Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 or officially announced by a promotion from June 26-July 2.
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 Nov. 28-Dec. 4.
Follow the action live as the Bellator cage returns to European soil for Bellator Europe 8 in Milan, Italy.
The Bellator cage returns to European soil as the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy plays host to Bellator Europe 8.
The main event features a battle of European middleweight contenders, as England’s [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on the Netherlands’ [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA), while the co-main event showcases two more middleweights looking to deliver a statement performance, as Italy’s [autotag]Pietro Penini[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) faces off against England’s [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA).
The main card’s middleweight flavor continues with Ireland’s [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) against England’s [autotag]Kent Kauppinen[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), while the preliminary card is packed with a host of European prospects, including a notable lightweight battle between fellow Brits [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Akonne Wanliss[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).
Follow the action via Bellator’s official live stream above, and stay up to date with the official results below.
MAIN CARD (MMA Junkie, 5 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1:15 p.m. ET)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator Europe 8 main card in Milan, Italy.
| Edwards vs. Van Steenis |
Fleury vs. Kauppinen |
Penini vs. Shipman |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 104-62 |
 Edwards (57%) |
 Kauppinen (56%) |
 Shipman (77%) |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 113-53 |
 Van Steenis |
 Fleury |
Shipman |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 111-55 |
Van Steenis |
Kauppinen |
Shipman |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 110-56  2017 Champion |
Edwards |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 110-56 |
Van Steenis |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 109-57 |
Van Steenis |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 108-58 |
Edwards |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 108-58 2019 Champion* |
Edwards |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 106-60 2014 Champion |
Edwards |
Kauppinen |
Shipman |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 104-62 |
Edwards |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 103-63 |
Edwards |
Fleury |
 Penini |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 101-65 |
Van Steenis |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 101-65 2018 Champion |
Edwards |
Fleury |
Shipman |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 99-67 |
Edwards |
Kauppinen |
Shipman |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 69-97 |
Van Steenis |
Kauppinen |
Penini |
Bellator is back this week with its first overseas event since the start of the pandemic.
Bellator Europe 8 takes place Saturday at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. The card streams on MMA Junkie and Bellator’s YouTube page.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) tries to keep his unbeaten record intact when he takes on fellow middleweight [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA). It’s a close matchup with our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts. Edwards has just a slim 8-6 lead in the picks.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Pietro Penini[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Shipman has a big 12-2 picks lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Kent Kauppinen[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a third bout at 185 pounds. Fleury has a big 10-4 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Edwards (57 percent), Shipman (77 percent) and Kauppinen (56 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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The full fight card for Bellator Europe 8, set for Milan, Italy on Sept. 24, has been confirmed.
The fight card for the first leg of Bellator’s Italian triple-header is now set.
Bellator Europe 8 takes place Sept. 26 at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy, with a 10-fight preliminary card setting the stage ahead of a three-bout all-middleweight main card.
Headlining the event is a battle of European middleweight contenders as England’s [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on the Netherlands’ [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA).
Co-main event support comes in the form of an Italy vs. England clash, as former Venator middleweight champion [autotag]Pietro Penini[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) faces off against former BAMMA 185-pound champ [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA). Kicking off the main card is a battle between hard-hitting 185-pounders as Ireland’s Will Fleury (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) takes on England’s Kent Kauppinen (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).
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The preliminary card features a battle between British lightweight prospects as [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Akonne Wanliss[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), while former Cage Warriors featherweight tournament champion Aiden Lee (8-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on seasoned Canadian veteran Jeremy Petley (13-8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA)
With the additions, the Bellator Europe 8 card now includes:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)
Bellator middleweight contender Fabian Edwards recaps his heated battle with Mike Shipman at Bellator Europe 6 in London.
[autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] has made no secret of his intention to go all the way to the top of the Bellator middleweight division, but he’s still relatively early in his career on the big stage.
