Bellator MMA

Bellator 245 Recap: Phil Davis edges Lyoto Machida again

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Phil Davis, MMA, UFC

Bellator returned tonight for the first time in a couple of weeks. After a flurry of news that came out today, the promotion put it’s fighting foot forward tonight. In the main event of the evening, Phil Davis (22-5, 1 NC) and Lyoto Machida (26-10) went head-to-head in a rematch.

Seven years ago, the two men went to battle in the UFC. Davis won that fight, but most people believe Machida won that fight. The two men had a chance to settle the score inside the Bellator cage tonight.

Another Close Decision

Going into Bellator 245, I figured Davis would really try to be aggressive with his wrestling. Point striking with Lyoto Machida just doesn’t seem like the ideal strategy. In the first round of the main event, Davis didn’t shoot for one takedown.

Instead, he seemed content with striking from distance with Machida. To my surprise, Davis did a really good job of landing strikes in the first especially kicks up the middle. The first round could have really gone either way with Machida also landing good shots.

The second round was really strong for Davis. He continued to land decent strikes, but he stayed away from grappling outside of a brief exchange at the end of the round. Machida seemed like he was having a really difficult time pulling the trigger in the second round.

The third round saw a little reversal. Davis seemed to be watching more, and Machida was throwing a lot more. Davis had great success with kicks up the middle in the first two rounds, but completely abandoned them in the third. Machida scored more and easily won the final round in my opinion.

On the official scorecards, the judges gave the victory to Phil Davis by split decision. Machida landed more total strikes, but two of the judges gave the win to Davis. The win marks the ninth win inside the Bellator cage for Mr. Wonderful.

Bellator 245 News and Notes

Bellator 245 had an interesting night of fights. One of the things that stood out is that two fights ended in a no contest due to groin strikes. Besides that, it was a solid night of action from the promotion.

In the co-main event of the evening, Cat Zingano (11-4) used a heavy wrestling attack to defeat Gabby Holloway (6-6) in her Bellator debut. One of the shockers of the night was Ed Ruth (8-3) getting caught in a quick heel hook by Taylor Johnson (6-1).

Tomorrow night, the bantamweights will take center stage as Patrick Mix and Juan Archuleta battle for the vacant bantamweight title. Bellator is putting their best foot forward in a rare evening where they go head-to-head with the UFC.

Bellator: Douglas Lima and Gegard Mousasi to battle for the middleweight crown

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Things are moving fast and furious for Bellator MMA on this Friday afternoon. This morning it was confirmed that the promotion would be hosting the first major MMA event in the country of France.

Shortly after, President Scott Coker announced that the promotion would be moving to CBS Sports Network. However, the announcements didn’t stop there. Bellator announced that welterweight champion, Douglas Lima (32-7), would be taking on Gegard Mousasi (46-7-2) for the middleweight title on October 29th.

Another Bellator Double Champ?

Bellator‘s welterweight champion is looking to become another one of the promotion’s double champs. They had two before Ryan Bader lost at Bellator 244, now Patricio Pitbull is the only one. Douglas Lima is looking to take the champ-champ status.

Since 2016, Lima has looked incredible inside the cage. He’s gone 6-1 with his lone loss coming to Rory MacDonald. Lima got a rematch with MacDonald back in October of 2019 and dominated him to get that loss back. Prior to that win, Lima had a highlight reel knockout of Michael Page back at Bellator 221.

Gegard Mousasi left the UFC back in 2017 for a better deal with Bellator. Mousasi was one of the best middleweights in the world which is why Bellator gave him a great deal. Mousasi won his first three fights and was the Bellator middleweight champion.

Then, at Bellator 223, Mousasi lost by majority decision to Rafael Lovato Jr. Lovato was originally going to be the one to fight Lima, but due to a brain condition, Lovato relinquished the middleweight title. Mousasi will now get another crack at the title.

