Tag: Jon Fitch

Davis-Machida 2, Archuleta-Mix title fight lead back-to-back Bellator shows Sept. 11-12

Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.

Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.

Bellator 245 and Bellator 246 are slated for consecutive nights Sept. 11-12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. A person with knowledge of the events confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Wednesday following an initial report from ESPN.

The Bellator 245 headliner will be a rematch between former Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) and former UFC champ [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). In addition, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will make her promotional debut against [autotag]Gabrielle Holloway[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA).

At Bellator 246, the vacant bantamweight title will be on the line between [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). Plus, [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-1-1 BMMA) is set to take on [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) at welterweight.

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Davis and Machida fought at UFC 163 a little more than seven years ago in Brazil, where Davis won a mildly controversial unanimous decision. Although all three judges scored the fight for him 29-28, none of the media members tracked by MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Davis.

Davis won Bellator’s light heavyweight title in 2016, but lost it in his first defense to current dual champion Ryan Bader. Since that setback, he’s gone 4-1, including back-to-back wins over former champ Liam McGeary and Karl Albrektsson in 2019. His lone loss in that stretch was a split call to Vadim Nemkov, who on Friday challenges Bader for the light heavyweight belt.

Machida will be looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Gegard Mousasi in September 2019. Prior to that, he had four straight wins, including his first two in Bellator after coming over from the UFC in 2018 as a free agent. He took a split call from Rafael Carvalho in his promotional debut and stopped Chael Sonnen with a second-round TKO before his loss to Mousasi.

Archuleta was cruising through the Bellator ranks and had fought at both featherweight and bantamweight. He earned a title shot against 145-pound champ Patricio Freire in September 2019, but lost a unanimous decision for his first setback in the promotion. In January, he bounced back with a win over Henry Corrales at featherweight, but now he’ll drop back down to 135 pounds to go after a belt.

Mix stayed unbeaten this past December in a crossover fight at Rizin 20 when he submitted Yuki Motoya in the first round on New Year’s Eve. Earlier in the year, he picked up first-round submission wins in his first two Bellator bouts against Ricky Bandejas an Isaiah Chapman. He has nine of his first 13 career wins by submission.

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Joe Silva becomes Twitter hashtag as fighters share bad memories of former UFC matchmaker

It hasn’t been a good week for “special kind of a**hole” Joe Silva, the former UFC matchmaker at the center of a movement.

It hasn’t been a good week for Joe Silva.

If you haven’t been paying attention lately, UFC fighter pay is under the microscope thanks to the recent public feuds between the promotion and stars Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal, as well as the retirements of Conor McGregor (probably not serious) and Henry Cejudo and Amanda Nunes pondering it. As a result, a plethora of former UFC fighters have come forward to speak up about their past experiences dealing with the promotion.

In particular, it seems many of these ex-UFC fighters have a disdain for – as [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] put it – “extra special a**hole” Silva, who served as UFC matchmaker from 1996 to 2016 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame’s “Contributor” wing the next year.

Because of this, a “Me Too movement on Joe Silva” ([autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]’s words) has emerged, leading to a #JoeSilvaStories hashtag that has taken off on Twitter.

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Below is an account of some of those terrible Joe Silva stories shared by former fighters.

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Brendan Schaub

“Joe Silva was a savage, man. A f*cking savage. He was a guy who was on Sherdog forums, was a big fan, and then got this role as the matchmaker of the UFC, dealing with the toughest guys in the world. Joe Silva is 5-foot-1. He’s this kind of little Sherdog forum troll who got some power in the UFC. He had a lot of power, controlled a lot of guys’ destinies. Got drunk on ego. He was a motherf*cker, man. … I would assume every fighter has a Joe Silva story. I remember when I fought Crop Cop, as I’m walking out, he goes, ‘You better not treat him like your f*cking friend. Got out there and knock him out.’ It’s like, ‘All right, thanks, dude. You’re 5-foot, though.'”

Schaub had much more to say, which you can watch in the video above.

Eddie Alvarez

While the Me too movement on Joe Silva continues …I got an incredible Joe Silva story myself but my momma always told me that if “ I ain’t got nuttin good to say than , than don’t say nuttin at all “ 🤣🤣🤣

Ok ok …. so I am in the restaurant of a hotel a few weeks after the Anthony Petis fight eating by myself and next to me is Joe Silva with a group of buddies and I believe Sean Shelby they are having some drinks . I never interacted with Joe but I took the time to introduce ..

Next I ask who my next opponent could possibly be and half joking half serious ask for the champion if he’s available …. Joe took the opportunity to tell me with the way I am fighting I’ll never get a title shot as long as he’s around , they all laugh ….

At this point I am completely embarrassed , I want to hurt him but I just joined this promotion and this guy pretty much makes the rules , The funny part was he was standing and I could of swore he was fully seated . So I took the high road and went to my room in a rage .

