Tag: Christian Edwards

Bellator 293 post-event facts: Unbeaten fighters fall on upset-heavy card

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 293, which featured a number of upsets, including a loss by a 16-1 favorite.

Bellator closed its March schedule Saturday with Bellator 293, which took place at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

The main event saw the late career success of [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) continue. He added to his case as a potential heavyweight contender to watch when he beat [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) by third-round knockout.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 293.

Bellator 293 salaries: Cat Zingano, Daniel James lead the pack with six-figure disclosed paydays

Check out the disclosed pay for all 30 fighters on Bellator 293, according to the California State Athletic Commission.

Thirty fighters competed Friday at Bellator 293 with [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] leading all disclosed payouts.

California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Friday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.

The main event and co-main event winners were the only two fighters to pocket six-figure disclosed paydays as a result of their performances Friday. Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) earned $100,000 flat for her unanimous decision win over [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) in the co-main event. Then, main event winner James (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) earned to $50,000 show and a $50,000 win bonus for his victory over [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-3 BMMA).

Scroll below to see what the 30 fighters on Bellator 293 were paid – disclosed amounts only.

Bellator 293 pre-event facts: Prelim fighter can make history with sixth straight first-round KO

No fighter in Bellator history has ever started their tenure with the promotion by earning six straight first-round knockouts.

For the first time since October 2019, Bellator will travel to Temecula, Calif., on Friday with Bellator 293, which takes place at Pechanga Casino Resort with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A matchup of surging heavyweight contenders will be featured in the main event. [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (14-6-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will put their unbeaten promotional records on the line as they meet in a five-round contest that will elevate the winner into the title conversation.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 293.

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2021

Check out the biggest upsets of 2021, according to the oddsmakers.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2021, 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 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 2021. Fights that were eligible were those which numerous major online sports books recognized, and which Tapology recorded prior to line close.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2021 below, per Tapology. Note that only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Bellator 266 salaries: Yoel Romero leads disclosed payouts despite promotional debut loss

Yoel Romero lost his Bellator debut – but was still compensated the highest amount of anyone on the card.

Bellator 266 is in the books and although [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] was the victorious half of the main event, he didn’t receive the highest disclosed payout according to the event’s commissioning body.

While Davis (23-6 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) pocketed a $100,000 flat salary for his three-round split decision, his opponent [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) earned $150,000 in defeat. The fight was Romero’s promotional debut with Bellator and his first bout since his UFC departure in 2020.

MMA Junkie acquired a full list of Bellator 266 payouts Wednesday from California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster. The amounts include win and show purses, but do not account for any discretionary bonuses.

Bellator 266 took place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the full list of Bellator 266 payouts below:

6-to-1 underdog ‘Big Tuna’ knocks out top prospect Christian Edwards at Bellator 266

Check out the video of when Ben Parrish sent the SAP Center into a frenzy with a massive knockout of rising star Christian Edwards.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – “Big Tuna” was a massive underdog going into Bellator 266, but he defied the odds in a matter of seconds.

Some online sportsbooks had [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] as high as a 6-to-1 underdog against rising star [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag]. So when Parrish (5-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) knocked out Edwards (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) with a series of punches 38 seconds into Round 1, the SAP Center was sent into a frenzy.

A hard overhand left started off the finishing sequence. As Edwards crumpled to the canvas, Parrish poured on a series of punches that put the lights out.

Check out the knockout and reaction below:

Bellator 266 took place Saturday at SAP Center. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

  • Ben Parrish def. Christian Edwards via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:38
  • Alex Polizzi def. Grant Neal via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Anthony Adams def. Khalid Murtazaliev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Bobby Seronio III def. Socrates Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-26, 29-26)
  • Abraham Vaesauvia def. Albert Gonzales via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:17
  • Shane Keefe def. Rhalan Gracie via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Edwin De Los Santos def. Jon Adams via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:29
  • Jesse Delgado def. Joshua Dillon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 266’s Christian Edwards admires Anderson Silva, but he has no desire to fight into his 40s

“I’m making as much cash as I can as early as I can, and I’m getting the f*ck out.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. – [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] spoke with the media Thursday ahead of his light heavyweight fight with Ben Parrish at Bellator 266.

Edwards (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) shared how surprised he was that his fight with Parrish (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was rebooked for a third time after twice falling off, given that he expected a bump up in competition. Edwards also praised Anderson Silva, whom he called “my guy growing up,” for his success in boxing. But at 22, Edwards said he already knows he doesn’t want to follow the footsteps of his idol and fight well into his 40s.

