Tag: Liz Carmouche

Flyweight champ Liz Carmouche rematches DeAnna Bennett in Bellator 294 headliner April 21 in Hawaii

Champion Liz Carmouche and DeAnna Bennett will run it back, this time with Bellator gold on the line.

Bellator is returning to Hawaii with two title fights.

Kicking things off will be flyweight champion [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] defending her belt against [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] in the Bellator 294 headliner on April 21 at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, the first event of a two-night doubleheader.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. KHON2 was first to report the news.

Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) and Bennett (13-7-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) already fought in September 2020, when Carmouche submitted Bennett in what was both of their Bellator debuts. The former two-time UFC title challenger went on to win another four fights in a row before earning a title shot against then-champion Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 278. Carmouche TKO’d Velasquez to capture the belt and finished her once again when they rematched at Bellator 289.

Bennett hasn’t lost since dropping her promotional debut to Carmouche. “The Ultimate Fighter 26” alum has won three fights in a row, including back-to-back decisions over Justine Kish.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 294.

MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month for December 2022: Ilia Topuria ends Bryce Mitchell’s run

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from December 2022.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from December 2022: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominees

Bellator in 2022: 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 2022.

Another year is in the books for Bellator.

The promotion hosted 17 fight cards to maintain its status among the top dogs in the MMA space. 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 2022’s most significant fights and individual performances.

Scott Coker: Conversations ongoing about Liz Carmouche’s hope for Bellator women’s 135 division

After her first successful defense of the women’s flyweight title this past Friday at Bellator 289, Liz Carmouche had a number in mind: 135.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After her first successful defense of the women’s flyweight title this past Friday at Bellator 289, [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] had a number in mind.

That number was 135, as in a Bellator women’s bantamweight division, which doesn’t currently exist. Carmouche fought at bantamweight in the UFC and met Ronda Rousey in that promotion’s inaugural women’s bantamweight title fight nearly 10 years ago.

After Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) beat former champion Juliana Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in a rematch, she made her pitch for Bellator to open a women’s bantamweight division. Such a move would require an inaugural title fight – and she wants to move 10 pounds north to be in that proposed bout against her teammate, former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

Bellator president Scott Coker told MMA Junkie the promotion is considering opening up a women’s bantamweight division.

“We’ve had conversations, not with (Carmouche), but internally with our fight team about the possibility of opening up a 135 division,” Coker said. “So there’s dialogue. It’s not guaranteed, but there’s dialogue and we haven’t made a decision yet.”

Coker seemed to think highly enough of Carmouche’s second-round submission of Velasquez that if 135 became a thing, giving Carmouche a shot to be a dual titleholder would be something he’d be amenable to.

“(Friday) was something Liz felt she had to prove herself, and she did it,” Coker said. “That was a very impressive victory. Juliana Velasquez is a great fighter. I think (Carmouche) put her will on her and kept taking her down and pressing her and working her and then eventually working that submission, which to me came out of nowhere.”

Bellator currently has women’s divisions at flyweight and featherweight. Coker said not having bantamweight was just a matter of being better equipped from a roster standpoint to fill out women’s fighters at 125 and 145.

“When you think about Bellator and how many TV dates there are and how many TV slots there are, there are only so many slots,” Coker said. “So we have nine divisions. We felt really good about our nine divisions and felt we could be really strong at ’45 and ’25, so those are the divisions we went with. But we might open it up – we’ll see.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Bellator 289 post-event facts: Underdogs shine on final card of 2022

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.

With first title defense handled, Liz Carmouche pushes Bellator for 135 division and shot at two belts

Liz Carmouche has a vision, and it includes a second Bellator title after her rematch win over Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] has a vision for her future, and it includes a second Bellator title.

Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) on Friday submitted Juliana Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in a rematch to defend the women’s flyweight title in the Bellator 289 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Carmouche finished Velasquez with a fourth-round TKO to win the title in Honolulu in April, but Velasquez lobbied to get the result overturned and said it was a bad stoppage. The result stayed on the books, but Velasquez got a rematch – only to have Carmouche leave no doubt the second time around.

