Mike Bell – Syndication Server

John McCarthy: Judge Mike Bell knows he ‘f*cked up’ with 10-8 scoring in Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko rematch

John McCarthy says judge Mike Bell admitted he made a mistake in his scoring of the Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko rematch.

Apparently, judge [autotag]Mike Bell[/autotag] owned up to his mistake, not publicly, but privately.

Bell was under heavy public scrutiny this past September after he scored the fifth round of the Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko rematch a 10-8, a score that led to the UFC women’s flyweight fight to end in a split draw. Many, including Shevchenko – who felt she won the fight – wanted answers from Bell as to why he scored the fifth round a 10-8, as the vast majority of people disagreed.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag], a former veteran referee, who’s been working as a commentator for Bellator in recent years, said he spoke to Bell and Bell admitted he was in the wrong.

“Mike Bell, the moment it happened, said, ‘I f*cked up. I screwed that up. I gave it too much. This is what I was looking for, but it wasn’t enough, and I made a mistake,'” McCarthy told MMA Junkie Radio. “What more can you ask for than someone that says, ‘Hey, I was wrong, and I’m going to work to fix it’? That’s what he did (by) taking some time off. ‘I’m going to go back to watching fights,’ and Mike Bell watches more fights than anybody out there that’s a fan. Trust me.”

McCarthy confirmed Bell took some time away from judging to get his mind right, as he believes he made the wrong call at Noche UFC. McCarthy assures that Bell is a quality judge and feels the public doesn’t understand how difficult their job actually is.

“I understand, based upon talking to him, exactly how he got to it,” McCarthy said. “Now, I was honest with him and told him, ‘No, I didn’t have the 10-8 and these are the reasons why,’ and I walked him through it. But I can understand when you’re there and under that moment, you’re looking and trying to see the differences.

“… A lot of people have felt like, ‘Oh, he was making up because he didn’t like that score he did earlier.’ That’s bullsh*t. Look, he’s done too many world title fights. He is a phenomenal judge, but he is human. He made a mistake. He was honest about it. One of the things commissions don’t want, they don’t want you to be talking to a judge. So when you’re not talking and everybody else is, there it is, ‘Oh, he did it on purpose,’ and they come up will all these goddamn conspiracy theories.”

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Buffalo Bills sign free agents Mike Bell, Steven Gonzalez

LB Mike Bell, OL Steven Gonzalez sign free-agent deals with the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills announced multiple signings on Thursday.

Notably, the team inked five of their eight picks from the 2021 NFL draft to contracts. But the additions did not stop there.

The team also announced the signings of linebacker Mike Bell and offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez.

Bell is a re-signing by Buffalo. He took part in Bills’ offseason workouts and minicamps in 2019 and 2020. He previously played at Fresno State. Bell was a safety in college but had been attempting to move to linebacker with the Bills in the pros the past few seasons.

Previously a Penn State product, Gonzalez spent the 2020 offseason workouts and training camp with the Cardinals. Gonzalez was a second-team All-Big Ten player in 2019. He had already announced he was signing with the Bills via his social media account on Twitter.

Both players sign one-year deals.

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Bills DT Vincent Taylor removed from Reserve/ COVID-19 list

The Buffalo Bills remove defensive tackle Vincent Taylor from Reserve/ COVID-19 list.

The total number of Buffalo Bills players on the NFL’s Reserve/ COVID-19 list has started to drop on Tuesday. Defensive tackle Vincent Taylor was activated from that designation, the team announced.

Keeping Taylor on their roster took a turn toward importance recently, also due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Last week, starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei opted out. He won’t be playing in 2020. Because of this, there’s an opportunity there for Taylor to move up the depth chart, along with the likes of Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler.

Taylor was one of five Bills players to have been slapped with the COVID-19 designation. The others were wide receiver Duke Williams, defensive back Siran Neal and rookie cornerbacks Dane Jackson and Ike Brown.

Landing on this list means each player either tested positive for coronavirus, or were in close contact with someone else, such as a family member, who did. To be removed from the list, players have to quarantine and register multiple negative tests for COVID-19.

In a corresponding move, the Bills released linebacker Mike Bell. After going undrafted in 2018, Bell took a year off of football and was attempting to make the move from safety to linebacker with the Bills this offseason.

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Buffalo Bills training camp preview: Linebacker

Buffalo Bills 2020 training camp preview of linebackers.

The Buffalo Bills are putting the final touches on their preparations for training camp in 2020, one that’s not going to be like any other.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, everyone from fans to the organization knows things aren’t going to be the same during 2020’s camp. Safety precautions between players and owners are still being discussed and worked out.

