The former Invicta FC and Strikeforce bantamweight champion had last competed under the PFL banner, only to be eliminated during the league’s 2019 post-season. In the ensuing years, the veteran had struggled to find a fight, and told Cageside Press ahead of her return that she would have considered retiring had she not been able to fight by year’s end.

As luck would have it, BTC offered her to opportunity to throw down with Bellator MMA veteran Jessy Miele, in a featherweight fight topping the BTC 13 card at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.

Come Saturday’s main event, Miele had the noticeable size advantage — not surprising, as a natural featherweight to Kaufman’s bantamweight frame. Kaufman, however, dictated much of the early going, working short combos, mixing in kicks, and setting the pace. Then, late in the opening round, Kaufman scored a knockdown, and jumped on Miele’s back almost instantly. She had one arm under the chin, but Miele fought the other hand, then rolled, looking to get Kaufman off her any way she could. Kaufman, mounted on the back, began dropping heavy ground n’ pound, and Miele had no answer.

Within moments, the ref moved in to wave it off! In her first fight in over two years, Sarah Kaufman got the job done in under a round. Following the bout, she expressed a desire to return to the big stage — and interest in a fight with UFC double champ Amanda Nunes.

Official Result: Sarah Kaufman def. Jessy Miele by TKO, Round 1, 3:56

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Also a former contender in the UFC’s bantamweight division, Kaufman was fighting for the first time since her PFL run came to an end in 2019. She was set to take on Bellator MMA veteran Jessy Miele in the BTC 13 main event.

The co-main event, meanwhile, featured Xavier Nash riding a two-fight win streak into his bout with the undefeated Thomas Glot. Also set for the evening was the opening round of the promotion’s $10,000 bantamweight tournament.

BTC 13: Kaufman vs. Miele can be streamed via live PPV through BTCFight.ca— the action gets underway at 6PM ET on Saturday, November 21, 2021 at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario. Full results from the event can be found below.

BTC 13: Kaufman vs. Miele Results

Sarah Kaufman def. Jessy Miele by TKO, Round 1, 3:56 – women’s featherweight main event
Xavier Nash def. Thomas Glot by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Gabe Sagman def. Matt Dawson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Teshay Gouthro def. Kristian Bouchard by TKO, Round 3, 0:36
Izzudeen Atmeh def. Nate Small by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:56
Ariel Zuniga def. Harley King by submission (guillotine choke), Round 3, 0:36
Vinny Dias def. Alejandro Sosa by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:19
Albaraa Atmeh def. Seth Connor by TKO, Round 1, 3:36
Cody Chovancek def. Josh Martiniuk by TKO, Round 2, 3:06
Binaebi Otoru def. Nate Ledger by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

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There’s only one problem: Miele is no longer with the promotion. The longtime featherweight has a fight booked in St. Catharines, Ontario against Sarah Kaufman this weekend at BTC 13.

Promotion officials confirmed to Cageside Press that Miele will be removed from the rankings, but for now, she remains in the #7 slot. In fact, she actually climbed two spots in the featherweight division in Tuesday’s update. That saw Talita Nogueira drop below her.

Sinead Kavanagh, who was just knocked out by Cris Cyborg at Bellator 271, dropped to the #6 spot in the division.

Miele (9-5) last competed for Bellator a year ago, losing a unanimous decision against Janay Harding. In her three fight run with the promotion, she posted a 1-2 record, also losing a decision against Julia Budd. Her lone win in the organization came via split decision against the aforementioned Nogueira.

Bellator’s rankings are voted upon by members of the media, including a representative from Cageside Press. Tuesday’s update saw heavyweight Linton Vassell move up two spots to #4 in the division following his win against Tyrell Fortune at Bellator 271. Steve Mowry, who was also victorious at Friday’s event, moved to #6 at heavyweight.

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Promotion officials recently announced that Kaufman (21-4, 1NC), who has also competed in the UFC and PFL, will take on Bellator MMA alum Jessy Miele (9-5) at the event. The fight is expected to be contested at featherweight.

