“It feels great to be making my Bellator debut. I’m pumped. I feel like I should have been here a long time ago,” Gonzales said in an interview with Cageside Press ahead of the event. “I’m just ready to show the world what’s up! I’m ready to handle business and then jump into that ranking system and start taking over. It’s my time.”

With a win over his opponent, Tywan Claxton, who is ranked No. 9 in the Bellator featherweight rankings, there is a huge chance that Gonzales takes Claxton’s number.

“I honestly think a win over Tywan puts me in the ranking system. I mean, theoretically, it should, if he’s number nine. I mean, I got an undefeated record and multiple titles to my name. It just makes sense,” Gonzales said.

“J-Train” described his thoughts on his pivotal match-up with Claxton.

“He’s good man; he’s skilled. He’s very explosive, very powerful, with good wrestling. He really is good stylistically everywhere. I’m pumped for the fight. This fight that I need to obviously jump in the ranking system and show everyone who I am. It’s a start for my Bellator takeover,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales (11-0) won the vacant LFA featherweight title back in July of 2020. He defeated Jake Childers via TKO and comes into Bellator with five finishes in his eleven wins.

The undefeated fighter predicts to add another finish to his record and will put away Claxton.

“I’m thinking a TKO. Probably in the second or third round. I got to give him some credit. I would say the first, but he’s durable. He might sneak out of the first round, but I’ll finish him and really announce my name to the world,” Gonzales said.

Justin Gonzales fights Tywan Claxton at Bellator 260 this Friday, June 11. The event airs live on Showtime in the U.S.

The post Bellator 260: Justin Gonzales Predicts Second Or Third Round TKO Of Tywan Claxton appeared first on Cageside Press.

Undefeated featherweght prospect Jay Jay Wilson took home a split decision victory over dominant wrestler Tywan Claxton at Bellator 242. However, the bout came at a catchweight — Wilson had to give up 20% of his fight purse after missing weight by just under two pounds at the official weigh-in Thursday morning. Wilson apologized to Claxton post fight, as the two had been butting heads all of fight week.

“I tried my best to make weight. I apologized to him, it’s very unprofessional missing weight,” Wilson said post-fight, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “We had some back and forth banter all week. After the fight I apologized to him and wanted to be professional about it all.”

Wilson was told by the Connecticut commission head on Thursday after missing weight that it may be time to move up in weight. According to Wilson however his plan is to stay in the 145lb division. Wilson blamed the weight issues on his Jiu Jitsu competitions.

“I feel comfortable here” Wilson told the media. “I was competing Jiu-Jitsu at 185, I didn’t know when fighting would be back. I was eating as much as I could for those tournaments. Now that fights are back, my weight is going back down, I’m eating healthy.”

The undefeated prospect faced a big test in Claxton who has been a dominant wrestler since before he was a Bellator fighter. During much of the first and second rounds, Wilson found himself in tough clinch positions, but stayed calm in Claxton’s world.

“I was super calm in the clinch, I have an amazing wrestling coach,” Wilson said. “I’ve been seeing wrestlers everyday in camp, I’m comfortable there.”

As for who is next for the undefeated featherweight? Wilson is open to anything.

“Anyone” Wilson said. “I’m 23 years old, I’m early in this sport, I’m in no rush but if they want me on the August 7 card, September, I’m ready.”

Wilson defeated Tywan Claxton via split decision in the Fight Sphere as Bellator has returned to the cage this Friday. The promotion has three more scheduled cards at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT within the next two months.

The post Bellator 242: Jay Jay Wilson Apologizes for Missing Weight, but Staying Put at 145lbs appeared first on Cageside Press.

Only one snag: with Jay Jay Wilson missing weight for the fight, which was switched to a catchweight. The undefeated grappling-based fighter would be looking for redemption as a result, against Claxton, who had been bounced from the featherweight grand prix by Emmanuel Sanchez, but got back in the win column back in December with a win over Braydon Akeo.

