Recap the best of the action from Bellator 245 as Phil Davis edged a split-decision verdict against light heavyweight rival Lyoto Machida.
The second meeting between [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) was every bit as competitive as the first, as the former Bellator light heavyweight champion squeezed past the former UFC 205-pound champ in the main event of Bellator 245.
The night also saw the promotional debut of former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who outpointed [autotag]Gabrielle Holloway[/autotag] (6-6 MMA, 1-3 BMMA) in their women’s featherweight matchup.
There was also an eye-catching debut from former Dana White’s Contender Series prospect [autotag]Taylor Johnson[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who submitted highly-rated welterweight prospect [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) via first-round heel hook in their middleweight bout.
If that bout was eye-catching, the action was eye-watering in the opening main card fight of the night, as a pair of thumping low blows from [autotag]Raymond Daniels[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) left [autotag]Peter Stanonik[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) unable to continue, and the bout was ruled a no contest.
Bellator 245 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out the official highlights of the night, courtesy of Bellator, via the video above.
Phil Davis has Lyoto Machida’s number – and that number is two.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] has [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag]’s number – and that number is two.
For the second time in their professional careers, Davis (22-5 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) defeated Machida (26-10 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) on Friday by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). This time around, their light heavyweight fight was the main event of Bellator 245 at Mohegan Sun Arena
In the opening round, both fighters were tentative. In vintage fashion, Machida picked his shots, displaying his patience. Davis didn’t bite or fall into any of Machida’s traps, however.
The second round was much like the first. Machida utilized hard leg kicks throughout the frame. Davis was able to knock Machida off-balance midway through the round. Upon catching his footing, Machida shook his head, indicating he slipped. Late in the round, Davis halfway got a takedown but it never fully came to fruition.
The point-fighting festival continued in Round 3. Davis utilized his head movement and footwork, slowly but surely walking toward Machida. In one of Machida’s best moments of the fight, he landed a hard leg kick followed by a one-two combination. At the 10 second clacker, both men landed hard strikes that put each other on their back.
The first fight between Davis and Machida took place in August 2013. The bout served as UFC 163 co-headliner. In his fourteenth professional fight, Davis defeated the former UFC light heavyweight champion by unanimous decision.
Bellator 245 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 245 results:
Phil Davis def. Lyoto Machida via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-29)
Bellator is back this week with back-to-back events in Connecticut, the first of which features a light heavyweight rematch.
Bellator 245 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, former Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) takes on former UFC champ [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in a rematch. The two first met in the UFC, and Davis took a controversial decision in Brazil. Davis is a -350 favorite, and our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts have him with a big lead at 12-2.
In the co-main event, former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes her promotional debut at featherweight against [autotag]Gabrielle Holloway[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA). Zingano is by far the biggest favorite on the card at 9-1, and she’s got a 13-1 picks lead.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) is a 3-1 favorite at middleweight against [autotag]Taylor Johnson[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and Ruth has a 13-1 picks lead.
And kickboxing standout [autotag]Raymond Daniels[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is a -365 favorite against [autotag]Peter Stanonik[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and only one picker is taking Stanonik in an upset.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Davis (56 percent), Zingano (88 percent), Ruth (86 percent), and Daniels (N/A) are the choices.
Check out “Spinning Back Clique,” which covers the fallout from UFC on ESPN+34, looks ahead to a busy Bellator weekend, and more.
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, Simon Head hosts and is joined by MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” as well as MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan. Let’s get to it!
SHOW TOPICS
It seems beloved MMA veteran [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] is prepping for a return to the cage in early 2021, in what would be his first fight since January 2015. So who should he fight in his UFC comeback?
The UFC has been a leader in the sporting world in dealing with COVID-19, but in recent weeks, a number of bouts have fallen out at the last minute. What should the UFC be doing better as a response?
Bellator hosts a big doubleheader at the FightSphere this weekend. But which card has the more intriguing main event? Is it Bellator 245 with a [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] rematch, or Bellator 246, with [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title?
