Joey Davis – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Bellator 253: Make your predictions for Darrion Caldwell vs. A.J. McKee

We want your predictions for Thursday’s Bellator 253 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 253 event staff predictions we release Wednesday ahead of the event. Bellator 253 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network/DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the three main card fights below.

Bellator 235 video highlights

Check out highlights from the main card of Bellator 235 in Honolulu.

The first half of Bellator’s weekend doubleheader in Hawaii went down Friday with Bellator 235, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, with a main card that aired on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the makeshift main event, Hawaii’s own [autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] pulled off a stunning upset when he spoiled the promotional debut of UFC veteran [autotag]Erik Perez[/autotag] with a brilliant first-round knockout.

[autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag], [autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag], and [autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] also were victorious on the main card.

You can watch highlights of the four bouts in the video above.

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Complete Bellator 235 results include:

Joey Davis after Bellator 235 win: ‘My skillset is the best in the division’

Joey Davis is confident his talents stand up right next to the very best welterweights Bellator has to offer.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] is confident his talents stand up right next to the very best welterweights Bellator has to offer. He’s ready to prove it, but said it falls on the Bellator brass and top-ranked names to make it happen.

Davis (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), who is among the top blue-chip prospects in the sport, continued the undefeated start to his career Friday when he defeated Chris Cisneros (17-10 MMA, 0-3 BMMA) by first-round TKO at Bellator 235, which went down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Hawaii.

The former amateur wrestling standout, who famously went 133-0 in his collegiate career, was listed as high as a -2000 betting favorite for the matchup. His performance showed why, and pleas from fans for a bigger test followed. Davis said he’s ready for it, but said the onus doesn’t fall on him to bring that to reality.

“I guess if the top guys want to fight me they’ve got to sign the contract,” Davis told MMA Junkie post-fight at Bellator 235. “I’m here to be the best. I will be champion eventually. When my time comes it’s going to come. Do those top guys want to fight me? That was a question you should be asking them, because I’m the one they should be worrying out for. I’m the young prospect, I’m the one that came with a great background. I need to get back to the drawing board. I’m only 7-0 in the sport. That’s very young. I’m happy with tonight, but I want to get better.”

MMA is a game of constant evolution, and at just 25, Davis thinks he still has significant room for growth. He already sees himself as ahead of the pack, though, and his goal is to create as much distance between his counterparts as possible.

“Where I stand, I know that my skillset is the best in the division,” Davis said. “I know that if I go against the top three guys right now, they will have trouble with me. If I’m in the best shape, if I’m in the gym, if I have no injuries and I’m good to go, I’ll be a tough one to deal with. I said that when I first signed with Bellator. That’s just my mind and determination and who I am as a champion.”

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Bellator 235 post-event facts: Unbeaten Joey Davis making his mark

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 235, which took place Friday in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In the makeshift main event, Hawaii’s own [autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) pulled off a stunning upset when he spoiled the promotional debut of UFC veteran [autotag]Erik Perez[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with a brilliant first-round knockout.

For more on the numbers to come out of the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 13 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 235.

* * * *

General

Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.

Betting favorites fell to 12-8 (with two no contests and one draw)) in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 34:49.

Main card

Misech has earned all of his career stoppage victories by knockout. That includes both of his Bellator wins.

Misech’s 54-second victory marked the fastest finish of his career.

Perez suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) earned her first decision victory since July 26, 2013 – a span of 2,338 days (more than six years) and nine fights.

[autotag]Veta Arteaga[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) has suffered three of her four career losses by decision.

[autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) improved to 5-0 since he dropped to the Bellator welterweight division in January 2018.

Davis’ five-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is tied with Logan Storley for the longest active streak in the division.

Davis has earned all five of his career stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Chris Cisneros[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 0-3 BMMA) extended his career long skid to four fights. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2017.

Cisneros has suffered all three of his Bellator losses by stoppage.

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Bellator 235: Joey Davis full post-fight interview

Bellator 235 results: Joey Davis rolls over Chris Cisneros for first-round stoppage

Joey Davis wasted little time demonstrating why he was such a heavy favorite for his Bellator 235 fight.

[autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] was as high as a -2000 favorite for his matchup with [autotag]Chris Cisneros [/autotag]on Friday.

And it didn’t take long for the Body Shop MMA product to demonstrate why. Davis (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) dominated from wire-to-wire as he earned the victory via TKO at 3:55 of the opening round.

Davis is a four-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler, and he went to his bread-and-butter early, shooting for and easily achieving a takedown.

From there, it was simply a matter of time. Davis improved his position steadily, pushed Cisneros (19-11 MMA, 0-3 BMMA) against the cage, and started unleashing elbows. One of those elbows opened an absolutely nasty gash on Cisneros’ forehead which painted the canvas red.

Davis continued pouring on until referee Mike Beltran waved off the fight.

“I know that it was a mixed martial arts war and in a lot of my fights I am very diverse,” Davis said. “But I wanted to go back to the drawing board.”