I get a call a few weeks later from Dana not Joe asking for the RDA fight …. I thought wow this one must of went over Joes Head , Joe 4 foot a lot of things Do . So I get the fight I wanted and Joe didn’t want . I KO RDA and win the world title in the 1st rnd. As I make my….

Out of the ring and in the back guess who is the first guy standing there … Yes Joe …. No congrats no good job just a bitter angry small little man . I said nothing, nothing needed to be communicated I just a wink . Success is how you destroy you’re enemies .

Jon Fitch

Extra special a**hole.

We had just renegotiated a new contract and Joe was pissed I was getting a pay bump. I only had one loss to GSP at the time. Joe said fine, you’ll get this number but as soon as you lose we are going to cut you and sign you back for half as much

 

Gray Maynard

🤦‍♂️I used to hear that speech.Then I gave him a “fight of the year”,only got a normal bonus and a pat on the back.Joe Silva called a couple days later and made sure I got the lowest pay he could give me for my next title fight 42k/42k. No PPV point/nothing. Definitely no residuals

Lol. People have no idea what he put fighters through

Mike Pierce

 

There are many. One time, as I was at the curtain about to make the walk, he reminded me why he signed me and why he hadn’t cut me yet. In other words, perform how I expect or you’re gone. One hell of a pep talk when you’re already under immense pressure. *fixed for spelling* 😄

Gerald Harris

Joe Silva told me…Since I lost on the Ultimate Fighter that I would never be good enough for the UFC. So once I got in he hated me, then couldn’t wait for me to lose. So he gave me four badass newcomers and once I lost he cut me after 3 previous KO victories.

Roland Delorme

https://www.facebook.com/roland.delorme.140/posts/10158070321500935

Dec 4 I had my first fight in ufc after i won i asked joe sliva if he needed me in jan cause it was my bday my daughters first bday and christmas plus new years and i just wanted to take rest of month off but if you need me ill stay in the gym. He said I dont need you i said ok then he calls me dec 28 offers me a fight im two weeks i said no i couldnt even make the weight if i wanted to and we already had this talk. So cause i said no they put me on the shelf for six months waited till I was starving and broke before offering a fight on two weeks notice against a killer. Thats how ufc does business. Your just cattle to them.

Matt Pena

I remember one time in Sacramento he was so pissed that Tim defended against Monson, in the morning on the way to the airport he told Tim, “your job is to entertain”. I looks at Tim and Joe, then said, “ Tim, your job is to win. You’re the champ”. He was so pissed at me.

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Jon Fitch has conditions if he returns to career that is ‘not even a sport anymore’

MMA veteran Jon Fitch gives an update on his career and says he’s willing to retire unless Bellator meets certain conditions.

[autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] may or may not fight again, and either outcome is fine with him.

The former UFC title challenger and current Bellator welterweight contender stands at a crossroads in his fighting career. Fitch (32-7-2 MMA, 1-0-1 BMMA) has been fighting some of the best in the world since 2002. And at this point in his career, the 42-year-old needs certain conditions in order to continue fighting professionally.

“If they offer me more than what I’m currently contracted for, I would fight anybody. But otherwise, a title eliminator or the title – that’s what would do it,” Fitch told MMA Junkie.

Fitch hasn’t competed since April 2019, when he fought to a draw against then-Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in the company’s 170-pound grand prix.

The seasoned veteran said he hasn’t been offered fights since his last bout. He hinted at retirement after the draw, but he’s spoken to his management team about wanting a big fight or pay increase if he is to return to the Bellator cage.

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The thought of retirement is not a new development for Fitch. He’s been thinking about walking away for some time after frustrations with the sport, health concerns, other factors have come together in the last few years.

“I’ve been thinking about retirement for a while because the body is beat up and the money is not there,” Fitch said. “I’ve been doing this 17 years and it’s not the sport I thought it was going to be. It’s not even a sport anymore.

“It’s pro wrestling without the pre-determined outcome. So it’s a frustrating thing to be bound to these promoters. You never know when you’re going to fight, or if you’re going to get a fight, or if it’s good fight. There’s no merit system at all – it’s all about entertainment. They’re just putting on a show. It’s a show.

“It’s not a sport, and that’s really frustrating to deal with. That, paired with physical issues – I have kids now, so if the fights are not really appealing, it’s not worth doing. It’s not worth getting into training camp and breaking down my body for the amount of money that we’re making. There’s other jobs you can do and get by and not get brain damage.

“I’ve being doing this for so long that if it’s not a main event fight and it’s not for a title or title eliminator, it doesn’t really make sense.”

Fitch is unbeaten in his past six bouts with victories over notable names like Jake Shields, Paul Daley and Yushin Okami. He said he has three fights left on his Bellator contract.

