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Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 264, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.
Bellator 264 took place this past Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (48-7-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) defended his Bellator middleweight title in the main event when he picked up a third-round TKO of [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA).
For more on the numbers, check below for 22 pre-event facts to come out of Bellator 264.
Gegard Mousasi stopped John Salter and retained his middleweight strap Friday at Mohegan Sun.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] is still the Bellator middleweight champion.
In the Bellator 264 main event Friday, Mousasi (48-7-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) defeated [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) by TKO (punches) at the 2:07 mark of Round 3.
The middleweight title bout took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
The opening round saw Salter utilize his wrestling after Mousasi stalked him down on the feet. Salter dragged Mousasi to the ground, but the Netherlands-based fighter hopped back to his feet. Salter pushed Mousasi against the cage in a takedown attempt, but ate six knees to the body for his trouble.
At the start of Round 2, Salter looked noticeably tired. Mousasi continued to stalk and landed his biggest shots of the fight to the moment. Salter retreated, waited, and shot once again. It took a lot of effort, but Salter got the takedown. After some top control from Salter, Mousasi rose to his feet. Salter pulled guard and Mousasi rained down ground-and-pound. Salter survived the round.
In Round 3, Mousasi continued to press. Salter once again pulled guard. Mousasi stood up and pummeled away as Salter covered up. Referee Dan Miragliotta gave Salter a chance to defend himself, but the damage kept coming and the fight was waved off.
After the fight, Bellator announced Mousasi vs. Austin Vanderford (11-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) will be next.
With the win, Mousasi successfully defended his Bellator middleweight title for the first time since he defeated Douglas Lima for the vacant strap in October. The win extended Mousasi’s winning streak to three and made him a victor of 11 of his most recent 12 outings.
For Salter, the loss snapped a three-fight winning streak. It was only his second career loss by TKO and his first since UFC Fight Night 20 in January 2010.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 264 results include:
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Bellator 264 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
Bellator 264 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) puts his title on the line for the first time in his second reign when he takes on challenger [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). In the co-feature, former welterweight champ [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) meets [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA).
Official Bellator 264 results include:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7:30 p.m. ET)
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Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 264 main card, which features middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi vs. John Salter.
| Mousasi vs. Salter |
Homasi vs. Koreshkov |
Magomedov vs. Stots |
Cummings vs. Franklin |
Bestaev vs. Gwerder |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 120-72 |
 Mousasi (82%) |
 Koreshkov (85%) |
 Magomedov (76%) |
 Cummings (51%) |
 Bestaev (64%) |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 119-73 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
 Stots |
 Franklin |
Bestaev |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 118-74 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Stots |
Franklin |
Bestaev |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 118-74  2018 Champion |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Franklin |
 Gwerder |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 115-77 2020 Champion |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Franklin |
Gwerder |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 114-78 2014 Champion |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Franklin |
Bestaev |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 114-78 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 113-79 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Bestaev |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 112-80 |
Mousasi |
 Homasi |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 112-80 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 112-80 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Stots |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 110-82 2017 Champion |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 108-84 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 43-33 |
Mousasi |
Koreshkov |
Magomedov |
Cummings |
Gwerder |
Bellator is back in Connecticut this week, and the middleweight title is on the line.
Bellator 264 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, middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) puts his title up against challenger [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). Mousasi is fighting for the first time since he recaptured the 185-pound title in October 2020 against Douglas Lima, and all 13 of our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him to defend the belt.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) takes on former welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA). Our staff members are picking the ex-champ by a wide margin at 12-1.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is a runaway pick in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Magomedov has a 10-3 lead in the picks.
Our most contentious fight is at heavyweight between [autotag]Everett Cummings[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Davion Franklin[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA). The top five pickers in our standings all like Franklin. But the lower eight all are going with Cummings.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Khadzhi Bestaev[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ty Gwerder[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Hawaii’s Gwerder has a sizable 9-4 edge in the picks from our staff members.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Mousasi (82 percent), Koreshkov (85 percent), Magomedov (76 percent), Cummings (51 percent) and Bestaev(64 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
One final time before Bellator 264, Gegard Mousasi, John Salter and the rest of the card went face to face at the ceremonial weigh-ins.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the promotion’s middleweight title will be on the line.
Bellator 264 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the card, 185-pound titleholder [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) defends his championship against surging contender [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA).
Also, former welterweight champion [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), and bantamweight contenders Magomed Magomedov (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) meet in a pivotal clash.
Following Thursday’s Bellator 264 official weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.
Check out the faceoffs below, including Mousasi vs. Salter, Koreshkov vs. Homasi, and Magomedov vs. Stots.
Heading into the main event of Bellator 264 against Gegard Mousasi, John Salter knows he’s being counted out, but he has been his entire career.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] knows people aren’t giving him a chance to become champion at Bellator 264, but he’s used to being in that position.
Riding into Friday evening on a three-fight win streak, Salter will face Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] in the main event of Bellator 264.
Despite being counted out, Salter (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) believes his hard work has led him to this opportunity to fight for the title, and he has no plans of leaving the cage without getting his hand raised, despite what people predict the outcome will be on Friday night.
“It’s been most of my career,” Salter told MMA Junkie about being overlooked as a competitor. “I came up being the guy that was traveling to fight in other people’s hometowns, being brought in, supposed to be the loser and winning fights like that. … It’s just part of it, and how I’ve done things.”
Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out the full interview with Salter in the video above.
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Check out the results from the official Bellator 264 fighter weigh-ins, featuring Gegard Mousasi vs. John Salter.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – MMA Junkie was on scene at Thursday’s official Bellator 264 weigh-ins where one fight was canceled.
