Tag: Diana Avsaragova

Diana Avsaragova lays out timeline for title shot after Bellator 290

Diana Avsaragova doesn’t seem to be afraid to look down the road ahead of her Bellator 290 fight with Alejandra Lara.

LOS ANGELES – [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] doesn’t seem to be afraid to look down the road.

The unbeaten Bellator women’s flyweight contender has what arguably is her toughest test yet Saturday in California. Avsaragova (5-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) takes on former title challenger Alejandra Lara (9-6 MMA, 3-5 BMMA) on the Bellator 290 prelims.

“The goal for me has always been to fight tough opponents, and Lara is a great fighter despite her losing streak,” Avsaragova said at Thursday’s media day. “She’s the toughest fighter I’ve faced on paper. In terms of fighting for the title, I think I’ll be ready in two or three more fights.”

Lara and Avsaragova are going in different directions lately. Avsaragova has yet to lose. But starting with her title loss to former champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Lara is on a skid of five losses in seven fights – and currently three straight decision setbacks.

Avsaragova appears intent on not letting Lara use her as a stepping stone to get back on track. And if she wins, she’s glad to keep working toward a shot at a belt with Bellator.

“I’m very satisfied with the promotion,” she said. “I’m happy with Bellator. It’s a huge, amazing organization and I’m hoping to keep fighting for them and eventually get the belt.”

Check out Avsaragova’s full media day interview above.

Bellator 290 takes place Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on CBS following prelims on MMA Junkie.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.

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Bellator 290 pre-event facts: Fedor Emelianenko can make history in final fight

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 290, where Fedor Emelianenko has a chance to set records in his retirement fight.

Bellator kicks off its 2023 schedule on Saturday with a landmark event in company history. Bellator 290, which takes place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., marks the company’s main card network debut on CBS, which follows prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader is set to headline the card. In the main event, [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) will put his heavyweight title fight against MMA legend [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), who is set to retire from MMA competition. The pair previously met at Bellator 214 in January 2019, with Bader scoring a 35-second TKO victory.

The co-headliner of the card, meanwhile, will see middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) attempt to make his first title defense when he welcomes challenger [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), who has lost just once over the past 11 years.

For more on the numbers behind the event, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for Bellator 290.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Dec. 12-18)

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 Dec. 12-18.

Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara booked for flyweight bout at Bellator 290

A key women’s flyweight bout between Diana Avsaragova and Alejandra Lara is headed to Bellator 290 in Los Angeles.

A key women’s flyweight bout is the latest addition to Bellator 290.

Undefeated [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] will face the toughest test of her career when she meets former title challenger [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] on Feb. 4 at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Two people with knowledge of the situation, including a Bellator official, informed MMA Junkie of the fight booking Tuesday.

Avsaragova (5-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) and Lara (9-6 MMA, 3-5 BMMA) have been on different career trajectories of late.

Avsaragova, 24, made her Bellator debut in 2021 and has won all three of her promotional bouts, including a knockout in her debut and two decisions. The Russian most recently defeated Kyra Batara by unanimous decision last March at Bellator 276.

Lara, 28, represents Avsaragova’s biggest opportunity of her career. At one point, Lara was 7-1 and challenged then-champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane for the 125-pound title in 2018. She lost that bout by submission, which kickstarted a downswing in her career as she’s dropped five of her past seven bouts, including a three-fight skid. The Colombian most recently lost a unanimous decision to Ilara Joanne this past June at Bellator 282.

despite a three-fight losing streak

Below is the updated Bellator 290 lineup:

  • Champ Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward
  • Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakaya
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.

Cat Zingano to meet Pam Sorenson at Bellator 276; Cris Cyborg says Zingano turned down title fight

Cat Zingano could’ve had a title fight, but she’ll instead meet Pam Sorenson on the Bellator 276 prelims.

Bellator’s plan was to have Cat Zingano challenge women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg for the title, but that’s not happening.