Wild swings from both men opened this bout, before the pair clinched. End result, Claxton pushing Wilson back to the fence. That led to a battle for head position, and while Wilson would get off the fence briefly, Claxton put him right back up against it. Off the break Wilson connected with a right hand, and Claxton tied things up again.

Later in the round, with the pair going to the ground, Wilson took the back, getting both hooks in and looking for the rear-naked choke. Claxton managed to avoid that, and a rather wild-looking guillotine just prior to the end of the frame.

Round two had the pair go back at it on the feet, with Wilson looking for a takedown about 90 seconds in. He didn’t get that, did fire off a knee, but had to watch out for an elbow from Claxton. Wilson was almost taking a page out of “Air” Claxton’s book with his jump knee attempts. But when Claxton wanted, he seemed able to control the fight up against the fence. Wilson looked to try and jump guard a couple of times, to no avail. Claxton worked in some short punches and an elbow. With seconds remaining Wilson would finally go down, and Claxton finished round two on top.

Claxton used his standup to get the fight to the fence in the opening minute of the third, missing with a big uppercut at one point. Most jockeying for head position ensued. Claxton worked in a knee. Wilson threw one in close. In a battle where strength was key, the rough weight cut of Wilson perhaps played a factor, as he seemed to wane in the final frame. After a brief and violent exchange, however, he proved he had a little left in the tank, jumping guard, and a bit later locking on with a triangle. Wilson fired off a number of strikes while Claxton was trapped, but the submission wasn’t all the way in. Wilson couldn’t beat the clock, sending it to the judges.

Who were… their usual, reliable selves. Two judges saw the fight the exact opposite way, giving 30-27 scores to different fighters. One judge scored it 29-28 Wilson, a more realistic score perhaps helped by his late rally in the third.

Official Result: Jay Jay Wilson def. Tywan Claxton by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 30-27)

The post Bellator 242 Results: Jay Jay Wilson Takes Split Decision Over Tywan Claxton, Scores All Over the Map appeared first on Cageside Press.

Titan FC 62 | Thursday | US

Welterweight, Jared Gooden (16-4)

Jared Gooden has had a few setbacks in his career but has always managed to get back up and stay active. After suffering his last loss a year ago he’s now on a two-fight winning streak. Gooden has some holes as he still needs to work on his takedown defense which Tony Graves was able to exploit. Gooden is well-rounded with good wrestling, striking, and athleticism. He’s very explosive an everything he throws is with ill intentions. He fights Trent McCown (8-4) who is coming off a loss.

Heavyweight, Odie Delaney (2-0)

Odie Delaney was a Division 1 All-America wrestler out of The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina. He is only 2-0 as a pro and went 2-0 as an amateur. He does have a great team behind him to start his young career, that being American Top Team. Delaney has ran through all four of his opponents with three submission wins and a TKO. Of the footage available, Delaney of course has shown good wrestling. I was impressed with his movement in the grappling realm, moving pretty quick scrambling well for a big 6’3″ athlete. All three of his submissions were different – armbar, d’arce choke, and a kimura. Sure a lot is still to be seen but has the tools to at least watch for. He fights Prince McLean (7-8) which is obviously a set-up fight for Delaney.

ACA 107 | Friday | Russia

Heavyweight, Magomed Ismailov (15-3-1)

Usually a middleweight, Magomed Ismailov is moving up to heavyweight for this fight. With a background in combat sambo, Ismailov is a powerhouse athlete who is very fun to watch. He does have power on his feet but Ismailov has every desire to get his fights to the mat. When you tune in to watch Ismailov you would think you’re watching a professional wrestling match with the way Ismailov picks opponents up and drives them to the mat. It’s just awesome. He’s insanely strong and can elevate his opponents at any time and put them down. He has a few submissions but has better ground-and-pound. He fights veteran Aleksander Emelianenko (29-7-1) which is a tough test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YIn9Z21-AQ&t=1s

Featherweight, Kurban Taygibov (10-1)

