That fight finds UFC veteran Enrique Barzola (19-7-2) paired up with hot prospect Jaylon Bates (7-0), in a fight that almost certainly represents Bates’ toughest test to date.

Bellator officials announced the booking on social media on Monday.

Bates enters the fight after picking up a win over fellow 135lb prospect Jornel Lugo back in February. The fight wound up going to the judges, with Bates winning his second straight split decision on the scorecards.

Barzola, winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2 in 2015, returned to the win column in March with a unanimous decision victory over Erik Perez at featherweight. It will be back to bantamweight at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on August 11, 2023 however.

Sitting at #10 in the Bellator MMA official rankings, Jaylon Bates sits just one spot behind #9-ranked Enrique Barzola at the moment.

The Bellator 298 card is headlined by welterweights Logan Storley and Brennan Ward, with the following match-ups reported for the event to date:

• Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward
• Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry
• Dalton Rosta vs. Aaron Jeffery
• Sidney Outlaw vs. Islam Mamedov
• James Gallagher vs. James Gonzalez
• Lucas Brennan vs. Weber Almeida
• Leandro Higo vs. Nikita Mikhailov
• Diana Avsaragova vs. Justine Kish
• Alfie Davis vs. Aalon Cruz
• Dayana Silva vs. Katerina Shakalova
• Max Rohskopf vs. Jairo Pacheco
• Jerrell Hodge vs. Marcirley Alves da Silva
• Michael Blockhus vs. Eli Mefford
• Mukhamed Berkhamov vs. Dante Schiro
• Jaylon Bates vs. Enrique Barzola

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Bates (6-0) admits that opponent Mark Coates got in his head during the fight, which ended in a split decision in his own favor.

“I was worried, I was worried a little bit,” Bates admitted, asked about the feeling as the scores were being read. “I wasn’t worried that I wasn’t going to win, I was just disappointed in my performance. I can perform at a really high level, I know how high I can perform. And just tonight, I felt tired. I felt almost like I didn’t want to be in there. When they were reading off the cards, I didn’t know which way it was going to go. I thought I’d won, and I’m glad they saw it that way, but at the end of the day, I didn’t know.”

Much of what went wrong in the fight is the result of what occurred ahead of the fight. Or more accurately, what didn’t occur, which was training enough, the Team Bodyshop fighter admitted.

“I didn’t do nothing. This camp, I only trained for two weeks. Didn’t take it serious. I almost missed weight, horrible weight cut, not eating right,” Bates revealed. “I didn’t take this camp serious, and God was in my favor. I’ve got to stop relying on him and put in the work, because I’m super-talented, but sometimes I rely too much on my talent.”

Ironically, it was Coates who would end up missing weight for the bout. Asked why he didn’t take the camp seriously, meanwhile, Bates replied “Women, honestly. I’ve got to stay away from women and do my job. They’ll drain the life out of you if you let them.”

Watch the full Bellator 283 post-fight press appearance with Jaylon Bates above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Bates (5-0) returns to the Bellator cage for his second fight of 2022 this Friday in Tacoma, Washington. There, he welcomes hometown fighter Mark Coates to the organization.

“New Breed” feels like now that he has his footing under him and has established himself a little bit in the division that he wants everyone to know he is the best bantamweight in the world.

“I’m not worried about being undefeated, I’m not worried about winning, because I know, in my heart of hearts, and my mindset, and my soul, and my spirit, I’m the best 135err in the world. I don’t say that often because I keep it inside. But I think it’s about time to let everyone know who I am, who Jaylon Bates is,” Bates told Cageside Press recently. “And the crowd is gonna see that when I go in there, and they’re shouting his name. And then the crowd goes silent because he’s either submitted or he’s knocked out. Or he loses by a decision. You know, God has his own plan. I have a plan. But that’s my aim is to go in there and finish it.”

Bates doesn’t mind playing the bad guy and getting booed; it’s just part of the job.

“I like going to someone else’s home turf. I love that. I love it when it’s on someone else’s turf, and you get to win. Because that feeling of being like, ‘I’m on your turf, you’re the hometown boy, the crowds gonna be cheering your name, the crowds gonna be wanting you to win.’ And that’s where the pressure comes in,” Bates said. “As long as [the crowd] don’t go piss and sh*t on me, I’m all for it man.”

