Franklin (6-1), a rising heavyweight prospect, was caught in a submission against Marcelo Golm in his last fight. And he admits that the first loss of his career messed with his head.

“It was a little weird to me, because I’m not going to lie, my last fight I was extremely confident,” Franklin told media outlets including Cageside Press following his win over Kasim Aras on Saturday. “So for me to lose a fight that I was extremely confident in, it kind of messed with my mental a bit to be honest with you.”

As for how he handled the loss, “I just kept telling myself ‘just don’t underestimate anybody anymore. Everybody in this game in this game has a chance.” Franklin also knows that he has the potential to be great, “but I’m not quite great yet. So I’ve got to put in the work to be the person that I really want to be.”

A low blow in Saturday’s fight by Aras looked nasty, but Franklin doesn’t believe it was anything but accidental. “I didn’t think he meant it, honestly. I just think it just happened.” Luckily, the foul didn’t take too much out of Franklin. “No, it didn’t. The shock factor, yeah, but then when I realized, it’s okay, it wasn’t too bad.”

Back in the win column, Davion Franklin has a list of names he’s interested in, from Daniel James to Tim Johnson. And, of course, Marcelo Golm, who served up his first loss.

“All y’all heavyweights, I’m on your ass bro. Y’all don’t want this as bad as me. I guarantee you, if I see any of y’all in the future, y’all know what’s up. Y’all know I’m coming. Off with all y’all heads. I swear. I’m crushing all of you, that’s facts.”

Watch the full Bellator 295 post-fight press conference with Davion Franklin above.

The post Off With Their Heads: Bellator 295 Heavyweight Davion Franklin Calls Out Plenty of Names appeared first on Cageside Press.

Burnell (17-5) got back in the win column care of a unanimous decision against Justin Gonzalez. A fight that, as it turned out, did not go according to plan.

“This went exactly the opposite of what I expected. I wanted to stand and f*cking bang with him,” Burnell admitted following the fight, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “Pretty much that’s what I want to do all my fights, but what usually happens is, I hit him with two good calf kicks and in this case, that was the case. Calf kicks, I hit ’em good to the body, and then they desperately shoot at me. And he shot at me.”

Burnell wasn’t going to give up a dominant position, however. “I’m not just going to be like ‘aww no, no, let’s stand and bang.’ I take what you give me, and he gave me that.”

Burnell asked for the match-up with Justin Gonzales believing that Gonzales was a beast, just like himself. And knowing that his performance against Pedro Munhoz last year was far from his best showing. So he took a tough fight, rather than an easier road to bounce back.

“What is the good to be 45-0 and fight only cab drivers? I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror and be happy with that. It’s only cool fighting if you’re fighting bad motherf*ckers,” exclaimed Burnell. “And that’s what I think is cool about MMA; it’s like, you’re allowed to have losses here and there, and stuff like that. As long as you fight bad motherf*ckers, then we can look past it, then we can look through it. Everybody can have a bad night, and that only doesn’t go for MMA, it goes for life, it goes for jobs, it goes for relationships, it goes for everything. So we’re allowed to fail, as long as we do our best and can look at ourselves in the mirror when we’re done.”

As for who Burnell wants next, that would be another bad MF’er in Daniel Weichel.

“Daniel Weichel, stop f*cking running. I’ve been making f*cking memes about you all year, sh*t like that, saying I’ll make you into wiener schnitzel quicker than you’ll say auf Wiedersehen, and you’ve been quieter than a church mouse. Answer me, motherf*cker!”

Watch the full Bellator 295 post-fight press conference with Mads Burnell above.

The post Bellator 295: Mads Burnell Wouldn’t Be Happy Being “45-0 and Fighting Only Cab Drivers” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“The Iliminator” also earned herself the next shot at women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche, who happens to be a former friend and training partner of the Hawaiian star. Another chance at gold could mark a sort of fairytale ending to the ex-champ’s career, as Macfarlane has openly discussed retirement over the past year or so.

There’s one thing that might extend her fighting journey, however.

