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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for February.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Find out how much weight all 28 fighters at Bellator 290 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night’s fights.
At Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in Inglewood, Calif., 16 of the 28 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Two of those 16 exceeded the 15 percent threshold.
MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.
In California, fighters have their weights checked on fight day – not solely when they have to hit their marks on the scale. The extra procedure was instituted in 2017 as part of the commission’s efforts to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.
If a fighter gains more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission can make a recommendation they move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gains more than 15 percent, the commission can potentially cancel their fight.
Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 28 fighters on the card at Kia Forum.
Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
Brennan Ward is looking to get a title shot following his TKO win over Sabah Homasi at Bellator 290 on Saturday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] thinks it’s time he fights for gold.
The Bellator welterweight contender wants to challenge for the title following his most recent win. Ward (17-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) defeated Sabah Homasi (17-11 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) by second-round TKO to open up the Bellator 290 main card on CBS on Saturday.
Now on a three-fight winning streak, Ward thinks it’s time he got a title shot.
“I want to fight for the belt,” Ward said at his Bellator 290 post-fight news conference. “I want to fight for the title. I want to fight for the title, man. Nobody brings it like I do. No one in the promotion brings it like I do.
“What? Maybe the ‘Pitbull’ Brothers? Who else? Who else brings it like I do? I’ve got a 100 percent finishing rate – 100 percent … 100 percent, dude – against some dudes that can crack, too, you know what I mean?”
The Bellator welterweight title currently is held by Yaroslav Amosov. The Ukranian is set to fight interim champion Logan Storley in a title unification bout Feb. 25 at Bellator 291 in Dublin.
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But if the next title shot doesn’t come his way, Ward has other interests, as well – just not at 170 pounds. Ward would like to face rising middleweight contender Dalton Rosta (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) a weight class above.
“Would it be a fun super fight? I think it would be fun,” Ward said. “Dude, come on. You know that would be a fun-ass fight. I was bullsh*tting with his manager when I came back, and I was like, ‘That dude is a younger version of me.’ He’s a little more cut up and diesel than when I was at 185, but he reminded me just of me. And I’m like, ‘Yo, that would be such a fun fight.
“I don’t f*cking hate the guy. He doesn’t hate me. He’s better than me at the memes. He makes good f*cking memes and gets under my skin. … If they want to make that fight, I’m obviously down for that fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.
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The attention was on Fedor Emelianenko after Bellator 290, but Ryan Bader continued to show he’s elite in a rematch setting.
The first Bellator event of 2023, Bellator 290, went down Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and it marked a monumental occasion for both the promotion and the sport.
In addition to being the organization’s debut showcase on CBS, the card marked the retirement fight of legendary former PRIDE champion [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight titleholder [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.
The co-headliner saw middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen [/autotag](13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remain undefeated with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for his first title defense.
For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 290.
Check out the disclosed pay for all 28 fighters on Bellator 290, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Twenty-eight fighters competed Saturday at Bellator 290 with the titleholders leading all disclosed payouts.
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Saturday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.
One of five fighters who pocketed six-figure disclosed paydays, [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] topped the list with $150,000. Legendary MMA fighter [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] and welterweight Sabah Homasi each made $100,000, despite losses.
Scroll below to see what the 28 fighters on Bellator 290 were paid – disclosed amounts only.
Check out these photos from Brennan Ward’s victory over Sabah Homasi at Bellator 290.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag]’s victory over Sabah Homasi at Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and aired live on CBS. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
Brennan Ward vs. Sabah Homasi was circled by many MMA fans – and apparently for good reason.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Advertised as one of the most violent fights in Bellator history, [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] delivered.
In the first Bellator fight to air on CBS in promotion history, Ward (17-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) defeated Homasi (17-11 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) with a head kick and punches at 1:34 of Round 2. The welterweight bout opened up the Bellator 290 main card at Kia Forum.
Homasi and Ward both came out aggressive, as expected. Ward shot for a takedown initially. Homasi stuffed. Moments later, Ward shot a takedown as Homasi leaped for a flying knee. Ward caught Homasi and took him to the ground. Once there, Ward worked from the back for a rear-naked choke, which he couldn’t get. Homasi worked up but Ward found success once back on the feet. The two fighters were bloodied, but not broken at the end-of-round bell.
In Round 2, Ward continued his momentum swing, as he rocked Homasi on various occasions. Ward was patient in the attack, as he beat down a durable Homasi. Referee Blake Grice appeared close to a stoppage on multiple occasions, but a head kick and punches were what eventually persuaded him to intervene.
🔥 The 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 career resurgence of @SwaggleBerryFin continues! What a stoppage LIVE on @CBS 👏
📺 #Bellator290 | 𝑪𝑩𝑺 & 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕+ | LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/qWo4HAbqic
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 5, 2023
After the fight, Ward was joined in the cage by legendary actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, who attended the event with a mutual friend of theirs.
Ward returned in February 2022 after nearly five years away from MMA competition due to an ongoing battle with drug addiction. At Bellator 274, Ward was successful in his comeback bout when he defeated Brandon Bell by second-round TKO. In June, he defeated Kassius Kayne by second-round TKO at Bellator 282.
Reinvented under the Bellator banner, Homasi, a close friend and training partner of UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, won six of his past eight bouts before Saturday. A two fight skid was snapped with the loss.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 290 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.
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Check out these photos from the Bellator 290 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Los Angeles.
Check out these photos from the Bellator 290 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Los Angeles. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 290 main card, its debut on CBS, featuring Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko.
| Bader vs. Emelianenko |
Eblen vs. Tokov |
Homasi vs. Ward |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 5-5 |
 Bader (52%) |
 Eblen (63%) |
 Ward (62%) |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 8-2 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 7-3 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 7-3 |
Bader |
Eblen |
 Homasi |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 6-4 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 6-4  2017 Champion |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 6-4 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Homasi |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 5-5 2018, 2022 Champion |
Bader |
 Tokov |
Homasi |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 5-5 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Homasi |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 5-5 2014 Champion |
Bader |
Eblen |
Homasi |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 4-6 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 4-6 |
Bader |
Eblen |
Ward |
Bellator returns this week for its first event of the year, and a pair of titles and monumental sendoff top the lineup.
Bellator 290 takes place Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on CBS following prelims on MMA Junkie.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) takes on legendary Russian challenger [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), who has announced this will be his final fight. It is a rematch of a 2019 tournament final and title fight that saw Bader finish Emelianenko with a 35-second TKO.
Bader is a sizable favorite at -320 at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on former PRIDE champ Emelianenko is +255. But none of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have “The Last Emperor” with a fairytale ending. Bader is a unanimous pick at 11-0.
In the co-feature, middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Eblen is a -270 favorite at the betting window, and he has a near-unanimous rout in the picks. Just one of our staff members has Tokov in an upset.
And to open the main card, which is Bellator’s debut on CBS, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 11-6 BMMA) at welterweight. Homasi is more than a 2-1 betting favorite, but our pickers are split. It’s Ward with a 6-5 lead.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Bader (52 percent), Eblen (63 percent) and Ward (62 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.
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