Tag: Yoel Romero

Bellator 297 pre-event facts: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ can be first to achieve triple champ status

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 297, where Patricio Freire is on the cusp of an unprecedented MMA accomplishment.

The biggest Bellator event of the year so far goes down Friday with Bellator 297, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader is featured on the top of a loaded card. In the main card, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) will attempt to make his third light heavyweight title defense when he takes on [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). The co-headliner, meanwhile, sees the return of bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who attempts to defend against current featherweight and former lightweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) in a potentially historic affair.

For more on the numbers behind the two title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 297.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (March 27-April 2)

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 March 27-April 2.

Bellator 297 heads to Chicago with Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero, Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull

A massive Bellator card is headed to the “Windy City” with two titles on the line.

Bellator is headed back to Chicago, and two title fights are coming with it.

The promotion has booked Bellator 297 for June 16 at Wintrust Arena where light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) will face [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the night’s headliner. In the co-main event, featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) drops to bantamweight to challenge 135-pound titleholder [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA).

Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report by NBC Sports Chicago. The event will air on Showtime after prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

Nemkov and Romero were originally expected to square off at Bellator 290 in February. However, Nemkov withdrew from the bout. Nemkov is coming off his grand prix-winning title defense against Corey Anderson in November. He has not lost since 2016.

Romero, 45, makes his first Bellator title challenge after multiple tries at middleweight gold in the UFC. Since joining Bellator in 2021, Romero lost a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut before back-to-back wins over Melvin Manhoef and Alex Polizzi.

In what will be his Bellator bantamweight debut, Freire aims to pick up a title in a third weight class with the promotion. A former lightweight champion, Freire has reigned as featherweight champion since 2017 – with the exception of a nine-month period after a loss to A.J. McKee. In a rematch, Freire avenged his previous defeat before more recent victories over Adam Borics and Kleber Erbst.

Pettis, 29, is set to compete for the first time since he won the Bellator bantamweight title with a spinning backfist knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi in December 2021. Pettis was scheduled to compete in the ongoing Bellator bantamweight grand prix but withdrew prior to its start due to an ACL tear.

With the additions, the Bellator 297 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title

Bellator in 2022: A robust look at the stats, streaks, skids, and records

A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2022.

Another year is in the books for Bellator.

The promotion hosted 17 fight cards to maintain its status among the top dogs in the MMA space. During that time, many records were set and a host of historic moments were produced.

Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2022’s most significant fights and individual performances.

Bellator 290 gets Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov title fight with Nemkov-Romero off

Bellator’s first event in the new year has a new title fight to take the place of one that will head to the back burner.

Bellator’s first event in the new year has a new title fight to take the place of one that will head to the backburner.

The new Bellator 290 co-main event in February will be a middleweight title fight between champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), a teammate of Fedor Emelianenko, who challenges Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in the headliner. Bellator officials announced the new fight Tuesday.

The middleweight title bout takes the place of the originally announced co-main event between light heavyweight champ [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), which officials said in a news release is “unable to take place as scheduled.”

Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., just outside Los Angeles. For the first time in promotion history, the main card will air on CBS in a nationally televised prime time broadcast. The card also will stream on Paramount+. Prelims will stream on MMA Junkie.

Eblen won the middleweight title at Bellator 282 in June when he dominated Gegard Mousasi on the scorecards for a 50-45 unanimous decision sweep. The wrestling standout beat John Salter in March to put himself in position for a title shot.

Tokov beat Muhammad Abdullah with a first-round TKO at Bellator 282 for his seventh straight win, all under the Bellator banner. In October 2021, Tokov returned after a two-year layoff and took a split decision from Sharaf Davlatmurodov.

With the change, the Bellator 290 lineup now includes:

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

  • Champ Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov – for middleweight title
  • Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward

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

  • Neiman Gracie vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Henry Corrales vs. Akhmed Magomedov
  • Karl Albrektsson vs. Grant Neal
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Max Rohskopf
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakaya

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 14-20)

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 Nov. 14-20.

Why Vadim Nemkov values Bellator title defense, grand prix win over $1 million prize

Belts over money, says Vadim Nemkov.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] is champion, and that’s all that matters to him.

The Bellator light heavyweight champ defended his belt once again, defeating Corey Anderson by decision in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 288. The title bout served as the final of the promotion’s 205-pound grand prix.

The victory came with a $1 million prize for winning the tournament. But although that’s a hefty bonus, Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) is happier about remaining champion and winning the tournament than the money.

“As I said before, victory is more important for me than money,” Nemkov told reporters at the Bellator 288 post-fight press conference. “But when the $1 million hits my bank account, I’ll probably feel it a little better, but it’s more important to get this belt and win a tournament of this magnitude. That’s what’s more important to me.”

The bout against Anderson (16-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) was a rematch, as they fought to a no contest back in April. The bout ended after an illegal accidental clash of heads ruled Nemkov out of action.

