Liz Carmouche is making her footprint on the Bellator record books after recording another title defense at Bellator 294.
The first half of Bellator’s doubleheader in Hawaii went down Friday with Bellator 294, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and saw a champion defend her title in the main event.
[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) recorded a second consecutive defense of her women’s flyweight title when she rallied from a 3-0 deficit on the scorecards to submit [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (13-8-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth frame of their rematch.
For more on the numbers behind Carmouche’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts form Bellator 294.
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 from Jan. 16-22.
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 from Dec. 19-25.
Neiman Gracie will attempt to get back on the winning track when he meets Michael Lombardo on the first Bellator card of 2023.
[autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] will attempt to get back on the winning track when he meets [autotag]Michael Lombardo[/autotag] on the first Bellator card of 2023.
Gracie (11-4 MMA, 9-4 BMMA), a perennial welterweight contenders and former title challenger, is set to clash with Lombardo (13-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at the Bellator 290 event on Feb. 4, which takes place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif,. with a main card that airs on CBS following prelims on MMA Junkie.
MMA Junkie verified the booking with a Bellator official on Thursday following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.
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After starting his career with nine straight wins, Gracie, 34, has struggled to find consistency at the top level in recent years. He’s 2-4 since he challenged then-champ Rory MacDonald for the title in June 2019, and was knocked out for the first time in his career against Goiti Yamauchi in his most recent outing at Bellator 284 in August.
The Brazilian will attempt to change his fortunes against Lombardo, who will make a quick turnaround from his first-round knockout of Mark Lemminger at Bellator 289 this month. The 32-year-old is a veteran of Bellator, PFL and Dana White’s Contender Series.
The latest Bellator 290 lineup now includes:
Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight championship
Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight championship
Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward
Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakaya
Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara
Neiman Gracie vs. Michael Lombardo
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.
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)
Professional golfer and Jupiter resident Brooks Koepka sponsored food truck service through his charitable foundation at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., on Friday, May 29, 2020. Florida life continues as new cases of COVID-19 are reported daily in the state and across the nation according to the Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection data. [THOMAS CORDY/palmbeachpost.com]
Professional golfer and Jupiter resident Brooks Koepka, second from left, sponsored food truck service through his charitable foundation at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., on Friday, May 29, 2020. Koepka talks with Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, second from right and Kati Erickson, Wellington, of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Florida life continues as new cases of COVID-19 are reported daily in the state and across the nation according to the Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection data. [THOMAS CORDY/palmbeachpost.com]
Professional golfer and Jupiter resident Brooks Koepka, center, sponsored food truck service through his charitable foundation at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., on Friday, May 29, 2020. Florida life continues as new cases of COVID-19 are reported daily in the state and across the nation according to the Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection data. [THOMAS CORDY/palmbeachpost.com]
Professional golfer and Jupiter resident Brooks Koepka sponsored food truck service through his charitable foundation at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., on Friday, May 29, 2020. Koepka posed for multiple selfies with medical personnel af the event. Florida life continues as new cases of COVID-19 are reported daily in the state and across the nation according to the Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection data. [THOMAS CORDY/palmbeachpost.com]
May 17, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Tacko Fall participates during day two of the NBA Draft Combine at Quest Multisport Complex. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts after scoring a basket during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
After three fights outside the promotion this year, Cris Lencioni will return to Bellator in December.
After three fights outside the promotion this year, [autotag]Cris Lencioni[/autotag] will return to Bellator in December.
Lencioni (9-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has signed a new multifight deal with the promotion and will take on [autotag]Cody Law[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) in a featherweight bout at Bellator 289. A promotion official confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie on Wednesday.
Bellator 289 is set for Dec. 9 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The card features a women’s flyweight title fight between new champion Liz Carmouche and former champ Juliana Velasquez, plus a pair of bantamweight tournament semifinals that include interim champ Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello.
In addition, a welterweight fight between [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Michael Lombardo[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) has been added to the lineup.
Lencioni most recently fought for Bellator in August 2020, when he took a unanimous decision from A.J. Agazarm. After that, he competed in many grappling tournaments, then returned to MMA in February with a loss to recent UFC signee Don Shainis. But he bounced back after that with a decision over Drako Rodriguez in April and, most recently, a submission of Talon Hoffman on the regional circuit in August.
Law started his career a perfect 6-0 with five stoppage wins before he was upset by James Gonzalez in June at Bellator 282. The American Top Team-trained wrestling standout will be looking to get back on track against Lencioni.
With the addition, the Bellator 289 lineup now includes:
Interim champ Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello – for interim bantamweight title; bantamweight grand prix semifinal
Champ Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez – for women’s flyweight title
Magomed Magomedov vs. Patchy Mix – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
At Bellator 277, A.J. McKee, Patricio Freire, Vadim Nemkov, and Corey Anderson are set to lead disclosed fighter payouts.
