Tag: Solo Hatley Jr.

Aaron Pico maturing, but vows ‘I’m not going to lose my killer instinct’

Aaron Pico showed smarts and patience in his Bellator 242 win over Solo Hatley Jr. But he admits he still gets a rush out of knockouts.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — A patient [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] showed veteran poise Friday night, as he executed his game plan to perfection in a first-round victory over [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag]

Pico (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) scored a quick takedown, improved his position, and maneuvered his way into a submission finish at just 2:10 in their Bellator 242 main-card opener.

It was as if he was looking to answer critics who have seen him rush into mistakes during his losses.

But make no mistake: While Pico, who has been re-learning the game at Jackson Wink MMA, wants to continue working on all aspect of his game, he hasn’t lost his love for the knockout.

“I think it’s just staying patient, because the times that I’ve gotten in trouble are when I’ve been so fixated on the knockout rather than letting the fight come to me,” Pico told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the Bellator 242 post-fight press conference. “I’m not going to lose my killer instinct to knock people out. I’m not going to lose that. I’ll never lose that.”

Rather, it’s a matter of putting all the pieces together, as he so aptly demonstrated against Hatley (8-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA).

“It’s just a matter of timing,” Pico said. “I have to be patient, work on my wrestling, my takedowns, implement all my skills, and the knockout will come. Make no mistake, my killer instinct is always going to be there.”

The victory is Pico’s second in a row. But the 23-year old Los Angeles native has enough of a feel for this sport now to understand he can’t let it get to his head. After all, he once road a four-fight win streak, and just as it seemed he was on the verge of a major breakthrough, he suffered consecutive stoppage losses to Henry Corrales and Adam Borics.

“I’ve been on a four-fight win streak before and then I fought some very, very tough guys,” Pico said. “I just know that I, I love this sport, and I really had to pick myself out of a deep hole with all the expectations on me.

“To wake up the next morning after being knocked out for your second loss in front of millions of people, it’s very, very, Some days I didn’t want to get up, but you need to eat. There’s no sense of quitting now. There’s going to be bumps in the road. There’s going to be losses in life regardless.”

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

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Bellator 242 results: Aaron Pico rolls over Solo Hatley Jr. for first submission win

Aaron Pico wasted little time getting down to business Friday, as he scored the first submission victory of his career.

The new and improved [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] continued demonstrating his progression Friday night.

Fighting for the third time since switching his camp to Jackson Wink MMA, Pico (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) rolled over an overmatched [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag]

Pico put on a clinic before finishing Hatley via rear-naked choke  at 2:10 of the opening round at the “Fightsphere” at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It marked Pico’s first career submission win.

“(Coach) Greg Jackson’s just slowed things down for me, he’s made it really, really simple,” Pico said in his post-fight interview. “I just want to be smart, have a great career.”

Pico looked composed from the outset, as he shot for a takedown and cinched it on a second effort. From there, he put on a textbook display of positional improvement, as he softened Hatley Jr. (8-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) up with punches and elbows.

Hatley, who looked like he didn’t want to be there any more, gave up his back, and Pico soon thereafter sunk in the winning choke.

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The win was Pico’s second in a row. All six of his career victories have come via finish. The Arkansas-based Hatley had a two-fight win streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 242 results:

  • Aaron Pico def. Solo Hatley Jr. via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 2:10
  • Mark Lemminger def. Jake Smith via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:46
  • Raufeon Stots def. Cass Bell via submission (rear-naked choke – Round 3, 1:24
  • Ras Hylton def. Rudy Schaffroth via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The featherweight fight was the main-card opener of Bellator 242, which takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

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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

Bellator 242 predictions: Who gets the nod in bantamweight showcase?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 242 main card in Uncasville, Conn.

Bandejas
vs.
Pettis		 Jackson
vs.
Mein		 Claxton
vs.
Wilson		 Hatley Jr.
vs.
Pico
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 67-44		 pettis2020
Pettis
(63%)		 mein2020
Mein
(66%)		 claxton2020
Claxton
(74%)		 pico2020
Pico
(81%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 81-30		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 80-31		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 79-32		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 76-35
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 pettis2020
Pettis		 mein2020
Mein		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 75-36
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 75-36		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 73-38
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 mein2020
Mein		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 73-38
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 72-39		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 72-39		 pettis2020
Pettis		 mein2020
Mein		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 68-43		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 wilson2020
Wilson		 pico2020
Pico
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 67-44		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 67-44		 pettis2020
Pettis		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 pico2020
Pico
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 45-66		 bandejas2020
Bandejas		 jackson2020
Jackson		 claxton2020
Claxton		 hatley2020
Hatley

After a long pandemic-related layoff, Bellator returns this week to its regular home on the East Coast.

