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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from November 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from November 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for November.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.
Raufeon Stots thoroughly enjoyed his second win over Danny Sabatello, so much that he’s even willing to have a trilogy after Bellator 301.
CHICAGO – [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] would love to run things back with new Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix. Then again, if a trilogy with [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] got offered to him, it’d be hard for him to turn it down.
Or so that’s how Stots’ thinking went after he beat Sabatello by unanimous decision in a thriller Friday night at Bellator 301. The result means Stots now owns two victories over Sabatello after he claimed split decision in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix last December.
The buildup to both fights has produced a lot of heat between Stots and Sabatello. That explains why Stots thoroughly enjoyed his second win over Sabatello, so much that he gloated on the microphone when addressing the Wintrust Arena crowd after the fight – and continued to relish the win during his post-fight news conference.
“I’m gonna say this over and over again: Anytime I can punch Danny Sabatello in the mouth, I’m gonna take that opportunity,” Stots told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I don’t know how many more opportunities I’m gonna get like that. For me to beat him and then beat him again just speaks to my skill level and my confidence in myself.”
Stots later said that he’d like a rematch with Mix, who choked out Sergio Pettis to unify the 135-pound title at Bellator 301. Knocking out Stots in 80 seconds this past April is how Mix became interim champ and won the promotion’s grand prix to earn his shot at Pettis, with whom Stots is teammates.
“Congratulations to Patchy. I’ve made it clear that I would like that rematch with Patchy,” Stots said. “I know that I can perform better, and I can prepare better. I made some changes in my camp, no fault of anybody’s, but I know that I can have a better performance if I fight him again. Me and Patchy talked about it; we have to do it again. …
“Congratulations to Patchy. I’m heartfelt for my boy Sergio. He’s a true champion. But yeah, I want that fight again. It kind of makes me mad seeing him there. He deserves it, did everything he’s supposed to do, but I would like that chance to face him again.”
Still, though, Stots left the door open for another go-round with Sabatello even though he’s 2-0 against him and should probably focus on bigger things. And why? Because he loves to see Sabatello miserable.
“If I talk sh*t and you still got something to say, I don’t really care,” Stots said. “It really don’t do me no good to punch Danny, but the satisfaction of watching him bleed or watching him when I dropped him, that’s like the best Christmas present ever. Watching the panic in his eyes and blood drip down his face, that’s like Christmas came early this year. No matter how many times I beat him up, if he’s got something to say, I’ll beat him up again.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.
Raufeon Stots got under the skin of Danny Sabatello after a thrilling back-and-forth bout at Bellator 301.
[autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] fought for the second time, Friday at Bellator 301. The winner was the same as in the first bout, but the fight itself was a vastly different affair.
The three-round bantamweight bout was part of the main card at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Stots (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) defeated Sabatello (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Unlike the first meeting 11 months prior, Stots vs. Sabatello 2 provided thrilling scrambles, high-offensive output, and momentum swings. Sabatello let his hands and feet go – and even started the bout with a jumping knee.
Sabatello’s takedowns and sweeps also proved to be a major weapon, but Stots often reversed position. Both men found themselves in advantageous positions on the ground. In Round 3, Stots dropped Sabatello with a two-punch combination.
🗣 @RaufeonStots has the final laugh over Danny Sabatello.#Bellator301 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BqaIhgkKVr
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 18, 2023
Much to the dismay of Sabatello and his home city crowd, Stots walked away the winner – again. During the in-cage interview with color commentator “Big” John McCarthy, Stots taunted Sabatello and asked him to come back in the cage to shake hands. Sabatello was visibly taken aback by Stots prodding, but was eventually ushered into the back by promotion and commission staff.
The long-standing rivalry extends even prior to their first fight, which took place at Bellator 289 in December 2022. The five-round bout was part of the Bellator bantamweight grand prix and turned out to be a lackluster, control-heavy affair that Stots won by split decision.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 301 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.
Former interim bantamweight champ Raufeon Stots thinks the fans in Chicago don’t really like their hometown fighter, Danny Sabatello.
CHICAGO – [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] is reasonably sure he’s not going to be in enemy territory Friday in Chicago.
Eleven months ago, Stots took a split decision from Sabatello at Bellator 289 and won the interim bantamweight title. The buildup to their fight was filled with all kinds of heat, and it hasn’t let up – to the point they’re rematching less than a year later, and the winner likely will move into the No. 1 contender spot for the winner of Friday’s co-main event between champ Sergio Pettis and interim champ Patchy Mix, who knocked out Stots in April.
But even though Sabatello hails from the North Side of Chicago and will be fighting at home for the first time in his career, Stots thinks he’s going to have a better response from the “Windy City” fans than his heated and hated rival, who will be looking to rebound from a submission loss to Magomed Magomedov in Japan.
“It’s pretty funny it’s his home town, but I think I’m going to get a bigger pop from the crowd than him,” Stots told Sabatello when he spoke to MMA Junkie and other media members at the pre-fight media day for Bellator 301. “I believe everyone in your home town hates you. It’s funny you mention Patchy and me because in your last fight, you tapped like a b*tch (to Magomedov) and ran out like when you fought me the last time. It’s going to be 2-0 Stots come Friday night.”
Stots (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) talked about that matchup, his rivalry with Sabatello (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) and more at the pre-fight media day for Bellator 301.
Check out Stots’ full interview in the video above ahead of the event, which takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.
Will there be a Bellator 302? Our “Spinning Back Clique” breaks down what could be the final event in Bellator 301.
