Henry Corrales – Syndication Server

PFL vs. Bellator fight card shuffle impacts Patricio Freire, Aaron Pico matchups

Five days out from PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, the fight card is once again facing some changes – this time, a semi-mix-and-match.

Five days out from PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, the card has been slightly edited.

Bellator stars [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] are looking at new matchups – a domino effect that stemmed from the withdrawal of Jesus Pinedo.

Pinedo was initially scheduled to face Freire (35-7) in a champion vs. champion matchup. Filling that void will now be [autotag]Gabriel Braga[/autotag] (12-1), who was initially scheduled vs. Pico (12-4).

The promotion now targets Pico for a rematch against 2019 foe [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag], a seasoned, gritty veteran, who is one of the longest-tenured fighters under the Bellator banner. Corrales (21-7) won their first meeting with an onslaught-halting knockout punch.

Four people with knowledge of the changes recently informed MMA Junkie of the promotion’s plans. It’s unclear at this time if bout agreements have been signed by all parties, as some fighters are still in transit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the site of Saturday’s event. Ag. Fight first reported Freire vs. Braga.

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“Pitbull” Freire looks to bounce back from the first two-fight losing skid of his career. In June, he attempted to win Bellator gold in a third weight class but was unsuccessful at bantamweight against Sergio Pettis. In an impromptu move, Freire took on days notice a fight under the RIZIN banner in July. He was upset by Chihiro Suzuki in Round 1.

Braga, who knows Freire well, competes just weeks after the death of his father, who served as his MMA mentor. Braga was the runner-up in the 2023 PFL featherweight post-season. His loss to Jesus Pinedo in the divisional championship was the first of his career.

Pico has long-served as one of the faces of Bellator, particularly as an example of the promotion’s homegrown-talent-building. Under the spotlight since before his professional debut, Pico has encountered ups and downs inside the Bellator cage. However, he appears to have hit his stride in recent fights, with wins over James Gonzalez and Pedro Carvalho.

Corrales looks to bounce back from an October unanimous decision loss to Kai Kamaka III. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak. Corrales has been with Bellator since 2015 and has a 9-7 promotional record.

With the changes, the projected PFL vs. Bellator: Champions lineup includes:

Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Jackson
Gabriel Braga vs. Patricio Freire
Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
Clay Collard vs. A.J. McKee
Henry Corrales vs. Aaron Pico
Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Emmanuel Palacio
Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey De Santis
Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondala Rao

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2023

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2023, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2023. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded before the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, and ONE Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Bellator 300 gains: What all 32 fighters weighed on fight night

Find out how much weight all 32 fighters at Bellator 300 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night fights.

In California, fighters have their weights checked on the day of competition – not just when they have to hit their marks on the scale.

In 2017, the California State Athletic Commission put a plan in place to try to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.

If a fighter gained more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission then could make a recommendation that he or she move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gained more than 15 percent, the commission had plans in place to potentially cancel fights.

At Bellator 300, which took place this past Saturday in San Diego, 14 of the 32 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Three of those 14 exceeded the 15 percent threshold. MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from the CSAC.

Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 32 fighters on the card at Pechanga Arena.

Bellator 300 post-event facts: Cris Cyborg upgrades already legendary resume

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 300, which saw Usman Nurmagomedov, Cris Cyborg and Liz Carmouche exit as champs.

The landmark Bellator 300 event took place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, and all three champions who entered the event left with the belts around their waists.

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) retained his lightweight belt in the main event and advanced to the grand prix final, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]’s (27-2 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) continued her dominant legacy to retain women’s featherweight gold in the co-headliner, and women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s (20-7 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) scored a stoppage in the main card opener.

For more on the numbers to come out of the event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 300.

Don’t make him repeat it: Bellator 300’s Henry Corrales will fight anybody. It does … not … matter

Eventually, Henry Corrales had heard enough of the same question asked a bunch of different ways ahead of Bellator 300.