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

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

In the bantamweight main event between [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), former UFC flyweight contender Pettis received the lion’s share of the backing from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts. He also garnered 63 percent of the reader votes, too.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) proved a popular pick with our panel, with 11 of our 14 members selecting him to get the win over [autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] (31-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). However, Mein was the clear choice of our readers, with 66 percent siding with the Canadian.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) received almost universal backing in his featherweight clash against [autotag]J.J. Wilson[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), with 13 of the 14 panelists picking him to claim the victory.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) was equally fancied, with the talented featherweight strongly backed to defeat [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). However, Pico was even more popular with MMA Junkie’s readers, with a whopping 81 percent picking him to kick off Friday night’s main card with a win.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Pettis (63 percent), Mein (66 percent), Claxton (74 percent) and Pico (81 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above

Solo Hatley Jr. believes Aaron Pico’s career has been mishandled ahead of Bellator 242

“You took this young kid and everybody – Bellator and the whole world – was putting him at such a high pedestal.”

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag] isn’t a household name yet, but he hopes Friday’s fight vs. [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] at Bellator 242 is a step toward changing that.

Hatley (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) upset rising Peruvian fighter Gaston Bolanos in his Bellator debut in February. Hatley was a major underdog entering that fight – a designation which he currently holds entering the Pico (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) fight, as well.

“When I beat (Gaston) Bolanos, he was a big favorite,” Hatley told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “They had me at a 12 percent chance of winning. I don’t really read comments or anything, but I remember (on) Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, there were about 500 comments with people saying, ‘You’re going to die.’ With Aaron, they’re giving me like a three percent chance of winning.”

Despite the underdog status, Hatley said it’s the first time he’s felt comfortable entering a fight. Usually anxious, Hatley said the nerves haven’t showed up as he prepared to meet Pico in a featherweight matchup at Mohegan Sun Arena. The card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

“Even though I know he’s going to be a really tough fight, I haven’t felt nervous or worried or anything,” Hatley said. “I haven’t felt that. I’m actually worried that I’m not worried. I know he’s a really, really tough dude – a really, really tough opponent. I know he’s going to be a tough fight but I’m not really worried or nervous or anything.”

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Hatley, 23, revealed he’s admired Pico throughout his career. Although Hatley thinks Pico specifically chose him as an opponent, he doesn’t take it as a sign of disrespect.

“I don’t really know how I feel about it,” Hatley said. “Some fighters are weird. Some fighters feel disrespected when a fighter calls them out. I don’t look at it as disrespect. I look at it like he wants to fight me. I don’t look at it as disrespect or anything. I just look at it like he wanted to fight me, so we’re going to fight.”

Since his professional debut, Pico has been in the spotlight. He’s been on both the receiving and giving ends of brutal highlight-reel knockouts. His prospect status has been debated by fans and media. In Hatley’s opinion, Pico was handled incorrectly – but said that’s not his fault, and it doesn’t mean he’s not a top-tier talent.

“As far as actual fighting in MMA, he’s a real good fighter, but I believe his career was done wrong,” Hatley said. “You took this young kid and everybody – Bellator and the whole world – was putting him at such a high pedestal. For me, just fighting a regular dude, that’s a lot of pressure for me. But to not even have a fight and you’re already put on this pedestal. ‘Oh, you’re the next superstar. You’re supposed to this. You’re supposed to do that.’ That’s a huge amount of pressure. I just feel like his career could’ve been run better. The losses he’s had, he shouldn’t have those. I believe his career should have been run better.”

As for a final prediction, Hatley offered up few words.

“I’m knocking him out in the first round or second round,” Hatley said.

Bellator 242: Make your predictions for Ricky Bandejas vs. Sergio Pettis

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 242 event in Connecticut.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 242 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 242 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 242 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on YouTube.

Make your picks for all four main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Sergio Pettis vs. Ricky Bandejas headliner, Aaron Pico highlight Bellator’s July 24 return

Bellator is back for the first time in five months due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Bellator is ready to roll out fights once again.

The promotion announced Wednesday that it’s set to return July 24 after a five-month absence because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Bellator 242 will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and will be headlined by a bantamweight title eliminator bout between [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA).