The 25-year-old wants to submit his opponent to prove he is the better grappler.

“I want to take him down and submit him. He said he’s a higher belt than me. I think it’s bullshit. I don’t give a f*ck about being a higher belt,” Bates said. “You know, when I punch you in the face, throw these elbows on you, and I swing my body weight around. We’re going to see how well your jujitsu game and your grappling game are.”

“The thing is, like everybody, I’m coming to hurt you. I don’t think until you’re in there with me, people don’t realize how strong I am. Until you’re in there with me, you don’t realize how hard I can actually hit and how elusive my striking is. Until you’re in there with me, you don’t realize how good my grappling is. So, if he’s judging me off my last fight, if he’s judging me on my four fights before that, he’s got another thing coming because I’m getting better.”

Watch the rest of our interview with bantamweight Jaylon Bates above. Jaylon Bates vs. Mark Coates goes down on the Bellator 283 prelims free on YouTube.

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Featherweight, Jose Johnson (14-7)

Johnson improved his win streak following a victory over a top prospect in Mo Miller last November. This time he took out former TUF veteran Dulani Perry. It was the first punch Johnson threw, that being the right hand. It landed and knocked Perry out cold absolutely starching him. Johnson is always putting on highlight-reel performances.
Grade: B+

Bantamweight, Kasey Tanner (6-0)

A very easy win from the Fight Ready product Kasey Tanner. With no issue prior Tanner got the single-leg takedown. Tanner took the back and kept busy landing ground and pound. On the broadcast, it was announced that Tanner landed 72 punches and eventually the ref saved his opponent. He keeps his undefeated record and gets his first stoppage by TKO as a pro.
Grade: B

Flyweight, An Ho (1-0)

Someone I really liked as an amateur, An Ho made his pro debut for LFA and looked great. Ho kept the fight standing and threw with a lot of different looks. He was using a lot of quick spinning attacks that were thrown with no wasted motion. Ho was creating traps and finding success with his hands. He landed a spinning back fist dropping his foe. The fight was stopped maybe a bit too early after some ground and pound. Nonetheless, Ho looked stellar so watch for this 21-year-old.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Paris Moran (6-1)

Moran improves his win streak to five with a dominant performance. He fought really patiently and kept sharp in his striking. He fought off every takedown as well. Moran picked his shots picking apart his opponent Joey Elzea through three rounds. When he was landed it was in combinations up to four at a time. In round three Moran picked up the pace busting up Elzea and dropping him at one point. Moran could’ve finished the fight but fought smart.
Grade: B+

Light heavyweight, Bruce Souto (15-3)

Souto started off throwing the jab and some heavy kicks to the legs. His opponent Davis ended up catching a kick and putting Souto on his back. Souto had to fight through a front choke and did get back to his feet. The Brazilian landed a flying knee and some left hands as Davis was going down putting him out on his face. In a fight that was about 50/50 Souto shut the lights out.
Grade: B-

Light heavyweight, Josh Silveira (8-0)

Silveira remains undefeated and finishes the fight with an RNC in round three. On the feet, Silveira landed a lot of good kicks but it was the wrestling being the factor. He was getting double leg takedowns putting a lot of strength into multiple takedowns. In wasn’t until round three when Silveira took the back and sunk in the RNC forcing his opponent to tap. Not a pretty performance but he did his thing.
Grade: C+

Middleweight, Jordan Newman (4-0)

Newman dominated in this fight securing his undefeated record. His wrestling won him the fight but did land a few right hands to close the distance. Newman did let his opponent back up three times but took it right back down soon after. He smashed on top with active ground pound smashing with elbows. Newman couldn’t finish but did get a 10-8 from one of the judges. Just another solid wrestler Bellator has.
Grade: C+

Bantamweight, Jaylon Bates (5-0)

Of all his pro fights this one was his least impressive but Bates still looked apart. At times he went to his back but he scrambled and got takedowns of his own. While fighting long with his hands and a diverse kicking attack he blended in some wrestling. Bates was too much in the long haul never slowing and in round three finished with a RNC. One of many bright young stars Bellator has.
Grade: B-

Welterweight, Abdoul Abdouraguimov (14-1)

