Tag: Ricky Bandejas

7 former UFC fighters, other notables added to XMMA 6 in South Carolina

Check out the latest fight card from XMMA, a promotion which has centered around pairing notable names from the UFC and beyond.

XMMA is back for its first event of 2023 and putting on another card filled with notable names.

This time, seven UFC alumni and two former Bellator standouts are on tap for the event Wednesday. XMMA 6 will take place at John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and streams free on YouTube.

The promotion launched in January 2021 with XMMA 1 in West Palm Beach, Fla., and was headlined by Andre Fialho vs. James Vick. XMMA 2 took place in July 2021 with a Ben Saunders vs. Ramsey Nijem main event. XMMA 3 followed shortly thereafter in October, headlined by Cody Gibson vs. John Dodson. XMMA 4 took place on April 2, headlined by John Dodson vs. Francisco Rivera. The most recent show the promotion put on was XMMA 5 in July, headlined by Will Brooks vs. Luis Pena.

Keeping with notable names as top-billing, XMMA 6 features nine major promotional notables from years past. Scroll below to see which UFC alums and other fighters are currently scheduled to compete.

Bellator 249 results: Leandro Higo finishes Ricky Bandejas in second round

Leandro Higo made the most of his time in the co-feature spotlight on Thursday night.

[autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] was bumped up to the co-feature bout Thursday night on CBS Sports Network when Patricky Freire vs. Jaleel Willis was canceled, and he made the most of his turn in the spotlight.

The Brazilian competitor served notice to the bantamweight division that he’s a force to be reckoned with, as he scored a one-sided victory over [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag]. A rear-naked choke got the tapout at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. at the 2:32 mark of the second round.

Higo (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) was the aggressor from the outset, as he pushed forward and landed repeated leg kicks on Bandejas (13-5 MMA, 3-4 BMMA), who seemed gun shy from the outset. Higo eventually earned a takedown around the round’s midpoint and worked to improve his position from there. By the final minute of the round, Higo had Bandejas pinned against the cage with his right arm isolated and landed right hands to Bandejas’ head, but the round expired before Higo could go for the finish.

In the second, Higo, who missed weight by three pounds on Wednesday, wasted little time going right back to the takedown, although this time, after shooting the double, Higo turned it into a slam. The end was an inevitability at this point, as Higo got his back, then a body lock, then perfectly applied the RNC for the finish.

With his sixth career rear-naked choke finish, Higo has now won two straight. American Top Team’s Bandejas has now lost two straight and four of his past six.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 249 results:

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Bellator 249 predictions: Who’s picking Arlene Blencowe to upset Cris Cyborg?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 249 main card in Connecticut.

Cyborg
vs.
Blencowe		 Freire
vs.
Willis		 Bandejas
vs.
Higo		 Awad
vs.
Nallo
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 120-76		 cyborg2020
Cyborg
(68%)		 freire2020
Freire
(72%)		 bandejas2020
Bandejas
(68%)		 nallo2020
Nallo
(51%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 130-66		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 130-66		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 129-67		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 128-68		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 127-69		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 126-70
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 126-70
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 125-71
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 124-72		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 121-75		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 121-75
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 awad2020
Awad
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 118-78		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 117-79		 cyborg2020
Cyborg		 freire2020
Freire		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 nallo2020
Nallo
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 79-117		 blencowe2020
Blencowe		 willis2020
Willis		 higo2020
Higo		 awad2020
Awad

Bellator is back Stateside this week for a Thursday event – which will be the promotion’s new normal – with the women’s featherweight title on the line.

Bellator 249 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, women’s 145-pound champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line against Australian challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-3 BMMA). Cyborg is a heavy 9-1 favorite in the fight, and just one of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts is picking Blencowe in an upset.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 14-7 BMMA), brother of Bellator featherweight and lightweight dual champ Patricio Freire, takes on [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Only one of our staff members is taking Willis, who is making his return to Bellator on the heels of an LFA welterweight title win in August.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) meets [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) in a bantamweight bout. Just like the top two bouts, only one picker is taking Higo to win.

And to open the main card, we have our most contentious fight from a picking standpoint. [autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] (23-13 MMA, 11-10 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at lightweight. Awad has some picking support, but Nallo still has a sizable 9-5 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (68 percent), Freire (72 percent), Bandejas (68 percent) and Nallo (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Ricky Bandejas vs. Leandro Higo, Saad Awad vs. Mandel Nallo round out Bellator 249 main card

The Bellator 249 main card is set with four fights.

The Bellator 249 four-fight main card has been finalized.

[autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] and [autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] will round out the Bellator 249 main card.

Multiple people with knowledge of the situation recently confirmed the bookings to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It streams on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bandejas (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) returns to action looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Sergio Pettis in July at Bellator 242. Prior to the defeat, Bandejas had won back-to-back fights against Frans Mlambo and Ahmet Kayretli.