After coming up short in his pro debut, Kurban Taygibov rebounded winning ten consecutive fights in a row now. The Russian is pretty well-rounded with a methodical but dangerous approach on the feet and a strong wrestling base with a Sambo background. On the feet, he throws a good one-two but often throws single strikes. He gets away with it because of his hand speed and explosiveness. Taygibov has excellent shot selection and precise accuracy. Although he only has four stoppages he’s still dangerous. Taygibov can wrestle just as well but conserves his energy much better on the feet. He has solid takedown defense but off his back would be his biggest weakness. He fights Ramazan Kishev (15-3) who is a decent test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YUe3QHvF8&t=983s

LFA 86 | Friday | US

Bantamweight, Mando Gutierrez (3-0)

Mando Gutierrez is only 3-0 as a pro but went 7-0 as an amateur winning a few titles as well. He’s impressed me with his aggressiveness and pace he’s able to put on. On the feet, he’s usually bull-rushing forward but does have some kicks in his arsenal. He’s usually striking/kicking to close the distance to get the takedown. Mando wants the fight on the mat to show his slick jiu-jitsu. Even off his back, Gutierrez is very dangerous with fluid hips helping him attack submissions and scramble. He has a smooth back take and has a knack for finishing with a choke. Mando is a big submission threat and seems to have good cardio which is surprising with the amount of pressure he puts on early. He fights Jeff Jepsen (5-2) which is a good test at his point in his young career.

Welterweight, Mark Martin (3-1)

Mark Martin doesn’t have much MMA experience but is a highly touted wrestler. Some of his accolades are Fila junior national champ, a two-time Ohio high school state champ, and a three-time D1 national qualifier from Ohio State University. There isn’t much footage out there on Martin but he’s obviously a strong wrestler. He has a good submission attack and has gone three rounds already so that looks good. He fights Tony Grant (1-1).

Bellator 242 | Friday | US

Bantamweight, Ricky Bandejas (13-3)

Ricky Bandejas is been in the cage with some stellar competition. He fought opponents like Merab Dvalishvili and Tony Gravely before signing with Bellator. He was the first to put an L on the record of James Gallagher. After suffering two straight losses to Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix he’s now on a two-fight win streak. The book on Bandejas is that he is super aggressive, has great striking, owns good submissions, and solid takedown defense. He fights Sergio Pettis (19-5) which is an excellent fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwpMXBu8KOc&t=320s

Welterweight, Jason Jackson (11-4)

Jason Jackson is only coming off a single win but his last loss to Ed Ruth he arguably won as well. Jackson is a good striker who is technical with an excellent jab and a crushing right hand. This product out of the former Blackzilians gym is a very good wrestler as well being very well-rounded. He’s super athletic and seems to get better every time he fights. He fights former UFC fighter Jordan Mein (31-12) who has a bit of momentum on a two-fight win streak, though he’s been out a while.

Featherweight, Jay Jay Wilson (5-0)

Jay Jay Wilson has only been a pro for a little over two years and has been dominant. Wilson has breezed through opponents with four first-round finishes with the longest fight going a little into the second round. The Kiwi has displayed beautiful jiu-jitsu and showed once he gets the back he has a fantastic rear-naked choke. Still, there is a lot he needs to show but Wilson is someone to watch out for. He fights Tywan Claxton (6-1).

Featherweight, Tywan Claxton (6-1)

Tywan Claxton is primarily a wrestler with a background in wrestling as a Divison II All-American. He has excellent level changes and the speed behind his shots are perfect and is the reason his nickname is “Speedy.” On top is where he does his best work as his posture control is solid but it’s the constant and huge ground-and-pound he throws with elbows as well that makes him special. Claxton doesn’t play too much on the feet, but he does a great job faking the level changes and using his explosiveness and athleticism to get on the inside of his opponents. He fights Jay Jay Wilson (5-0).