“In all honesty, one of the things I’ve been really working is a crucifix from every single position,” Carmouche told MMA Junkie after the fight. “So I was really trying to bait her to get back into a crucifix, just anywhere, so I could say, ‘Not only am I going to finish you in the exact same position, but I’m going to do it more dominant and a lot more dangerous.”

Carmouche fought Ronda Rousey at bantamweight in the first women’s fight in UFC history. But Bellator doesn’t have a 135-pound weight class, and Carmouche has been at 125 since she changed promotions.

With her first title defense in the books, Carmouche thinks it’s time Bellator gave women’s bantamweight a shot, and she’d gladly move up to go after a belt there.

Moreover, she thinks she should fight one of her longtime teammates and regular training partners for an inaugural Bellator women’s 135-pound belt: former flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

“Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and I have been training partners for years,” Carmouche said. “We have a lot of respect and we’re really great friends. She wants to retire, and she wants a fight against me to be her retirement. After her not making weight (at flyweight) her last time – and who wants to cut all the way down all the time? – it would make sense to me.

“I want to be Bellator’s 135 champion and I want to hold a belt in two divisions. And I can’t think of anybody better to do that with than Ilima – her retirement fight and my opening to a new division in Bellator. So I want to fight her in Hawaii for her retirement …”

Carmouche said her hope for a women’s bantamweight division largely is wishful thinking, but Bellator president Scott Coker said it may be a move the promotion is willing to make soon.

“It’s mostly wishful thinking, but if there’s one thing I’ve been doing since I’ve been in Bellator, it’s trying to put things into fruition and putting out there what I want,” Carmouche said. “… I think that Bellator is going to listen, and hopefully they’ll meet me with this and we’ll make a 135 division.”

Check out Carmouche’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Bellator 289: Best photos from Connecticut

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)

Liz Carmouche def. Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 289: Best photos

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)

Bellator 289 results: Liz Carmouche taps Juliana Velasquez with armbar to retain flyweight title

Liz Carmouche retained her Bellator women’s flyweight belt by finishing Juliana Velasquez with a submission in their title rematch.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] left no doubt about the outcome of her rematch with former champion Juliana Velasquez.

After a controversial TKO stoppage in their first meeting in April, Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) leaned on her grappling strengths, and found a way to submit Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in the second round to keep the flyweight title around her waist.

The women’s flyweight title fight was the Bellator 289 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena and aired on Showtime.

Carmouche immediately raced across the cage, punching to set up a takedown attempt. The result was a clinch against the cage, where they would jockey for position for the majority of the round. Some fans were vocal in their displeasure, and referee Kevin McDonald called for action as the time ticked away. With 30 seconds remaining, they were separated, but Carmouche went right back in for a takedown and completed it.

Velasquez landed a nice punch to start the second, but Carmouche put her on the mat again with a takedown. The former champ popped back up, but the clinch against the cage continued. After adjusting, Carmouche returned it to the ground and worked her way to full mount.

As Velasquez attempted to throw her legs up to reverse position, Carmouche locked up the left arm and began cranking back. Velasquez tried to defend, but was forced to tap at 4:24.

During her post-fight interview, Carmouche said she heard Velasquez’s arm pop, which explains why she was taken out of the cage to receive medical attention and did not wait for the official result to be announced.

Carmouche also called for the addition of a Bellator women’s bantamweight division and fights against Ilima-Lei MacFarlane and Kana Watanabe.

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 289 include:

  • Liz Carmouche def. Juliana Velasquez via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:24 – for women’s flyweight title
  • Patchy Mix def. Magomed Magomedov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:39 – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
  • Dalton Rosta def. Anthony Adams via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Ilara Joanne def. Denise Kielholtz via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)
  • Jaleel Willis def. Kyle Crutchmer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Cris Lencioni def. Cody Law via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Christian Echols def. Pat Downey via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:27
  • Kai Kamaka def. Kevin Boehm via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:23
  • Michael Lombardo def. Mark Lemminger via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:23
  • Cass Bell def. Jared Scoggins via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Bellator 289 video: Champ Liz Carmouche, Juliana Velasquez have heated faceoff ahead of rematch

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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