Minakov, whose only pro loss to that point had come against Cheick Kongo earlier in his Bellator run, was paired up with Said Sowma in the co-main event of the Moscow card. On the outside looking in thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and visa issues, a statement win by Minakov would nonetheless boost him right back up to the top of the heavyweight division.

Sowma had other plans. And a smart game plan that relied heavily on leg kicks.

Minakov and Sowma took a bit to get going Saturday, with Sowma a self-professed “slow starter” and Minakov coming off a two-year layoff. But the former champ would get the fight to the ground midway through the opening round. From there, he was in the driver’s seat.

In the second, things stayed on the feet. Sowma often found himself with his back to the fence, circling out of the way as Minakov pressed the attack. Minakov threw kicks to the body; Sowma, meanwhile, was utilizing a calf kick that was giving the Russian trouble. On occasion, he nearly took Minakov’s legs out from under him, and by the end of the round, the ex-champ’s lead leg was showing some nasty red welts.

In the third, Minakov again marched forward. Sowma again circled out of harm’s way. His mobility was far better, and again, he connected with a low kick to Minakov’s leg that threw the Russian off-balance. Minakov would connect with a punch along the fence before Sowma escaped. With his leg compromised, however, Minakov struggled to close the distance. He also appeared to have injured his finger, and the ref noticed almost immediately. With the digit either broken or dislocated, the bout was waved off, while the Russian could be seen snapping his finger back into place.

Official Result: Said Sowma def. Vitaly Minakov by TKO (injury), Round 3, 3:08

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While in recent years, names like Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic, and Francis Ngannou may have been talked about more, there is no taking away from the accomplishments of “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko. The soft-spoken, undersized Russian ruled PRIDE for years, in a run unequaled to this day by modern heavyweights.

While his Bellator run has had its share of speed bumps, mainly in the form of Matt Mitrione and Ryan Bader, Fedor entered his fight with Tim Johnson on Saturday coming off a 2019 win over Rampage Jackson. Would the time away and a battle with COVID-19 have slowed him? We’d soon find out.

Joining Fedor on the Bellator 269 card in Moscow was former heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov. With just a single loss to his over 20 wins, Minakov was looking to get back in the mix — and was paired up with American Said Sowma.

Usman Nurmagomedov returned as well, going up against the unheralded Patrik Pietila. On the preliminary card, Darina Madzyuk made her promotional debut, after fighting against (and TKO’ing) a 529lb male sumo wrestler last year, a fight that instantly went viral.

The Bellator 269 preliminary card gets underway just prior to 1PM ET on Saturday, October 23 at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. Full results and a live stream can be found above. Where available, the Bellator 269 live stream of Saturday’s main card action is also featured below.

Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson Results

Main Card

Fedor Emelianenko def. Timothy Johnson by knockout, Round 1, 1:46
Said Sowma def. Vitaly Minakov by TKO (injury), Round 3, 3:08
Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patrik Pietilä by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:06
Anatoly Tokov def. Sharaf Davlatmurodov by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Kirill Sidelnikov def. Rab Truesdale by TKO, Round 1, 2:01
Katarzyna Sadura def. Darina Mazdyuk by TKO, Round 2, 3:17
Irina Alekseeva def. Stephanie Ielö Page by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Nikita Mikhailov def. Brian Moore by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Alexey Shurkevich def. Grachik Bozinyan by KO, Round 1, 2:25
Aiden Lee def. Alexander Osetrov by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:41

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“These last two years, they were alright. It’s definitely a shame that I couldn’t compete for these two years, but the situation was really hard,” Minakov (22-1) told media outlets during this week’s Bellator 269 media day. The Russian ex-champ noted that “COVID made visa applications much more difficult, but everyone’s happy that Bellator now came here to Moscow.”

Despite the time away, Minakov seems to have no concern about being in fighting shape for his bout with Said Sowma this Saturday. “Regardless of the fact of that two year pause, the last two and a half months of training were perfect,” he stated. “I realized through those two and a half months that I’m still in shape, I’m still intact, and I’m ready to go.”