Bantamweight, Raufeon Stots (13-1)

Raufeon Stots is a former NCAA Division II national champion in wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The only loss on his MMA record came to current UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili. Since that defeat, Stots got back on board with four consecutive wins and is one of the best bantamweight prospects today. Stots is a fantastic wrestler but his stand-up has come along nicely with some good Muay Thai and a developing jab. Still, the Roufusport product is primarily a wrestler. His timing on his shots is excellent and the execution is perfect. It’s going to take a good fighter to beat Stots and to neutralize his wrestling. He fights undefeated Cass Bell (5-0) but I think Stots is better everywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6VZNGnoxi0&t=1s

Welterweight: Mark Lemminger (10-1)

Mark Lemminger is a wrestling based fighter, and he’s a high level one at that, excelling on the regional scene. He is a physical powerhouse once he gets control in the clinch. He ragdolls guys, making it look like a professional wrestling match the way he slings opponents around. He doesn’t just rely on strength, on his takedowns he uses solid technique as well including inside trip takedowns, outside trip takedowns, and sweeping the legs out on his opponents – all beautifully done. On top, he has fight-ending ground and pound, staying active and always throwing while keeping full control. On the feet, Lemminger doesn’t usually stay striking, as he usually initiates the clinch, but he is getting better and better. He does hit hard, wobbling, and even dropping his opponents, but he needs a lot of refining. He fights Jake Smith (7-3) who is taking this fight on short notice.

Shooto Brasil | Sunday | Brazil

Strawweight, Valesca Machado (7-1)

Valesca Machado is a striker-first type of fighter. She’s more of a brawler, as she plants her feet and throws wide looping right and left hooks. Not just a brawler though — she is technical and shows that the more as she gets loose in the fight. Machado employs her kicks frequently. She actively attacks the lead leg of her opponent, going to the inside and outside mixing it up.  She’s only 25-years-old so she still has a lot of room for growth. She fights Karen Thalita (2-1) who is coming off a loss.

Check out our Prospect of the Month feature on her here.

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bellator, Titan FC and More Return appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tywan Claxton has long been a contender in the dangerous featherweight division. Formally his own head coach, Claxton decided to change some things up as coronavirus hit, which became a blessing in disguise for the contender.

“I spent the time throughout COVID seeing where I was going to lay my roots and I decided to do that Denver,” Claxton said during the Bellator 242 media day on Wednesday. After being stuck with fellow fighter A.J. Matthews in lockdown, “I grew a lot during the quarantine,” he added. “I think that it was kind of a blessing in disguise for me to be able to slow down, not be fighting as much, and grow as a fighter. It was all positive things.”

Kamaru Usman is a good friend of Claxton. The UFC champion is the one who convinced Claxton to train with a coach and team for his upcoming bouts. Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado has become that new home.

“You don’t know enough to be your own coach, go join a team,” Claxton said regarding what Usman told him. So while heading to Vegas, Claxton went to Denver for a spell. “I ended up training at Elevation fight team for about a week, before I went back to Vegas. I got to Vegas, and then decided to turn around and go back to Colorado, and call that home. Got great partners to work out there with. It’s good to be able to walk into a gym and just be able to train.” Not to mention the great sparring partners.

As for Jay Wilson, Claxton isn’t to worried about the undefeated prospects world class jiu jitsu. Why isn’t Claxton worried? Well he believes he will be the one doing the damage while this fight is on the ground.

“He has never had anyone on top of him beating the sh*t out of him” Claxton explained. “That one is going to happen, I’ve been in there with Sanchez. If I take this fight to the ground there is nothing Jay Jay can do to stop me.”

Earlier in the day our own Joe McDonagh asked Jay Jay Wilson to rate the jiu jitsu of Tywan Claxton to which Wilson laughed and said it is impossible to rate. ‘It isn’t very good’ is what came next. Claxton was happy to respond when asked about this exchange.

“You wanna know what I am? I’m a White belt that’s about to whoop your a**” Claxton stated. “Rate my Jiu Jitsu, I’m a white belt, but a black belt in whooping a**. He can say what he wants to say, but again, there is levels.” Claxton added that he had the answer if, by chance, Wilson does take his back. “At the end of the day, the kid is biting off more than he can chew, and all he’s doing is pissing me off.”