It was the third straight victory via stoppage and fifth overall for Davis, who has spent his entire pro career under the Bellator banner. Cisneros had a two-fight win streak snapped.

The welterweight bout opened up the Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) main card at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 235 results include:

Joey Davis def. Chris Cisneros via TKO (punches and elbows) — Round 1, 3:55
Hunter Ewald def. Brysen Bolohao via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:42
Joseph Creer def. Ty Gwerder via via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-26)
Cass Bell def. Pierre Daguzan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Joey Davis in no hurry to make big callouts after Bellator 235

Joey Davis has taken on increasingly experienced competition his past couple fights, and that trend continues this week.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] has taken on increasingly experienced competition his past couple fights, and that trend continues this week.

Davis (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) meets his most veteran opponent yet Friday when he meets Chris Cisneros (19-10 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) in a welterweight fight at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”), which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Davis is a perfect 6-0, but Cisneros has been around the block a bit and will be fighting for the 30th time as a pro. Davis, who trains with unbeaten Bellator featherweight standout A.J. McKee in California, isn’t worried about that experience level. And he’s also not stressing out about how quickly he rises up the ladder.

To hear from Davis about Friday’s fight, check out the full interview above.

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Bellator 235/Salute the Troops 2019 predictions: Barnett or Markes in their debuts?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the main card at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) in Hawaii.

	Barnett vs. Markes	Misech vs. Perez	Arteaga vs. Lara	Akeo vs. Claxton	Cisneros vs. Davis
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 210-125 (63%)	Barnett (83%)	Perez (90%)	Lara (56%)	Claxton (83%)	Davis (85%)
Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 127-66 (66%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 121-67 (64%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 215-120 (64%)	Barnett	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 214-121 (64%)	Markes	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 214-121 (64%) 2017 Champion	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 212-123 (63%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 210-125 (63%)	Barnett	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 207-128 (62%) 2014 Champion	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 206-129 (61%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 110-72 (60%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 201-134 (60%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 137-106 (56%)	Markes	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 175-160 (52%)	Markes	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis

Bellator is back in Hawaii for a doubleheader weekend for the second straight December.

Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) takes place Friday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. Saturday, Bellator 236 takes place at the same venue.

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

The main event features a pair of promotional debuts from veteran fighters. [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in the headliner. Barnett most recently fought in the UFC; Markes makes the move over from the PFL. Barnett is more than a 2-1 favorite at the sports books, and our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers seem to concur. They have Barnett with a big 10-3 lead in our picks.

The co-main event is one of three unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card. [autotag]Erik Perez[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut after nine fights in the UFC and a pair for Combate Americas. He’s more than a 2-1 favorite and is the pick from all 13 of our staff members in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

[autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is a unanimous pick, as well, in his featherweight fight against local product [autotag]Braydon Akeo[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Claxton is more than a 4-1 favorite from the oddsmakers.

The biggest favorite on the card is [autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) at upwards of 10-1 in his welterweight bout with [autotag]Chris Cisneros[/autotag] (19-10 MMA, 0-2 BMMA). Davis, like Perez and Claxton, is a 13-0 pick from our staff members.

The women’s flyweight bout in the middle of the main card is fairly lopsided in our picks, as well. Although [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is just a slight favorite at -125 against [autotag]Veta Arteaga[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), she has a 10-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Barnett (83%), Perez (90 percent), Lara (56 percent), Claxton (83 percent) and Davis (85 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

5 burning questions ahead of ‘Bellator: Salute The Troops 2019’

We look ahead at five key storylines to follow as Bellator kicks off its double-header of events in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Bellator cage lands in Hawaii this weekend for a double-header of MMA action, with the first of the two events set to pay tribute to the servicemen and women in Honolulu at “Bellator and USO Present: Salute The Troops 2019,” which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center. The night’s main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN.

The card features the return of a heavyweight legend, a pair of women’s flyweight contenders looking to earn a second title shot and two former wrestling standouts seeking to push themselves towards the top.

Here are our five burning questions ahead of Friday night’s event in Hawaii:

Can the returning Josh Barnett surge into title contention?

It’s been more than three years since we saw [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] throwing down inside an MMA cage, but now, after a battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and a change of promotion, “The Warmaster” is back and ready to launch his assault on the Bellator heavyweight division.

Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) headlines Friday night’s card in Hawaii against Brazilian [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag], who has moved up from 205 pounds to heavyweight to take on the former UFC heavyweight champion at Salute the Troops.

With Bellator’s heavyweight division looking wide open right now, Barnett sees an opportunity to make an impact on his return as he bids to gatecrash the title picture and make a beeline for reigning champion Ryan Bader.

And with a record that includes nine finishes from his last 10 outings, Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will need to be on his guard against a man with a chip on his shoulder and a title in his sights.

“I don’t view it as going after the title,” Barnett said. “I’m already ready for a title shot. I’m already deserving of a title shot. What I’m relishing is having the opportunity to get in there and fight. Period. I go out, I fight, I win, I get what I want.”

Will “The Warmaster” get his wish on Friday night, or can Markes upset the veteran’s return with an underdog victory?

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Tag: Joey Davis