BTC 13: Power looks set to be the Ontario, Canada-based promotion’s biggest card yet, as it will also feature the launch of a $10,000 bantamweight tournament.

Kaufman, born in Victoria, British Columbia, last competed at PFL 7 in 2019, losing her women’s lightweight semifinal fight against Larissa Pacheco. That knocked her out of a tournament in which many expected her to face off with Kayla Harrison in the finale.

Prior to that loss, Kaufman had won four straight fights against notable names like Jessica-Rose Clark and Pannie Kianzad. At Invicta FC 29 in May 2018, she would defeat Katharina Lehner to claim bantamweight gold, but never defended the title, instead signing on with the PFL the following year.

Miele went 1-2 in her run with Bellator MMA, and has previously competed for CES MMA. She’ll be looking to snap a two-fight losing streak against Kaufman.

In addition to Kaufman vs. Miele, BTC also announced the addition of Teshay Gouthro vs Mike Johnson to the BTC 13 card. The event takes place Saturday, November 20, 2021 at the Meridian Center in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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The women’s featherweight bout between Julia Budd and Jessy Miele hit a snag when Miele came in one pound over the non-title limit. It will go forward at a catchweight. Miele was the lone fighter on the card to miss weight; the remaining catchweight bouts were contracted ahead of time.

Bellator 244: Bader vs. Nemkov Weigh-In Results

Main Card (Paramount Network and DAZN, 10PM ET)

Ryan Bader (204) vs. Vadim Nemkov (203.9) – for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Title

Julia Budd (145.8) vs. Jessy Miele (147)*
Roy Nelson (264.9) vs. Valentin Moldavsky (234.6)
John Salter (186) vs. Andrew Kapel (185.1)

Preliminary Card: (Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel, 7:15PM ET)

Yaroslav Amosov (174.4) vs. Mark Lemminger (174.6) – 175-Pound Contract Weight
Adam Piccolotti (155.3) vs. Sidney Outlaw (156)
Erik Perez (135.6) vs. Joshua Hill (136)
Lucas Brennan (145.8) vs. Will Smith (143.7)
Vladimir Tokov (155.3) vs. Chris Gonzalez (156)
Vladyslav Parubchenko (149.6) vs. John de Jesus (149.1) – 150-Pound Contract Weight
Weber Almeida (147.5) vs. Salim Mukhidinov (147.8) – 147-Pound Contract Weight

* Miele missed weight, bout will move forward at catchweight

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Jessy Miele is a name many New England MMA fans have come to remember, now she will be competing with one of the top names in Bellator. According to BestFightOdds.com, Miele walks in as a +500 underdog for her bout in the co-main event come fight night. Miele is unbothered by the odds.

“Hey I train at Underdog, what can I say,” Miele laughed, addressing her underdog status during the event’s media day this week. “My footage hasn’t really been out there from all of the fights I’ve had. I’ve been in this game 11 years, I’m well-rounded. I’m where I need to be right now. If I keep working hard, it’ll eventually show.”

Miele is currently 9-3 in her professional career. Coming off of a split decision win over Talita Nogueria at Bellator 231, Miele finds herself against the former featherweight champ in Julia Budd. A mainstay in the CES cage, a regional promotion in Rhode Island, Miele is coming off of two split decisions but that isn’t slowing her down.

“Anytime we go into a fight, anybody, you want a finish. We want to finish right off the bat so we can go enjoy the rest of the day,” Miele told the media. “Anything can happen, I’ve got a good gameplan going in. No matter what happens I’m going to be ready for it.”

Julia Budd just came off welcoming mega star Cris Cyborg to Bellator. The having defeated the inaugural champion of the featherweight division, Cyborg is awaiting her next opponent. Miele hopes with a win it gets her one step closer to the former UFC champion.

“I’ll do whatever Bellator puts in front of me, put it that way, Miele told the media. “If it is a title shot next, I will be ready to plan for it.”

