Tag: Leandro Higo

Bellator 259 predictions: What are our three unanimous picks on the main card?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 259 main card, featuring Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith.

Cyborg
vs.
Smith		 Caldwell
vs.
Higo		 Edwards
vs.
Vanderford		 Mandonca
vs.
Willis		 Edwards
vs.
Parrish
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 66-45		 cyborg2021
Cyborg
(86%)		 caldwell2021
Caldwell
(77%)		 vanderford2021
Vanderford
(70%)		 willis2021
Willis
(85%)		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
(83%)
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 68-43		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 68-43		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 66-45		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 mendonca2021
Mendonca		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 66-45
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 fedwards2021
F. Edwards		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 65-46
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 65-46
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 65-46		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 65-46		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 63-48
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 62-49		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 61-50		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 fedwards2021
F. Edwards		 willis2021
Willis		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 60-51		 cyborg2021
Cyborg		 caldwell2021
Caldwell		 vanderford2021
Vanderford		 mendonca2021
Mendonca		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 cyborg2021
Cyborg -1400		 caldwell2021
Caldwell -350		 vanderford2021
Vanderford -225		 mendonca2021
Mendonca -125		 cedwards2021
C. Edwards -650

Bellator is back this week with a title fight at the top of the card.

Bellator 259 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, women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line in a rematch with challenger [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). Cyborg is a huge favorite at -1400 at BetMGM, so it’s no surprise she’s one of three unanimous picks on the main card from our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-feature, former bantamweight champ [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA). Caldwell is a -350 favorite, and he’s a 12-0 unanimous pick from our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Vanderford is a -225 favorite, but two of our pickers are taking Edwards in an upset.

[autotag]Maycon Mendonca[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a slight favorite at -125 in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). But it’s Willis with a big 10-2 picks lead.

Unfortunately, the bout expected to open the main card, which saw [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) as a big -650 favorite at light heavyweight against [autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), was called off following the day’s official weigh-ins. Edwards was our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (86 percent), Caldwell (77 percent), Vanderford (70 percent), Willis (85 percent) and Christian Edwards (83 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Video: What Bellator 259 fight is flying most under the radar?

From current and former champions to rising hot prospects, Bellator 259 has a little bit of everything.

Bellator 259 fight week is upon us.

With women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) defending her title in a rematch against Leslie Smith (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) atop the card, a lot of undercard fights aren’t necessarily getting the proper shine they deserve.

This is a solid card, top to bottom, with athletes ranging from current and former champions to undefeated hot prospects. Outside of the main event, what is the fight on the card that is flying the most under-the-radar and perhaps not getting the respect it deserves?

That’s the question “Spinning Back Clique” host John Morgan asked the panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and Nolan King.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, and this week’s full episode below.

https://youtu.be/zzPLt_QAYVQ

Bellator 259 pre-event facts: Cris Cyborg meets Leslie Smith in rare rematch

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 259, which takes place Friday with a Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith title-fight headliner.

Bellator returns from a one-week hiatus on Friday with Bellator 259 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Women’s MMA legend and reigning Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (23-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) returns to action in the main event. She’s set to rematch Leslie Smith (12-8-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a fight from UFC 198 in May 2016, which the Brazilian won swiftly by TKO in just 81 seconds.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as other notable bouts on the card, check below for 15 pre-event facts about Bellator 259.

Darrion Caldwell back to bantamweight, meets Leandro Higo in rematch at Bellator 259

Former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell will return to the weight class next month after a three-fight stint at featherweight.

Former bantamweight champion [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] will return to the weight class next month after a three-fight stint at featherweight.

Caldwell (14-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) is set to take on [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) in a rematch at Bellator 259. MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a Bellator official following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

Bellator 259 takes place May 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

[lawrence-related id=605032,600597,600097]

Caldwell won the bantamweight title at Bellator 184 in 2017 with a decision over Eduardo Dantas. In his first title defense, he took on Higo at Bellator 195 and submitted him with a guillotine choke midway through the first round.

After a one-off featherweight win over Noad Lahat, he challenged Kyoji Horiguchi for RIZIN’s 135-pound title and was submitted in the third round. In June 2019, Horiguchi slid over to Bellator to fight Caldwell for his belt and took it from him in their rematch.

Later that year, Caldwell found himself back at 145 pounds for Bellator’s tournament. He beat Henry Corrales in the opening round, then Adam Borics in the quarterfinals. But in the semifinals, he was tapped out by A.J. McKee this past November with one of the year’s most talked-about submissions.

After Higo’s loss to Caldwell in March 2018, he was stopped by Aaron Pico with a first-round TKO. But after a year off, he bounced back with a submission over Shawn Bunch in 2019 and one over Ricky Bandejas this past October for his second straight win.

With the addition, the Bellator 259 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith – for women’s featherweight title
  • Fabian Edwards vs. Austin Vanderford
  • Brett Johns vs. Matheus Mattos
  • Hannah Guy vs. Valerie Loureda
  • Alfie Davis vs. Alexander Shabliy
  • Tyree Fortune vs. Grant Neal
  • Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish
  • Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Adam Piccolotti
  • Nate Andrews vs. Saad Awad
  • Sean Felton vs. Aviv Gozali
  • Janay Harding vs. Leah McCourt
  • Darrion Caldwell vs. Leandro Higo

[vertical-gallery id=447100]

Confident weight issue behind him, Bellator 249’s Leandro Higo sends message to James Gallagher

Leandro Higo says he’s sick of chasing James Gallagher.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] entered Bellator 249 on a mission to show he’s turned a career corner.