“Uncle Scott— we want to do a freakin’ grand prix. Now that you guys are done with the bantamweights, congrats Patchy, let’s do it!” Macfarlane (13-2) exclaimed after Saturday’s event in Honolulu, Hawaii. “We haven’t done a women’s grand prix in any division, and I think it just makes sense that the flyweight division is the way to go. And I’ve been calling for one since 2019 I think.”

And so yes, tacking an extra year to 18 months on to her career would be acceptable to Macfarlane, if Bellator CEO Scott Coker opted to build such a tournament. Despite her retirement talk.

“I would be down. A million dollars is pretty sweet,” Macfarlane admitted. “To be honest, I’ve been thinking about retirement more seriously, because I do want to start a family soon. But a million dollars sounds pretty cool, so I could put baby making on hold for that. I would definitely extend.”

Macfarlane also noted that she should have broached the subject in the cage, following her win over Watanabe. “That would be super-cool. Uncle Scott, let’s do a grand prix. I should have called that out on the mic, but I was staring at Liz. Let’s do a grand prix!”

While ahead of Bellator 295, Macfarlane had suggested the fight would not be her last, internally, it was another story. The Hawaiian revealed that “in my head, I was like ‘this could me the last time.’ My family would kill me, but ‘this could be the last time if I don’t get my hand raised.'”

“I think that was even more of a huge relief when I did [get my hand raised], but also like a ‘dang, I gotta keep doing this. Alright, I won. Gotta keep going.'”

One thing appeared clear Saturday: whether she retires after her next fight, presumably for the Bellator women’s flyweight championship, or two years on following a grand prix, Macfarlane has her fire back. And her health.

“I’m really excited to be healthy. I’m motivated right now,” stated Macfarlane. “I say that now, my adrenaline’s going, I’m sure when I get back home I’m going to be like ‘yeah, break time!’ But I need to stay motivated, especially because the title could very well be next. I need to stay focused and just stick to the plan. Just keep going.”

Watch the full Bellator 295 post-fight press conference with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane above.

The post Bellator 295: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Willing to “Put Baby Making on Hold” for Grand Prix appeared first on Cageside Press.

“That was huge to get over that. Specially here in Hawaii you know. I feel the energy of my crowd and I’m excited. I’m excited for what’s to come. I want to just keep moving up the rankings and taking on tougher opponents and proving myself as a martial artist,” Inaba told reporters including Cageside Press at her post-fight scrum on Saturday.

The plan, according to Bellator president Scott Coker, is to have flyweight title holder Liz Carmouche take on Ilima-Lei Macfarlane for the belt. It’s hard to imagine Inaba isn’t on the short list to take on the winner.

She did say that she’s not really in a hurry.

“I love the pace that I’m going at. Whatever Bellator has for me. They’ve only ever been amazing to me and all the opportunities that I get. I got to fight twice in my home. I can’t be more than grateful for that,” she told Cageside Press.

“I know they have a great plan set out for me, and I just take it one fight at a time. Just make my way up that ladder, and one day I’ll fight for that title definitely.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Sumiko Inaba above.

The post Sumiko Inaba Isn’t In A Hurry To Fight For Title, Likes Pace Bellator Has For Her appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pico (11-4) related his struggles to land a ranked opponent to Cageside Press ahead of Bellator 295. Following a one-sided beatdown of James Gonzalez at the event, he expressed his readiness to become champion, while touching on the opponent issue once again.

“I feel I’m ready to be a world champion. Now is the time. I’m ready to fight for a world championship,” Pico exclaimed following the event in Honolulu, Hawaii, the second of back-to-back Bellator cards in the island state. “[Patricio] Pitbull is going down, and from what I’ve heard, he’s staying down. I think that Jeremy Kennedy and I should fight for an interim title. I think it makes sense; we shouldn’t hold up the division. And when Pitbull is ready to come up, I’m happy to welcome him to the division.”

Kennedy and Pico faced off last year, with Pico injuring his shoulder early in the fight. That gave Kennedy a TKO victory, and while he’s over the mishap, Pico does not count it as a loss.

