Tag: dalton rosta

PFL announces 2025 middleweight tournament field

The 2025 PFL middleweight tournament will include familiar names from PFL and Bellator contendership.

Eight fighters will compete in the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament.

On Tuesday, PFL announced the field of competitors, which includes former Bellator middleweight title challengers [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (13-4) and [autotag]Aaron Jeffery[/autotag] (15-5), 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] (18-5), former Bellator middleweight contenders [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (9-1) and [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (17-4), former ONE standout [autotag]Murad Ramazanov[/autotag] (12-2), 2023 PFL light heavyweight runner-up [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (13-4), and 2022 PFL welterweight champion Sadibou Sy (17-8-2).

[autotag]Jordan Newman[/autotag] (7-0) and [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag] (17-3) will serve as tournament alternates.

The 2025 middleweight tournament quarterfinals take place April 18 at 2025 PFL 3 from Universal Studios Florida in Orlando and stream on ESPN/ESPN+. No matchups have yet been revealed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGgIzWDxbm8/?img_index=1

The middleweight tournament marks the promotion’s return to promoting bracketed 185-pound fights. In its inaugural “season formatted” year in 2018, the promotion featured middleweights.

However, with the emergence of Kayla Harrison, the promotion replaced middleweight with women’s lightweight in 2019.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 22-28)

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 a promotion from May 22-28.

Dalton Rosta will cross bridge for Bellator title bout vs. teammate Johnny Eblen if it comes

Dalton Rosta wrapped up his 2022 calendar at a perfect 3-0, and if he keeps the same pace in 2023 could have something big in his future.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] wrapped up his 2022 fighting calendar at a perfect 3-0, and if he keeps the same pace in 2023 could have something big in his future.

Rosta (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) kept his perfect record intact with a unanimous decision win over Anthony Adams (9-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) to open the Bellator 289 main card Friday in Uncasville, Conn. If he goes 3-0 in 2023, it would make him 11-0 – the same record his American Top Team teammate Austin Vanderford had earlier this year when he got a middleweight title shot, and the same record teammate Johnny Eblen had when he beat Gegard Mousasi to win the belt a few months later.

So it’s reasonable to think an 11-0 Rosta could find himself in the title picture, especially considering he already was No. 5 in Bellator’s rankings at 185 pounds before his win over Adams.

“I continue to get better,” Rosta told MMA Junkie after the fight. “… I’m getting my experience in the cage. One thing I can take away from these decision victories, even though I don’t want to (have decision wins), is I’m getting more cage time and I’m learning to chain things together as I go.

“Johnny Eblen’s the champ in our weight class. He’s one of my teammates and he pushes me every day in the gym. One day, we might have to fight each other. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but at the end of the day, it’s just business. But until that day, I’m going to keep training with him and keep getting better, because he pushes me. He’s a beast … I think he has all the qualities I have, plus a good gas tank. He’s a really good fighter, and I’m blessed to have people like him in the gym.”

Rosta said he’d like to fight John Salter, who is ranked No. 3 in Bellator’s middleweight division, but so far hasn’t been able to get it on the books.

“(Salter) is like Romero Cotton 2.0 – he keeps ducking me,” Rosta said. “They tried making the fight twice. There was never any contracts like there was with Romero Cotton. Nonetheless, they’ve offered me the name and the fight never came to fruition. I don’t know what’s going on on his end, but hopefully they can make that fight happen.”

To hear Rosta talk about his win over Adams, training with the champ, 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 post-event facts: Underdogs shine on final card of 2022

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 289, which took place Friday and saw a number of significant betting upsets.

Bellator put on its 17th and final event of the year on Friday with Bellator 289, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Two champions defended their titles at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) edged [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) by split decision in their grudge match to defend interim bantamweight gold and advance to the finals of the promotion’s grand prix.

The co-headliner saw [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) earn a second consecutive win over [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA), this time without controversy as she scored a second-round submission to defend women’s flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 289.

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)

Dalton Rosta not fast-tracking Bellator title hopes, but knows he’s on right path

Dalton Rosta has seen some quick recent rises at middleweight and knows he could be next on the list starting at Bellator 289.

NORWICH, Conn. – [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] has seen some quick recent rises in Bellator’s middleweight division, and knows he could be next on the list.

