dana White pumped the fighters up, Billy Goff knew he was going to deliver.

LAS VEGAS – Whether or not [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] pumped the fighters up, [autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag] knew he was going to deliver.

Goff’s win didn’t come without adversity though. The former CES dual-champion was hurt early before he rallied to finish Shimon Smotritsky in Round 1 at Dana White’s Contender Series 48 on Tuesday.

After he only signed one fighter in the first episode of the season, White gave all of this week’s fighters a pre-fight speech to bring it. But Goff (8-2), who has an array of finishes on his resume, was planning to regardless.

“It was weird seeing Dana in person for the first time,” Goff told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Tuesday’s DWCS 48 post-fight news conference. “That was like, ‘Damn, I’ve seen you on TV so many times.’ In my head, I didn’t really think too much of the Apex. It didn’t bother me all that much. It didn’t put any more pressure on me in my head.

“I like it when it’s more empty because then I can hear my coaches a little better and (White) basically said, ‘You’ve got to come out there and fight,’ and that’s what I do every time. So the pep talk didn’t get me up. It’s just, ‘Yeah, I came here to do that.'”

Whether or not Goff was affected by White’s pep talk, it appears it had some sort of impact since every winner on the card was awarded a UFC contract.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 48: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 48 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 48 which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)

Gallery updated throughout the event.

On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with April wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

  • An under-the-radar New Englander looks to capture his second CES MMA title weeks after he captured his first – and punch his ticket to the UFC.
  • An 8-1 fighter hopes a win over a prospect with the same record finally propels him into the big show.
  • A veteran Oklahoma-born fighter continues to improve and feels an LFA title win will show he’s ready for the next level.
  • A surging prospect with a funky arsenal of submissions wants to add another highlight to his reel, an LFA title to his trophy case, and a UFC contract to his resume.
  • A South Carolina-based bantamweight is eager to keep up his exciting fights in order to catch the eye of a major promotion.

Billy Goff reflects on big win at Bellator 254: It was an honor to fight a Gracie

Billy Goff spoke to reporters following his second-round finish of Robson Gracie Jr. at Bellator 254.

[autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag] knows he likely had more eyes than usual when he finished Robson Gracie Jr. at Bellator 254.

Goff (3-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who snapped a two-fight losing skid, spoke to reporters on what it means to get a win over a Gracie, his long training camp, getting back to the win column, and more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

Bellator 254 took place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez lineup finalized after additional fight included

Bellator 254 has been finalized with an 11-fight card.

The final Bellator lineup of 2020 is complete, barring any unforeseen circumstances in the coming days.

Bellator 254 takes place Thursday, Dec. 10, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Thursday, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie of a preliminary card fight between [autotag]Robson Gracie Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag], which will take place at welterweight.

Gracie (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) and Goff (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) have been paired up three times in 2020. The first two pairings, Bellator 241 in March and Bellator 246 in September, never materialized due to a COVID-19 pandemic event cancellation and Gracie pulling out due to injury.

The 11-fight card is headlined by Bellator women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) against undefeated challenger [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA).

Also on the card, former ACB standouts [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Matheus Mattos[/autotag] (12-1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) square off.

With that addition, the Bellator 254 lineup is finalized and includes:

MAIN CARD (CBS Sports Network/DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Juliana Velasquez – for Bellator women’s flyweight title
  • Magomed Magomedov vs. Matheus Mattos
  • Nate Andrews vs. Goiti Yamauchi
  • Ronny Markes vs. Linton Vassell

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7:15 p.m. ET)

  • Romero Cotton vs. Justin Sumter
  • Maurice Jackson vs. Grant Neal
  • Kemran Lachinov vs. Shamil Nikaev
  • Davion Franklin vs. Anthony Garrett
  • Kenny Champion vs. Cody Law
  • Fabio Aguiar vs. Mike Jasper
  • Billy Goff vs. Robson Gracie Jr.

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Robson Gracie Jr. vs. Billy Goff added to Bellator 246 in Connecticut

The lineup for the second half of Bellator’s back-to-back events in September continues to grow with the addition of a welterweight fight.

The lineup for the second half of Bellator’s back-to-back events in September continues to grow with the addition of a welterweight fight.

[autotag]Robson Gracie Jr.[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will take on [autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag] (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at Bellator 246. Goff announced the fight on his Facebook page. The two were scheduled to meet at Bellator 241 in March, but that event was the first the promotion shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bellator 246 takes place Sept. 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. The night before, Bellator 245 takes place at the same venue.

Gracie, part of the famed Gracie jiu-jitsu family from Brazil, has – perhaps to little surprise – three straight submission wins to open his pro career. And he’s done it in three different ways. He caught Brysen Bolohao with a rear-naked choke in his 2018 pro debut, tapped Oscar Vera with an armbar in June 2019, and beat Ameer Bashir with a triangle choke in November 2019 at Bellator 234.

Goff will be trying to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses in 2019. He turned pro at the beginning of the year and stopped Armus Guyton in his debut under the Reality Fighting banner. At Bellator 215, he took a decision from Ryan Hardy Evans to move to 2-0. But later in the year, he dropped a decision to Camron Lochinov and lost a TKO to Jonathan Pico for Cage Titans to fall to 2-2.

With the addition, the Bellator 246 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN 10 p.m. ET)

  • Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix
  • Jon Fitch vs. Neiman Gracie
  • DeAnna Bennett vs. Liz Carmouche
  • Derek Campos vs. Roger Huerta

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)

  • Daniel Madrid vs. Austin Vanderford
  • Ty Gwerder vs. George Tokkos
  • Davion Franklin vs. Ras Hylton
  • Billy Goff vs. Robson Gracie Jr.

Bellator 241 adds Leslie Smith vs. Jessy Miele, Robson Gracie return, more to prelims

Three fights have been added to the Bellator 241 prelims, including a featherweight bout between Leslie Smith and Jessy Miele.

The Bellator 241 preliminary card has started to fill up.

Three fights have been added to the prelims, including a featherweight bout between [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jessy Miele[/autotag], a welterweight fight between [autotag]Robson Gracie[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag], and a middleweight matchup between [autotag]Romero Cotton[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Sumter[/autotag].

A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the bookings on Friday.

Bellator 241 takes place March 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card is expected to stream on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Smith (11-8-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) has split her two Bellator appearances since joining the promotion in 2019. She looks to rebound from an unanimous decision loss to Arlene Blencowe in November.

As for Miele (9-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), the Connecticut native gets another home game. In her Bellator debut in October, Miele upset Brazil’s Talita Nogueira by earning an unanimous decision nod.

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Gracie (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) won three fights in 11 months to kick off his pro MMA career. All three victories have come by submission. His opponent Goff (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will look to defend home turf and halt the Brazilian’s momentum.

A blue chip wrestling product from the University of Kansas, Cotton (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) takes a step up from competition when he faces a two-time Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Sumter (7-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 241 lineup includes:

  • Champ Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout; for featherweight title
  • Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Daniel Weichel – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout
  • Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi
  • Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes
  • Nick Newell vs. Zach Zane
  • Jessy Miele vs. Leslie Smith
  • Billy Goff vs. Robson Gracie
  • Romero Cotton vs. Justin Sumter

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