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Ronny Markes speaks with MMA Junkie’s Nolan King about his fight against Linton Vassell at Bellator 254 in Uncasville, Conn.
Ronny Markes speaks with MMA Junkie’s Nolan King about his fight against Linton Vassell at Bellator 254 in Uncasville, Conn.
Check out all the facts about Bellator 254, which takes place Thursday with a Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Juliana Velasquez main event.
Bellator returns for its final event of 2020 on Thursday with Bellator 254, which goes down inside the “FightSphere” at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
In the main event, [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) looks to defend her women’s flyweight title for a fifth consecutive time against who many consider to be her toughest challenge yet in fellow unbeaten [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA).
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 25 pre-event facts about Bellator 254.
We want your predictions for Thursday’s Bellator 254 event in Connecticut.
We want your predictions for Thursday’s Bellator 254 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 254 event staff predictions we release Wednesday ahead of the event. Bellator 254 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Make your picks for the four main card fights below.
Two new bouts pitting Linton Vassell vs. Ronny Markes and Cody Law vs. Kenny Champion have been added to Bellator 254 on Dec. 10.
The lineup for Bellator’s return after a few weeks off continues to build.
The organization has booked [autotag]Cody Law[/autotag] against [autotag]Kenny Champion[/autotag] and is targeting a bout between [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] and [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] for Bellator 254, which takes place Dec. 10 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
MMA Junkie confirmed the news following an initial report from MMA Fighting.
Law (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), a top prospect at American Top Team, made his professional debut in October and submitted Orlando Ortega in the first round at Bellator 250. He is a former NCAA Division-II wrestling champion.
Champion (2-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) made his professional debut in October 2019. He will make his Bellator debut against Law.
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In the heavyweight bout, both Vassell (19-8 MMA, 8-5 BMMA) and Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) look to build momentum from victories in their most recent fights, which snapped losing skids for both.
Vassell defeated Sergei Kharitonov with a second-round TKO in November 2019 at Bellator 234. Prior to that, the Englishman was on a three-fight losing skid.
Markes finally will make his Bellator debut more than a year after signing with the promotion. The Brazilian was expected to debut against Josh Barnett in December 2019 in Honolulu, but Barnett was removed from the card just hours before the fight when he was deemed unfit to compete due to illness. Markes most recently fought in June 2019 and beat Sigi Pesaleli in the PFL.
With the additions, the Bellator 254 lineup now includes:
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Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 241 main card, which features a Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho title fight.
| Freire vs. Carvalho |
Sanchez vs. Weichel |
Markes vs. Mitrione |
Daley vs. Homasi |
Newell vs. Zane |
Aguiar vs. Tokov |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 36-18 |
 Freire (69%) |
 Sanchez (61%) |
 Mitrione (77%) |
 Daley (92%) |
 Newell (70%) |
 Tokov (84%) |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 41-13 |
Freire |
 Weichel |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 40-14  2019 Champion* |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 40-14 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
 Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 40-14 |
Freire |
Weichel |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 40-14 |
Freire |
Weichel |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 40-14 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 40-14 |
Freire |
Weichel |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 40-14 2017 Champion |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 39-15 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 38-16 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 38-16 2014 Champion |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 38-16 2018 Champion |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Mitrione |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 33-21 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Markes |
Daley |
Newell |
Tokov |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 25-29 |
Freire |
Sanchez |
Mitrione |
 Homasi |
Newell |
 Aguiar |
Bellator is back in Connecticut this week for the continuation of its ongoing featherweight tournament.
Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, featherweight and lightweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) puts his 145-pound title on the line against challenger [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the quarterfinals of the grand prix. “Pitbull” Freire is a big 10-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he pitched a shutout from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
The co-main event is another quarterfinal fight in the tournament, and the winner will move on to face the Freire-Carvalho winner in what will be a semifinal bout that doubles as a title fight. [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) is a slight favorite against [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) in a rematch of a fight Weichel won in 2016. But this time, it’s Sanchez with a 10-4 lead in the picks.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on late replacement [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in a heavyweight bout. Markes was supposed to fight Josh Barnett in a fight rescheduled from December, but Barnett was pulled from the event. Mitrione is the favorite at around -170, but our pickers have it split right down the middle at 7-7.
[autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] (42-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) is a 4-1 favorite in his welterweight fight against [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), and the picks reflect that. Only one picker is taking Homasi in an upset, giving Daley a whopping 13-1 edge.
[autotag]Nick Newell[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) will try to rebound from his first Bellator loss with another fight in his home state when he takes on [autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] (14-9 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight. Newell is more than a 2-1 favorite, and he’s our second unanimous pick.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (29-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is a massive 12-1 favorite against [autotag]Fabio Aguiar[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who is making his Bellator debut at middleweight. Only one picker is taking Aguiar in what would be a big upset.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Freire (69 percent), Sanchez (61 percent), Mitrione (77 percent), Daley (92 percent), Newell (70 percent) and Tokov (84 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
Bellator 241’s Ronny Markes is electing to stay respectful toward Josh Barnett despite their fight falling apart twice.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] could be bitter, but he’s not.
A Bellator newcomer, Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was booked to fight against [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] twice in the past three months. Both times the fights were cancelled. The first instance happened in December, when Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was forced out of his promotional debut due to a day-of-fight medical issue. The fight was rebooked for Friday’s Bellator 241, but Barnett was yanked from the card due to undisclosed commission issues.
In Barnett’s place, former UFC fighter Matt Mitrione (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) stepped in on short notice last week.
Despite the back-to-back fight shakeups, Markes said he holds no ill will toward Barnett. He respects the PRIDE, UFC, and Strikeforce legend, the Brazilian heavyweight told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight media day held Wednesday.
“I liked the time there, but I didn’t like the vacation,” Markes said, of Hawaii. “I (went) there and brought my whole coaching (staff), everybody. I’d love to (have) seen this fight. Josh was sick. I respect him. He’s an honorable guy. He’s a legend.
“Right now, I don’t know what kind of problem he had with the commission, but I didn’t come here to talk (expletive) about Josh. He needs my respect. I respect him a lot. He needs to fix his problems with the commission. I hope this fixes soon. Me and him have a deal. He signed the contract to fight me. I hope this happens in the future.”
In Markes’ eyes, it would be inappropriate for him to hold a grudge. What if he encounters the same issue down the line? How would that make him look?
“Everybody has a bad day or bad feelings in their lives,” Markes said. “Why am I going to talk bad about him? Maybe tomorrow, I’ll be in the same situation. You know? Why am I going to come here and talk a lot of (expletive)? I’m not a typical guy (who) tries to take advantage of something negative. I hope he fixes everything and Bellator schedules me and him.”
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When the two heavyweights step in the cage Friday night, Markes said he’s going to charge forward. If he can get his hands on the American, Markes thinks he’ll score a knockout.
“I’m going to walk forward,” Markes said. “I’m going to try to put my hands (on him). If my hands connect, it will 100 percent (make) him drop. Because, the heavyweights, only one hand can change everything.”
Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out MMA Junkie’s full Bellator 241 pre-fight interview with Ronny Markes in the video above.
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Bellator 241: Ronny Markes pre-fight interview
Bellator 241: Ronny Markes pre-fight interview
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 241, which takes place Friday with a Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho main event.
Bellator action resumes on Friday with Bellator 241, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A featherweight championship fight headlines the card as [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) looks to further entrench his legacy as the greatest 145-pound fighter in Bellator history, when he takes on [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in a matchup that also serves as a quarterfinal bout in the ongoing featherweight grand prix.
The card has more to offer than that, though. For all the numbers, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 241.
* * * *
Freire competes in his 23rd Bellator bout, tied with David Rickels for the most appearances in company history.
Freire competes in his 11th Bellator title fight, the second most in company history behind Michael Chandler (12).
Freire’s eight victories in Bellator championship fights are most in company history.