Thursday, he submitted Ricky Bandejas via rear-naked choke in Round 2 to top off a dominant performance. After the fight, Higo (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) discussed what he’s calling a successful start to his “alter ego.”

“I told you in the (pre-fight) interview this week – alter ego,” Higo said. “I’m happy for this good performance tonight. … I came in as a prospect. I fought the best. I had a big promise when I came in – that was to become a world champion. This division is on fire. Put me in the fire against anybody.”

If there was a blemish on Higo’s performance Thursday, it was his weight miss on the scales Wednesday. Higo came in three pounds over the bantamweight limit, which he attributes to his travel delays in getting to the fight.

“There were a couple of complications in the weight cut, which has to have perfection,” Higo said. “I was in the airport for about three days. So to come here and go into quarantine, there were some mistakes that were made that won’t be made again. That’s what happened. There were some obstacles that I had to overcome. It wasn’t ideal. For a big weight cut, I need an ideal situation. It’s not going to happen again. We’ll correct these mistakes and be ready for the next one.”

[lawrence-related id=559436,559439,559411]

Higo doesn’t think a title shot is out of the question, but if he fights again before he gets one, there’s a name that interests him. The rivalry between his team, Pitbull Brothers, and Team SBG Ireland was building prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With fights back and travel bans slowly being eased, Higo is interested in a fight against SBG Dublin’s [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag].

“I’ve been chasing this mother(expletive) ever since he’s coming into Bellator. If he’s really good at jiu-jitsu, you’ve seen my jiu-jitsu skills in my last two fights. Let’s go, James Gallagher.”

Bellator 249 took place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on CBS Sports Network after prelims on CBSsports.com.

[vertical-gallery id=559591]

Bellator 249 results: Leandro Higo finishes Ricky Bandejas in second round

Leandro Higo made the most of his time in the co-feature spotlight on Thursday night.

[autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] was bumped up to the co-feature bout Thursday night on CBS Sports Network when Patricky Freire vs. Jaleel Willis was canceled, and he made the most of his turn in the spotlight.

The Brazilian competitor served notice to the bantamweight division that he’s a force to be reckoned with, as he scored a one-sided victory over [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag]. A rear-naked choke got the tapout at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. at the 2:32 mark of the second round.

Higo (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) was the aggressor from the outset, as he pushed forward and landed repeated leg kicks on Bandejas (13-5 MMA, 3-4 BMMA), who seemed gun shy from the outset. Higo eventually earned a takedown around the round’s midpoint and worked to improve his position from there. By the final minute of the round, Higo had Bandejas pinned against the cage with his right arm isolated and landed right hands to Bandejas’ head, but the round expired before Higo could go for the finish.

In the second, Higo, who missed weight by three pounds on Wednesday, wasted little time going right back to the takedown, although this time, after shooting the double, Higo turned it into a slam. The end was an inevitability at this point, as Higo got his back, then a body lock, then perfectly applied the RNC for the finish.

With his sixth career rear-naked choke finish, Higo has now won two straight. American Top Team’s Bandejas has now lost two straight and four of his past six.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 249 results:

[vertical-gallery id=559106]

Bellator 249 predictions: Who’s picking Arlene Blencowe to upset Cris Cyborg?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 249 main card in Connecticut.

Cyborg
vs.
Blencowe		 Freire
vs.
Willis		 Bandejas
vs.
Higo		 Awad
vs.
Nallo
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 120-76		 cyborg2020
Cyborg
(68%)		 freire2020
Freire
(72%)		 bandejas2020
Bandejas
(68%)		 nallo2020
Nallo
(51%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 130-66		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 130-66		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 129-67		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 128-68		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 127-69		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 126-70
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 126-70
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 125-71
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 124-72		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 121-75		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 121-75
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 118-78		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 117-79		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 79-117		 blencowe2020
Blencowe		 willis2020
Willis		 higo2020
Higo		 awad2020
Awad

Bellator is back Stateside this week for a Thursday event – which will be the promotion’s new normal – with the women’s featherweight title on the line.

Bellator 249 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

In the main event, women’s 145-pound champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line against Australian challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-3 BMMA). Cyborg is a heavy 9-1 favorite in the fight, and just one of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts is picking Blencowe in an upset.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 14-7 BMMA), brother of Bellator featherweight and lightweight dual champ Patricio Freire, takes on [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Only one of our staff members is taking Willis, who is making his return to Bellator on the heels of an LFA welterweight title win in August.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) meets [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) in a bantamweight bout. Just like the top two bouts, only one picker is taking Higo to win.

And to open the main card, we have our most contentious fight from a picking standpoint. [autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] (23-13 MMA, 11-10 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at lightweight. Awad has some picking support, but Nallo still has a sizable 9-5 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (68 percent), Freire (72 percent), Bandejas (68 percent) and Nallo (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

[vertical-gallery id=391998]

After ‘rebirth,’ Leandro Higo intends to show new ‘alter ego’ at Bellator 249

Leandro Higo claims he’s a completely different man with a new skillset heading into Bellator 249.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] spoke to MMA Junkie on Tuesday ahead of his fight with Ricky Bandejas at Bellator 249.

Higo (19-5 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) discussed his bantamweight bout with Bandejas (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), using the coronavirus pandemic to put in training camps with Henry Cejudo and Chan Sung Jung, the plan to debut his new “alter ego” inside the cage, and more.

Watch the complete interview in the video above.

Bellator 249 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network following prelims on MMA Junkie.

[vertical-gallery id=391998]

Bellator 249’s Leandro Higo excited to show his new alter-ego

Bellator 249’s Leandro Higo excited to show his new alter-ego

Bellator 249’s Leandro Higo excited to show his new alter-ego