If the fight is not forthcoming, Pico will carry on towards gold regardless, and try to land a ranked opponent in the process. “I’m going to fight for a world championship. Whatever I need to do, I’m going to fight. I’m number three, I’m number three in the rankings right now. I’ve taken risks fighting guys that are not ranked— that’s a big risk, but that’s not my fault. There are guys in the top 10 that have turned down fights with me, and there’s nothing I can do. I need to fight somebody above me, but I think the most sense if fighting for that title.”

Saturday night’s contest with Gonzalez saw plenty of standup action from Pico, a dominant wrestler who also has bonafide boxing credentials. Particularly nasty were the body shots and uppercuts the 26-year old let loose throughout the fight.

“The whole game plan for this fight was just to stay on my feet. Greg Jackson [coach] wanted me to get comfortable and be able to feel comfortable the whole fight on my feet if I have to,” revealed Pico. “It’s a little bit of a scary thing to listen to, because I’m so good at wrestling, but I trust in my coaches, and whatever I need to do to grow as a fighter, I’m going to do. And I think we did a great job tonight.”

As for any concerns about his surgically repaired shoulder, “that thought is out of my head,” Pico stated. “I had surgery, the doctor said that I have eight brackets in my shoulder. If you have that hesitation going into the fight, you probably shouldn’t be fighting. That’s a scary thing, I would never want that to be in the back of my head. So no, I don’t think of it.”

Watch the full Bellator 295 post-fight press conference with Aaron Pico above.

The post Bellator 295: Aaron Pico “Ready to Be A World Champion” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Brah, it’s been a minute man. First off that guy Charlie just came back from dead. He’s tough man. That guy’s really tough. When I dropped him the first time, that was the thing, brah I never feel this feeling for so long,” Medeiros told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“So I just came in for the kill, and he ended up getting back up.”

Medeiros (17-8) had to calm himself down in order to get back into fight mode with the finish not materializing in that moment. The end came to Medeiros soon after.

“You hurt him again, take him down bro, tap him out. That’s where the win’s going to be. That’s where it was,” he said.

There was a moment earlier in the fight where Medeiros was woken up by some shots from Leary that got the Hawaiian going. When he felt drops of blood on his head he knew it was on.

“There was one point where we got off the fence and then I started feeling drips of blood. I was like ‘oh you made me bleed! Alright we here bro! Don’t worry, I’m coming back!’. He really utilized his range well,” said Medeiros.

“There was a time where I was like ‘f*ck your range, I’m coming’.”

The fight was supposed to be a lightweight bout, but Bellator made the change to a catchweight fight at 165-pounds. Medeiros revealed that it was actually he who requested the change.

“It was actually 165 for me. I honestly had an injury, and I was going through some things,” Medeiros said. He went on to explain that he communicated with Leary a month before the fight if he was good to fight at a catchweight.

“He was willing to and I really appreciate that from my opponent.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Yancy Medeiros above.

The post Yancy Medeiros Details Finish, Says Catchweight Was Due To Injury appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Yeah man out of nowhere. I’ve been working that shot, me and Nate Pettit, my coaches. Right before walked out we were drilling good and it landed, you know, I put him out with it,” Mix told reporters at his post-fight scrum.

Mix (18-1) mentioned that he developed the knee because he’s a south paw and going against orthodox fighters left an opening for him to land it.

Mix is mostly known for being a grappler, but he wants his respect as a striker as well. After Saturday night it’ll be pretty hard to deny the request.

“No one outworks me or no one out-bullies me or beats me up. So I’m thinking I know I don’t have a lot of knockouts because I’m very good on the ground, but don’t think I can’t put your lights out because I shoot in and try to strangle you,” he said.

“It’s just the easiest way to win.”

Now onto the business of unifying the bantamweight titles. Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis is scheduled to defend his title against Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 297 in Chicago, IL on June 17.

“I don’t know if Pettis really wants to fight me. I knew he was picking Rauf to win. I don’t know how he could pick that, but I don’t think Pettis really wants to fight me,” Mix said.

