Tag: Charlie Campbell

Noche UFC video: Charlie Campbell KOs Alex Reyes, channels The Rock with Daniel Cormier

Charlie Campbell delivered in his octagon debut at Noche UFC – both inside the octagon and his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

[autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] scored the first big highlight of the Noche UFC card when he spoiled the return of Alex Reyes with a brutal knockout.

Reyes (12-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) was making his return to competition after nearly six years on the sidelines due to health complications. Campbell (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made him look out of his element from the outset of the lightweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Campbell stunned Reyes multiple times before a huge right hand led to a knockdown and the finishing sequence at the 3:38 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay below (via X):

After the fight, Campbell gave a charismatic post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier where he impersonated Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

“The UFC jitters are only real if you believe in them,” Campbell said. “I told myself, ‘I’m not going to get nervous.’ So I didn’t get nervous. It’s that simple. Stop believing in it just like they did on the regional scene.

“What did you think of my boxing?” Campbell asked Cormier, who began to pull the microphone to answer. “It doesn’t matter what you think! It doesn’t matter what you think. Shout out to Dwayne Johnson, The Rock. I’m a huge fan. Put me in a movie or something.”

Up-to-the-minute Noche UFC results include:

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

Charlie Campbell def. Alex Reyes at Noche UFC: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Charlie Campbell’s first-round TKO win over Alex Reyes at Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Alex Reyes[/autotag] at Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; and UFC)

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 4-10)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 4-10.

Noche UFC fight card hit with changes as debutants save two matchups

The Noche UFC lineup has faced nine withdrawals thus far, with two newcomers plugging the latest openings.

The UFC’s Mexican Independence Day card has faced many edits since it was announced and the changes keep on coming.

In recent days, two fighters have withdrawn from Noche UFC, scheduled for Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That’s the bad news. The good news is that replacements have been sought. Rising prospects [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Marnic Mann[/autotag] have signed with the promotion and filled the short-notice openings.

Campbell (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will face Alex Reyes (13-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a lightweight bout, replacing [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]. As for Mann (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), she replaces an injured [autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag] and faces fellow newcomer [autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a strawweight fight. The two bouts will kick off the preliminary portion of the card.

The Campbell vs. Reyes booking was first reported by Eurosport NL.

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As he enters his promotional debut, Campbell has a resume that includes fights for Bellator, CFFC, and Dana White’s Contender Series among other banners. His fight on DWCS in 2022 was a knockout loss, but one of the most improbable in the series’ history. After he rocked Chris Duncan all over the cage, Campbell was knocked out in an all-time comeback. Since the defeat, he’s 1-0 with one TKO.

Like Campbell, Mann too lost on DWCS by knockout in 2022. While she was head kicked into defeat by Bruna Brasil in that fight, Mann reentered the win column with a unanimous decision win over Amber Brown for LFA 157 in April.

With the changes, the Noche UFC lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko – for women’s flyweight title
  • Jack Della Maddalena vs. Kevin Holland
  • Terrence Mitchell vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
  • Christos Giagos vs. Daniel Zellhuber
  • Kyle Nelson vs. Fernando Padilla

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Loopy Godinez vs. Elise Reed
  • Josh Fremd vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Edgar Chairez vs. Daniel Lacerda
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Charlie Campbell vs. Alex Reyes
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Marnic Mann

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

Dana White’s Contender Series 48 live results

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 48 event, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 48 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] on hand to make the decisions.

In the second week of the sixth season, 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the featured bout, [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] (6-1) takes on [autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag] (8-1) in a lightweight bout.

This week, other fights take place in the flyweight, featherweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions.

The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams on ESPN+. The full lineup of Dana White’s Contender Series 48 includes:

  • Charlie Campbell vs. Chris Duncan
  • Shannon Ross vs. Vinicius Salvador
  • Francis Marshall vs. Connor Matthews
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Danilo Suzart
  • Billy Goff vs. Shimon Smotritsky

Continue reading below for more details about the event.

UFC hopeful, DWCS 48 fighter Charlie Campbell glad long-term deal didn’t happen with Bellator

After a pair of wins under the Bellator banner, Charlie Campbell thought his MMA future was unfolding fairly predictably.

After a pair of wins under the Bellator banner, [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] thought his MMA future was unfolding fairly predictably.

Campbell expected an offer of a long-term deal with the promotion, he said, not only after a 2020 finish of Nainoa Dung, but after one over Nick Giuletti less than a year later. It didn’t come.

