Tag: Magomed Magomedov

Magomed Magomedov wants Bellator bantamweight title shot with Sergio Pettis-Patchy Mix winner

Magomed Magomedov hopes he earned a bantamweight title shot after Bellator X Rizin 2.

[autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] hopes he earned a title shot after Bellator X Rizin 2.

Magomedov (20-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) submitted Danny Sabatello (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) by first-round guillotine choke this past Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, near Tokyo.

Prior to that, Magomedov was eliminated by Patchy Mix in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix semifinal. Now that he’s rebounded, he hopes to have reinserted himself in the title picture and get a shot at the winner of bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis vs. grand prix winner and interim champ Patchy Mix.

“I hope so – obviously that’s the goal,” Magomedov said through an interpreter at the Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 post-fight press conference. “If Bellator sees fit, I would love to fight the winner of Pettis and Mix. If it’s Mix, I would love to run it back.

“I got caught in his trap (and) kind of started fighting really late. I would love to get a rematch. And if it’s Pettis, I never fought him before, so that would be great. I’ve been in this sport for a long time. I feel like I really need to get to this title and win the title. It would be a big deal.”

Sabatello was oozing confidence heading into his matchup with Magomedov, but “Tiger” submitted him early. He expected Sabatello to be more physically imposing as a grappler than he thought he was in the fight.

“Just like I expected, he’s a very skilled wrestler and a good fighter,” Magomedov said. “The only thing that surprised me was I thought he was a little stronger, but he did not feel very strong.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator x Rizin 2.

Danny Sabatello: Magomed Magomedov ‘sucks,’ but win should lead to Bellator title shot vs. ‘p*ssy’ Pettis or Mix

Danny Sabatello is not sold on Magomed Magomedov, but sees him as his ticket to a Bellator bantamweight title shot.

[autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] is not sold on [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag], but sees him as his ticket to a title shot.

Sabatello (14-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) meets Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) on Saturday’s Bellator X Rizin 2 main card, which takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event airs live on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET.

Winner of eight of his past nine, Sabatello is expecting a title shot with a win over Magomedov. But with bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis’ title unification bout with interim champ Patchy Mix yet to be booked, Sabatello will stay active if he has to.

“There’s a reason why I called out for this fight against Magomed,” Sabatello told reporters at a Bellator X Rizin 2 news conference Thursday. “First off, a lot of people think he’s good. He’s got a big name. I personally think he sucks. The good thing about this fight is that he’s one notch above me in the rankings, so I think after I get this win, I should be fighting for the belt.

“But one thing I do is I fight, and I don’t like sitting on my ass. I know Patchy and Pettis are not scheduled to fight yet. That’s probably because Pettis is milking some bullsh*t injury like he always f*cking does because he doesn’t like to fight because he’s a p*ssy. So if that fight does get booked soon, then I think I should be next in line for the title. But I am going to fight after this fight before getting that title shot if that fight doesn’t come to fruition for a while. I do like this fight. I think it catapults me to a title fight, barring Pettis being a p*ssy.”

While Sabatello would love a quick finish, he plans on dragging Magomedov to deep waters.

“I want to torture him first,” Sabatello said. “I always say that in all my fights.  I don’t want to give my opponents the easy way out. Especially if they’ve been talking a little bit of trash, I need to punish them for that. I also want to put on a very good show for Tokyo.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator x Rizin 2.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 5-11)

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 a promotion from June 5-11.

Bellator X RIZIN 2 adds Andrey Koreshkov vs. Lorenz Larkin, Magomed Magomedov vs. Danny Sabtello

The Bellator x RIZIN 2 card continues to fill as Lorenz Larkin enters a fight with high violence potential and Danny Sabatello returns.

Two main card bouts have been added to the upcoming Bellator x RIZIN show this summer.

At Bellator x RIZIN 2, welterweight strikers [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag] (26-4 MMA, 15-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) will collide, before bantamweight contenders [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) later on the July 30 card (July 29 in the United States) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Promotion officials announced the bookings Wednesday.

Koreshkov, 32, has won four straight fights. Over that stretch, he’s alternated fights in and outside of Bellator, as the promotion has allowed him to take bouts outside the promotion. Koreshkov most recently competed at Shlemenko FC 4 in June and won by TKO.

Larkin, 36, has not lost in eight straight appearances and has bounced between middleweight and welterweight. In February, Larkin landed one of the most violent knockouts of 2023 when he put Mukhamed Berkhamov to sleep with a standing elbow in February.

