Check out the ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs ahead of Bellator 261 at Mohegan Sun.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the promotion is implementing an interim heavyweight title.
Bellator 261 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill are top heavyweight contenders [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA). They will compete for the interim strap in the absence of undisputed champion Ryan Bader, who is partaking in the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix.
The co-main event features a women’s flyweight fight. Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) faces [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (10-0-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).
Following Thursday’s official Bellator 261 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.
Check out the faceoffs below, including Johnson vs. Moldavsky, Carmouche vs. Watanabe, [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] vs. [autotag] Daniel Weichel[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag], and [autotag]Simon Biyong[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag].
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 261, which takes place Friday with a Timothy Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky main event.
Bellator returns on Friday with Bellator 261 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A historic fight is featured in the main event. With heavyweight champion Ryan Bader tied up with the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix, the company will implement an interim title for the first time at heavyweight.
[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) will clash for that belt, with the winner set up to unify with Bader when he becomes available.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 10 pre-event facts about Bellator 261.
With champion Ryan Bader competing at 205 pounds, the promotion has implemented an interim strap.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Bellator heavyweight title picture finally has some clarity, and it comes in the form of an interim belt.
Over the past few weeks, Bellator president Scott Coker has teased the implementation of an interim belt with the division’s champion, Ryan Bader, currently competing in the light heavyweight grand prix.
On Friday, promotion officials confirmed to MMA Junkie that Bellator 261 will take place on June 25. [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] will headline the event with the newly-instated interim championship up for grabs at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) is currently on a three-fight winning streak but has not competed since October 2020. After his most recent win, Johnson made it clear he felt he was next in line, a sentiment echoed by the undisputed title holder Bader.
As for Moldavsky (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), the Fedor Emelianenko protege has passed every test Bellator has thrown his way. His last three wins have come via unanimous decision against Bellator notables Linton Vassell, Javy Ayala, and most recently, Roy Nelson.
Promotion officials also informed MMA Junkie that a lightweight fight between Bellator-ranked lightweights [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) has been added to the card.
Check out the current Bellator 261 lineup below:
Tim Johnson vs. Valentin Moladvsky – for the interim heavyweight title
Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 243, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.
Bellator’s second event since returning from a hiatus brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic took place on Friday with Bellator 243. The event again went down at the “Fightsphere,” which is located at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
The most decorated athlete in Bellator history headlined the card in winning fashion. Former three-time champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 18-5 BMMA) knocked out former UFC and WEC titleholder [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) in the first round of their anticipated rematch. With the win, Chandler went to 2-0 against Henderson and ended his current Bellator contract.
The talk is getting stronger that Chandler’s storied Bellator run may come to an end with this fight. If that’s the case, he goes out with a special resume. For all the figures, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 243.
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General
Betting favorites went 2-2 on the main card.
Betting favorites improved to 5-0 in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 35:23.
Main card
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Chandler’s 18 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Patricio Freire for most in company history.
Chandler’s 15 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Chandler’s 13 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.
Chandler’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Henderson fell to 5-3 since he returned to the lightweight division in August 2016.
Henderson suffered his first knockout loss since Aug. 23, 2014 – a span of 2,176 days (nearly six years) and 12 fights.
[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has earned 11 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his Bellator wins.
[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag]’s (13-8 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) four-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Mitrione has suffered six of his eight career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has earned both of his Bellator victories by decision.
[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 7-9 BMMA) fell to 1-3 since he returned to Bellator for a third stint in March 2019.
Karakhanyan fell to 1-1 since he moved up to the Bellator lightweight division in February 2020.
Karakhanyan has suffered eight of his 11 career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
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[autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has earned both of her career stoppage victories by knockout.
[autotag]Nainoa Dung[/autotag] (3-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 3-0.
Dung suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
With one fight left on his deal, Myles Jury hopes Bellator extends his contract.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] is on a winning streak after Bellator 243 on Friday night.
Against seasoned MMA veteran Georgi Karakhanyan, Jury (19-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) earned a tough split-decision victory. After the fight, Jury expressed his pride in the performance.
“Props to Georgi,” Jury said. “He’s a veteran. Dude has got 40 fights. He’s been in Bellator for a long time. I felt great though, tonight. He’s tough but I felt like I beat him two rounds, I would say, to one. I’ll be honest.”
Jury’s victory over Karakhanyan was the second-to-last bout on his four-fight Bellator deal. Jury signed with Bellator in July 2019 and hopes to extend his contract with the promotion in the near future.
“I have one more fight left with Bellator on my contract,” Jury said. “Hopefully, Bellator and my management can work something out because I feel like I fit perfectly into this 155-pound division.”
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When asked who he wants to fight as the final fight on his initial four-fight Bellator contract, Jury mentioned Bellator lightweight champion, [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]. If not, perhaps a No. 1 contender fight will be next.
“My ideal opponent would be ‘Baby Pitbull,'” Jury said. “He’s the champ – the guy I always have my eye on. And who else is left in the division? You have (Michael) Chandler and Benson (Henderson) tonight, which is a close fight. We’ll see if Chandler stays. I heard he’s a free agent after this. Maybe a No. 1 contender fight? I mean, I beat a top 10 guy – a veteran of the sport here. I already fought the No. 1 contender and had a very close fight with him. What else does Bellator want?”
Bellator 243 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasted on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Myles Jury’s efforts in the closing minutes of a tight fight earned him his second straight victory.
Win or lose, [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] has long been a tough out, as [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] found out on Friday night.