The weigh-ins took place at Mohegan Sun Arena. The same venue hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Among those who weighed in were Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) and title challenger [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). Also, contenders [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and Raufeon Stots (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) stepped on the scale ahead of their bantamweight clash. Magomedov needed two tries to hit his mark, but he ultimately did.
Top bantamweight contender Magomed Magomedov misses weight on his first attempt, but will have until the top of the hour to cut the additional 0.5 pounds. ⏳#Bellator264 weigh-in results: https://t.co/trltifx9BZ pic.twitter.com/tQzxibnttS
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) August 12, 2021
Phew! Magomed Magomedov (@magomedovtiger1) makes weight on his second attempt ahead of a potential title eliminator vs. Raufeon Stots. 🇷🇺#Bellator264 weigh-in results: https://t.co/trltiffydp pic.twitter.com/XvPGkSGYrF
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) August 12, 2021
Out of the 18 fighters scheduled, 17 made weight. There was a big miss from [autotag]Kendly St-Louis[/autotag] (3-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in the final minutes of the weigh-in window. When he weighed in at 162.5 pounds for his lightweight fight vs. Justin Montalvo[/autotag] (2-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), Mohegan Sun commission head Mike Mazzulli canceled the fight immediately.
The #Bellator264 weigh-ins ended with a massive weight miss and a cancellation as prelim fighter Kendly St-Louis weighed 162.5 pounds for a lightweight fight.
Weigh-in results: https://t.co/trltiffydp pic.twitter.com/tLbkSEVPhw
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) August 12, 2021
Complete Bellator 264 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6:30 p.m. ET)
* = St-Louis misses weight by 6.5 pounds, fight canceled
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=01eqvpqbw4ymnv0rjh image=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
“Who wants to fight Yoel Romero?” Mousasi said. “He’s a monster.”
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] isn’t a matchmaker or a promotion president. He doesn’t call the shots at Bellator, he just fights.
Sitting atop the 185-pound thrown in the promotion, Mousasi (47-2-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) sees his next challenge, [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA), who he headlines Bellator 264 against Wednesday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Beyond that, however, things are a bit blurry – but one additional name sticks out.
“(John Salter) is the No. 1 contender,” Mousasi told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I don’t know who (Bellator) has in the middleweight division. He was the only guy I thought I was going to fight. There’re no big names yet in Bellator. Yoel Romero is a big name but he’s coming off (three) losses and usually, you fight once and then you fight for the belt. I don’t know.”
Yoel Romero’s recent skid only contains losses to the world’s finest. Consecutive losses to Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Israel Adesanya preceded his UFC exit. Despite the Cuban’s struggle to win, Mousasi still sees Romero (13-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) as an intimidating force.
“Who wants to fight Yoel Romero?” Mousasi said. “He’s a monster. He’s in Bellator and if he makes middleweight, we’re going to fight. I’m a fighter. If you give me the contract, I’ll fight.”
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Another name who could potentially land the next title shot should Mousasi get through Salter is [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag], who will be in attendance Friday. Mousasi credits Vanderford (11-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) for his accomplishments thus far, but thinks the levels would be exposed if the two fought.
“I saw his last fight a little bit,” Mousasi said. “He’s good. He’s definitely a tough opponent. He’s undefeated, but he’s not been tested yet against well-known fighters. I don’t know. If he’s the next guy, I’ll fight him.”
Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
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A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2020.
Bellator was poised to have its biggest and best year to date in 2020, but like most businesses this year, it was hindered by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Still, though, the promotion hosted 18 fight cards between its numbered and European series events that solidified its status among the top dogs in the MMA space. During that time, many records were set, and a host of historic moments were produced.
Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2020’s most significant fights and individual performances.
Dutch middleweight contender Costello van Steenis wants a rematch with John Salter, and says victory over undefeated Fabian Edwards should be enough to get it.
Dutch middleweight contender [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] will line up against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] looking to prove a point and earn a rematch with the last man to defeat him.
Van Steenis (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) takes on Edwards (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) Saturday in the main event of Bellator Europe 8 in Milan. The event streams live on Bellator’s YouTube channel. Ahead of the matchup, van Steenis says he’s delighted to finally be able to line up against a man he revealed he’d asked to fight a few times before.
“I’m feeling great; I’ve been looking forward to this fight for a very long time – you could say for more than a year,” he told the media during a pre-fight virtual media session. “I’ve asked for his name a few times, now look. Santa came early, finally!”
The 28-year-old revealed that his desire to face Edwards stems not just from the Brit’s status as an undefeated contender, but from his attitude, of which van Steenis said he’s no fan.
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When asked if the tension between the pair is legitimate, van Steenis said he thinks it stems more from his side than from Edwards’.
“From my part, there is beef,” van Steenis said. “He’s the one that I wanted to fight for a long time because of his attitude. He’s got a very cocky, stupid, attitude. I believe his part is probably fake because he does that with everybody. So it is real.”
As well as looking to hand Edwards his first career defeat, van Steenis is also looking to re-establish himself as a title contender after a decision defeat to [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] at Bellator 233. The Dutchman said victory over Edwards would put him in a position to face the American again and deal with what he considers to be unfinished business from their first fight.
“After I beat Fabian I’ll definitely fight John Salter again,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s up for it. But I don’t mind, actually. I’ll fight anybody after this fight, whenever. As long as I’m healthy, I’ll just say yes to anything, but I want John Salter next. I don’t believe we finished this fight. It could have gone both ways, and if there were championship rounds it probably would have ended differently.”
