“The Ass-Kicking Machine” was paired up with a credible threat in Ramazan Kuramagomedov, and it wasn’t long before the Russian had the fight to the ground, with Jackson seated against the fence. Kuramagomedov tied up the champ’s legs, leaving Jackson unable to do much more than sit up and throw short, ineffective punches. It wouldn’t be until the end of the ground that Jackson could return to his feet, and Kuramagomedov was right back on him- if Jackson’s night was to continue like that, it was going to be a long one.

Round two found Jackson showing some improvements in his takedown defense. Any time Kuramagomedov looked to change levels, Jackson retreated at an angle, rather than moving straight back. He still had to contend with the Russian’s leg kicks, however. Action was then briefly halted when Jackson’s hair tie came loose, though it was quickly rectified. Kuramagomedov turned up the heat as the round wore on, and despite champ Jackson having a better showing in the second frame, there was a big question as to whether he had done enough to win the round.

In the third round, Kuramagomedov’s inside leg kicks continued to hit their mark. While Jackson had adjusted to stymie Kuramagomedov’s takedowns for the time being, he didn’t seem to have a solution to those kicks. Jackson, meanwhile, moved forward, hands high, looking to work his jab and combos. The Russian challenger’s movement, however, meant he often wasn’t there to be hit. In a clinch with roughly 2:45 on the clock, Jackson was able to fight off another takedown attempt. Defense, however, does not score points, and Jackson soon had to scramble and use a whizzer to keep Kuramagomedov from landing his next attempt.

Jackson, who had won his title off the previously perfect Yaroslav Amosov, appeared to be getting flat-footed, struggling with range and the movement of his challenger. He would have just two rounds to solve the puzzle the Russian presented.

Jason Jackson went to the body with a punch early in round four. Kuramagomedov had his back to the fence, circling, with Jackson working to cut him off. Flipping the script, Jackson shot in for a takedown, driving Kuramagomedov into the fence. The champ tied up a leg with his own, trapping Ramazan there. If nothing else, Jackson was perhaps boosting his morale, proving he could control a fighter known for his own grappling prowess. With over two minutes on the clock, Jackson looked to grab the neck, but wasn’t in position for a guillotine. A bit of readjusting, however, and Jackson had it in, but not for long. A tired-looking Ramazan Kuramagomedov appeared to be fading just a little, however, as Jackson made a second attempt on the choke. When that didn’t work, Jackson pushed Kuramagomedov back, getting on top for a bit of ground n’ pound. Another loose guillotine attempt followed.

In round five, it was Kuramagomedov’s turn to try for a guillotine, jumping the gilly (h/t Dusin Poirier) but losing it. That allowed Jackson to get some more time on top, pursuing a d’arce choke. Jackson let go of the choke in a scramble, and Kuramgomedov got back in the driver’s seat, with half the round remaining. Another scramble, and Jackson freed himself, stuffing a takedown in the process. Jackson might have been eyeing another guillotine, and as time wore down, he may have done enough to win another round- though even with four and five in his pocket, there was a big question as to whether he had done enough to win any of the first three rounds. Jackson’s corner, at the very least, were urging him to find a finish. A final guillotine attempt in response to a Kuramagomedov takedown closed out the action, with the judges in wait.

No surprises there: as expected, all three sided with Ramazan Kuramagomedov, the new Bellator MMA welterweight champion.

Official Result: Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jason Jackson by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

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Hughes was a big free agent pickup for the PFL (and as a result, Bellator) after the UFC’s own offer failed to impress. And while his debut wasn’t entirely smooth sailing, in the end Hughes did not fail to impress.

Bobby King chose to take the fight right to Hughes once the opening bell rang, but his first kick, a spinning attack, sailed wide. A Hughes calf kick did not, tripping up King. A moment later, a King jab sat Hughes down momentarily, though he was right back to his feet, attacking with low kicks.

From there, the pair clinched up, with Hughes putting King on the fence. King landed off the break, but Hughes returned to the clinch, driving King back. Hughes fired a knee to the body, while controlling the wrists. He fired a nasty-looking elbow off the break, but that didn’t connect, luckily for King. From there, a bit of a firefight erupted, before Hughes again tied things up.

Round two started out a little better for newcomer Hughes, as just over a minute in, he landed a key takedown. Hughes quickly looked to improve position, while landing a nasty elbow or two from the top. King couldn’t seem to find the space necessary to scramble or wall walk out.

More elbows were delivered by Hughes, who was working in half-guard looking to pass into mount. King would briefly get full guard back, but couldn’t hold on; Hughes was soon threatening to pull his leg through and more to mount, while adding more ground n’ pound. Hughes then got into side control, roughly a minute still on the clock. More smashing elbows rained down, and Bobby King was badly bloodied. Hughes let loose with a final torrent, smashing his way to victory as the ref moved in!

