Tag: Pat Downey

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2022

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2022, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesnโ€™t love a good upset?

In 2022, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA databaseย Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2022. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded prior to the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, Eagle FC, and One Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2022 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Bellator 289: Best photos from Connecticut

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)

Bellator 289 video: Christian Echols lands walk-off uppercut on Pat Downey for massive upset

Christian Echols pulled off a massive upset on the Bellator 289 prelims over highly-touted wrestler Pat Downey.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. โ€“ [autotag]Christian Echols[/autotag] pulled off a massive upset in his Bellator debut.

Standing across from the highly-touted wrestler Pat Downey, Echols (3-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) had the deck stacked against him with many believing Downey would come in and dominate the grappling game. The fight took place on the Bellator 289 prelims at Mohegan Sun Arena.

While Downey (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) had success early with a tight front headlock submission attempt, Echols found his way out and began putting powerful punches together. After rocking and wobbling Downey, Echols landed the walk-off uppercut to close the show in the first round.

Some sportsbooks had Downey as high as a -2500 favorite over Echols. Unfortunately for those wagering on Downey, “The Vanilla Gorilla” proved nothing is a lock in the world of MMA.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 289 include:

  • Christian Echols def. Pat Downey via knockout (punch) โ€“ Round 1, 2:27
  • Kai Kamaka def. Kevin Boehm via TKO (punches) โ€“ Round 3, 2:23
  • Michael Lombardo def. Mark Lemminger via knockout (punch) โ€“ Round 1, 4:23
  • Cass Bell def. Jared Scoggins via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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Pat Downey says he fits in the MMA mold well enough to wish he’d done it sooner

Pat Downey thinks he might like this MMA thing a little bit heading into his second pro fight at Bellator 289.

NORWICH, Conn. โ€“ [autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag] thinks he might like this MMA thing a little bit.

The 30-year-old Downey is a standout wrestler who transitioned to MMA with a pro debut earlier this year โ€“ย a 36-second submission win. He said right away in the MMA world, he felt like he fit in more than he ever did in the wrestling community.

He even said the way things have been so far for him, he’s been wondering why he didn’t come to MMA sooner.

Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) takes on Christian Echols (2-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 289 at Mohegan Sun Arena inย Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the full media day interview with Downey above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 21-27)

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, itโ€™s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, weโ€™ve got your back.

Each week, weโ€™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. 21-27.

Insider’s Scoop: Jon Jones latest, Tatiana Suarez’s comeback, UFC’s 2023 U.K. return, and more

MMA Junkie’s Nolan King shares news tidbits and rumblings from around the MMA world.

Before we get into the crux of what you all showed up for (news), we want to re-introduce you to the โ€œInsiderโ€™s Scoop.โ€

Every once in and while, our reporters, when enough noteworthy developments have piled up, will release news in an easy-to-digest roundup for the MMA Junkie audience.

From fight rumblings to event locations and dates to roster departures and more, various tidbits will be featured each time โ€œInsiderโ€™s Scoopโ€ is released.

So without further ado, hereโ€™s the latest edition of โ€œInsiderโ€™s Scoop.โ€

Bellator 284 winner Pat Downey vows to not let ‘cancel culture’ get to him, has unfinished business with Bo Nickal

It was a big week for NCAA wrestling All-Americans transitioning into MMA.

[autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag] is officially carving a new career path as a professional mixed martial artist. He left wrestling behind, and with it, he hopes the negativity, too.

At Bellator 284, Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated Keyes Nelson (0-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) by submission 36 seconds into the first round of their middleweight bout. The maneuver capped off a long-awaited MMA debut after much athletic controversy and adversity.

“My perspective is nothing but positive,” Downey said in a post-fight news conference. “I have a really, really good feeling, and I’m not going to let any negativity or any haters or any cancel culture or any of that sh*t โ€“ none of that is going to ruin my parade and ruin this career for me. I’m here to take over this middleweight division.”

Downey, 30, was a NCAA Division-I All-American, Pan American Games medalist and U.S. Open National wrestling champion. His relationship with the wrestling community was rocky for a variety of reasons, including legal issues and comments Downey made on social media.

The Olympics originally was his goal. After finishing fourth in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, Downey decided it was finally time to pull the trigger on an MMA transition. He’s glad he did, despite the stress.

“The hype, seeing the world-class stage that Bellator has laid out for us, it was nerve-wracking,” Downey said. “I’m not going to lie, even being as world-class as I am and as well-traveled, there were some butterflies. I’m not going to lie. I couldn’t wait to get a finish because I just wanted to have this 1-0 record and say I’m an MMA fighter. That probably explains why I handled it so quickly out there.”

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Downey wasn’t the only high-level wrestler to enter the national spotlight this past week. This past Tuesday, 2019 Hodge Trophy winner [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] competed on Dana White’s Contender Series in his second professional fight. Nickal (2-0 MMA) ripped through opponent Zachary Borrego for a first-round rear-naked choke submission.

Downey and Nickal have history. In 2017, Nickal defeated Downey by technical fall at the U.S. Open. They rematched at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. Nickal once again won by technical fall.

