“I feel relieved. I love competing. I’ve been thinking about this day a lot,” flyweight Kish told media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the Sanford Pentagon, after notching a unanimous decision win. The victory improved her record under the Bellator banner to 2-2.

She credited her team with keeping her relaxed ahead of, and during, the fight. “They know I was just stressed about getting too hyper in there. They did an amazing job keeping me calm,” said Kish. “Really, I knew staying calm and keeping my head clear would win this for me. From what we’d seen and what we collected from her past fights, everyone was just very hyper and just rushed right in to fight her. And I know that’s what she waits for, and I’m not going to give her that. I wanted to set it up.”

Kish used feints and fakes to try and lure Avsaragova in, “but she didn’t really bite much. She was waiting for me to go forward, she was waiting for me to pressure forward, so we were both kind of playing that game. I knew that if I had a better output, I would get her discouraged and then maybe make her sloppy. The game plan worked great.”

Kish underwent her fifth knee surgery ahead of Bellator 298, but had the mentality of just getting back in there and getting back to work no matter what. “Because I have goals. I have goals, I’ve got dreams, I’ve got things I want to accomplish. And I don’t care what it takes for me to get there, I don’t care what kind of obstacles I face. I’m going to improve as a person, I’m going to improve one way or another if I take things head on.”

“It’s a tough road, but man, the things that happen in my life on these tough roads, it’s incredible, it’s beautiful. I really appreciate the journey and the people that are in my life. Without the injury, I probably wouldn’t have come across certain people, I probably wouldn’t have taken certain paths. So I appreciate everything, the ups, the downs. The picture is still clear for me. I see myself being an MMA world champion. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to get there.”

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Justine Kish above.

The post Bellator 298’s Justine Kish Says She Will Be MMA Champion, Doesn’t Care What It Takes appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Thursday, Bellator officials announced via press release the addition of fights in the bantamweight, women’s flyweight, and other divisions for the August card. Among the bouts announced, Leandro Higo (21-6), ranked #7 in the 135lb weight class, will face Nikita Mikhailov (10-2), a member of Fedor Team who has picked up wins in three of his four Bellator MMA fights to date.

Higo had a three-fight win streak snapped when he ran into Danny Sabatello in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix last year. Prior to that, the Brazilian had earned wins against ex-champ Darrion Caldwell, Ricky Bandejas, and Shawn Bunch.

Mikhailov, who previously fought for Fight Nights Global, is coming off his own win over Caldwell.

Also on the Bellator 298 card, Mikhailov’s countrywoman Diana Avsaragova (6-0) returns, putting her undefeated record on the line against UFC veteran Justine Kish (8-6). Kish is 1-4 in her last five fights dating back to her UFC run, with the lone win against former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane sandwiched between losses to DeAnna Bennett.

Max Rohskopf (7-2) will face Brazil’s Jairo Pacheco (7-1) in a lightweight match-up, while Ukraine’s Katerina Shakalova (7-1) debuts in a women’s featherweight fight against #7-ranked Dayana Silva (10-8). Finally, ex-LFA bantamweight champ Jerrell Hodge (10-3) makes his own debut against Marcirley Alves da Silva (11-3).

Bellator 298 is set to be headlined by a welterweight showdown between Logan Storley and Brennan Ward at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 11, 2023. The following match-ups have been reported/announced for the event:

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

The post Leandro Higo vs. Nikita Mikhailov, Diana Avsaragova vs. Justine Kish Among Fights Added to Bellator 298 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kish (8-5) now steps into the cage for the third time in 2022 against DeAnna Bennett later this month — a rematch of their February contest, which saw Bennett capture a unanimous decision victory.

For Kish, it’s a fight she began asking for almost immediately after the loss.

“I asked for this rematch. Heck I asked for a rematch against DeAnna after that fight. That same night,” Kish told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “I knew she dodged a bullet. DeAnna dodged a bullet that night that we fought, because I feel like, my complaint in the fight is like man, we never really got going. It felt like we were just sparring, and it felt like we were just kind of warming up. I didn’t understand what was happening. She was definitely dominating, for sure, with control and great grappling, but she did not experience any hits to the capacity that I wanted her to feel it.”

Kish would have fought DeAnna again the same night if it was allowed, she added. “Obviously they can’t do that, but I 100% would have fought her that same exact night again, and I think it would have been a different story.”