“I’m talking about the (Georges St-Pierre) plan,” Edwards said. “I’m making as much cash as I can as early as I can, and I’m getting the f*ck out. I want to make enough money to be good for life, and I want to be able to read bedtime stories to my kids. Yeah, no, I don’t want to do this into my 40s.”

You can watch Edwards’ full interview in the video above.

Bellator 266 takes place Saturday at SAP Center and airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 266 lineup finalized with the addition of four more prelims

The lineup for Bellator return to its Northern California home base is set with the addition of four new fights on the preliminary card.

The lineup for next week’s Bellator return to its Northern California home base is set with the addition of four new fights on the preliminary card.

[autotag]Rhalan Gracie[/autotag] (0-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will return to MMA for the first time since 2007 when he takes on [autotag]Shane Keefe[/autotag] (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at welterweight.

Plus, [autotag]Eddie Abasolo[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Art Hernandez[/autotag] (4-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a 160-pound contract weight fight; [autotag]Edwin De Los Santos[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Jon Adams[/autotag] (0-1-1 MMA, 0-1-1 BMMA) at flyweight; and [autotag]Jesse Delgado[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) fights [autotag]Joshua Dillon[/autotag] (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a 130-pound contract weight bout.

Bellator 266 takes place Sept. 18 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The card will be Bellator’s first in San Jose in more than two years.

In the main event, [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) finally will make his Bellator debut when he takes on former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 9-3 BMMA).

Romero signed with Bellator in December 2020 after a seven-year run with the UFC. He was booked to make his promotional debut against Anthony Johnson to open the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix in May, but was forced to withdraw because of concerns over his eye following a pre-fight medical exam.

Romero, 44, hasn’t fought since March 2020 when he dropped a unanimous decision to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 248, which marked his third consecutive loss. His other two defeats in the skid came against Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. Romero hasn’t won since a February 2018 knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC 221.

Davis is coming off an April unanimous decision loss to champion Vadim Nemkov in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix, which snapped a three-fight winning streak.

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The Bellator 266 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET, Showtime)

  • Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero
  • [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag]
  • [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Saul Rogers[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag]

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

  • [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Polizzi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Albert Gonzales[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Abraham Vaesau[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Socrates Hernandez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pedro Juarez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Erin Hunter[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bobby Seronio III[/autotag]
  • Rhalan Gracie vs. Shane Keefe
  • Eddie Abasolo vs. Art Hernandez
  • Jon Adams vs. Edwin De Los Santos
  • Jesse Delgado vs. Joshua Dillon

Bellator 261 faceoff video highlights: Co-main event staring contest nearly doesn’t end

Check out the ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs ahead of Bellator 261 at Mohegan Sun.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the promotion is implementing an interim heavyweight title.

Bellator 261 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill are top heavyweight contenders [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA). They will compete for the interim strap in the absence of undisputed champion Ryan Bader, who is partaking in the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix.

The co-main event features a women’s flyweight fight. Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) faces [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (10-0-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 261 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Johnson vs. Moldavsky, Carmouche vs. Watanabe, [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] vs. [autotag] Daniel Weichel[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag], and [autotag]Simon Biyong[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag].

Christian Edwards receives medical clearance for heart, canceled fight rebooked for Bellator 261

Days after his fight was canceled, Christian Edwards is back on the Bellator schedule.

With a clean bill of health, [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] is ready to give his return to the cage another go.

Six days after his fight against [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] was canceled after the Bellator 259 official weigh-ins, the bout is back on the books. The light heavyweight duo has been rebooked for Bellator 261, promotion officials told MMA Junkie on Wednesday.

Bellator 261 takes place June 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Edwards’ (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) removal after this past Friday’s weigh-ins came as a surprise to many, including Edwards himself. After he stepped on the scale and came in light at 202 pounds, Edwards was denied medical clearance from The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation due to heartbeat irregularities.

In a series of Instagram posts and stories following his removal, Edwards said the issue was a first – and likely an error. Sure enough, less than a week later, Edwards has been cleared and rebooked to fight Parrish (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

“Like (I’ve not) done this more than once lol these doctors are funny man,” Edwards wrote on Instagram on Saturday, in response to a tweet by reporter Mike Pendleton. “Just some funny motherf*ckers bro lol.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLBnABJAr5/

Edwards, 22, is a training partner of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and one of two Mata Leon JacksonWink scholarship recipients in Bellator. He’s finished three of his four pro fights inside the distance.

With the addition, the Bellator 261 lineup includes:

  • Timothy Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky – for the interim heavyweight title
  • Kyra Batara vs. Lena Ovchynnikova
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Aaron Hughes
  • Myles Jury vs. Sidney Outlaw
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish

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