Booking MMA fighters with poor striking into boxing bouts aside, there was a lot of action this past weekend, with everyone from Combate Global to Cage Fury FC to LFA in action. As an honorable mention, LFA 147 was a very solid card with some great storylines attached, but we’re going to focus on the “big three” that were in action this weekend: the UFC, Bellator MMA, and ONE Championship.

We can get the UFC side of things out of the way quickly here. While the biggest UFC events almost always win the weekend by default, the quality of competition on the third weekend of November combined with the Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac UFC Vegas 65 main event falling through pretty much eliminates them from competition. Four finishes on what became an 11-fight card didn’t help, though some of the decisions were thrilling enough (h/t to Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Maria Oliveira). The biggest news coming out of UFC Vegas 65, aside from Derrick Lewis falling ill, was the continued emergence of Jack Della Maddalena, and Kennedy Nzechukwu making the most of a last-minute promotion to the main event.

That, however, isn’t enough to win the weekend when between the remaining two cards, you had three title fights. In Chicago, Bellator MMA had a double header, with Patricky Pitbull vs. Usman Nurmagomedov for lightweight gold, and Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson closing out the light heavyweight grand prix.

Both fights didn’t quite live up to expectations, mind you. Nurmagomedov was clearly in another gear in comparison to Brazil’s Pitbull, who appeared to be stuck in the mud through most of the fight. He could not close the distance on the Dagestani and on the odd occasion where he did, he paid dearly for it. The crowd grew restless throughout the fight, and after 25 minutes, Pitbull was left beltless, bloodied, and stranded at hospital when no one was around to stitch him up (insult, meet injury).

Nemkov vs. Anderson meanwhile was a solid enough fight, but with the Russian champ showing vastly improved takedown defense, it just didn’t live up to the pair’s first meeting. Anderson never really came close, and Nemkov proved to be unstoppable in rematches.

That said, the Bellator 288 undercard was very, very good. But if you want the best title fight on the night, you looked to ONE Championship, where Christian Lee survived a near-finish in the opening round of his fight against Kiamrian Abbasov to earn a TKO stoppage in the fourth. Lee vs. Abbasov was a back-and-forth war and everything you wanted from a title fight, with Abbasov missing weight and being stripped of his belt not really detracting from the action itself. Lee comes away with a second belt, but he may struggle with the size of opponents he’ll find in ONE’s welterweight division. That said, he still has his lightweight title to defend as well, and may be better suited to the smaller division (especially given ONE’s modified weight rules).

So, who did win the weekend? Does the ONE on Prime Video 4 main event give the Asian promotion the edge against Bellator’s two somewhat less entertaining title fights, despite Scott Coker’s org having the better overall card? We’ll call this one a draw, but what’s perhaps most remarkable is that, for the first time in a long time, the UFC sat in the bronze medal position on a busy weekend in MMA.

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Pitbull, properly Patricky Freire, lost his lightweight championship in a one-sided affair against the still undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov in the co-main event in Chicago, IL. The bout left the Brazilian sporting a nasty gash, one that would require stitches — only, there was no one on hand at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago to apply them.

Patricky’s brother, Patricio, who holds featherweight gold in Bellator MMA, took to social media later in the night to complain that the pair had been stuck at hospital for hours, treated rudely — and that it was not the first time that such an incident had transpired.

The younger Pitbull brother directed his ire at the Illinois Athletic Commission, who he claimed failed to have a doctor on hand who could stitch up his brother. Patricky also reposted the message.

“Illinois Commission don’t serve for sh*t! Not a single doctor on site to stitch my brother. We were sent to a hospital, treated like sh*t for more than 5 hours and still waiting! [Bellator MMA]  needs to have a medical team ready to do that on the events. Not the first time!”

Illinois Commission don't serve for shit! Not a single doctor on site to stich my brother. We were sent to a hospital, treated like shit for more than 5 hours and still waiting! @bellatormma needs to have a medical team ready to do that on the events. Not the first time! pic.twitter.com/lOJNL6kz17

— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) November 19, 2022

Patricky Pitbull struggled to find his way inside on the longer Nurmagomedov in the fight, who used his kicks and overall length to dominate the bout. With the loss, Pitbull fell to 1-3 in his last four fights, with defeats to Peter Queally and Tofiq Musayev in addition to the Usman Nurmagomedov setback.