SAN DIEGO – Ask [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] once, it’s happenstance. Ask him the same question twice, it’s coincidence. Three times is enemy action, and Corrales had heard enough.

Corrales was asked so many different times and in so many different ways and variations about the types of opponents he wants, and continued to give the same response: He does not care whom he fights. Eventually, he had to throw up his hands and get a little more stern with his reply.

It was in good fun, of course, but Corrales’ point was not lost: He may be fighting Kai Kamaka on Saturday, but it wouldn’t matter who it was. Corrales will fight anyone because that’s just what he does.

Corrales talked about his fighting philosophy, Kamaka and more at Thursday’s Bellator 300 media day in San Diego.

Check out the full interview in the video above. Bellator 300 takes place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. The main card, which features three title fights, airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 300.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 21-27)

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 the promotions from Aug. 21-27.

Bellator 290 gains: What all 28 fighters weighed on fight night

Find out how much weight all 28 fighters at Bellator 290 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night’s fights.

At Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in Inglewood, Calif., 16 of the 28 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Two of those 16 exceeded the 15 percent threshold.

MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.

In California, fighters have their weights checked on fight day – not solely when they have to hit their marks on the scale. The extra procedure was instituted in 2017 as part of the commission’s efforts to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.

If a fighter gains more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission can make a recommendation they move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gains more than 15 percent, the commission can potentially cancel their fight.

Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 28 fighters on the card at Kia Forum.

Bellator 290: Best photos from Inglewood

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Dec 29, 2019; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) sits on the bench during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans strong safety Johnathan Cyprien (37) during a NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders at Nissan Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Titans 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bellator 290 post-event facts: Ryan Bader keeps perfect rematch record

The attention was on Fedor Emelianenko after Bellator 290, but Ryan Bader continued to show he’s elite in a rematch setting.

The first Bellator event of 2023, Bellator 290, went down Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and it marked a monumental occasion for both the promotion and the sport.

In addition to being the organization’s debut showcase on CBS, the card marked the retirement fight of legendary former PRIDE champion [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight titleholder [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.

The co-headliner saw middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen [/autotag](13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remain undefeated with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for his first title defense.

For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 290.

Bellator 273 predictions: Who’s picking champ Ryan Bader to upset Valentin Moldavsky?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 273 main card with heavyweight champ Ryan Bader vs. interim champ Valentin Moldavsky.

	Bader vs. Moldavsky	Henderson vs. Mamedov	Corrales vs. Lee	Homasi vs. Willis
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 6-5	Moldavsky (65%)	Mamedov (80%)	Corrales (71%)	Willis (75%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 9-2 2021 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 7-4	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 7-4	Bader	Henderson	Lee	Homasi
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 7-4	Bader	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 6-5 2014 Champion	Bader	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Homasi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Lee	Willis
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 6-5 2018 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 6-5	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Homasi
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 5-6	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Brian Garcia @thegoze 5-6 2017 Champion	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis
Nolan King @mma_kings 5-6	Moldavsky	Mamedov	Corrales	Willis

Bellator is back for the first time in 2022, and there’s a heavyweight title unification bout at the top of the lineup.

Bellator 273 takes place Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix. 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, heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) takes on interim champ [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), in a title unification fight. Moldavsky is a sizable -260 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Bader is +195. Our 12 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are backing Moldavsky fairly heavily at a 9-3 clip.

In the co-feature, former UFC and WEC lightweight champ [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-11 MMA, 5-6 BMMA) will try to snap a three-fight slide against [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (20-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Mamedov is a big -475 favorite, and he’s got a huge 11-1 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in a featherweight fight. And though Lee is a -125 favorite in a close fight at the betting window, our staff members are going with Corrales with a big 10-2 margin.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is a -230 favorite at welterweight against [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 4-4 BMMA). Willis, like Corrales, has a hefty 10-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Moldavsky (65 percent), Mamedov (80 percent), Corrales (71 percent) and Willis (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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