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Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 258, including Michael Page’s takeover of the company KO record.
Bellator saw its first title change of the year happen on Friday in the Bellator 258 headliner.
[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) claimed the bantamweight title from [autotag]Juan Archuleta [/autotag](25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in their main event clash, taking a unanimous decision at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
For more on the numbers, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 258.
Three fights have been added to Bellator’s first 2021 event.
The bantamweight theme continues for Bellator 258.
Like the first three additions to the May 7 card, the fourth is also a fight between two of the promotion’s 135-pound notables. [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] and [autotag]Keith Lee[/autotag] are set to square off at the event, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
[autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniel Madrid[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at middleweight, and [autotag]Weber Almeida[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Johnny Soto[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at featherweight, also have been added to the preliminary card.
Bellator officials confirmed the bookings to MMA Junkie on Tuesday. All three fights first were reported by Sherdog.
Corrales (18-5 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) drops to bantamweight for the first time in his Bellator career. The move down a weight class comes after a split decision win over Brandon Girtz at Bellator 250 in October. Corrales is 1-2 in his most recent three appearances.
Lee (7-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) most recently competed at Bellator 253 in November when his four-fight winning streak was snapped by Raufeon Shots via unanimous decision. The loss was Lee’s first in Bellator. He holds promotional wins over Vinicius Zani and Shawn Bunch.
With the addition, the Bellator 258 lineup includes:
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Austin Vanderford is out of Bellator’s upcoming back-to-back-show weekend.
[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] won’t compete during Bellator’s upcoming weekend of back-to-back shows.
One of Bellator’s rising middleweights, Vanderford is out of his scheduled Bellator 246 fight against [autotag]Daniel Madrid[/autotag]. Now Massachusetts-based fighter [autotag]Pat Casey[/autotag] is being targeted as his replacement to take on Madrid (17-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Sept. 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
A promotion official notified MMA Junkie of Vanderford being out for undisclosed reasons and the new targeted booking Friday.
Madrid was supposed to compete against Impa Kasanganay for the LFA middleweight championship on March 20. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Madrid, 36, has won four straight fights – all inside the distance.
Casey (6-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has won two of his most recent three fights. After defeating Mike DiOrio and Matt Denning, Casey was knocked out by Yu Ji at Premier FC 30 in February. Casey holds three finishes in six victories.
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Bellator 246 takes place Saturday, Sept. 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card will simulcast on DAZN and Paramount after prelims on MMA Junkie.
With the addition, the current Bellator 246 lineup includes:
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Austin Vanderford is set to return to the Bellator cage for the first time since last November.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator’s back-to-back events weekend is starting to fill up.
On the second leg of the two-night doubleheader, middleweights [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Madrid[/autotag] will square off at Bellator 246.
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking on Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Vanderford (9-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has not fought since November but has kept himself busy competing in grappling matches. Earlier this week, he and his wife, Paige Vanzant, revealed that Vanderford tested positive for COVID-19. They later said he has tested negative twice since.
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Madrid (17-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was supposed to compete against Impa Kasanganay for the LFA middleweight championship on March 20. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Madrid, 36, has won four straight fights – all inside the distance.
Bellator 246 takes place Saturday, Sept. 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card will simulcast on DAZN and Paramount after prelims on MMA Junkie.
With the addition, the current Bellator 246 lineup includes:
LFA 84 is officially on tap – and the middleweight title will be on the line.
The vacant middleweight title will be filled at LFA 84.
The event is set to take place Friday, March 20 at Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix and is headlined by a middleweight title fight between [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Madrid[/autotag]. The card will stream live on UFC Fight Pass. The promotion announced details Tuesday.
A victor on the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Kasanganay (6-0 MMA) was not offered a contract by the UFC brass. UFC president Dana White said glowing things about Kasanganay’s dominant upset win over Kailin Hill, but wanted the six-fight pro to return to the regional scene to get more experience before taking the step up.
In November, Kasanagany was named to MMA Junkie’s monthly edition of “On the Doorstep.” However, his bout that month was cancelled when Kasanganay had a medical issue the night prior to the fight.
As for Madrid (13-3 MMA), the 35-year-old has risen quietly through the 185-pound regional ranks. Madrid has won four straight fights – all by submission. The Arizona-based fighter will have a home game of sorts, when he competes for the LFA title.
The LFA middleweight championship was vacated when then-titleholder Brendan Allen signed with the UFC in July.
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Other additions to the card include a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Richard Palencia[/autotag] (8-0) and DWCS alum [autotag]Desmond Torres[/autotag] (7-2), a bantamweight fight between Kevin Natvidad (8-1) and [autotag]Kyle Estrada[/autotag] (10-4), and a featherweight matchup between [autotag]Luke Faultersack[/autotag] (6-3) and DWCS and Bellator veteran [autotag]Kamuela Kirk[/autotag] (9-3).
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