The 36-year old has competed for Bellator since 2011, and went to the finals of two lightweight tournaments during Bellator’s season format days. He lost on both occasions, first to Michael Chandler, and later to Marcin Held, both of whom would later migrate to the UFC.

Pitbull, meanwhile, stayed the course, fighting for Bellator gold in 2016, only to again lose to Chandler. Last year, he defeated Queally in a rematch to capture his first major championship.

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Bellator 288 was headlined by the rematch between Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov for the finale of the grand prix. The tournament was supposed to end earlier this year in the pair’s initial showdown, but an unfortunate, accidental foul at the end of the third round by Anderson resulted in a no-contest and likely cost the challenger one million dollars, since he was winning the fight handily.

Still, given that MMA fights have infinite paths they can take, the fight remained compelling, though this time around Anderson was the betting favorite after being an underdog last time out.

Despite the odds, an improved Nemkov showed up Friday, one who had noticeably shored up his takedown defense.

The challenger came out working his jab early in the Bellator 288 main event, but Nemkov was able to land a big right hand counter for first blood. Corey then shot a single leg but Vadim was able to defend well and get back to striking range. Nemkov found more success with his right hand, landing it over the jab of Anderson and looking sharp early on.

Corey responded by shooting a single leg and elevating it up high but Nemkov stayed on his feet. Anderson switched to a body lock and got Nemkov to his back but in the ensuing scramble the Russian was able to get back to his feet. Still, forcing his opponent to work seemed crucial to the Anderson gameplan given the cardio issues of Nemkov in the first fight. Corey constantly feinted more single leg shots to mix things up. A big right uppercut from Anderson seemed to hurt Nemkov late in round one but the champ was able to avoid follow up shots and recover.

In the round’s biggest moment, Nemkov threw a big spinning back kick that grazed the top of the head and dropped Anderson in the last ten seconds of the stanza. Corey got to his knees and went for a takedown. Nemkov charged in and attempted a blatantly illegal soccer kick but he luckily missed and the round ended, with Vadim securing it with the knockdown.

Both men landed big shots in the pocket twenty seconds into the second round and both ate the punches well. Nemkov’s striking remained sharp as he was able to pull and slip away from a lot of Anderson’s punches and return fire. Another Anderson takedown attempt was stuffed in the second minute of the round. Corey clinched up to try to engage his wrestling but Vadim was able to use a unique grip to keep from being pushed back to the fence. The champ eventually separated despite the double underhooks of Anderson. As the second round drew to a close Nemkov seemed to not be tiring, as he had in the last fight, which boded well for him in the later rounds.

Corey shot a takedown instantly in the third round and was stuffed again, making him zero out of nine on his attempts. The fighters traded jabs for most of the first minute of round three with Nemkov landing more often. Anderson once again shot a takedown but Nemkov once again was able to deny it and get back to striking. Corey then landed a few decent right hands and Vadim looked to shoot his own takedown but Anderson stuffed it and poured on the pressure, feeling a momentum change perhaps. The challenger began to walk down Nemkov and land much more, winning the striking clearly for the first period in the fight. Nemkov remained dangerous though and soon defused the pressure of his foe, making the last minute of the round much more even.

The championship rounds arrived and with them came another failed takedown attempt from Anderson. An awkward sequence where Corey caught Nemkov with his back turned allowed the challenger to get the champ in the clinch against the fence, but Nemkov remained excellent at separating from such positions. Halfway through the round a calf kick from Vadim caught Corey shooting for a takedown and the challenger fell to a knee, showing a sign of weakness. Nemkov then went back to that well again and again. Anderson showed frustration when Nemkov’s mouth guard fell out and Corey kicked it across the mat. The champ put it back in and kept fighting. A good right hand by Anderson allowed him to get into the clinch with one minute left in the fourth but once again Nemkov separated. He immediately hammered home the calf kick again. As with much of the fight, the fourth round had been competitive throughout but the champion constantly had the upper hand by landing more and avoiding takedowns.