Mousasi is coming off of a split decision win over Lyoto Machida last September. This is a massive fight for the promotion. There are a lot of exciting things going on in Bellator right now, and fights of this magnitude will continue to draw fans in.

Bellator’s Changing TV Networks

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Bellator President Scott Coker made a big announcement today for the promotion. For the last couple of years, the promotion has called the Paramount Network home.

However, starting on October 1st, Bellator will be moving to CBS Sports Network. Tomorrow night will mark the final card that will take place on Paramount for Bellator.

Bellator‘s parent company, ViacomCBS, made the decision to move the promotion over to a network that is focused on sports. This comes on the heels of the Viacom and CBS merger in December.

What it means for Bellator?

Bellator will be making the move on October 1st over the CBS Sports Network. That card will take place from Milan and it will be headlined by Paul Daley (41-17-2) and Derek Anderson (16-3). The next card will be the first major MMA event in France.

Coker said that this move to the CBS Sports network was years in the making. One of the problems that Bellator has ran into in the past was airing live events that were not domestic. With the limitations of Paramount, many times fans couldn’t see the action live.

However, with the move to a dedicated sports network, the promotion will have the full ability to bring fans live fights wherever they are. Coker was asked about Bellator eventually getting a slot on the national CBS channel for some of their big fights.

“What I will say is this is one family (ViacomCBS). I believe that one day we will get there. But for now, CBS Sports Network,” Coker said to the media. This is the smart move by ViacomCBS to get Bellator on a sports driven platform.

This by no means puts them on a competitive level with the UFC and ESPN, but moving to a sports driven network is a great move for Bellator as they continue to look to evolve.

Bellator to host first major MMA event in France

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Over the past few years, it’s been a battle for all MMA promotions to get the sport legalized in France. Bellator currently has one of the most popular fighters in the history of French MMA, Cheick Kongo. Kongo was one of the first really popular fighters from France.

Earlier this year, France finally pulled the trigger on legalizing MMA. All of the major promotions were trying to build up a big card for debuts in France before COVID shut things down. The UFC wanted to have a card headlined by superstar Francis Ngannou.

However, yesterday, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was reporting that Bellator would become the first promotion to host a major event in France. They were targeting October, and this morning, Bellator confirmed the news announcing two fights for October 10th.

Bellator’s Card

Bellator Paris will in fact be headlined by heavyweight Cheick Kongo (30-10-2, 1 NC). He will be taking on Timothy Johnson (14-6) in a rematch from Bellator 208. Nobody should be surprised by the fact that Kongo is headlining this historic card in Paris.

Kongo has been a face for French MMA for years. I’m happy that he’s getting this spot. The 45 year old Kongo is a veteran of the game who is coming off of a NC with heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. If Kongo is able to knockout Johnson again, he’s likely going to get a rematch.

Johnson has put together back-to-back first round finishes since his two fight losing streak to start his Bellator career. Johnson knocked out heavyweight prospect Tyrell Fortune, then he became fortunate when an accidental headbutt lead to a TKO over Matt Mitrione. This should be a solid main event.

If you haven’t seen Michael Venom Page (17-1) fight before, you could be in for a treat. MVP is extremely creative inside the cage and he’s a ton of fun to watch. He welcomes undefeated Scottish prospect Ross Houston (8-0, 1 NC) to Bellator in Paris.

MVP has won three straight fights by knockout after his loss to Douglas Lima. That is a fight I want to see ran back in the future. If MVP is able to defeat Houston, you might see that fight setup. Houston is a top prospect, but this is a lot to ask for in his Bellator debut

Bellator 245 Preview: Phil Davis and Lyoto Machida go head to head again

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Phil Davis, MMA, UFC

Bellator MMA returns tomorrow night with a solid lineup of fights for their Friday night fight night. In the main event of the evening, Phil Davis (21-5, 1 NC) takes on Lyoto Machida (26-9) for the second time in a light heavyweight main event.

With Vadim Nemkov having just knocked out Ryan Bader at Bellator 244, this is a big fight to determine the next title contender. In addition to this fight, Bellator recently signed Corey Anderson to it’s growing light heavyweight division.

