Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 or officially announced by a promotion from July 17-23
Check out the disclosed pay for all 30 fighters on Bellator 293, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
Thirty fighters competed Friday at Bellator 293 with [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] leading all disclosed payouts.
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Friday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.
The main event and co-main event winners were the only two fighters to pocket six-figure disclosed paydays as a result of their performances Friday. Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) earned $100,000 flat for her unanimous decision win over [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) in the co-main event. Then, main event winner James (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) earned to $50,000 show and a $50,000 win bonus for his victory over [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-3 BMMA).
Scroll below to see what the 30 fighters on Bellator 293 were paid – disclosed amounts only.
At Bellator 293, top prospect Lance Gibson Jr. lost for the first time when he was knocked out cold by Vladimir Tokov.
[autotag]Vladimir Tokov[/autotag] became the first fighter to defeat [autotag]Lance Gibson Jr.[/autotag] – and he needed just over a minute to do it.
On Friday at Bellator 293 in Temecula, Calif., Tokov (8-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) slept Gibson (7-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) with a series of punches that ended their fight at 1:02 of Round 1. The lightweight bout took place as part of the prelims at Pechanga Resort Casino.
The finishing sequence started with a left jab, which clattered off Gibson’s face as he rushed toward the Russian. The quick shot floored Gibson, who landed on his back. As Gibson tried to scramble, Tokov dove with a right hand then two lefts.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁! 👊💥
A beautifully timed shot from Vladimir Tokov earns him the stoppage over Lance Gibson Jr.#Bellator293 | @MonsterEnergy Prelims fueled by REBEL pic.twitter.com/yQNgDqCMsb
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 31, 2023
Gibson, 28, was put unconscious with the strikes, as was exemplified with his confused denial of what happened once he reached the stool. His father, former UFC fighter Lance Gibson Sr., consoled Gibson and affirmed to him what the commission officials told him: He was out.
Tokov, 26, is the brother of former Bellator middleweight title challenger Anatoly Tokov. Through six Bellator fights, Tokov’s results are inconsistent but with more positives than negatives. His two losses in the promotion are split decisions against Jay Jay Wilson and Chris Gonzalez.
The up-to-the-minute Bellator 293 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.
Patricio Freire added to his records for most wins and title-fight victories in Bellator history with a dominant defense at Bellator 286.
The final stretch of Bellator’s 2022 schedule kicked off Saturday with Bellator 286, which took place at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif., and featured a 13-fight lineup.
The main event saw the most decorated fighter in company history further enhance his legacy when [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (34-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) cruised to a lopsided unanimous decision over [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) to defend his featherweight title for the first time in what’s his third title reign in the division.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 286.
The son of the late, legendary Kimbo Slice makes his return to the Bellator cage next month.
The son of the late and legendary Kimbo Slice returns to action at Bellator 241.
[autotag]Kevin Ferguson Jr.[/autotag], also known as “Baby Slice,” will meet [autotag]Kaheem Murray[/autotag] at a contracted weight of 160 pounds at Bellator 241 on March 13. MMA Junkie learned of the bout Thursday via Bellator officials.
Ferguson’s bout will be on the prelims of Bellator 241, which will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and will air on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Ferguson (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) also had his last fight at Mohegan Sun Arena, where he thought he earned a 38-second TKO over Craig Campbell at Bellator 232. However, the bout was later ruled a no contest due to strikes to the back of the head.
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Officially, then, Ferguson has won three of his past four fights. Win or lose, he’s never gone beyond the second round in his MMA career.
Murray (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who fights out of Philadelphia, makes his Bellator debut. All three of his wins are via finish, but he enters the bout the loser of two out of his past three.
Also added to the preliminary card were [autotag]Ion Pascu[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mark Lemminger[/autotag] at welterweight and [autotag]Vladimir Tokov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcus Surin[/autotag] at lightweight.
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