With the coronavirus pandemic canceling most major sports around the globe, including several Bellator events, it’s unclear when fighting will resume for athletes and whether or not Fitch will compete again.

If this is the end of Fitch’s career, there would be plenty to reminisce and look back on. However, there are two moments he looks at more fondly than others.

“The whole process of the (Georges St-Pierre) fight was pretty awesome – the whole training camp, and the fight it self,” Fitch said. “Also, the Erick Silva fight was pretty great in Brazil. It was something where the UFC was trying to get rid of me. He was a rising star, I was coming off a hard loss, and they wanted me to lose again and then re-sign me for half as much. That was their plan.”

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Bellator in 2019: A robust look at the stats, streaks, skids, and records

A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2019.

Bellator had its biggest and busiest year to date in 2019, with 24 numbered events that helped raise the promotion’s profile to a true position of prominence in MMA. 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 2019’s most significant fights and individual performances.

* * * *

GENERAL

Bellator president Scott Coker

Bellator held 24 numbered events (not including full European series shows) in 14 different cities across six countries and three continents. The 24 events are the most for the organization in a calendar year.

Those events had 128 main card fights across 11 different weight classes (not including catchweight bouts).

Those 128 main card fights combined for a total cage time of 19:48:08.

The longest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 223 (1:49:02).

The shortest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 214 (20:07).

Eight fighters missed weight for main card bouts. Those fighters went 4-3, while one bout was canceled.

Seven main or co-main event bouts were canceled due to a variety of reasons.

Betting favorites went 82-26 during Bellator main card fights. 14 fights had no odds available while three fights had even odds, and three ended in a no contest.

Six cards saw all the betting favorites win.

No fight cards had more underdogs win than favorites.

Bellator 225 was the first event in company history to have every fight end in a stoppage.

CHAMPIONSHIP FEATS

Ryan Bader

[autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] became the first simultaneous two-division champion in company history when he captured the heavyweight title at Bellator 214.

Bader joined Joe Warren as the second fighter in company history to win titles in two weight classes.

[autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] at Bellator 220 marked the first title fight in company history to end in a draw.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] became the second simultaneous two-division champion in company history when he captured the lightweight title at Bellator 221.

Freire became the third fighter in company history to win titles in two weight classes, joining Bader and Warren in that exclusive club.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] became the first in company history to suffer five losses in title fights when he was defeated at Bellator 221.

Kyoji Horiguchi

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] became the first fighter in history to earn titles in Bellator and Rizin FF when he won the Bellator bantamweight title at Bellator 222.

Bader became the first champion in company history to register title defenses in two weight classes when he retained his heavyweight belt at Bellator 226.

Freire set a new mark for most championship-fight victories in company history with his eighth when he won at Bellator 228.

[autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] became the second fighter in company history to have three title reigns in a single weight class when he reclaimed the welterweight belt at Bellator 232. Chandler also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] became the second champion in company history to earn four consecutive title defenses when she won at Bellator 236. Ben Askren also accomplished the feat.

INDIVIDUAL FEATS

Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 215

[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] at Bellator 215 marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (six seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] became the second fighter in history to earn a 10-fight Bellator winning streak when he won at Bellator 216. A.J. McKee also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]David Rickels[/autotag] became the third fighter in history to reach 15 Bellator victories when he won at Bellator 219. Patricio Freire and Chandler have also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Jordan Young[/autotag] became the first fighter in company history to earn five consecutive victories by submission when he won at Bellator 224.

[autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag], 18, became the youngest fighter to earn a Bellator victory when he won at Bellator 225.

Gozali’s 11-second victory at Bellator 225 marked the fastest submission in company history.

Patricio Freire

Freire set a new mark for most victories in company history with his 18th when he won at Bellator 228.

[autotag]Haim Gozali[/autotag], 46, became the oldest fighter in Bellator history to earn a submission victory when he won at Bellator 234.

[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] earned his first non-UFC victory since August 2001 when he won at Bellator 231.

Lima became the first fighter in company history to claim three separate tournaments victories when he won the welterweight grand prix at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] became the first in history to suffer 10 Bellator defeats when he lost at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] earned the first Suloev stretch submission finish in company history when he won at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Muhammed Lawal[/autotag] retired from MMA competition following his loss at Bellator 233.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane

Macfarlane became the third fighter in history to earn a 10-fight Bellator winning streak when she won at Bellator 236. Page and McKee also accomplished the feat.

McKee extended his company record winning streak to 16 fights when he earned a victory at Bellator 236.

McKee set a new record for most stoppages in featherweight history with his 11th when he won at Bellator 236.

Chandler set a new record for most stoppages in company history with his 12th when he won at Bellator 237.