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 the promotions from Sept. 11-17.
Find out how much weight all 28 fighters at Bellator 290 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night’s fights.
At Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in Inglewood, Calif., 16 of the 28 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Two of those 16 exceeded the 15 percent threshold.
MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.
In California, fighters have their weights checked on fight day – not solely when they have to hit their marks on the scale. The extra procedure was instituted in 2017 as part of the commission’s efforts to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.
If a fighter gains more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission can make a recommendation they move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gains more than 15 percent, the commission can potentially cancel their fight.
Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 28 fighters on the card at Kia Forum.
Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
The attention was on Fedor Emelianenko after Bellator 290, but Ryan Bader continued to show he’s elite in a rematch setting.
The first Bellator event of 2023, Bellator 290, went down Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and it marked a monumental occasion for both the promotion and the sport.
In addition to being the organization’s debut showcase on CBS, the card marked the retirement fight of legendary former PRIDE champion [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight titleholder [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.
The co-headliner saw middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen [/autotag](13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remain undefeated with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for his first title defense.
For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 290.
Check out the disclosed pay for all 28 fighters on Bellator 290, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Twenty-eight fighters competed Saturday at Bellator 290 with the titleholders leading all disclosed payouts.
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Saturday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.
One of five fighters who pocketed six-figure disclosed paydays, [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] topped the list with $150,000. Legendary MMA fighter [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] and welterweight Sabah Homasi each made $100,000, despite losses.
Scroll below to see what the 28 fighters on Bellator 290 were paid – disclosed amounts only.
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. 2-8.
Fourteen fights are on tap for Bellator 290 at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., with Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader atop the card.
Bellator MMA kicks off its 2023 schedule in a big way with its first fights ever to air on CBS.
Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main airs on CBS after prelims on MMA Junkie.
The three-fight main card features three fights already announced, including two title bouts. In the main event, Bellator heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) defends his title against all-time great [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA). The bout is pegged as Emelianenko’s final.
The co-main event features middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) as he battles Emelianenko’s training partner [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). A welterweight bout between all-time Bellator finishers [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) will be the inaugural Bellator bout on CBS.
New preliminary card additions announced by the promotion Friday included a rematch between [autotag]Mukhamed Berkhamov[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA), a heavyweight bout between [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Steve Mowry[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), and former bantamweight champion [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Nikita Mikhailov[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA)
The Isaev vs. Mowry bout was first reported by Severe MMA.
The full Bellator 290 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, CBS)
PRELIMINARY CARD (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, CBS)
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Check out which fighters are facing indefinite suspensions as a result of Friday’s fights in Tacoma, Wash.
Belaltor 283 took place Friday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. and featured 12 bouts of MMA action.
Atop the card, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] defeated former welterweight champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] by unanimous decision. Also, RIZIN tournament champion [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] by first-round knockout, and [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] quickly tapped [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] with a first-round guillotine choke.
As a result of injuries sustained in the bout, each fighter on the card received a medical suspension from the Washington State Department of Licensing. MMA Junkie acquired the list from the commissioning body Tuesday. The list included suspension durations but not medical specifics.
Two fighters received indefinite suspensions, including [autotag]Mukhamed Berkhamov[/autotag], who fought in a no contest against [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag]. The fight was waved off after Larkin unintentionally struck Berkhamov in the back of the head. While Berkhamov said he was dizzy and that’s ultimately why the bout was called, Larkin claimed after the fight his opponent was in the doctor’s room with a knee injury.
[autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag], who knocked out [autotag]Luis Iniguez[/autotag], also was handed an indefinite suspension. Faraldo told reporters post-fight he broke his hand on the knockout blow.
Scroll below to see the medical suspensions handed out to each fighter. It’s important to note fighters can return to competition sooner than the allotted suspension if they are cleared by a doctor.
Four fighters walked away with six-figure paydays as a result of Friday’s card in Tacoma, Wash.
Bellator 283 took place Friday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. and featured 12 bouts including two potential title eliminator fights.
Atop the card, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] in a dominant, five-round unanimous decision. The two main event participants were two of four fighters who pocketed six-figure disclosed purses from the event, according to a list MMA Junkie acquired Tuesday from the Washington State Department of Licensing, the commissioning body that oversaw the card.
Jackson pocketed a total of $191,000 for his win over former champion Lima, who took home a flat payout of $100,000. [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] ($100,000) and [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] ($125,000) were the other two fighters to hit the six-figure mark.
Scroll below to see the rest of the Bellator 283 salaries below. It’s important to note these figures do not include any potential locker room bonuses, sponsor payouts, or streaming points.
Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 283 main card featuring Douglas Lima vs. Jason Jackson in Tacoma, Wash.
| Lima vs. Jackson |
Musayev vs. Outlaw |
Gonzalez vs. Nurmagomedov |
Berkhamov vs. Larkin |
Franklin vs. Golm |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 119-67 |
 Lima (58%) |
 Musayev (60%) |
 Nurmagomedov (91%) |
 Larkin (51%) |
 Franklin (77%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 127-64  2018 Champion |
 Jackson |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
 Berkhamov |
Franklin |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 122-69 |
Jackson |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Berkhamov |
Franklin |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 122-69 2014 Champion |
Jackson |
 Outlaw |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 120-71 |
Jackson |
Outlaw |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 120-71 |
Lima |
Outlaw |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 119-72 |
Jackson |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 114-77 |
Lima |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 112-79 2017 Champion |
Lima |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 112-79 |
Lima |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 106-85 |
Jackson |
Outlaw |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 93-98 |
Lima |
Musayev |
Nurmagomedov |
Larkin |
Franklin |
Bellator has touched down in Washington state for the first time, and a former welterweieght champion is at the top of the bill.
Bellator 283 takes place Friday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacomma, Wash. 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 welterweight titleholder [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-10 MMA, 14-6 BMMA) takes on rising standout [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 6-1 BMMA). Jackson nearly is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Lima is +145. But it’s not a blowout with our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, who have Jackson with the slimmest possible 6-5 lead in the picks.
In the lightweight co-feature, [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his promotional debut against [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). Musayev is a -160 favorite and has a 7-4 edge from our staff members.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) is a huge -900 favorite at lightweight against [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), and he’s one of two unanimous picks on the main card.
It’s a close one from a betting perspective in the welterweight fight between [autotag]Mukhamed Berkhamov[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA). Berkhamov is a -155 favorite, but Larkin has a big 9-2 led from our staff pickers.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Davion Franklin[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is a -260 favorite against [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at heavyweight, and he’s our second unanimous pick at 11-0.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Lima (58 percent), Musayev (60 percent), Nurmagomedov (91 percent), Larkin (51 percent), and Franklin (77 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 283.