Phil Davis vs Lyoto Machida 2

The two men in Bellator 245’s main event do have some history. The history dates back to UFC 163 where Phil Davis was able to win a unanimous decision over Machida in Brazil. The fight was controversial as all 13 media members scored the fight for Machida.

Machida outstruck Davis the entire fight, but Davis landed a takedown at the end of the first two rounds. Those takedowns were enough to win him the fight on the three judges scorecards. Now, these two will rematch seven years later.

Davis has been very good since making the move to Bellator. In ten fights, Davis is 8-2 with his only losses being to Nemkov and Bader. Both of those fights were razor close split decisions.

With Davis you know what he’s going to do. He can strike, but he mainly uses his striking as a way to setup his tremendous wrestling. He will be looking to secure takedowns to defeat Machida once again.

Machida is moving back up to light heavyweight after fighting Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 228 last September. Machida lost a close decision in that contest. The dragon is looking for one final run towards a world title.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion is known for his karate striking. His unique blitzing style stifles many opponents that step across the cage from him. He will be looking to use that striking to outpoint and defeat Davis.

When it comes to a prediction, I think that this fight is going to be razor close. The only way it’s not is if Davis gets Machida down and holds him down. Machida is 42 years old, and I think Davis is much improved from their first fight, but it’s still going to be close.

Prediction: Phil Davis by Split Decision

Rest of Bellator 245

There are more solid fights on the card for Bellator 245. Cat Zingano (10-4) is making her debut against Gabrielle Holloway (6-5). This is the first time we’ve seen Zingano since her fight with Megan Anderson where a head kick went right into her eye which stopped the fight.

Another fight that is worth tuning into is the middleweight matchup between Ed Ruth (8-2) and Taylor Johnson (5-1). Bellator 245 doesn’t have the biggest names on the card, but it’s a night that should be filled with some solid fights.

Vadim Nemkov knocks out Ryan Bader to become Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion

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Bellator 244 featured the return of double champion, Ryan Bader (27-6, 1 NC). He returned to the light heavyweight division for the first time in almost three years to defend his title against Vadim Nemkov (12-2).

Early on, it appeared that Bader was really struggling to deal with the speed of Nemkov. Bader was clearly used to the speed of the heavyweights. In the second round, Nemkov landed a massive head kick that spelled the end of Bader’s title reign.

Bellator’s New Champion

The win tonight was Nemkov’s seventh straight victory. He’s 5-0 since joining Bellator back in 2017. Only one of his Bellator fights have gone to the scorecards.

Nemkov just turned 28 years old, and it’s clear that he could become a new face for Bellator. He’s exciting to watch, very dynamic on his feet, and he’s got a great killer instinct. He trains under the great Fedor Emelianenko.

After this victory, Nemkov might be taking on for UFC top contender Corey Anderson in his first title defense. Anderson recently just signed with Bellator after asking for his release. That should make for an excellent matchup. Nemkov really looks like he can become a star for Bellator. I’m excited to watch his career progress.

For Bader, he’s still the Bellator heavyweight champion. I wondered how this cut back to 205 would impact his performance tonight. It was clear from the start that he wasn’t comfortable in there. I think tonight was the last time you’ll ever see Ryan Bader at light heavyweight.

There are plenty of exciting options for Bader in the Bellator heavyweight division. He could always run things back with Cheick Kongo after the way their last fight ended. The eye poke robbed fans of a really good fight. Bader is not done, but it’s clear he’s not at his best in the light heavyweight division.

Juan Archuleta and Patrick Mix battle for Bellator’s Vacant Bantamweight Title on Sept 12

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Juan Archuleta

Bellator MMA is going to be filling a championship vacancy in one of their divisions. Per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Juan Archuleta (24-2) and Patrick Mix (13-0) will be going head-to-head for the vacant bantamweight title on September 12th.