Freire is one of two simultaneous two-division champions in Bellator history. Ryan Bader also accomplished the feat.
Freire is one of three fighters in Bellator history to win titles in two weight classes. Bader and Joe Warren also accomplished the feat.
Freire’s 18 victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.
Freire’s 17 victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
Freire’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are second most in company history behind Chandler (12).
Freire’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (11).
Freire’s seven knockout victories in Bellator competition are tied for third most in company history behind Patricky Freire (nine) and Douglas Lima (nine).
Freire’s six knockout victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied with McKee for most in divisional history.
Freire’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind McKee (five).
Carvalho has earned eight of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes three of his four Bellator wins.
Carvalho’s four-fight Bellator winning streak at featherweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind McKee (16) and Darrion Caldwell (six).
[autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) competes in his 15th Bellator featherweight bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Freire (21), Daniel Straus (16) and McKee (16).
Sanchez’s 11 victories by Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Freire (17) and McKee (16).
Sanchez’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind McKee (five).
Sanchez’s seven decision wins in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
[autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) was successful in his return to the Bellator featherweight division in September.
[autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] (42-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) has earned all 33 career stoppage victories as a result of strikes. That includes six of his eight Bellator wins.
[autotag]Mitrione Mitrione[/autotag]’s (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (six seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.
All of Mitrione’s career bouts have taken place under the Bellator or UFC banners.
[autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut after being a four-fight veteran of PFL and five-fight UFC veteran.
Markes is 3-3 in his past six fights dating back to June 2017.
[autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag]’s (29-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak in middleweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
With his October win over Hracho Darpinyan, Tokov improved to 22-1 in his past 23 fights dating back to April 2012.
Tokov has earned 23 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five Bellator wins.
[autotag]Nick Newell[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 12 of those wins by submission.
We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 241 event in Connecticut, featuring a Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho title fight.
We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 241 event in Uncasville, Conn.
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 241 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes is once again off, but this time Markes has a new opponent lined up.
[autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] is once again out of a fight with [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag], but this time Markes will fight on.
Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has been pulled from Bellator 241 on March 13 in Uncasville, Conn. MMA Junkie on Wednesday confirmed with promotion officials an initial report from MMA reporter Cole Shelton.
Instead, Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will fight veteran Matt Mitrione on the main card at Mohegan Sun Arena. MMA Junkie confirmed the change first reported by MMA Fighting.
Two weeks ago, reports surfaced on Twitter that Barnett was off the card due to a failed drug test. At the time time, Mike Mazzulli, head of the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department, which oversees the card, told MMA Junkie that Barnett was not off the card. On Wednesday, however, Mazzulli told MMA Junkie that “Mr. Barnett has failed (a) medical requirement by the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department and will not be fighting on the March 13 Bellator event. He will not be allowed to fight till he resolves the failed test.”
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Bellator officials simply said Barnett was not licensed by the commission and could not comment further.
Barnett has a considerable history with licensing issues. In 2001, he was given a warning by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for banned substances after defeating Bobby Hoffman at UFC 24. The UFC gave Barnett a heavyweight title shot anyway, and after Barnett defeated Randy Couture at UFC 36, he again tested positive for banned substances and became the first fighter ever stripped of a UFC title for doing so.
In 2009 and 2010, Barnett had a series of run-ins with the California State Athletic Commission, which ultimately resulted in a denial of licensure and led to the cancellation of an Affliction card, which he was slated to headline against Fedor Emelianenko.
In December 2016, Barnett received notice of a potential U.S. Anti-Doping Agency violation for which he was cleared, but not after being sidelined for more than a year.
Barnett was originally set to fight Markes on last December at Bellator’s “Salute the Troops” event in Hawaii, but had to withdraw because of illness the day of the card.
Markes will now make his long-delayed Bellator debut against Mitrione (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), who has dropped his past two fights to Ryan Bader and Sergei Kharitonov.
Barnett, 42, still hasn’t fought since September 2016.
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