Tag: Yancy Medeiros

Bellator signs Yancy Medeiros to long-term contract after successful ‘tryout’ in Honolulu

At Bellator 279, Yancy Medeiros made quite the impression on Scott Coker and the promotional brass.

[autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] is on the Bellator roster for the foreseeable future.

Four days after his Bellator 279 win, Medeiros (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has signed a multifight contract with the promotion – something both he and Bellator president Scott Coker angled for in their post-fight news conferences.

A Bellator official informed MMA Junkie of the long-term signing Wednesday, but no further details on the terms were offered.

Medeiros, 34, signed a one-fight deal with Bellator to compete on his home island of Oahu, Hawaii this past Saturday. Against multiple-time title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez, Medeiros wooed the hometown crowd and promotional brass with a thrilling three-round decision.

“This week was surreal for me because I got to represent,” Medeiros told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “Thank you, Bellator, for letting me do this for Hawaii. I really appreciate this. .. I hope to give you guys a show again.”

The win snapped a four-fight skid, all of which fights took place under the UFC banner and ultimately led to Medeiros’ departure. Medeiros competed 15 times for the UFC before signing with Bellator. His tenure included a main event against Donald Cerrone, as well as key victories over Alex Oliveira, John Makdessi, Erick Silva, and Damon Jackson.

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Yancy Medeiros hopes to get Bellator contract following Emmanuel Sanchez win: ‘I’m here to put on a show’

Yancy Medeiros wants a Bellator contract following his wild win over Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 279.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag]’s return home was special.

The MMA veteran won his Bellator debut on Saturday, snapped a four-fight losing streak, put on one of the best fights in 2022 – and he did it all in his first fight back in Hawaii in 13 years. Medeiros (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) outpointed former Bellator title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez in a wild brawl that open up the main card for Bellator 279.

It was a magical night for Medeiros and one of the best wins of his fighting career.

“It’s been five fights since a victory, so it was good to break that losing streak and be at home,” Medeiros told MMA Junkie at the Bellator 279 post-fight press conference. “Everything happened for a reason last year and Bellator gave me this opportunity to fight in Hawaii.

“Honestly, this was probably one of the worst fight camps with injuries and everything but it was the best fight week for me. Everything was meant to be together. I had injuries, I was sick throughout fight camp, but the aloha and the mana of Hawaii just kept me going. … This week was surreal for me because I got to represent. Thank you, Bellator, for letting me do this for Hawaii. I really appreciate this. .. I hope to give you guys a show again.”

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This was Medeiros’ first fight since his UFC release in 2021. He fought for the Las-Vegas based company from 2013 to 2021. During that stretch, he headlined an event and notched notable wins over John Makdessi, Erick Silva, and Alex Oliveira.

This fight with Bellator was only a one-fight deal, but “The Kid” hopes it becomes more than that.

“Bellator, I’m here to put on a show everywhere I go, in any venue,” Medeiros said. “I’m always going to promote this love and aloha, so come hire this kid.”

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Yancy Medeiros wins Bellator 279 homecoming in Hawaii, outslugs Emmanuel Sanchez in three-round banger

It was a successful homecoming for one of Oahu’s sons as he thrilled fans en route to a skid-snapping victory.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag]’ Bellator debut was a success – and it couldn’t have come at a location and venue more meaningful to him.

In front of his home island crowd, Medeiros (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 12-7 BMMA) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) and sent the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, including pal Nate Diaz, into a frenzy.

From the opening bell, Medeiros and Sanchez slugged it out. When Sanchez tried to take Medeiros down, he defended successfully – a theme for the rest of the bout. Sanchez had his moments in the striking department, as he rocked Medeiros on multiple occasions with his punches. Sanchez’s leg kicks were on point.

Things went solidly for Sanchez in each round until they didn’t. Medeiros rallied with his striking and landed wobble-inducing shots. In the final round, Medeiros pointed to the center of the cage and the two slugged it out. The exchanges leaned toward Medeiros, who ultimately won the fight.

The fight was a one-off for Medeiros, who parted ways with the UFC in 2021. The victory snapped a four-fight skid for the Oahu-born fighter and could lead to further opportunities with Bellator.

As for Sanchez, the loss is his fourth in a row. Sanchez moved up to lightweight for this bout after multiple failed title attempts at featherweight.

  • Yancy Medeiros def. Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Goiti Yamauchi def. Levan Chokheli via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:49
  • Bobby King def. Keoni Diggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Dayana Silva def. Janay Harding via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Justin Gonzales def. Kai Kamaka via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Nainoa Dung via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)

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Bellator 279 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs video: Title fights, grand prix bouts, and more

The event in Honolulu features Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe, Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots, Patchy Mix vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, and more.

HONOLULU – The pre-fight necessities are in the books for the second of two Bellator events this week, and all that’s left to do is fight.

The Bellator 279 fighters got face to face for the first and only time, officially at least, at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins. Included in that mix were headliners [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who fight for Cyborg’s women’s featherweight title.