This was a career performance by Abdouraguimov winning the Ares FC title and beating former UFC fighter Godofredo Pepey. They tied up early and Abdouraguimov got two takedowns. Pepey used an omoplata to create a scramble but it was Abdouraguimov that capitalized. Abdouraguimov threw up an inverted triangle and cranked on the arm forcing Pepey to tap. The “Lazy King” proves he’s a top prospect in the welterweight division.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Kevin Fernandez (3-0)

Two young flyweight prospects between Kevin Fernandez and Cody Linne threw down, and Fernandez dominated. He did a lot of things in this fight but made it look so simple. On the feet, Fernandez fought with his footwork and kicks switching stances frequently and throwing a variety of kicks. He got the takedown each round and stayed on top staying busy enough and that was the story of the fight. Fernandez looked good but we need to see more.
Grade: C+

Lightweight, Malik Lewis (5-0)

Lewis got the TKO late round one in a fight he took control of from the beginning. He used his tall frame on the outside throwing a lot of kicks and trying to find the head kick. Lewis did a great job splitting the guard with his hands throwing from different angles and combos. Lewis threw from both sides attacking frequently. As he got more comfortable he cut the cage off more and his clinch work prevailed. He started to pull away with a few knees and it was a knee and a left hand that sat his opponent down. A few more shots came and the ref stepped in. Lewis looked great and keeps his “0”.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Cody Davis (5-0)

It didn’t work out for Davis in the beginning getting taken down a few times. He did quickly turn the tide hurting his opponent with a left hand. At the end of the first round Davis had an RNC sunk in and if there were a few seconds left his opponent may have gone to sleep. Davis won this fight with his wrestling and staying on his opponent from bell to bell. He looks like a promising flyweight prospect.
Grade: A-

Bantamweight, Daniel Argueta (7-0)

Since his stint on TUF 29 he’s had two impressive performances including this one handing Brazilian Mairon Santos his first loss. Santos was someone I scouted and was high on and Argueta ran through him. Santos didn’t have a moment to breathe in this fight as in all three rounds Argueta took him down quickly and smothered him on top. Argueta kept busy with heavy pressure and ground and pound until the ref stopped it in round three. Argueta with his pace, pressure, cardio, and the ground game is a force.
Grade: A+

Atomweight, Elle Wagman (4-0)

Wagman was on point this fight with her striking. She had her right hand doing the talking for her whether that was off a one-two, the uppercut, or down the middle. Wagman was landing at will finding her range often and accurately. She dropped her opponent in round three with a right to the body and a left to the head. Shortly after Wagman locked in a standing guillotine and the other girl tapped.
Grade: B+

Featherweight, Gauge Young (4-0)

Young has been a fighter-to-watch pro coming from a successful amateur career. He beat another promising prospect who had a similar path in Davis Evans. Early on Evans caught a kick and put Young down. Nothing came from it and when they separated Young threw a counter right over the shoulder. It landed putting Evans down and the extra shots put him out cold. A statement win from a serious prospect in Gauge Young.
Grade: B

Welterweight, Mikey England (6-1)

England moved his win streak to two beating a veteran in Zak Bucia. It was a mauling performance too from England. He easily took Bucia down in the start of rounds one and two. No time lost England landed a slew of damaging ground and pound creating a bloody mess. England landed a lot of cutting elbows and never let up until the ref stopped the fight. Strong wrestling and a threatening ground game.
Grade: B-

Featherweight, Jesse Butler (11-4)

In his last two fights, Butler beat two former UFC fighters in Anthony Ivy and this time Masio Fullen. Butler found a home with a lot of kicks going low and up high. Both guys just wanted to stand and trade and that’s what they did. In an exchange, Butler landed a right-left on the butting that spun Fullen around in brutal fashion. What a highlight-reel knockout.
Grade: A

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Bates improved to 5-0 following a third-round rear-naked choke of Chris Disonell. That didn’t stop him from critiquing the outing, and while he’s happy with the finish, he also added that “we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout, Bates admitted that “I felt like sh*t tonight. I ate a box, damn near two boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts. I could have done a lot better if I would have stayed on diet, and not gotten so big.”

Between weighing in Friday and the fight on Saturday, Bates revealed that he’d gained a full twenty-two pounds. Alone in his hotel room, there was no one to keep him from his donut binge.