Zingano instead will face Pam Sorenson on March 12 at Bellator 276, which takes place at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., just outside of St. Louis. MMA Fighting first reported the booking, which a promotion official later confirmed to MMA Junkie on Tuesday.

Zingano, 39, has gone 2-0 so far since signing with Bellator in October 2019. After a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway in her promotional debut, Zingano submitted Olivia Parker by first-round armbar in April 2021.

The victory seemingly set up a title-fight showdown with Cyborg, who indicated on Twitter that Zingano declined the opportunity.

“She turned down a World Title Fight to compete on the prelims?!” Cyborg tweeted and later deleted (screenshot below).

It’s unclear if that’s exactly how things turned out, but Bellator president Scott Coker said on Jan. 29 that the promotion wanted to boon Cyborg vs. Zingano “as soon as possible.” He seemed to indicate that the hold-up was on Zingano’s end.

“I think timing is going to be an issue on that fight, when Cat is ready to fight her,” Coker said after Bellator 273. “We would like that fight to happen as soon as possible.”

“That is our plan, but we have to have both fighters agree to that plan. We’re talking to the managers, Cat’s manager, find out when she’ll be ready to, No. 1, fight, and will she be willing to fight Cyborg?”

That won’t be the case, and Zingano (11-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will instead fight 35-year-old Soreno (9-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), who has split her first two Bellator outings. She won a split decision over Roberta Samad in August before she lost a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe this past November at Bellator 271.

While Zingano vs. Sorenson is scheduled for the prelims, a middleweight bout between [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 18-5 BMMA) is the most recent addition to the main card. Eblen is considered one of the fastest-rising fighters in the division, while Salter looks to bounce back from a title shot loss against Gegard Mousasi.

Other additions to the card include a lightweight battle between [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA).

Notable prospects middleweight [autotag]Romero Cotton[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), women’s flyweight [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), featherweight [autotag]Cody Law[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), and welterweight [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) have also been matched up with non-rostered opponents.

The lineup for Bellator 276 currently includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell
  • Phil Davis vs. Julius Anglickas
  • Johnny Eblen vs. John Salter
  • Jay Jay Wilson vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET )

  • Pam Sorenson vs. Cat Zingano
  • Jose Augusto vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Derek Anderson vs. Goiti Yamauchi
  • Romero Cotton vs. Lance Wright
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Ashley Deen
  • Cody Law vs. Johnny Soto
  • Roman Faraldo vs. Kelvin Rayford
  • Jordan Howard vs. Trevor Ward
  • Dan Busch vs. Josh Augustine

After Bellator 262 win, Diana Avsaragova sets sights on Fedor card in Moscow: ‘It would be an honor’

Diana Avsaragova entered Bellator 262 the same way she exited: undefeated.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] entered Bellator 262 the same way she exited: undefeated.

Though her three-round split decision victory Friday was over 14 minutes longer than the brutal knockout performance she put on in her promotional debut this past April, Avsaragova (4-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) viewed the win as a great educational experience for a young fighter.

“I really wanted to get some (in-cage experience) tonight,” Asvaragova told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. ” I’m glad I went to three rounds. … Of course, everybody likes finishes. I need more in-cage time, as I said before. I do really need that experience.”

Though she was interested in talking about her performance, Avsaragova brought up the topic of her next fight on her own accord. The 22-year-old flyweight fighter made sure to call her shot of where and when she wants to fight next. Oct. 23 is circled on her calendar.

“To be honest, I don’t want to call anyone out,” Avsaragova said. “I don’t have any names on my mind but I do want to ask Bellator to give me a spot at the first Russian event that they’re going to in October. It would be such an honor for me to represent Russia back home. That’s what I’m going to ask for.”

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Atop Bellator’s debut card in Moscow is Russian legend and all-time mixed martial arts great [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], who has two fights remaining on his promotional deal. Like many young Russian fighters, Avsaragova grew up inspired by “The Last Emperor.”