The lightweight duo engaged in 15-minutes of trench warfare on the main card of Bellator 243. In a fight which ended up with both competitors throwing 59 strikes, Jury had a little bit more left in the tank in the final round, as he pulled away over the final couple minutes for a split decision victory.
The judges’ scores were 27-30, 30-27, and 29-28 in favor of Jury (19-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The opening round saw the taller Jury impose his jab, while Karakhanyan (29-11-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) would close the distance and land overhand shots. When he closed the distance, Karakhanyan attempted takedowns which ended up in clinches along the cage which ended in stalemates.
Karakhanyan did his best job implementing his game plan in the second round. He closed the distance and landed multiple takedowns, though Jury found his way back to his feet before his opponent could do any damage.
The fight’s defining moments occurred midway through the third. Jury shot for a takedown. Karakhanyan jumped and took Jury to the mat with a guillotine. Jury escaped, though, found himself in top position, and threw elbows, one of which cut Karakhanyan open. Jury was the aggressor the rest of the way as he sealed the win.
With his sixth career decision victory, Jury has now won two straight fights. Karakhanyan has now lost three of his past four fights.
The lightweight bout was part of the Bellator 243 main card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 243 results include:
Myles Jury def. Georgi Karakhanyan via split decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28)
Sabah Homasi def. Curtis Millender via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Adam Borics def. Mike Hamel via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Myles Jury sees big implications in his upcoming fight against Georgi Karakhanyan at Bellator 243.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] sees big implications in his upcoming fight.
Jury (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) faces Georgi Karakhanyan on the main card of Bellator 243 on Friday, where he hopes to emerge as a lightweight title contender.
Jury has fought top-level competition throughout his career, having gone up against the likes of Donald Cerrone, Diego Sanchez, Chad Mendes, and Benson Henderson.
That level of competition has meant that Jury has been installed as the betting favorite ahead of Friday’s bout with Karakhanyan (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA). Jury said he shares the oddsmakers’ confidence, despite his opponent’s vast experience.
“Georgi is a veteran,” Jury told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s Bellator 243 media day. “He’s got power in his hands. I think he’s primarily a grappler, I think that’s where he’s most comfortable. But at this time in my career, you look who I fight, I fight good guys all the time. I’m up to the challenge.
“So I’m coming in, I’m well prepared, and I feel like I’m in my zone right now. I feel like I’m sharp standing up striking (or) on the ground. Great people around me, great team. I’m looking forward to having my reward because I’ve trained a lot for this fight and my fight is my reward.”
Jury will look to string together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017 and already has his sights set on the top of the lightweight division. It means he has a strong interest in Friday night’s main event clash between former foe Henderson and Michael Chandler.
“I feel like this win – a great performance Friday – puts me right up in the top mix,” Jury said. “This division is wide open, ’55 is wide open. I feel like they need guys like me, and I’m right here. I’m fighting, I’m putting myself in a position to get towards that belt. That’s the ultimate goal, that’s what we’re all here for, and I got my eyes on baby ‘Pitbull,’ the guys that are fighting tonight and man, I can beat anybody in the world on any given night and that’s what I’m looking to do.”
Bellator 243 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card simulcasts on DAZN and Paramount Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.
In the main event, former Bellator lightweight champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) takes on ex-UFC and WEC champ [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA). Chandler is more than a 2-1 favorite in the fight, and he’s got the support of a whopping 12 of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts in the picks.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) will go after his second Bellator heavyweight win on the heels of his upset of 9-1 favorite Tyrell Fortune in February. This time, he’s just a slight underdog against [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), but it’s Mitrione with a big 11-3 picks lead.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is a big favorite against [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) in their lightweight bout, and he’s got a 10-3 picks lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) will try to upset [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) at welterweight. Millender nearly is a 3-1 favorite, and hes got a heavy 11-2 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Chandler (62 percent), Mitrione (79 percent), Jury (83 percent) and Millender (88 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 243, which takes place Friday with a Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson main event.
Bellator puts on its second event since returning from a coronavirus-induced hiatus on Friday with Bellator 243, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN.
A high-stakes lightweight rematch goes down in the main event. After former multi-time Bellator champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) won the first fight by split decision in November 2016, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) will get a shot at redemption as he attempts to continue his best winning streak in years.
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 243.
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Main event
Michael Chandler
Chandler competes in his 23rd Bellator bout, tied with David Rickels for the most appearances in company history.
Chandler has earned 15 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes 12 of his 17 Bellator wins.
Chandler’s 17 victories in Bellator competition are 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 12 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.
Chandler’s nine stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.
Chandler’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (eight).
Chandler’s 11 appearances in Bellator title fights are most in company history.
Chandler is one of three fighters in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture and Douglas Lima 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.
Benson Henderson
Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion. He’s 0-2 in Bellator title fights.
Henderson is 5-2 since he returned to the lightweight division in August 2016.
Henderson’s four-fight Bellator winning streak in lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Patricky Freire (five).
Henderson’s four-fight MMA winning streak is his longest since 2011.
Co-main event
Matt Mitrione
[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), 42, is the oldest of the eight scheduled main-card fighters.
Mitrione’s three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Mitrione vs. Kharitonov marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.
All of Mitrione’s career bouts have taken place under the Bellator or UFC banners.
[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.
Remaining main card
Myles Jury
[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is 1-1 since he returned to the lightweight division in September.
[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) was successful in his Bellator lightweight debut at Bellator 240 in February.
Karakhanyan is 1-2 since he returned to Bellator for a third stint in March 2019.
[autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) was successful in his return to Bellator for a third stint with a win at Bellator 238 in January.