Bellator 244 takes place this Friday, August 21 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The main card airs live on Paramount Network and DAZN.

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That fight joins a number of others unveiled for the card, including names like Josh Hill (taking on another notable, Erik Perez), John Salter, and Budd’s own stepson Lance Gibson Jr, who will also be fighting at the event.

Budd (13-3) was the inaugural women’s featherweight champion in Bellator, defending the title three times after winning the belt in 2017 against Marloes Coenen. She lost the title this past January to Cris Cyborg, and has not fought since.

Miele (9-4) has won her last four bouts, including her promotional debut against Talita Nogueira last October. Miele has shared the cage with a number of notable names, including former UFC fighter Elizabeth Phillips, Charmaine Tweet, and UFC/TUF alum Peggy Morgan.

Bellator 244, which takes place August 22 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between champ Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. At heavyweight, Roy Nelson takes on Valentin Moldavsky. The following preliminary card bouts have also been added to the event:

Adam Piccolotti vs. Sidney Outlaw
John Salter vs. Andrew Kapel
Lance Gibson Jr vs. Shane Kruchten
Vladimir Tokov vs. Chris Gonzalez
Lucas Brennan vs. Will Smith
Erik Perez vs. Josh Hill

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As first reported by MMA Junkie, Leslie Smith vs. Jessy Miele, Robson Gracie vs. Billy Goff, Anatoly Tokov vs. Fabio Aguiar, and Romero Cotton vs. Justin Sumter have all been booked for the event. Three of those bouts will serve as preliminary fights, while Tokov vs. Aguiar joins the main card.

Smith (11–8–1) won her promotional debut against Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 224 last year. She then dropped her sophomore outing at Bellator 233, losing a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak dating back to her UFC days. There’s still a fair amount of upside to Smith in Bellator, given her history as a part opponent of current featherweight champ Cris Cyborg.

Jessy Miele (9-3) has won four straight fights, including her promotional debut against Talita Nogueira in October. She also has a recent win over former UFC and Invicta FC fighter Elizabeth Phillips.

Contender Series middleweight vet Justin Sumter (7-3) takes on the undefeated Romero Cotton (4-0) on the preliminary card as well. Another undefeated fighter, Robson Gracie Jr. (3-0) also features on the prelims, facing Billy Goff (2-2). Gracie has spent his entire pro career to date with Bellator.

On the main card, as noted, middleweights Anatoly Tokov and Fabio Aguiar face off. Tokov (29-3) is in the conversation for a title shot at 185lbs, having won five straight bouts in the Bellator cage. That streak has included names like ex-champ Alexander Shlemenko, and Gerald Harris. Aguiar (17-1) is making his promotional debut on a nine-fight win streak.

Bellator 241 takes place on March 13 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The main card is set to air on DAZN. Headlining the event is a featherweight title fight between Patricio Pitbull and Pedro Carvalho, part of the promotion’s featherweight grand prix.

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The New England MMA scene appears to be bursting with talent at the moment. It seems like each day a fighter from the region is signing with a major MMA organization. The UFC has added local fighters like Yorgan De Castro and Peter Barrett, Bellator has added Mike Kimbel and Nick Newell, and even the PFL has added Nate Andrews and John Howard. However, despite all these signings, one of the most consistent fighters in the region, Jessy Miele, is still waiting for her opportunity at the big leagues.

“I just want to challenge myself and fight the people they call the best right now,” Miele told Cageside Press. “That is what is going to make me a better fighter now.”

Miele, who turned professional back in 2014, sports an 8-3 record and is riding a three fight winning streak. She is coming off the biggest victory of her career, when she defeated UFC veteran Elizabeth Phillips by split decision back at CES 56 in May. Since dropping her professional debut, “the Widowmaker” has only lost to very high level fighters in former Invicta title challenger Charmaine Tweet and Ultimate Fighter Season 18 veteran Peggy Morgan — with both of those losses coming by way of decision.

