Tag: Johnny Campbell

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2021

Check out the biggest upsets of 2021, according to the oddsmakers.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2021, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds – in the UFC, Bellator and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers 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 2021. Fights that were eligible were those which numerous major online sports books recognized, and which Tapology recorded prior to line close.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2021 below, per Tapology. Note that only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 26-Aug. 1)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken 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 from July 26-Aug. 1:

Bellator 258 post-event facts: Michael Page is the new Bellator knockout king

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 258, including Michael Page’s takeover of the company KO record.

Bellator saw its first title change of the year happen on Friday in the Bellator 258 headliner.

[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) claimed the bantamweight title from [autotag]Juan Archuleta [/autotag](25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in their main event clash, taking a unanimous decision at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

For more on the numbers, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 258.

Bellator 258 video: Johnny Campbell shocks massive favorite Henry Corrales with finish

Henry Corrales dropped the ball as the biggest betting favorite on Friday’s Bellator 258 card.

[autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] dropped the ball as the biggest betting favorite on Friday’s Bellator 258 card.

According to the betting odds, Corrales was expected to have a layup of a fight against promotional newcomer [autotag]Johnny Campbell[/autotag], a longtime fighter making his Bellator debut.

Corrales (18-6 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) was dropping to bantamweight for the first time, and the matchmaking seemed slanted to see him win big. He was as high as a -1200 favorite. Campbell (21-13 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) had other plans, though. He dropped and stopped Corrales for the second-round finish.

After landing a big uppercut that led to a knockdown, Campbell pounced on Corrales and locked in a rear-naked choke for the tap at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (via Twitter):

After the fight, Campbell used his mic time effectively and called out Irish star James Gallagher for a future clash.

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With Keith Lee out, Henry Corrales fights Johnny Campbell at Bellator 258

Henry Corrales will still fight at Bellator 258, but it won’t be against Keith Lee.

[autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] will still fight at Bellator 258, but it won’t be against [autotag]Keith Lee[/autotag].

With Bellator in need of a replacement after Lee recently withdrew, [autotag]Johnny Campbell[/autotag] has stepped in to take on Corrales (18-5 MMA, 6-5 BMMA), a promotion official informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday. No reason for Lee’s withdrawal was given.

Bellator 258 takes place Friday, May 7 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Corrales, 34, will drop to bantamweight for the first time when he fights Campbell (20-13 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). The Fight Ready MMA product snapped a two-fight losing skid at featherweight when he defeated Brandon Girtz at Bellator 250 in October. After the fight, Corrales voiced interest in moving to 135 pounds to pursue a rematch against champion Juan Archuleta.

As for Campbell, the promotional newcomer graced national headlines for a freak accident suffered in October at Taura MMA 10. Against Ary Farias, Campbell’s ear was nearly severed and the fight subsequently called off by a cageside physician. The injury’s graphic nature made it an instantly viral image on social media.

The loss snapped a four-fight winning streak for Campbell.

With the addition, the Bellator 258 lineup includes:

  • Champion Juan Archuleta vs. Sergio Pettis – for bantamweight title
  • Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero – light heavyweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • James Gallagher vs. Patchy Mix
  • Josh Hill vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Weber Almeida vs. Johnny Soto
  • Johnny Eblen vs. Daniel Madrid
  • Henry Corrales vs. Keith Lee
  • Bryce Logan vs. Alan Omer
  • Hannah Guy vs. Valerie Loureda
  • Johnny Campbell vs. Henry Corrales

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Don’t say we didn’t warn you: TKO by ‘Reservoir Dogs’-style ear detachment

There’s a chance Ary Farias might celebrate his win over Johnny Campbell by playing “Stuck in the Middle With You.”

There’s a chance [autotag]Ary Farias[/autotag] might celebrate his win over [autotag]Johnny Campbell[/autotag] by playing “Stuck in the Middle With You.”

(Look – if you get it, you get it. If you don’t, brush up on your “Reservoir Dogs” history.)

Farias (10-2) picked up a TKO win over Campbell (20-13) on Friday night at Taura MMA 10 in Rio de Janeiro when Campbell’s ear became partially detached in an outright horror show eight days before Halloween.

Tip of the ol’ hat to Twitter’s @Grabaka_Hitman for the video of the vomit-inducing fight, which ended early in the first round. It’s below … but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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.