The Last, And Lightest Superfight of 2019

On New Year’s Eve, the best Super Atomweight will be found…

On New Year’s Eve, the world will get the biggest fight that one of MMA’s most niche weight classes has ever seen. In a trilogy bout, Seo Hee Ham will attempt to take Ayaka Hamasaki’s championship. The division’s biggest matchup in recent history is one of near parallels. Soon, however, after they meet on New Year’s Eve, they will no longer be parallels, as one will go up and the other will go down.

Early Wins

While the New Year’s Eve fight will be a rematch, a lot has changed since their first two meetings. Hamasaki first prevailed over Ham back in 2010, earning her fourth professional MMA win, also winning the DEEP Jewels Lightweight Championship (115 lbs).  She held on to the belt for many years, making three defences of it before leaving the promotion, one of those over Ham, ending through corner stoppage after one round.

Parting Ways

Ham continued to fight in DEEP Jewels and the newly opened Korean MMA promotion Road FC until 2014, where she was signed to the UFC. She made history as the first female Korean fighter to sign with the promotion. Traditionally being a super atomweight fighter, Ham had to move up to strawweight to fight in the UFC, as they didn’t support the lighter class. 

She struggled in her four-fight run, notably losing to Joanne Calderwood and Bec Rawlings. Her sole win in the UFC came against Cortney Casey, which earned both of them a fight of the night bonus.

In late 2016, Ham lost to Danielle Taylor via split decision, ending her UFC career.

In 2015, Hamasaki fought at Invicta FC 13, defeating Herica Tiburcio via split decision to win the promotion’s Atomweight Championship. She would go on to defend it two times. Her win over Jinh Yu Frey wasn’t a decisive victory, as a cut made the doctor call it off in the second round.

After a loss in early 2017 to Livia Renata Souza, Hamasaki vacated her Invicta Championship.

Supporting Roles

While Hamasaki and Ham were building themselves up in different parts of the world, the RIZIN fanbase had their eyes on different fighters. They were focused on the person who was made to be #1, that being RENA, and the fighter who forced themself to be #1, that, of course, being Kanna Asakura.

Asakura unavoidably became the #1 woman in RIZIN after putting RENA to sleep at RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017, concluding her three-fight run in the Super Atomweight GP. In 2018, RENA fought Asakura again. While she didn’t finish her, Asakura won yet again. The losses were the first that RENA had ever received in her career.

Returning Back Home

In 2017, Seo Hee Ham returned to Road FC in Korea, being given a title shot against Mina Kurobe. She stopped the Japanese fighter in under three rounds, earning herself the belt. Before the year ended, Ham made her first defence of the belt, dropping Jinh Yu Frey with punches in the fifth minute of their fight. She made one more defence before going to RIZIN.

Hamasaki made her RIZIN debut at RIZIN 10, going three rounds against Alyssa Garcia. Later that year, she went up against Mina Kurobe in a fight that was made to determine who’s next in line to face Kanna Asakura.

Set for 2018’s New Year’s Eve show RIZIN 14, Hamasaki challenged Asakura for the vacant RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship.

Falling Into Place

At RIZIN 14, Hamasaki put on a dominant performance, stopping Asakura in the second round with an armbar. It took Asakura out of the title picture, as nothing about her performance called for a rematch.

Asakura made her sole defence of the RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship at RIZIN 16, going to the scorecards in a rematch against Jinh Yu Frey, the only past opponent who had a good reason for a rematch.

Ham made her RIZIN debut in July. She was pitted against Tomo Maesawa, the DEEP Jewels Atomweight Champion, in a champ-versus-champ matchup. She stopped Maesawa in a round, utilizing RIZIN’s legal grounded knees to the head to end the bout.

Both Ham and Hamasaki have picked up one more win en route to RIZIN 20.

So Here We Are…

For most weight classes, the best in the world is seen in a different promotion. Most look to UFC to find who is the best in every class. However, in a world that sweeps super atomweight under the mat, the absolute best will be found out at RIZIN. And for many, that makes it better.

A real “best in the world” fight will have the theatrics, ring, and of course the ruleset of RIZIN. That’s not something people get often or arguably have ever gotten before.

Mizuki vs. Tecia Torres Added To UFC Fight Night Columbus

It was announced on Saturday that Tecia Torres and Mizuki Inoue have been booked for the main card of UFC on ESPN 8, which is on March 23rd, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Torres is currently fighting the longest losing streak of her career, with a win illuding her for her last four fights. Apart from her ongoing losing streak, Torres only has one other defeat as a pro.

Most recently, Torres lost via unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez. Previously, she lost to Weili Zhang, who is currently the UFC Strawweight Champion.

Mizuki made a successful debut in the UFC last August, winning in a split decision contest against Yanan Wu. Before her UFC career, Mizuki notably fought in all-women’s MMA promotions like Invicta FC and DEEP Jewels.

