Tag: Christian Echols

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2022

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2022, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2022, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2022. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded prior to the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, Eagle FC, and One Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2022 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

MMA world surprised at his massive upset of Pat Downey – but not Christian Echols

Christian Echols knew the odds against him at Bellator 289. He heard all about them. He just didn’t care and was glad to prove people wrong.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Christian Echols[/autotag] knew the odds against him at Bellator 289. He heard all about them.

Echols was a huge underdog against highly touted wrestling standout Pat Downey on Friday in Uncasville, Conn. Downey was a 15-1 favorite in the middleweight fight. A 36-second submission win in his pro debut earlier this year had a lot to do with that for Downey.

And at the start of his fight with Echols, it looked like things might play out in the same kind of way. Downey put Echols on the canvas and before long had a tight choke that Echols had to find a way out of. Eventually, he did – and then Echols (3-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) knocked out Downey (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) for one of the year’s biggest upsets.

“I was 2-2, so everybody looked at me as a scrub,” Echols told MMA Junkie after the fight. “What they didn’t understand was, when I changed my life around and I stopped doing the stupid things I was doing and I found God, I started training six hours per day. I’m training all the time. My last two fights, I had a total of 55 seconds in total through both fights. Nobody sees that. They look at 2-2 and say, ‘Oh, we’ll get this scrub in here. He’ll fight Pat Downey. Pat Downey will whoop his butt, (and we’ll) go on with the day.’

“That’s not the case, and I’m here to show everybody: I’m not to be played with. Screw the Internet. Screw Joe down the road that put me at a 15-1 underdog. I can do this, and I know I can. I’ve just got heart.”

To hear Echols talk about his upset of Downey, that choke and what he wants next, check out the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Bellator 289: Best photos from Connecticut

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289 in Uncasville, Conn.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289, headlined by an interim bantamweight title and grand prix semifinal bout between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 289 video: Christian Echols lands walk-off uppercut on Pat Downey for massive upset

Christian Echols pulled off a massive upset on the Bellator 289 prelims over highly-touted wrestler Pat Downey.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Christian Echols[/autotag] pulled off a massive upset in his Bellator debut.

Standing across from the highly-touted wrestler Pat Downey, Echols (3-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) had the deck stacked against him with many believing Downey would come in and dominate the grappling game. The fight took place on the Bellator 289 prelims at Mohegan Sun Arena.

While Downey (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) had success early with a tight front headlock submission attempt, Echols found his way out and began putting powerful punches together. After rocking and wobbling Downey, Echols landed the walk-off uppercut to close the show in the first round.

Some sportsbooks had Downey as high as a -2500 favorite over Echols. Unfortunately for those wagering on Downey, “The Vanilla Gorilla” proved nothing is a lock in the world of MMA.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 289 include:

  • Christian Echols def. Pat Downey via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:27
  • Kai Kamaka def. Kevin Boehm via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:23
  • Michael Lombardo def. Mark Lemminger via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:23
  • Cass Bell def. Jared Scoggins via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 21-27)

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 from Nov. 21-27.

Insider’s Scoop: Jon Jones latest, Tatiana Suarez’s comeback, UFC’s 2023 U.K. return, and more

MMA Junkie’s Nolan King shares news tidbits and rumblings from around the MMA world.

Before we get into the crux of what you all showed up for (news), we want to re-introduce you to the “Insider’s Scoop.”

Every once in and while, our reporters, when enough noteworthy developments have piled up, will release news in an easy-to-digest roundup for the MMA Junkie audience.

From fight rumblings to event locations and dates to roster departures and more, various tidbits will be featured each time “Insider’s Scoop” is released.

So without further ado, here’s the latest edition of “Insider’s Scoop.”