Tag: Fabio Aguiar

Bellator 282 post-event facts: Johnny Eblen the newest undefeated champion

Johnny Eblen joined the short list of fighters to win a Bellator title with an undefeated record at Bellator 282.

The Bellator event schedule resumed Friday with Bellator 282, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and saw a new champion crowned in the main event.

[autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) captured the middleweight title with a dominant sweep over [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (49-8-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision, becoming the eighth 185-pound champion in company history.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-fight facts from Bellator 282.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past two weeks (April 18-May 1)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past two weeks.

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 April 18-May 1.

Fabio Aguiar vs. Taylor Johnson among three additions to Bellator 265 in South Dakota

Bellator’s second event in Sioux Falls, S.D., continues to fill up.

Bellator MMA’s second event in Sioux Falls, S.D., continues to fill up.

Among the most recent additions to Bellator 265 is a middleweight matchup between Pitbull Brothers team member [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and surging finisher [autotag]Taylor Johnson[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), a promotion official recently informed MMA Junkie. The event takes place Aug. 20 at Sanford Pentagon.

Additionally, a lightweight fight between [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Bryce Logan[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 BMMA), as well as a welterweight bout between [autotag]Archie Colgan[/autotag] (2-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Deven Fisher[/autotag] (4-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) have been added. The Hamel vs. Logan fight was first reported by Sherdog.

Aguiar, 33, made his promotional debut April 2 at Bellator 255 when he lost a unanimous decision to former UFC fighter Khalid Murtazaliev. The defeat was his first since 2015 snapped a nine-fight winning streak.

As for Johnson, the former LFA standout and Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, rebounded from a loss to Johnny Eblen when he defeated Lance Wright by first-round rear-naked choke.

With the addition, the Bellator 265 lineup includes:

  • Sergei Kharitonov vs. Cheick Kongo
  • Adam Borics vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • DeAnna Bennett vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Kevin Childs vs. Bailey Schoenfelder
  • Mike Hamel vs. Bryce Logan
  • Archie Logan vs. Deven Fisher
  • Fabio Aguiar vs. Taylor Johnson

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=01eqvpqbw4ymnv0rjh image=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Bellator 255 lineup finalized; Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez tops 13-fight card

On Friday, Bellator returns with it’s first event of 2021 – and its Showtime debut.

Barring any unforeseen fight week cancellations, the Bellator 255 lineup is set.

Tuesday, promotion officials announced the finalized 13-fight card and bout order, which includes a five-fight main card and eight prelims. Bellator 255 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

The event is headlined by Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (31-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) who will face off in a grand prix semifinal fight.

In the co-main event, welterweight contenders [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) will face off in a fight that could have potential title shot implications for the winner.

Rounding out the main card is a heavyweight rematch between [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Jack May[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), the promotional debut of [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) as he takes on [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at lightweight, and a women’s flyweight fight between [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).

The finalized Bellator 255 lineup includes:

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

  • Champion Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez – for Bellator featherweight title, grand prix semifinal
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Jason Jackson
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Jack May
  • Mike Hamel vs. Usman Nurmagomedov
  • Alejandra Lara vs. Kana Watanabe

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

  • [autotag]Cee Jay Hamilton[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mukhamad Berkhamov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Herman Terrado[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Seixas[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jose Augusto[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jonathan Wilson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Trevor Gudde[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Branko Busick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jordan Newman[/autotag]

Bellator 255: Make your predictions for Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez 2

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 255 event in Connecticut.

We want your predictions for Fridady’s Bellator 255 event in Connecticut.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 255 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 255 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Bellator 241 predictions: Is anyone picking Pedro Carvalho against 10-1 favorite Patricio Freire?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 241 main card, which features a Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho title fight.

Freire
vs.
Carvalho		 Sanchez
vs.
Weichel		 Markes
vs.
Mitrione		 Daley
vs.
Homasi		 Newell
vs.
Zane		 Aguiar
vs.
Tokov
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 36-18		 freire2020
Freire
(69%)		 sanchez2020
Sanchez
(61%)		 mitrione2020
Mitrione
(77%)		 daley2020
Daley
(92%)		 newell2020
Newell
(70%)		 tokov2020
Tokov
(84%)
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 41-13		 freire2020
Freire		 weichel2020
Weichel		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 40-14
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 40-14		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 40-14		 freire2020
Freire		 weichel2020
Weichel		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 40-14		 freire2020
Freire		 weichel2020
Weichel		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 40-14		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 40-14		 freire2020
Freire		 weichel2020
Weichel		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 40-14
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 39-15		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 38-16		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 38-16
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 38-16
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 33-21		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 markes2020new
Markes		 daley2020
Daley		 newell2020
Newell		 tokov2020
Tokov
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 25-29		 freire2020
Freire		 sanchez2020
Sanchez		 mitrione2020
Mitrione		 homasi2020
Homasi		 newell2020
Newell		 aguiar2020
Aguiar

Bellator is back in Connecticut this week for the continuation of its ongoing featherweight tournament.

Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

In the main event, featherweight and lightweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) puts his 145-pound title on the line against challenger [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the quarterfinals of the grand prix. “Pitbull” Freire is a big 10-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he pitched a shutout from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

The co-main event is another quarterfinal fight in the tournament, and the winner will move on to face the Freire-Carvalho winner in what will be a semifinal bout that doubles as a title fight. [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) is a slight favorite against [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) in a rematch of a fight Weichel won in 2016. But this time, it’s Sanchez with a 10-4 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on late replacement [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in a heavyweight bout. Markes was supposed to fight Josh Barnett in a fight rescheduled from December, but Barnett was pulled from the event. Mitrione is the favorite at around -170, but our pickers have it split right down the middle at 7-7.

[autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] (42-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) is a 4-1 favorite in his welterweight fight against [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), and the picks reflect that. Only one picker is taking Homasi in an upset, giving Daley a whopping 13-1 edge.

[autotag]Nick Newell[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) will try to rebound from his first Bellator loss with another fight in his home state when he takes on [autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] (14-9 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight. Newell is more than a 2-1 favorite, and he’s our second unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (29-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is a massive 12-1 favorite against [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who is making his Bellator debut at middleweight. Only one picker is taking Aguiar in what would be a big upset.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Freire (69 percent), Sanchez (61 percent), Mitrione (77 percent), Daley (92 percent), Newell (70 percent) and Tokov (84 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

5 burning questions heading into Bellator 241

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head previews the biggest Bellator 241 storylines, as Patricio Freire puts his featherweight title on the line in the grand prix.

Bellator returns for Bellator 241, as the promotion’s featherweight grand prix continues with the third and fourth quarterfinal matchups.

The featherweight title will be on the line as two-division champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] takes on Dublin-based Portuguese contender [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] in the main event, while the identity of the next man to challenge for the title will be decided in the night’s other quarterfinal, as Bellator mainstays [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] go head to head in a battle between two featherweight veterans.

The fight card also features a host of familiar names as Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou has stacked the deck for the latest numbered event on Bellator’s packed 2020 schedule.

Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Without further ado, here are five burning questions heading into Bellator 241.

****

Can Pedro Carvalho upset the applecart and snatch the title from ‘Pitbull?’

Freire has been fighting in Bellator for almost a decade, and the Brazilian two-division champ is at the peak of his career heading into Bellator 241. Victory for “Pitbull” will see him through to the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix but, more importantly, will also see him retain his 145-pound title.

Freire hasn’t lost since a decision to Daniel Straus five years ago – a result he subsequently avenged – and has looked superb in his two most recent appearances as he stunned Michael Chandler to capture the lightweight belt, then defended his featherweight strap from surging contender Juan Archuleta in the first round of the grand prix.

Now he faces a new challenge in the form of Pedro Carvalho, who arrives in the quarterfinals with an air of unshakable confidence following his arrival in Bellator in 2018.

First he sprung a surprise on his promotional debut by defeating the fancied English prospect Daniel Crawford, then followed up with a 43-second submission of Italian Luca Vitale. That win pushed him into Bellator’s top bracket 145-pound fighters, and a 123-second TKO finish of seasoned veteran Derek Campos served as a statement of intent. It earned him a spot in the featherweight grand prix, where a second-round face-crank finish of another gritty veteran, Sam Sicilia, propelled him into the last eight of the tournament.

After initially matching himself against former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell in the quarterfinals, Carvalho was then thrust into a title fight when Freire used his “champion’s choice” to shake things up and place himself in the final quarterfinal matchup, against the Portuguese contender.

Most are picking “Pitbull” to prevail, but Carvalho is adamant that he is the man to dethrone him, having told MMA Junkie in the lead-up to the fight that he wouldn’t just beat Freire, he would finish him.

“I’m going to be the first guy to finish him. I doubt he passes the second round.” Those were his words.

Will he make good on that promise, or will Freire march on to the semifinals with his title still intact?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Bellator 241: Make your predictions for Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho title fight

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 241 event in Connecticut, featuring a Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho title fight.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 241 event in Uncasville, Conn.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 241 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for all six main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Bellator 241 adds Anatoly Tokov vs. Fabio Aguiar to main card

At Bellator 241, Anatoly Tokov returns to take on surging Brazilian Fabio Aguiar.

A middleweight bout has been added to Bellator 241.

[autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] returns to take on surging Brazilian [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] in a main-card bout. Friday, promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the booking.

Bellator 241 will take place March 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card is expected to stream on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Undefeated under the promotion’s banner, Tokov (29-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) rides a five-fight win streak into Bellator 241. In 2019, Tokov defeated UFC veteran Gerald Harris and Armenian middleweight Hracho Darpinyan inside the distance. Other victories include Alexander Shlemenko, Vladimir Filipovic, and Francisco France.

As for Aguiar (17-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), the 32-year-old fighter has piled up nine straight wins on the Brazilian regional scene. The only loss of his career came against future-M-1 champion and UFC fighter Bruno Silva in 2015.

[lawrence-related id=489547,485337]

With the addition, the Bellator 241 lineup includes:

  • Champ Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout for featherweight title
  • Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Daniel Weichel – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout
  • Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi
  • Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes
  • Fabio Aguiar vs. Anatoly Tokov
  • Nick Newell vs. Zach Zane
  • Jessy Miele vs. Leslie Smith
  • Billy Goff vs. Robson Gracie
  • Romero Cotton vs. Justin Sumter

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