Currently set to headline the Ohio card is heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruick. The co-main event will see ranked bantamweights Raphael Assuncao and Cody Garbrandt try to snap their losing streaks.

Bellator 237: Fedor vs. Rampage Live Coverage

Finishing off their 2019 schedule, Bellator heads to Japan on Saturday for the first time in the promotion’s history. Headlining the show was Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson, who have deep ties fighting in Japan. Also fighting on their six-fight main card was many big names in Bellator and RIZIN.

The eight postlim bouts on the card will not be broadcasted to the international audience “due to existing contractual obligations.” Coverage of those fights on this site are TBA.

A full preview of the night’s action can be read here.

Follow along throughout the evening for the results at Bellator 237.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Goiti Yamauchi def. Daron Cruickshank via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:11)
Bout 2: Kana Watanabe def. Ilara Joanne via TKO, Punches (RD 3, 4:39)

Bout 3: Lorenz Larkin def. K-Taro Nakamura via Unanimous Decision

Bout 4: Michael Page def. Shinsho Anzai via KO, Right Hook (RD 2, 0:23)

Bout 5: Michael Chandler def. Sidney Outlaw via KO, Right Straight (RD 1, 2:59)

Bout 6: Fedor Emelianenko def. Quinton Jackson via KO, Right Hook (RD 1: 2:44)

Bout 1: Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12) (Lightweight)

The first fight of the evening was between Daron Cruickshank and Goiti Yamauchi. There was uneventful stand-up in the first minute of the fight. Crucikshank tried for a spinning backfist, but Yamauchi caught it and got into a body lock. Yamauchi hopped on Cruickshank’s back, taking him to the ground eventually. He put in a rear naked choke, which eventually took Cruickshank out cold. Goiti Yamauchi added to his now long list of submission victories, putting Bellator up by one against RIZIN to kick off the evening.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Yamauchi
Cruickshank

Bout 2: Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1) (Flyweight)

In the next fight, RIZIN’s undefeated fighter Kana Watanabe fought Bellator’s Ilara Joanne. The most notable win from Joanne is her most recent one, stopping Bec Rawlings with an armbar. Joanne had strong striking early on in the fight. While Watanabe reached for a single leg, she was hit with a two-punch combo from Joanne. Watanabe got a takedown in the second minute of the fight. From the bottom position, Joanne tried for a triangle choke. While Watanabe was in the position, Joanne threw a couple of elbows. Watanabe eventually escaped the choke. In side control, Watanabe started with short punches to the head. Going into half guard, Watanabe landed a few more shots before the round ended.

Watanabe tried for a takedown in a clinch early in the second round, although Joanne avoided it, putting her against the cage. She eventually got a takedown, but Joanne used momentum to end up in top position. Watanabe landed hammerfist punches while Joanne kept a body lock on the ground. Watanabe took top position in the final minute, pouring on tons of ground and pound strikes. Joanne endured the strikes until the round ended.

Watanabe got another takedown at the start of the final round. Joanne threw some strikes from the bottom and also tried for an armbar. She did not secure the armbar. Watanabe picked up the striking again from top position. In the final minute, Watanabe got on Joanne’s back, continuing with the strikes. Watanabe continued until the referee finally stepped in. Staying undefeated, Kana Watanabe got a third round stoppage victory in her Bellator debut.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Joanne 10 9
Watanabe 9 10

Bout 3: Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (35-10-2) (Welterweight)

In the final Bellator versus RIZIN bout of the main card, veterans Lorenz Larkin and K-Taro Nakamura battled. Larkin missed weight for this fight by a few pounds. Larkin was clearly the better striker early. He landed a good uppercut in the clinch. It was seemingly all Larkin the whole round, with Nakamura eating many solid punches. 

Nakamura had his best moment in the second round, coming forward with good punches that had Larkin back up against the cage. Nakamura caught a body kick, but couldn’t get a takedown from it. Apart from a few moments, Larkin kept a good pace of strikes through two rounds, keeping the pressure on Nakamura.

Nakamura went into a clinch after catching a kick, but was hit with a knee to the body from the situation. Larkin continued coming forward with hard strikes. Nakamura got cut beside his left eye. Nakamura shot for a single leg takedown. Larkin landed elbows and punches to Nakamura, who was still holding onto his leg. They got back up, with the damage on Nakamura’s face being worse. The fight went the distance, with Lorenz Larkin winning on all three scorecards (30-27, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Larkin 10 10 10 30
Nakamura 9 9 8 26

Bout 4: Michael Page (16-1) vs. Shinsho Anzai (11-3) (Welterweight)

In the next match, Bellator’s highlight creator Michael “Venom” Page fought Shinsho Anzai. Page had quite the dramatic walkout, wearing a Naruto outfit and running down the ramp. MVP landed a knee early on as Anzai was shooting for a takedown which he did not get. Page was heating up as the round progressed. He telegraphed a good flying knee as Anzai rushed in and put Page against the cage. Page landed a two-punch combination that dropped Anzai. He let Anzai get up, getting even more cocky with his fighting style. He started going for the more flashy moves. The crowd was a fan of his showboating. It looked like MVP landed a good knee that might have dropped Anzai in the final minute. Anzai held onto an arm as MVP came in for strikes as the round ended.