Speaking of Bellator titles, former UFC title challengers [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] are each set to make their Bellator debuts this weekend. Which one has best shot at holding Bellator gold?
Lastly, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] picked up a big win at UFC on ESPN+ 34 and says he wants to hold UFC gold before he calls it a career. Is he still a UFC Hall of Famer if he falls short of that goal?
Lyoto Machida doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be competing, but can’t help thinking about the title as he prepares for Phil Davis rematch.
[autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be competing, but he still has plans to capture championship gold once again.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Machida (26-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) rematches former Bellator 205-pound champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] in the main event of Bellator 245, which takes place Sept. 11 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The pair already fought once before under the UFC banner in 2013, where Davis picked up a close decision win at UFC 163. Now, seven years on, they will run things back in a matchup that could potentially determine the No. 1 contender to face newly crowned Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.
While Machida is focused solely on Davis, he admitted that he’s well aware of the potential implications of this fight.
“Now that I’m more experienced, now that I’m 42 years old, I like to take things one step at a time,” Machida told MMA Junkie. “Each bout is a chance for me to show my work. And I fight every time as if it’s the last time. I give everything I have, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. I’m very thankful for this opportunity to be fighting again and for my health.
“Of course, thoughts of facing Vadim Nemkov for the belt do cross my mind. But I try to only focus on Phil Davis. I’m only human. I think about the future and about the past, but I don’t want to be imprisoned by that. We don’t know what the future holds. I do remain fully motivated and committed to training every day of my life.”
Bellator 245 will be an opportunity for Machida to avenge his loss to Davis, which was scored in his favor by a host of media members. But Machida insists revenge isn’t on his mind ahead of the rematch and instead he’s simply looking at this fight as a new chapter in his career.
“We fought in 2013,” Machida said. “It was a close fight. Ultimately, what matters is that the judges awarded him the win. A lot of people expressed the opinion that I should have won instead, but I can’t get stuck on that. I never get obsessed with wanting payback. That fight is behind us. That was seven years ago. Now is a new moment. My normal walkaround weight is around 213 pounds. When I fought as a middleweight, I tried to stay at around 204 pounds before cutting down, which entailed a bit of suffering. Now, I’m back to light-heavyweight, so it will be an easier cut again.”
Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.
Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.
Bellator 245 and Bellator 246 are slated for consecutive nights Sept. 11-12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. A person with knowledge of the events confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Wednesday following an initial report from ESPN.
The Bellator 245 headliner will be a rematch between former Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) and former UFC champ [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). In addition, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will make her promotional debut against [autotag]Gabrielle Holloway[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA).
At Bellator 246, the vacant bantamweight title will be on the line between [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). Plus, [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-1-1 BMMA) is set to take on [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) at welterweight.
[lawrence-related id=521237,519253]
Davis and Machida fought at UFC 163 a little more than seven years ago in Brazil, where Davis won a mildly controversial unanimous decision. Although all three judges scored the fight for him 29-28, none of the media members tracked by MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Davis.
Davis won Bellator’s light heavyweight title in 2016, but lost it in his first defense to current dual champion Ryan Bader. Since that setback, he’s gone 4-1, including back-to-back wins over former champ Liam McGeary and Karl Albrektsson in 2019. His lone loss in that stretch was a split call to Vadim Nemkov, who on Friday challenges Bader for the light heavyweight belt.
Machida will be looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Gegard Mousasi in September 2019. Prior to that, he had four straight wins, including his first two in Bellator after coming over from the UFC in 2018 as a free agent. He took a split call from Rafael Carvalho in his promotional debut and stopped Chael Sonnen with a second-round TKO before his loss to Mousasi.
Archuleta was cruising through the Bellator ranks and had fought at both featherweight and bantamweight. He earned a title shot against 145-pound champ Patricio Freire in September 2019, but lost a unanimous decision for his first setback in the promotion. In January, he bounced back with a win over Henry Corrales at featherweight, but now he’ll drop back down to 135 pounds to go after a belt.