“I’m in the room by myself, so I can do what I want. But I should have stayed disciplined. I’m disappointed in myself for that. And it showed, there’s a couple of times where I definitely could have finished the fight early, in my opinion, being in shape, being on diet, being disciplined, but that undisciplined [behavior] kind of cost me my rounds tonight.”

Krispy Kreme accounted for much of Bates’ weight gain prior to the fight. “I had seven chocolate, three iced, two glazed, I had an apple one— I was just grubbin,” he stated. Later, he’d add that it was the first time he’d given in to those sorts of cravings.

“Honestly I feel like this was the first time mentally, I just gave in to anything I wanted. Usually I’m very disciplined, and this time I was like ‘I want a box of donuts,’ and I went and got a dozen and half donuts, and I’ve eaten a lot of them,” he told Cageside Press. “I only have six donuts left, so, yeah.”

Bates is now looking for a relatively quick turnaround, though he’ll need to get a couple of injuries checked out first — specifically his wrist and knee.

“It was coming into the fight, I had a couple injuries, but it wasn’t as serious,” Bates said when asked about what had been ailing him. “Then I started feeling it during the fight. So I definitely want to make sure I get them checked out, I get everything handled. It was a little before the fight, it was lingering.”

Watch the full Bellator 274 post-fight press conference with Jaylon Bates above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Then again, the fight game is not an easy way to make a living. It’s hard to begrudge any fighter looking out for his own bottom line— though Bates expanded on the subject during this week’s media day, telling us that ultimately, he’d leave the decision up to coach Antonio McKee.

Bates (4-0) called upcoming foe Chris Disonell a “good opponent,”, but admitted that he didn’t know much about him. “I don’t look into my opponents too much,” Bates revealed. “But a good opponent, and we’re going to go handle business and have us a fight on Saturday.”

And when it comes to who he’s fighting, it boils down to “whatever my coach wants to do, honestly,” Bates added. “You’ve seen what he’s done with A.J. [McKee]. So I’m letting my coach captain the ship on that one. I don’t really care who I fight, but if they want me to fight top-ranked opponents, yeah I need more chicken. But I do like the match-up this weekend.”

Of course, Bates could just go in there, make a statement, and look at re-working his contract, but it all may boil down to the moment. “Make a statement, or not. I might just take him down and just submit him, I don’t know,” he stated. “It depends on how I feel when I get in there. But we’re going to come out with the Dub, that’s for sure. And he’s not making it all three.”

Bates had a big year in 2021, fighting three times, and maintaining his undefeated record. He’s hoping to up that pace in 2022.

“I actually want four fights. I like to fight, I’m willing to even keep my pay the same to fight more,” Bates told us. “I just want to fight more, get to walk constant, constant experience being in the cage, being around the Bellator team, being in the hotels, managing the weight, cutting the weight— as an amateur, I fought a lot in one year, except when I was a champion.”

As an amateur champ, Bates fought twice in a year — but these days, “every two months, three months, that would be perfect,” he said. “If I could get four in this year from Bellator, that would be a blessing. But if not, I’m not complaining either. They’re doing a hell of a job with me.”

Bates would later compare Team Bodyshop coach McKee to “a diamond in the rough.” And, he noted, the gym isn’t for everyone.

“A lot of people come to the gym, man, and not a lot of people stay. That’s another thing,” Bates said. “The gym is for those that want to be great, and also just better themselves as an overall, individual human being. So it’s a really great fit for me.”

Watch the full Bellator 274 media scrum with Jaylon Bates above. The event takes place this Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. More coverage from Thursday’s media day can be found below.

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MMA fighters are prizefighters. There is no denying that. 25-year old Bates is a prizefighter and wants to be treated as such, especially if it means fighting top 10 opponents.

Bates (4-0) returns to the Bellator cage for his fifth fight this weekend at Bellator 274, where he fights Chris Disonell. The bantamweight known as “New Breed” is riding a three-fight finish streak and looks to continue that. If you’re looking for his first knockout in the promotion, think again because he says that will cost the promotion.

“Everyone has been asking me, ‘Jaylon, when are you going to knock someone out?’ It’s no secret that fans want knockouts, and I understand that. But until I start seeing some chicken from knockouts, you know, maybe a knockout bonus or just a backstage check, I’m fine doing what I’m doing. Sh*t, if I see some extra money, I will knock motherf*ckers out cold,” Bates told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview. “Honestly, I’m going to go out there on Saturday, and whatever God blesses me with, that will happen— if it’s a knockout fine, if not, whatever. I don’t force anything. Just know that I don’t like to fight for 15 minutes; I like to get in there and get out; that’s what I’m going to do.”