Magomedov, 31, looks to get back in the win column after a submission loss to Patchy Mix in December. The bout was a bantamweight grand prix semifinal, which Magomedov advanced into after a quarterfinal win over Enrique Barzola.

Sabatello, 30, bounced back in April from a bantamweight grand prix semifinal loss of his own vs. Raufeon Stots. Sabatello defeated rising prospect Marcos Breno by second-round submission.

With the additions, the Bellator x RIZIN 2 lineup includes:

  • A.J. McKee vs. Patricky Freire – lightweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu – for inaugural flyweight title
  • Magomed Magomedov vs. Danny Sabatello
  • Veta Arteaga vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Andrey Koreshkov vs. Lorenz Larkin

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.

Scott Coker says Raufeon Stots-Patchy Mix tournament final should happen in first few months of 2023

Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix final is set, but it wasn’t without a little controversy.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix final is set, but it wasn’t without a little controversy.

Danny Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) was less than thrilled with his split decision loss to interim champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) in the Bellator 289 main event Friday. The one scorecard in Sabatello’s favor read 50-45 – a shutout. But the other two were 48-47s for Stots.

Sabatello had more than 10 minutes of ground control time in the fight. But it was Stots who is moving on to a matchup with Friday’s other semifinal winner, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), who choked out [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA).

“It’s tough being a judge. The 50-45, I don’t know where that came from,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “To me, it could’ve went either way. But Stots is moving forward in our tournament, fighting Patchy Mix, which is going to be an unbelievable fight. … We’re going to have a great finals.”

The Stots-Mix winner will get a $1 million check and will have the interim bantamweight belt. From there, a title unification fight awaits with champ Sergio Pettis, who is out rehabbing after a major knee surgery.

Coker said he hopes Bellator can wrap up the bantamweight grand prix pretty quickly into the start of 2023.

“We’re going to have to see who’s injured, who’s not injured, and that’s going to determine when they fight,” Coker said. “We want them to be healthy, fresh and ready to go and not just training through injuries or having to cut weight too quick from this fight.

“We’re going to talk to all the managers Monday and see how everybody’s feeling and then we’ll decide when we throw that fight. Our goal is to get that fight done in the first quarter if we can.”

Check out Coker’s full post-event 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)

Patchy Mix def. Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289: Best photos

Check out these photos from Patchy Mix’s submission win over Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289.

Check out these photos from Patchy Mix’s submission win over Magomed Magomedov at Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 289 video: Patchy Mix, Magomed Magomedov stare each other down before semifinals

Two fighters with dreams of a title and $1 million got face to face one last time Thursday before their fight.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Two fighters with dreams of a title and $1 million got face to face one last time Thursday before their fight.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on slight favorite [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, interim champ Raufeon Stots meets Danny Sabatello in Friday’s Bellator 289 main event. The semifinal winners will meet sometime in 2023 with $1 million on the line.

Thursday, Mix and Magomedov 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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Bellator 289 predictions: Are bantamweight grand prix and title fight upsets brewing?

Check out our staff members’ picks for Bellator 289, including Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello and Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez.

Stots
vs.
Sabatello		 Carmouche
vs.
Velasquez		 Magomedov
vs.
Mix		 Adams
vs.
Rosta
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
192-116		 stots2022
Stots
(77%)		 velasquez2022
Velasquez
(62%)		 magomedov2022
Magomedov
(62%)		 rosta2022
Rosta
(89%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
204-109
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
195-118		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
193-120		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
191-122		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
191-122
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
189-124		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
188-125		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
182-131
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Nolan King
@mma_kings
180-133		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
172-141		 stots2022
Stots		 velasquez2022
Velasquez		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
154-159		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta

Bellator is back at its regular East Coast stomping ground with tournament semifinals and two title fights.

Bellator 289 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, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on heated rival [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two grand prix semifinals. Stots is a slight -160 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Sabatello is +125. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Stots as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat by TKO in April. Velasquez protested the stoppage to no avail, but now has a shot at redemption. Even though she’s a -180 favorite over the champ, it’s underdog Carmouche who has a whopping 10-1 lead from our staff pickers.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) meets [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the second bantamweight tournament semifinal. The odds are the closest on the entire card with Magomedov just a -135 favorite. But our staff members have Mix in an 11-0 shutout.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has a tough task at middleweight against the unbeaten 10-1 favorite [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Given the odds, it’s not surprising Rosta is our third unanimous pick in four fights.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Stots (77 percent), Velasquez (62 percent), Magomedov (62 percent) and Rosta (89 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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