Page tried for more flying knees as the second round opened. MVP scored a right hook which dropped Anzai and ended the fight. Adding another win to his record, Michael “Venom” Page proved dominant over Shinsho Anzai.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Page 10
Anzai 8

Bout 5: Michael Chandler (19-5) vs. Sidney Outlaw (14-3) (Catchweight 160 lbs)

The co-main event of the evening saw Sidney Outlaw take a short notice fight against Michael Chandler. Chandler was applying the pressure early on, coming forward with punches. Outlaw caught a leg in the second minute, but couldn’t score a takedown from it. Outlaw was landing leg kicks which were starting to show on Chandler. Chandler landed a right straight which knocked out Outlaw, ending the fight. To celebrate, Chandler landed two backflips. Bouncing back from his May loss to Patricio Pitbull, Michael Chandler stopped Sidney Outlaw in short time.\

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Chandler
Outlaw

Bout 6: Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Quinton Jackson (38-13) (Heavyweight)

 

The main event of the card was Fedor Emelianenko and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson competing in a heavyweight bout. The entrances were nostalgic, with the current RIZIN and former PRIDE Lenne Hardt calling out the names of the fighters. Jackson walked out to the old PRIDE theme. Emelianenko was landing the better shots early on. No combinations, just sole shots. In the second minute, Emelianenko threw Jackson, then threw a combination of strikes ending with a kick. In the third minute, Emelianenko landed a right hook which dropped Jackson and ended the fight. Jackson protested the stoppage afterwards. Jackson got a cut beside his left eye from the shot. Earning his 39th win as a pro and yet another one at the historic Saitama Super Arena, Fedor Emelianenko stopped Rampage Jackson after a few one-sided minutes. After the fight Emelianenko says that this fight will be the last of his career.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Emelianenko
Jackson

Bellator 237: Fedor vs. Rampage Preview

Concluding their 2019 season, Bellator heads to Japan for the first time on Saturday. The card is a co-promoted event with Japanese MMA organization RIZIN Fighting Federation. Many of the fights on the card see representatives from both promotions face off. The two promotions have collaborated in the past, most notably with Kyoji Horiguchi facing former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Darrion Caldwell twice.

Headlining this card is two well-known heavyweights in Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson. Deep into his career, Emelianenko is recognized as one of the most accomplished mixed-martial artists to never compete in the UFC. A good part of his career took place in Japan, as he competed in now-defunct promotion Pride FC many times. Prior to his UFC and Bellator run, Jackson also had a stint in Pride. While both fighting under the same banner, the two heavyweights never clashed before. Along with the main event is a quite stacked Bellator card, with many fights on it.

Main Card

Bout 1: Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12) (Lightweight)

In one of the truest Bellator versus RIZIN matches, Goiti Yamauchi faces Daron Cruickshank. What makes it a true promotional clash is the amount of experience each fighter has in their territory. Yamauchi is now 10-3 in Bellator, with Cruickshank being 5-4 in RIZIN. Cruickshank will try to break a two-fight losing streak, as he recently lost to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev. Yamauchi fought in October, defeating Saad Awad with a first-round armbar. Yamauchi came in at 157.8 lbs, missing the lightweight limit.

Bout 2: Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1) (Flyweight)

The second women’s bout of the evening will see undefeated Kana Watanabe battle Bellator’s Ilara Joanne. Watanabe has fought primarily in RIZIN and DEEP JEWELS. In RIZIN, she defeated Shizuka Sugiyama twice, once in very brief fashion. She has won three times in 2019, most recently beating Hee Eun Kang on a DEEP JEWELS card. Joanne debuted in Bellator back in October, prevailing over Bec Rawlings with a second-round kneebar. While that was her only win in Bellator, it was over a notable name.

Bout 3: Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (35-10-2) (Welterweight)

In the next bout of the evening, two former-UFC fighters who now represent different promotions will collide. Lorenz Larkin, who is on a three-fight winning streak in Bellator, will face K-Taro Nakamura, who just won his RIZIN debut back in October. Larkin is coming off of a split decision over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 229. Nakamura’s win was a brief and dominant one over Marcos Yoshiop de Souza at RIZIN 19. This marked the end of his UFC run, going 4-4 while with the promotion. Larkin missed weight by two-and-a-half pounds, although his fight will go on. It was reported by MMAJunkie that the comission will force Larkin to fight at middleweight in his next bout “unless doctor provides not that drop to 170 is safe.” 