The fact that Pettis picked Stots to win seemed to irk the new interim champion and he offered a prediction of his own.

“I think Pitbull takes it. You know you can’t pick against him. I want to fight the pound-for-pound number 1. Like let Pitbull take it,” he said.

“I’m hoping he wins and I could fight the best.”

At the end of the day Mix knows he will have to face either Pitbull or Pettis soon after Belator 297. He hopes to prove he’s the #1 pound-for-pound fighter on the roster.

“I don’t know if they’re worried about me. I think they’re just worried about their task at hand at the moment. I believe I’m the best bantamweight in the world. I train with the top guys in the world, some of the best in the world, I believe I’m the best bantamweight 135-pounder in the world today,” said Mix.

“I’m just getting better. I’m just growing into my prime now.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Patchy Mix above.

The post Patchy Mix Talks Million Dollar Knee, Says Pettis Doesn’t Want Him Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I think the first step is for her to fight Liz Carmouche. That’s top priority,” Coker said following Saturday’s event, the second of back-to-back Bellator cards in Honolulu. “By winning this fight against Watanabe who was extremely competitive, skilled, a lot of folks thought it could have went either way, and it was a tight fight— getting a decision puts her right in the sights of Liz. And we’ve got to do that fight.”

Macfarlane picked up a split decision win over Japan’s Kana Watanabe in a very close fight that many indeed felt could have gone the other way. Regardless, the former champ now has back-to-back wins, and is the clear favorite to face friend and former training partner Carmouche in what could very well be a storybook ending to her career.

Whether Macfarlane choose to retire or not — she has openly discussed the toll continued weight cuts are having on her chances at motherhood — another trip to Hawaii for a title fight makes an awful lot of sense.

“Do we do it here? I don’t know, because the [Neal S. Blaisdell Arena] is being closed for remodelling,” Coker noted. “We’ll talk to the Stan Sheriff Center and see what’s available.”

The flyweight title fight doesn’t necessarily have to take place in Hawaii, however, stressed Coker.

“Listen that fight, we could promote anywhere. That’s a big, big time fight. And those two girls have had great runs in their martial arts careers. We would love to promote that fight before the end of the year.”

Scott Coker would later note that while the Bellator’s business cycle had seen one trip to Hawaii each year, a second one would not be a hard sell. Still, “we’re kind of busy until the end of the year,” Coker stated. “If this fight could fit, could we talk to the Stan Sheriff and maybe get a date? We’ll see. But it’s been difficult getting a date over there in the past.”

One of Bellator’s other stars at the weekend stint in Hawaii, Danny Sabatello, called for a spot on June’s Chicago card following his win at Bellator 294 on Friday. That’s something Coker would be open to if a spot opened up.

“I would love to put Danny on that card. The card is extremely crowded right now, but I told my fight team today that if there’s injuries or something happens to some of the bigger fights, please keep Sabatello in mind,” Coker told Cageside Press during Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Because I think he should fight in Chicago. That guy is— listen he’s a great wrestler, he’s a great talker, a great promoter, but he’s showing me now that he could actually become a great fighter. And he’s getting better and better and better every time I see him fight.”

“We’d love to have him fight in Chicago if it’s available. If not, we’re going to get him back into the cage as soon as possible.”

Watch the full Bellator 295 post-fight press conference appearance by Scott Coker above.

The post Following Bellator 295, Scott Coker Wants Carmouche vs. Macfarlane By End of the Year appeared first on Cageside Press.

The interim 135lb title, held by Stots, was on the line. The label of Grand Prix champ was up for grabs. And a million dollars to the winner — who would then secure a shot at the winner of Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull.

Off the opening bell in Honolulu, Mix pressed forward, getting his hands going early in the Bellator 295 main event. Stots stayed mobile, and fired a low kick; the pair settled in, any early nervous energy appearing to have dissipated.