“As a kid, I watched all of his fights like every other Russian prospect MMA fighter,” Avsaragova said. “It would be a real honor for me to fight on the same card (as him).”

Bellator 262 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 262 results: Juliana Velasquez retains title with split decision over Denise Kielholtz

Check out how the main event of Bellator 262 unfolded between Juliana Velasquez and Denise Kielholtz.

[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] has successfully defended her Bellator flyweight title for the first time.

The main event of Bellator 262 was a closely contested championship fight between champ Velasquez (12-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Denise Kielholz[/autotag].

The event took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The first round started out with both fighters feeling out the striking range. The challenger, Kielholtz (6-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) put together quick combinations while Velasquez’s output was lower with single strikes throughout the round. With 30 seconds left, Kielholtz unleashed a beautiful five-punch combo to get the champ’s attention and put a stamp on the first five minutes of action.

In the second round, Velasquez worked behind a right-hand jab and started to increase her striking volume as she appeared to figure out her opponent’s range. Kielholtz seemed game for the change of pace, as she also answered with punches of her own.

The pair continued to trade strikes in the center of the cage early in the third round. Kielholtz led the charge by pressing forward with combinations, but Velasquez would circle away from danger before getting too close to the fence. Kielholtz controlled the center of the cage for the majority of the round, while Velasquez looked to counter with punches.

With 15 seconds left in the round, Velasquez secured her first takedown, but with a short time remaining, nothing significant came from it.

The fourth started similarly to the previous round as Kielholtz continued to keep the pressure on the champ as she circled on the outside. Velasquez’s right-hand jab continued to find the mark as the blood and bruising on Kielholtz’s face became more visible. The champ appeared to have her opponent’s timing and distance down, as she became more fluid defensively.

The final round started with a huge right hand from Kielholtz to briefly knock the champ off balance. Perhaps sensing the fight was close, the challenger turned up the pressure. The champ found the range again and returned to working from the outside while countering with punches. Kielholtz stuffed a takedown with a minute to go and led the striking exchanges until time expired.

Two of the judges scored the bout in favor of Velasquez with scores of 48-47, while the dissenting judge turned in a score of 48-47 in favor of Kielholtz.

Velasquez improves to 12-0 in her professional career, picking up her first flyweight title defense by split decision after becoming champion by defeating Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in December.

Kielholtz’s winning streak ends at four after falling to Velasquez in Friday’s main event. After losing to Veta Arteaga by second-round submission in 2018, Kielholtz went on a tear of four straight finishes to earn a shot at the Bellator title. However, she was one judge’s scorecard away from victory on Friday evening.

The full results of Bellator 262 are below:

  • Juliana Velasquez def. Denise Kielholtz via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
  • Tyrell Fortune def. Matt Mitrione via submission (strikes) – Round 1, 1:45
  • Matheus Mattos def. Cee Jay Hamilton via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:33
  • Arlene Blencowe def. Dayana Silva via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:00
  • Johnny Eblen def. Travis Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Said Sowma def. Ronny Markes via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:09
  • Cody Law def. Theodore Macuka via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:54
  • Diana Avsaragova def. Gabriella Gulfin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Adil Benjilany def. Johnny Soto via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Charlie Campbell def. Nicholas Giulietti via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:30

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Bellator 262 results: Russian prospect Diana Avsaragova stays unbeaten with split decision

22-year-old Russian prospect Diana Avsaragova remained undefeated with another strong performance at Bellator 262.

[autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] remained undefeated as a top women’s flyweight prospect Friday when she handled [autotag]Gabriela Gulfin[/autotag] at Bellator 262.

Avsaragova (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), the 22-year-old from Russia, showed off a patient striking strategy against Gulfin (2-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) for three rounds. It seemed like a clear fight for her, but the judges provided a scare with split decision scores of 29-28, 28-28, and 29-28. Ultimately, though, the right person won.

