Bellator 292, which takes place on March 10, 2023, will see Michael “Venom” Page (20-2) face off with Goiti Yamauchi in a battle of ranked welterweights.

That main-card match-up was announced on Wednesday, along with several preliminary card bouts. Those include Julius Anglickas (10-3) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (19-7-1) at light heavyweight, Bobby Seronio III (3-0) vs. Alberto Garcia (2-0) at bantamweight, Enrique Barzola (18-7-2) vs. Erik Perez (20-8) also at bantamweight, and Khalid Murtazaliev (15-3) vs. Tony Johnson (9-3) at middleweight. Finishing off the newly announced bouts is a lightweight affair, Islam Mamedov (22-2-1) vs. Shamil Nikaev (10-0, 1 NC).

The return of “MVP” will mark his first action since a May 2022 loss to Logan Storley for the promotion’s interim welterweight title. In just his second loss as a pro, Page dropped a split decision against “Storm.” Storley will face returning welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov in a title unification bout later this month, while Page looks to jump back to the head of the line against Brazilian Yamauchi.

Goiti Yamauchi has won three straight, most recently knocking out Neiman Gracie last August. The 30-year old has spent the last decade with the promotion, starting out as a featherweight in 2013, then moving to lightweight in 2016. In 2022, Yamauchi made the move to welterweight, where he is undefeated thus far.

Bellator 292 is set to take place at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA on March 10. The following bouts have been announced for the card by the promotion:

• Usman Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Benson Henderson — for the Bellator MMA lightweight championship / lightweight grand prix quarterfinal
• Tofiq Musayev vs. Alexander Shabliy — lightweight grand prix quarterfinal
• Valentin Moldavsky vs. Linton Vassell
• Michael Page vs. Goiti Yamauchi
• Leandro Higo vs. James Gallagher
• Enrique Barzola vs. Erik Perez
• Keri Taylor Melendez vs. Bruna Ellen
• Cass Bell vs. Josh Hill
• Islam Mamedov vs. Shamil Nikaev
• Khalid Murtazaliev vs. Tony Johnson
• Julius Anglickas vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov
• Bobby Seronio III vs. Alberto Garcia
• Laird Anderson vs. Rogelio Luna
• Wladmir Gouvea vs. Sean Tucker
• Theo Haig vs. Adam Wamsley
• Dupree Stewart vs. Demetri Georgiades

The post Michael “Venom” Page vs. Goiti Yamauchi Among Additions to Bellator 292 appeared first on Cageside Press.

For Anglickas, almost certainly not, given it was his first fight back from a loss to champ Vadim Nemkov in the light heavyweight grand prix. A victory, however, would at least keep him in contention.

For Phil Davis? That was a different story, as the former champion never seemed to be far from the title hunt.

The first round of Davis vs. Anglickas played out primarily on the feet. The kickboxing battle that ensued favored Davis more often than not, and when the did clinch up, what might have been a takedown for Davis saw their strength essentially cancel each other out. Davis would get the fight to the ground and get on top late in the round, working to isolate an arm, but they’d head to the second.

More stand-up early in round two had Davis mixing up his attacks, going upstairs with a head kick attempt, and working his jab. Anglickas was mobile on the outside, bouncing and moving, until Davis scooped him up at the midway mark of the round and planted him on his back. Slick takedown, one that left Davis in side control. Despite plenty of top time from Phil, Anglickas made it out of the round — but was clearly losing the fight.

Round three was do or die — or more accurately do or lose a decision — for Julius Anglickas. He valiantly fought off an early Davis takedown attempt, but the follow-up saw Davis hoist Anglickas up and slam him down. With over three minutes left in the round, Davis had the fight, again, right where he wanted it. In half-guard, Davis landed a bit of ground n’ pound, then worked to isolate an arm, potentially with a kimura in mind. Anglickas would escape, only to be taken down again at the end of the third, Davis putting his stamp on the fight — which was a clear win for “Mr. Wonderful.”

Official Result: Phil Davis def. Julius Anglickas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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The St. Louis card found the surging Mads Burnell, unbeaten since exiting the UFC a few years back, paired up with the explosive Adam Borics in a match-up that had a high probability for fireworks.

