Tag: Keoni Diggs

Bellator 246 video: Keoni Diggs puts Derek Campos to sleep with one second left in fight

Keoni Diggs pulled off a buzzer-beater against Derek Campos at Bellator 246.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The NBA playoffs are well underway, but at Bellator 246 on Saturday, [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] proved basketball isn’t the only sport with buzzer-beaters.

Taking a step up in competition, Diggs (9-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) served as a short-notice replacement against [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] in the main card opener at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Diggs displayed a well-rounded attack in the first two rounds. After gaining the top position, Diggs took Campos’ back and began searching for a rear-naked choke.

At the time fo the 10-second clacker, Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) appeared to be alright. But as the seconds wound down, Diggs readjusted his grip. Milliseconds before the final horn, referee Kevin MacDonald saw Campos’ consciousness leave him. MacDonald stepped in at the 4:59 mark of the fight, earning Diggs the right to call himself a multi-time Bellator winner.

Bellator 246 took place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasted on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie. It served as the second half of the promotion’s doubleheader weekend.

Check out Keoni Diggs’ submission of Derek Campos above.

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.

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Bellator 246 predictions: Juan Archuleta or Patchy Mix – who’s the next 135 champ?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 246 main card, featuring Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix for the bantamweight title.

Archuleta
vs.
Mix		 Fitch
vs.
Gracie		 Bennett
vs.
Carmouche		 Campos
vs.
Diggs
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 91-58		 archuleta2020
Archuleta
(57%)		 gracie2020
Gracie
(59%)		 carmouche2020
Carmouche
(86%)		 diggs2020
Diggs
(51%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 103-46		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 102-47		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 101-48		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 99-50
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 98-51		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 97-52
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 96-53		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 96-53		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 diggs2020
Diggs
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 96-53
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 93-56
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 92-57		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 bennett2020
Bennett		 diggs2020
Diggs
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 91-58		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 89-60		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 62-87		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 fitch2020
Fitch		 bennett2020
Bennett		 campos2020
Campos

Bellator has back-to-back events in Connecticut this week, and the second half will give out the vacant bantamweight title.

Bellator 246 takes place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

In the main event, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) for the vacant 135-pound title. Mix is a -175 favorite, and our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts have him with a big lead at 10-4.

In the co-main event, former WSOF welterweight champion [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). Gracie is just a slight favorite at -125, but he’s a near-unanimous pick among our staff members with just one person picking Fitch.

Also on the main card, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (10-6-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a women’s flyweight bout. Both women are making their promotional debuts. Carmouche is the biggest favorite on the card at -550, and she’s got a 12-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight. And though Diggs is favored in the fight, Campos has a 12-2 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Archuleta (57 percent), Gracie (59 percent), Carmouche (86 percent) and Diggs (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Bellator’s Hawaii cards continue to build with additions from recent open tryouts

The two cards on Bellator’s Hawaii return next month continue to build with additions from the promotion’s recent open tryouts in Honolulu.

The two cards on Bellator’s return to Hawaii next month continue to build with additions from the promotion’s recent open tryouts in Honolulu.

The organization picked 10 total fighters from those open tryouts, and they’ll be part of the “Bellator: Salute the Troops” and Bellator 236 cards in December, the promotion today announced.

The fighters who earned shots with Bellator are featherweight [autotag]Braydon Akeo[/autotag], bantamweight [autotag]Pierre Daguzan[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), lightweight [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), welterweight [autotag]Hunter Ewald[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Kaylan Gorospe[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), lightweight [autotag]Scotty Hao[/autotag] (4-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Cheyden Leialoha[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Swayne Lunasco[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), flyweight [autotag]Jamie Thorton[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and welterweight [autotag]Ben Wilhelm[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Akeo (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) gets a tough assignment right out of the gate against [autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA). Claxton will be looking to rebound from the first loss of his career, a submission setback against Emmanuel Sanchez in the opening round of Bellator’s featherweight tournament in September. Akeo turned pro a year ago and is 3-0 out of the gate.

The latest “Bellator: Salute the Troops” lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN 10 p.m. ET)

  • Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes
  • Toby Misech vs. Erik Perez
  • Veta Arteaga vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Braydon Akeo vs. Tywan Claxton

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8:45 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] vs. Pierre Daguzan
  • Hunter Ewald vs. [autotag]Jonathan Pico[/autotag]
  • Jamie Thorton vs. [autotag]Tiani Valle[/autotag]

And the latest Bellator 236 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kate Jackson – for women’s flyweight title
  • Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee – featherweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
  • Bruna Ellen vs. Juliana Velasquez
  • Cheyden Leialoha vs. [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]

Preliminary MMA Junkie, 8:30 p.m. ET Edit Delete

  • Kaylan Gorospe vs. Swayne Lunasco
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Scotty Hao
  • Chas Dunhour vs. Nate Yoshimura
  • Spencer Higa vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • [autotag]Kona Oliveira[/autotag] vs. Ben Wilhelm
  • Dustin Barca vs. Brandon Pieper
  • Nainoa Dung vs. Zach Zane