Official Result: Paul Hughes def. Bobby King by TKO, Round 2, 4:50

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And so it was the PFL bringing Bellator Dublin to town, with a welterweight title fight in the main event, where Jason Jackson would look to defend his belt against unbeaten Dagestani Ramazad Kuramagomedov.

Also on the card, the debut of free agent signing Paul Hughes, a former Cage Warriors featherweight champ looking to make an impact on a bigger stand. For his coming out party, he’d been booked against the always reliable Bobby King.

Sinead Kavanagh, meanwhile, found herself in a rematch with Arlene Blencowe, looking to avenge a loss and possibly secure a title shot against women’s featherweight powerhouse Cris Cyborg.

Where to Watch Bellator Dublin

Saturday, June 22, 2024 finds Bellator MMA once again at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, with the card airing on HBO MAX in the U.S., and on Fight Network in Canada. Full results can be found below. The action gets underway at 12PM ET, 9AM PT.

Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jason Jackson (c) by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
Lightweight: Paul Hughes def. Bobby King by TKO, Round 2, 4:50
Women’s Featherweight: Arlene Blencowe def. Sinead Kavanagh by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 3:02
Middleweight: Dalton Rosta def. Norbert Növényi Jr. by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Darragh Kelly def. Mathias Poiron by technical submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:29
Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov def. Matheus Mattos by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) – Number one contender’s bout

Preliminary Card

Featherweight: Nathan Kelly def. Jose Sanchez by submission (front choke), Round 1, 3:42
Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov vs. Tyler Mathison by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Marcirley Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Shinobu Ota def. Roger Blanque by submission (north-south choke), Round 1, 2:18
Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague def. Karolina Sobek by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:41
Flyweight: Nate Kelly def. Paul Nolan by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:49 – Amateur bout

The post Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

For featherweight Hughes, who reportedly received a low-ball offer from the UFC, arriving in a major promotion is a big next step in a career that dates back to 2014, when he kicked off a successful amateur run. Turning pro in 2017, Hughes would claim gold in Cage Warriors, gaining considerable attention as a result.

“It feels good, and it feels right. I do believe that I deserve this, especially for this next chapter in my career,” Hughes said during this week’s Bellator Dublin media day, ahead of his co-main event fight with Bobby King. “I feel very content with it all. It’s new stimulation, it’s new energy, and I absolutely love it. Working with new teams, it’s awesome. Looking forward to Saturday night.”

Hughes has been talked about plenty ahead of his debut, but it’s not the words of others, but his own that he’s looking to live up to, he told Cageside Press.

“Look, I’ve got to deliver, because I’ve got to back up my own words. It’s not what other people are saying. People can say what they want, but it’s what I say to myself. I have to back up my own words, and I like to do that, because it adds to the pressure to myself. Ultimately, I’m just trying to prove to myself every time, to be completely honest.”

“I’ve been out here saying I’m the best in the world, I believe I’m top five all organizations right now,” Hughes added. “Saying that, I haven’t fought the caliber of people to make them claims, but this is me just putting that out there and manifesting it, and I will be doing that soon.”

Hughes is just the latest star to emerge from Ireland on the global stage, something he believes is in part to Bellator’s frequent stops in the country.

“For Ireland to be on the world stage of MMA – Bellator have heavily invested in Ireland for many years, so it’s great to kind of see that coming to fruition now, and the stars that they’re building. So it’s a pleasure and an honor to be on this card with my fellow Irish men and women,” he stated.

Watch the full Bellator Dublin media day appearance by Paul Hughes above.

The post Paul Hughes Looking to Back Up Own Words at Bellator Dublin appeared first on Cageside Press.

That title fight sees Jason Jackson making the first defense of his 170lb crown, after winning the belt in an upset over Yaroslav Amosov last year. “The Ass-Kicking Machine” was faced with unbeaten Russian Ramazan Kuramagomedov for his first assignment as champ, with the challenger earning back-to-back wins under the Bellator banner in 2023.

In the co-main event, hot free agent signing Paul Hughes debuted against Bobby King, while Sinead Kavanagh looked to claim another shot at gold in a rematch with three-time title challenger Arlene Blencowe.

Weigh-ins for the event took place Friday, June 21, 2024 in Dublin, results can be found below.

Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Jason Jackson (c) (169.9) vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov (169.8) – for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
Lightweight: Paul Hughes (155.7) vs. Bobby King (156)
Women’s Featherweight: Sinead Kavanagh (146) vs. Arlene Blencowe (145.4)
Middleweight: Norbert Növényi Jr. (185.8) vs. Dalton Rosta (185.1)
Lightweight: Darragh Kelly (155.7) vs. Mathias Poiron (155.1)
Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov (135.9) vs. Matheus Mattos (136)

Preliminary Card

Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov (145.8) vs. Tyler Mathison (146)
Bantamweight: Sarvarjon Khamidov (136) vs. Marcirley Alves (135.1)
Bantamweight: Shinobu Ota (135.6) vs. Roger Blanque (132.9)
Featherweight: Nathan Kelly (145) vs. Jose Sanchez (148.8)*
Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague (143.7) vs. Karolina Sobek (145.9)
Flyweight: Nate Kelly (126) vs. Paul Nolan (125)

* – Catchweight fight at 148

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Ahead of her first fight of 2024, Kavanagh told Cageside Press that following the McCourt fight calling through, “I took a few weeks off, and then I got back to it. The fight in March, I thought it wasn’t going to happen anyway. I didn’t think she was going to fight me again after that performance I did the first time. I literally left her on one leg.”

Sinead Kavanagh is no stranger to rematches. She fought Janay Harding twice. McCourt would have been a rematch. Now, the Irish featherweight has gone from McCourt, to Arlene Blencowe, a multi-time Bellator MMA title challenger who she first faced in 2017, losing a split decision. In many ways, the fight may be an upgrade, given the number of times Australia’s Blencowe has challenged for Bellator gold.

“She’s fought for the title four times, fought Cyborg twice, went five rounds with Cyborg. She is not an easy opponent,” noted Kavanagh (Blencowe has technically challenged for gold in the promotion three times, and won a regional title outside it). “If I can do this, and I win here, and I know I can do this, I’m straight here to the title. I knocked Leah off, even though she didn’t deserve to fight for the title, because she lost against me, she lost against Cat [Zingano]. So yeah, I’m back up there for the title.”

“We fought in 2017, me and Arlene did, and it went to a split decision loss. I did think I won that fight. I was not so lucky on one of the judges’ cards, but did think I won that. I think the both of us have improved since that. I think we’re one of the best in that division, the two of us are. She’s tough, she’s like me, I’m tough. We can throw down, and I think she has come a long way from where she started, and me also. So I’m really looking forward to this one.”

Kavanagh believes that ultimately, a win over Blencowe will land her a much-desired rematch with featherweight champ Cris Cyborg.

“Who else is better to beat Arlene and get the title shot? I think that’s the way it goes here. Beat Arelene, and go for the title shot. I will call out Cyborg, and I want that rematch for sure. I think ‘KO’ deserves another chance at the title shot.”

As for how long she might have to sit, with Cyborg expected to face Larissa Pacheco next, Kavanagh suggested she’s willing to wait. “[Cyborg]’s the biggest name in MMA. She’s a monster. Yeah, I do want that, and I will wait around. [Michael] Chandler can wait two years, I’m sure I can wait a few months.”

Let’s hope Kavanagh doesn’t go through the roller coaster Chandler has with Conor McGregor.

Watch our full interview with Bellator Dublin’s Sinead Kavanagh above.

The post Sinead Kavanagh’s Plan for Bellator Dublin: “Beat Arlene,” “Call Out Cyborg” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hughes (11-1) will face Hawaiian Bobby King (12-6) at Bellator Dublin on June 22, 2024 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Promotion officials announced the booking via press release on Monday.

The card will be the brand’s third since the PFL purchased Bellator late last year, and rebranded it the Bellator Champions Series.

Now competing as a lightweight, Hughes is a former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, and has spent most of his career to date with the U.K.-based promotion. Currently riding a five-fight win streak, Hughes holds victories over the likes of James Hendic, Jordan Vucenic, and current UFC fighter Morgan Charriere.

Bobby King, who gets to welcome the hot prospect to the PFL/Bellator family, has lost his last two fights, and is 3-3 under the Bellator banner overall. He was last seen dropping a decision to UFC alum Aalon Cruz in April 2023. King holds notable wins over UFC talents Steven Siler and Westin Wilson, as well as Bellator/PFL vet Keoni Diggs.

Bellator Dublin on June 22, 2024 is headlined by a welterweight title fight, as champ Jason Jackson puts his title on the line for the first time, against Ramazan Kuramagomedov. The following match-ups have been announced for the event:

• Jason Jackson (c) vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov – for the UFC welterweight championship
• Paul Hughes vs. Bobby King
• Sinead Kavanagh vs. Arlene Blencowe
• Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Dalton Rosta
• Kasum Kasumov vs. Matheus Mattos
• Simeon Powell vs. Abdullah Er-Ramy
• Brian Moore vs. Francesco Nuzzi
• Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Marcirley Alves
• Nathan Kelly vs. Fabacary Diatta
• Olena Kolesnyk vs. Sara Collins
• Michelle Montague vs. Karolina Sobek

The post Paul Hughes Gets Bobby King in Promotional Debut at Bellator Dublin appeared first on Cageside Press.