Ronny Markes – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes rebooking targeted for Bellator 241

Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes is close to being rebooked.

[autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] is close to being rebooked.

Bellator is targeting the heavyweight bout for March 13 at Bellator 241. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the development to MMA Junkie on Thursday after an initial report from MMA Fighting.

The two UFC alumni originally were supposed to fight at Bellator 235 in December. However, hours before the two fighters were supposed to make the walk to the cage, Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) fell ill. As a result, his bout vs. Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was called off.

Barnett, 41, hasn’t competed in MMA in over three years. His last bout came against Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 93 in September 2016. One of the pioneers of the modern heavyweight division, “The Warmaster” has been a professional since 1997.

At UFC 36 in March 2002, Barnett defeated then-champion Randy Couture by second-round TKO to earn the promotion’s heavyweight strap. His next UFC fight wouldn’t come until UFC 164 in August 2013. In the meantime, Barnett competed for numerous notable promotions around the world, including PRIDE, K-1, Strikeforce, and more.

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His opponent, Markes, also is a UFC veteran. The 31-year-old Markes competed five times in the UFC from 2011-2014, but did so at middleweight. He compiled a 3-2 UFC record before he joined World Series of Fighting in August 2014.

In 2018, Markes competed in the inaugural season of PFL but didn’t make it to the postseason. In June, Markes competed in the PFL 2019. However, he was able to compete only once in the regular season and didn’t accumulate enough points for a postseason berth.

Bellator 241 will take place March 13 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. The main card is expected to stream on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

With the addition, the Bellator 241 lineup includes:

Champion Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout for the featherweight title
Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Daniel Weichel – Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout
Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi
Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes

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Scott Coker backs Josh Barnett on last-minute illness withdrawal at Bellator 235: ‘I feel bad for the guy’

The hope is for Bellator rebook Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes; it’s just a matter of when.

HONOLULU – Bellator president Scott Coker won’t knock [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] for his withdrawal just hours prior to his scheduled Bellator 235 main event against [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag].

Following the second leg of the promotion’s Hawaii back-to-back showcase, the Coker had high praise for Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), calling him a “warrior” and a “legend.”

“I was texting back and forth with Josh,” Coker told MMA Junkie on Saturday night. “He is a warrior. He is a legend. He’s done everything in this sport already, and so he was sick to the point he couldn’t even stand up. He just wasn’t good enough to fight. … I talked to the doctor. She said, ‘Hey look, this guy needs to get an IV in him. He’s not good enough to fight. I’m pulling him.’ She pulled the plug.”

Coker has been involved in fight promoting for 34 years, so it’s not the first time he’s faced a same-night headliner withdrawal. At Bellator 172 in February 2017, Coker watched his highly anticipated headliner between Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione get axed due to Mitrione having kidney stones.

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However, Coker said he’s never faced a headliner cancellation that close to the fight before. It was just hours before the two heavyweights were supposed to make the walk when he got the news. All in all, Coker thinks it was the right decision.

“The commission I think made a good call,” Coker said. “I was texting with him today, and he was even sick today. He said, ‘I’m still in bed, I have the chills, my body aches, my kidney’s hurt. I’ve been throwing up all morning.’ I feel bad for the guy. It’s an unfortunate situation. It’s happened twice in my career. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.”

Coker is hoping to rebook Barnett’s Bellator debut against Markes. He’s just not sure when. According to Coker, Barnett wants Jan. 25 in Inglewood, Calif. However, the Bellator president isn’t so sure that’ll happen.

“I would like to, but when? I’m not sure,” Coker said. “Josh said, ‘Please let me fight in L.A. on (Jan. 25).’ But the L.A. card is pretty packed already. I’ve got to figure it out, but I feel like I would like to put that fight together again in fairness to everybody.”

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Bellator 235: Ronny Markes reacts to Josh Barnett cancellation

Ronny Markes ‘so sad’ about Bellator 235 scratch, not upset at Josh Barnett

Ronny Markes hopes to have his fight with Josh Barnett rescheduled for Jan. 25 after its late scratch from Bellator 235 on Friday.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] is unsurprisingly disappointed about the last-second cancelation of his Bellator 235 main event showdown with [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag].

Just hours before the pair were set to meet in the heavyweight headliner on Friday, news broke that Barnett had come down with a severe illness that caused the commission to pull him from the matchup against Markes (), which represented the Bellator debut for both athletes.

Markes was left hanging, and he expressed disappointment when speaking with reporters not long after everything unfolded.

“I feel so sad,” Markes told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at Bellator 235. “I trained two months an a half for this fight. I really liked if this fight would happen today, but I hope Bellator put me and Josh to fight again soon. I’d really like to fight him and I talked to him before and saw him and he looks sick.”

Although some fighters would lash out at their opponent in this scenario, Markes was able to look at everything with perspective. He’s been on the other side of the coin before, he said, and he was actually able to see Barnett face-to-face, which removed any doubt about the legitimacy of it all.

