Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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. 11-17.
Liz Carmouche is making her footprint on the Bellator record books after recording another title defense at Bellator 294.
The first half of Bellator’s doubleheader in Hawaii went down Friday with Bellator 294, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and saw a champion defend her title in the main event.
[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) recorded a second consecutive defense of her women’s flyweight title when she rallied from a 3-0 deficit on the scorecards to submit [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (13-8-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth frame of their rematch.
For more on the numbers behind Carmouche’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts form Bellator 294.
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 from March 6-12.
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 from Oct. 31-Nov. 6.
Four undefeated fighters have been added to Bellator 288, an event scheduled for Nov. 18 in Chicago headlined by two title fights.
Less than three weeks away, Bellator 288 has some new additions.
Undefeated Russian prospect [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has officially signed with Bellator and will fight [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) on the Nov. 18 main card, filling in for [autotag]Akhmed Magomedov[/autotag], who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
In addition, rising light heavyweight [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) returns to fight [autotag]Jay Radick[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Also on the prelims, Glover Teixeira underling [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) fights [autotag]Jairo Pacheco[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a lightweight bout and featherweights [autotag]Laird Anderson[/autotag] (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Rob Fenicle[/autotag] (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) collide.
A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the additions Tuesday.
Bellator 288 takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with the main card airing on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
The card is headlined by two title fights including the light heavyweight grand prix final rematch between champion Vadim Nemkov (14-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).
In the co-main event, lightweight champion Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) will attempt to defend the title for the first time against undefeated challenger Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).
With the addition, the Bellator 288 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)
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Emmanuel Sanchez, Jeremy Kennedy, and Killys Mota are among the additions.
The Bellator 272 lineup continues to build with four recent additions including a bout between two top featherweight contenders.
Two-time Bellator title challenger [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) will look to end a recent losing skid when he battles former UFC fighter [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in a three-round featherweight bout.
A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the booking on Thursday, in addition to a lightweight booking between [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA).
The Bellator official also confirmed a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Tommy Espinosa[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Jornel Lugo[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), which was initially reported by My MMA News, as well as a welterweight fight between [autotag]Levan Chokheli[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Vinicius de Jesus[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), which was first reported by Cageside Press.
Bellator 272 takes place Friday, Dec. 3 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
With the additions, the Bellator 272 lineup includes:
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fhzkh0qrjmfdmks6 player_id=01eqvpqbw4ymnv0rjh image=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
At first, it looked like a no-contest was on the way, but then Mike Beltran went to the videotape.
It wouldn’t be a Bellator event if there wasn’t a crazy sequence due to an apparent illegal blow, would it?
But at Bellator 251, there was a twist in things. In the main-card opener between [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Anderson (76-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) hit Mota (12-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) with what at first appeared to be an illegal kick to a downed Mota.
And when Mota was unable to respond after the kick, which landed flush on the jaw, that made it appear the fight would be yet another in a preponderance of no contests due to illegal strikes in recent Bellator cards.
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But the Mogehan Tribal Commission allows for the usage of instant replay in such situation. Upon viewing the replay, referee Mike Beltran ruled the strike legal. it was actually a magnificently timed kick, which landed flush a split second after Mota, who was attempting to get back to his feet, lifted his knee off that mat, making him no longer a grounded fighter.
The bout goes into the book as a head-kick KO victory for Anderson at 4:27 of the second round.
You can catch the fantastic finish in the video below:
LEGAL shot by Derek Anderson (@DerekBarbaric) 😅😅#Bellator251 | Full results: https://t.co/84d5RQYPrc pic.twitter.com/YH5q0dziC3
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) November 6, 2020
We want your predictions for Thursday’s Bellator 251 event in Connecticut.
We want your predictions for Thursday’s Bellator 251 event in Connecticut.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 251 event staff predictions we release Wednesday ahead of the event. Bellator 251 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Make your picks for all four main card fights below.
Two fights have been added to the growing Bellator 251 lineup, including its co-headliner.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – A heavyweight tilt is on tap for the Bellator 251 co-main event.
On Nov. 5, former NCAA Division II wrestling champion [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] will take on recently signed Titan FC heavyweight champion [autotag]Said Sowma[/autotag].
Also added to the card is a welterweight fight between [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag].
A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of both bookings Monday.
In what will be his third appearance of 2020, Fortune (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) is still seeking his first win of the year. After suffering an upset loss to Timothy Johnson in February, Fortune fought to a no contest against Jack May in September. The fight was stopped after Fortune landed an accidental low blow, and May could not continue.
Sowma (6-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) hasn’t lost since his professional debut – a TKO defeat to current Bellator heavyweight Steve Mowry. Over the span of his past six fights, Sowma has gone undefeated with four finishes. At Titan FC 64 in September, Sowma defeated Bobby Brents by third-round TKO to earn the vacant title.
Anderson (16-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) was scheduled to headline Bellator 241 in October. However, his opponent, Paul Daley, was forced out of the fight one day prior to the event because of his weight cut.
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Mota (12-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will look to make his second promotional appearance after a successful Bellator debut in October 2019. Taking on Tristar Gym fighter Mandel Nallo, Mota won via leg kicks in Round 3.
Bellator 251 takes place Thursday, Nov. 5 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.
With the addition, the Bellator 251 lineup includes:
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