Stots fired his jab to the body, while Mix landed an outside leg kick. Moments later, Mix fired a jab up the middle, creating some space. His next blow would do a lot more than that. Mix fired a knee straight down the middle that crashed into Stots’ jaw. Raufeon Stots in turn went crashing back to the mat, and nothing else was needed to be done, said, or landed. Mix had the walk-off KO, the million dollars, a grand prix title belt, Bellator’s interim bantamweight championship, and a claim at being the bonafide best bantamweight in the promotion — a claim he will likely have a chance to solidify later this year.

OUT COLD! 😱@TeamMixMMA KNOCKS OUT @RaufeonStots to win the #BellatorBWGP $1,000,000 crown.#Bellator295 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/l0smOYG2yr

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 23, 2023

Mix, who had come up short in a title fight with Juan Archuleta a few years back, found his redemption in a big way on Saturday. The Stots win capped off an impressive run through the grand prix, that also saw him earn a decision win over ex-champ Kyoji Horiguchi, and submit dangerous Russian bantamweight Magomed Magomedov.

Official Result: Patchy Mix def. Raufeon Stots (ic) by KO (knee), Round 1, 1:20

The post Bellator 295: Patchy Mix Stuns with Knee Strike KO of Raufeon Stots to Win Bantamweight Grand Prix appeared first on Cageside Press.

With Liz Carmouche retaining her title one night earlier, the winner of Macfarlane vs. Watanabe, ranked #3 and #2 in the weight class, respectively, was widely expected to be next up.

The early going of Saturday’s co-main event played out on the feet, where Macfarlane found success with her right hand. But it was along the fence that Watanabe put the ex-champ in a difficult spot. She briefly looked to be climbing the back, then got the fight to the ground. Macfarlane scrambled, but briefly wound up caught in an arm-bar before pulling free. From there, they’d move back to the feet, Watanabe moving forward but showing blood around one eye, the result of those Macfarlane rights.

Towards the end of the round, it was Watanabe changing levels, powering into a takedown. Macfarlane quickly scrambled up, but Watanabe stayed glued to her, riding the back and dragging the Hawaiian down at round’s end.

In the second, Watanabe looked to tie things up early, putting Macfarlane on the fence and finally landing the takedown. With a full four minutes to work, Watanabe looked to take the back as Macfarlane worked up along the fence, then took the fight back down. Macfarlane looked for a kimura off her back, to no avail. She then caught Watanabe’s head in a leg scissor, but the low-percentage position yielded no results.

After several active sequences on the ground, Watanabe wound up in side control, with Macfarlane positioned away from the fence. Given she had spent the bulk of the frame on her back, Macfarlane needed to get free, and she did just that in a scramble. But once again the Japan’s Watanabe stayed on her, and before long the fight was right back down. This time, Watanabe sat in guard while Macfarlane threw elbows off her back. Watanabe, however, answered back with ground n’ pound, some big right hands sneaking through.

When Kana Watanabe looked for an early takedown to start round three, Macfarlane managed to fight her off, eliciting a cheer from the Honolulu crowd. But a second attempt saw Watanabe complete the takedown— only for Macfarlane to scramble out and get in control against the fence. That didn’t last long, however, as Watanabe used her judo, which served her effectively throughout the fight, to land a throw, stacking Macfarlane up. Watanabe had the Hawaiian’s arm pinned momentarily, and had plenty of time to work from side control.

With considerable effect, Macfarlane regained her feet, Watanabe still clinging too her, one hook in. Macfarlane fired punches back at her opponent’s heard, and finally made space, moving back to center only for Watanabe to immediately latch onto a leg. Macfarlane defended with a front headlock, and fired a knee in the clinch. Macfarlane would finish the round dropping punches as Watanabe continued to pursue a final takedown that never did come.

The scorecards were anyone’s guess, though Watanabe winning a decision would not have been a surprise. With Macfarlane doing damage in the opening round, she likely had at least one round on her side. In the end, two judges scored it for Macfarlane, 29-28.

Official Result: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane def. Kana Watanabe by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

The post Bellator 295: Razor-Thin Decision Sees Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Claim Win Over Kana Watanabe appeared first on Cageside Press.