A few quick words were exchanged, though seemingly nothing personal. Cyborg sported artistically-worked facepaint of the Brazilian flag.

The most intense faceoff was between co-main eventers [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who compete in an interim bantamweight title fight that doubles as a grand prix quarterfinal. The other quarterfinalists competing Saturday, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) had a lighter mood as the two flexed and shook hands.

Former women’s flyweight champion and Hawaii native [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) showed a sign of respect to opponent [autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) when she presented her with a lei.

Saturday’s card at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu is the second of back-to-back Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. Check out all the faceoffs for Bellator 279 in the video above.

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Yancy Medeiros gets wish, signs on for Hawaii homecoming against Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 279

A certified banger by most’s standards is headed to the Aloha State.

[autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] asked and then received.

A Hawaiian homecoming is in order for the former UFC fighter Medeiros (15-8 MMA) who has signed to fight [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) in a lightweight bout at Bellator 279.

Sources with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday, April 23 at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, as the second leg of a two-event-in-one-weekend showing for the promotion. Bellator 278 takes place the day prior, Friday, April 22 at the same venue. The main cards stream on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Medeiros recently lobbied for a chance in Bellator after the promotion announced its 2022 return to Hawaii. Bellator president Scott Coker voiced indecision when asked if a spot was available for the former UFC headliner. However, days later, a deal has been done. Medeiros worked for Coker during their tenures with Strikeforce.

Yet to fight since his UFC departure, Medeiros will look to snap the four-fight skid which led to his promotional exit.

Meanwhile, Sanchez, a two-time Bellator title challenger looks to turn his luck around, too. Currently on a three-fight skid, Sanchez has proved to be a tough out for Patricio Freire, Jeremy Kennedy, and Mads Burnell – the three men who most recently beat him.

With the addition, the Bellator 279 lineup includes:

  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Raufeon Stots – grand prix quarterfinal for bantamweight title
  • Champion Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe – for women’s featherweight title
  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Patchy Mix – grand prix quarterfinal
  • Justine Kish vs. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane
  • Yancy Medeiros vs. Emmanuel Sanchez

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Scott Coker open to having Yancy Medeiros compete at Bellator Hawaii: ‘If there’s room and he’s available, why not?’

“If there’s room and he’s available, why not? I don’t mind working with him again.”

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Scott Coker wouldn’t mind signing [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag], but isn’t sure if he’d be a part of Bellator’s return to Hawaii.

Medeiros (15-8-1), who parted ways with the UFC this past August, recently expressed interest in competing on one of Bellator’s back-to-back April cards in his native Hawaii, which take place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

Currently a free agent, Medeiros has worked with Coker in the past under the Strikeforce banner. The Bellator president said he would consider having him compete on one of the Hawaii cards if there’s an opening.

“Yancy started at Strikeforce and we have a good relationship with him and we have a good relationship with a lot of fighters on the island,” Coker said after Bellator 276. “The only thing is if you were to ask me today, right now, we have a lot of fighters under contract that we need to fight and we’ll probably give it to the fighters that are under current contract. But if there’s room and he’s available, why not? I don’t mind working with him again.”

Medeiros was released by the UFC after dropping four straight, most recently a unanimous decision to Damir Hadzovic at UFC Fight Night 190 last June. The 34-year-old’s last win came in a Fight of the Year contender against Alex Oliveira at UFC 218 in December 2017.

NSAC suspends Yancy Medeiros, Justin Jaynes for marijuana use – despite no longer punishing fighters for marijuana use

While the NSAC has elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for tests prior to the change.

LAS VEGAS – While the Nevada State Athletic Commission in July elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for positive tests collected prior to the change in policy.

At today’s monthly meeting at the Grant Sawyer Office Building, commissioners issued four-and-a-half month suspensions to both lightweight [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] and featherweight [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag].

Medeiros was also fined a total of $2,690.72, while Jaynes was ordered to pay a total of $1,245.36. Both amounts included prosecution fees.

A fan-favorite lightweight with a history of entertaining scraps, Medeiros (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) recently concluded an eight-year stint under the UFC banner. While he collected a handful of performance bonuses during his octagon run, the Hawaiian ended his time on a four-fight slide after dropping bouts with Damir Hadzovic, Lando Vannata, Gregor Gillespie, and Donald Cerrone.

Medeiros previously had a 2013 win over Yves Edwards overturned to a no contest by the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority after testing positive for marijuana. Medeiros’ current suspension, stemming from the UFC Fight Night 190 loss to Hadzovic, ends on Nov. 9.

Meanwhile, Jaynes (16-8 MMA, 1-4 UFC), 32, debuted for the UFC in June 2020, picking up a “Performance of the Night” bonus for a 41-second stoppage of Frank Camacho. However, he was recently released from the organization after subsequently dropping consecutive fights to Charles Rosa, Devonte Smith, Gabriel Benitez, and Gavin Tucker.

Jaynes’ suspension also ends on Nov. 9

In addition to those two orders, the commission elected to uphold temporary suspensions of [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag], [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag], and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] pending the resolution of their complaints, all of which are expected to be resolved at the commission’s September meeting.