“I see that he don’t feel good,” Markes said. “He was really sick. I was in the same situation as him in February in Brazil. I come to fight them and the whole week sick and the day of my fight I had the fever, had a lot of cold and the same as he did right now. I say to him to stay healthy.”

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Despite the situation being fresh, Markes said he’s already working with Bellator to get the fight rescheduled. He said there’s a possibility the promotion will redo the fight at Bellator 238 at Jan. 25 in Inglewood, Calif., and for Markes, that would be the perfect scenario.

“I respect him but I hope Bellator put this fight again as soon as possible,” Markes said. “I would really like to fight in January on the same card as Cyborg in LA. I hope Bellator puts that fight there. … (Barnett) said he’d really like to fight in California because he lives there. I hope that Bellator schedules us there.”

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Josh Barnett pulled from Bellator 235 main event vs. Ronny Markes after arrival at venue

The Bellator 235 main event fight between Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes has been scrapped, just hours before it was to take place.

HONOLULU – The Bellator 235 main event fight between [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] and [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] has been scrapped, just hours before it was to take place.

Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) were set to meet in a heavyweight fight that was to be each of their promotional debuts. But an undisclosed illness to Barnett kept him from being cleared by medical staff after he arrived at the venue in Honolulu.

Multiple persons with knowledge of the decision informed MMA Junkie of the decision to pull the fight.

Bellator later released a statement from president Scott Coker on Twitter that read:

“On the advice of the Hawaii State Boxing Commission, tonight’s main event bout between Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes has been cancelled. Barnett has not been cleared tonight due to severe illness. Toby Misech vs. Erik Perez is the new #BellatorUSO main event.”

Barnett showed no signs of any health issues during a Wednesday open workout session. With training partner Erik Hammer, he launched an impromptu pro wrestling match that included throwing Hammer off the stage, the two throwing each other into ice coolers on the Great Lawn of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and the always classic folding chair.

At Thursday’s official weigh-ins for the event, Barnett came in at 251.6 pounds.

Barnett was set to return from the longest layoff of his career. He hadn’t been in an MMA fight since a September 2016 win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, a third-round submission that won him a double bonus.

He was notified of a potential drug test by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in December 2016, but was given a mere reprimand in March 2018 due to a contaminated supplement. The UFC allowed him to be released from his contract in June 2018, and he signed with Bellator earlier this year.

But now his highly anticipated debut with the promotion, which was set to headline the “Salute the Troops” show in Honolulu, is on hold.

Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for more on the story as it develops.

Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator 235/Salute the Troops 2019 predictions: Barnett or Markes in their debuts?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the main card at Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) in Hawaii.

	Barnett vs. Markes	Misech vs. Perez	Arteaga vs. Lara	Akeo vs. Claxton	Cisneros vs. Davis
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 210-125 (63%)	Barnett (83%)	Perez (90%)	Lara (56%)	Claxton (83%)	Davis (85%)
Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 127-66 (66%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 121-67 (64%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 215-120 (64%)	Barnett	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 214-121 (64%)	Markes	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 214-121 (64%) 2017 Champion	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 212-123 (63%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 210-125 (63%)	Barnett	Perez	Arteaga	Claxton	Davis
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 207-128 (62%) 2014 Champion	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 206-129 (61%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 110-72 (60%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 201-134 (60%)	Barnett	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 137-106 (56%)	Markes	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 175-160 (52%)	Markes	Perez	Lara	Claxton	Davis

Bellator is back in Hawaii for a doubleheader weekend for the second straight December.

Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) takes place Friday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. Saturday, Bellator 236 takes place at the same venue.

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

The main event features a pair of promotional debuts from veteran fighters. [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in the headliner. Barnett most recently fought in the UFC; Markes makes the move over from the PFL. Barnett is more than a 2-1 favorite at the sports books, and our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers seem to concur. They have Barnett with a big 10-3 lead in our picks.

The co-main event is one of three unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card. [autotag]Erik Perez[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut after nine fights in the UFC and a pair for Combate Americas. He’s more than a 2-1 favorite and is the pick from all 13 of our staff members in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

[autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is a unanimous pick, as well, in his featherweight fight against local product [autotag]Braydon Akeo[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Claxton is more than a 4-1 favorite from the oddsmakers.

The biggest favorite on the card is [autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) at upwards of 10-1 in his welterweight bout with [autotag]Chris Cisneros[/autotag] (19-10 MMA, 0-2 BMMA). Davis, like Perez and Claxton, is a 13-0 pick from our staff members.

The women’s flyweight bout in the middle of the main card is fairly lopsided in our picks, as well. Although [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is just a slight favorite at -125 against [autotag]Veta Arteaga[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), she has a 10-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Barnett (83%), Perez (90 percent), Lara (56 percent), Claxton (83 percent) and Davis (85 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

5 burning questions ahead of ‘Bellator: Salute The Troops 2019’

We look ahead at five key storylines to follow as Bellator kicks off its double-header of events in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Bellator cage lands in Hawaii this weekend for a double-header of MMA action, with the first of the two events set to pay tribute to the servicemen and women in Honolulu at “Bellator and USO Present: Salute The Troops 2019,” which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center. The night’s main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN.