Tywan Claxton is looking forward to talking to Wilson as he is using his dominant wrestling and vicious ground and pound. “I think I’m going to talk to him the whole time. I’m going to tell him that ‘a white belt’s doing this to you.'”

Claxton also praised A.J. Matthews, his training partner, for helping him in the preparation.

Bellator 242 goes down Friday, July 24 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The main card airs live on Paramount Network and DAZN.

The post Bellator 242’s Tywan Claxton Irked by Wilson’s Dismissal of His BJJ Skills: “I’m a White Belt That’s About to Whoop Your A**” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bellator has announced their full lineup for their return next Friday, July 24, in what will be their first event in over four months since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.  The card is set to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between Sergio Pettis and Ricky Bandejas and will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

The most notable addition to the card announced Wednesday morning is featherweight prospect Aaron Pico against Chris Hatley Jr.  Pico had previously been on a two-fight losing streak before getting back in the win-column against Daniel Carey in January.  Hatley is on a two-fight win streak and made his Bellator debut in February.

Other match-ups on the card will include UFC veteran Jordan Mein, who returns to action for the first time in over a year to make his Bellator debut against Jordan Jackson in the co-main event.  Also, New Zealand prospect Jay Jay Wilson will look to notch the sixth victory of his undefeated career as he returns to face fellow rising star Tywan Claxton who has amassed a 6-1 record inside the Bellator cage.

Bellator 242 Official Fight Card

Main Card:

Sergio Pettis vs. Ricky Bandejas

Jason Jackson vs. Jordan Mein

Tywan Claxton vs. Jay Jay Wilson

Aaron Pico vs. Chris Hatley Jr.

Prelims:

Logan Storley vs. Mark Lemminger

Raufeon Stots vs. Cass Bell

Steve Mowry vs. Rudy Schaffroth

The post Aaron Pico Returns as Bellator Announces Full Lineup for July 24 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Braydon Akeo was making his debut at home at Bellator 235. The Hawaiian native was an undefeated 3-0 entering the night, in a similar position to where opponent Tywan Claxton had been not too long ago. Claxton, however, a stand-out wrestler who won five straight before picking up his first loss in the featherweight grand prix earlier this year, had a clear edge in quality of competition. Which was going to make for an interesting fight in Honolulu Friday night.

Akeo had notably spent time training with Max Holloway, and managed to shake off Claxton when he closed the distance early. Claxton would find success with his leg kick, however. That allowed him to disguise his attacks a little, going upstairs with a kick a short while later. After initiating a number of attacks, Claxton tried a little gamesmanship, waving Akeo on with his hands, only for Akeo to fire off a jab immediately. It was Tywan Claxton closing the distance, however, and while he couldn’t land the takedown, he did connect with an elbow off the break.

Round two had Akeo catching a leg early, but he wasn’t able to convert the takedown. He would fire a knee to the body, only for Claxton to reverse, pepper him with strikes, then look for a takedown. Braydon was finding some success in the round, but he was allowing Claxton to lead the dance, and a failed takedown attempt saw him eating a hard blow to the head. Claxton would push him up against the cage late in the round, firing off some elbows.

Akeo went for a takedown early in the third and nearly had it. Incredibly, Claxton managed to stay standing, in what might be one of the best examples of takedown defense in ages. Impressive balance, using his leg to counter Akeo’s shifting weight, fighting hands — Claxton was able to fight off his opponent, in what could have been a fight-altering moment. Instead it was Claxton scoring a double-leg takedown by the fence with two minutes left in the frame. He immediately opened up with some ground n’ pound. While Akeo made it back up, Claxton would land a pair of knees before putting him on his back again. Claxton would attempt a late rear-naked choke, but Akeo would survive the round. A small battle won, but it was Tywan Claxton who won the war.

Official Result: Tywan Claxton def. Braydon Akeo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post Bellator 235 Results: Tywan Claxton Surges Late in Decision Over Braydon Akeo appeared first on Cageside Press.

