Tag: Raufeon Stots

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)

Raufeon Stots def. Danny Sabatello at Bellator 289: Best photos

Check out these photos from Raufeon Stots’ interim title defense and semifinal grand prix win over Danny Sabatello at Bellator 289.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]’ interim bantamweight title defense and semifinal grand prix split decision win over Danny Sabatello in the main event of Bellator 289. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Twitter reacts to Raufeon Stots’ Bellator 289 split decision win, judge’s 50-45 Danny Sabatello scorecard

Check out how social media responded to the Bellator 289 main event between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello.

The main event of Bellator 289 was a close fight between [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] that went the full 25-minute distance.

With the interim bantamweight title and a spot in the grand prix final on the line, the fight came down to the judges’ scorecards, who were split in deciding a winner.

Judge Doug Crosby became the central point of social media reaction after his 50-45 score in favor of Sabatello was read. The other two judges, Bryan Miner and Eric Colon scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Stots.

Check out reactions to the fight and the scorecards below.

Bellator 289 results: Raufeon Stots wins tight split decision over Danny Sabatello, advances to grand prix final

Raufeon Stots retains his interim bantamweight title and advances to the grand prix final by taking a close decision over Danny Sabatello.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After a lengthy build up filled with trash talk, [autotag]Raufon Stots[/autotag] and Danny Sabatello finally got to settle their differences in the main event of Bellator 289.

With a spot in the bantamweight grand prix final and the interim title on the line, Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) went the 25-minute distance in a very close fight that left the official judges cageside at Mohegan Sun Arena split in their decision.

Naturally, there was no touch of gloves to start this bout given the heated build up.

Stots opened with a few strikes, but Sabatello soon went to work with his wrestling game. Sabatello found his way to the back, but Stots rolled to get back to guard, and then used a whizzer to get back to his feet. Sabatello stuck with the clinch though, and landed a few short strikes against the fence.

Stots exercised more caution in the second round, as he was on the lookout for takedown attempts from Sabatello. The champ was able to land a few solid strikes and stop some takedowns, but Sabatello eventually got what he wanted and brought the fight to the ground. While scrambling for position, Stots found a kneebar attempt, although the round would end with Sabatello on the champ’s back after escaping.

Sabatello looked for a takedown early in the third, but Stots sprawled and kept a knee on the canvas. Sabatello landed an illegal knee to the head, causing a brief pause in the action, but he was not docked a point.

After finding success with strikes, Stots switched things up by going for a takedown of his own, and dragged Sabatello to the mat. A moment later, Sabatello worked his way back up and reversed position before separating.

Stots continued to win striking exchanges on the feet, but gave up a takedown to Sabatello. Scrambles for position followed, but as Sabatello maintained a solid grip, he was unable to land strikes or attempt a submission. The fight returned to the feet where Stots landed a few solid punches.

Before the final round, both corners told their fighter the fight was likely tied on the scorecards.

As Stots pressured forward with strikes, blood began to trickle from Sabatello’s nose. After a wild scramble for a takedown, Stots ended up in a weird position with Sabatello hanging on to his waist, but was able to land a few elbows to the head. Sabatello kept his grip through more scrambles. They separated in the closing seconds and both emptied the tank with strikes until the fight concluded.

The razor-close fight went to the judges scorecards. Judges Bryan Miner and Eric Colon scored the fight the same, 48-47 in favor of Stots, while the dissenting judge, Doug Crosby, scored every round for Sabatello with a 50-45.

When hearing Stots won the fight, Sabatello stormed out of the cage. After leading the crowd in song sending his opponent on his way, Stots exclaimed, “F*ck you Sabatello!”

With the win, Stots records the first defense of his interim bantamweight title and advances to the grand prix final, where he will meet Patchy Mix. Earlier in the evening, Mix submitted Magomed Magomedov to earn his spot in the final.

The winner of the final bout will take home the interim bantamweight tile and a $1 million prize.

Full results of Bellator 289 include:

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

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Bellator 289 video: Raufeon Stots, Danny Sabatello get face to face before interim title fight

All the pre-fight festivities are wrapped, and Bellator’s bantamweight tournament finally continues Friday.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – All the pre-fight festivities are wrapped, and Bellator’s bantamweight tournament finally continues Friday.

Interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in the Bellator 289 main event. Their fight also is a semifinal in the ongoing 135-pound grand prix.

Thursday, the two got face to face for the final time ahead of their fight at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out their faceoff from the ceremonial weigh-ins in the video above.

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

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Bellator 289 predictions: Are bantamweight grand prix and title fight upsets brewing?

Check out our staff members’ picks for Bellator 289, including Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello and Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez.

Stots
vs.
Sabatello		 Carmouche
vs.
Velasquez		 Magomedov
vs.
Mix		 Adams
vs.
Rosta
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
192-116		 stots2022
Stots
(77%)		 velasquez2022
Velasquez
(62%)		 magomedov2022
Magomedov
(62%)		 rosta2022
Rosta
(89%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
204-109
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
195-118		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
193-120		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
191-122		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
191-122
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
189-124		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
188-125		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
182-131
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Nolan King
@mma_kings
180-133		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
172-141		 stots2022
Stots		 velasquez2022
Velasquez		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
154-159		 stots2022
Stots		 carmouche2022
Carmouche		 mix2022
Mix		 rosta2022
Rosta

Bellator is back at its regular East Coast stomping ground with tournament semifinals and two title fights.

Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. 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, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on heated rival [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two grand prix semifinals. Stots is a slight -160 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Sabatello is +125. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Stots as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat by TKO in April. Velasquez protested the stoppage to no avail, but now has a shot at redemption. Even though she’s a -180 favorite over the champ, it’s underdog Carmouche who has a whopping 10-1 lead from our staff pickers.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) meets [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the second bantamweight tournament semifinal. The odds are the closest on the entire card with Magomedov just a -135 favorite. But our staff members have Mix in an 11-0 shutout.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has a tough task at middleweight against the unbeaten 10-1 favorite [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Given the odds, it’s not surprising Rosta is our third unanimous pick in four fights.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Stots (77 percent), Velasquez (62 percent), Magomedov (62 percent) and Rosta (89 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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

Raufeon Stots, Danny Sabatello make weight for Bellator 289 main event

The Bellator 289 headliner is official in Connecticut. Check out video highlights of Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello’s trips to the scale.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Bellator 289 main event is official after the interim bantamweight champion and challenger made weight.

Interm titleholder [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in the headliner, which also is a semifinal in Bellator’s ongoing bantamweight grand prix.

In the video above, check out the fierce rivals’ trips to the scale at the Bellator host hotel. Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

Raufeon Stots: Trash talk with Danny Sabatello ‘most competitive part’ of Bellator 289 matchup

Raufeon Stots has been enjoying the trash talk with Danny Sabatello ahead of Bellator 289.

NORWICH, Conn. – The trash talk between [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and Danny Sabatello in the lead up to their main event matchup has been intense, but one side finds all of it humorous.

Interim Bellator bantamweight champion Stots (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) faces Sabatello (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in the headliner of Bellator 289 on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

While the competitors have engaged in a number of expletive-filled verbal exchanges since their fight was set, Stots has not let his bantamweight grand prix semifinal opponent get under his skin.

“I’ve been having fun the whole time,” Stots told MMA Junkie and other reporters at media day on Wednesday. “I just feel like this is gonna be the most competitive part. I feel like the fight is not gonna be very competitive. So, bring on all the trash talk ’cause that’s the more chips on the table and more things I get to throw in your face when I beat the sh*t out of you.”

Sabatello recently told MMA Junkie that he sees “straight fear” in Stots, and that pressure is all on on the interim champion’s shoulders. Undefeated in three fights with Bellator, Sabatello also believes he’s in Stots’ head as the moment of their big fight approaches. However, Stots feels the exact opposite.

“I think it works to my advantage,” Stots said about Sabatello assuming he has affected his mentality. “Because he must not understand my head how I think. I feel like I can turn on my viciousness, you know? Turn it off and on. I am ready and willing to put myself in a position to be very vicious this fight.

“… I don’t think he’s in my head as much as he thinks he is, but if he thinks I am, maybe I’m in his head. He don’t got a lot to think about. He said he go to sleep and think about me, so I’m sure I’m definitely in his head.”

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Stots became interim bantamweight champ by head kick knockout of Juan Archuleta in the third round at Bellator 279. Entering on a 10-fight winning streak, “Supa” is extremely confident in his abilities over his opponent’s, although he does give Sabatello some credit where it is due.

“I feel like I’m better than him everywhere,” Stots said. “The only place he poses a threat is wrestling, and that’s an edge. He probably edges me in wrestling. Anywhere else, I feel like I dominate him – if we were to do a jiu-jitsu match, if we were to do a striking match.

“If we were to a wrestling match, he might win by like a riding point – but to be honest, I feel like I’d beat the sh*t out of him, but I like to give my opponent the benefit of the doubt. Like, if I give him the benefit of the doubt, I’ll give him a point, maybe.”

The winner of the Bellator 289 main event will advance to the bantamweight grand prix final, where Stots or Sabatello will face the winner of Patchy Mix vs. Magomed Magomedov, which also takes place on Friday’s main card.

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

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Bellator 289 pre-event facts: Will Liz Carmouche stay unbeaten in Bellator?

Check out the numbers behind Friday’s Bellator 289 event, which features a pair of championship fights.

The final Bellator event of the year takes place Friday with Bellator 289, which goes down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. In the main event, interim bantamweight champion [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]’ (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will meet in a title fight that also doubles as a semifinal matchup in the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) attempt to make her first women’s flyweight title defense when she runs it back with [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat for the title in controversial fashion earlier this year.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 289.

Patchy Mix expects to see Raufeon Stots in grand prix final: ‘Danny Sabatello is absolutely trash’

Patchy Mix envisions a Bellator bantamweight grand prix finale showdown against interim champion Raufeon Stots.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] envisions a bantamweight grand prix finale showdown against [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag].

But first, Mix (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) has to get through Magomed Magomedov (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) at Bellator 289 on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

On the other side of the bracket in the semifinals, interim champion Stots takes on Danny Sabatello, but Mix thinks Stots will make easy work of him.

“I’ve got much respect for Magomedov. He’s tough and I’ve got a lot of respect for his skill set,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m excited to go test my skill set against him. I hope to see Stots in the finale, granted he gets his job done, because he was talking like I was running from him.

“No matter what happens, I’m not running from him. I want to get that name on my record and Sabatello just is absolutely trash and he sucks, so I think he’ll be getting finished next Friday and he’s got to really work on his game.”

Mix already had a shot at the Bellator bantamweight title but fell short to Juan Archuleta in September 2020. He since has rebounded with three straight wins, including a decision win over former champ Kyoji Horiguchi in the grand prix quarterfinals.

“I added a lot of momentum and confidence after the Horiguchi fight,” Mix said. “So once I beat him, I realized I’m not waiting around no more. I want to win this whole thing. It was kind of nerve wracking for me in the beginning when all the names dropped and stuff like that, obviously because I took a hard defeat for the world title already. It took me just a little bit of momentum to have the belief I need to believe that I could beat all these guys, and I could beat them without a doubt.”

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

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