Anderson came out and landed a good left hook in the final round but Nemkov got back to his jabbing ways to keep distance. Vadim then defended another takedown and began to mix up the kicks, going to the body to keep Corey honest. Nemkov was outstriking Anderson cleanly once again and separating when Corey’s failed takedown attempts ended up in clinch positions. He made particular use of frames to keep Corey from using head position to press up against him. A big right hand landed for the champion with two minutes left and he got back on the calf kicks. It was no small feat for Anderson to stay on his feet despite the damage to his lower leg, especially when most of those kicks caught him with his weight forward. Nemkov began to get fancy in the last minute as he focused on kicking and threw a few spinning back kicks like the one he got the knockdown with in the first round. The fight drew to a close with a clear Nemkov win and Anderson’s hometown crowd voicing their displeasure at the fact.

It must have been a tough pill to swallow for Anderson when the scorecards were read. He had been dominating the first fight before a medium sized cut caused it to be stopped only moments before the time needed to go to a technical decision. He was so unlucky to not get the victory, but Nemkov was more impressive than ever as he remained both undefeated as a Bellator fighter and the Bellator light heavyweight champion. The changes and growth that Nemkov achieved at American Top Team in preparation for this fight were nothing short of brilliant.

Having won the light heavyweight grand prix, Vadim Nemkov will next face Yoel Romero at Bellator 290 in February.

Official Result: Vadim Nemkov def. Corey Anderson by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

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Opposite the Brazilian champ, whose brother Patricio currently holds featherweight gold, was the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov — part of another MMA dynasty, with cousin Khabib a former UFC lightweight champion and Hall of Famer.

While both fighters had accused the other of cashing their ticket to the big time care of name value, come Friday night at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL, things would be settled in the cage.

Plenty of feeling out opened the lightweight co-main event, with Pitbull and Nurmagomedov trading kicks and single strikes. Nurmagomedov’s kicks were more varied, going low and high; he also checked a kick smartly, giving the champ something to think about. Pitbull, meanwhile, was left on the outside, unable to close the distance with Nurmagomedov’s kicks keeping him at bay.

At the end of five minutes, Nurmagomedov was in control, forcing champ Pitbull to fight from behind. In the second, the smaller shorter Brazilian still found himself on the outside, as Nurmagomedov fired a side kick early. Pitbull exploded forward moments later but couldn’t make much happen, backing off and later blocking a head kick.

Nurmagomedov then mixed things up, timing a Pitbull punch well, changing levels and blasting into a takedown off a left hand. Nurmagomedov sat in half-guard, with roughly half the round still on the clock. He dropped elbows, as Pitbull tried to shrimp back to the fence. Patricky would get his back to the cage, but risked Nurmagomedov taking it. Pitbull would wound up back on the ground eating elbows as the buzzer sounded — bringing about a merciful end to a dominant round for Usman Nurmagomedov.

Round three saw Nurmagomedov look for an early takedown, but Pitbull escaped the attempt. From there, they settled in at center, the Dagestani on the outside, Pitbull’s right hand at the ready. Nurmagomedov again focused on creating space with kicks; a side kick landed to the mid-section about two minutes in. What unfolded from there was a better round for Pitbull, in that he wasn’t taken down and battered with elbows. But Usman Nurmagomedov was able to keep him at bay, neutralizing his striking and leaving the Brazilian in a deep hole heading into the championship rounds. To underscore that, it was Nurmagomedov pressing late in the third, connecting with a punch in the final minute, sending Pitbull to his corner bloodied.

Nurmagomedov shot early in the fourth, but as he had in the third, Pitbull was able to pull free. Usman followed that up with an inside leg kick, which Pitbull returned in kind. Nurmagomedov flashed a front kick as they continued to stand and trade, then doubled up on his jab as Pitbull pressed forward. Even as the champ pressed forward, however, he was unable to hit home with anything of note.

