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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 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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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.
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 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.
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 |
 Stots (77%) |
 Velasquez (62%) |
 Magomedov (62%) |
 Rosta (89%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 204-109  2018 Champion |
Stots |
 Carmouche |
 Mix |
Rosta |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 195-118 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 193-120 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 191-122 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 191-122 2014 Champion |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 189-124 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 188-125 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 182-131 2017 Champion |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 180-133 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 172-141 |
Stots |
Velasquez |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 154-159 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rosta with the best finish of #Bellator283?@DaltonRosta 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 Romero Cotton in R3 to take him to 7-0 in the Bellator cage 🔥
Watch the replay on @BBCiPlayer 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/JSbTwZITxC
— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) July 24, 2022
With the additions, the Bellator 289 lineup includes:
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Check out which fighters are facing indefinite suspensions as a result of Friday’s fights in Tacoma, Wash.
Belaltor 283 took place Friday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. and featured 12 bouts of MMA action.
Atop the card, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] defeated former welterweight champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] by unanimous decision. Also, RIZIN tournament champion [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] by first-round knockout, and [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] quickly tapped [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] with a first-round guillotine choke.
As a result of injuries sustained in the bout, each fighter on the card received a medical suspension from the Washington State Department of Licensing. MMA Junkie acquired the list from the commissioning body Tuesday. The list included suspension durations but not medical specifics.
Two fighters received indefinite suspensions, including [autotag]Mukhamed Berkhamov[/autotag], who fought in a no contest against [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag]. The fight was waved off after Larkin unintentionally struck Berkhamov in the back of the head. While Berkhamov said he was dizzy and that’s ultimately why the bout was called, Larkin claimed after the fight his opponent was in the doctor’s room with a knee injury.
[autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag], who knocked out [autotag]Luis Iniguez[/autotag], also was handed an indefinite suspension. Faraldo told reporters post-fight he broke his hand on the knockout blow.
Scroll below to see the medical suspensions handed out to each fighter. It’s important to note fighters can return to competition sooner than the allotted suspension if they are cleared by a doctor.
