Three fights have been added to the undercard of the Patricio Freire vs. A.J. McKee event July 31 in Los Angeles.
With less than two weeks before what some are calling the biggest fight in Bellator history, the promotion continues to add the finishing touches to its next event.
Bellator 263 takes place July 31 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
On Monday, promotion officials announced the addition of a main card fight between former Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) and Russian standout [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (19-1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). The fight was first reported by TASS.
Additionally, a women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) and Vanessa Porto (22-9 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), as well as a 150-pound contract-weight fight between [autotag]Daniel Carey[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) and [autotag]Gadzhi Rabadanov[/autotag] (15-4-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has been added to the prelims.
A bantamweight bout between contenders [autotag]Magomed Magmedov[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) has been removed from the card, MMA Junkie confirmed with a Bellator official. No reason for the cancellation was given.
Primus, 36, has not competed since February 2020. He rides a two-fight winning streak into the bout with back-to-back first-round submissions over Tim Wilde and Chris Bungard. In 11 pro fights, Primus’ lone loss came via unanimous decision when he lost the title to Michael Chandler in December 2018.
Mamedov, 31, makes his promotional debut riding a 19-fight unbeaten streak. Regarded by some as one of the best lightweights in the world, Mamedov nine times for WSOF/PFL where he compiled an 8-0-1 record including wins over Natan Schulte and Thiago Tavares among others.
With the additions, the Bellator 263 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
Champion Patricio Freire vs. A.J. McKee – for the featherweight title
After the Bellator 260 official weigh-ins, Vanessa Porto vs. Ilara Joanne was canceled when the Mohegan commission stepped in.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator 260 has lost a main-card fight.
The women’s flyweight bout between Brazilians [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag] and [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] was called off Friday. Shortly after the conclusion of the event’s official weigh-ins, promotion officials revealed Porto did not receive proper medical clearance to compete from the commission and the fight was scrapped.
MMA Junkie subsequently was told by promotion officials that the event will continue with a four-fight main card.
BREAKING: The flyweight bout between Vanessa Porto and Ilara Joanne has been cancelled. Vanessa Porto was not cleared by the commission to compete. #BELLATOR260
— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) June 10, 2021
Porto, 37, was the final fighter to weigh in at Thursday’s official weigh-ins and needed the towel in order to hit her mark. The fight was scheduled for a 128-pound contract weight, which was booked on short notice for both fighters.
Bellator 260 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card streams on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
With the change, the Bellator 260 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
Champ Douglas Lima vs. Yaroslav Amosov – for welterweight title
Paul Daley vs. Jason Jackson – 175-pound contract weight
Aiden Lee vs. Aaron Pico
Demarques Jackson vs. Mark Lemminger
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)
Levan Chokheli vs. Kyle Crutchmer
Tywan Claxton vs. Justin Gonzales
Bobby King vs. Nick Newell
Lucas Brennan vs. Matthew Skibicki – 150-pound contract weight
If you missed Fedor Emelianenko’s knockout of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson the first time around, here’s your chance to catch it.
Bellator put on it’s first-ever card in Japan on Saturday, bringing some of their biggest names to the iconic Saitama Super Arena just outside of Tokyo.
And what a night it was, as several of Bellator’s best brought their A-game to the venerated venue. [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag], [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag], [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], and [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] all put on great shows leading up to the fight which brought everyone to the house: The return of the legendary [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], who made short work of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a battle of former world champions.
Whether you missed the show the first time or watched it live and want to relive a night filled with slam-bang highlights, you can now watch the best moments from Bellator 237. Watch the video linked above.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s Bellator 237 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a Bellator win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
See what the fighters from Bellator 237 went with as their backing tracks in Saitama, Japan.
[autotag]Daron Cruickshank[/autotag]: “Real American” by Rick Derringer
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Taking some big punches early in the fight seemed to wake up Kana Watanabe at Bellator 237.
SAITAMA, JAPAN – Taking some big punches early in the fight seemed to wake up [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] at Bellator 237, because she rallied to stop [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] on Saturday’s card.
Watanabe (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) managed to stay undefeated by staying composed in the bad early striking exchanges until she found a groove with her grappling and pounded out Joanne (9-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) for the TKO with just 21 seconds remaining in the fight.
The women’s flyweight bout went down at Bellator 237, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The card aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN.
Joanne’s striking advantage was evident from the outset. She tagged Watanabe with some heavy, heavy shots. Watanabe desperately went for a judo-style takedown, but the moment the fight hit the mat, Joanne was active. Joanne locked in a triangle choke from bottom almost immediately, but she couldn’t finish it. Watanabe escaped and got side control, where she dominated position and hit Joanne with some solid ground-and-pound in the final 90 seconds to make up some distance on the scorecards.
