Tag: Jeremy Kennedy

Aaron Pico vs. Jeremy Kennedy, Juan Archuleta vs. Enrique Barzola among 6 additions to Bellator 286

Two big fights and four prelims have been added to the Bellator 286 card.

Two big fights and four prelims have been added to the Bellator 286 card.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s fight with [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] is rebooked for Oct. 1 at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif. Another key matchup also joins the lineup as ex-bantamweight champion [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] meets [autotag]Enrique Barzola[/autotag].

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the bookings to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was first to report the news.

Pico (10-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) was originally scheduled to face Kennedy at Bellator 277 in April, but Kennedy withdrew due to a broken orbital. Pico faced short-notice replacement Adil Edwards instead, knocking him out in Round 3 for his sixth straight win. Meanwhile, ex-UFC fighter Kennedy (17-3-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) hasn’t competed since defeating Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision last December at Bellator 272.

Archuleta (25-4 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) will look to snap a two-fight losing skid. After he defeated Patchy Mix to capture the vacant bantamweight title in September 2020, Archuleta lost his belt to Sergio Pettis at Bellator 258, followed by a knockout loss to Raufeon Stots for the interim title in the bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal at Bellator 279.

Barzola (18-6-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) was also eliminated in the bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal when he was submitted by Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 282 in June. Prior to that, the Peruvian fighter won his first two Bellator fights against Darrion Caldwell and Nikita Mikhailov.

Prelim additions include the promotional debut of former UFC fighter [autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), as he battles [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). Also, lightweight contender [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (21-2-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on former LFA champion [autotag]Nick Browne[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

With the additions, the Bellator 286 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Patricio Freire vs. Adam Borics – for featherweight title
  • Spike Carlyle vs. A.J. McKee
  • Jeremy Kennedy vs. Aaron Pico
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Enrique Barzola

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Cee Jay Hamilton vs. Richard Palencia
  • Mike Hamel vs. Max Rohskopf
  • Nick Browne vs. Islam Mamedov
  • Keon Diggs vs. Ricardo Seixas
  • Khadzhimurat Bestaev vs. Khalid Murtazaliev

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.

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With Jeremy Kennedy out, Adli Edwards steps in to face Aaron Pico at Bellator 277

Adli Edwards will get the big opportunity he was hoping for.

[autotag]Adli Edwards[/autotag] will get the big opportunity he was hoping for.

[autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] has been forced out of Bellator 277 and Edwards (9-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) on April 15 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

A person with knowledge of the new matchup told MMA Junkie of the booking Thursday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. TSN was first to report the news.

Training under former UFC lightweight Marcus Davis in North Carolina, Edwards is fresh off a first-round submission of Josh Harvey in this past week’s XMMA 4 event. The All-American wrestler has won seven in a row and recently told MMA Junkie he expected a win over Harvey to catapult him to the next stage.

Pico, who just signed a new Bellator deal, went the distance for the first time in his career when he scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Justin Gonzales at Bellator 271. Prior to that, the 25-year-old had four straight finishes over Daniel Carey, Chris Hatley, John de Jesus and Aiden Lee.

With the change, the Bellator 277 lineup now includes:

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

  • Champ A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire – for featherweight title
  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament final
  • Adli Edwards vs. Aaron Pico
  • Tim Johnson vs. Linton Vassell

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

  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Ali Jafri
  • Rakim Cleveland vs. Tyrell Fortune
  • Rafael Carvalho vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Calob Ramirez vs. Bobby Seronio III
  • Rhalan Gracie vs. Tyson Miller
  • Edwin De Los Santos vs. Alberto Mendez
  • Socrates Hernandez vs. Rogelio Luna
  • Laird Anderson vs. JT Donaldson
  • Alan Benson vs. Theo Haig

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With Jeremy Kennedy out, Aaron Pico needs new opponent for Bellator 277

The first fight on Aaron Pico’s new Bellator deal won’t come without a hiccup.