With the time off, Minakov has been left outside of Bellator’s official rankings. He downplayed that this week, saying that “I don’t care at all in fact where in the rankings I’m going to be after the fight. What is important to me is that I keep on continuing in my career in MMA in Bellator, and once I get a hang of that, I’m more than positive that I’m going to end up on the top of the list.”

Minakov had no thought of leaving the sport during his time away, he later added. Whether or not he remains with Bellator if he’s unable to obtain a visa moving forward is another issue. Several years back, Minakov found himself embroiled in a contract dispute with the promotion, and wound up fighting at home in Russia from 2015 onward, not returning to Bellator until 2019.

“It’s been quite a journey of reaching that pro level of fighting here at Bellator. Obviously it is quite difficult with the situation of the American visa not being available. Of course if the promotion is not going to come to Russia any time soon, it’s going to be difficult,” Minakov said. But his plan, he added, is “to stay at Bellator and to stay in this sport, and try to work back the American visa into this whole situation. But obviously if that’s not going to happen, than in this case clearly I’m not going to be sitting around and just waiting for another Bellator promotion in Moscow.”

Watch the full Bellator 269 media day appearance from Vitaly Minakov above. The event takes place this Saturday, October 23 at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. More coverage can be found below.

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On Tuesday, promotion officials confirmed via press release that former heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov (22-1) would face a new opponent on the October card, which numerically is Bellator 269. Initially booked against Tyrell Fortune, Minakov will now face Said Sowma (7-2) at the event.

Fight Time initially reported the opponent switch.

No reason for Fortune’s withdrawal has been given. Sowma most recently won big against ex-UFC fighter Ronny Markes. Minakov has not competed since picking up a win over Tim Johnson in 2019.

Additionally, Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of former UFC lightweight champ Khabib, has been booked opposite Patrik Pietila.

Nurmagomedov (13-0) is undefeated thus far in his pro career, and has looked strong in both his Bellator MMA outings to date. Most recently, he finished Manny Muro with a knee to the body at Bellator 263 in July.

Pietila (11-8) made his promotional debut in his last fight, back in 2019. That saw a two-fight winning streak snapped by Ryan Roddy.

Both fights have been added to the event’s main card. Andrey Koreshkov vs. Rustam Khabilov also features, while the main event sees heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko return against Tim Johnson.

The full Bellator 269 card, taking place at Moscow’s VTB Arena on October 23, 2021, currently breaks down as follows:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson
Vitaly Minakov vs. Said Sowma
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Patrik Pietila
Andrey Koreshkov vs Rustam Khabilov
Brian Moore vs. Nikita Mikhailov
Grachik Bozinyan vs. Ross Houston
Irina Alekseeva vs. Stephanie lelo Page
Alexey Shurkevich vs. Christian Eckerlin

The post Bellator Moscow: Vitaly Minakov Gets New Opponent, Usman Nurmagomedov Faces Patrik Pietila appeared first on Cageside Press.

Promotion president Scott Coker announced the news during a live stream appearance with Russia’s TASS.ru on Monday.

Minakov (22-1), now 36-years old, has competed in fits and starts in recent years. A contract dispute saw him stripped of his title and exiled in Russia from 2015 to 2017, where he competed for Fight Nights Global. Missing all of 2018, he reached an agreement with Bellator to return in 2019 and fought twice, going 1-1 and suffering the first loss of his career against Cheick Kongo.

Getting back in the win column that August against Tim Johnson, Minakov still appeared very much in the title conversation. However, when the coronavirus pandemic struck, Minakov was once again left in limbo.

Tyrell Fortune (11-1) has won three straight, and is fresh off a win over former UFC fighter Matt Mitrione. The 31-year old former wrestler turned pro in 2016, and has spent his entire career with Bellator MMA.