Now, Kish intends to show in the rematch “the real me, the real performer, the real fighter. And I’m really excited to showcase this, because I asked for it.”

The Macfarlane win came at both an opportune time for the 34-year old, while having an extremely fortuitous outcome. Kish went from an unranked fighter on a three-fight skid to a ranked flyweight with the biggest win of her career under her belt, over a former champion and promotional darling.

The feeling afterward, said Kish, “was relief, it was excitement, and it was a sense of, man, everything coming together the way I had planned and worked so hard for. I knew that was going to happen, just because the way the preparations went through camp, and how everything started coming together.”

Ring rust and surgery and family tragedy hampered her in previous bouts, but ahead of the Macfarlane fight, Kish added that she had the “right people” around her. Including Bellator women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg. Kish had actually reached out to Cyborg earlier in her career, but the Brazilian legend was working with Kish’s opponent at the time.

They reconnected later on. “After my third loss in a row, we started training like crazy together, and man, I really needed more aggressive females and that pressure, that competition pressure. That’s really what I needed,” Kish explained. “Cris really showed me the holes in my game in MMA, and what I needed to capitalize on.”

“I’m just so fortunate that she came into my life. Yeah maybe I could have used her help in the beginning of my MMA career, but everything happens for a reason, right? Heck even if I hadn’t had the losses I had lost, I wouldn’t have come across the people I’m with right now that are helping me make strides every single day towards my goals.”

Despite struggling through a rough patch between her exit from the UFC and first fight in Bellator, including the loss of her mother and multiple knee surgeries, there was never a though in Justine Kish’s mind that she wouldn’t fight again.

“It’s not in my character to give up, ever. I was a fighter at birth. I was abandoned at birth, I grew up in orphanages in St. Petersburg, Russia,” Kish stated. “All I’ve known is to fight, and to always do my best and to not give up. I know the kind of exit I would like to have in this career, and it’s not going to be because of a win or because of a loss, it’s going to be because the audience got to see me at my best at this. And when I feel like I can’t go anymore, I’m going to transition to something else. It’s not going to be based off wins, it’s not going to be based off losses. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it’s not going to be based off of injuries.”

Justine Kish meets DeAnna Bennett for the second time on Friday, August 12, 2022 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The post Bellator 284: Justine Kish Says DeAnna Bennett “Dodged a Bullet” In First Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ultimate Fighter alum DeAnna Bennett will face Justine Kish at the event, set for Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 12, 2022. MMA Mania was first to report news of the booking, with promotion officials later confirming the match-up.

It will be the pair’s second time throwing down with each other this year. Bennett (12-7-1) and Kish (8-5) first fought in February, with “Vitamin D” picking up a unanimous decision win at Bellator 274.

Despite claiming victory in February, Bennett has not fought since. Instead, Kish returned to action in April, pulling off the upset against former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in Hawaii, and in the process securing her first win in the promotion.

A former UFC strawweight who later moved to 125 pounds, Kish snapped a three-fight skid with the win over Macfarlane.

Bennett joined Bellator in 2020, dropping her debut against Liz Carmouche, then bouncing back with a win over Alejandra Lara last year. The TUF 26 veteran has also competed for Invicta FC, where she went to the finals of the promotion’s one-night Phoenix Series 2 tournament, losing to future UFC standout Miranda Maverick.

Bellator 284 goes down at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD on August 12, and will be headlined by welterweights Neiman Gracie and Goiti Yamauchi. The following bouts have been reported for the event:

• Neiman Gracie vs. Goiti Yamauchi
• Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry
• Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Bruna Ellen
• Ilias Bulaid vs. Weber Almeida
• DeAnna Bennett vs. Justine Kish

The post DeAnna Bennett vs. Justine Kish Rematch Set for Bellator 284 appeared first on Cageside Press.

If you had asked “anyone,” she admitted, she was expected to lose. Following her massive upset of the former champ on Saturday in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kish (8-5) added that she was surprised to even get the match-up.

“I was surprised when they did ask me, but I’m not one to shy away from opportunities or chances. I know I’m a world-class fighter, I won a world title in Muay Thai,” the flyweight told media outlets including Cageside Press, speaking back stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena. “And since my MMA career began, there’s been so many ups and downs.”