Bout 4: Michael Page (16-1) vs. Shinsho Anzai (11-3) (Welterweight)

Bellator’s walking highlight reel Michael “Venom” Page will return on this card, facing former UFC fighter Shinsho Anzai. Page has gotten two dominant wins on recent Bellator shows, making a turnaround from his first pro loss, a brutal knockout at the hands of Douglas Lima. This fight is a quick turnaround for Page, who’s last fight was under a month ago. Anzai finished his UFC career with a 2-2 record, returning to DEEP Impact in September with a win against Yoichiro Sato.

Bout 5: Michael Chandler (19-5) vs. Sidney Outlaw (14-3) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the evening is a strictly Bellator collision, as Michael Chandler will face Sidney Outlaw. Originally, Chandler was meant to fight Benson Henderson in what would be a rematch from 2016. Henderson was pulled from the fight due to injury, with Outlaw being named the new opponent. The fight is Chandler’s return after losing his Bellator Lightweight Championship to Patricio Pitbull. Outlaw made his Bellator debut just last month, defeating Roger Huerta at Bellator 234.

Bout 6: Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Quinton Jackson (38-13) (Heavyweight) 44

In the main event, two MMA legends will collide. Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson will add another fight to their extensive MMA records on Saturday, which currently sits at 95 fights combined. Both fighters have deep ties in Japan. Some of Emelianenko’s best known work comes from his days in Pride FC, being undefeated during his run. Jackson also fought in Pride, although his record was not flawless. Despite both fighting in Pride, they never faced each other. Jackson’s last win was over fellow JMMA superstar Wanderlei Silva, stopping him in the second round at Bellator 206. That was just over a year ago. Since then, Emelianenko has fought twice. He stopped Chael Sonnen in one round at Bellator 208, and recently saw an abrupt loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 214. While in the main event slot, the fight is only set for three rounds. 

Postlims

Bout 7: Sergey Shemetov (9-6) vs. Shoma Shibisai (5-2) (Heavyweight)

After the main event, Saitama Super Arena will see post-lims which feature a mixture of RIZIN and Bellator fighters. It is still up in the air whether the international broadcast will be able to see these fights. One of the first preliminary bouts of the evening is Sergey Shemetov facing Shoma Shibisai. Shemetov is a relative to viral king Vitaly Shemetov, who made his RIZIN debut back at RIZIN 17. Shibisai has competed in Ganryujima pit fighting in the past, winning many times in that promotion. His last RIZIN fight was an openweight victory over Chang Hee Kim, landing in armbar to win in just over a minute.

Bout 8: Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-7) vs. Jon Tuck (10-5) (Lightweight)

Former UFC fighter Jon Tuck was meant to make his Bellator debut in September against Brandon Girtz. Unfortunately, that plan fell through for him. Instead, his debut will come against Ryuichiro Sumimura on this card. Tuck finished his UFC run with a 4-5 record, most recently losing to Drew Dober in 2018. Sumimura has fought mostly in regional promotion DEEP Impact, although has appeared once in RIZIN. In that fight, Sumimura tapped out to now-Bellator fighter Kiichi Kunimoto.

Bout 9: Andy Nguyen (6-8) vs. AI (5-1) (Strawweight)

2019 has been a breakout year for Krazy Bee’s AI. She got noticed by most eyes when she beat underground J-pop idol Nanaka Kawamura on New Year’s Eve with a dominant performance. She then went on to win twice more in promotion DEEP Jewels, then returned at RIZIN 18 to have a very close fight with Tabatha Watkins. Now being dubbed the “Princess Bee,” which follows the lineage of Miyuu Yamamoto being the “Queen Bee,” AI is seen as one of the prospects in JMMA. AI doesn’t have a blood-relation to the Yamamoto family, but like Yusuke Yachi is very representative of the Krazy Bee brand. She will face Andy Nguyen on this Bellator card. Nguyen has a 1-2 record in RIZIN, fighting twice against the previously mentioned Yamamoto.

Bout 10: Yusaku Nakamura (16-6-1) vs. Makoto Shinryu (9-1-1) (Flyweight)

Two experienced JMMA fighters in Yusaku Nakamura and Makoto Shinryu will fight in the next bout. Nakamura’s last fight was a decision win over Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai at RIZIN 16. Before then, he was winless in Bellator, losing to Manel Kape and Tenshin Nasukawa. Shinryu has never fought in RIZIN or Bellator, but has attained an impressive record in DEEP Impact.

Bout 11: Ren Hiramoto vs. Takahiro Ashida (Catchweight 150 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

The next fight on the post-lims is the card’s sole kickboxing bout. After being vacant from the kickboxing scene for nearly two years, Ren Hiramoto returns to face MMA fighter Takahiro Ashida. Hiramoto fought in Japanese kickboxing promotion K-1 World, getting 10 wins in his time there. Ashida has been an MMA fighter for his career, fighting all around Japan’s regional scene. He has two wins in 2019, prevailing over Isao Sakiyama and Tatsunao Nagakura.