“The Assassin” has fought four times under the Bellator banner to date, and in the latest edition of the promotion’s video series, “My Biggest Moment,” Edwards (9-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) looks back on his most recent outing, an ill-tempered clash with former BAMMA champion [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA).
The pair went head-to-head at Bellator Europe 6 in November 2019 in a matchup that pitted Edwards against the heavy-handed Londoner in a battle between two of the U.K.’s best 185-pounders at the SSE Arena, London.
The build-up to the fight was filled with trash talk and back-and-forth jibes between the pair, and tempers boiled over at the official weigh-ins as the two rivals very nearly came to blows during a heated faceoff.
When fight night arrived, Edwards edged a close, competitive battle via split decision, with scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 30-27 to extend his unbeaten run and nudge him closer to the division’s big names.
Check out Edwards’ recap of that fight in the latest episode of “My Biggest Moment” via the video above.
Bellator middleweight contender Fabian Edwards says he’s only a couple of fights away from a potential title shot at 185 pounds.
[autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] has his sights set on the top names in Bellator’s middleweight division, but he admitted he considered putting his progress on hold to face his most recent adversary for a second time.
Edwards edged a split-decision verdict against fellow countryman [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] at Bellator Europe 6 in November 2019 after an ill-tempered buildup saw the pair engage in an angry skirmish at the official weigh-ins ahead of their matchup.
After the fight, the beef between the pair seemed to have subsided but, speaking to MMA Junkie from Birmingham, England, Edwards admitted he still has little time for the Londoner known as “Seabass.”
“I still dislike the kid, I’m not even going to lie to you,” he laughed. “I still dislike him. He’s one of those people that I would never like. After the fight, we never really spoke to each other.”
The anticipation ahead of their first meeting, coupled with the split-decision verdict at its conclusion, led many to suggest that a rematch was in order. But while Edwards admitted he had contemplated the possibility, he has instead focused his attention on fighters ahead of him in the middleweight division, starting with Dutch contender Costello van Steenis, who he was scheduled to face in London on May 9 before the COVID-19 pandemic put Bellator’s fight schedule on hold.
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“(Shipman) made a few posts saying ‘rematch this’ and ‘rematch that,’ and I was considering it,” said Edwards. “But, to be honest, I’ve thought about it now. He needs to go on a two-fight win streak or three-fight win streak for me to bless him with that again. But I’m just focused on Costello van (expletive) right now.”
Like his brother, UFC welterweight contender Leon, Edwards is planning to pick up championship gold sooner rather than later and says he thinks victory over van Steenis could place him within touching distance of a title shot at 185 pounds.
“I reckon Costello, and then two more people (before a title shot),” he suggested. It could be either three people or two, depending on who I fight after Costello. If I fight a former champion, then I should be challenging for the world title after two fights. But if not, it’ll be three fights.”
To hear the full interview with Edwards, check out the video below.
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Check out the full list of medical suspensions from Bellator Europe 6 in London.
Bellator finished closed out its 2019 European series schedule Saturday in London with Bellator Europe 6, which took place at The SSE Arena, Wembley.
In the main event, [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] ran through Italian newcomer [autotag]Giovanni Melilla[/autotag] by picking up another first-round knockout. The co-headliner saw [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] edge out a split decision win against [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag].
On Monday, MMA Junkie received medical suspensions from Mohegan Sun Tribe Department of Regulation president Mike Mazzulli, who oversaw regulation of the event. Among those facing lengthy suspensions is [autotag]Sam Sicilia[/autotag]. The Washington-based fighter was knocked out by fellow UFC veteran Robert Whiteford and will need neurological clearance to return. Whiteford was suspended indefinitely for a potential ankle/foot injury.
After his win over [autotag]Terry Brazier[/autotag], [autotag]Soren Bak[/autotag] was suspended indefinitely until his right knee is cleared by a physician.
Additionally, [autotag]Josie Blaber[/autotag] was suspended 180 days or until cleared by a doctor. Blaber was on the receiving end of brutal, dragged-out attack by [autotag]Charlotte McIntyre[/autotag] in the card’s curtain jerker.