Mix stayed unbeaten this past December in a crossover fight at Rizin 20 when he submitted Yuki Motoya in the first round on New Year’s Eve. Earlier in the year, he picked up first-round submission wins in his first two Bellator bouts against Ricky Bandejas an Isaiah Chapman. He has nine of his first 13 career wins by submission.
Relive Jon Jones’ spectacular standing guillotine choke over Lyoto Machida, where he left him unconscious on the ground.
[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] started to show his versatility in the octagon at a very young age.
In just his second title defense, UFC light heavyweight champion Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) faced former champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] at UFC 140.
In Round 1, Jones controlled the center of the octagon and kept his range with an array of kicks as he pressured Machida in the early stages. Machida connected with a few flurries on the counter, but Jones managed to backpedal out of harm’s way to avoid Machida’s most damaging strikes.
Midway through Round 2, Jones landed a big takedown and connected with some brutal elbows that left Machida cut. Machida eventually made his way back to his feet, but Jones continued to walk him down.
Machida then threw a big overhand left, but Jones dropped him on the counter. Then the defending champion swiftly latched onto “The Dragon’s” neck and sunk in a standing guillotine choke. A few seconds later, Machida was flat on his face having been choked unconscious in one of scariest submission finishes you’ll see. It was the first time Machida had been submitted in his 20 career fights to that point.
Jones went on to defend the belt another five times before being stripped of his title following a hit-and-run incident in 2015.
He has not lost since but, after re-capturing his title, Jones was stripped for a second time after testing positive for turinabol.
But, in December 2018, Jones captured the title yet again by defeating Alexander Gustafsson, then went on to successfully defend the strap a further three times.
Check out Jones’ spectacular finish of Machida in the video above.
Here are 20 fights MMA Junkie hopes to see happen in 2020.
With a new year comes new things, including good ol’-fashioned fist fights. What kinds of matchups are we hoping to see in 2020? What kinds of bookings do we want the MMA gods to bless us with?
Here’s a list of some ideas and why they may (or may not) make sense:
Dillon Danis
20. [autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag]
This list is being kicked off by “El Jefe” himself. I know this will automatically trigger the Twitter trolls, but hear me out. Danis and Agazarm easily are two of the best grapplers Bellator has in its lighter weight classes. The two have competed against each other plenty of times in the grappling world and they don’t have a lot of love for each other. Their name value doesn’t match their experience level in MMA, so they both often have fights against unknown opponents, which makes their fights hard to promote.
So why not pit them against each other? It makes sense for both fighters skill-level wise, it could be a fun buildup, and we could certainly see some fun, world-class jiu-jitsu.
Bryce Mitchell
19.[autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]
Let’s keep the jiu-jitsu train rolling. Gracie is jiu-jitsu royalty and Mitchell scored a cool-looking submission in his most recent fight – a twister. The UFC certainly is not shy about throwing Gracie against someone with far more experience (cough, cough – Cub Swanson). I know Mitchell is a bit more experienced than Gracie, but not by a crazy margin. Both guys need fights and have interesting and opposing personalities. Why not?
This list is filled with shocking and sensational knockouts and submissions from the 2010s.
Given that my colleagues already have done a fantastic job of covering everything from the top fighters to the top moments of the decade, I figured I’d contribute to the retrospective content by examining some of the more memorable fight finishes from the last 10 years – parsing out technical trends and evolution while paying homage to performances that are worthy of the ole “Baba O’Riley” highlight reel.
As you’d hope with any maturing sport, the cultural fist-fighting phenomena that is MMA has improved from many perspectives.
Aside from the obvious growth of audience and accessibility, the quality of fighting, in general, has seen a sure-and-steady uptick since 2010 – particularly in the athleticism department. In fact, you could argue that one of the quiet benefits to the global expansion and corporate interest-era of this past decade is the increase in the level of athletes we’re seeing accumulate in MMA’s proverbial talent pools.
