Episode No. 247 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
Episode No. 247 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.
John Morgan is in Japan for Bellator 237, and he’s sharing a wild conversation with headliner [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag], as well as interviews with [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] and Scott Coker ahead of this historic event.
Watch Michael Chandler defeat former UFC champion Benson Henderson in lightweight title defense back at Bellator 165 in 2016.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s last successful Bellator lightweight title defense came over a big name, but also with some controversy.
At Bellator 165 back in 2016, the Bellator staple fought former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in a back-and-forth war that ended in a split decision. Chandler (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) outpointed Henderson 48-46, 46-48, 48-47 in the judges scorecards that night in San Jose, Calif.
Although Chandler was disappointed in his performance, his fight with Henderson was one of the more exciting title bouts in Bellator’s history.
After defeating Henderson, Chandler went on to fight Brent Primus. He lost the fight via technical knockout after Primus’ leg kicks caused a nasty ankle injury that had many fans watching the fight cringing.
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But the injury didn’t stop Chandler. The All-American wrestler went on to defeat Goiti Yamauchi and then Brandon Girtz to get another shot at Primus. In his second bout with the man who took the belt away from him, Chandler outpointed Primus to win back the Bellator lightweight strap, beginning his third title reign.
However, things didn’t go well for Chandler moving forward, as he lost the title to now champ-champ Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 221 in May.
Soon, Chandler will get his chance to return to the win column and make another run for the title. He was supposed to rematch Henderson at Bellator 237 in Japan, but due to injury sustained by Henderson, Chandler will now take on late replacement Sidney Outlaw. The bout will go down on on Dec. 29.
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 237, which takes place Saturday with a Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton Jackson main event.
The final Bellator event of the year takes place Saturday with Bellator 237, which goes down at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with a main card that airs on Paramount.
A heavyweight showdown between fighters who made the majority of their fame in “The Land of the Rising Sun” is set to serve as the main event. Former PRIDE champ [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is set to meet former UFC champ [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-13 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in a three-round bout.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 237.
* * * *
Main event
Fedor Emelianenko
Emelianenko, 43, is the oldest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
Emelianenko is 4-2 since he returned from retirement in December 2015.
Emelianenko is 13-4 (with one no contest) when facing former UFC champions or title challengers.
Emelianenko has earned 29 of his 38 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his Bellator wins.
Emelianenko has suffered all six of his career losses by stoppage.
Quinton Jackson
Jackson returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 29, 2018. The 454-day layoff is the longest of his more than 20-year career.
Jackson did not compete in 2019. It’s the first time he hasn’t fought inside a calendar year since making his MMA debut in 1999.
Jackson competes in his eighth career heavyweight bout. He’s 4-3 when competing in the weight class.
Jackson has suffered his past four losses by decision. He hasn’t been stopped since September 2011.
Co-main event
Michael Chandler.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) competes in his 22nd Bellator bout, tied for the second most appearances in company history behind David Rickels (23).
Chandler’s 16 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Patricio Freire for second most in company history behind Patricio Freire (18).
Chandler’s 14 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.
Chandler’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied with Freire and A.J. McKee for most in company history.
Chandler’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (seven).
Chandler’s 11 appearances in Bellator title fights are tied with Freire for most in company history.
Chandler is one of two fighters in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.
Chandler’s six victories in Bellator championship fights are second most in company history behind Freire (eight).
Chandler’s five losses in Bellator title fights are the most in company history.
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) makes his second Bellator appearance in a 42-day stretch. He was victorious at Bellator 234 on Nov. 15.
Remaining main card
Michael Page
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) becomes the first fighter to make five Bellator appearances in 2019.
Page makes his second Bellator appearance in a 34-day stretch. He was victorious at Bellator Europe 6 on Nov. 23.
Page’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak, snapped in Bellator 221, is tied for the second longest streak in company history behind McKee (16).
Page’s 12 victories in Bellator welterweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Andrey Koreshkov (13) and Douglas Lima (13).
Page’s nine stoppage victories in Bellator welterweight competition are tied with Lima for most in divisional history.
Page’s eight knockout victories in Bellator competition are third most in company history behind Lima (nine) and Patricky Freire (nine).
Page’s eight knockout victories in Bellator welterweight competition are tied with Lima for most in divisional history.
Lorenz Larkin
[autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) is 6-3 since he dropped to the welterweight division in January 2015.
Larkin’s three-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Logan Storley (five) and Joey Davis (five).
Larkin has earned eight of his past 11 victories by decision. That includes all three of his Bellator wins.
[autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights. He was victorious in his most recent bout at Rizin FF 19 in October.
[autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), 25, is the youngest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
[autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) is 5-1 since he moved up to the Bellator lightweight division in October 2016.