That finally changed care of a body kick with just over two minutes remaining in round four. But moments later, Pitbull was retreating. The longer the fight wore on, the bigger Pitbull’s swings, and more noticeable, as a result, were the misses. A left hand finally glanced off Nurmagomedov, but didn’t appear to do any significant damage.

Pitbull finally turned up the pressure in the fifth, closing the distance, throwing hands, and keeping right on Nurmagomedov, who was outright retreating for the first time in the fight. But a pair of jabs led to a key takedown for Nurmagomedov, with just over four minutes left in the contest. Pitbull closed his guard as Nurmagomedov went body-head from the top. Pitbull then tried to tie things up, but he was busted open and couldn’t hold Nurmagomedov in place.

Time was quickly becoming a factor, with Pitbull unable to get off his back. He finally scrambled up and out with just under two minutes remaining, but a mat return followed and Nurmagomedov landed in full mount. While he’d end up back in Pitbull’s half-guard, the writing was on the wall as the final minute arrived. But Pitbull managed to reverse and get back up! That said, he couldn’t land the necessary knockout blow, and Usman Nurmagomedov had a decisive win in the biggest fight of his career — and a shiny new championship belt!

Official Result: Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patricky Pitbull by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44)

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In the main event, light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson ran it back, in the finale (hopefully) of the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. The pair had met earlier in the year in a would-be final that ended in a No Contest as a result of an accidental headbutt.

That meant the million dollars in prize money was still on the line come Friday.

In the co-main event, Patricky Pitbull was set to defend his lightweight title for the first time, opposite Usman Nurmagomedov. Both men had accused the other of reaching their position based on name value; Friday would see things settled in the cage.

Other key names on the Bellator 288 card included heavyweight standout Tyrell Fortune, and undefeated welterweight Roman Faraldo, an American Top Team product making his main card debut.

Bellator 288 takes place on Friday, November 18, 2022 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. The preliminary card kicks off at 5:55PM ET, and can be viewed in the embed above. Where available, the main card can be watched below. Full results are also below and will be updated throughout the evening.

Bellator 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 Results

Vadim Nemkov (c) def. Corey Anderson by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) – for the Bellator light heavyweight championship / light heavyweight grand prix final
Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patricky Pitbull by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44) – for the Bellator lightweight championship
Timur Khizriev def. Daniel Weichel by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Daniel James def. Tyrell Fortune by TKO (uppercut/ground n’ pound), Round 2, 0:27
Levan Chokheli def. Roman Faraldo by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Preliminary card

Imamshafi Aliev def. Sean Connor Fallon by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 3:20
Killys Mota def. Jairo Pacheco by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Archie Colgan def. Jesse Hannam by TKO, Round 1, 0:50
Sullivan Cauley def. Jay Radick by knockout, Round 1, 1:01
Jordan Newman def. Jayden Taulker by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:20
Laird Anderson def. Rob Fenicle by TKO, Round 2, 2:28
Isaiah Hokit def. Matias Nader by TKO, Round 2, 3:48
Wladmir Gouvea def. Kory Moegenburg by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 1:46

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Colgan returns to action this Friday at Bellator 288, where he meets Jesse Hannam. An opportunity to show his skill set once again.

“I still haven’t been able to put it all out there, but it’s been great. I’m excited to go out there and show my skills and what I have to offer again, in another exciting fashion this Friday,” Colgan said during this week’s media day.

At Bellator 288 Colgan meets an opponent in Hannam who has been out over a year. He’s studied Hannam, and knows he’s in trouble, though that has nothing to do with the tape.

“Yeah, I’ve watched some footage on him. I know he’s in trouble, I know that,” said Colgan, who later clarified that “I’m not putting it so much on what I saw in the footage, like ‘hey this guy, he struggles in this area or this area,’ and that’s why I’m saying he’s in trouble. I’m just saying he’s fighting me, and he’s in trouble because he’s doing that.”

Fair enough. Colgan has been perfect as a pro to date, and continued success could land him bigger opportunities — especially with the Lightweight Grand Prix looming. Asked if he felt a big performance could land him in consideration for the tournament, Colgan was cautiously optimistic.