The card features the return of a heavyweight legend, a pair of women’s flyweight contenders looking to earn a second title shot and two former wrestling standouts seeking to push themselves towards the top.

Here are our five burning questions ahead of Friday night’s event in Hawaii:

Can the returning Josh Barnett surge into title contention?

It’s been more than three years since we saw [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] throwing down inside an MMA cage, but now, after a battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and a change of promotion, “The Warmaster” is back and ready to launch his assault on the Bellator heavyweight division.

Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) headlines Friday night’s card in Hawaii against Brazilian [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag], who has moved up from 205 pounds to heavyweight to take on the former UFC heavyweight champion at Salute the Troops.

With Bellator’s heavyweight division looking wide open right now, Barnett sees an opportunity to make an impact on his return as he bids to gatecrash the title picture and make a beeline for reigning champion Ryan Bader.

And with a record that includes nine finishes from his last 10 outings, Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will need to be on his guard against a man with a chip on his shoulder and a title in his sights.

“I don’t view it as going after the title,” Barnett said. “I’m already ready for a title shot. I’m already deserving of a title shot. What I’m relishing is having the opportunity to get in there and fight. Period. I go out, I fight, I win, I get what I want.”

Will “The Warmaster” get his wish on Friday night, or can Markes upset the veteran’s return with an underdog victory?

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Ronny Markes explains decision to sign with Bellator over other promotions

Former UFC and PFL fighter Ronny Markes explains his decision to sign with Bellator over other promotions.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] will be making his Bellator debut this Friday.

The Brazilian fighter takes on Josh Barnett in the Bellator 235 main event in Hawaii. Barnett will also be debuting in the promotion. Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a former UFC and PFL fighter, feels Bellator offers a great opportunity for him to fight known names – like Barnett, a former UFC champion – which is why he decided to sign with the organization.

“I feel great. This is a great opportunity for my career, especially because I’m fighting a guy that’s a legend in this sport,” Markes said. “I really like this fight to test myself. Bellator is a great organization and it’s getting better and better and better. I’m happy to be here.

“I had a few organizations (interested in signing me). My manager Ali (Abdelaziz) talked to a few organizations and I think Bellator gave us a very good … the fights they bring for us are great. I’m happy to fight Josh, who’s a legend.”

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The bout with Barnett will be going down at heavyweight. Markes made a name for himself in the UFC and PFL fighting in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions.

He thinks the cut to 185 pounds damaged his body, and that’s why he’s fighting at a more natural weight.

“I feel great. I just finished lunch and I’m eating normal,” Markes said. “I eat clean you know, but it was so hard in the time I fought for other organizations and fought at 185. It broke my body because normally I walked around 225, 220 (pounds) and then in the weeks I ate a lot of bad things, you know. My weight never passed 225, 227, but in my first time I made 185 my weight came to 230, the second time 240, and I think the days I was fighting at 185 it broke my metabolism, my body. Now I feel great and I’m going to test myself with Josh.”

Bellator 235: Ronny Markes full pre-fight interview

Bellator ‘Salute the Troops 2019’ pre-event facts: Josh Barnett returns from longest layoff

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 235, which takes place Friday with a Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes main event.

The first half of Bellator’s weekend doubleheader in Hawaii takes place on Friday with Bellator 235, or “Salute the Troops 2019,” which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and airs on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A heavyweight matchup between promotional newcomers is featured atop the card. Former UFC champion [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will return to action for the first time since 2016 when he meets [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the main card, check below for 20 pre-event facts about “Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019.”

* * * *

Main event

Barnett returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 3, 2016. The 1,204-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 23-year career.

Barnett competes outside the UFC for the first time since January 2013. He went 4-2 in his most recent stint with the company.

Barnett has earned nine of his past 10 victories by stoppage. He has finishes in 29 of his 35 career victories overall.

Barnett’s nine submission victories in UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce/WEC heavyweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (13).

Barnett is 14-2 when he lands at least one takedown in fights dating back to 2004.

Barnett’s 146 significant strikes landed against Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night 75 are the second most in a single UFC heavyweight behind Junior Dos Santos’ 157 vs. Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 86.

Barnett’s 95 significant clinch strikes landed against Nelson stand as the UFC heavyweight record.

Markes 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.

Co-main event

[autotag]Erik Perez[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut on a five-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since June 2017.

[autotag]Toby Misech[/autotag] (10-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) has altered wins and losses over his past four fights. He won his most recent bout at Bellator 215 in February.

Remaining main card

[autotag]Veta Arteaga[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) competes in her eighth Bellator flyweight bout, tied with Emily Ducote for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (nine).

Arteaga’s four victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied with Ducote for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (nine).

[autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has earned seven of her eight career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag]’ (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Logan Storley (five).

[autotag]Chris Cisneros[/autotag] (17-9 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) is winless in two Bellator stints dating back to 2011.

Cisneros’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2017.