Bout 12: Jarred Brooks (15-2) vs. Haruo Ochi (19-7-2) (Flyweight)

Back at RIZIN 18, Jarred Brooks and Haruo Ochi were set to face off in a strawweight matchup. The competition ended abruptly however, as a head collision early cut Ochi on the head, making the fight a no contest. They’ll run it back on this Bellator card, this time under the flyweight class. Brooks got a regional American win before this event, defeating Victor Altamirano at WXC 83. Ochi is currently on an impressive seven-fight win streak. Most wins came from the promotion DEEP Impact, with one win being against former-Pancrase Champion Mistuhisa Sunabe at RIZIN 13.

Bout 13: Kanna Asakura (15-4) vs. Jayme Hinshaw (4-3) (Atomweight)

A year ago, Kanna Asakura found herself high on the card of RIZIN 14, attempting to beat Ayaka Hamasaki with the RIZIN Super Atomweight belt on the line. That didn’t go her way, as she lost with a second round armbar ending Hamasaki’s dominant performance. She has went 2-1 in 2019 so far, recently winning over Alesha Zappitella at RIZIN 18. She now faces Jayme Hinshaw, who will be making her debut in Bellator. She had previously fought in King of the Cage for all of her pro-career. While having just slightly more wins than losses, Hinshaw is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

Bout 14: Hiroto Uesako (16-8) vs. Yusuke Yachi (20-9) (Lightweight)

In an all-RIZIN affair, Hiroto Uesako and Yusuke Yachi face-off in the next preliminary bout. Uesako and Yachi are one of the more well-known lightweights in the promotion. While Yachi has name recognition, he is currently on a three-fight losing streak that dates back to RIZIN 12. Uesako debuted in RIZIN earlier this year, defeating Yves Landu to secure his spot in the Lightweight Grand Prix. He lost in the first round of that tournament to Luiz Gustavo in October.

After this event, Bellator will return in late January with Bellator 238. Headlining the card will be Cris Cyborg, making her Bellator debut against Featherweight Champion Julia Budd. However, before the year concludes, some Bellator talent will be seen on RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve card at Saitama Super Arena.

The 2019 RIZIN Reflection Roundtable

The past year has been a big one for RIZIN. Nearly a whole year ago, they put on RIZIN 14, which was headlined by kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa taking on Floyd Mayweather. That was just the tip of the iceberg for that card, which was stacked with talent. The promotion went on to leave it’s home venue of Saitama Super Arena and travel out to Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya and Osaka.

RIZIN has their biggest New Year’s Eve week ahead of them, with two events, including one co-promoted alongside Bellator. With that on the horizon, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the past year in JMMA and RIZIN specifically.

We put together a panel of JMMA and RIZIN pundits to weigh in on 2019’s highs and lows for RIZIN.

Meet The Cast

Mike Skytte is a writer for MMA news site The Body Lock. He has covered the JMMA beat for years now.

BasedDongeezus has been closely following and covering the JMMA scene for many years. He produces video content through Twitter, going through old and new, and often obscure corners of the scene. He is also the editor for Tapology.com’s JMMA section.

Jack Wannan is an MMA contributor for JackWannan.com and Fansided MMA. He has covered JMMA for roughly a year.

Question: Overall, how do you feel about the shows that RIZIN put on this year?

Mike Skytte: Very good. I think there’s a legitimate argument for it being the best 12-month stretch the promotion has had yet – especially taking into account RIZIN 14 and Yarennoka!. They’ve had a few large scale shows at Saitama, but have also put on some more high-end regional-level shows in smaller arenas at 16, 18, 19. They are starting to amass a deep enough roster to increase the number of events per year without having any of those events being watered down. It’s exciting times, and next year should continue to evolve on this front.

Jack Wannan: Personally I thought it was a great year for the promotion. While some shows had disappointing parts or odd matchmaking, the presentation of the product never lacked. With that being said, we were treated to some real great matchups this past year.

BasedDongeezus: Seemed like a bit of a step back for the promotion. Their events seemed heavier with name value and talent last year as well as being a better viewing experience. The increased intermission times this year really made it hard to enjoy the live events.

It wasn’t all bad though. They made some strides with their kickboxing matchmaking this year with progressively more competitive fights. They are closing the year out with one of the best kickboxing bouts they have put together in Tenshin vs Rui Ebata and bringing a high-level talent like Ren Hiramoto in.

Q: What show this year was RIZIN’s best?

MS: RIZIN 17, no question. It had everything. Big finishes, big debuts, memorable fights – including arguably the best in the promotion’s history. Yarennoka! Was special for me as well. It was just a JMMA regional card in a lot of ways, topped by two absolute legends. And it was a seriously cool watch to see a show like that on such a massive scale because RIZIN.