Not only have more Olympic medalists and collegiate athletes successfully made the jump to mixed martial arts, but we’ve also seen small countries like Surname or unassuming giants like China make their mark in regards to flexing their athletic powers. Coupled with the ever-growing index of techniques (from fighting to fight prep), and we’ve been privy to fighters – from all around the world – finding increasingly fun and explosive ways to finish fights.
Since it’s practically impossible to include all of the best fight finishes from the past 10 years, I decided to limit myself to 20 selections that I believe helped shape the state of fighting over the last 10 years.
Without further ado …
****
‘Shogun Rua’ knocks out Lyoto Machida
‘Shogun’ Rua and Lyoto Machida at UFC 113. (Getty Images)
Date: May 6, 2010 Event: UFC 113
With Frankie Edgar dethroning B.J. Penn just one month prior, the decade starts off with what are the beginnings of a trend in regards to “auras of invincibility” being shattered, as well as stylistic conundrums being figured out. And sure enough, after finishing the previous decade off with a sour decision at UFC 104, [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] exacted his revenge in 2010 by emphatically ending the undefeated streak of then-light heavyweight champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] at UFC 113.
Not only did Rua build off of his previous successes of low kicks and right hands to eventually find the crashing counter, but he also provided a useful blueprint for future fighters when it comes to dealing with karate stylists in mixed martial arts (see Douglas Lima vs. Michael Page or Anthony Pettis vs. Stephen Thompson).
Fabricio Werdum submits Fedor Emelianenko
Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko in 2010. (Getty Images)
Date: June 26, 2010 Event: Strikeforce/M-1 Global: “Fedor vs. Werdum”
As I mentioned, 2010 in MMA was essentially the first few seasons of “Game of Thrones” wrapped into one year in regards to watching our heroes fall.
[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], who finishes 2009 with a surprisingly competitive fight with Brett Rogers, starts off the decade with a rude reminder from [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] that the guard still works in mixed martial arts.
At this particular time in the sport, the jiu-jitsu guard was trending down both in popularity and proven application at the highest levels; therefore seeing someone like Fedor (of all people) falling into the grappling honeytrap was incredibly surprising. To Werdum’s credit, he masterfully played possum like an NBA player trying to draw an offensive foul, further placating Fedor’s strong sense of security from topside – something that ultimately cost the Russian his legendary winning streak.
Anderson Silva submits Chael Sonnen
Anderson Silva submits Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.
Date: Aug. 7, 2010 Event: UFC 117
It’s hard to forget fights that happen on your birthday, especially when it comes to classics like this one.
[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag], who had surprised me with his brand of promotional candor since his WEC victory over Bryan Baker, ended up surprising us all by backing up his words when taking on the great [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] at UFC 117.
After four-plus rounds of domination from Sonnen, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Silva was going by the wayside like Fedor, Penn and Machida had done months before him. However, despite being down on the scorecards (as well as sporting an injured rib), Silva shows off elite, clutch-player sensibilities that would make the likes of Michael Jordan or Reggie Miller proud, as the then-UFC champ secured a triangle-armbar submission in the fifth round that reminded us all there are no safe spaces in MMA so long as there’s time on the clock.
Edson Barboza TKOs Mike Lullo
Date: Nov. 20, 2010 Event: UFC 123
Legend bashing wasn’t the only thing going on in MMA back in 2010, as there were fighters like [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] stepping onto the scene to help start/reinforce the trend of leg bashing.
Sure, the decade prior had a solid offering of leg kickers like Pedro Rizzo, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk, but it’s hard to ignore that those men were all heavyweights while Barboza – the only fighter to officially earn two leg-kick TKOs under the UFC banner – is a lightweight.
Of course, Jose Aldo’s domination over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 would’ve also been a great example to list if it fit the bill for a fight finish, but it’s ultimately hard to deny Barboza’s consistent commitment to killing his opposition with kicks, as well as his contributions toward this decade’s trend of attacking the legs.