Bellator already has their first contender lined up for the winner of this fight in Sergio Pettis. Pettis won the main event of Bellator 242 which was the promotion’s first card back from their extended break due to COVID-19.

Who will be the Bellator Champ?

Archuleta will be dropping back down to 135 pounds for this title fight. Archuleta had been competing in Bellator‘s featherweight division in his last couple of fights which included a title fight with Patricio Pitbull.

In that fight, Archuleta lost a decision. Outside of that, nobody has beaten Archuleta inside the Bellator cage. Archuleta is 6-1 in the promotion with wins over guys like Henry Corrales and Ricky Bandejas.

The undefeated Patrick Mix stands in Archuleta’s way of getting the bantamweight title. Mix will be making the walk for the first time in 2020 when he steps in the cage on September 12th. Mix has only fought twice in Bellator, but he’s looked dominant in both fights.

In those two fights, Mix submitted Ricky Bandejas and Isaiah Chapman in the first round. Currently, Mix has finished his last four fights in the first round. Overall, Mix is on an eight fight finish streak.

This is a very exciting matchup between two of the very best that Bellator has to offer. Both fighters come into this contest with a ton of momentum behind them. I’m very interested to see how this plays out.

I want to see if Mix is able to keep his finish streak alive against a guy like Juan Archuleta. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the matchup between the winner and Sergio Pettis.

Bellator 243 Recap: Michael Chandler KO’s Benson Henderson in the first

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Bellator returned this evening for their second event since opening back up after the pandemic shut things down earlier this year. In the main event of the evening, Benson Henderson (28-8) took on Michael Chandler (20-5). A very solid night of fights from Bellator.

Michael Chandler KO’s Henderson in the First

The main event of the evening was a rematch a few years in the making as the two former lightweight world champions squared off. Chandler entered this fight in the last fight of his current deal with Bellator.

As the main event kicked off, Chandler immediately charged over to Henderson. Henderson started with a big body kick. Chandler countered with a big body kick of his own.

Henderson continued his steady onslaught of body work early on. Big body kicks and solid hooks. Chandler kept pushing forward, but Henderson looked very crisp early on.

Out of no where, Chandler landed a massive left hook which floored Henderson. Chandler followed up with some massive shots and the fight was over. Massive win for Michael Chandler as he heads into free agency.

Accidental headbutt leads to TKO for Tim Johnson

The co-main event of the evening featured Bellator heavyweights Matt Mitrione (13-7, 1 NC) and Tim Johnson (13-6) going head-to-head.

As the fight started, Mitrione refused to touch gloves as he circled around the outside of the cage. A brief exchange led to an accidental headbutt which dropped Mitrione and gave Johnson top position.

Johnson was able to work his way to side control a couple of minutes into the round. Mitrione tried to scramble, but Johnson was doing a good job of holding top position. Mitrione tried another scramble, but took a couple of big shots from Johnson.

Johnson started pouring on big shots and Mitrione looked really hurt. After Mitrione showed nothing in terms of defense, the referee called a stop to the action. A big TKO win for Johnson, but it won’t come without an asterisk due to that headbutt.

Myles Jury edges Georgi Karakhanyan

The second fight on the main card featured a lightweight contest between Myles Jury (18-5) and Georgi Karakhanyan (29-10-1). Both of these guys were looking to make it two in a row inside the Bellator cage after coming off multiple fight losing streaks.

As the first round started, Karakhanyan threw a big looping right hand that clipped Jury. Didn’t land flush, but it got Jury’s attention. Jury landed a couple of good shots before getting turned around by a powerful leg kick.

Karakhanyan was looking very powerful early on. Halfway through the round, Karakhanyan drove Jury to the cage and started delivering knees the thighs. Jury was able to separate with about two minutes left.

Jury landed a couple of good shots before Karakhanyan drove him right back to the cage. He was able to cut Karakhanyan late in the round.

Upon another separation, Jury landed a couple of good shots, but Karakhanyan countered with a power shot. Close round, but I lean Karakhanyan.