It was a tough moment for Nemkov, as the fight wasn’t going his way prior to the collision. However, today, he feels he showed an accurate representation of how he’d fare against Anderson.

“I was very disappointed with my last fight,” Nemkov said. “I think I showed 10 percent of my capabilities. In this fight, I was able to show 100 percent. I was able to show I can counter wrestle, wrestle, strike, and I’m just very well-rounded, so I’m very happy.”

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Nemkov already has a return date for his next title defense. The Russian fighter is expected to take on [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] on Feb. 4 at Bellator 290 in California.

Nemkov very much likes the matchup.

“It is an honor,” Nemkov said regarding a fight with Romero. “I watched him fight when I was just starting up, and I remember his fights, and now I get to fight him, so it’s definitely an honor.”

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

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Yoel Romero gets title shot at Bellator 290 against Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson winner

Yoel Romero will challenge for the light heavyweight title in the Bellator 290 co-main event.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] will challenge for the light heavyweight title in the Bellator 290 co-main event.

Promotion officials verified to MMA Junkie following an initial report from CBSSports.com that Romero will face the winner of Friday’s Bellator 288 light heavyweight title fight headliner between champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The event airs on CBS and is headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between champion Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko.

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), a four-time UFC title challenger, has won two of three fights since signing with Bellator. After dropping a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut, the 45-year-old snapped a four-fight losing skid by scoring consecutive third-round knockouts of Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef.

The latest Bellator 290 lineup includes:

  • Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Vadim Nemkov/Corey Anderson winner vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title

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Bellator champ Johnny Eblen welcomes Yoel Romero but concerned he ‘can’t make weight’

Johnny Eblen needs assurances he won’t be duped out of a title defense before he agrees to defend Bellator gold against Yoel Romero.

[autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] needs assurances he won’t be duped out of a title defense before he agrees to put Bellator middleweight gold on the line against [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag].

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) called for a shot at Eblen’s (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) title this past Saturday at Bellator 285 after he scored a third-round knockout of Melvin Manhoef in their co-main event clash in Dublin. “The Soldier of God” has fought his three Bellator appearances thus far at light heavyweight, but prior to that had spent seven year at a division below.

It was far from a flawless run at 185 pounds, though. Romero missed weight on multiple occasions, and now that he’s 45 years old and hasn’t fought in the weight class since March 2020, Eblen has valid concerns.

Eblen, who beat Gegard Mousasi by dominant unanimous decision to become champ at Bellator 282 in June, said he would prefer to see Romero make weight against another opponent before a title shot. If Bellator insists on putting him in right away, though, Eblen said he would need an alternate to be ready to make weight, and also have guarantees he wouldn’t be financially damaged if the fight didn’t happen.

“I feel like he needs another solid win, especially at 185, so we can make sure he can make weight because he’s always had weight trouble,” Eblen told MMA Junkie. “I don’t want to deal with someone who can’t make weight. I don’t know if that dude’s all natural. I really don’t care. I’ll beat his ass if he’s on steroids or not. I don’t care. Not to say that he’s on steroids, but I don’t know. Who knows. All these motherf*ckers are on steroids, (said) Nate Diaz.”

After knocking out Manhoef, a hyped up Romero said he’s the “best middleweight in the world” right now. However, he hasn’t won in the division while making weight since November 2016, so Eblen found that statement o be quite amusing.

“He’s not (the best middleweight),” Eblen said. “He’s good. He’s explosive, especially at 45 (years old). He’s still dangerous in some scenarios, but I think I would put on a pressure he couldn’t sustain and I think I would drown him out there. I think he’s a good name to beat. He would be a good name to add to the resume.”

Eblen, 30, said he ultimately doesn’t care who is the opponent for his first title defense. He said there are multiple possibilities in the mix, but if his plan to fight in January or February shakes out as he desires, he could see a 2023 campaign that includes up to three fights.

If it pans out that way, Eblen said he expects to see Romero. It’s just a matter of when.

“The most name that was talked about was (Anatoly) Tokov, and it makes sense and I’m down to get that fight but I guess he’s having trouble with a visa or something,” Eblen said. “We have (Fabian) Edwards there, but he’s about to fight over in Italy. … Then we had Yoel and we also had Austin (Vanderford), but Austin ended up losing his last fight and I think a Mousasi rematch is kind of out of the question.

“I was kind of joking when I said I would retire another person, because I didn’t retire Gegard. Some talks, but I think the most sensible title defense would be Tokov, but obviously Yoel can be in the picture too. We just got to make sure he can make weight. Dude hasn’t made 185 since 2020.”

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Bellator 285 post-event facts: Yoel Romero makes history with late knockout

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 285, where Yoel Romero added to one of the most unique records in MMA.

Bellator returned from a six-week hiatus on Saturday with Bellator 285, which went down at 3Arena in Dublin and featured a 13-fight lineup on the card.

The main event featured a dominant performance from former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (30-11 MMA, 7-6 BMMA), who shut down Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) over the course of five rounds to win a unanimous decision and begin his late-career push toward the title.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 285.