Looking forward in 2022, Bates wants to fight four times. He likes the way Bellator is moving with his career, but if they want him to fight a top 10 bantamweight, they are going to have to pay him.

“As long as the chicken is right. I was offered someone in the top 10 last year in September, but I’m going to be honest, I turned it down. If I’m going to be fighting top 10 guys, I want to be paid like a top 10 guy. Right now, I’m not being paid that way, and that’s okay. I’m chilling; I’ll keep knocking these lower guys off,” Bates said. “I’m fighting for myself right now because I don’t have any children, and I don’t have a girlfriend. But I’m also fighting for the love of it and because there is a lifestyle that I want to have. There are investments that I want to make and things I want to do.”

“With the guidance of Antonio McKee, who I trust, I believe I will achieve great things. He’s knowledgeable in the sport of what not to do, what to do, and how to be patient. That’s what I’m doing right now, being patient. I’m making the right decisions with my career, and my coach is guiding me.”

Jaylon Bates fights Chris Disonell this Saturday at Bellator 274 on the preliminary card, which can be seen on Bellator’s Youtube channel and right here on Cageside Press.

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Flyweight, Gerardo Fanny (11-2)

Liam Gittins is always a tough out for anyone and he took it to Fanny in their fight. Gittins pressured Fanny, took him down, landed a lot of output, and had the back a few times. I was so impressed with the composure from Fanny. Every time Fanny had space he was throwing power knees and his explosive base was on full display. Fanny kept landing those knees to the body and Giams was feeling it. In round two all of it added up and a knee to the body dropped Gittins and the ref stepped in. Fanny is a dangerous guy when you can’t put him away.
Grade: B+

Welterweight, Jesse Urholin (8-0)

Another dominant performance from Finland’s Urholin. Right away he got the fight down and alone in round one got three takedowns. It wasn’t until round two when Urholin got the finish but it was one-way traffic from the start. Urholin never needed a dominant position as he was aggressive with ground and pound from all positions. The ref eventually saw enough as the on-pour of ground and pound wasn’t gonna stop.
Grade: A+

Featherweight, Fabacary Diatta (8-0)

Diatta looked good in a fight that went the distance. Outside of three brief takedowns, Diatta won this fight off pure technical ability. Diatta fought smart throwing in combinations and throwing kicks behind his punches. Many times he landed kicks to the body of his opponent. The fight never came close to being finished but Diatta looked really good mixing it up and fighting smart.
Grade: B-

Light heavyweight, Luke Trainer (5-0)

This was a career performance from Luke Trainer, beating a dangerous guy in Yannick Bahati. The 6’6″ Trainer fought very smartly from the outside throwing long punches and kicks to the legs, body, and head. He mixed it up very well too. Trainer in round one got a takedown and hurt Bahati at the end of the round with a short left hook. He had his way with Bahati breaking him down. As soon as Trainer went into the clinch a nasty elbow is what ended the fight.
Grade: A+

Middleweight, Alfonso Leyva (4-0)

Leyva is an Olympic wrestler but it was all striking for him here. He even landed a beautiful throw from the body lock but stood right back up. Leyva dropped his opponent twice in round one with a switch knee and a right cross. He never jumped to try and finish but instead picked his spots. Round two it wasn’t long until Leyva dropped the guy with another right hand and his opponent tapped to survive. Really good performance but his opponent was terrible.
Grade: C+

Heavyweight, Caio Machado (6-1)

Machado did it again defending his BFL title for the second time. He didn’t fight a top level fighter but a veteran in Lee Mein. Machado right away had Mein covering up against the cage landed a flurry of hands and knees. The knees to the body were really affecting Mein. After some more knees later in the round Mein shot for a takedown and Machado defended. Machado gained top position, quickly transitioned into the mount, and locked in an armbar for the tap.
Grade: A-

Featherweight, Nicolas Ouellet (2-0)

Ouellet secured another first-round submission dating back to when he was an amateur. He quickly timed a well-executed takedown right away. He had his neck caught and got flipped over but flipped right back over on top. In side-control, Ouellet landed an elbow to the side of the head cutting his opponent. He tried to jump triangle but he slipped right out. Ouellet took the mount again and went to the back to secure the RNC.
Grade: B-

Lightweight, Mike Figlak (6-0)

Not an overexciting fight but this was a technical bout between Figlak and Kieran Lister. Figlak had impressive defense stuffing takedowns and slipping punches. Figlak did a fine job slipping punches and returning. He fought well in bursts and always threw in twos. He ripped the body a few times as well. What set Figlak apart was he was more active and precise with what he threw.

