Tag: Melvin Manhoef

Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

Bellator 285 post-event facts: Yoel Romero makes history with late knockout

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 285, where Yoel Romero added to one of the most unique records in MMA.

Bellator returned from a six-week hiatus on Saturday with Bellator 285, which went down at 3Arena in Dublin and featured a 13-fight lineup on the card.

The main event featured a dominant performance from former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (30-11 MMA, 7-6 BMMA), who shut down Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) over the course of five rounds to win a unanimous decision and begin his late-career push toward the title.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 285.

Yoel Romero def. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285: Best photos

Check out these photos from Yoel Romero vs. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285 in Dublin, Ireland.

Check out these photos from Yoel Romero’s knockout victory over Melvin Manhoef in the co-main event of Bellator 285 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Combat sports legend Melvin Manhoef retires after Bellator 285 loss

At Bellator 285, an emotional Melvin Manhoef was joined by his family as he made his retirement official.

After 28 years, combat sports legend [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] is calling it quits.

Following a third-round knockout defeat Friday to Yoel Romero at Bellator 285 in Dublin, Manhoef (32-16-2 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) took off his gloves and was joined by his family in the cage for an emotional retirement announcement.

“I want to thank everybody for supporting my career for 28 years – 28 years I’m fighting and I didn’t want to fight a nobody,” Manhoef said in the cage. “I want to fight names. I did the best that I can. And for 28 years I’m doing this, this is what I love. I appreciate all the support that you gave me. But today I think we have to hang up the gloves after 28 years of fighting. Thanks for the support. You make my life great. Thank you, Ireland.”

The retirement and subsequent scenes of emotion were met with a standing ovation by the thousands of fans in attendance.

Manhoef, 46, indicated before the bout he expected it to be his final appearance and followed through. He previously retired from his combat sports base of kickboxing in 2017.

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The journey through combat sports competition began at 18 for The Netherland’s Manhoef, who made his pro MMA debut in 1995. From 1996-1999 he competed in kickboxing before he returned for a second MMA bout.

From 1998-2009, Manhoef competed in MMA and kickboxing simultaneously. Promotions included K-1, Dream, It’s Showtime, M-1, Dynamite!, and Cage Rage among others. Notable wins during this stretch included Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Kazuo Misaki. He won championships in both the It’s Showtime and Cage Rage promotions.

In 2010, Manhoef made his Strikeforce debut when he lost to Robbie Lawler. He competed one more time for the promotion in a loss to Tim Kennedy.

Stops in ONE FC (now rebranded One Championship) and KSW followed before he eventually reunited with Scott Coker in Bellator. While his results were split over ten appearances, Manhoef provided numerous highlights as eight of those 10 were finished inside the distance.

In a tweet immediately after the Bellator 285 bout, Coker deemed Manhoef one of his “favorite fighters ever” and added, “It has been an absolute honor to promote you.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Bellator 285 results: Yoel Romero smashes Melvin Manhoef in knockout win, calls for title shot

Yoel Romero continues to build momentum under the Bellator banner.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] continues to build momentum under the Bellator banner.

The multiple-time UFC title challenger defeated [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] in the co-main event of Bellator 285. Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) put on a dominant showing, stopping Manhoef (32-16-1 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) with brutal ground-and-pound in the third round of their light heavyweight contest.

Bellator 285 took place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the first round, Romero dropped Manhoef early with a leg kick and then followed him to the ground. From there, the former UFC title challenger controlled the action while landing ground-and-pound. After a couple of minutes of control, Romero locked an Americana, but wasn’t able to finish it. He continued to control Manhoef from the top until the bell.

The second round was much more striking based. Both fighters exchanged at a fairly slow rate, but were still entertaining. They were loading up plenty in their shots. Romero seemed to get the better of the shots and also had more volume. The threat of the takedown really seemed to hinder Manhoef’s output.

The third looked to be another standup fight, but three minutes in, Romero closed the gap and took down Manhoef against the cage. He stayed patient from half-guard and landed big shots. The strikes began to accumulate and the referee had no choice, but to stop the bout. It was a dominant showing by Romero.

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With this result, Romero is now on a two-fight winning streak since losing his Bellator debut. The Cuban fighter debuted for the promotion in September of last year, losing to former Bellator champion Phil Davis in a split decision. He then followed up that performance with a brutal TKO of Alex Polizzi at Bellator 280 in May before Friday’s return.

Meanwhile, Manhoef finds himself in an opposite standing to Romero. Manhoef has now two defeats in a row, as he was previously finished by Corey Anderson back at Bellator 251 in November 2020. The 46-year-old has been fighting professionally in combat sports since the mid 90’s. He told MMA Junkie in the lead up to Bellator 285 that this was the last fight on his Bellator contract and that he was likely going to retire. After the bout, Manhoef made his retirement official and left his gloves in the middle of the cage.

