Tag: Sullivan Cauley

New record-holder Sullivan Cauley still likes developmental pace after Bellator 288

Five fights into his career, Sullivan Cauley is in the Bellator record books.

CHICAGO – Five fights into his career, [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is in the Bellator record books.

Cauley (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) stayed perfect with a first-round TKO of Jay Radick (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) this past Friday on the Bellator 288 preliminary card at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

It was another quick finish for Cauley and gave the prospect five first-round knockouts in his first five fights, all under the Bellator banner. He’s now tied with Muhammad Lawal and Liam McGeary for most knockouts in Bellator light heavyweight history. To say he thinks he can move into first place alone with that record is a no-brainer.

Check out Cauley’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Bellator 288 post-event facts: Usman Nurmagomedov makes history with title win

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 288, which saw Usman Nurmagomedov move to 16-0 while claiming gold.

The penultimate Bellator event of 2022 went down Saturday with Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

With two title fights on the card, one champ defended while another belt changed hands.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) earned a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) to defend light heavyweight gold in the main event, while [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) outpointed [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-11 MMA, 15-9 BMMA) on the scorecards to claim the lightweight strap.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 288.

Bellator 288 video: Sullivan Cauley runs through foe with brutal ground-and-pound, ties record for KOs

Sullivan Cauley tied a record in just two years into his MMA career.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is just a couple of years into his professional MMA career, and he’s already on the verge of breaking records.

The Bellator light heavyweight ran through his opponent Jay Radick in just a little over a minute at Friday’s Bellator 288 in Chicago. Cauley (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) reversed a trip from Radick, landed in his guard, and then put him out with brutal ground-and-pound.

The win tied the record for the most KOs in Bellator light heavyweight history at five. King Mo and Liam McGeary are currently tied with Cauley for that accolade.

You can watch Cauley’s finish in the video below:

“I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t think of myself as a crazy power puncher, but I keep touching these guys and they keep going out,” Cauley said during his post-fight interview with John McCarthy.

Cauley called for a spot on the Bellator 290 card on Feb. 4 to fight on the same event as Ryan Bader, who will be facing MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in his retirement bout.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

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Bellator 288 pre-event facts: Patricky Freire can take sole possession of all-time knockout record

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 288, where all four title competitors are fighting for history.

Bellator returns on Friday for its penultimate event of 2022 with Bellator 288, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader serves at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (14-2 MMMA, 7-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will try for a second time to determine the Bellator light heavyweight and grand prix champion when they meet in a rematch of their April fight that ended in a no contest due to a head butt.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see lightweight gold up for grabs as [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) looks to kick off his reign with a defense against the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov pupil [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

For more on the title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 288.

Undefeated Sullivan Cauley not looking to get fast tracked, ‘focused on developing a world-class skill set’

Sullivan Cauley has been putting people away quickly in Bellator, but he’s just fine with a slow build to his career.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is happy with a slow build to his career.

Cauley (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), a protege of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, has finished all four of his professional fights in the first round.

While Cauley’s performances have delivered, the 26-year-old unbeaten fighter is in no rush to get to the top.

“I’m just focused on staying busy right now,” Cauley told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day for Bellator 288. “I’m on a development contract. I’m focused on developing a world-class skill set, and a big part of that is getting experience. I’m 4-0 and it’s all in Bellator, so it’s been under the spotlight, and I’ve been wasting guys, which is great – but I’m still only 4-0.

“So I don’t want to fight Corey Anderson when I’m 7-0. I want to get a couple more fights. I want to build up a resume. The skills are there. I can compete with the world-class guys in the practice room today. But doing it under the lights is a little different, and this is coming from my coaching staff. I fully believe in them. This is their plan. We’re going to get a few more fights, get some more experience and then we’re going to start climbing through that top 10.”

Cauley returns to action Friday at Bellator 288 when he takes on Jay Radick (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 31-Nov. 6)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

Undefeated Timur Khizriev, Sullivan Cauley, Jairo Pacheco among new additions to Bellator 288 in Chicago

Four undefeated fighters have been added to Bellator 288, an event scheduled for Nov. 18 in Chicago headlined by two title fights.