Welterweight, Mateusz Figlak (6-1)

Figlak was very aggressive from the start. As his opponent was throwing heavy he threw a kick that Figlak caught and got the takedown. From there in the guard Figlak made life difficult landing ground and pound. He cut his opponent having him visible hurt and was cut. The ground and pound had his opponent covering up and the ref stepped in.
Grade: B

Lightweight, George Hardwick (8-1)

A dominant performance from Hardwick against Jakub Dohnal who was 9-1 leading into this fight. Hardwick asserted himself right away with his hands. Throughout the fight he had wonderful bodywork ripping punches to the body. He dropped Dohnal with a clean left hook in round one. He didn’t find the finish until round two. In both rounds, Hardwick had a lot of success on the mat with top position and flowing on top. He dropped Dohnal again in round two with a left-right. With Dohnal on his knees Hardwick sunk in a tight guillotine to get his third submission win. All three submissions come from a guillotine.
Grade: A+

Flyweight, Phumi Nkuta (4-0)

A dominant performance from the CFFC champion making his first title defense. It was all Nkuta in this fight with his constant pressure and wrestling. He got the takedown every round set up from jerky movement and speed. Getting the takedowns came easy and ground and pound is what was won him the fight. Three separate times Nkuta got into the crucifix landing strikes. Taking a beating the ref saw enough in the fourth while in the crucifix the fight was stopped.
Grade: A

Heavyweight, Nyle Bartling (5-0)

One of the best heavyweight prospects out of the U.S., Nyle Bartling gets another easy win. He threw an overhand right to a takedown right away. Bartling got to work with a ton of ground and pound before transitioning to the mount. His opponent tried to roll him over but the base of Bartling was strong. He actually took the back and it was a RNC he got the finish with. That’s his third submission win as a pro and his first RNC.
Grade: A-

Lightweight, Marshal Kemp (4-0)

Kemp wasted no time getting in and out. He threw a kick to a takedown in the opening 15-seconds. Kemp got into half-guard and his opponent tried to turn it but very smoothly Kemp took the back. Right away Kemp put in that RNC and his opponent tapped. Some slick jiu-jitsu from the Glory MMA product.
Grade: B-

Featherweight, Anzor Chakaev (5-0)

Chakaev, a free-style wrestling champion, dominated his fight with his wrestling. It went all three rounds and basically it was him getting a takedown and dominating on top. Chakaev was riding out the position in the guard. It wasn’t until round thee when Chakaev was passing guard and unloading ground and pound. The fight was a bit boring but a dominant one.
Grade: C

Middleweight, Sharaputdin Magomedov (6-0)

Magomedov is extremely dangerous on the feet so his opponent closed the distance quickly. He held Magomedov against the cage for a good while. That was until Magomedov went off with an elbow and a series of knees. That caused separation and Magomedov was landing a lot of kicks. His opponent came forward to close the distance only to walk into a brutal elbow. Perfectly placed by the Russian prospect.
Grade: A

Middleweight, Vladimir Mineev (16-1)

This was an anticipated rematch between Mineev and Magomed Ismailov. The first two rounds were Ismailov getting takedowns and pummeling his foe with ground and pound. Round three Ismailov was dead tired and Mineev poured it on. Mineev threw a lot of kicks and punches behind the kicks making it difficult for Ismailov. Ismailov got another takedown but was too tired to hold Mineev down. Mineev got Ismailov against the cage landed elbows and knees and melted Ismailov until the ref stepped in.
Grade: B

Flyweight, Bekhzod Usmonov (9-3)

Tajikistan fighter Usmonov improved his win streak to four. While this fight did go the distance it doesn’t mean Usmonov played it safe. In fact, Usmonov basically chased his opponent and never took a back step. He did really well exploding forward with heavy body kicks, letting his hands fly. Never over-pursuing as Usmonov was in and out drawing right out of the way and returning. He dominated the fight and looked really good.
Grade: A