Kish has had to contend with the death of her mother, multiple knee surgeries, and a busy travel schedule over the past several years. She cared for her mother during an extended illness. “I did my best to still remain in training camp and to still follow my dream, but obviously my performance suffered a little bit.”

Kish could tell that something wasn’t right, even in some of her wins. “I just kept on going, kept on chugging along. Things happen, things change during hiatuses, so it was up to me to keep finding the right circuit, the right training, the right people.” Kish added that “the best people in the world” subsequently took her in, including Cris Cyborg, who welcomed her into her camp.

“It was what I needed. I finally had a female that was bigger and better and stronger and number one and just a freakin’ Cyborg in the sport. So she took me in with open arms, and finally I started learning things I really needed to learn, not just Muay Thai.”

Even with all that, Kish couldn’t put the work in she wanted to with Cyborg, due to a nagging injury she feels she was over-compensating for. Luckily, that now appears to be in the past. “Finally, my movement is back. Finally, my striking feels balanced. I can’t tell you how many hours a day, how much time was dedicated. So much time, I didn’t even realize.”

In the end, the hard work paid off. And while she’ll reap the usual rewards that come with a high profile win, Kish is mainly looking to push herself.

“I knew beating her would catapult me to the top, to the brackets, to the top, and they’d give me a bigger platform and maybe more attention. And that’s not what I’m really after, I’m just after pushing myself, being the absolute best, and putting on good shows. I’m an athlete at heart, since childhood. I love competing, I love entertaining.”

Watch the full Bellator 279 post-fight press conference with Justine Kish above. More coverage can be found below.

The post Justine Kish Credits Perseverance, Cris Cyborg Following Upset Win at Bellator 279 appeared first on Cageside Press.

500 days, counting the day of, since she’d lost her women’s flyweight title. Since she had last competed. That’s a lot of time away from any job, but for fighting, where careers often come and go inside of a decade, it was a chunk of Macfarlane’s prime eaten up.

Welcoming “The Iliminator” back to the cage on Saturday in Honolulu, Hawaii was UFC alum Justine Kish. Also welcoming her, a raucous Hawaiian crowd, treating Macfarlane like royalty.

Kish, however, was eager to rain on the Hawaiian’s parade. And she did just that.

Macfarlane got right to work on Saturday, jabbing her way inside and changing levels for a takedown. Justine Kish, who had openly wondered whether the promotion had seen her as a tomato can in booking the fight, had other ideas. She reversed, and when the pair did go to the ground, it was Kish on top.

A scramble moments later, however, and they were back to their feet. Macfarlane, again, hunted for a takedown but couldn’t find it. Instead they reset at center. Macfarlane led the dance, with Kish playing the counter game, circling on the outside. They’d exchange, briefly, when Macfarlane cut off the cage and had Kish trapped; she’d escape, and soon fought off another takedown attempt.

Come the end of the round, one thing was clear: if Justine Kish had been positioned as a stepping stone of any sort, she certainly wasn’t going to go quietly.

That was reiterated early in the second. When Macfarlane moved in for a takedown, Kish latched on with an arm-in guillotine. Macfarlane fell to her back, Kish on top of her, still holding on to the choke. Macfarlane would gut it out, then grab on with a heel hook. Kish fought that off, and they’d get back to the feet after a frankly thrilling sequence.

Macfarlane would next catch a kick, driving Kish back to the fence. Kish reversed, and landed a throw takedown moments later. Macfarlane, off her back, kept her guard high, perhaps thinking about a triangle. But Kish stayed on her like glue, forgoing strikes and even improving her position in favor of just getting some control time. When Kish postured up, Macfarlane was there to threaten submissions; Kish was soon right back on her, but finally opted to back off and let the Hawaiian up.

Heading to the third, as cliche as it might sound, it was still anyone’s fight. Kish stayed mobile on the outside early on, and took some decent swings when Macfarlane moved in. Kish fired a kick to the body, mixing things up a bit, but it was her hands doing most of the work. Despite the winner-take-all nature of the round, however, the first half was a low-volume affair. Macfarlane then clipped Kish with a right hand, dropping her, but it was Kish getting on top afterward! Macfarlane looked for a buggy choke, but Kish freed herself and began landing shots to the body and head. Kish then moved to mount, but Macfarlane escaped out the back door — only to give up her arm! Kish went from arm-bar to omoplata, but Macfarlane scrambled free and took the back in the final seconds!