They went right to grappling to begin Round 2, with Joanne pressing Watanabe against the fence and working toward a takedown. Watanabe countered with another judo throw, but it was partially stuffed and the ensuing grappling exchange saw Joanne end up on top. There wasn’t much in terms of meaningful work from Joanne on top, and Watanabe kept active from bottom by peppering her opponent with short strikes. It was an uneventful round, but Watanabe seemingly had the slight edge.
With the fight hanging in the balance, Watanabe wasted no time pushing for a takedown attempt to begin the final round.. She had quick success, planting Joanne on her back. That was the final story of the fight, because Watanabe rode out position and attacked with efficient ground-and-pound. Watanabe forced Joanne to give up her back then blasted away with strikes until referee Kevin MacDonald decided he’d seen enough and waves it off at the 4:39 mark of Round 3.
“I’m so very happy I was able to bring this victory to all the fans, all the people who are representing Rizin,” Watanabe said through an interpreter in her post-fight interview. “I knew during the three rounds Joanne was very strong, but I was able to bring out the best of my and I’m very relieved now.”
Up-to-date Bellator 237 results include:
Kana Watanabe def. Ilara Joanne via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:39
Ilara Joanne has updated her ‘kill list’ and says she hopes a win over Kana Watanabe will lead to a flyweight title shot in 2020.
TOKYO – [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] has updated her ‘kill list’.
Joanne (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) takes on undefeated judoka [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] this Saturday (Sunday locally), where she hopes a win will lead to a title shot against Bellator flyweight champ [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag].
In her last outing, Macfarlane notched her fourth successful title defense, when she defeated Kate Jackson via unanimous decision at Bellator 236.
And from what Joanne saw of Macfarlane’s last performance, she’s confident that she can take her out.
“She has a great game,” Joanne told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through translation. “She has a grappling game but she wasn’t able to apply her game and get that submission, but against me, we’re a good matchup. She’s good in grappling, I’m good in grappling, but I’m going to submit her.”
[lawrence-related id=474446,475100,475128]
But first, she has to get through Watanabe (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), where Joanne is actually the betting underdog going into the fight, but will look to relish that position.
“I like being the underdog because a lot of people start cheering against me but then when I get the victory, I get all the media so yes I’m going against a judo player, she’s undefeated but I’m the more complete fighter and I’m better prepared.”
“I feel real calm but it is because I’ve been doing this game since 2013. I’ve been a pro fighter so it’s all been worth it to arrive at this point but now I’m just here, I’m ready to do my job.”
For the first time, Bellator this week has touched down in “The Land of the Rising Sun” with a pair of heavyweight legends at the top of the ticket.
Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) takes on fellow PRIDE veteran [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-13 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in a bout between two fan favorites among the Japanese fans. Emelianenko is a slight favorite at the sports books, but he’s got a heavy lead from our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers at 9-4 in the picks.
In the co-main event, former lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) takes on short-notice opponent [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who will step in for Benson Henderson. Chandler is a heavy favorite in the 160-pound contract weight bout, and only one of our pickers is going against him.
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) is the biggest favorite on the card at as much as 10-1 n his 173-pound contract weight fight against [autotag]Shinsho Anzai[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). He’s got a heavy 12-1 lead in the picks.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) meets [autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at welterweight. Larkin is a 5-1 favorite and has a heavy 11-2 picks lead.
Our most competitive fight, picks-wise, is at women’s flyweight between [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who is just a slight favorite. Watanabe has the slimmest possible edge in the picks at 7-6.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Daron Cruickshank[/autotag] (22-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a heavy underdog against [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA), who has a massive 12-1 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Emelianenko (54%), Chandler (83 percent), Page (88 percent), Larkin (88 percent), Watanabe (66 percent) and Yamauchi (57 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 237, which takes place Saturday with a Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton Jackson main event.
The final Bellator event of the year takes place Saturday with Bellator 237, which goes down at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with a main card that airs on Paramount.
A heavyweight showdown between fighters who made the majority of their fame in “The Land of the Rising Sun” is set to serve as the main event. Former PRIDE champ [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is set to meet former UFC champ [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-13 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in a three-round bout.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 237.
* * * *
Main event
Fedor Emelianenko
Emelianenko, 43, is the oldest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
Emelianenko is 4-2 since he returned from retirement in December 2015.
Emelianenko is 13-4 (with one no contest) when facing former UFC champions or title challengers.
Emelianenko has earned 29 of his 38 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his Bellator wins.
Emelianenko has suffered all six of his career losses by stoppage.
Quinton Jackson
Jackson returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 29, 2018. The 454-day layoff is the longest of his more than 20-year career.
Jackson did not compete in 2019. It’s the first time he hasn’t fought inside a calendar year since making his MMA debut in 1999.
Jackson competes in his eighth career heavyweight bout. He’s 4-3 when competing in the weight class.