Lightweight, Mateusz Rębecki (14-1)

Rebecki continues to run through his competition. It only took Rebecki 15-seconds to storm across the cage and connect. It was a left hook that folded his opponent and the follow-up shots sent the ref stepped in. That made his eleven-fight win streak and his sixth FEN title defense.
Grade: A+

Light heavyweight, Sullivan Cauley (2-0)

Cauley, still young in his career, stays undefeated with another impressive win. His opponent tried relentlessly to take Cauley down. Cauley wasn’t having it and was making him pay landing in the clinch. The golden gloves boxer let his hands go especially with that right hand. He stayed busy throwing off of defending takedowns. A right hand badly wobbled his opponent and the standing TKO came in the final seconds of round one.
Grade: B

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The bantamweight standout wanted a short night, and that’s exactly what he got.

“It was quick. I wanted a quick, easy night. I said, whether we’re working for five minutes or we’re working for 15, we’re going to be working,” Bates told media outlets including Cageside Press after the fight. “So I’m glad that happened.”

His turnaround moving forward will depend on a trip to see the doctor. “I’ve got medicals on Monday, to get some things checked out. As long as they come back in pretty pristine condition, I’m down to fight,” said Bates. “I just wanted to fight, keep going, keep the ball rolling, get 5-0, get 6-0, keep going.”

Keeping things rolling may or may not include Keith Lee, who Bates has called out. Asked if he had a message for Lee, Bates replied saying “not really a message for him, it’s just, he’s watching me. Losers watch winners. So he watched me, and eventually if he wants to cross my path and be another name on my checklist, he will be. But other than that, I’m coming for the belt, I don’t really care about anybody else besides the person who holds the belt. This is just the beginning.”

Watch the full Bellator 268 post-fight press conference appearance by Jaylon Bates above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

The post Bellator 268’s Jaylon Bates on Keith Lee: “Losers Watch Winners, So He Watched Me” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Here’s a look at that, and other key prospects in action this week.

Lux Fight League 17 | Mexico | Friday

Lightweight, Francesco Patron Manzo (8-0)

Manzo is only 22-years-old and is a well-rounded young man with tons of potential. He’s a diverse striker that’s still really technical. Manzo is always throwing in volume mixing in kicks and punches. He has an underrated ground game as well as shown in his last fight with a beautiful armbar finish transitioned from the back. He fights former UFC veteran Marco Beltran (16-7).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwwUDvnyC4Q&t=20s

RCC: Intro 16 | Russia | Saturday

Heavyweight, Kirill Kornilov (10-0-1)

Kornilov has a kickboxing background but in his MMA career, it’s the hands that he has got the job done with. He has a really good jab and uses a lot of feints to produce openings for him to exploit. Where he is most effective is when his opponents come forward, catching them as they come in. He’s a dangerous guy off his back foot, so not someone you want to advance on carelessly. His takedown defense isn’t at all where it needs to be however. Even worse, he’s way out of his realm on the mat off his back. Kornilov fights Ednaldo Oliveira (21-8-1).

FEN 36 | Poland | Saturday

Lightweight, Mateusz Rębecki (13-1)

Rebecki is a BJJ black belt and is a two-time gold medalist in ADCC (Poland). He trains out of Berserker Team with fighters like Michal Materla, Tomasz Narkun, and many more established veterans. Rebecki is a bit one-dimensional being solely a grappler but in that area, he’s just so dangerous and that’s on top or bottom. While on a ten-fight win streak at the time he fought them, the combined record of his opponents was 135-46-3. Of thirteen victories he’s finished all but one fight. Seven stoppages by KO/TKO and five by submission. He fights Aigun Akhmedov (22-2).

AMC Fight Nights 105 | Russia | Saturday

Middleweight, Vladimir Mineev (15-1-1)

Mineev has several good wins, the most notable being against former UFC fighter Maiquel Falcão. There have been doubts in the past about his cardio, takedown defense, and head movement, but he has grown into a well-rounded martial artist. The Russian has a dynamic offensive striking attack with excellent output with his hands and kicks, and his wrestling is underrated as well. Mineev fights Magomed Ismailov (17-2-1).