Check out the full Bellator Europe 7 medical suspensions below:
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After Bellator London, Mike Shipman was frustrated with not only with the judging, but also with himself.
LONDON – The Bellator Europe 6 co-main event was close.
When the dust settled, [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] had his hand raised after a three-round bout with [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag]. However, not everyone agreed with the decision. The consensus among fans and media was the same as among the judges: split.
After the fight, Shipman (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) emphasized his frustrations not only with the judging, but with himself. According to Shipman, he believed he had a comfortable lead in the fight in the third round. As a result, he “coasted” instead of pressing the action.
“Yeah, obviously I’m going to have a biased opinion,” Shipman told MMA Junkie. “I need to watch the tape back. I thought I had won the fight. In the third round, I took my foot off the gas because I thought I won it. I coasted the third round, so (expletive) me for doing that.”
Third-round mental lapses aside, Shipman was unhappy with his performance altogether. If he did certain things differently, Shipman believes the fight would have gone his way even under these circumstances.
“I wasn’t totally happy with my performance,” Shipman said. “I should have done more damage in certain spots and taken advantage of the dominant positions I had. But I do think I did enough. But that’s the game.”
One judge, Ben Cartlidge, scored the contest 30-27 in favor of Edwards (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) – an outrageous ruling in the eyes of Shipman.
“I don’t understand the 30-27. I don’t understand what fight they were watching,” Shipman said. “But again, but I don’t want to be going to the judges anyways. And if I am going to the judges, I want a bloody mess in front of me.”
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The war of words between rivals Shipman and Edwards was well-documented entering Bellator Europe 6. The two fighters have not liked each other since their days competing on the regional scene for BAMMA. After the fight, Shipman put the bad blood aside and commended Edwards on the victory.
“Credit to Fabian as well,” Shipman said. “Obviously as you all know, I don’t like the guy. But he did show he’s the real deal. He’s a real fighter. He went out and tried to push the pace, tried to win the fight. I don’t think he did, but obviously two of them saw differently.”
Bellator Europe 6 took place Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London. The card streamed on MMA Junkie.
Check out MMA Junkie’s full Bellator Europe 6 post-fight interview with Mike Shipman in the video above.
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Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator London, which took place Saturday and saw Michael Page win in the main event.
Bellator hosted its final European event of the years on Saturday with Bellator Europe 6, which went down at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London and streamed on the Bellator app following prelims on MMA Junkie.
England’s own [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) was triumphant yet again in the main event when he elevated his record with a first-round knockout of replacement opponent [autotag]Giovanni Melillo[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in the welterweight matchup.
The finish by “MVP” etched his name further in the record books. For more on the numbers, check below for 25 post-event facts to come out of Bellator Europe 6.
* * * *
Betting favorites went 3-0 on the main card.
Betting favorites improved to 13-7 (with two no contests and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the three-bout main card was 31:47.
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.
Melillo fell to 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to August 2018.
Melillo has suffered all five of his career losses by first-round knockout.
[autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) became the first fighter to earn four Bellator victories in 2019.
Edwards’ four-fight Bellator winning streak at middleweight is tied with Rafael Lovato Jr. for the second longest active streak in the division behind Anatoly Tokov (five).
[autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag]’s (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
Shipman suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Terry Brazier[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag]’s (4-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) four victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (nine).
Kielholtz’s three stoppage victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (six).
Kielholtz’s two submission victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (six) and Emily Ducote (three).
Kielholtz’s 32-second finish of Sabriye Sengul marked the fastest submission in Bellator women’s flyweight history.
[autotag]Charlie Ward[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) fell to 4-1 since he returned to the middleweight division in November 2017. He’s 6-1 overall in his career at the weight class.
Ward suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Sam Sicilia[/autotag] (17-11 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to November 2015.
Sicilia has suffered nine of his 11 career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Kent Kauppinen[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.
Kauppinen has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished seven of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) has earned three of his four Bellator victories by decision.
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