Both @JustineKish and @ilimanator leaving it all in the cage.#Bellator279 is LIVE on @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/EDWAfr75oN

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 24, 2022

It was Kish raising her hands in victory at the bell, however, with Macfarlane walking to her corner, looking dejected. She clearly knew what the judges would later confirm: Kish had flipped the script and played spoiler.

Official Result: Justine Kish def. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post Bellator 279: Justine Kish Spoils Return of Ilima-Lei Macfarlane appeared first on Cageside Press.

Headlined by Cris Cyborg, in a rematch with Australian featherweight Arlene Blencowe, Bellator 279 was a deep offering. Marking the promotion’s return to Hawaii for the first time since 2019, the inclusion of Macfarlane was fitting; she was returning from her own extended layoff of 500 days. The former champ was set to face off with Justine Kish.

Two bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bouts graced the Bellator 279 card, one with gold on the line. That saw ex-champ Juan Archuleta throw down with Raufeon Stots, both to advance in the tournament an claim an interim title. The interim belt had been necessitated by Sergio Pettis dropping out of the tournament due to injury.

The other quarter-final bout featured Patchy Mix taking on another ex-champ, Kyoji Horiguchi.

Bellator 279 goes down live on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. The main card airs live on Showtime in the U.S., following online prelims available right here on Cageside Press. Where available, the main card can also be streamed below. The action gets underway at 8:30PM ET (prelims); full results are below.

Bellator 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Results

Main Card

Cris Cyborg (c) def. Arlene Blencowe by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) – for the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight championship
Raufeon Stots def. Juan Archuleta by knockout, Round 3, 0:16 – for the Bellator MMA interim bantamweight championship / bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bout
Justine Kish def. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Patchy Mix def. Kyoji Horiguchi by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bout
Yancy Medeiros def. Emmanuel Sanchez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Goiti Yamauchi def. Levan Chokheli by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 3:49
Bobby King def. Keoni Diggs by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Dayana Silva def. Janay Harding by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Gonzales def. Kai Kamaka III by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Lance Gibson Jr. def. Nainoa Dung by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)

Post-Liminary Card

Jordan Winski def. Ryan Dela Cruz by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Randi Field def. Maraya Miller by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 0:48
Sumiko Inaba def. Whittany Pyles by KO, Round 1, 1:22

The post Bellator 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Live Stream and Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Keeping the momentum rolling has been a struggle for Kish (7-5) throughout her MMA career. The opportunity to fight again so soon after her Bellator debut was a major factor in her taking the fight, against former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

“Getting momentum has been the hardest thing since I jumped to MMA,” Kish told media outlets including Cageside Press at Thursday’s Bellator 279 media day. “Obviously if you guys have followed anything on my social media, it’s been family issues, it’s been, lots of ups and downs, and the hardest thing to do was just get momentum. And I operate really, really well with momentum. So I’m very grateful that I did get this opportunity.”

Kish would add that “there were things that were almost keeping me from landing it and being here this week.” The subject is one Kish said she’d prefer to go into in more detail about after the fight — but she underscored how badly she wanted to be part of this week’s event.

Now, Kish is just trying to iron the kinks out. “I’ve been doing everything I can do iron things out. I just feel like I’ve been ironing really in the past few fights. I’m not getting hurt, I’m really just getting humped to death, and I want to— of course losses are hard on me, but I know I haven’t been losing at my best. And that’s what I’ve been working so hard for, is just to be at my best, and to have these performances that I see in my mind and I feel in my heart. And I’m just doing everything I can to showcase this, for a good show, a good fight.”

Kish admitted Thursday to feeling some surprise at getting paired up with a former champ, despite being on a three fight skid. She called those close to her, saying “‘Oh my god, I think I just became a tomato can.’ That doesn’t sit well with me.”

“I grew up in combat sports, almost like the star of the show, and how things have turned around, I’m like ‘oh my god this isn’t me,'” Kish continued. “And I’m doing all I can in my training to again, show you guys, show the audience the kind of performance I really want to give out there.”