The 35-year-old Barnett (21-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) debuted for the UFC in May, suffering a second-round submission loss to longtime veteran heavyweight Ben Rothwell. “Beastboy” stepped in on a little more than one week’s notice for that matchup after Rothwell lost a pair of targeted opponents for the UFC Fight Night 188 clash.

Barnett was suspended following an adverse finding for carboxy THC, indicating marijuana use.

Brazil’s Nascimento picked up a second-round TKO win over fellow heavyweight Alan Baudot at July’s UFC on ESPN 26 event. It was Nascimento’s third UFC appearance after making his way to the promotion with a submission win at Dana White’s Contender Series 22 in 2019.

Nascimento’s test indicated the presence of ritalinic acid, a metabolite of methylphenidate, a banned stimulant.

The 36-year-old Pineda (27-14 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was struggling against Andre Fili at June’s UFC Fight Night 190 before being poked in the eye in the second round, when doctors declared him unable to continue. As a result, the bout was declared a no contest.

His post-fight test was flagged for the presence of amphetamine, a banned stimulant.

Pineda previously ran afoul of the NSAC while he was competing under the PFL banner. After being flagged for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system, Pineda admitted to the use of a banned substance and saw wins over Jeremy Kennedy and Movlid Khaybulaev overturned to no contests. Pineda was also suspended six months and pulled from the 2019 PFL championship fight with Lance Palmer, where he could have won $1 million.

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UFC parts way with Ryan Benoit, Yancy Medeiros, and others

Four fighters are no longer on the UFC roster.

The UFC has once again trimmed its roster.

Four fighters have parted ways with the promotion after recently losses, MMA Junkie has confirmed through people with knowledge of the situation.

With Dana White’s Contender Series, and the influx of UFC signings that comes with it, right around the corner, it’s possible the promotion is adjusting its numbers in anticipation.

Check out the recent UFC departures below. The roster moves, unless explicitly noted, are not necessarily a “release.” The UFC may have elected not to re-sign certain fighters who were at the end of their contracts.

Yancy Medeiros vs. Damir Hadzovic rebooked for UFC Fight Night on June 26

The matchup between Yancy Medeiros and Damir Hadzovic has a new date.

The matchup between [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] and [autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag] has a new date.

Medeiros (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) vs. Hadzovic (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night on June 26, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the rebooking Saturday, but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make it official.

The pair initially was scheduled to square off at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22, but the fight was scrapped on the day of the event when Hadzovic had to pull out due to an illness. Hadzovic released a statement claiming a non-COVID virus had him battling a fever and a sore throat.

Medeiros, who recently moved back down to lightweight, will look to snap a three-fight losing skid. Hadzovic also will be looking to get back to the win column after dropping back-to-back fights to Christos Giagos and, most recently, a submission loss to Renato Moicano in March.

With the addition, the UFC’s June 26 lineup now includes:

  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Maxim Grishin vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Tim Elliott vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Michel Prazeres vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Justin Jaynes vs. Charles Rosa
  • Ed Herman vs. Danilo Marques
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Timur Valiev
  • Jai Herbert vs. Renato Moicano
  • Marcin Prachnio vs. Ike Villanueva
  • Warlley Alves vs. Ramazan Emeev
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros

Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros pulled from UFC Fight Night 188 lineup

Just hours before they were set to step into the octagon, Damir Hadzovic and Yancy Medeiros have been pulled from UFC Fight Night 188.

Just hours before they were set to step into the octagon, [autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag] and [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] have been pulled from today’s UFC Fight Night 188.

MMA Junkie confirmed the late scratch with UFC officials following an initial report from MMA Fighting. UFC Fight Night 188, which takes place at the UFC Apex, will now proceed with 12 bouts, all of which stream on ESPN+.

UFC officials have yet to reveal the reason for the removal, though an official announcement is expected shortly.

Hadzovic (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) was hoping to snap a two-fight losing skid as he returned from a 16-month layoff, that will now be extended. After scoring back-to-back wins over Nick Hein and Marco Polo Reyes, “The Bosnian Bomber” dropped a unanimous decision to Christos Giagos in June 2019, followed by a first-round submission loss to Renato Moicano in March 2020.

Meanwhile, having lost his past three in a row, Medeiros (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) was also looking to get back to the win column. Since dropping back down to lightweight following a four-fight stint at 170 pounds, Medeiros has suffered back-to-back losses to Gregor Gillespie and, most recently, Lando Vannata in February 2020. Prior to his losing skid, Medeiros had scored three-straight finishes over Sean Spencer, Erick Silva and Alex Oliveira.

With the late scratch, the UFC Fight Night 188 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Carla Esparza vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa
  • Norma Dumont vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

PRELIMINARY (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Chris Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell
  • Court McGee vs. Claudio Silva
  • Victor Rodriguez vs. Bruno Silva
  • Josh Culibao vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
  • David Dvorak vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
  • Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov

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