The first fight on [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s new Bellator deal won’t come without a hiccup.

[autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is out of his fight against Pico (9-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) at next week’s Bellator 277 event. A person with knowledge of the bout told MMA Junkie on Thursday that Pico, who just signed a new deal, now is awaiting a new opponent.

Bellator 277 takes place April 15 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Pico will be hoping for a new opponent so he can try to extend his five-fight featherweight winning streak. Pico, 25, has been on a roll ever since a down 2019 in which he lost twice by knockout. Since then, he’s beaten Daniel Carey, Chris Hatley, John de Jesus, Aiden Lee and, most recently, Justin Gonzales by dominant unanimous decision this past November at Bellator 271.

Kennedy was hoping to keep the momentum going after one of the biggest victories of his career, a unanimous decision against Emmanuel Sanchez this past December at Bellator 272. Kennedy, a 29-year-old four-fight veteran of the UFC, has won four of his past five fights dating back to July 2019.

With the change, the Bellator 277 lineup now includes:

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

  • Champ A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire – for featherweight title
  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament final
  • Aaron Pico vs. TBA
  • Tim Johnson vs. Linton Vassell

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

  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Ali Jafri
  • Rakim Cleveland vs. Tyrell Fortune
  • Rafael Carvalho vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Calob Ramirez vs. Bobby Seronio III
  • Rhalan Gracie vs. Tyson Miller
  • Edwin De Los Santos vs. Alberto Mendez
  • Socrates Hernandez vs. Rogelio Luna
  • Laird Anderson vs. JT Donaldson
  • Alan Benson vs. Theo Haig

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Aaron Pico set to return at Bellator 277 vs. ex-UFC fighter Jeremy Kennedy

Aaron Pico will meet Jeremy Kennedy at what is shaping up to be a stacked Bellator 277 card in San Jose.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s 2022 campaign is about to kick off.

Pico will take his five-fight winning streak into a featherweight matchup against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] on April 15 at Bellator 277 from SAP Center in San Jose. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie that both men have verbally agreed to the fight. MMA reporter Marcel Dorff was first to report the news on Twitter.

Pico (9-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA), 25, has been on a roll ever since a down 2019 in which he lost twice by knockout. Since then, he’s defeated Daniel Carey, Chris Hatley, John de Jesus, Aiden Lee, and most recently Justin Gonzales by dominant unanimous decision last November at Bellator 271.

Aside from the Gonzales fight, Pico’s other wins during his streak have been finishes, with two knockouts and two submissions. Pico’s turnaround has coincided with a move to Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., after starting out with Team Bodyshop in his native Southern California.

Kennedy (17-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), meanwhile, is coming off one of the biggest victories of his career, a unanimous decision against Emmanuel Sanchez last December at Bellator 272. Kennedy, a 29-year-old four-fight veteran of the UFC, has won four of his past five fights dating back to July 2019.

With the addition, the updated Bellator 277 card includes:

  • Champ A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire – for featherweight title
  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title; grand prix final
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Tim Johnson
  • Jeremy Kennedy vs. Aaron Pico
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Shane Keefe vs. Tyson Miller
  • Cass Bell vs. Gaston Bolanos
  • Theo Haig vs. Alan Benson
  • Edwin De Los Santos vs. Alberto Mendez
  • Bobby Seronio III vs. Calob Ramirez

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MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year: Xtreme Couture

Xtreme Couture took home two UFC titles and a host of other major promotion wins.

Xtreme Couture is MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year.

In a year filled with ups and downs for the majority of high-profile MMA gyms, Xtreme Couture quietly built up a strong 2021 resume with two UFC titles and assisting numerous other fighters to go undefeated over the 12-month stretch.