Of course, Borics had been here before. Last August, he was booked into a title eliminator against Jay Jay Wilson, only for Wilson to miss weight — with the fight later scrapped as a result. There were no such hiccups at Friday’s weigh-in, however.

In the co-main event of what had been promoted as a double bill, meanwhile, Julius Anglickas, who recently stepped up as an alternate to face 205lb champ Vadim Nemkov in the light heavyweight grand prix, was paired up with ex-champ Phil Davis. Anglickas would have the hometown advantage, and was looking to get back in the win column.

A victory for Davis could do wonders for “Mr. Wonderful” in terms of landing him another shot at gold.

Full results from Bellator 276, which takes place at the Family Arena in St. Louis, MO on Saturday, March 12, 2022 can be found below. A live stream of the preliminary card can be found at the top of the page; the main card also streams live in the embed above, where available.

Bellator 276: Borics vs. Burnell Results

Main card

Adam Borics def. Mads Burnell by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46)
Phil Davis def. Julius Anglickas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Johnny Eblen def. John Salter by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Jay Jay Wilson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary card

Alex Polizzi def. Jose Augusto by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 0:49
Romero Cotton def. Freddy Sandoval by TKO, Round 1, 1:39
Diana Avsaragova def. Kyra Batara by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Cody Law def. James Adcock by knockout, Round 1, 1:17
Roman Faraldo def. Kelvin Rayford by TKO, Round 1, 0:44
Jordan Howard def. Trevor Ward by TKO, Round 2, 3:24

Nico Alcaraz def. Stanton Ketcherside by Submission (americana), Round 2 2:00 — Amateur bout

The post Bellator 276: Borics vs. Burnell Live Stream and Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Davis (23-9) knows that his fight on Saturday night at Bellator 276 will not be a walk in the park and acknowledged Anglickas’ toughness.

“Julius is a tough fighter. He swings for the fences. He’s one of those guys that, he’s ready to make a nice title run. He’s overall just really good at everything. He doesn’t have any gaping holes in his game so when I get ahold of a guy like that it’s all kind of a game time feel. I just have to feel him out a little bit. See where I can exploit a little bit of weakness, but from outside there’s not a lot of, he has no holes really,” Davis said at media day on Thursday.

Being so close to the rankings, Davis #2 and Anglickas #4 respectively, it’s reasonable to say that the winner could have a shot at the winner of Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson later on in the year.

“If you’re in the top 5, top 6, you can be fairly close to a title shot at any moment. Mr. Anglickas learned that already he got called up he said ‘Yes absolutely’. Just being 2 and 4 of course we’re in that talk. We don’t know really what’s going on with Mr. (Anthony) Johnson, we don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully Mr. Nemkov is still going to be able to make it to the fight and have a great performance. We’re praying for that. We want that to happen. Anything can happen in the world and also in the fight game,” Davis said.

Looks like Davis wants to avenge his two losses to Vadim Nemkov at some point. However he’s focused on his job this weekend.

“My job is very simple. Show up Saturday, beat somebody up, get my hand raised.”

Watch the full Bellator 276 media day scrum with Phil Davis above. More coverage from the event can be found below. The card takes place this Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Family Arena in St. Louis, MO.

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Bellator light heavyweight Julius Anglickas takes on former 205 champion Phil Davis at Bellator 276 on Saturday night in the co-main event of the evening.

Anglickas (10-2) is coming off a loss to champion Vadim Nemkov a fight he took on short notice at Bellator 268. Anglickas has a chance to get back to a title shot with a win over Davis.

“Phil is a great fighter. Everybody always says ‘Oh are you going to win?’ but I mean he’s good, I’m good, anything can happen. I’m just happy to have this opportunity and almost like redeem myself a little bit. I think everybody looked at my last fight and thinking like ‘Oh that’s how he’s always going to be against all the wrestlers. So I think this is my chance to prove that it’s not going to be the case,” Anglickas said at media day on Thursday.

Davis (23-6) is known for his high-level wrestling, but ever improving striking game.

“I think he hits harder than Nemkov and his fighting style is a little different. I think stand-up wise it’s going to be a bit tougher previous fight and wrestling I think it’s more explosive. He’s good everywhere so I’m going to have to get ready for that. We’ll see what happens I’m just excited for it,” said Anglickas.