“I would like to think that. I’m still— obviously, in that top 10 of rankings there, there’s a lot of experience in these guys. So I understand that. I’m going to continue to make sure that I just go out there and put on exciting performances, so if that opportunity does come across in front of me, I’m able to jump onto it.”

Watch the full Bellator 288 virtual media day appearance from Archie Colgan above. Colgan faces Jesse Hannam this Friday, November 18, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

The post Archie Colgan On Bellator 288 Foe Hannam: “I Know He’s in Trouble, I Know That.” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I’m definitely starting to settle in and become accustomed to this process. It seems to go a lot smoother now,” Cauley told Cageside Press during this week’s Bellator 288 media day. The Arizona-based fighter faces another undefeated name in Jay Radick at the event this Friday night. “Got everything figured out from how I’m going to eat all week to how I’m going to feel at different stages of this process. I am starting to feel at home with it, so that’s really nice.”

As for Radick, “he’s undefeated, but he hasn’t fought anybody near like me, really,’ Cauley opined. “His biggest asset is his size, I would say. He’s a big guy, 6’5 I guess. He’s well-rounded in the sense that he’s got some striking and jiu-jitsu, but I don’t think he’s really as good anywhere as I am. I see myself taking it to him.”

Luckily, it hasn’t been hard for Cauley to find training partners of similar stature in the gym. “Yeah they make him that big in Arizona,” joked Cauley. “We’ve got a couple.”

Heading into 2023, the teammate of Ryan Bader is hoping to continue to grow in MMA.

“The goal for me for 2023 would be at least three, ideally four more fights. I’m on a development contract, I’m focused on developing,” Cauley told us. “I’m trying to really build a world class skill set, and a big part of that is getting experience and getting these fights.”

“Bellator has done a great job with me so far; I’m really happy with how things are going and I’d like to stay busy moving forward.”

Watch the full Bellator 288 virtual media day appearance from Sullivan Cauley above. Cauley faces Jay Radick this Friday, November 18, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

The post Sullivan Cauley Says Bellator 288 Opponent “Hasn’t Fought Anybody Near Like Me” appeared first on Cageside Press.

During this week’s Bellator 288 media day, Nurmagomedov (15-0) finally got to respond to that criticism.

Asked by Cageside Press if he felt Pitbull was the best lightweight in Bellator MMA, given names like Nurmagomedov himself, and Tofiq Musayev (who holds a win over the champ) still stalk the division, Nurmagomedov put himself forward as the best 155’er around. He then fired back at Pitbull, suggesting his time as champ came about only because of his brother Patricio vacating the lightweight belt.

“My opinion, I am the best lightweight in this division, and I am the best lightweight in Bellator,” Nurmagomedov stated. “The reason for that is that I have ambition. I want this, and I’m trying very hard every day to become the best version of myself.”

He then turned his attention to Pitbull’s prior comments. “This dude, how is he talking about me not earning it and getting it out of my name, but he fought for the title— first of all, he loses one, he wins one, he loses one, he wins one. He’s never consistent with win streaks. And he got this title because of his name. He’s the one who got this title because of his name— his brother’s name. He lost a fight, and then he won one, he lost one, and then his brother was fighting for the title, then his brother moved back down, and he ended up fighting for the title just because his name is Pitbull.”

To be fair, Pitbull put together a seven-fight win streak from 2017 to 2019, before running into the aforementioned Musayev. He then dropped two straight, but after brother Patricio vacated the belt, Patricky stepped into an immediate rematch with Peter Queally for the vacant title, and came out on top.

“He is who he is. He says I am the one that got this title [shot] because of my name, but that’s not what it is,” Nurmagomedov continued. “He knows it’s not true.”

Should Nurmagomedov dethrone the champ, he’ll likely be the man holding gold when the lightweight grand prix gets underway next year.

“We will see. Personally, I’m ready. Everybody loves money, and the winner of that tournament gets a million dollars,” noted the Bellator 288 title challenger. “Let’s go!”