Higo (19-5 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) has gone 2-2 in his most recent four outings. At Bellator 228 in September 2019, Higo snapped a two-fight skid with a second-round submission win over Shawn Bunch. He joins teammate Patricky Freire on the card.

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Awad (23-13 MMA, 11-10 BMMA) is currently on a four-fight losing streak. The skid followed a four-fight winning streak Awad went on from April 2017 to October 2018. In his most recent fight at Bellator 232 in October 2019, Awad was finished with punches by Paul Daley.

Nallo (7-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is coming off the first loss of his professional career. After ending his first two Bellator outings against Alec Williams and Carrington Banks with violent knockout strikes, Nallo was finished with leg kicks by Killys Mota at Bellator 231 in October 2019.

With the addition, the Bellator 249 lineup includes:

  • Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe – for Bellator women’s featherweight title
  • Patricky Freire vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Ricky Bandejas vs. Leandro Higo
  • Saad Awad vs. Mandel Nallo

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[vertical-gallery id=391998]

Bellator 242 post-event facts: Aaron Pico’s presence felt in the record books

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 242, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator made its return from a 153-day hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday with Bellator 242, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A title eliminator in the bantamweight division served as the main event of the card as former longtime UFC contender [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) remained undefeated in his Bellator career when he outworked [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) to a unanimous decision.

Pettis’ performance closed out a seven-fight card that included a few notable feats. For more on the numbers, check below for 17 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 242.

* * * *

General

Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.

Betting favorites improved to 4-0 in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 47:10.

Main card

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Pettis’ two-fight Bellator winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Pettis has earned 13 of his 20 career victories by decision. That includes 10 of his past 11 wins.

Bandejas has suffered two of his three Bellator losses by decision.

[autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) has earned two of his three Bellator victories by decision.

[autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) was unsuccessful in his Bellator debut following a nine-fight UFC stint.

Mein fell to 2-3 since he returned from retirement in December 2016.

[autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) improved to 6-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in September 2017.

Pico earned the first submission victory of his career.

Pico’s six stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (11) and Patricio Freire (10).

Preliminary card

[autotag]Jake Smith[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) had his five-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Rudy Schaffroth[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.

Schaffroth suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Bellator 242 results: Sergio Pettis earns one-sided decision over Ricky Bandejas

Sergio Pettis put himself in position for a bantamweight title shot with a commanding performance at Bellator 242.

[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] has been in the public eye since he debuted in the UFC at age 20, billed as a real prospect as the little brother of Anthony Pettis.

Seven years later, Pettis (20-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) has matured into a championship contender. A poised and comfortable Pettis cruised to victory in his first Bellator main event on Friday night, earning a unanimous decision over [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] in the featured bout of Bellator 242. The judges’ scores were 30-27 across the board.

With the victory, Pettis is expected to get the winner of an upcoming fight between Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix to fill the company’s vacant bantamweight title, which will be held at a date and location to be determined.

Pettis implemented his game plan from the outset. He stalked down Bandejas (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), cut off his angles, and peppered Bandejas was a solid mix of punches and kicks.

This routine repeated in the second round. Pettis’ punishing low kicks began to add up, as Bandejas’ lead leg noticeably swelled up and affected his timing. Bandejas was never able to sustain any offensive momentum, with Pettis using deft footwork to dodge the rare occasions Bandejas pushed forward.

[lawrence-related id=538236,538228]

In the third, Bandejas seemed to sense he was down on the scorecards. He landed more often than in the first two rounds, but despite that, never came close to turning the tide, as Pettis otherwise stuck to the game plan and shut things down.

The victory, Pettis’ third in a row, was his 13th career decision win. Bandejas had a two-fight win streak snapped and has dropped three of his past five.

The bantamweight fight was the main event of Bellator 242, which took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

Complete Bellator 242 results:

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Bellator 242 results and live video stream (8:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator 242 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results.

Bellator 242 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 8:45 p.m. ET (5:45 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card simulcasts on Paramount/DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie (which can be watched in the video above).

In the main event, [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] and [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] meet in what’s been billed as a bantamweight title eliminator. And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] in a welterweight bout. The main card also includes the return of highly touted featherweight prospect [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] against [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag]

MMA Junkie reporter Nolan King is onsite, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mma_kings) for behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

Official Bellator 241 results include:

MAIN CARD (Paramount Network and DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Ricky Bandejas vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Jason Jackson vs. Jordan Mein
  • Tywan Claxton vs. Jay Jay Wilson
  • Aaron Pico vs. Solo Hatley Jr.

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8:45 p.m. ET)

  • Mark Lemminger vs. Jake Smith
  • Cass Bell vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Ras Hylton vs. Rudy Schaffroth

4 burning questions heading into Bellator 242

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head takes a look at the four biggest storylines ahead of Bellator 242 in Uncasville, Conn.