So Tuesday, after two more knockout wins for CFFC, Campbell (6-1) has a shot at the next level when he takes on Chris Duncan (8-1) to headline Dana White’s Contender Series 48 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

“When you’re young, you want what you want,” Campbell recently told MMA Junkie from his home gym on Long Island, where he trains with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and Ray Longo. “Then, when money becomes this evil variable, you think that you’re willing to settle for something else because you’re financially in a position where you just need something coming in on a regular basis. I’ve been struggling for so long and I’ve been spending every hour of every day for so many years now on this sport.

“… As I look back, I’m happy there wasn’t (a Bellator deal) because at the end of the day, I would’ve been selling myself short. I would’ve been settling for something that is less than what I deserve. I want to fight the best in the world. It’s no secret the UFC holds the best in the world.”

A win for Campbell on Tuesday doesn’t guarantee him a UFC contract. But an impressive finish could get him one.

Still, that’s up to the UFC president, who after the first week of Contender Series bouts gave a bit of a warning to future participants to step up their games. It doesn’t sound like Campbell has much of a problem thinking he can do that.

“I know that there’s a lot of people in my position with seven fights, maybe with a winning record,” he said. “But are they exciting to watch? Do they get people up on their feet? Do they get people in the crowd? Do they finish the fights? Do they know how to talk? Are they looking to really capitalize on the showman part of it, and do they know anything about show business? For me, it’s a little natural. … ‘The Cannibal’ comes out, and he has a lot to say, I’ve got a lot to say in the near future.”

Campbell said White will see a lightweight contender who is willing to do whatever it takes to get to his dream job in the UFC.

“Anyone who watches this fight is not going to be able to sleep that night. That’s all I can say,” Campbell said. “I have no doubt that he’s training hard, and I hope that he is because I know that the harder it becomes in that fight, it’s going to give me that opportunity to show how deep I can dig. … I’m willing to die in there trying, so get ready.”

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Dana White’s Contender Series adds Charlie Campbell vs. Chris Duncan to summer lineup

DWCS 48 will feature a lightweight battle between Charlie Campbell and Chris Duncan, two fighters who were undefeated in Bellator.

The Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 6 matchups are coming fast and furiously.

The latest addition is a lightweight matchup between [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] (6-1) and [autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag] (8-1) for the Aug. 2 card, DWCS 48, which will serve as the second episode of the upcoming season at the UFC Apex.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup Tuesday confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Campbell, 26, is an alumnus of Bellator, CFFC, and Ring of Combat. He rides a five-fight winning streak into DWCS 48. After a big first-round finish of Guilherme dos Santos at CFFC 107, Campbell made the most of his in-cage interview as he called for a shot on DWCS.

For Duncan, DWCS 48 will be his second crack at a UFC contract on the show. In 2021, he amicably split with Bellator and signed on for a DWCS bout against Viacheslav Borschev. Duncan was brutally knocked out in Round 2 and Boschev was awarded a UFC contract. Since then, Duncan is 1-0.

With the addition, the DWCS 48 lineup includes:

  • Billy Goff vs. Shimon Smotritsky
  • Francis Marshall vs. Connor Matthews
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Danilo Suzart
  • Shannon Ross vs. Vinicius Salvador
  • Charlie Campbell vs. Chris Duncan

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Charlie Campbell shoots his shot at Jake Paul after Bellator 262 win, says ‘your girls are mine’

A Bellator 262 prelims winner calling out Jake Paul was unexpected, but Charlie Campbell went for it.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] spoke with the media Friday night after his second-round TKO win over Nicholas Giulietti.

While it wasn’t the focus of his post-fight interview, Campbell’s lasting impression was his callout of You Tube sensation-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul, which came after he screamed in the cage, “Jake Paul! Your girls are mine!”

“His posse is fake. Everyone is sick and tired of him,” Campbell told reporters afterward. “He does a good job selling stuff. If him and everyone he called out were playing tennis, no one would watch. Combat sports is the most realest one-on-one thing in the world. He’s full of sh*t. If I ever got a chance to see him in person, I’d fight him for free. But if he wants to set something up, in the future I guarantee it’ll be him calling me out. He thinks he’s the man with the media right now. Watch, I’ll take his girls right away from him. Meet me in the Bellator cage, Jake Paul. Your girls are mine.”

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Campbell (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) also shared his thoughts on his performance, why he deserves a multifight contract from Bellator, gave a shoutout to his Longo and Weidman MMA team, and more.

You can watch his full interview in the video above.

