Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out these photos from Liz Carmouche’s victory over Juliana Velasquez at 2024 PFL 1 in San Antonio.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s decision victory over Juliana Velasquez in their third meeting, which took place at 2024 PFL 1 at Boeing Center in San Antonio. (Photos by Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported 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 or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 18-24.
The lineup for Bellator’s second trip to “The Windy City” in five months continues to build with a former champion set for the prelims.
The lineup for Bellator’s second trip to “The Windy City” in five months continues to build with a former champion set for the prelims.
Former women’s flyweight champ [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) will try to get back on track when she takes on fellow Brazilian [autotag]Paula Cristina[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Additionally, the undefeated [autotag]Keri Melendez[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) will take on promotional newcomer [autotag]Sabriye Sengul[/autotag] (3-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).
Bellator 301, which features two title fights and a lightweight grand prix semifinal on the main card, takes place Nov. 17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The event will be Bellator’s third trip to Chicago in a year.
In addition, lightweight prospect [autotag]Archie Colgan[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Pieter Buist[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Matheus Mattos[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) meets former LFA bantamweight champion [autotag]Richard Palencia[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) on the preliminary card. Bellator officials informed MMA Junkie of the new bookings Sunday. An official announcement is expected Monday.
Velasquez had a perfect 12-0 start to her career, and in December 2020 upset Ilima-Lei Macfarlane to win the women’s flyweight title. She defended it seven months later against Denise Kielholtz. But in April 2022, she was submitted by Liz Carmouche in Hawaii and lost the belt. Eight months later, she was submitted by her in a rematch at Bellator 289. Cristina has dropped two of her past three fights after a 5-0 pro start. In May, she lost a decision to Kielholtz in her Bellator debut.
With the additions, the Bellator 301 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5 p.m. ET)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.
Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 289, which took place Friday and saw a number of significant betting upsets.
Bellator put on its 17th and final event of the year on Friday with Bellator 289, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Two champions defended their titles at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) edged [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) by split decision in their grudge match to defend interim bantamweight gold and advance to the finals of the promotion’s grand prix.
The co-headliner saw [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) earn a second consecutive win over [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA), this time without controversy as she scored a second-round submission to defend women’s flyweight gold.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 289.
Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289 in Uncasville, Conn.
Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 289, headlined by an interim bantamweight title and grand prix semifinal bout between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
Check out these photos from Liz Carmouche’s flyweight title victory over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s flyweight title victory over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
The tension between Bellator women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche and ex-champ Juliana Velasquez is palpable.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The tension between Bellator women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] and ex-champ [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] is palpable.
Carmouche (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) upset Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) in April with a fourth-round TKO to win the 125-pound title. Velasquez disputed the stoppage and lobbied to get the loss overturned, but to no avail. She got a rematch, instead – and one that Carmouche doesn’t think she should have gotten without winning another fight first.
Thursday, they got face to face at the Bellator 289 ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their fight at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out their faceoff in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.
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Check out our staff members’ picks for Bellator 289, including Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello and Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez.
| Stots vs. Sabatello |
Carmouche vs. Velasquez |
Magomedov vs. Mix |
Adams vs. Rosta |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 192-116 |
 Stots (77%) |
 Velasquez (62%) |
 Magomedov (62%) |
 Rosta (89%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 204-109  2018 Champion |
Stots |
 Carmouche |
 Mix |
Rosta |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 195-118 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 193-120 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 191-122 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 191-122 2014 Champion |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 189-124 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 188-125 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 182-131 2017 Champion |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 180-133 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 172-141 |
Stots |
Velasquez |
Mix |
Rosta |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 154-159 |
Stots |
Carmouche |
Mix |
Rosta |
Bellator is back at its regular East Coast stomping ground with tournament semifinals and two title fights.
Bellator 289 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, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on heated rival [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two grand prix semifinals. Stots is a slight -160 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Sabatello is +125. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Stots as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.
In the co-feature, women’s flyweight [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat by TKO in April. Velasquez protested the stoppage to no avail, but now has a shot at redemption. Even though she’s a -180 favorite over the champ, it’s underdog Carmouche who has a whopping 10-1 lead from our staff pickers.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) meets [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the second bantamweight tournament semifinal. The odds are the closest on the entire card with Magomedov just a -135 favorite. But our staff members have Mix in an 11-0 shutout.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has a tough task at middleweight against the unbeaten 10-1 favorite [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Given the odds, it’s not surprising Rosta is our third unanimous pick in four fights.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Stots (77 percent), Velasquez (62 percent), Magomedov (62 percent) and Rosta (89 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.
Liz Carmouche’s first attempted title defense is official. Watch her and Juliana Velasquez at the Bellator 289 official weigh-ins.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag]’s first attempted title defense is official after the Bellator 289 weigh-ins.
Carmouche (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) made weight without issue for her Bellator 289 rematch with former champion [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) on Friday in Connecticut.
In the video above, check out the fierce rivals’ trips to the scale at the Bellator host hotel. Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.
Juliana Velasquez didn’t get exactly what she wanted in the aftermath of her title loss, but Friday she’ll get the next best thing.
NORWICH, Conn. – [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] may not have gotten exactly what she was hoping for in the aftermath of her title loss, but Friday she’ll get the next best thing.
Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) lost the women’s flyweight title to Liz Carmouche (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) at Bellator 278 in April in Honolulu. Carmouche took the belt with a TKO from unanswered elbows late in the fourth round. But Velasquez thought the stoppage was premature and lobbied to have the result overturned.
That didn’t happen, but the Bellator brass decided the Brazilian was worthy of a crack at redemption without having to work her way back up. Velasquez will challenge Carmouche for the title in the Bellator 289 co-main event Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
“I was frustrated – I didn’t think (the stoppage) was fair,” Velasquez told MMA Junkie through a translator at a Tuesday media day ahead of the promotion’s final card of the year. “I even had ‘Big’ John McCarthy writing on the appeal that I made to the commission. That didn’t go through. I expected it to. But I don’t have any extra feelings toward Liz because of this. I don’t feel like it’s a rivalry or anything. It’s just about myself and trying to right this wrong and get the belt back and become the champion again.”
Carmouche said Tuesday she thinks Velasquez should’ve had to go back into the queue and win a fight before she got another title shot. But she also said she could tell fairly early after she beat Velasquez that Bellator probably was going to give Velasquez a rematch.
Velasquez found a little amusement with the idea Carmouche thinks she’s undeserving of a rematch coming off a loss – and thinks her performance in April right up until she got caught is why.
“That’s her opinion, and only her opinion – nothing more than that,” Velasquez said. “I think the reason I’m getting this immediate rematch is everyone saw a mistake was committed that night. Of course she doesn’t want to fight me right away because she was losing every single minute of that fight until the end when (the referee) made the mistake. So she can think whatever she wants.”
Velasquez was about a -140 betting favorite over Carmouche in their first fight. In Friday’s rematch, even though Carmouche won in April to take the belt, Velasquez is even more of a favorite. She’s -180 at Tipico Sportsbook.
Check out the full media day interview with Velasquez above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.