Last time he entered the Bellator MMA cage, Tywan Claxton was confident he could overcome former title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez in the opening round of the featherweight grand prix. At Bellator 226 in September, Sanchez proved otherwise, submitting Claxton in the second round.

It was the first loss of ‘Air’ Claxton’s career. And it served as a teaching point to a talented fighter who was, perhaps, in need of just such a wake up call to bring him to the next level.

Claxton (5-1) returns this Friday at Bellator 235, the promotion’s Salute the Troops show. Bellator USO, with its scenic backdrop of Hawaii, may seem like a vacation, but when Claxton comes to town, it’s all business — with a renewed focus.

“I took away a lot from that Sanchez fight. I made a lot of big changes,” he told Cageside Press ahead of his fight against Braydon Akeo, an undefeated Hawaiian making his Bellator debut.

Among them, “I need to make sure I’m in total control when I take a guy down,” he said. “I need to be comfortable at all ranges on my feet, I need to be comfortable with guys pressing me.”

Or, more concisely, “I need to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

To get to that point, Claxton has made some important changes to his training camp. “Now I have a head coach. I promoted my striking coach to my head coach,” he revealed. A head coach is something he went without, previously. “I also went out and found guys that could press me like that and make me uncomfortable.” One of those training partners is Montana Love, an undefeated pro boxer with eight KOs who Claxton called a “merciless guy.”

“I have my old wrestling coaches come in now, they run a couple of training sessions for me,” he added. “Grappling sessions that I was running before.”

Claxton has has begun working his mental game again as well. Reading. Studying. “I’m watching film now. I watch a lot of film, I study fights. I study fighters.”

The changes mean he’s also getting some honest feedback about where he’s at. Something that was perhaps lacking in the past. Shedding some light on that, Claxton said that “I’m the type of person that, only certain people can tell me what to do. And only certain people I will listen to. If you grow up how I grew up, there’s always adversity, there’s always somebody saying you can’t do something.”

That childhood experience led to a guarded outlook for Tywan Claxton. “Until you invest in me, until you show that you really care, you’re not allowed to talk to me that way,” he explained. And, the talented featherweight added, “for the most part, I was winning. So I was coaching myself. You can say what you want to say, people can say ‘oh that was a horrible idea’ but the only guy that’s beat me is a guy that had just fought for a world title. So maybe I was doing enough to beat 80% of the guys in the division, but maybe not the top 20%.”

80/20, 90/10. Whatever the percentage, said Claxton, he “had to get those coaches around me so that we can be prepared to continue to grow, to beat everybody in the division.”

Problem Solving

If you know Claxton at all, you’d recognize his approach following the Sanchez loss. He approached it from a problem solving perspective, the way he would tackle a problem in his other career — app development. “It’s just like coding. You find a bug in the code, you debug the code. I debugged my training. My entire training philosophy and program got debugged.”

In short, “This is what went wrong, let’s fix this sh*t. That’s exactly how I approached this camp, that’s exactly how I approached this comeback. After the Sanchez fight, it’s a direct change.”

Handling defeat is something that differs from athlete to athlete, person to person. Claxton isn’t the type to take any time off. Instead, “I went on kind of a psychotic rampage I suppose, where I just wanted to go break every f*cking body I could in my gym,” he recalled. “I just wanted to sit there and bang. I wanted them to feel how I felt, being pushed by Sanchez. I wanted to go in there and break guys every day — I didn’t care about technique, I didn’t care about getting hit,  I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted violence, and wanted to make them feel how I felt. And that was my coping mechanism. I cope with training.”

Thriving in Hostile Environments

Braydon Akeo is fighting at home at Bellator USO. The crowd will have his back. And it makes no difference to Tywan Claxton. “That sh*t doesn’t matter,” he said, asked if fans and media sometimes read too much into athletes fighting at home. “I was always the person that thrives in hostile environments.”

“Whether the crowd cheers for me or they don’t cheer for me, that doesn’t really matter. It’s just about finding your groove,” he added. “If your groove is second nature to you, and you can get into your groove no matter what the circumstances are, then it doesn’t really matter where you’re fighting at.”