SAN JOSE, Calif – Bellator 277 takes place Friday at SAP Center where three fighters are scheduled to take home six-figure paydays regardless of outcome.
At the 14-fight event, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed salaries from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.
In the main event, champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and former champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] square off in a title rematch. Both fighters had a disclosed payday of $250,000 flat. The co-main event is a grand prix final. Light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (on an $80,000 to show/$80,000 to win basis) and Corey Anderson ($250,000 flat) will collide with the winner making an additional $1 million.
The total payout or show money is $1.378 million. Check out the full list of payouts below. The story will be updated with exact disclosed payouts at the conclusion of the event.
Watch Michael Lombardo score a nasty stoppage win using calf-kicks at Friday’s PFL Playoffs.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – [autotag]Michael Lombardo[/autotag]’s calf kicks are no joke.
The welterweight fighter dispatched his opponent in less than one round and with just two calf-kicks. Lombardo (12-2) defeated Kyron Bowen via first-round TKO at the 3:42 mark.
It was a savage stoppage, as Lombardo kicked Bowen to drop him in pain to the canvas, and once on the ground, threw a second calf kick to make Bowen grab his leg and scream in pain. The referee immediately called off the fight following the second kick.
Lombardo is now on a four-fight winning streak, which includes victories over Jose Caceres and Korey Kuppe at Contender Series back in September 2020.
While the PFL’s playoff structure has been set since June, the full lineup for the promotion’s upcoming events is now nearly complete.
While the PFL’s playoff structure has been set since June, the full lineup for the promotion’s upcoming events is now nearly complete.
Promotion officials today announced additional bouts for 2021 PFL Playoffs 1, which takes place Aug. 13 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The night’s playoff bouts air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+, while the non-playoff matchups will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
“Not only will 550 million MMA fans around the world witness win-or-go-home playoff action, but they will see some of the best fighters the PFL has to offer showcased,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated.
Featured additions includes a lightweight contest include two-time PFL champion [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (21-4-1) taking on 12-time UFC veteran [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (12-5), as well as Swedish PFL vet [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] (9-5-2) facing 28-time UFC veteran [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (35-15).
2021 PFL Playoffs 1 marks the first of three events for the promotion in a 15-day stretch, where the finalists will be set for the 2021 PFL world championship bouts, which will take place later this year.
“The excitement of the Professional Fighters League’s final four is unmatched in sports,” Murray stated. “The stakes for the fighters could not be higher as they compete for spots in the $1 million world championship bouts.”
The 2021 PFL Playoffs 1 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Ray Cooper III vs. Rory MacDonald – welterweight semifinal
Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino – welterweight semifinal
Clay Collard vs. Raush Manfio – lightweight semifinal
Alex Martinez vs. Loik Radzhabov – lightweight semifinal
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Natan Schulte
Sadibou Sy vs. Gleison Tibau
[autotag]Nikolay Aleksakhin[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brett Cooper[/autotag]
[autotag]Darrell Horcher[/autotag] vs. opponent TBA
[autotag]Micah Terrill[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Magomed Umalatov[/autotag]
[autotag]Kyron Bowen[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michael Lombardo[/autotag]
The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 welterweights who are candidates to appear on the show.
Dana White’s Contender Series has become a destination point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.
With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting victory on the show, and you’re in the UFC.
Rumored for a late-June 2020 start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.
Up next, the welterweights…
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Image via Australian Fighting Championships (AFC)
Theo Christakos
Record: 11-2 Age: 29 Height: 6’3″
Birthplace: Australia
One of the top pound-for-pound prospects in the Australia/New Zealand regional scene, [autotag]Theo Christakos[/autotag] has quietly built a solid resume. He’s picked up two titles along the way, under the BRACE MMA and Australian FC banners. In his most recent outing at Australian FC 23, Christakos outpointed and submitted fellow up-and-comer Andrew Mills in Round 2. The rear-naked choke win was the sixth of his career by that submission. Win or lose, Christakos has only seen the judges’ scorecards once in his pro career. A do-or-die fighter? Sounds like Christakos fits the DWCS mold.
Image CES MMA
Vinicius de Jesus
Record: 9-2 Age: 30 Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
The current CES MMA welterweight champion and a Bellator veteran, [autotag]Vinicius de Jesus[/autotag] presents a lot of problems for fighters of all skillsets. A third-generation Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he usually sticks to his striking, which consists largely of power shots from the outside and heavy leg kicks. He holds legitimate wins over Jeremiah Wells, Tim Caron, James Boran, and Chris Lozano. He’s only lost once sine 2013 – a controversial split decision defeat at the hands of Joaquin Buckley. De Jesus’ knockout power, combined with his mic skills, makes him a prime candidate to be a target of DWCS.