Jackson has suffered his past four losses by decision. He hasn’t been stopped since September 2011.
Co-main event
Michael Chandler.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) competes in his 22nd Bellator bout, tied for the second most appearances in company history behind David Rickels (23).
Chandler’s 16 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Patricio Freire for second most in company history behind Patricio Freire (18).
Chandler’s 14 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.
Chandler’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied with Freire and A.J. McKee for most in company history.
Chandler’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (seven).
Chandler’s 11 appearances in Bellator title fights are tied with Freire for most in company history.
Chandler is one of two fighters in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.
Chandler’s six victories in Bellator championship fights are second most in company history behind Freire (eight).
Chandler’s five losses in Bellator title fights are the most in company history.
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) makes his second Bellator appearance in a 42-day stretch. He was victorious at Bellator 234 on Nov. 15.
Remaining main card
Michael Page
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) becomes the first fighter to make five Bellator appearances in 2019.
Page makes his second Bellator appearance in a 34-day stretch. He was victorious at Bellator Europe 6 on Nov. 23.
Page’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak, snapped in Bellator 221, is tied for the second longest streak in company history behind McKee (16).
Page’s 12 victories in Bellator welterweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Andrey Koreshkov (13) and Douglas Lima (13).
Page’s nine stoppage victories in Bellator welterweight competition are tied with Lima for most in divisional history.
Page’s eight knockout victories in Bellator competition are third most in company history behind Lima (nine) and Patricky Freire (nine).
Page’s eight knockout victories in Bellator welterweight competition are tied with Lima for most in divisional history.
Lorenz Larkin
[autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) is 6-3 since he dropped to the welterweight division in January 2015.
Larkin’s three-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Logan Storley (five) and Joey Davis (five).
Larkin has earned eight of his past 11 victories by decision. That includes all three of his Bellator wins.
[autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights. He was victorious in his most recent bout at Rizin FF 19 in October.
[autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), 25, is the youngest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
[autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) is 5-1 since he moved up to the Bellator lightweight division in October 2016.
Yamauchi has earned 20 of his 24 career victories by stoppage. That includes eight of his 10 Bellator wins.
Yamauchi’s seven submission victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.
We want your predictions for Bellator 237 in Japan.
We want your predictions for this week’s Bellator 237 event in Japan.
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 237 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside.
Multiple new additions have been added to December’s dual Bellator and Rizin FF cards in Japan, including five crossover contests.
Five additional fights have been added to the upcoming Bellator and Rizin FF joint cards being held in Saitama, Japan.
Bellator president Scott Coker shared the news of three crossover bouts that are headed to the Bellator 237 card at Saitama Super Arena, as well as two crossover bouts added to the Rizin FF 20 card also taking place at the same venue, two days later.
On the Bellator card, UFC veterans [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will both make quick turnarounds and square off in a welterweight bout. Since dropping his first two promotional bouts with Bellator, Larkin has won his last three in a row, most recently picking up a split-decision win over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 229. Nakamura made good in his Rizin debut, scoring a first round finish over Marcos Yoshio de Souza at Rizin FF 19.
Also headed to Bellator 237 is a women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Joanne recently picked up the biggest win of her career, submitting UFC veteran Bec Rawlings in her Bellator debut last month. Joanne, who’s riding a three-fight winning streak, recently called out 125-pound champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, but instead draws Japan’s undefeated Watanabe.
The third bout added to Bellator 237 is a lightweight bout between [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) and [autotag]Daron Cruickshank[/autotag] (22-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is coming off back-to-back wins that include a decision over Daniel Weichel and a first-round submission over Saad Awad at October’s Bellator 229. Cruickshank, has dropped his last two in a row to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev, and he now looks to get back in the win column.
Meanwhile, on the Dec. 31 Rizin card, two bouts will take place under the Japanese promotion’s ruleset. [autotag]Yuki Motoya[/autotag] (23-7) faces undefeated [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] (12-0) in a bantamweight bout, while [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (11-1) will take on [autotag]John Macapa[/autotag] (23-42) in a featherweight clash.
Meanwhile, Rizin officials announced a series of post-lim bouts to take place at Bellator 237, which the Japanese promotion is calling “Bellator Japan powered by RIZIN.”
The matchups include [autotag]Andy Nguyen[/autotag] (6-8) vs. [autotag]Ai Shimizu[/autotag] (5-1), [autotag]Ryuichiro Sumimura[/autotag] (14-7) vs. [autotag]Jon Tuck[/autotag] (10-5), [autotag]Jarred Brooks[/autotag] (15-2) vs. [autotag]Haruo Ochi[/autotag] (19-7-2) and [autotag]Hiroto Uesako[/autotag] (16-8) vs. [autotag]Yusuke Yachi[/autotag] (20-9).