It’s not that there’s no benefit at all to competing at home, mind you. It’s just that any such benefit is negligible. “The only advantage he may have is that his sleep schedule may be better than my sleep schedule. That’s it,” Claxton explained. “It’s a business trip. I’ve wrestled my entire life. When you’ve wrestled and traveled that many times, and you’ve gone and competed against people all over, it doesn’t matter.”

“Home court advantage is not a thing,” he finished.

Akeo, of course, is not someone he’s about to overlook, fighting at home or not. Examining his opponent, Claxton observed that “I think he relied heavily on his wrestling. I think that if I had to say it, his striking style is trying to emulate someone like Max Holloway.”

“I think he’s used to being a bully, but he’s used to being a bully with wrestling,” Claxton added. Of course, Claxton himself comes from the wrestling world. “He ain’t going to bully me with no goddamn wrestling, and he ain’t going to bully me period. There’s levels to the game, and there’s levels to guys that you fight. I don’t think he’s fought anybody close to the people that I’ve fought.”

“I think he’s tough, I think he’s a tough fighter, he’s coming out hot, I know for a fact he’s coming out there to fight,” added Claxton. “Three-time state champ, it is what it is. But like I said, there’s levels to guys that you fight. Check my track record. Every guy that I’ve fought is a hell of a fighter.”

The Lighter Side of Fighting

Fighter, coder, comedian? Fights and apps are among Claxton’s goals for 2020 but so is something a little more off-beat: a stand-up comedy performance.

Asked what drew him to the idea of stand-up, Claxton explained that his life experience, as bumpy as some parts have been, drew him in. “You ever just watch comedy and you realize, ‘I’m the type of person that’s okay with all the f*cked up sh*t that’s happened to me in my life, and making fun of it?’ Because I can laugh at myself. I started watching a lot of comedy and I’m like man, if I tell half of the stories that life has just kind of thrown my way, oh my god, I could be the next Kevin Hart,” he said. “So I’m going to give it a shot.”

After all, he added, “Why not? Why not just go out and try it? What do I have to lose? If I’m good, great. If I suck, hell at least I can fight, and I know how to code.” Ultimately, he said, it’s a bucket list thing.

Asked which seems scarier, getting in the cage and fighting, or comedy, Claxton replied without hesitation. “Definitely the comedy!”

If you’re telling a joke and the response is dead silence, there’s not much you can do about it, he pointed out. Fighting is something Claxton has been doing his whole life, however. That’s normal. “Going and telling jokes, that ain’t too normal.”

Tywan Claxton returns Friday, February 20, 2019 at Bellator USO (Bellator 235) at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The post Bellator USO’s Tywan Claxton On Changes After Sanchez Loss: “I Debugged My Training” appeared first on Cageside Press.

The opening fight of the Bellator featherweight grand prix was a battle of experience versus youth. On the experience side at Bellator 226, Emmanuel Sanchez, a.k.a. El Matador, a former Bellator featherweight title challenger. On the side of youth, Tywan Claxton, an undefeated prospect who entered the night 5-0.

Round 1:

Claxton managed to get Sanchez down early in the opening round, and before long, Sancehz was bloodied and struggling to make it to his feet. Back up, Sanchez was firing, as he needed to. A right hand landed but once again, Claxton shot for the takedown, driving hard and landing it. Claxton worked from inside his opponent’s high guard. Sanchez went looking for an arm, and while he couldn’t hold onto it, that created some space for him to get his back to the fence.