Less than three weeks away, Bellator 288 has some new additions.

Undefeated Russian prospect [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has officially signed with Bellator and will fight [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) on the Nov. 18 main card, filling in for [autotag]Akhmed Magomedov[/autotag], who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

In addition, rising light heavyweight [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) returns to fight [autotag]Jay Radick[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Also on the prelims, Glover Teixeira underling [autotag]Killys Mota[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) fights [autotag]Jairo Pacheco[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a lightweight bout and featherweights [autotag]Laird Anderson[/autotag] (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Rob Fenicle[/autotag] (2-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) collide.

A promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the additions Tuesday.

Bellator 288 takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with the main card airing on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The card is headlined by two title fights including the light heavyweight grand prix final rematch between champion Vadim Nemkov (14-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

In the co-main event, lightweight champion Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) will attempt to defend the title for the first time against undefeated challenger Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 288 lineup includes:

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

  • Champion Vadnim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix final for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
  • Timur Khizriev vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James
  • Levan Chokheli vs. Roman Faraldo

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

  • Khasan Askhabov vs. Otto Rodrigues
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Sean Fallon
  • Killys Mota vs. Jairo Pacheco
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Archie Colgan vs. Jesse Hannam
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Nick Talavera
  • Sullivan Cauley vs. Jay Radick
  • Jordan Newman vs. Jayden Taulker
  • Laird Anderson vs. Rob Fenicle
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Matias Nader
  • Wladimir Gouvea vs. Kory Moegenburg

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Bellator 284: Best photos from Sioux Falls

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 284 which took place at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S. D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

(Gallery updated throughout the event.)

Bellator 284 video: Sullivan Cauley’s knee pulverizes Tyson Jefferies for faceplant knockout

Billed as one of the top prospects in Bellator, Sullivan Cauley added another highlight to his reel in devastating fashion.

[autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] is pushed by Bellator as one of the promotion’s most highly-touted budding prospects. At Bellator 284, he showed a sample of perhaps why that is.

Bellator 284 took place Friday at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., and featured Cauley (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) against [autotag]Tyson Jefferies[/autotag] (14-11 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a middleweight prelim.

After some feeling out on the feet, Cauley clinched Jefferies against the cage. That’s where he clattered his knee off the side of Jefferies temple. The blow knocked Jefferies unconscious as he went facedown on the canvas. As referee Bobby Wombacher dove in, Cauley landed a hard punch on his downed foe. The TKO stoppage came at 1:39 of Round 1.

Cauley, 26, is an underling of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. All of his professional fights have come under the Bellator banner. All four of which have ended via TKO.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 284 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 284.

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Bellator 273 results: Sullivan Cauley slices up ‘Big Tuna’ for dominant first-round win

Ben Parrish made a big splash with a big upset in his Bellator debut. But Sullivan Cauley had other ideas about upsets at Bellator 273.

[autotag]Ben Parrish[/autotag] made a big splash with a big upset in his Bellator debut. But [autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag] had other ideas about upsets Saturday at Bellator 273.

Cauley (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) took Parrish (5-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) down early and controlled him with relative ease on the canvas. Eventually, Cauley, a Ryan Bader protege, looked a lot like his mentor when he pounded Parrish out at the 4:35 mark of the opening round and kept Parrish from a second straight Bellator upset after his viral win over Christian Edwards in 2021.

Bellator 273 took place at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Parrish kicked high early, but missed. When he tried again to the body a few seconds later, Cauley caught the kick and took him down. Cauley quickly moved to side control to the delight of his home fans. Cauley recovered to half-guard, but still was in trouble on his back eating punches.

Parrish threw elbows and tried to crawl his way to the fence. Parrish went after a kimura midway through the round, which slowed Cauley’s attack for a few moments. But soon after, Cauley landed big right hands that started to spill Parrish’s blood.

Cauley jumped to mount with 90 seconds left, then took Parrish’s back. Parrish scrambled his way back to guard, but couldn’t get back to his feet. Cauley started to unleash with punches and was relentless with them, and before too long, referee Mike Beltran shut things down for the first-round TKO.