UFC on ESPN 10 features a card packed with up-and-coming talent looking to set themselves up for bigger tests later in the year.

Bantamweight contenders collide in the main event, as [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] takes on former UFC flyweight contender [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag], while the co-main event features the Bellator debut of former UFC veteran [autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag], who will face fellow welterweight contender [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag].

Bellator 242 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on YouTube and DAZN.

Let’s take a look at four burning questions heading into the event.

****

Which bantamweight contender will move one step closer to a title shot?

The Bellator bantamweight strap is up for grabs after Kyoji Horiguchi relinquished the title due to injury last year, and the winner of Friday’s main event is likely to punch their ticket for a shot at the unclaimed title later this year. The big question, of course, is which of Bellator 242’s headliners will move on to challenge for the gold?

Ricky Bandejas exploded to Bellator stardom when he knocked out James Gallagher in August 2018, but failed to capitalize on that momentum as he fell to back-to-back losses to Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix. Since then, however, Bandejas (13-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) has found his form once again and registered a pair of knockout wins over Ahmet Kayretli and Frans Mlambo to put himself right back into the title picture.

Now he faces Bellator new boy Sergio Pettis (19-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who announced his arrival in the promotion’s bantamweight division with an eye-catching first-round submission of Alfred Khashakyan at Bellator 238 in January – his first finish since his pre-UFC days back in 2013. Following his impressive debut, the former UFC flyweight contender will now look to defeat Bandejas and position himself for a shot at championship gold.

But who will leave the Mohegan Sun one step closer to a title shot? Will it be New Jersey knockout artist Bandejas, or will Pettis claim back-to-back Bellator victories to push himself to the front of the queue?

Next up: A veteran turns debutant in his 44th pro fight

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Bellator 242 breakdown: Expect Ricky Bandejas, Sergio Pettis to fight down to the wire

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the Bellator 242 main event between Ricky Bandejas and Sergio Pettis.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 242.

Bellator 242 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

Ricky Bandejas (13-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’10” Age: 28 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 70″
  • Last fight: Knockout win over Frans Miambo (Feb. 22, 2020)
  • Camp: American Top Team (Florida)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ CFFC bantamweight title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ Wrestling base
+ 6 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Accurate hooks and crosses
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Hard kicks and knees
+ Strong inside of the clinch
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ Scrambles well

Sergio Pettis (19-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’6″ Age: 26 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 69″
  • Last fight: Submission win over Alfred Kashakyan (Jan. 25, 2020)
  • Camp: Roufusport (Milwaukee, WI)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ RFA flyweight title
+ Taekwondo black belt (2nd degree)
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 3 KO victories
+ 4 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ Excellent footwork
+ Accurate jab and cross
^ Pulls and returns well
+ Dangerous head kicks
^ Strikes well off of the breaks
+ Improved wrestling ability
^ Good hips and wrist controls
+ Aggressive and attacking guard

Point of interest: Banging at bantamweight

The main event for Bellator 242 features a battle between one of bantamweight’s biggest bangers and a former flyweight who is very familiar with competing in this division.

Coming from a traditional taekwondo base, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] arguably has done a better job than his brother in regards to translating a striking process into the cage. Although Pettis is not as flashy as his brother (nor does he have the highlight reel to compare), there is an economical flow to the way in which he mixes his punches and kicks, and he also works at a much more consistent pace.

Not only does Pettis work in his kicking attacks seamlessly, but his point-fighting style of footwork has complemented his boxing nicely, utilizing his heightened sense of range to fuel his pulls and returns. Still, despite having accurate jab-cross continuums he works well from, Pettis will need to respect the power that [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] will be firing back at him.

Despite coming from a wrestling base, Bandejas seemingly has been gravitating toward banging things out on the feet as his career has progressed.

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Having a knack for throwing hands since his time spent under Nick Catone and company in New Jersey, Bandejas has steadily added to his arsenal in recent years. Already keeping cross-hook combos on a hair-trigger, Bandejas will add a clever layer to his counter game as he subtly shifts to southpaw on the retreat in order to walk oncoming opposition into check-right hooks (a trick that Jacare Souza has been using for years).

Although Bendejas could accentuate his length with a little more jabs for my liking, the 28-year-old does a decent job of offering everything from front kicks to flying knees up the centerline, something that helps discourage level-changing threats. The now-American Top Team product has also added more leg and calf kicks to his repertoire, which will help his efforts at range.

Bandejas still shows to sometimes throw his kids nakedly (without setup), as well as a tendency to back up in straight lines with an upright head. That said, former CFFC champ does well when it comes to catching or countering kicks for his won agenda – though I’m not sure how eager Bandejas will be to follow Pettis to the floor.

Next point of interest: Scrambling for supremacy

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