16 was somewhat similar. A few big-time names, but the first half of the card was very regional-esque, and it delivered. Some vicious KO’s on that one. RIZIN 19 was great as well. 13 fights, 11 finishes, you can’t go wrong with that. Not to mention that one of the fights that went the distance was the barnburner between Shiratori and TAIGA. But; not dodging any legit answer. RIZIN 17 was, in my opinion, the best event of 2019 thus far. Bold opinion or not, it was terrific.

BD: On paper, it’s the New Year’s Eve event, RIZIN 20, as one would expect. Since that event hasn’t played out yet, I will go with RIZIN 17.

Motoya vs Ogikubo was one of the best fights I watched this year and it happened between former DEEP and a Shooto World champions. TAIGA finally won, #ShemetovtoRIZIN was realized, Seo Hee Ham debuted and did her thing, and the Lightweight Grand Prix field began to take shape. Ishiwatari submitted Ulka following a 19-month layoff for a serious neck injury. Then to top it off Mikuru Asakura moved up to beat Yachi and solidify himself as one of RIZIN’s top talents.

JW: I would have to say RIZIN 17. For starters, the atmosphere was amazing. The crowd was red hot, which we didn’t really see elsewhere this year. With the absence of names like Kyoji Horiguchi, Tenshin Nasukawa, Ayaka Hamasaki or RENA on the card, it was a star-making night for Mikuru Asakura, being put under more of a spotlight than ever. The show had it’s fair balance of fun and absurd. The triple threat of fights to close the show were some serious matchups, but on the same card we saw Japan’s darling Vitaly Shemetov and the scariest man I’ve ever seen Ivan Shtyrkov compete in matches.

Q: What show was RIZIN’s worst?

BD: RIZIN 19 was the worst live viewing experience of the events this year. The numerous hour-long intermissions, which lasted as long as the event itself, killed all momentum and sucked the life out of the event. I ended up just going to sleep before the main event. It’s a shame because bout by bout the event was perfectly fine.

MS: RIZIN 15 for me. I don’t have a deep explanation unfortunately. For me, looking at the events, it stood out the least for me. For some reason, it just felt like a slog to watch compared to other RIZIN shows this year. Nothing particularly “bad” about it, just didn’t have as many standout moments as a few of the other shows.

JW: RIZIN 19 was easily the promotion’s worst show. There was maybe two close competitions on that show, with everything else being one-sided competitions for one fighter. And because of RIZIN’s pacing, the numerous quick finishes meant numerous hours of intermission.

Q: What names stuck out to you the most in RIZIN this year?

MS: Kai Asakura, obviously. Knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi ridiculously quick, made Ulka Sasaki look like an amateur and shattered his jaw. Manel Kape is one as well. He is just consistently looking better and better. His evolution is incredibly noticeable. The performance against Seiichiro Ito is one of the most all-around kickass performances of the year, regardless of promotion. And his knockout over Mizugaki speaks for itself.

Jake Heun is up there as well. The best entrances in the game perhaps. He belongs in RIZIN. He belongs in Japan. He will never get the respect and appreciation he deserves in North America, unfortunately. That’s a sad reality, but the Japanese fans will more than make up for it. He just belongs on the stage RIZIN provides. Personality, entrances, etc aside, the man is a great action fighter. Always exciting, beat DEEP champ and very legit heavyweight Roque Martinez, and then spoiled arguably the most anticipated RIZIN debut by slicing up Vitaly Shemetov. Great stuff.

JW: I thought this past year showcased many great names in women’s MMA. While I knew and follow Seo Hee Ham career before, her two performances in RIZIN this year were dominant. Ayaka Hamasaki also had a great year. AI is a clear prospect heading into 2020. Kana Watanabe had great fights this year too. I hope to see her in RIZIN more in 2020.

The Asakura brothers are also names that stuck out to me. They took every opportunity and ran with it. While Jiri Prochazka is clearly talented, he didn’t have any real challenging matchups this year.

BD: Kai Asakura of course is the big name this year following his quick finish of Horiguchi and shattering Ulka’s jaw. If he wins the title fight on New Year’s Eve then he’s a shoe in for JMMA fighter of the year.

Other than him, the Super Atomweight division stuck out, Ayaka Hamasaki and Seo Hee Ham in particular. They are undeniably the #1 and #2 in the world, their rematch on New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest fights in RIZIN this year.

Q: What is your RIZIN Fight of the Year?

MS: Hiromasa Ogikubo vs. Yuki Motoya. On paper, this fight was one of the best RIZIN has ever booked and it absolutely delivered. Ridiculous fight. Can;t recommend it enough.

BD: Hiromasa Ogikubo vs Yuki Motoya. Highly competitive fight between two elite fighters with exciting shifts in momentum.

JW: Personally, I have AI vs. Tabatha Watkins as my fight of the year. Still a prospect, AI was pushed to the absolute limit against Watkins. Nearly getting her arm ripped off by an armbar, AI rallied in the third round with damaging strikes to get the fight back. I had enjoyed AI’s DEEP JEWELS fights before and her New Year’s Eve slaughter against Nanaka Kawamura, but this was the next level from her. TAIGA’s last-minute rally against Taiju Shiratori was quite fun as well.