Yamauchi has earned 20 of his 24 career victories by stoppage. That includes eight of his 10 Bellator wins.
Yamauchi’s seven submission victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.
Michael Chandler learned an important lesson after his 2013 loss to Eddie Alvarez.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] learned an important lesson in 2013 – one he’s carrying with him into Bellator 237.
At Bellator 106, Chandler dropped a split decision to Eddie Alvarez. The defeat provided him data to improve inside the cage. But more lessons were learned during its aftermath.
“I’ll never make that mistake again,” Chandler said. “When I lost my first fight to Eddie Alvarez years ago, I stuck my head in a hole. I got nominated for ‘Fight of the Year.’ I didn’t go to the award ceremony. I didn’t do interviews. I had (MMA Junkie) calling me … I had all the people calling me, and I didn’t want to take interviews.
“I literally was embarrassed with myself, embarrassed with the loss, and I stuck my head in the sand. I didn’t want to be heard from. And that was about possibly the worst thing I could do. ”
Chandler didn’t handle the defeat well. And he’s since learned it’s better to face losses head on, much like recently retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren. Setting a good example is important, said Chandler.
“(In 2013, I did) quite the contrary and the exact opposite end of the spectrum to what Ben Askren did,” Chandler said. “He’s a good friend of mine and he’s been out in the public. He got knocked out on a Saturday and he was (doing interviews) on Monday, not making any excuses. And that’s the way this life should be.
“When you take an ‘L,’ you get back on the horse and you move forward. It’s not even about you. It’s about the kids looking up to you. It’s about the younger generation looking up to you and how you handle the loss.”
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When Chandler lost his most recent outing to rival Patricio Freire in 61 seconds at Bellator 221 in May, he took the loss in stride. Being a professional in victory and defeat, Chandler said, will only benefit a fighter in the long run.
“For this, once again I think I gained more followers and a bigger platform for losing this last fight than I would have won the fight,” Chandler said. “The outpouring of support was nothing short of amazing. The way I handled the loss and the words that were said after the fight. We move forward. I’ve got and extra loss in the loss column, but who cares?
“This is a lifelong journey that someday we’re going to talk about Michael Chandler, the fighter. Not Michael Chandler, the winner or loser of a certain fight. I think that’s a sign of maturity, but it’s also just a sign of the evolution of the mind in this sport.”
After the defeat, Chandler said, he didn’t let the loss hinder his ongoing journey of improvement. He doesn’t feel the need for a rematch with Freire, despite the nature of their relationship.
“Was there bad blood?” Chandler said. “Yes, of course. But at the end of the day, I respect him as a man. I respect him as a fighter. I’ve got no animosity toward him. I’ve slept phenomenally the last six months. I haven’t lost any sleep over that loss. We’ll move forward.”
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Chandler (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) returns at Bellator 237 against Sidney Outlaw (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). The event marks the promotion’s debut in Japan, takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
We want your predictions for Bellator 237 in Japan.
We want your predictions for this week’s Bellator 237 event in Japan.
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 Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 237 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside.
The rematch between Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson will have to wait.
The rematch between [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] will have to wait.
Henderson (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) has suffered an injury that’s forced him to withdraw from his planned rematch with Chandler (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) at Bellator 237 this month. As a result, [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has agreed to step in to face the former three-time lightweight champion.
MMA Junkie confirmed the change with a Bellator official on Thursday. The exact nature of Henderson’s injury remains unknown.
The latest Bellator 237 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD
Relive Michael Chandler’s brutal one-punch KO of Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s highlight reel is deep. After all, he is one of the most successful pound-for-pound fighters in Bellator history.
Arguably, no finish is more poignant than his 134-second knockout of Patricky Freire at Bellator 157 in June 2016.
In a rematch of their May 2011 bout at Bellator 44, the two fighters met for a second time. In repeat fashion, Chandler walked away victorious. However, unlike the first meeting, the judges weren’t needed.
With his Bellator lightweight title on the line, Chandler delivered a vicious straight right. The blow stiffened “Pitbull” – his consciousness leaving him in brutal fashion. No follow up shots were needed, as Freire was out before he even hit the ground.
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After a pair of backflips, Chandler hopped on the cage and was confronted by Patricky’s brother, Patricio Freire. As the Bellator featherweight champion hurled insults at the man who had just defeated his brother, Chandler signaled a throat slash in return.
Eventually, Patricio “Pitbull” would get his revenge and knock out Chandler at Bellator 221 in May 2019.
On Saturday Dec. 29, Chandler will return to action to take on former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. The bout is expected to co-headline Bellator 237 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The card will air on Paramount Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Relive Michael Chandler’s brutal knockout over Patricky “Pitbull” at “Bellator 157: Dynamite 2” in the video above.
