Tag: Georgi Karakhanyan

Bellator 285 post-event facts: Yoel Romero makes history with late knockout

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 285, where Yoel Romero added to one of the most unique records in MMA.

Bellator returned from a six-week hiatus on Saturday with Bellator 285, which went down at 3Arena in Dublin and featured a 13-fight lineup on the card.

The main event featured a dominant performance from former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (30-11 MMA, 7-6 BMMA), who shut down Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) over the course of five rounds to win a unanimous decision and begin his late-career push toward the title.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 285.

Bellator 285 preliminary stream and live results

Watch the preliminary stream and keep up with live and official results of Bellator 285 in Dublin, Ireland.

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Bellator 285 takes place Friday, and you can join MMA Junkie for the preliminary live stream and official results.

The event takes place at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) steps into the backyard of Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) for a lightweight showdown.

The co-feature will see [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) take on [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout.

Official Bellator 285 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Benson Henderson def. Peter Queally via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
  • Yoel Romero def. Melvin Manhoef via knockout (elbows) – Round 3, 3:34
  • [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] def. [autotag]Dayana Silva[/autotag] via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] def. [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-29, 29-28)
  • [autotag]Ciaran Clarke[/autotag] def. [autotag]Rafael Hudson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:50
  • [autotag]Karl Moore[/autotag] def. [autotag]Karl Albrektsson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:36

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1 p.m. ET)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Bellator 285: Best photos from Dublin

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 266 salaries: Yoel Romero leads disclosed payouts despite promotional debut loss

Yoel Romero lost his Bellator debut – but was still compensated the highest amount of anyone on the card.

Bellator 266 is in the books and although [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] was the victorious half of the main event, he didn’t receive the highest disclosed payout according to the event’s commissioning body.

While Davis (23-6 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) pocketed a $100,000 flat salary for his three-round split decision, his opponent [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) earned $150,000 in defeat. The fight was Romero’s promotional debut with Bellator and his first bout since his UFC departure in 2020.

MMA Junkie acquired a full list of Bellator 266 payouts Wednesday from California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster. The amounts include win and show purses, but do not account for any discretionary bonuses.

Bellator 266 took place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the full list of Bellator 266 payouts below:

Bellator 266 lineup finalized with the addition of four more prelims

The lineup for Bellator return to its Northern California home base is set with the addition of four new fights on the preliminary card.

The lineup for next week’s Bellator return to its Northern California home base is set with the addition of four new fights on the preliminary card.

[autotag]Rhalan Gracie[/autotag] (0-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will return to MMA for the first time since 2007 when he takes on [autotag]Shane Keefe[/autotag] (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at welterweight.

Plus, [autotag]Eddie Abasolo[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Art Hernandez[/autotag] (4-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a 160-pound contract weight fight; [autotag]Edwin De Los Santos[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Jon Adams[/autotag] (0-1-1 MMA, 0-1-1 BMMA) at flyweight; and [autotag]Jesse Delgado[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) fights [autotag]Joshua Dillon[/autotag] (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a 130-pound contract weight bout.

Bellator 266 takes place Sept. 18 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The card will be Bellator’s first in San Jose in more than two years.

In the main event, [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) finally will make his Bellator debut when he takes on former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 9-3 BMMA).

Romero signed with Bellator in December 2020 after a seven-year run with the UFC. He was booked to make his promotional debut against Anthony Johnson to open the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix in May, but was forced to withdraw because of concerns over his eye following a pre-fight medical exam.

Romero, 44, hasn’t fought since March 2020 when he dropped a unanimous decision to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 248, which marked his third consecutive loss. His other two defeats in the skid came against Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. Romero hasn’t won since a February 2018 knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC 221.

Davis is coming off an April unanimous decision loss to champion Vadim Nemkov in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix, which snapped a three-fight winning streak.

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The Bellator 266 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET, Showtime)

  • Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero
  • [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag]
  • [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Saul Rogers[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Polizzi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Albert Gonzales[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Abraham Vaesau[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Socrates Hernandez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pedro Juarez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Erin Hunter[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bobby Seronio III[/autotag]
  • Rhalan Gracie vs. Shane Keefe
  • Eddie Abasolo vs. Art Hernandez
  • Jon Adams vs. Edwin De Los Santos
  • Jesse Delgado vs. Joshua Dillon

With Adam Piccolotti out, Georgi Karakhanyan steps in to face Saul Rogers at Bellator 266

Georgi Karakhanyan will look to take out another top European prospect when he steps in on short notice to face Saul Rogers.

[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] will look to take out another top European prospect in his ascent up the lightweight ladder.

[autotag]Adam Piccolotti[/autotag] has been forced out of Bellator 266 and Karakhanyan (31-11-1 MMA, 9-9 BMMA) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]Saul Rogers[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday after an initial post by Karakhanyan on social media. The person asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Bellator 266 takes place Sept. 18 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Since moving back up to 155 pounds, Karakhanyan has won three of his past four and back-to-back fights for the first time since 2016. He’s coming off a first-round submission of Kiefer Crosbie at Bellator 263 in July.

