Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out these photos from the BKFC 31 weigh-ins in Denver.
Check out these photos from the official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs for BKFC 31, which takes place at 1st Bank Center in Denver. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
BKFC is set to touch down in its 11th U.S. state – and some faces familiar to MMA fans are on the card.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship keeps rolling into new territories.
Although bare-knuckle boxing’s origins run centuries, it’s one of the newest combat sports when it comes to regulation – and it’s still unsanctioned in many states. As of this coming Oct. 2, BKFC will have touched down in 10 U.S. states, as well as a handful of foreign countries.
On Tuesday, the promotion made state No. 11 official in announcing that BKFC 31 will take place Oct. 15 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., and stream on BKFC+.
Among the announced fights are six MMA notables, four from the UFC and two from Bellator. Scroll below to see which familiar faces are on the card and check out the full lineup of announced bouts at the bottom.
Eight fighters are no longer on the roster, according to promotion officials.
(Editor’s note: A previous version of this story mistakenly included Gabriel Varga on the list from Bellator. Varga still is with the promotion. MMA Junkie regrets the error.)
Eight fighters have parted ways with Bellator, including a pair of notable veterans.
Bellator officials informed MMA Junkie that former UFC standout [autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag] and longtime featherweight [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] are among those who have departed the promotion.
It is unclear if each fighter was released or the promotion simply elected not to re-sign them.
Scroll below to see the eight names who have parted ways with Bellator.
Brandon Girtz is ready to test the featherweight division’s new blood.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] has fought under the promotion’s banner for almost eight years, but Bellator 250 will mark a first.
Lightweight, no more. Girtz (16-9 MMA, 8-7 BMMA) will make his featherweight debut against [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] in Thursday’s co-main event. The drop-down is something Girtz has contemplated for a while.
“It’s always been a thing, like, if 150 was a weight class, that’s where I would’ve been at,” Girtz told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I’ve always been a little bit smaller 155-er. I was kind of in-between that. During this pandemic… I kind of wasn’t hitting the weights the same. It’s just natural that my weight got a little smaller. We looked at it and were like, ‘Maybe this is the time to go to 145.'”
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Having competed against the who’s who of the Bellator lightweight roster, Girtz is excited by the new matchups featherweight presents.
“It’s a bunch of new blood,” Girtz said. “It’s not new blood to me, it’s literally new blood, younger guys, some up-and-comers. I think it has some of the most exciting people at 145. That’s what I want. I want to get excited and I want to go against guys that are trying to take my head off.”
Bellator 250 takes place Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out MMA Junkie’s full Bellator 250 pre-fight interview with Brandon Girtz in the video above.
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Bellator 250: Brandon Girtz, Mike Mazzulli verbally spar at weigh-ins
Bellator 250: Brandon Girtz, Mike Mazzulli verbally spar at weigh-ins
If you’ve got nearly six hours to kill, here you go with some classic Bellator action.
Since its first event held in 2009, Bellator has given us some of the most memorable fights in MMA history.
While events remain on hold because of coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has put 20 of its greatest bouts – “fire” fights, if you will – all in one place, which you can watch in the video above.
The complete list, which goes for nearly six hours, includes:
So sit back, relax and enjoy the action.
Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 239, which took place Friday in Thackerville, Okla.
Bellator hosted its second event of the year on Friday with Bellator 239, which took place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., with a main card that aired on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (23-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) continued the longest MMA winning streak among Bellator fighters when he edged [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision in the matchup of welterweight contenders.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 25 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 239.
* * * *
Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.
Betting favorites improved to 2-0 in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 47:35.
Amosov’s 23-fight winning streak in MMA competition is the longest among active Bellator fighters.
Amosov has earned three of his four Bellator victories by decision.
Ruth fell to 2-2 in his past four fights after starting his career 6-0.
Ruth fell to 3-2 since he dropped to the Bellator welterweight division in June 2018.
Ruth suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since December 2017.