Watch the full Bellator 288 virtual media day appearance from Usman Nurmagomedov above. Nurmagomedov faces Patricky Pitbull in the co-main event this Friday, November 18, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

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In the main event, the long-awaited Light Heavyweight Grand Prix will (hopefully) finally come to a close, with Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson running it back. Their original meeting, in what was supposed to be the grand prix final earlier this year, ended in a No Contest due to an accidental clash of heads.

While many had Anderson winning the fight to that point, the slate was wiped clean Friday night.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, the first title defense for Paticky Pitbull was at hand. Opposite the Brazilian, Usman Nurmagomedov, undefeated cousin of former UFC champ Khabib.

The deep Bellator 288 card also featured proven names like Tyrell Fortune, Roman Faraldo, and Daniel Weichel.

Weigh-ins for Bellator 288 take place Thursday in Chicago; full results can be found below.

Bellator 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 Weigh-In Results

Light Heavyweight: Vadim Nemkov (c) (203.8) vs. Corey Anderson (204.2) – for the Bellator light heavyweight championship / grand prix final
Lightweight: Patricky Pitbull (c) (154) vs. Usman Nurmagomedov (154.8) – for the Bellator lightweight championship
Featherweight: Daniel Weichel (145.2) vs. Timur Khizriev (146)
Heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune (257.2) vs. Daniel James (264.8)
Welterweight: Roman Faraldo (170.8) vs. Levan Chokheli (170.6)

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Khasan Askhabov* vs. Otto Rodrigues (145)
Middleweight: Sean Connor Fallon (185.6) vs. Imamshafi Aliev (185.8)
Lightweight: Jairo Pacheco (155.6) vs. Killys Mota (155.6)
Lightweight: Archie Colgan (154.8) vs. Jesse Hannam (155.8)
Light Heavyweight: Sullivan Cauley (205.6) vs. Jay Radick (205.6)
Middleweight: Jordan Newman (185.6) vs. Jayden Taulker (185.6)
Featherweight: Laird Anderson (145.6) vs. Rob Fenicle (146)
Featherweight: Isaiah Hokit (145.4) vs. Matias Nader (144)
Heavyweight: Wladmir Gouvea (265.8) vs. Kory Moegenburg (246.2)

* Did not weigh in, bout scratched

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“I can say there’s been fights where I’ve let it come to me. I’d say my last fight, a big reason why I wasn’t happy with my performance was because I was forcing it, and trying to get the KO instead of just letting the fight come to me and allowing my talents just to do what they do,” Faraldo told Cageside Press during Wednesday’s Bellator 288 media day.

Faraldo (8-0) has never been to a decision, and has two flying knee knockouts under the Bellator banner. So when it comes to looking for the finish, or letting it come to him, “It’s bit of a mix,” he continued. “But going into this fight, I definitely have a much clearer head. I’m glad that I got to experience that and go through that in my last fight, and I’m just going to go out here and do what I do every day, and let the work that I’ve put in speak for itself.”

At Bellator 288 on Friday, Faraldo has a main card placement at long last. The welterweight is now looking at going on a run in 2023, targeting ranked opponents.

“100%, 100%. I’m at the top of the heap, and I’m going to work my way down. We’ll get through this guy, we’ll focus on one thing at a time. We’ll get through this guy, and obviously we’ve got an exciting 2023 coming up. Hopefully by the end of the year, we’ve either got a title fight coming, or at least in contention.”

“This guy,” however, is the formidable Georgian Levan Chokheli. Who Faraldo admits is his toughest test to date — in Bellator, anyway.

“Yeah, I mean as far as Bellator goes,” said Faraldo, before singling out his toughest opponent ever. “I’d say probably my toughest test to date, I’ll give him the credit, Dilano Taylor in my pro debut, and he’s getting ready to fight in PFL for the belt and that million dollar prize. But beyond that, in Bellator, Levan’s definitely I guess the most dangerous fighter that I’ve come to face yet.”

Watch the full Bellator 288 virtual media day appearance from Roman Faraldo above. Faraldo faces Levan Chokheli this Friday, November 18, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

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