Tag: Marcus Surin

Bellator 257: Make your predictions for Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis

We want your predictions for Bellator 257, featuring champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis in a title fight and light heavyweight tourney bout.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 257 event in Connecticut.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesdday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 257 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 257 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Bellator 253 lineup encounters three changes, including two cancellations due to commission issues

Five fighters scheduled for Bellator 253 won’t be competing Thursday after all.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Five fighters scheduled for Bellator 253 won’t be competing Thursday after all.

On Monday, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie of three changes to the lineup. Two fights, [autotag]Lance Gibson Jr.[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shane Kruchten[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricardo Seixas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcus Surin[/autotag] were canceled. Additionally, [autotag]Mark Glover[/autotag] has been replaced by [autotag]Jason Markland[/autotag], who will fight [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag].

The two cancellations come after Kruchten (12-5 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) and Surin (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) did not receive clearance to compete from the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation. The change was first reported by MyMMANews.

Bellator 253 marks the second card Gibson Jr. (3-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) vs. Kruchten was scheduled to take place but was canceled. The two fighters were supposed to fight at Bellator 244 but Kruchten tested positive for COVID-19.

Glover (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was not removed by the commission, but it is unclear why Sullivan (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will now be facing Markland (0-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) instead.

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Bellator 253 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

With the changes, the Bellator 253 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (CBS Sports Network/DAZN, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Darrion Caldwell vs. A.J. McKee – featherweight tournament semifinal (five rounds)
  • Benson Henderson vs. Jason Jackson
  • Joey Davis vs. Bobby Lee

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)

  • Keith Lee vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Matt Bessette vs. Jeremy Kennedy
  • Mark Lemminger vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Sergio DeBari vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Kevin Ferguson Jr. vs. Kaheem Murray
  • Sullivan Cauley vs. Jason Markland

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Raufeon Stots vs. Keith Lee, ‘Baby Slice’ return among five fights added to Bellator 253

Five fights have been added to next week’s Bellator 253 lineup.

The Bellator 253 lineup is filling out.

On Monday, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie of five fights including [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Keith Lee[/autotag] and the return of “Baby Slice” [autotag]Kevin Ferguson Jr.[/autotag], son of the late combat sports legend Kimbo Slice.

Bellator 253 takes place Thursday, Nov. 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Stots (14-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) vs. Lee (7-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will take place on the main card, after Ferguson (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) battles [autotag]Kaheem Murray[/autotag] in a lightweight fight on the prelims. The matchup was first reported by MMA reporter James Lynch on Sunday.

Stots, 31, most recently competed at Bellator 242 in July when he submitted previously-undefeated Cass Bell by third-round rear-naked choke. Seven weeks later at Bellator 245, Lee defeated Vinicius Zani by unanimous decision.

Ferguson and Murray (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) were scheduled to fight at Bellator 241 in March 2020. However, the event was canceled hours prior to its scheduled start time due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Also on the prelims, [autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) fights [autotag]Johnny Soto[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at a 140-pound contract weight, [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) fights [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) at welterweight, and [autotag]Marcus Surin[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ricardo Seixas[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight.

With the additions, the Bellator 253 lineup includes:

  • Darrion Caldwell vs. A.J. McKee
  • Joey Davis vs. Bobby Lee
  • Keith Lee vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Matt Bessette vs. Jeremy Kennedy
  • Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Shane Krutchen
  • Kevin Ferguson Jr. vs. Kaheem Murray
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Johnny Soto
  • Mark Lemminger vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Ricardo Seixas vs. Marcus Surin

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‘Baby Slice’ Kevin Ferguson Jr. returns at Bellator 241

The son of the late, legendary Kimbo Slice makes his return to the Bellator cage next month.

The son of the late and legendary Kimbo Slice returns to action at Bellator 241.

[autotag]Kevin Ferguson Jr.[/autotag], also known as “Baby Slice,” will meet [autotag]Kaheem Murray[/autotag] at a contracted weight of 160 pounds at Bellator 241 on March 13. MMA Junkie learned of the bout Thursday via Bellator officials.

Ferguson’s bout will be on the prelims of Bellator 241, which will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and will air on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Ferguson (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) also had his last fight at Mohegan Sun Arena, where he thought he earned a 38-second TKO over Craig Campbell at Bellator 232. However, the bout was later ruled a no contest due to strikes to the back of the head.

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Officially, then, Ferguson has won three of his past four fights. Win or lose, he’s never gone beyond the second round in his MMA career.

Murray (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who fights out of Philadelphia, makes his Bellator debut. All three of his wins are via finish, but he enters the bout the loser of two out of his past three.

Also added to the preliminary card were [autotag]Ion Pascu[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] at welterweight and [autotag]Vladimir Tokov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcus Surin[/autotag] at lightweight.

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