Corey Anderson and Nemkov are set to fight for the light heavyweight title on April 15^th in San Jose, CA. For Anglickas the title remains the goal, but the opponent does not matter.

“Yeah I don’t think it matters. I’m sure I’m going to fight the guy (Nemkov) again eventually. I’m ranked up there so I’m sure I’m going to fighting him everybody. I’m not planning to stop from fighting so I’m sure I’m going to fight a few people a few times. It doesn’t matter if Nemkov is next or whoever else is. My focus right now is to do good this Saturday do everything I can and just show a great performance and win of course,” Anglickas said.

“And whatever happens after that, that’s what it is. I’m not stressing about looking to far in the future.”

Watch the full Bellator 276 media day scrum with Julius Anglickas above. More coverage from the event can be found below. The card takes place this Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Family Arena in St. Louis, MO.

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The card was topped by what had been marketed as a double bill: Light heavyweights Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas in the co-main event, followed by a featherweight title eliminator between Adams Borics and Mads Burnell in the final bout of the evening.

Hungary’s Borics had been here before. Last year, he’d been lined up for a title eliminator against Jay Jay Wilson, only for Wilson to miss weight. This time out, it was Danish UFC vet Burnell awaiting him on the other side of the cage, riding a seven-fight win streak between Cage Warriors and Bellator.

Also featured on the card, a key middleweight match-up between former challenger John Salter, who came up short against Gegard Mousasi last year, and Johnny Eblen, a rising star out of American Top Team.

Full results from Friday’s weigh-in can be found below! Bellator 276 takes place at the Family Arena in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, March 12, 2022. The ceremonial weigh-in live stream is also available below.

Bellator 276: Borics vs. Burnell Weigh-In Results

Main card

Featherweight: Mads Burnell (145.6) vs. Ádám Borics (145.8)
Light Heavyweight: Phil Davis (206) vs. Julius Anglickas (206)
Middleweight: John Salter (185.8) vs. Johnny Eblen (185.8)
Lightweight: Jay-Jay Wilson (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155.8)

Preliminary card

Light Heavyweight: Alex Polizzi (204.4) vs. Jose Augusto (206)
Middleweight: Romero Cotton (185.8) vs. Freddy Sandoval (185.2)
Women’s Flyweight: Diana Avsaragova (125.8) vs. Kyra Batara (124.6)
Featherweight: Cody Law (145.6) vs. James Adcock (145.8)
Welterweight: Roman Faraldo (171) vs. Kelvin Rayford (171)
Bantamweight: Jordan Howard (135.8) vs. Trevor Ward (136)
Welterweight: Josh Augustine (170) vs. Josh Weston (175.8)*

* Weston missed the welterweight limit by 4.8 pounds; bout has been cancelled.

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On Wednesday, promotion officials announced that Bellator 276 would take place on March 12, 2022 at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. Atop the card, a pair of non-title fights: at featherweight, Adam Borics will face Mads Burnell, while at light heavyweight, Phil Davis meets Julius Anglickas.

Sources had originally confirmed with Cageside Press that a lightweight title fight was attached to the card; that plan appears to have changed.

When it comes to the featherweight division, Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell could very likely determine the next title challenger. Both fighters have been red hot of late, with Borics (17-1) winning three straight since being bounced from the featherweight grand prix. Most recently, the Hungarian earned a unanimous decision win against Jeremy Kennedy.

Burnell (16-3), meanwhile, has won seven straight, split between his tours of duty in Cage Warriors and Bellator. In July, he got past perennial contender Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez, capturing a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.

Former 205lb champ Phil Davis (23-6, 1NC), meanwhile, will look to build on a win against Yoel Romero back in September when he faces Julius Anglickas (10-2) in the other half of Bellator 276’s double header. A replacement fighter in the light heavyweight grand prix, Anglickas fell to current champ Vadim Nemkov in October.

That defeat was the first of Anglickas’ professional career.

The post Bellator 276 Set for St. Louis, Double Header Tops Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

A shot at the promotion’s 205lb title. A chance to land a spot in the grand prix final, where one million dollars would be on the line.

