Tag: Magomed Magomedov

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.

Bellator 289: Loss to interim champ Stots a source of motivation for Magomed Magomedov

Magomed Magomedov bounced back when it mattered most in June. Now he’s one win away from an interim bantamweight title shot.

NORWICH, Conn. – [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] bounced back when it mattered most in June.

Magomedov submitted Enrique Barzola in the quarterfinals of Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix. Not only did he move on in the tournament looking for an ultimate title shot, but he rebounded from a loss to Raufeon Stots in August 2021. Stots went on to win the interim bantamweight title.

If Magomedov (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) beats Patchy Mix (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 289 and Stots beats Danny Sabatello on the other side of the bracket, Magomedov will have a shot at redemption – but with a belt on the line.

“There’s always a desire to get the rematch from your loss and to fix that in the records,” Magomedov told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at a Tuesday media day for Bellator 289, which takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. “But right now, I’m focusing on Friday and not (looking past) my opponent.”

Check out the full media day interview with Magomedov above.

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

Magomed Magomedov, Patchy Mix set for bantamweight grand prix semifinal at Bellator 289

Watch bantamweight tournament semifinalists Magomed Magomedov and Patchy Mix make weight for their Bellator 289 matchup.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator’s ongoing bantamweight grand prix got one step closer to the final after Friday’s official weigh-ins.

[autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) in the semifinals at Bellator 289. The winner will take on the winner between interim champion Raufeon Stots and challenger Danny Sabatello, who fight in the main event.

Check out Magomedov and Mix’s trips to the scale in the video above. Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

Spinning Back Clique: James Krause betting scandal, UFC Orlando, Nate Diaz-Jake Paul, more

Join us for this week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” looking at the biggest news and topics in MMA.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando, Fla., featured nine stoppages in 14 fights and a main event that had people talking about a potential Fight of the Year. With a couple days to reflect, was [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]’s TKO win over [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] in the main event really that level of greatness? And what are our other takeaways from a memorable event?
  • The you-know-what continues to hit the proverbial fan in the MMA betting scandal involving former UFC standout [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]. The UFC now has said anyone who continues to train with Krause or at his gym can consider themselves gone from the UFC while government investigations are going on. What could the potential fallout be from all this down the road?
  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] officially is out from his UFC contract and a free agent. We used to get excited thinking about potential Diaz fights outside the UFC. Now that we’re here, are we amped up about, say, a Diaz boxing match against [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]?
  • UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] said on his podcast that former two-division champ and Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] will be his next title defense, likely in March. Cejudo is coming out of retirement and straight into a title shot, if that’s the case. Is that right? And what do we think about [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s status in the division now?
  • Bellator continues its bantamweight grand prix this week with the semifinals: interim champ [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] meets [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag]. The Stots-Sabatello fight comes with a particular amount of hype and beef between the two. Who are we picking to reach the final, and what are our thoughts in general about Bellator’s regular grand prix tournaments?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Stots-Sabatello, Magomedov-Mix bantamweight semifinals set for Bellator 289 in December

We’ve got a date and location for the next step in Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix.

We’ve got a date and location for the next step in Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix.

Interim titleholder [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) will take on [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two semifinals at Bellator 289 in December. On the other half of the bracket, [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is matched up against sometimes-training partner [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA).

Bellator 289 will take place Dec. 9 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. Bellator officials announced the event Monday following an initial report from “The MMA Hour.”

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Stots won the interim 135-pound title with a third-round head-kick knockout of Juan Archuleta at Bellator 279 in Honolulu in April. It was Stots’ 10th straight win and came in the tournament quarterfinals.

He’ll take on Sabatello, with whom he’s developed a fairly solid rivalry. Sabatello and his brash, trash-talking persona burst onto the scene this year with a play-in win over Jornel Lugo at Bellator 278. At Bellator 282 in June, he outworked Leandro Higo to reach his semifinal fight with Stots.

Magomedov lost to Stots in August 2021. But he bounced babck in June with a fourth-round submission of Enrique Barzola at Bellator 282 to get to the semifinals against Mix. Mix beat Kyoji Horiguchi with a unanimous decision in his semifinal fight at Bellator 279 in April. It was his third straight win.

The four semifinalists are working for an eventual title unification bout with champ Sergio Pettis, who currently is on the shelf.

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

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