His American Top Team teammate Austin Vanderford fought for the 185-pound title earlier this year when he was 11-0. Current champ Johnny Eblen, another of Rosta’s teammates, got a shot at Gegard Mousasi in June when he was 11-0 and won the belt.

If Rosta (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) beats Anthony Adams (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 289, he’ll move to 8-0. And another 3-0 year in 2023 would put him at 11-0, which seems to be a magic number lately.

But Rosta said even if he can see a path to title contention, it doesn’t mean he’s trying to fast-track his way there.

Check out the full media day interview with Rosta above.

Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

Bellator 289 predictions: Are bantamweight grand prix and title fight upsets brewing?

Check out our staff members’ picks for Bellator 289, including Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello and Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez.

Stots
vs.
Sabatello		 Carmouche
vs.
Velasquez		 Magomedov
vs.
Mix		 Adams
vs.
Rosta
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
192-116		 stots2022
Stots
(77%)		 velasquez2022
Velasquez
(62%)		 magomedov2022
Magomedov
(62%)		 rosta2022
Rosta
(89%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
204-109
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
195-118		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
193-120		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
191-122		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
191-122
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
189-124		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
188-125		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
182-131
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Nolan King
@mma_kings
180-133		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
172-141		 stots2022
Stots		 velasquez2022
Velasquez		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
154-159		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta

Bellator is back at its regular East Coast stomping ground with tournament semifinals and two title fights.

Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on heated rival [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two grand prix semifinals. Stots is a slight -160 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Sabatello is +125. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Stots as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat by TKO in April. Velasquez protested the stoppage to no avail, but now has a shot at redemption. Even though she’s a -180 favorite over the champ, it’s underdog Carmouche who has a whopping 10-1 lead from our staff pickers.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) meets [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the second bantamweight tournament semifinal. The odds are the closest on the entire card with Magomedov just a -135 favorite. But our staff members have Mix in an 11-0 shutout.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has a tough task at middleweight against the unbeaten 10-1 favorite [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Given the odds, it’s not surprising Rosta is our third unanimous pick in four fights.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Stots (77 percent), Velasquez (62 percent), Magomedov (62 percent) and Rosta (89 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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

Bellator 289 pre-event facts: Will Liz Carmouche stay unbeaten in Bellator?

Check out the numbers behind Friday’s Bellator 289 event, which features a pair of championship fights.

The final Bellator event of the year takes place Friday with Bellator 289, which goes down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. In the main event, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]’ (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will meet in a title fight that also doubles as a semifinal matchup in the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) attempt to make her first women’s flyweight title defense when she runs it back with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat for the title in controversial fashion earlier this year.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 289.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 17-23)

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 Oct. 17-23.

Four fights added to Bellator 289, including return of Dalton Rosta

Bellator 289 takes place Dec. 9 and is headlined by two title fights, including the Danny Sabatello vs. Raufeon Stots grudge match.

Bellator has added four new fights to its final event of 2022.

Scheduled for Dec. 9 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Bellator 289 already featured two bantamweight grand prix fights and a women’s flyweight title fight. Now, its undercard is filling up, too.

Most notably, a middleweight bout between rising contender [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will take place.

Rosta, 26, is undefeated as a professional. In his most recent outing, Rosta dominated blue-chip wrestling prospect Romero Cotton en route to a third-round knockout. Meanwhile, Adams upset former UFC fighter Khalid Murtazaliev via unanimous decision in his Bellator debut in September 2021 and has not competed since.

A promotion official recently notified MMA Junkie of the addition, as well as [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Shamil Nikaev[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight, [autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Jared Scoggins[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at bantamweight, and [autotag]Kevin Boehm[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag] (9-5-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA).

The Boehm vs. Kamaka bout was first reported by BellatorZone.

With the additions, the Bellator 289 lineup includes:

  • Champion Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello – bantamweight grand prix semifinal for interim title
  • Champion Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez – for women’s flyweight title
  • Magomed Magomedov vs. Patchy Mix – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
  • Anthony Adams vs. Dalton Rosta
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Shamil Nikaev
  • Cody Law vs. Cris Lencioni
  • Cass Bell vs. Jared Scoggings
  • Mark Lemminger vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Kevin Boehm vs. Kai Kamaka
  • Theo Haig vs. Kareem Kline

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