Of course, standing in his way was Russian champ Vadim Nemkov. One of the most dangerous light heavyweight fighters on the planet. A protege of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

Only a minute into Saturday’s main event, the action was halted after Angickas caught the champ with an eye poke. Nemkov was able to continue, and soon after landed a right hand. Nemkov targeted the body, but Anglickas rocked him with a counter. Nemkov appeared to be on unsteady legs, retreated, then changed levels and landed a takedown. Nemkov went to work in his opponent’s guard, going body-head and staying active. Anglickas would eventually scramble up, and they’d go back to work at center. Nemkov had a slight speed edge, and his jab was on point, as was a head kick that was partially blocked in the dying seconds of the round.

Nemkov’s left hand was lightning-fast early in the second round; he’d throw the head kick again in the opening minute as well. Anglickas was still pressing forward, but Nemkov clinched and landed a takedown roughly 90 seconds in. In half guard, the champ looked to get to work, peppering the body with punches before going to the head. During the takedown sequence, Nemkov had somehow been cut, potentially off an accidental headbutt on the way down.

Off his back, Anglickas tried to throw up a punch or two, but otherwise was mostly trying to hold on to Nemkov. With time running low in the round, Nemkov began unleashing some hellacious ground n’ pound, battering Anglickas until the bell.

Nemkov put Anglickas on his back once more in the opening minute of round three. The champ re-positioned, keeping his feet to the fence, and Anglickas’ head out towards center. Through the opening two rounds, Anglickas had shown difficulty scrambling free, and he didn’t seem to have the submission game to succeed off his back. That left Nemkov in the driver’s seat, with lots of time remaining. He’d spend almost the entirely of the round in control.

.@JuliusAnglickas looks to turn the Russian tide late in the 3rd round.

The #BellatorLHWGP championship rounds are up next as #Bellator268 continues LIVE on @SHOSports.

👉 https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ pic.twitter.com/Fzc44OcvFz

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 17, 2021

Once again in the fourth, Nemkov changed levels early, and shot in on a double-leg takedown. Anglickas was straight to his back. The champ landed, kept the pressure on, landed some more, and worked his way to half-guard, threatening to mount.  Nemkov moved to side control, and began to really soften up the challenger. Outside of a head kick attempt prior to that takedown, Anglickas had virtually no offense in the round. With Anglickas lost on his back, Nemkov trapped an arm and locked on the kimura, forcing the tap.

Anglickas doesn’t get the fairytale ending, but he showed plenty of heart in the fight. Vadim Nemkov, meanwhile, defends his title for the second time in the grand prix — and moves on to the million dollar finale. There, he’ll face Corey Anderson, who earned a dominant win of his own against Ryan Bader earlier in the evening.

Official Result: Vadim Nemkov def. Julius Anglickas by submission (kimura), Round 4, 4:25

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Bellator 268 played host to the semifinal round of the tournament, which had a million dollars on the line for the winner. Not to mention the belt, which had thus far been successfully defended by champ Vadim Nemkov.

Originally, Nemkov had been expected to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at the Phoenix, Arizona-based card. But with Rumble forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed illness, tournament alternate Julius Anglickas had the opportunity of a lifetime. Pretty much in Daniel Cormier territory, the 10-1 light heavyweight could become a star, not to mention a champ, almost overnight.

The other semifinal had a pair of UFC alumni matched up. Not to mention former training partners, which added a little fuel to the fire. That fight saw Corey Anderson set to take on Ryan Bader, Bellator’s former light heavyweight champ, and current heavyweight titleholder.

Also on the card, Benson Henderson, former UFC lightweight champion, was paired up with former Bellator lightweight champ Brent Primus. Both men were looking to get back in the win column on Saturday.

Bellator 268 takes place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, October 16, 2021. Full results from the event can be found below. The Bellator 268 live stream of the preliminary action is available free above, while the main card can be viewed in selected areas below.