The 125-pound bout took place on the Bellator 262 prelims, which streamed on MMA Junkie prior to the main card on Showtime from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

There was never a point in the fight where Avsaragova seemed in legitimate danger. She stayed on the outside and carefully picked her shots, and Gulfin’s aggression created openings for Avsaragova to counter strike.

The two approaches didn’t mesh into the most exciting affair, but Avsaragova wasn’t really forced out of first gear. Gulfin showed a lot of toughness as well, absorbing shots and continuing to move forward from beginning to end. Her most effective weapon of the fight was the leg kick.

Avsaragova just simply had the cleaner technique and was able to keep Gulfin at bay in order to get her hand raised.

The latest Bellator 262 results include:

  • Diana Avsaragova def. Gabriella Gulfin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Adil Benjilany def. Johnny Soto via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Charlie Campbell def. Nicholas Giulietti via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:30

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After violent KO in debut, Diana Avsaragova teases Bellator 262 could show more to her game

“Pantera” Diana Avsaragova returns to the cage Friday against Gabriella Gulfin.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] wasn’t on many fight fans’ radar when she stepped into the cage at Bellator 256 in April. In the span of 29 seconds, however, she changed that with a massive knockout sequence.

Days ahead of her sophomore promotional outing at Bellator 262, Avsaragova (3-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) voiced confidence that she’ll remain undefeated after her fight Friday. The 22-year-old flyweight fighter wasn’t willing to go into specifics as to how she’ll defeat opponent Gabriella Gulfin (2-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the prelims, but hinted more of her skills than just her punching power could be on display.

“Obviously, I didn’t show everything that I have (last time),” Avsaragova told MMA Junkie. “But, I can’t complain because everybody saw what happened, so I was really happy – and everybody liked the performance, obviously.”

The win in her debut was her first knockout as a professional. Despite surprising viewers with a clean knockout that’s fairly unusual in the lighter women’s weight classes, Avsaragova always knew she had it in her.

“I was sure (I had it),” Avsaragova told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I was confident that I have power because I’m training hard, really hard and training, hard – wrestling, striking, dribbling everything. So there is no doubt in my mind that I can knock anyone out.”

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Before she stepped foot inside the Bellator cage, Avsaragova already possessed a solid social media following of Russian fans. Then, as she checked her phone post-fight, she noticed people from all over the world were hitting “follow.” Her brand expanded beyond borders due to her thunderous promotional debut.

“It is crazy how many people followed me and I do really like it because I feel the I feel the love and I’m going to work, keep working hard as to pay back to my fans for the support they’re giving me,” Asvaragova said.

With attention, could come perceived pressure. But that’s not the case according to Avsaragova, who is her own biggest critic.

“I don’t care about the pressure,” Avsaragova said. “I put more pressure on myself than anything else.”

While she’s focused on the task at hand, her fourth professional fight at Bellator 262, Avsaragova expressed interest in her fifth fight happening in her home country. Bellator debuts in Russia for an Oct. 23 event when Fedor Emelianenko returns to action. Should the pieces fall into place, Avsaragova would want in.

“Yeah, of course, I would like to fight on that card, especially with a headliner like that,” Avsaragova said. “I just want to focus on this fight first and see what happens. The time frame is perfect. It’s a few months, so it would be perfect.21

Bellator 262 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 262 faceoff video highlights: Juliana Velasquez, Denise Kielholtz take long look

Neither woman wanted to back down ahead of their flyweight title fight.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the women’s flyweight title will be on the line.

Bellator 262 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill is 125-pound champion [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] making her first title defense against [autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag].

The co-main event features two friends fighting each other as heavyweights [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] will meet inside the cage.

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 262 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Velasquez vs. Kielholtz, Fortune vs. Mitrione, the return of [autotag]Diana Asvaragova[/autotag], and more.