Featherweight, Mukhamed Eminov (17-1)

Eminov is someone I scouted a few years ago and is much better today than he was then. The Russian hasn’t displayed much on the feet but he does have a solid ground game. Eminov is a very technical grappler who transitions through guard beautifully and excels at passing positions as a whole. He also brings a very intelligent submission base with eleven submission wins. He fights Roman Silagadze (4-1-1).

Middleweight, Sharaputdin Magomedov (5-0)

Magomedov is a kickboxer with an extensive background. In MMA that’s what he showcased so far. Even going backwards Magomedov has light footwork and can still land effectively. In the clinch he’s good at landing knees as shown in his last fight. Magomedov has a lot of dexterity in his legs being able to throw head kicks in tight spaces. He can throw with both legs and is hard to read on what he’s going to throw. He’s dangerous at distance and even though his takedown defense does need work, he’s dangerous to close the distance on. Magomedov fights Mikhail Allakhverdian (9-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbyPMAy4Uj8&ab_channel=FIGHTNIGHTSGLOBALTV

Middleweight, David Barkhudaryan (13-3)

Barkhudaryan is mainly a striker and a very dangerous one at that. He has a one-two he loves to throw, chopping powerful leg kicks, and a firing straight jab. Beware of rushing in on him as well as he’s a dangerous counter-striker. Barkhudaryan has lights out power in his hands and can stop the fight at any time. He’s currently on a seven-fight win streak and looking at the peak of his career. He fights Artur Alibulatov (21-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xIEli46UM&ab_channel=FIGHTNIGHTSGLOBALTV

Bellator 268 | US | Saturday

Light heavyweight, Julius Anglickas (10-1)

Anglickas has a strong wrestling base, that being his best weapon for sure. He can wrestle all fight as his cardio has proved to be very good. He also has a dangerous submission attack, holding four submission wins in his career. On the feet, Anglickas bull rushes opponents and beats them up in the clinch. He also throws good leg kicks and a good jab.  He’s got a solid work ethic and eventually breaks your will. He fights the champ Vadim Nemkov (14-2) for the title.

Light heavyweight, Karl Albrektsson (12-3)

Albrektsson has only three losses in his career, all three to stellar fighters in Valentin Moldavsky, Phil Davis, and Jiri Prochazka. He has also beaten good competition such as former UFC fighter Josh Stansbury and Bellator light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov. “King” has a background in BJJ and in Sanshou, in which he was the 2014 European champion. His weak point would be on the feet, as he’s often seen fighting too stiff. He excels on the mat though, looking better in each fight. He fights Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-6-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkjRjnY3-U&ab_channel=That%27swhyMMA%21

Lightweight, Nick Browne (11-1)

Browne’s sole loss is to John Gunther, and while that looks… not so good in hindsight, he does have a few good wins. He’s beat opponents like Sidney Outlaw, Troy Lamson, Ben Egli, and Trey Ogden who are all good fighters. Browne doesn’t have much to offer on the feet but strikes well to close the distance to wrestle. He’s a strong grappler being a big submission threat with five submission wins. Taking the back and finishing with the RNC is what he’s best at. He fights Bobby Lee (12-6).

Bantamweight, Jaylon Bates (3-0)

Bates made his pro debut for Bellator and is one of their best and brightest up-and-comers. He’s the full package and besides being a wrestler first his striking is good. He has good hands and good use of his range. Bates is a fantastic wrestler and can wrestle three rounds no problem. Being an aggressive wrestler he can keep taking guys down despite them getting to their feet. Bates has a slick submission game no matter where he’s at. Still not enough has been shown but he looks like the real deal. He fights Raphael Montini (6-4).

Welterweight, Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-1)

Berkhamov is a very solid fighter that can go the distance or finish. He has solid cardio going the distance three times but mainly ending the fight with his striking. He only throws one strike at a time but he is very explosive and is very hard to read as he throws hooks, jabs, leg kicks, and head kicks and his timing is perfect. Berkhamov has solid wrestling as he changes levels great and always gets the takedown. He is very good on top moving well and stays heavy and gets dominant position frequently. He fights Jaleel Willis (15-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutEIBQIztI&ab_channel=MMATROLL

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Anglickas Moves from Prospect to Title Challenger appeared first on Cageside Press.