However, Sanchez turned the tables at the end of the round, scoring a takedown of his own, moving to mount, and landing ground and pound as Claxton covered up. Call it a near finish, as it looked bad, but he was saved by the bell.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 for Claxton

.@TClax149 gets the takedown in round two!#FeatherweightWGP #Bellator226 pic.twitter.com/aF7OYdKI4s

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 8, 2019

Round 2:

Perhaps to prove that he wasn’t out of it after a rough end to the first, Claxton launched a flying knee early. He then shot for a takedown, but Sanchez stuffed it, and began applying pressure. Sanchez had the prospect pinned against the fence, but Claxton cinched a body lock, reversed, and landed the takedown — only to find himself in an inverted triangle with an arm trapped. Claxton survived, but moments later was in a traditional triangle. Claxton was stuck and was soon eating elbows and punches. He held on as long as he could, but before long, Sanchez had depleted his air, worn him down, and handed ‘Air’ Claxton his first career defeat!

Official Result: Emmanuel Sanchez def. Tywan Claxton by submission (triangle), Round 2, 4:11

The post Bellator 226 Results: Emmanuel Sanchez Grounds Air Claxton appeared first on Cageside Press.

Favian Gutierrez weighed in with a luchador mask, Abraham Vaesau missed weight for a catchweight bout, but mostly, the Bellator 226 official weigh-ins were an orderly affair. Right up until Cheick Kongo gave a firm shove to opponent Ryan Bader during the final face-off ahead of fight night.

Both men made weight, however, not that it was ever in question, given the pair clock in well below the 265lb upper limit of the division. That means the heavyweight title fight between double-champ Ryan Bader (who also holds 205lb gold) and Kongo is a go. So too are the four opening round bouts from Bellator’s featherweight grand prix. With four more fights in the tournament coming later in the month, the 16-man grand prix was set to be a hot topic.

But it was Bader’s first heavyweight title defense that would have curious MMA fans looking on Saturday night. Kongo, on an eight-fight win streak, was his toughest test in the weight class to date.

Full weigh-in results are below. The event takes place Saturday, September 7 live at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.

Bellator 226: Bader vs. Kongo Weigh-In Results

Heavyweight: Ryan Bader (c) (228.7) vs. Cheick Kongo (239.2) – For the Bellator MMA heavyweight championship
Featherweight: Daniel Straus (144.4) vs. Derek Campos (144.9) – Bellator featherweight grand prix opening round
Featherweight: Pat Curran (144.6) vs. Ádám Borics (144.7) – Bellator featherweight grand prix opening round
Featherweight: Sam Sicilia (145) vs. Roberto de Carvalho (144.1) – Bellator featherweight grand prix opening round
Featherweight: Emmanuel Sanchez (144.1) vs. Tywan Claxton (144.3) – Bellator featherweight grand prix opening round
Featherweight: Gaston Bolanos (145.5) vs. Daniel Carey (144.2)

Preliminary card

Middleweight: Ivan Batinich (185.2) vs. Daniel Compton (185.3)
Catchweight (180 lbs.): Albert Gonzalez (180) vs. Tyson Miller (179.1)
Middleweight: Favian Gutierrez (185.6) vs. Alan Benson (184.7)
Catchweight (140 lbs.): Peter Ishiguro (139.9) vs. Elias Anderson (139.8)
Flyweight: Daniel Gonzalez (125.3) vs. Jonathan Adams (124)
Middleweight: Cornelius Savage (184.9) vs. Evan Gubera (184.7)
Featherweight: John Maċapa (145.6) vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw (145.5)
Lightweight: Adam Piccolotti (155.2) vs. Jacob Smith (155.4)
Women’s Featherweight: Amber Leibrock (145.4) vs. Jessica Borga (144.7)
Bantamweight: Cass Bell (135.6) vs. Isaiah Rocha (135.1)
Welterweight: James Terry (169.7) vs. Batsumberel Dagvadorj (171)
Catchweight (175 lbs.): Abraham Vaesau (178.8)* vs. Renato Alves (172.9)
Featherweight: Hyder Amil (145.9) vs. Ignacio Ortiz  (145.4)
Lightweight: Christopher Gonzalez (155.8) vs. Luis Vargas (156)

* Vaesau missed the catchweight 175lb limit and will be fined 20% of his purse

The post Bellator 226: Bader vs. Kongo Weigh-In Results — Cheick Gets Heated appeared first on Cageside Press.