The event will be co-headlined by welterweights [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) and UFC veteran [autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] (31-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

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Kicking off the main card will be top featherweight prospect [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA), who snapped a two-fight losing streak with a knockout of Daniel Carey at Bellator 238 in January. He takes on [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who defeated Gaston Bolanos by split decision in his promotional debut in February.

Featured on the three-fight preliminary card is undefeated four-time All-American wrestler [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), who faces the debuting [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

The full Bellator 242 lineup includes:

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

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

PRELIMINARY CARD Bellator’s YouTube channel, 8:45 p.m. ET)

  • Mark Lemminger vs. Logan Storley
  • Cass Bell vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Steve Mowry vs. Rudy Schaffroth

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Aaron Pico vs. Solo Hatley Jr. targeted for Bellator’s July 24 return

Aaron Pico is back.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] is back.

Bellator is targeting Pico (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) to take on rising prospect [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in a featherweight bout on its first card back from a COVID-19-induced hiatus on July 24. The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the fight booking to MMA Junkie but requested anonymity since the promotion has yet to make an announcement. ESPN was first to report the news.

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Bellator has yet to officially announce its plans for July 24 despite multiple reports of an event taking place in less than two weeks’ time. It will mark the promotion’s first event since Bellator 240 on Feb. 22 in Dublin.

Pico, 23, most recently competed at Bellator 238 in January, knocking out Daniel Carey in violent fashion. The victory punched his ticket back into the win column after losing back-to-back fights in 2019.

Hatley Jr. competed for LFA, among other regional promotions, before joining Bellator. He defeated Gaston Bolanos by split decision in his promotional debut in February. The 23-year-old riding a two-fight winning streak. His only pro loss came to current UFC bantamweight Austin Lingo.

With the addition the July 24 lineup includes:

  • Ricky Bandejas vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Solo Hatley Jr. vs. Aaron Pico

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Bellator 239: Bolanos vs. Hatley Jr., Crutchmer vs. Futrell added to Oklahoma card

A pair of fights have been added to the preliminary card for Bellator’s return to Oklahoma later this month.

A pair of fights have been added to the preliminary card for Bellator’s return to Oklahoma later this month.

[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Solo Hatley Jr.[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a featherweight bout at Bellator 239. In addition, [autotag]Kyle Crutchmer[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is set to meet [autotag]Scott Futrell[/autotag] (11-9 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a 175-pound contract weight fight, a Bellator official told MMA Junkie on Wednesday.

Bellator 239 takes place Feb. 21 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bolanos will be looking to get back on track after a submission loss to Daniel Carey at Bellator 226 this past September. That setback snapped a four-fight winning streak of knockouts, all under the Bellator banner.

Hatley has a pair of LFA fights on his resume, including a first-round TKO of TeeJay Britton. But after that, he suffered a 25-second knockout loss to Austin Lingo at LFA 72 this past August. Lingo will make his UFC debut this Saturday. In November, Hatley rebounded with a decision win under the Pyramid Fights banner and now gets the call for his Bellator debut.

Crutchmer, an Oklahoma native who was an All-American wrestling standout at Oklahoma State, made his promotional debut in Thackerville this past November with a decision win over short-notice opponent Robert Gidron at Bellator 233. Since turning pro after college, he has trained at American Kickboxing Academy with fellow former OSU standout Daniel Cormier as his wrestling coach.

The St. Louis-based Futrell will attempt to snap a three-fight skid that started with a first-round submission loss to Mike Shipman at Bellator 210 in what was his promotional debut. In 2019, he suffered second-round stoppage setbacks in a Shamrock Showdown event, and to Jason Jackson at LFA 64.

With the additions, the Bellator 239 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Ed Ruth vs. Yaroslav Amosov
  • Brandon Girtz vs. Myles Jury
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Timothy Johnson
  • Javy Ayala vs. Valentin Moldavsky

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Steve Mowry vs. Rudy Schaffroth
  • Shamil Nikaev vs. Bobby Lee
  • Cris Lencioni vs. Salim Mukhidinov
  • Denise Kielholtz vs. Kristina Williams
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Jamese Taylor
  • Adil Benjilany vs. Kevin Croom
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Aaron McKenzie
  • Christian Edwards vs. Marco Hutch
  • Mark Lemminger vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
  • Shawn Bunch vs. Keith Lee
  • Teejay Britton vs. Gabriel Varga
  • Grant Neal vs. Claude Wilcox
  • Davion Franklin vs. J.W. Kiser
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Solo Hatley Jr.
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Scott Futrell – 175-pound contract weight

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