There’s a silver lining to the match-up, even if some might be painting Justine Kish as a tomato can. “Of course, [Macfarlane]’s number one, she’s the number one contender. I feel like this opportunity came to me in such a way, I don’t know how, but I know a win against her will catapult me to the position in the rankings I think I deserve to be in.”

Watch the full Bellator 279 media day scrum with Justine Kish above. Kish faces Ilima-Lei Macfarlane this Saturday, April 23, 2022 at Bellator 279 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The post Bellator 279: Justine Kish Questioned If She Was Being Used As “Tomato Can” After Getting Macfarlane Booking appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Tuesday, KHON2 was first to report that the promotion would host events on back-to-back nights on April 22 and 23, 2022. The cards, Bellator 278 and Bellator 279, will feature opening round action from the bantamweight grand prix, as well as the next title defense from women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.

Cageside Press confirmed the news with a source familiar with the situation following KHON2’s initial report.

While no fights have been reported for the Bellator 278 card, a four-pack of notable match-ups are on tap for Bellator 279 on April 23. That includes Cyborg (25-2, 1NC) defending her title for the second time against Australia’s Arlene Blencowe (15-8).

The pair first met in 2020, with Cyborg winning via rear-naked choke. Since that time, Blencowe has gone on to secure wins against Dayana Silva and Pam Sorenson. Cyborg, meanwhile, defended her title against Leslie Smith and Sinead Kavanagh.

Speaking of the latter, Kavanagh had been announced as the next candidate for Cyborg following Bellator 275 in Ireland. However, the Irish fighter suffered an apparent injury in her fight against Leah McCourt, which could have her on the shelf for a bit.

Also on the Bellator 279 card, teammates Sergio Pettis (22-5) and Raufeon Stots (17-1) will meet in the opening round of the bantamweight grand prix. Pettis won the promotion’s 135lb title last year against Juan Archuleta, and secured his first title defense against Kyoji Horiguchi at Bellator 272 this past December, in a Comeback of the Year-winning effort.

Former women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will return to action as well on April 23. She’s been paired up with Justine Kish (7-5), who made her promotional debut in a losing effort against DeAnna Bennett just a few weeks back.

Macfarlane has not competed since a December 2020 loss to Julianna Velaquez, which cost the Hawaiian her 125lb title. Bellator 279 will mark the third time “The Illiminator” has competed in her home state for the promotion.

Finally, Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4) will face Patchy Mix (15-1) in another bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal.

Both cards will air live on Showtime, with tickets going on sale Friday via Ticketmaster for Bellator 279. Bellator 278 will be dedicated for military members and first responders, with details on ticket distribution expected to be announced at a later date.

The post Bellator Returns to Hawaii for Two Shows in April, Cyborg-Blencowe 2, Pettis-Stots Attached appeared first on Cageside Press.

“It felt good to get in there and to get a win. I’ve told a few people like, after my last fight, I had a really big health scare that put me in the hospital for 9 days. Ask my coach like there was a point where I possibly would not even fight again. I almost lost my right foot. My whole thought when I was in there was like, I was coming off such a big win, this sport and fighting means so much to me. My only thought was I have to get back in there and do it,” Bennett told the media during her post-fight scrum at Bellator 274 on Saturday night.

“I had some nurses that were like, ‘Oh well you used to be a fighter’ and I’m like, ‘No b*tch, I’m a fighter and I’m going to get back in there!’ So you can tell me, you can send me home with this walker. I’m going to learn how to walk again and I’m going to be fine!”

Bennett’s win over Justine Kish on Saturday put her on a two-fight win streak and in Bellator that means a possible road to a title shot.

“I need to keep going with that momentum, because my goal is not just to win a fight. My goal is to win the belt. I’m here to be a competitor I’m here to make my way to the top.”

With the win putting her in position to ask for a big fight Bennett still made it clear she’ll take on anyone on her way to the title.

“They have me ranked at #7 which is kind of funny because the last girl fought before Justine is ranked #5. So I feel like ya’ll messed that up so maybe ya’ll can correct that now. There’s 5-6 people ahead of me. I don’t have any single person that I want. I want to fight honestly anyone whose number is higher than mine so I can get to the top. Whoever it is, put them in front of me, I don’t care who it is. I want that belt.”

“I’m not quitting until I get it.

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

The post Bellator 274’s DeAnna Bennett: “My Goal Is To Win The Belt” appeared first on Cageside Press.