Heavyweight [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and bantamweight [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] both captured UFC titles in 2021 with lead-up preparation at Xtreme Couture.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] emerged as a top middleweight contender with back-to-back wins over Krzysztof Jotko and Uriah Hall, and [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] skyrocketed up the women’s flyweight rankings with three straight victories. In addition, [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] won MMA Junkie’s 2021 Comeback Fighter of the Year for his improbable 6-0 run including two wins in the UFC.

In Bellator, top contenders [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] and [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] called Xtreme Couture their training home and each went 2-0 in the calendar year with wins against some of the promotion’s finest.

Other notable fighters include [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag], [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag], [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag], [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag], [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag], [autotag]Roman Dolize[/autotag], [autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag], [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag], [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag], [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag], and more.

Headed by coach Eric Nicksick, the staff also includes Eddie Barraco, Jimmy Gifford, Jake Shields, Dennis Davis, Roman Isabell, Rich Castro, Chad Lyman, Bryce Harley, Montel Williams, Jamie Huey, Nate Pettit, Tim Lane, Danny Davis, Gil Guardado, Ryan Couture, Clinton Treadway and more, as well as team captains Randy Couture and Ray Sefo (according to the gym’s official website).

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Bellator 272 results: Jeremy Kennedy grinds out Emmanuel Sanchez to earn unanimous decision

UFC and PFL veteran Jeremy Kennedy leaned on his wrestling skills to win a unanimous decision in Bellator 272’s co-main event.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] turned in a dominant performance in the co-main event on Friday evening.

Over the course of three rounds, Kennedy (17-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) utilized his wrestling skills to keep Emmanuel Sanchez on his back for most of the fight, ultimately grinding his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Bellator 272 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Sanchez (20-7 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) looked to put the pressure on early in the fight, putting together a few punching combinations as he moved forward. Kennedy opted to drop down for a takedown attempt which led to a clinch against the cage. Kennedy would eventually end up on top of his opponent and look to improve position, but Sanchez was active with punches from his back. After a few wild scrambles, they ended back on the canvas with Sanchez threatening triangle chokes from his back until the round ended.

The next two rounds of the fight would look pretty similar to the first: Sanchez would start the round landing strikes, but the fight would quickly end up on the canvas with Kennedy on top.

In the third, Sanchez was able to find his way into a guillotine choke attempt and hold it for over a minute after being on his back for a majority of the round, but Kennedy popped his head out with just under 30 seconds remaining and landed strikes from the top until the fight concluded.

All three judges scored the fight 30-27 unanimously in favor of Kennedy.

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Kennedy, a veteran of UFC and PFL, picks up his second win in three fights under the Bellator banner. In his debut with the promotion, he picked up a unanimous decision win over Matt Bessette last year but the victory was followed up by dropping a decision to Adam Borics in April. Friday’s victory over Sanchez gets him back in the win column in a big way.

Sanchez’s 2021 campaign is one he would like to quickly move past. Friday’s loss marks three straight during the calendar year, with losses to former champ Patricio Pitbull, Mads Burnell, and now, Kennedy. Sanchez was on quite the impressive run as a winner of seven of eight bouts before his recent skid.

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 272 include:

  • Jeremy Kennedy def. Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Josh Hill def. Jared Scoggins knockout (punch) – Round 2, 0:56
  • Johnny Eblen def. Collin Huckbody TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:11
  • Alexander Shabliy def. Bobby King unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00
  • Kai Kamaka def. John de Jesus unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – Round 3, 5:00
  • Levan Chokheli def. Vinicius de Jesus unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00
  • Justin Montalvo def. Jacob Bohn unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) – Round 3, 5:00
  • Mike Hamel def. Killys Mota split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00
  • Spike Carlyle def. Dan Moret technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:58
  • Kyle Crutchmer def. Oliver Enkamp unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00

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Bellator 272 adds Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Jeremy Kennedy, three other fights

Emmanuel Sanchez, Jeremy Kennedy, and Killys Mota are among the additions.

The Bellator 272 lineup continues to build with four recent additions including a bout between two top featherweight contenders.