Jury immediately started the third with more power shots, but couldn’t land much. The pace was really being picked up by Jury to start the second. Karakhanyan seemed a lot slower to start.

After taking the first minute off, Karakhanyan did throw a couple of looping shots that didn’t land. Jury was doing a much better job in the second at working his strikes from distance.

Myles Jury was starting to really touch Karakhanyan constantly halfway through the round. Good jabs, solid combinations and a steady diet of kicks to the body. Karakhanyan tried for a desperate takedown but couldn’t get Jury down.

Karakhanyan landed a massive right hand as Jury tried to get away. He used the right to transition to another takedown. After being down for a second, Jury worked his way up and pushed Karakhanyan against the cage.

Karakhanyan was able to reverse and get another brief takedown late in the round. Very close second round, but due to the clean shots, I would give it to Jury.

Jury started the third round trying to work his jab again. A weird moment occured about thirty seconds in. Jury was poked in the eye, but the action didn’t stop. After the action didn’t stop Karakhanyan stopped then Jury pushed forward.

Fortunately nothing significant landed. Jury landed a solid elbow before looking for a takedown. Karakhanyan reversed the position and was able to secure a brief takedown. Jury immediately got up and separated.

Jury was able to land a couple of solid shots pushing forward. Karakhanyan pulled Jury into a guillotine, but couldn’t lock it in. Jury secured top position after the failed submission.

Karakhanyan tried to work his way up, but Jury did a good job of holding the top. Jury briefly took Karakhanyan’s back before a scramble found him back in guard. Jury landed a couple of really nice elbows late.

Karakhanyan did get back up, but it was a little too late. Close fight overall, but I give the third round to Jury which gives him the fight on my scorecard 29-28.

The judges were split on this one scoring the fight (30-27, 27-30, 29-28). Odd scores, but Jury wins his second Bellator fight.

Homasi survives Millender’s late rally

Opening up Bellator 243 was a catchweight contest between Curtis Millender (18-5) and Sabah Homasi (13-8). Both of these men were coming off of wins in their return to Bellator.

When the first round started both men exchanged leg kicks before throwing haymakers at each other. Homasi continued to look for a giant overhand right early on.

Millender appeared to be stalking Homasi just looking for his shots. A couple of stiff jabs were landing from Millender while Homasi continued to look to land a bomb. With two minutes left in the round, Homasi was able to shoot in and land a takedown.

Once he had top position, Homasi was able to land some solid elbows. Close round early on, but the takedown seals the first for Homasi.

Millender opened the second round landing a massive jab that backed up Homasi. Homasi was getting backed up by Millender, but he threw a few body kicks to keep the distance. Homasi tried for a takedown about a minute into the round.

Millender was able to defend for a bit, but eventually Homasi was able to get Millender to the ground. Homasi was able to hold solid top position for the majority of the round.

With about a minute left in the round, Homasi was able to take Millender’s back. However, he got a little high in the position and Millender was able to secure top position. Millender tried for a d’arce choke but he ended up back on his back. Another clear round for Homasi.

Millender pressed forward to start round three, but he pressured Homasi right into a clinch. The two men broke from the clinch, and Millender continued to press forward. Homasi seemed fatigued to start the final round.

As soon as Millender started to gain some momentum on the feet, he tried again for a d’arce choke. He couldn’t lock it up and ended up on his back again. Millender worked his way back up to his feet halfway through the round.

After landing a couple of solid shots, Millender just laid against Homasi against the cage. Millender was clearly gassed himself. Homasi landed another easy takedown. Millender did reverse position to gain top position before the end of the round.

I would give the last round to Millender, but the fight to Homasi 29-28. The judges ended up scoring the fight unanimously for Homasi (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Final Takeaways from Bellator 243

Bellator successfully hosted it’s second event tonight and there were some solid fights up and down the card. The promotion will be back in a couple of weeks when light heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader defends his title.