Bellator Moscow, the promotion’s first trip to Russia, is expected to take place October 23 at the VTB Arena. Another legendary Russian heavyweight will headline the card, as Fedor Emelianenko is expected to appear. No opponent has been announced as of yet for Fedor.

The post Vitaly Minakov to Face Tyrell Fortune at Bellator Moscow appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tim Johnson has fought the label of Journeyman, a title given to fighters that do enough to stick around but never really accomplish the ultimate goal of hitting the top of their sport. With his second 1st round TKO in a row, against Matt Mitrione at Bellator 243, Johnson (14-6) has now safely distanced himself from the term.

Instead, it’s time to look forward. And upwards in the heavyweight division.

“I’ve had multiple opportunities throughout my career and I’ve messed them all up,” Johnson told the media following Friday’s event. “I had the title up til’ this fight today, the title of a journeyman, for good reason. I didn’t want to go through my career as that. I’m making a push.”

Of those past opportunities, a fight against former title challenger Cheick Kongo was one Johnson jumped on in Bellator. He admitted to forcing the takedown in that fight, which led to his demise. But he’s learned from the experience and would love to have that one back.

“That [Kongo] is a name that is in front of me that I need to get through” Johnson stated. “I’m just hoping for a fight here, I feel good. Maybe I get a fight here in September against someone who is in line and puts me in title contention.”

Another name that Johnson would love to have back is Vitaly Minakov. Johnson took a fight with the ex-champ on less than a days notice and was defeated at Bellator 225 in the first round. Johnson not only wants to show he is better than that performance, but also idolizes his former opponent.

“Minakov would be great,” Johnson stated. “Maybe I’m a fan boy, I put him up on a pedestal where some people put Fedor [Emelianenko]. I’ve followed Minakov for years, he’s the best heavyweight in the world, at least in the top three.”

Watch the full Bellator 243 post-fight press conference with Tim Johnson above.

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The fight between Vitaly Minakov and Javy Ayala for this Saturday at Bellator 232 has been scrapped due to visa issues on behalf of Minakov.  Per Minakov, his application was submitted within reasonable time but ultimately his request was not approved.

In a statement to TASS who reported the news, Minakov said:

“My documents have been processed for quite a while now.  Recently, information came that they were referred for reconsideration.  Yesterday, a manager called me saying that I was pulled out from the fight.  I think that in the end I will have a visa since I have obtained it many times and never faced any problems before.  I regret that all my preparations were for nothing.”

The move comes just days out from Bellator 232 which is set to take place this Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  Minakov was looking to ride the momentum of his first round KO victory over Tim Johnson back in August.  After a five year absence from Bellator that never saw him lose his title in the cage, Minakov returned to post a 1-1 record, losing in a title eliminator to Cheick Kongo back in February before returning to the win column against Johnson.

The news is a crushing blow to Javy Ayala who was previously set to face Minakov back in August, but was pulled from the fight at the eleventh hour for an undisclosed medical reason.  Ayala has since clarified that he had a bad infection on the side of his knee that led to a doctor pulling him from the bout.  Ayala has not fought since his career-defining victory last December where he stopped former UFC champion Frank Mir in the second round.

Javy Ayala is not expected to remain on Saturday’s card.

The post Bellator 232: Vitaly Minakov vs. Javy Ayala Scrapped Due to Visa Issues appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bellator 225 delivered something completely unexpected on Saturday night in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The promotion’s first trip outside tribal land in the state was a deep card, with a better-than-average set of prelims, and a solid main card. On paper, it was good, not great. In the end, it was great bordering on brilliant.

Fourteen fights, fourteen finishes. That’s all you really need to know about Bellator 225. But if you look a little closer, you’ll find the middleweight debut of Austin Vanderford promising to strong future for ‘Mr. VanZant’ in the 185lb weight class. An upset of Mike Kimbel that proves the young prospect still has much to learn about patience, after he tried himself out hunting the finish. A record-setting heel hook submission for Aviv Gozali. The first career finish for Khonry Gracie, son of UFC legend Royce.