Bellator 268: Nemkov vs. Anglickas Live Stream and Results

Main card

Vadim Nemkov (c) def Julius Anglickas via Kimura at 4:25 of R4
Ryan Bader vs. Corey Anderson def Ryan Bader via TKO at 0:51 of R1
Brent Primus def Benson Henderson via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Henry Corrales def Vladyslav Parubchenko via Unanimous Decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Preliminary card

Karl Albrektsson def Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov via Unanimous Decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28
Sullivan Cauley def Deon Clash via TKO 4:59 of R1
Nick Browne def Bobby Lee via Heel Hook at 1:38 of R1
Javier Torres def Gregory Milliard via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Sumiko Inaba def Randi Field via Arm Triangle at 2:02 of R2
Lance Gibson Jr. def Raymond Pina via TKO 1:44 R2
Jaylon Bates def Raphael Montini via Arm Bar at 3:49 of R1
Mukhamed Berkhamov def Jaleel Willis via Submission at 4:05 of R1

Amateur bouts

Maria Henderson def Collette Santiago via RNC at 0:40 of R1

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Fighting out of Stary Oskol, Russia 👊🇷🇺

The Light-Heavyweight champion has a plethora of epic finishes in the Bellator cage.
Get your @VadimNemkov fix ahead of #Bellator268 this Saturday live on @SHOsports.#BellatorLHWGP pic.twitter.com/f5woBf6aPu

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 15, 2021

It is an unenviable task to be considered the heir apparent to arguably the most legendary and enigmatic champion of all-time in Fedor Emelianenko, but Vadim Nemkov handles it well.  Riding an eight fight win-streak, Nemkov claimed the light heavyweight title against his mentor’s former foe Ryan Bader and has already defended it against former champion Phil Davis to secure a spot in the latest Grand Prix semifinal.  Should he continue his run, it would set up his most high profile bout to date with a chance to secure the $1 million prize and add another high profile victory to his resume.

Such a victory would be the kind of foundation to build a solid legacy in his own right.  In the ever increasing digital age, he would be the biggest star in Bellator to come out of Russia at a time when the promotion is looking to build a presence in the country.  He also has arguably the best route to stardom as he now faces a lower regarded foe and could face an opponent he has already dominated once before in the final.  Considering the ever growing contingent of Russian stars in Bellator, being the face of the next wave could be enough to push him to the forefront of the casual fan’s consciousness.

The Cinderella story of @JuliusAnglickas is not to be ignored!

Watch #Bellator268 Countdown NOW on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel.
👀🔗 https://t.co/12VxHZRAwY#BellatorLHWGP pic.twitter.com/I33QB1RO3Z

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 11, 2021

Julius Anglickas has always been ready for this moment, and he has a familiar blueprint already in place to score an epic upset on Saturday night.  The 9-1 pro has been one of the most consistent performers on the regional scene and since he has been in the spotlight.  His first breakthrough came in 2019 where he picked up a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series.  He did not earn a contract that night, with UFC President Dana White expressing that he felt he simply wasn’t ready at the time.  Anglickas was soon signed to Bellator where he has picked up three more victories and was previously scheduled to face former Nemkov foe Karl Albrektsson on the undercard before getting the call to step into the main event.

Coming in as the more unheralded fighter against possibly the next big thing in Bellator, Anglickas is understandably the underdog.  But this entire scenario has played out once before under the watch of Scott Coker.  Ten years ago, an undefeated prospect by the name of Daniel Cormier stepped in as an alternate into the loaded field of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix and won the entire tournament to kick off the beginning of a Hall of Fame worthy run.  Entering the main event with solid experience and with high confidence, Anglickas is as poised as anyone to have his own breakout moment.

Both men have proven themselves to be competent well-rounded fighters, though Nemkov is expected to have the slight advantage in size and physicality.  His most efficient route to victory will be to push forward and keep Anglickas on his heels on the feet or to get the fight to the ground where he can test the challenger’s grappling off of his back.  Anglickas should work from mid-range, countering Nemkov and maintaining a high output.

Who is moving on to the #BellatorLHWGP final? 💥

Light-Heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov puts the gold on the line against Cinderella Man @JuliusAnglickas!#Bellator268 | @SHOsports | Saturday, 10PM ET/7PM PT pic.twitter.com/ZX4CM09m0i

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 15, 2021

The winner of the bout is scheduled to face the winner of the co-main event between Ryan Bader and Corey Anderson, likely early next year.  For Anglickas, it would be the grandest of cherries on top to win the whole tournament.  For Nemkov, it would be a testament to his work ethic to triumph in spite of opponent changes.

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