Tag: Roman Faraldo

Bellator 283 video: Roman Faraldo keeps first-round KO streak alive with walk-off finish of Luis Iniguez

Roman Faraldo possesses freaky power, which showed at Bellator 283, as he extended his KO streak to five in the promotion.

[autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] has a knack for separating people from their consciousnesses.

At Bellator 283, Faraldo (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) extended his knockout streak to five when he decimated [autotag]Luis Iniguez[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with a straight left. No follow-up punches were necessary, as referee Keith Peterson waved off the fight at 3:42 of Round 1.

Bellator 283 took place Friday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.

The fight was all Faraldo from beginning to end. Faraldo’s striking was sharp, accurate, and effective. Prior to the finish, Iniguez looked tired as he threw lunging single-strikes. In the final few exchanges, Faraldo’s confidence visibly increased. After he stunned Iniguez in a combination, he put his hands down. Seconds later, a left hand sealed the deal.

Faraldo, 29, is one of the most highly-touted prospects in all of Bellator. With a 100 percent finishing rate under the promotion’s banner, the American Top Team product has compiled quite the highlight reel including two flying knee knockouts in Bellator.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 283 results include:

  • Roman Faraldo def. Luis Iniguez via knockout (punch) โ€“ Round 1, 3:42
  • Jaylon Bates def. Mark Coates via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Archie Colganย def. Bryan Nuro via TKO (punches) โ€“ Round 3, 1:15

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Bellator 276: Roman Faraldo sends Kelvin Rayford into orbit with lead jab, follows up with more violence

Watch Roman Faraldo add another highlight to his reel โ€“ just as he promised.

[autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] promised one way or another fans would go home with a highlight after his Bellator 276 fight. His promise came through.

In the third fight of Friday’s prelims, Faraldo (7-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) floored opponent [autotag]Kelvin Rayford[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with a stiff lead left jab and followed it up with a series of punches until the referee waved off the fight. The stoppage occurred 44 seconds into Round 1 and was the fastest finish of Faraldo’s career.

The event took place at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. and aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Faraldo, a protege of Jorge Masival, has compiled a vast resume of violence thus far in his short Bellator tenure. With seven knockouts in seven pro wins, Faraldo has won all four of his promotional bouts via strikes, including two flying knee finishes.

After the fight, Faraldo gave a shoutout to his American Top Team teammate and current Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov, who is currently in Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 276 results include:

  • Roman Faraldo def. Kelvin Rayford via TKO (punches) โ€“ Round 1, 0:44
  • Jordan Howard def. Trevor Ward via TKO (ground-and-pound) โ€“ Round 2, 3:24
  • Nico Alcaraz def. Stanton Ketcherside via submission (americana) โ€“ Round 1, 2:02*

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Cat Zingano to meet Pam Sorenson at Bellator 276; Cris Cyborg says Zingano turned down title fight

Cat Zingano could’ve had a title fight, but she’ll instead meet Pam Sorenson on the Bellator 276 prelims.

Bellator’s plan was to have Cat Zingano challenge women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg for the title, but that’s not happening.

Zingano instead will face Pam Sorenson on March 12 at Bellator 276, which takes place at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., just outside of St. Louis. MMA Fighting first reported the booking, which a promotion official later confirmed to MMA Junkie on Tuesday.

Zingano, 39, has gone 2-0 so far since signing with Bellator in October 2019. After a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway in her promotional debut, Zingano submitted Olivia Parker by first-round armbar in April 2021.

The victory seemingly set up a title-fight showdown with Cyborg, who indicated on Twitter that Zingano declined the opportunity.

“She turned down a World Title Fight to compete on the prelims?!” Cyborg tweeted and later deleted (screenshot below).

It’s unclear if that’s exactly how things turned out, but Bellator president Scott Coker said on Jan. 29 that the promotion wanted to boon Cyborg vs. Zingano “as soon as possible.” He seemed to indicate that the hold-up was on Zingano’s end.

“I think timing is going to be an issue on that fight, when Cat is ready to fight her,” Coker said after Bellator 273. “We would like that fight to happen as soon as possible.”

“That is our plan, but we have to have both fighters agree to that plan. We’re talking to the managers, Cat’s manager, find out when she’ll be ready to, No. 1, fight, and will she be willing to fight Cyborg?”

That won’t be the case, and Zingano (11-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will instead fight 35-year-old Soreno (9-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), who has split her first two Bellator outings. She won a split decision over Roberta Samad in August before she lost a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe this past November at Bellator 271.

While Zingano vs. Sorenson is scheduled for the prelims, a middleweight bout between [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 18-5 BMMA) is the most recent addition to the main card. Eblen is considered one of the fastest-rising fighters in the division, while Salter looks to bounce back from a title shot loss against Gegard Mousasi.

Other additions to the card include a lightweight battle between [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA).

Notable prospects middleweight [autotag]Romero Cotton[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), women’s flyweight [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), featherweight [autotag]Cody Law[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), and welterweight [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) have also been matched up with non-rostered opponents.

The lineup for Bellator 276 currently includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell
  • Phil Davis vs. Julius Anglickas
  • Johnny Eblen vs. John Salter
  • Jay Jay Wilson vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET )

  • Pam Sorenson vs. Cat Zingano
  • Jose Augusto vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Derek Anderson vs. Goiti Yamauchi
  • Romero Cotton vs. Lance Wright
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Ashley Deen
  • Cody Law vs. Johnny Soto
  • Roman Faraldo vs. Kelvin Rayford
  • Jordan Howardย vs. Trevor Ward
  • Dan Busch vs. Josh Augustine

Bellator 271 post-event facts: Cris Cyborg leads Bellator champs in defenses

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 271, which took place Friday and saw Cris Cyborg defend her title in 92 seconds.