Bellator 262 took place at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 262 results: Juliana Velasquez retains title with split decision over Denise Kielholtz

Check out how the main event of Bellator 262 unfolded between Juliana Velasquez and Denise Kielholtz.

[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] has successfully defended her Bellator flyweight title for the first time.

The main event of Bellator 262 was a closely contested championship fight between champ Velasquez (12-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Denise Kielholz[/autotag].

The event took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The first round started out with both fighters feeling out the striking range. The challenger, Kielholtz (6-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) put together quick combinations while Velasquez’s output was lower with single strikes throughout the round. With 30 seconds left, Kielholtz unleashed a beautiful five-punch combo to get the champ’s attention and put a stamp on the first five minutes of action.

In the second round, Velasquez worked behind a right-hand jab and started to increase her striking volume as she appeared to figure out her opponent’s range. Kielholtz seemed game for the change of pace, as she also answered with punches of her own.

The pair continued to trade strikes in the center of the cage early in the third round. Kielholtz led the charge by pressing forward with combinations, but Velasquez would circle away from danger before getting too close to the fence. Kielholtz controlled the center of the cage for the majority of the round, while Velasquez looked to counter with punches.

With 15 seconds left in the round, Velasquez secured her first takedown, but with a short time remaining, nothing significant came from it.

The fourth started similarly to the previous round as Kielholtz continued to keep the pressure on the champ as she circled on the outside. Velasquez’s right-hand jab continued to find the mark as the blood and bruising on Kielholtz’s face became more visible. The champ appeared to have her opponent’s timing and distance down, as she became more fluid defensively.

The final round started with a huge right hand from Kielholtz to briefly knock the champ off balance. Perhaps sensing the fight was close, the challenger turned up the pressure. The champ found the range again and returned to working from the outside while countering with punches. Kielholtz stuffed a takedown with a minute to go and led the striking exchanges until time expired.

Two of the judges scored the bout in favor of Velasquez with scores of 48-47, while the dissenting judge turned in a score of 48-47 in favor of Kielholtz.

Velasquez improves to 12-0 in her professional career, picking up her first flyweight title defense by split decision after becoming champion by defeating Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in December.

Kielholtz’s winning streak ends at four after falling to Velasquez in Friday’s main event. After losing to Veta Arteaga by second-round submission in 2018, Kielholtz went on a tear of four straight finishes to earn a shot at the Bellator title. However, she was one judge’s scorecard away from victory on Friday evening.

The full results of Bellator 262 are below:

  • Juliana Velasquez def. Denise Kielholtz via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
  • Tyrell Fortune def. Matt Mitrione via submission (strikes) – Round 1, 1:45
  • Matheus Mattos def. Cee Jay Hamilton via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:33
  • Arlene Blencowe def. Dayana Silva via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:00
  • Johnny Eblen def. Travis Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Said Sowma def. Ronny Markes via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:09
  • Cody Law def. Theodore Macuka via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:54
  • Diana Avsaragova def. Gabriella Gulfin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Adil Benjilany def. Johnny Soto via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Charlie Campbell def. Nicholas Giulietti via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:30

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Bellator 262 loses Marcelo Golm vs. Linton Vassell, gains a preliminary card fight

One of two heavyweight tilts scheduled for Bellator 262 has been canceled.

A heavyweight fight has been removed from the Bellator 262 main card.

The scheduled bout between [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] and [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] has been canceled for undisclosed reasons, a Bellator official told MMA Junkie on Monday. A decision has not been made on which fight, if any, will fill the hole left on the Bellator 262 main card.

The fight card will remain at 11 fights total. A lightweight matchup between Northeast up-and-comers [autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Nick Giulietti[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has been added to the prelims.

Bellator 262 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

A former UFC fighter, Golm (8-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was expected to make his promotional debut after three straight victories on the regional scene. Meanwhile, Vassell (20-8 MMA, 9-5 BMMA), a staple of Bellator’s main cards for the past few years, would’ve been looking to extend his winning streak to three after victories over Ronny Markes and Sergei Kharitonov.

With the changes, the Bellator 262 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Juliana Velasquez vs. Denise Kielholtz – for women’s flyweight title
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Matt Mitrione
  • Cee Jay Hamilton vs. Matheus Mattos
  • Arlene Blencowe vs. Dayana Silva
  • Travis Davis vs. Johnny Eblen

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ronny Markes vs. Said Sowma
  • Cody Law vs. Theodore Macuka
  • Roman Faraldo vs. John Ramirez
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Gabriella Gulfin
  • Adil Benjilany vs. Johnny Soto
  • Charlie Campbell vs. Nick Giulietti

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