Q: Which fight didn’t live up to its hype?

BD: Mikuru Asakura vs Yusuke Yachi, just expected a bit more and it was at the end of a long event.

MS: Haruo Ochi vs. Jarred Brooks, obviously. The early accidental clash of heads and No Contest was incredibly disappointing. This fight is genuinely one of the best, most compelling lower-weight fights that can be booked worldwide, and I don’t think people realize that. Was very much looking forward to it, and hopefully when they meet at Bellator Japan the fight actually happens the way it was meant to.

JW: When Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai and Yusaku Nakamura battled at RIZIN 16, many expected an explosive striking battle. Nakamura was a fun kickboxer, and Topnoi was the much more flamboyant and unpredictable fighter. What did we get though? Fouls! Fouls of every kind! Rope grab, eye poke, groin shot, you name it. It did not live up to it’s hype at all.

Q: What do you want RIZIN to change in 2020?

JW: I want more consistency with the championships. If you’re a champion, you should never be doing non-championship fights. Makes zero sense to me. Sure I dislike the intermissions, but realistically I don’t see that changing. I’d also like to have a little more transparency with English fans. It feels like we are often left in the dark about some details. It’s clear that RIZIN values it’s English fanbase (subtitles Youtube videos, has on-site English commentary, etc), but it feels like it could be improved.

MS: Intermissions. Not to be a complainer, but any intermission over like 40 minutes is absolutely absurd. When they make you wait two hours to see the final three fights while watching the same 4 highlights over, and over, and over again, though? No thank you. And that’s not even taking into account the fact that I am a greedy Canadian and don’t want a long intermission at 6am when all I want to do is finish the fights and go to bed. Even if I was a Japan local and in the arena wide awake, I imagine I wouldn’t like such ridiculously lengthy intermissions. I get it, TV timing obligations and whatnot, but you as the organization should organize things better so the intermission lasts as short as possible. If that means more filler in between fights, more promos, longer entrances, more post-fight interviews, I’ll take it.

Also; no more non-title fights. It is ridiculous and completely unnecessary. The fact Kai Asakura is fighting for a vacant bantamweight title next week is so, so dumb. He knocked out the champion in under a minute. In vicious fashion. He should be champion. These non-title rulings are ridiculous. Even Horiguchi thinks so, which is why he straight-up tried to give his title to Asakura the very next month. Stop. Thank you.

BD: Figure out their event pacing. You can have an all time great event on paper where every fight delivers but if you have 2+ hours of intermission it won’t feel like it.

Continuing to develop their kickboxing roster. They are finally putting on some meaningful fights, including getting Tenshin a legitimate opponent in Ebata, now keep that up and do it more often.

Q: What’s your bold prediction for 2020?

BD: RIZIN will fall heavily on new regional talent. They didn’t sign as many upcoming Japanese fighters this year it seemed but next year should see that be upped. The Olympics are going on in Tokyo so RIZIN will likely have to run smaller shows until the back end of the year.

MS: Shintaro Ishiwatari will become RIZIN Bantamweight Champion in 2020. He has long been one of the most underrated fighters in the world. But Horiguchi has always stood in his way. With him out, Ishiwatari will take the title from Asakura or Kape next year.

JW: We’ll see a new belt introduced. Maybe finally rolling out one for lightweight after this GP finishes. Also, I predict (but realistically, am just hoping) that Nanaka Kawamura will have a monster run in DEEP Jewels that gets her another RIZIN fight.

Q: Do you think the Bellator collaboration is emphasized enough?

MS: No. Yes. The way they’re doing it with Bellator Japan and RIZIN 20 is great. A straight-up mini RIZIN card as the Bellator postlims, multiple RIZIN vs. Bellator fights across both shows. It’s awesome. Patricky Pitbull fighting in the RIZIN Grand-Prix is great. But more next year. More Bellator guys fighting for RIZIN titles, more RIZIN guys fighting for Bellator titles, more Bellator champions fighting RIZIN champions, let’s get crazy. Let’s have some superfights.

BD: I like sharing fighters here and there but I don’t care so much for things going beyond that. The upcoming Bellator event can hardly be considered a Bellator show when RIZIN provided about half of the fighters. When that happens then what’s even the point? I’d rather just watch a 2nd RIZIN event under their rulesets and in a ring.

JW: I think their collaboration has went well. It’s been giving RIZIN fighters challenging bouts like the two fights between Darrion Caldwell and Kyoji Horiguchi. I’d like to possibly see more fights where RIZIN fighters come to America for a fight like what happened at Bellator 222. With Shooto and Pancrase possibly out of the picture because of their ONE Championship relationship, this should be the partnership that is most emphasized.

Q: Which regional (or promotion besides RIZIN) was your favourite to watch this year?