[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] continued her reign of terror on Friday with another dominant title defense against [autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] in the Bellator 271 main event.

Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) recorded her third consecutive defense when she stopped Kavanagh (7-5 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) by knockout just 92 seconds into the headliner, which took place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

For more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 271.

Bellator 271 video: Roman Faraldo points at opponent, leaps across cage for stiffening flying knee KO

Could this be a “Knockout of the Year” candidate?

Lightning might not strike twice, but [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag]’s flying knees do.

For the second time in his short promotional tenure, Faraldo won by flying knee Friday when he knocked out [autotag]Robert Turnquest[/autotag] at 1:17 of Round 1.

Bellator 271 took place Friday at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

The finishing sequence began with a jab. It might not have looked like much initially, but the blow clearly stunned Turnquest (5-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who stumbled backward, hurt. Faraldo (11-8 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) smelled blood in the water. He put his hands down, pointed at his foe, who was backpedaling, and leaped across the cage.

In the air, Faraldo switched knees. The knee moving from back to front clocked Turnquest upside the head leading to a “Knockout of the Year” candidate. Upon impact, Turnquest crashed into the base of the cage where the fence and canvas meet. No follow up shots were thrown โ€“ and none were needed. Turnquest was stiff and out cold.

Check out Faraldo’s flying knee knockout below:

With the win, Faraldo stays undefeated as a professional. Training at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., Faraldo is a training partner and friend of former UFC welterweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal.

All six of Faraldo’s pro fights have ended with him victorious by knockout, including a flying knee knockout of Pat Casey in his Bellator debut.

The update Bellator 271 results include:

  • Roman Faraldo def. Robert Turnquest via knockout (flying knee) โ€“ Round 1, 1:17
  • Cody Law def. Colton Hamm via knockout (elbows) โ€“ Round 1, 4:21
  • Valerie Loureda def. Taylor Turner via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Muhammed DeReese via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Ethan Hughes def. Mahmoud Sebie TKO (punches) โ€“ Round 3, 4:05

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Bellator 271 adds Valerie Loureda, host of other prospects to South Florida lineup

Valerie Loureda will look to rebound from the first loss of her career when she competes at home.

Bellator 271 is less than one month away, and the card is quickly filling up.

On Wednesday, promotion officials announced the addition of five preliminary card matchups, each of which features at least one multifight-rostered up-and-comer.

The event takes place Nov. 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Among the names included are highly touted prospects Valerie Loureda, Roman Faraldo, Desiree Yanez, Cody Law, and Jordan Newman. Scroll below to check out who each fighter is facing.

Bellator 255 video: Roman Faraldo stops 6-foot-7 welterweight Trevor Gudde in 90 seconds

Watch unbeaten prospect Roman Faraldo score a first-round TKO at Bellator 255.

[autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] got over his tallest task to date in MMA at Bellator 255.

The unbeaten welterweight prospect conquered 6-foot-7 welterweight Trevor Gudde with a first-round TKO in their matchup on the preliminary card of Friday’s event, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The stoppage came at the 1:30 mark.

Faraldo (5-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) made quick work of Gudde (2-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). The two engaged in the clinch early where Faraldo managed to connect several times on Gudde. In one of the exchanges, Faraldo dropped Gudde with a right hand. The “Scarecrow” got up from the knockdown but Gudde would drop him multiple times following the initial drop, forcing the referee to waive off the fight.

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

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Faraldo, a protege of UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal,ย remained undefeated in his MMA run. The 27-year-old was also unbeaten as an amateur with a 5-0 record before going professional.

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How will Roman Faraldo deal with a 6-foot-7 opponent at Bellator 255?

Ahead of Bellator 255, Roman Faraldo discussed his fight at Wednesday’s media day in Uncasville, Conn.

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UNCASVILLE, Conn. โ€“ย Bellator returns to action Friday for the first time in 2021.

Bellator 255 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime โ€“ย the promotion’s debut on the cable network โ€“ย following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Ahead of the event, [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) discussed his fight at Wednesday’s media day. Faraldo talked about his fight against Trevor Gudde (2-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), his preparations for the bout against his 6-foot-7 opponennt, his pal Jorge Masvidal, and more.

Check out Faraldo’s full interview in the video above.

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Bellator 255 lineup finalized; Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez tops 13-fight card

On Friday, Bellator returns with it’s first event of 2021 โ€“ and its Showtime debut.

Barring any unforeseen fight week cancellations, the Bellator 255 lineup is set.

Tuesday, promotion officials announced the finalized 13-fight card and bout order, which includes a five-fight main card and eight prelims. Bellator 255 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

The event is headlined by Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (31-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) who will face off in a grand prix semifinal fight.

In the co-main event, welterweight contenders [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) will face off in a fight that could have potential title shot implications for the winner.

Rounding out the main card is a heavyweight rematch between [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Jack May[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), the promotional debut of [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) as he takes on [autotag]Mike Hamel[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at lightweight, and a women’s flyweight fight between [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).

The finalized Bellator 255 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez โ€“ for Bellator featherweight title, grand prix semifinal
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Jason Jackson
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Jack May
  • Mike Hamel vs. Usman Nurmagomedov
  • Alejandra Lara vs. Kana Watanabe

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Cee Jay Hamilton[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mukhamad Berkhamov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Herman Terrado[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Seixas[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jose Augusto[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jonathan Wilson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Trevor Gudde[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Branko Busick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jordan Newman[/autotag]

Bellator 255: Make your predictions for Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez 2

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 255 event inย Connecticut.

We want your predictions for Fridady’s Bellator 255 event in Connecticut.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 255 main card staff predictions we releaseย Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 255 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the fights below.