Jury improved to 1-1 since he returned to the lightweight division in September.
[autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 8-7 BMMA) fell to 2-5 in his past seven Bellator appearances dating back to November 2016.
Girtz has suffered four of his seven Bellator losses by decision.
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[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMA) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag]’s (9-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Tyrell Fortune (eight).
Moldavsky has earned three of his four Bellator victories by decision.
[autotag]Javy Ayala[/autotag] (11-8 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights dating back to June 2015.
[autotag]J.W. Kiser[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag]’s (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) five victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied with Juliana Velasquez for second most in divisional history behind Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (10).
Kielholtz’s three-fight Bellator winning streak at women’s flyweight is the third longest active streak in the division behind Macfarlane (10) and Velasquez (five).
Kielholtz’s four stoppage victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (seven).
Kielholtz’s three submission victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied with Emily Ducote for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (six).
[autotag]Kristina Williams[/autotag] (3-3 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) suffered the first submission loss of her career.
[autotag]Shawn Bunch[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) fell to 2-2 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in November 2018.
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Myles Jury called for a title shot, new contract and commentary gig after beating Brandon Girtz in the Bellator 239 co-main event.
THACKERVILLE, Okla. – [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] earned his first Bellator victory Friday when he defeated [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] in the Bellator 239 co-headliner.
Jury (19-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) snapped a three-fight losing skid and registered his first victory since December 2017 when he outworked Girtz (16-9 MMA, 8-7 BMMA) to a unanimous decision in a largely uneventful contest.
The lightweight bout was the Bellator 239 co-main event at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. The main card aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Girtz wasted little time pressing the action on Jury and landing some solid strikes in the opening minute of the fight. Jury worked behind his jab and tried to stay on the outside as the most aggressive Girtz did his best to close the distance. There was mixed success from both sides, but neither man was able to do anything to badly hurt the other and overtake momentum coming out of the round.
The beginning of the second frame was a different story, however, because Girtz was able to get inside Jury’s range within the first minute and secure a takedown. He spent the next several minutes there, inflicting minimal damage but burning clock and controlling Jury, who seemed content on bottom, from inside the guard. The referee didn’t enjoy it, though, and intervened with a standup with a little more than 90 seconds remaining.
Moments after, Jury poked Girtz in the eye, forcing another break in the action. Once the fight resumed, Jury got a grappling advantage when he took Girtz’s back from a standing position near the fence. Unfortunately, there was short time and he couldn’t get into a fight-finishing position.
With the fight potentially up for grabs going into the final frame, both men looked to force their strategy. Girtz used his forward movement and pressure to attack with big strikes, but he had trouble hurting Jury, who was content to counter with his boxing. Jury secured a takedown in the late stages of the round and took the back again, but he couldn’t finish the fight and left the result to the judges.
In the end, the judges ruled it in favor of Jury.
“I feel like I’m a counter fighter, and this time I had to break in and bring out the dog a little bit,” Jury said during his post-fight interview. “First win finally in Bellator. What do I want next? I want a title shot, I want a new contract and I want a little gig in the side of the booth with you here, ‘Big John.'”
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 239 results include:
Watch Brandon Girtz’s highlights ahead of his Bellator 239 bout with Myles Jury.
From knockouts to submissions, [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in Bellator.
The lightweight contender has picked up two submission wins and three KO/TKOs since joining the Bellator roster in 2012. Girtz (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) has topped notable names such as Derek Campos, Melvin Guillard, and most recently Saad Awad.
On Friday, Girtz will look to add another name to his record when he takes on former UFC contender Myles Jury in the co-main event of Bellator 239 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla.
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Girtz hasn’t fought since March 2019, so before he sets foot in the cage Friday night, refresh your memory be reliving some of his best moments inside the Bellator cage in the video above.
Bellator 239’s main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. Ed Ruth (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) vs. Yaroslav Amosov (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) headlines the event.
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