If Bellator 301 is the final event for the promotion, there are some solid matchups to go out on.
The event taking place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago brings a pair of title fights along with a few other intriguing matchups. In the main event, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] puts his welterweight title on the line against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] in a bantamweight title unification bout.
Also on the card is a heated rivalry matchup between [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] and former interim bantamweight champ [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]. Former featherweight champion A.J. McKee also is in action against Sidney Outlaw. Rounding out the main card is a lightweight grand prix semifinal bout between Patricky Freire and Alexander Shabliy.
These are solid matchups on paper, but the event doesn’t seem to have the same buzz around it as the promotion’s previous event. Is it because the promotion’s future beyond this event is uncertain? Will there be a Bellator 302?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode on YouTube below.
Check out the faceoffs from Bellator 301 media day in Chicago, where Yaroslav Amosov and Jason Jackson had a friendly encounter.
CHICAGO – Bellator 301 media day took place Wednesday with all 10 main-card fighters in attendance, and MMA Junkie was on the scene for the festivities and faceoffs that ensued at the host hotel.
The main event features welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] defending his title against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] and interim champ [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] will meet to unify the bantamweight title.
Three other fights are featured on the main card: A rematch between bantamweight contenders [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]; former featherweight champ [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] in a lightweight grand prix alternate bout; and a lightweight grand prix semifinal between [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Shabiliy[/autotag].
After each matchup’s fighters fielded questions from reporters, they came together for faceoffs, which you can watch in the video above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.
Raufeon Stots doesn’t think Patchy Mix beat his best version.
[autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] doesn’t think he was in the ideal circumstances to win the Bellator bantamweight grand prix this past April.
Stots lost his Bellator interim title and the opportunity to crown himself winner of the 135-pound bantamweight tournament that the promotion launched last year, as he was quickly knocked out by Patchy Mix in the main event of Bellator 295.
Although Stots (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) respects Mix, he’s convinced he didn’t enter 100 percent into the cage, as he fainted during his weight cut prior to the fight.
“I’m hoping that I can have my rematch against Patchy,” Stots told MMA Junkie Radio. “I feel like I went into that fight not compromised, but knowing something I didn’t know before. I messed up in my nutrition the last two camps. I didn’t know that I was doing it to myself. I wasn’t eating all that I needed to be eating. My weight cut suffered because of it, and I passed out because of the weight cut.
“I would like the chance to fight him again. Not saying that’s the reason he won, but I know I would be able to attack the fight differently. … That one left a kind of sour taste in my mouth because I feel like I wasn’t able to truly fight and see where I’m at with Patchy. That’s kind of where my head is at.”
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Stots, who returns to the cage against Danny Sabatello (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) on Nov. 11 at Bellator 301, says he changed his meal preparation company two fights ago and was having issues with his performance.
He said the meal preparation company was fine, but it was he who wasn’t doing the things he was instructed to do to be in optimal shape.
“It was purely my fault,” Mix explained. “I would eat three (meals), and then I would be full, but I was supposed to be supplementing that with protein and other food. It was clearly laid out for me in the layout they sent me. It was on me.
“Every day, I would not eat the fourth meal just because I ate in the morning, I ate in the day, and I ate at night. … On my low days, I would feel kind of depleted and that would affect my training. I wasn’t eating all the meals I should eat, and I wasn’t supplementing the way I was supposed to be. … I just wasn’t doing any of that and that was purely my fault. … I’m a person who always goes the extra mile, and it just felt like it was way harder to do. And going into the weight cut, my weight was good, but then when I got all the way down – nobody knows this – but these last two weight cuts I really struggled, and I passed out before the fight.”
Stots didn’t say anything to the promotion or the commission overseeing the event in Hawaii. He felt he could still beat Mix, but he was wrong.
“We tried to keep it under wraps because I didn’t want to lose the fight and I didn’t think it was a problem,” Stots said. “I just feel like I would be able to perform better. I think it had an impact on me. It’s just something I know I can do better. Obviously, fighting skills and technique (I can do) better in the fight, but I feel like that (the weight cut) I know that I can do better. … It just so happened that it happened in these last two fights where I changed meal prep companies.”
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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.
Despite the uncertain times for Bellator MMA, the promotion has booked a big show for Chicago in November.
Despite the uncertain times for Bellator MMA, the promotion continues to book events.
Wednesday, promotion officials informed MMA Junkie that Bellator 301 will take place Nov. 17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with two title fights, a tournament fight, and a grudge rematch already scheduled for the main card. The card was first announced on “The MMA Hour.”
In the main event, Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) defends his title against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). The co-main event features a highly-anticipated bantamweight unification bout between undisputed champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) and interim champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).
The Bellator lightweight grand prix rolls on in the featured bout with a semifinal fight between [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (25-11 MMA, 16-9 BMMA) and [autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Additionally, a bantamweight grudge match will be run back as [autotag]Danny Sabtello[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) gets a home state fight vs. [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).
The full Bellator 301 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5 p.m. ET)
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Patchy Mix is firmly in the Bellator record books after a perfect knee made him $1 million richer at Bellator 295.
Bellator 295 took place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and marked the second night of the promotion’s weekend doubleheader in Hawaii.
The final fight of a loaded week proved to be the most memorable, because [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) scored one of the greatest knockout highlights in company history when he flattened [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) with a picture-perfect knee to the jaw knockout just 80 seconds into their main event. The nasty finish not only won him the interim bantamweight title, but he is the last man standing in the bantamweight grand prix, winning $1 million after completing the eight-man field.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 295.