Their paths likely will cross again, this time with gloves on, estimated Downey. There is unfinished business, he said.

“Bo and I still have a lot of unfinished business,” Downey said. “We’ll be meeting down the road, once we’re in our tops and that fight makes sense. I’ll see his ass again for sure.”

Until that time, however, Downey plans to dominate anyone and everyone in the Bellator middleweight division. He’s eager to return to the cage, perhaps even as soon as next month at Bellator 285 in Dublin. His skillset and credentials, he thinks, are unique.

“I don’t want to be one of those wrestlers who is just one move and then holds,” Downey said. “I don’t want to be one of those guys who is not exciting. I want to do cool takedowns. You saw a slam, right to the full mount transition, into the kill. If I’m not trying to kill them with chokes or joints, I’m trying to beat the sh*t out of them. I want to be somebody that’s exciting, that is trying to finish fights. I’m happy I’m 1-0 with one finish.”

Bellator 284 took place Friday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.

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Bellator 284: Best photos from Sioux Falls

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284 which took place at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S. D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

(Gallery updated throughout the event.)

Bellator 284 video: Wrestling standout Pat Downey runs through opponent in MMA debut

A former NCAA Division I All-American, Pat Downey says he was “canceled” from wrestling. Friday, he moved to 1-0 in his new venture.

[autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag]’s MMA debut Saturday was years in the making โ€“ and it only lasted 36 seconds.

At Bellator 284, Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) ran through opponent [autotag]Keyes Nelson[/autotag] (0-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a 36-second submission victory. The event took place Saturday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Downey, a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, went for the takedown immediately at the start of the fight. Two double underhooks later, he secured a grip and dumped Nelson to the canvas. After a few seconds in side control, Downey powerfully tore into the mount position. With Nelson mounted, Downey locked in an arm-triangle choke and squeezed. The tap came shortly thereafter.

In his post-fight interview, Downey declared he is coming for everyone in the Bellator middleweight division. He then celebrated with his lone cornerman, former UFC fighter Luis Pena.

Downey, 30, publicly planned a transition into MMA since 2020. A massive talent on the mats, Downey was a polarizing figure away from them.

Legal issues and social media controversies caused a butting of heads with the wrestling community, which Downey claimed “canceled” him as a result. Downey told MMA Junkie in February he had no regrets about his time in wrestling but hoped to live up to his true potential in MMA.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 284 results include:

  • Pat Downey def. Keyes Nelson via submission (arm triangle choke) โ€“ Round 1, 0:36
  • Bailey Schoenfelder def. Mark Currier via submission (rear-naked choke) โ€“ Round 2, 2:35
  • Mitchell McKee def. Tony Ortega via TKO (punches) โ€“ Round 2, 1:28

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.

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Bellator’s Pat Downey explains how getting kicked off Iowa State wrestling team ‘was a blessing in disguise’

Pat Downey says he always knew he’d fight as he gets set to make his professional MMA debut at Bellator 284.

[autotag]Pat Downey[/autotag]’s wrestling career might have taken an unexpected turn, but MMA was always inevitable.

Downey (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, was kicked off the Iowa State University wrestling team in 2017 for repeated violations of team rules and found himself in the midst of various other controversial incidents that impacted his career.

The 29-year-old is set for his professional MMA debut when he takes on promotional newcomer Keyes Nelson (0-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Friday’s Bellator 284 card at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Downey told MMA Junkie Radio. “But it’s easy to say that now in hindsight when you’re going through it. I’m like, ‘What the f*ck is happening?’ I’m losing my career, my life, my house, my insurance, my sponsors, my stipend, my ability to compete. They stacked the deck against me to make this Olympic team, which was a big goal of mine.”

He continued, “I always knew I was gonna fight. It was never a matter of if I’m gonna do MMA. For me it was about when I’m gonna do MMA. I wanted to do it on my terms with my accolades, have a successful career, finish my masters degree. I had this plan.”

Pat Downey, (Red), 86 kg Freestyle, US Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado, (Photo by Casey B. Gibson/SIPA USA via AP Images)

Despite Downey’s plans not panning out the way he expected, he’s ready to capitalize on his current opportunities, but he’s not ready to leave wrestling behind just yet.

“I can confidently say I’m back on my purpose, but there was a little weird, transitional phase there where I didn’t know if I was f*cking coming or going,” Downey said. “I didn’t know what was going on. My life was kind of up in a blender. I moved three times this past year, then my grandfather died, I crashed my car, a couple of near-death accidents back in Baltimore with some personal sh*t I’d rather not get into, but it’s been a hell of a past two years since hitting what some would call my peak. The wrestling world team, I didn’t lose for two years in this country, but that just seems to be the nature of my life. The highs and the lows, I’m on a roller coaster, it feels like.”

He continued, “The drive, the hunger, the chip on the shoulder, the feeling of unfulfillment, the actual ability, the opportunity I have to supersede what I did in wrestling. … I got some things in store too for these next Olympics, 2024. Don’t be surprised if you see me representing another country in Paris.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.

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