Michael Chandler could not have asked for a better performance heading into free agency. A dominant knockout of a former UFC champion. It’ll be interesting to see if he remains with Bellator or moves on to another promotion.

 

Bellator 243 Preview: Can Benson Henderson avenge his loss to Michael Chandler?

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Benson Henderson

Bellator MMA will make it’s return tomorrow night. This will be the second card that the promotion has put on since starting back up after the pandemic halted events in February.

In the main event of the evening, we will see a rematch between former UFC lightweight champion, Benson Henderson (28-8), and former Bellator lightweight champion, Michael Chandler (20-5). Let’s take a look at the main card for Bellator 243.

Chandler – Henderson rematch at Bellator 243

The main event of the evening is one of the Bellator fights that I was looking forward to the most this year. Personally, I think the promotion should have returned with this fight as the headliner.

In the first fight between Chandler and Henderson, Chandler walked away with a split decision. Re-watching the fight, I thought it was pretty clear that Chandler took three of the five rounds. Since that fight, Chandler has gone 4-2 while Henderson has gone 4-1.

Both men are former world champions. For the former UFC lightweight champion, Henderson, the Bellator crown has evaded him. He’s tried at welterweight and he’s tried at lightweight, but couldn’t get it done.

Henderson is very well rounded. He’s got pretty decent standup, good wrestling, and great skills on the ground. However, Henderson has a tendency to be very patient and point fight which is why six of his eight Bellator fights have gone to the scorecards.

Michael Chandler is a legend in Bellator. He’s nearing ten years with the promotion and he’s the former lightweight champion. Chandler has a wrestling base, but he’s got really crisp boxing and good speed to go with it.

Chandler is set to become a free agent after the fight tomorrow so it’s a big fight for him. Henderson enters this contest on a four fight winning streak while Chandler is 4-1 in his last five with the only loss coming to the double champion, Patricio Pitbull.

I think Chandler is just a bad matchup for Henderson. I think the speed and striking advantage will help Chandler on the feet, and I think Chandler is good enough to avoid submissions on the ground. Henderson will have moments, but I think Chandler gets the win here.

Prediction: Michael Chandler by Unanimous Decision

Matt Mitrione vs Timothy Johnson

The co-main event of the evening is a heavyweight contest between Matt Mitrione (13-7, 1 NC) and Timothy Johnson (13-6).

For Mitrione, he will be making the Bellator walk for the eighth time tomorrow night. Mitrione stared 4-0 in Bellator with wins over Fedor Emelianenko and Roy Nelson. However, Mitrione has gone 0-2, 1 NC in his last three.

Mitrione is known for his good power and really good footwork. The former football player is extremely athletic. His natural athleticism combined with his striking skills make him dangerous for anyone.

Johnson didn’t get off to the best start in Bellator. The former UFC heavyweight made the jump and promptly was knocked out twice in the first round. He did bounce back knocking out Tyrell Fortune in the first round back in February.

Johnson has decent wrestling and he’s got good power in his hands. I can’t see him winning a stand up fight so he will need to use his wrestling to get Mitrione down.

In the past, we’ve seen Mitrione’s weakness is getting taken down and held there. If Johnson can do that, I think he can win a decision. However, I think his chin is suspect, and I think Mitrone is going to catch him with something in the second.

Prediction: Matt Mitrione by TKO – Round 2

Myles Jury vs Georgi Karakhanyan

An interesting lightweight contest is on the main card which pairs Myles Jury (18-5) and Georgi Karakhanyan (29-10-1). To be honest, this is a fight that would have been really highly anticipated if it came back in 2014.

Back in 2014, Jury was riding high in the UFC at 15-0. A lot of people were pointing to this guy as a future champion. Jury was also the first person who would tell you just how good he was. However, Jury was humbled by Cowboy Cerrone.

Starting with the Cerrone fight, Jury has gone 3-5 in his last eight contest. Jury made his Bellator debut last September against Benson Henderson and dropped a decision. He did bounce back against Brandon Girtz back in February.