Season 22 “Ultimate Fighter” finalist Rogers has split his past four appearances. After submitting Arbi Mezhidov in the first round at Bellator 248, Rogers was submitted by Mads Burnell at Bellator 257 in April.

With the change, the current Bellator 266 lineup includes:

  • Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Mark Lemminger
  • DeAnna Bennett vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Saul Rogers
  • Grant Neal vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish
  • Pedro Juarez vs. Socrates Hernandez
  • Erin Hunter vs. Bobby Seronio III
  • Khalid Murtazaliev vs. Travis Davis
  • Abraham Vaesau vs. Albert Gonzales

Georgi Karakhanyan after Bellator 263 win: Switch to 155 pounds is to try and get the title

Georgi Karakhanyan is confident he can make a title run after submitting Kiefer Crosbie at Bellator 263.

Since moving back up to lightweight, [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] has won three of his past four.

Most recently, Karakhanyan (31-11-1 MMA, 9-9 BMMA) sliced through Kiefer Crosbie on the ground, submitting him with an arm-triangle choke in the first round at Bellator 263 on Saturday.

The 36-year-old former WSOF champion fought stern competition in Bellator’s featherweight division, but after moving back up to 155 pounds, Karakhanyan is confident he can make a title run.

“I’m trying to get on that Russia card to show Bellator how many fans I got there,” Karakhanyan said at the post-fight news conference. “I’m trying to get on the London card. I know they have Ireland. If Patricky (Freire) and Peter Queally don’t fight, I’d like a shot at Peter Queally, fight him. Other than that, I was supposed to fight Adam Piccolotti, if that could happen. The switch to 155 is not just for me to be a fighter; I’m trying to get that title.”

Watch the full post-fight press conference with Karakhanyan in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3180: Guest Georgi Karakhanyan, weekend recap (12 p.m. ET)

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,180, the fellas will recap a busy weekend of MMA that included UFC on ESPN 28 and Bellator 263, as well as ONE Championship, Cage Warriors and more. Additionally, Bellator 263 winner [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] joins the show to discuss his big win.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Bellator 263 post-event facts: A.J. McKee lights up record books with title win

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 263, which saw A.J. McKee become an undefeated champion with a main event win.

Arguably the biggest event in Bellator history went down Saturday with Bellator 263, which took place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and saw a title change hands in the main event.

The promotion’s 16-man featherweight grand prix came to a conclusion in the headliner when [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) dethroned champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA) by first-round submission to start a new era in the division and take home a $1 million prize.

For more on the numbers behind McKee’s title win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 263.

Bellator 263 salaries: Patricio Freire, A.J. McKee to pocket $1.4 million combined

The California State Athletic Commission released a full list of disclosed Bellator 263 fighter payouts to MMA Junkie ahead of the event.

LOS ANGELES – The Bellator 263 main event loser will take home a six-figure payday with the winner earning seven figures.

Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] is set to make $250,000 in disclosed show money while [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] will pocket $150,000 in disclosed show pay. The winner will be awarded an additional $1,000,000 – the prize that comes with winning the promotion’s 145-pound grand prix.

Bellator 263 takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Following the conclusion of Friday’s official weigh-ins at the host hotel, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed payouts from the California State Athletic Commission. It is important to note the amounts do not include discretionary bonuses, viewership points or additional earnings.

The full list of Bellator 263 disclosed payouts (show/win) include:

MAIN CARD (10 p.m. E.T., Showtime)

  • Patricio Freire: ($250,000/$1,000,000) vs. A.J. McKee ($150,000/$1,000,000)
  • [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] ($26,000/$26,000) vs. [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] ($61,000/$61,000)
  • [autotag]Manny Muro[/autotag] ($26,000/$0) vs. [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] ($30,000/$30,000)
  • [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] ($10,000/$10,000) vs. [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] ($50,000/$0)
  • [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] ($31,000/$31,000) vs. [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] ($32,000/$32,000)

PRELIMS (7 p.m. E.T., MMA Junkie)

  • [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] ($13,000/$13,000) vs. [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag] ($15,000/$15,000)
  • [autotag]Daniel Carey[/autotag] ($10,000/$10,000) vs. [autotag]Gadzhi Rabadanov[/autotag] ($25,000/$25,000)
  • [autotag]Khasan Magomedsharipov[/autotag] ($25,000/$0) vs. [autotag]Jonathan Quiroz[/autotag] ($10,000/$10,000)
  • [autotag]Johnny Cisneros[/autotag] ($4,000/$4,000) vs. [autotag]Joshua Jones[/autotag] ($4,000/$4,000)
  • [autotag]Kiefer Crosbie[/autotag] ($50,000/$0) vs. [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] ($70,000/$0)
  • [autotag]Brian Moore[/autotag] ($25,000/$25,000) vs. [autotag]Jordan Winski[/autotag] ($10,000/$10,000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXNByfW9aZw