Two-time Bellator title challenger [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) will look to end a recent losing skid when he battles former UFC fighter [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in a three-round featherweight bout.

A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the booking on Thursday, in addition to a lightweight booking between [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA).

The Bellator official also confirmed a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Tommy Espinosa[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Jornel Lugo[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), which was initially reported by My MMA News, as well as a welterweight fight between [autotag]Levan Chokheli[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Vinicius de Jesus[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), which was first reported by Cageside Press.

Bellator 272 takes place Friday, Dec. 3 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

With the additions, the Bellator 272 lineup includes:

  • Champ Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – for featherweight title
  • Jeremy Kennedy vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
  • Josh Hill vs. Jared Scoggins
  • John de Jesus vs. Keoni Diggs
  • Killys Mota vs. Mike Hamel
  • Levan Chokheli vs. Vinicius de Jesus
  • Tommy Espinosa vs. Jornel Lugo

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Bellator 256 post-event facts: Lyoto Machida falls to 0-4 in rematches

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 256, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator’s second event of the year took place Friday with Bellator 256 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The opening fight of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix headlined the card. Former champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) became the first man to advance to the semifinal round when he beat [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) by unanimous decision, avenging a knockout loss from August 2012.

For more on the numbers, check below for 15 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 256.

Bellator 256 predictions: Ryan Bader or Lyoto Machida in tournament rematch?

Check out our staff members’ predictions for the Bellator 256 main card, featuring Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida in the 205-pound tournament.

Bader
vs.
Machida		 Carmouche
vs.
Porto		 Borics
vs.
Kennedy		 Parker
vs.
Zingano		 Moret
vs.
Yamauchi
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 31-26		 bader2021
Bader
(64%)		 carmouche2021
Carmouche
(69%)		 borics2021
Borics
(72%)		 zingano2021
Zingano
(90%)		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
(88%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 35-22
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 35-22		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 34-23		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 34-23		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 34-23
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 34-23		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 33-24
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 32-25		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 32-25		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 29-28		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 29-28
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 27-30		 bader2021
Bader		 carmouche2021
Carmouche		 borics2021
Borics		 zingano2021
Zingano		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 bader2021
Bader -300		 carmouche2021
Carmouche -185		 kennedy2021
Kennedy -125		 zingano2021
Zingano -800		 yamauchi2021
Yamauchi -400

Bellator keeps its 2021 rolling Friday, and a former light heavyweight champion will try to get back on track at the top of the bill.

Bellator 256 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. 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, former light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (27-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the opening round of Bellator’s 205-pound tournament. The two first fought in the UFC nearly nine years ago, and Machida won by knockout. This time, Bader is a -300 favorite at BetMGM in the rematch, and our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are taking him unanimously – one of three 12-0 nods on the main card.

In the co-feature, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a -185 favorite against former Invicta FC women’s flyweight [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and Carmouche is a near-unanimous pick on the main card at 11-1 from our staff members.

Also on the main card, our only truly contentious fight from a picks standpoint takes place at lightweight with [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) just a -125 favorite against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Borics has a slim 7-5 picks lead.

Our second unanimous nod is former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who is a huge -800 favorite against promotional newcomer [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a women’s featherweight bout. Zingano, not surprisingly given the odds, is a 12-0 pick.

And to open the main card, our third 12-0 unanimous pick is [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) in a lightweight bout against [autotag]Dan Moret[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is a -400 betting favorite.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Bader (64 percent), Carmouche (69 percent), Borics (72 percent), Zingano (90 percent) and Yamauchi (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Bellator 256 faceoff video highlights: Cat Zingano returns in vintage fashion

Check out the Bellator 256 competitors’ ceremonial faceoffs.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday and kicks off its light heavyweight grand prix with a rematch between heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag].

Bellator 256 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The entire card will be live and free on MMA Junkie.

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 256 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Bader vs. Machida, [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag], [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag], [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag], and more.