Official Bellator 285 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Twitter reacts to Yoel Romero’s brutal KO of retiring Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285

See the top Twitter reactions to Yoel Romero’s lopsided knockout in Melvin Manhoef’s retirement bout at Bellator 285.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] has back-to-back wins on his record for the first time since 2016 after beating [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] in the Bellator 285 co-main event.

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) sent Manhoef (32-16-1 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) into retirement on a low note when he earned a third-round knockout victory in Friday’s light heavyweight co-headliner, which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.

“The Soldier of God” now puts himself in a prominent position in the company, and could be on the cusp of a title shot.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Romero’s victory over Manhoef at Bellator 285

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Bellator 285 preliminary stream and live results

Watch the preliminary stream and keep up with live and official results of Bellator 285 in Dublin, Ireland.

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Bellator 285 takes place Friday, and you can join MMA Junkie for the preliminary live stream and official results.

The event takes place at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) steps into the backyard of Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) for a lightweight showdown.

The co-feature will see [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) take on [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout.

Official Bellator 285 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Benson Henderson def. Peter Queally via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
  • Yoel Romero def. Melvin Manhoef via knockout (elbows) – Round 3, 3:34
  • [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] def. [autotag]Dayana Silva[/autotag] via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] def. [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-29, 29-28)
  • [autotag]Ciaran Clarke[/autotag] def. [autotag]Rafael Hudson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:50
  • [autotag]Karl Moore[/autotag] def. [autotag]Karl Albrektsson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:36

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1 p.m. ET)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Bellator 285: Best photos from Dublin

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 285 predictions: There’s one fight we’re not unanimous on in Dublin

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 285 main card in Dublin, which features Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally.

Henderson
vs.
Queally		 Manhoef
vs.
Romero		 McCourt
vs.
Silva		 Burnell
vs.
Carvalho
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
147-90		 henderson2022
Henderson
(68%)		 romero2022
Romero
(87%)		 mccourt2022
McCourt
(87%)		 burnell2022
Burnell
(82%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
162-86
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
158-90		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
156-92
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
154-94		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
153-95		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
152-96		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
152-96		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Nolan King
@mma_kings
146-102		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
145-103
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
135-113		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
121-126		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell

(Editor’s note: The fight between Ciaran Clarke and late opponent Rafael Hudson was added too late for our staff picks deadline.)

Bellator returns to Ireland this week with a former title challenger at the top the card.

Bellator 285 takes place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin. 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, former UFC lightweight champion and two-time Bellator title challenger (at lightweight and welterweight) [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a lightweight bout. Henderson is more than a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Queally is +160. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Henderson as one of three unanimous picks at 11-0.

The co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between former Bellator middleweight title challenger [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) and former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). Romero is a massive -800 favorite and, not surprisingly, is one of our three unanimous picks.

Also on the main card is the only contentious fight among our pickers at women’s featherweight between [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Dayana Silva[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 1-2 BMMA). Although Silva is a -140 favorite at the betting window, It’s McCourt who has a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

And former Cage Warriors featherweight champ [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will try to get back on track against former title challenger [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 5-3 BMMA). Burnell nearly is a 5-1 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Henderson (68 percent), Romero (87 percent), McCourt (87 percent) and Burnell (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

Bellator 285 ceremonial faceoffs: Handshakes, grinding foreheads, and a dog bone

Twenty-six athletes partook in Bellator 285 ceremonial faceoffs including Benson Henderson, Peter Queally, Yoel Romero, and Melvin Manhoef.

Bellator 285 takes place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin and Thursday, competitors came face-to-face one final time ahead of their respective bouts.

Among those who squared off were headliners [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) and [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), who are set to compete in a five-round lightweight bout. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) serves as the final test for [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA), a combat sports legend expected to compete in his last MMA bout.

Four of the most experienced fighters on the card, the headliners and co-headliners remained respectful with handshakes after their faceoffs.

The ceremonial faceoffs came hours after all 26 fighters made weight at the host hotel.

The most intense interaction of the ceremony was between preliminary card openers [autotag]Luca Poclit[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Dante Schiro[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). The two welterweight fighters ground forehead against forehead until promotion and commission officials intervened.

The full Bellator 285 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally
  • Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoel Romero
  • Leah McCourt vs. Dayana Silva
  • Mads Burnell vs. Pedro Carvalho
  • Ciaran Clarke vs. Rafael Hudson – 140-pound contract weight

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1 p.m. ET)

  • Brett Johns vs. Jordan Winski
  • Arivaldo Lima da Silva vs. Brian Moore
  • Karl Albrektsson vs. Karl Moore
  • Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Kane Mousah
  • Darragh Kelly vs. Kye Stevens
  • Alex Bodnar vs. Kenny Mokhonoana
  • Asael Adjoudj vs. Jordan Barton
  • Luca Poclit vs. Dante Schiro

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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