Still, the end goal for training camp is the same as usual. The Bills need to trim their roster down and find the best bunch of guys to send into battle together on game day.

Bills Wire will go group-by-group, breaking down each position ahead of camp’s expected start on July 28. This round is the linebacker position:

Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

Players (age)

Mike Bell (22: Rookie)
Tyrel Dodson (22: 2nd season)
Tremaine Edmunds (22: 3rd season)
Vosean Joseph (22: 2nd season)
AJ Klein (28: 8th season)
Tyler Matakevich (27: 5th season)
Matt Milano (25: 4th season)
Del’Shawn Phillips (23: 2nd season)
Corey Thompson (26: 3rd season)

2019 recap

Traditionally a unit where you’re used to seeing three or four starters, the Bills’ linebacker position really only has two. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott often plays a nickel defense with Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano featured on the field. And that’s pretty much been the status quo for the Bills over the past two season. Edmunds has developed into one of the NFL’s best young middle linebackers, while Milano’s turned into your prototypical, modern-day smaller linebacker that can make plays.

But even with the base two linebackers the Bills play, Lorenzo Alexander also had his important role the past few seasons which we’ll get into. Behind the starting group, the No.1 fill-ins have been Corey Thompson and Julian Stanford in recent seasons, both of which have also played special teams. However, in an effort to bolster that unit, Stanford was replaced heading into 2020.

Now here’s a rundown of storylines to follow in this position group:

How is Lorenzo replaced?

Despite potentially hinting at a return to the field, the Bills can’t bank on Alexander being in the fold when the 2020 season gets underway, so they’re going to have to replace his important role on the field. In regard that, Alexander, like in his complete career, did just about everything for the Bills. He defended passes in coverage, got after the quarterback, and all while lining up as a stand-up linebacker and sometimes with his hand in the dirt. Alexander was legitimately all over the field for the Bills and it’s hard to find one guy who can do that again.

Moving forward, enter… well, a few guys. Buffalo signed AJ Klein this offseason, who previously has experience in McDermott’s defense in Carolina. But he’s not exactly known as a pass rusher or do-it-all type of guy. Perhaps there’s a spot where Vosean Joseph comes into the fold, too. Joseph missed his entire rookie season in 2019 due to injury, but as a bit more athletic guy, he could find himself on the field. Don’t overlook Corey Thompson, either. He’s backed up for both Edmunds and Milano over the past two years, so his versatility could help him take some of Zo’s snaps as well. Guys like Tyler Matakevich, Tyrel Dodson and Mike Bell have better looks making the roster on special teams. The Bills will figure all this out in training camp.

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Bills LB Mike Bell was coached by Snoop Dogg

Buffalo Bills linebacker Mike Bell has a history with rapper Snoop Dogg.

The Bills signed an interesting player recently that just got a bit more… interesting.

Linebacker Mike Bell is vying for depth spot on Buffalo’s defense as a versatile linebacker out of Fresno State. He was signed as an undrafted free agent after the recent NFL Draft.

But Bell was not a 2020 draft candidate. He went undrafted in 2019, was not signed by a team after it, worked out for a year, and now landed a contract with the Bills after bulking up to compete at the next level.

But Bell has a colorful background in football. Growing up in Southern California, Bell, 22, told the Buffalo News that he was coached by… Snoop Dogg. Yes, the world-wide known rapper.

“He’s super smart. He’s a football head. He loves football. He knows the game,” Bell said. “People would always come and take pictures with him, but I just saw him as Coach Snoop.”

Snoop Dogg’s actually a pretty well-known commodity in the football world. His son, Cordell Broadus, previously played wide receiver for UCLA but left the program. In addition, Snoop Dogg also runs his own football league, the Snoop Youth Football League. The program actually was featured on Netflix.

Check out the trailer for it here:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGiexKwmgPM&w=560&h=315]

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Bills sign UDFA LB Mike Bell

The Bills have announced their first undrafted rookie free agent signing following the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s linebacker Mike Bell.

Bell is a 6-foot-3, 220 pound defender who played his college ball at Fresno State. He also showed a versatility at school playing safety. Current Bill Matt Milano did the same at Boston College.

During his collegiate career Bell totaled 199 tackles, nine for loss, four interceptions, 12 passes defensed and one forced fumble.

The Bills did not select a linebacker or safety at the recent draft, but he’ll play with the Bills at linebacker. Per the team’s website, Bell held a tryout with the Bills following the draft.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane said following the draft it might take time to get UDFAs signed because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic making workouts and contract signing more difficult currently.

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