Back in 2014, Karakhanyan was 23-3-1. A lot of analysts were really high on Karakhanyan, but his career took a downturn. Since that impressive record, Karakhanyan has gone 6-7 with one no contest in his last 14 fights.

Karakhanyan did win his last time out against Paul Redmond in February, but that was coming off of an eight second knockout loss to AJ McKee.

In looking at both of these guys, I’m just not sure where Karakhanyan wins this fight. I think Jury is just a little better in almost every aspect. I don’t really see a finish coming here so I’m going with Jury to get it done by points.

Prediction: Myles Jury by Unanimous Decision

Curtis Millender vs Sabah Homasi

A fun catchweight contest at 175 pounds between Curtis Millender (18-5) and Sabah Homasi (13-8) will also be on the main card tomorrow night.

Millender was looking like a pretty bright welterweight prospect when he was in the UFC entering 2019. Millender was 17-3 holding wins over guys like Thiago Alves. However, two straight losses got him the hook from the promotion.

Millender signed with Bellator in late 2019 and made his debut back in January where he won a unanimous decision over Moses Murrietta. Millender is a really good striker, but is usually content with point fighting his way to a victory.

Hamasi enters this contest after back-to-back wins in Bellator including a 17 second knockout over Micah Terrill. It’s been almost a year since we’ve seen Hamasi compete.

Hamasi was also in the UFC but was cut after he was finished in three consecutive fights prompting his promotional switch. Hamasi has 11 finishes in 13 wins and the American Top Team fighter has shown crisp striking.

While Hamasi has looked good, I don’t like this matchup for him. I think Millender will be able to use his length and accuracy to get the better of the striking exchanges.

Prediction: Curtis Millender by Unanimous Decision

Bellator 243 Outlook

This is a very solid card for Bellator. I would have really liked this to be the first card back as I said above, no disrespect to Sergio Pettis or Ricky Bandejas. Two former world champions in a big rematch is something that will tune a lot of folks in, and I’m excited to watch it play out.

Michael Chandler could walk away from Bellator after his fight with Benson Henderson

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One of the biggest stars that Bellator has had in the last decade is Michael Chandler (20-5). The 34 year old veteran made his promotional debut when he was just 24 years old.

Almost ten years after his run with the promotion kicked off, Chandler is set to test the open market after Bellator 243. Chandler has widely been considered one of the better lightweights in the world regardless of where he fights.

Chandler has been very vocal about his feelings regarding Bellator. The promotion he’s called home for 22 of his 25 fights has treated him very well. He’s never become a free agent so this will be a new experience for him.

“I never actually became a free agent,” Chandler said to MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “It was reported wrong in the media. I’ve never been a free agent. This will be the first time in my career I’ll be a free agent.”

Will Chandler leave Bellator?

This is a question that is on everyone’s mind. While Chandler isn’t the current lightweight champion in Bellator, there is no questioning his talent and skill. If he wins tomorrow night, there are going to be calls coming his way.

“I’m not really worried about whatever happens after this fight,” Chandler said. “This a big fight for me and an important fight for me. I’m a free agent after this fight. As soon as I get done with this, we’ll speak to Bellator.”

“I’d be just happy as to already have signed a new deal with Bellator and do a ten fight deal…I also am not afraid to take a chance on this fight and take a gamble on myself…I know there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t get reached out to by thousands and thousands of people about the exciting matchups,” Chandler said.

Of course, many of those fans are probably referring to the matchups that could come under the UFC banner. The UFC’s lightweight division is stacked with the elite of the elite.

I believe that Bellator will try to go all out to keep Chandler since he’s been a poster boy for the promotion. However, as a competitor, the draw of the UFC will be strong. If he really wants to test himself, there’s no better proving ground.

The competition is much greater in the UFC than it is in Bellator. Bellator has great fighters don’t get me wrong, but the UFC’s lightweight division is on another level. It’ll be interesting to see where Chandler ends up after tomorrow night.