That was just on the preliminary card. Strong outings from Yaroslav Amosov, Tyrell Fortune, Alejandra Lara, Vitaly Minakov, and Sergei Kharitonov made up the main card. Really, it’s hard to find fault in an event with nothing but finishes. So instead, just check out the highlights in case you missed them, which can be found below!

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Bridgeport, CT — If there were any questions about Vitaly Minkaov following his February loss to Cheick Kongo, they were answered Saturday night at Bellator 225.

Minakov (22–1) took no time whatsoever in finishing off extremely short notice replacement Timothy Johnson in Bridgeport. The former UFC heavyweight was filling in for Javy Ayala, and found himself outmatched by the Russian. A kick to the body, a punishing jab, and some follow-up strikes, and Minakov had a first round finish.

So will the real Vitaly Minakov please stand up? After years away from the promotion, the former heavyweight champ returned at Bellator 216, only to drop a unanimous decision to Kongo, who he had defeated years earlier. In their rematch, Minakov looked tired. Rusty. Nothing like the fighter who showed up against Johnson.

“The issue is that before the Kongo fight, I got [an infection]. I was in hospital for one week, I lost like 10lbs in six days,” Minakov told reporters backstage, including Cageside Press. “Five days before the fight, I just get out from the hospital, so I was in bad condition, so that’s why in the fight, I lost.”

In comparison, “this camp went well. I prepare myself for a couple months, everything was great.”

Oddly enough, the one factor many thought could throw a wrench in the works for Minakov worked out in his favor. “It’s the second time that my opponent changed. Originally it was supposed to be Roy Nelson, then it switched to Javy Ayala,” he said.

“When I was preparing for this [two months ago], I was sparring with southpaw guys,” said Minakov. “The majority of the guys were southpaws. So I was a little bit scared, because I was fighting with orthodox guys, but I was sparring with southpaws.” As it turns out, Johnson is a southpaw.

As for getting the Ayala and even Nelson fights back, Minakov was indifferent. “Doesn’t really matter, I don’t care. Whoever Bellator put in front of me, I will fight him. But the most important thing for me is to get the title shot as soon as possible.”

As for when a shot at his former belt might come, “it’s up to the Bellator organization,” the heavyweight answered, “but I feel like a couple more fights will put me in the title shot.”

In the meantime, there’s no cause for celebration just yet, said Vitaly Minakov. “I wasn’t really upset after the Kongo fight. It is what it is. For now I’m not going to celebrate anything, because it’s just a regular fight. It’s another step to get the title. I will celebrate when I get the title.”

Watch the full Bellator 225 post-fight press scrum with Vitaly Minakov above!

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Vitaly Minakov vs. Timothy Johnson was not the co-main event fans expected at Bellator 225. It wasn’t even the fight Minakov expected to be in. However, just hours before the event, news broke that the Connecticut Boxing Commission had recommended Javy Ayala, Minakov’s original opponent, be pulled from the card. Johnson, who had been set to face Azunna Anyanwu, was tapped to replace him.

Minakov entered the bout off the first loss of his professional career, against Cheick Kongo back in February. Kongo, who avenged a 2014 loss to Minakov, landed in a title shot (coming next month) with that win. Minakov needed to rebound, and rebound he did at Bellator 225.

A quick exchange early, and Vitaly Minakov cinched a body lock then muscled Johnson down. As Johnson worked back up, Minakov, still with the body lock, suplexed him, and continued to throw Johnson, anything but a small man, around like a rag doll. A kick to the midsection then caught Johnson, followed by a right jab. The jab stunned big Tim. Timothy Johnson suddenly looked like a wounded duck. Johnson locked up, back to the cage, and Minakov moved in.

One punch, another, with Johnson slumping to the ground, was all it took. The ref moved in to make the much-needed save, and former champ Vitaly Minakov was back in contention at the top of the heavyweight division.

Vitaly Minakov def. Timothy Johnson by knockout, Round 1, 1:45

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