“A lot of those losses were me getting in my own head,” Miele said. “I’m in a different spot in my life now. I am no longer getting in my own head.”

The Connecticut native tried out for the 28th season of the Ultimate Fighter but ended up only being selected as an alternative. Instead of getting frustrated, the featherweight worked on her craft with the crew at Underdog Mixed Martial Arts in Hartford and three other teams through out New England. She also picked up back to back wins under the CES MMA banner.

“Every time I get in the cage, I’m gonna be a better fighter,” Miele said. “I’m putting in the work and I believe it is starting to show.”

Miele is known for her well-rounded game. She is a bit of a crowd pleasure due to her penchant to slug it out on the feet. However, she is also a tough test for anybody in the grappling department — as she is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has half of her wins coming via submission.

The 34-year-old knows that a call up to the UFC could come at any time, so she must be prepared. With the premier MMA organization coming to Northeast cities like Boston and New York this fall, her chances of finally getting called up might have increased.

“I just want to be prepared if someone likes the UFC calls and says they need someone last minute,” Miele stated. “I want to say let’s take it.”

Despite having to consult with her manager and teammate, UFC veteran Matt Bessette, Miele is not going to restrict her options to the UFC. With Bellator MMA holding back to back events in Connecticut in October, Invicta FC constantly adding top female talent, and the Professional Fighters League possible adding new weight classes to their 2020 season, she is hoping to have multiple offers on the table.

“I would be interested in a lot of leagues, especially the PFL,” Miele said. “But I’m looking to stay in my weight class and don’t want to go up. However, if they make a featherweight division, I would like to be in there.”

Miele doesn’t currently have a fight booked but is hoping to return soon. Being that some of the top MMA sites rank her as one of the best fighters in her division, perhaps the fight will come on a higher platform.

“I want to know why they don’t think I’m ready,” Miele said. “I think I’m ready and I want to show that I’m ready. Give me a shot and I will prove it.”

The post CES MMA’s Jessy Miele Ready for the Big Leagues: “Give Me a Shot and I Will Prove It” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jessy Miele, a fan favorite for the CES crowd here in the Connecticut Convention Center, is ready to look for a third straight victory in the cage. Miele is considered the pound-for-pound #1 of the Northeast region (outside of a major promotion) and for good reason. The crowd is as loud as it has been all night.

Her opponent, a UFC veteran, Elizabeth Phillips looks to ruin the streak of the CES fan favorite. Phillips has fought the likes of Milana Dudieva and Raquel Pennington while under the UFC promotion.

Round 1: We open round one with an early takedown of Miele. Phillips look for a submission but Miele remains calm and escapes. Miele begins looking for a triangle while underneath Phillips. Miele finds an opening and the crowd erupts, as she gets back to her feet and lands some clean punches on Phillips. Under a minute left in the round, Jessy lands a knee and clinches up with Phillips.

Round 2: The crowd welcomes round two with a “Jessy” chant. This round begins with both fighters swinging for the fences before entering a clinch battle. Miele begins unloading on Phillips who reaches for the single leg, but without success. Jessy begins looking for the neck of Phillips, but that doesn’t last long. Miele is avidly looking for the finish, but Phillips is showing extreme toughness. In the last minute, Jessy takes the back of Phillips, but can’t control the neck. Instead, Jessy turns to ground and pound. We will see a round three.

Round 3: After a dominating round by Jessy, round three opens with Phillips turning the tide and gaining top control. Although not do a severe amount of damage, definitely hitting Miele with some elbows and punches while controlling. Jessy gets back to her feet and starts swinging, but the round comes to a close.

Official Decision: Jessy Miele def. Elizabeth Phillips via decision (29-28 Phillips, 30-26, 29-27 Miele)

30-26 seems odd, but overall, Miele did what was needed to win this fight, a dominating second round definitely helped this decision. Phillips may hold a .500 record now, but has definitely proven why many consider her such a tough and hard fight as an opponent. Miele now has won three straight, don’t be surprised to hear a quick turnaround for the P4P queen of the north.

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