JW: My favourite regional promotion has to be Pancrase. I love their style of broadcast which presents so many fights within a small pocket of time. DEEP Jewels shows have been a fun viewing because their re-occurring cast makes it easy to follow (plus they’re on Youtube!).

BD: DEEP had a fun year but I think Shooto was my favourite. This year was their 30th anniversary and they showed up for it with fun events full lovable vets and interesting prospects.

MS: Kickboxing, K-1 always. MMA wise, though, it’s Shooto. I love their shows, the pacing, the action. It’s tremendous. DEEP is up there as well. Nothing but love for Pancrase as well.

Q: What fighter outside of RIZIN impressed you the most?

MS: Shoko Sato. Shooto champion, two ONE wins including a stoppage of King of Pancrase champ Rafael Silva.

BD: Kazuma Kuramoto. He’s a legitimate world class Greco-Roman wrestler who has been ragdolling everyone in Shooto. Go watch his suplex fest against Yuta Nezu.

Q: What do you hope to see from a specific JMMA promotion in 2020?

BD: HEAT doing something to make their events viewable outside of the few fancams that pop up. They produce some solid talents and lately have been putting together some bizarrely interesting events but nobody gets to see them unless they were there live or a phone recording from a cornerman gets uploaded. Their next event in January has Jerome Le Banner vs the guy dubbed as Korean Goblin Pumpkin, Peter Aerts, Parky fighting for a title, and TK vs a Cro Cop protege.

Additionally, I want to see ZST realize the vision of new producer Shuichiro Katsumura (former Shooto champ, current pro wrestler, and representative of Reversal Gym Yokohama Groundslam). He wants to once again make ZST a one of kind place that develops high-level talents through a variety of match styles and rule sets. He has also expressed his desire to revive HERO’S (aka the best JMMA promotion of all time).

JW: I’d like to see more accessibility from smaller promotions. Currently, some promotions like Pancrase, DEEP, K-1 and a few more are easy to watch. Others are viewable, but not without going very out of your way. Even a major promotion like Shooto is hard to track down.

MS: More championships in RIZIN.

 

Bellator 235: Barnett vs. Markes Full Report

In Bellator’s first of two evenings in Honolulu, Hawaii, they presented Bellator 235. Set to main event the card was MMA veteran Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes. During the show, people found out that Barnett was not cleared to fight, making the new main event Toby Misech and Erik Perez. Partnering up with the United Service Organizations, the theme of the show was “Salute The Troops.” Before the four-fight main card, Bellator 235 had three preliminary bouts.

Quick Results:

Prelims:

Bout 1: Cass Bell def. Pierre Daguzan via Unanimous Decision

Bout 2: Joseph Creer def. Ty Gwerder via Unanimous Decision

Bout 3: Hunter Ewald def. Brysen Bolohao via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:42)

Main Card

Bout 4: Joey Davis def. Chris Cisneros via TKO, Hammerfists (RD 1, 3:55)

Bout 5: Tywan Claxton def. Braydon Akeo via Unanimous Decision

Bout 6: Alejandra Lara def. Veta Arteaga via Unanimous Decision

Bout 7: Toby Misech def. Erik Perez via KO, Ground and Pound (RD 1, 0:54)

Bout 1: Cass Bell (4-0) vs. Pierre Daguzan (5-3) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card, undefeated Cass Bell fought Pierre Daguzan. The fight was the Bellator debut for Daguzan. Bell threw many kicks early on, including one which Daguzan caught. When another kick was caught in the second minute, Daguzan got a takedown from it. They got back up almost right after. While Daguzan didn’t get hurt too much, Bell did more work in the first round. There was some odd error where the first round was only three minutes long as opposed to five.

Daguzan caught another kick in the second round, getting his second takedown of the fight. He swept Bell by holding one leg while kicking the other. As they were getting back up, Bell landed a spinning back fist which hurt Daguzan. Bell landed a good counter-left straight halfway through the second round.

Daguzan caught another kick early in the final round. He took Bell down with it, but never got to the ground himself. They stood back up shortly after. Bell shot for a takedown, eventually securing it and getting on Daguzan’s back. Bell had a ton of time to work on the ground, starting to look for a rear naked choke. Daguzan got up, eventually returning to stand-up. Bell shot for another takedown halfway through the round, with Daguzan completely stopping it this time. On the way back to the feet, Bell landed another spinning back fist. They threw strikes for the rest of the round, although nothing landed clean besides a couple of punches from Bell at the end of the round. Getting the first decision victory of his young career, Cass Bell defeated Pierre Daguzan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Bell 10 10 10 30
Daguzan 9 9 9 27

Bout 2: Ty Gwerder (4-0) vs. Joseph Creer (6-1-1) (Middleweight)

In the next fight, undefeated Ty Gwerder made his Bellator debut against Joseph Creer. The two fighters went into a body lock after a minute of striking. Gwerder tried for a takedown but couldn’t get it. A pause came after Gwerder was hit in the groin while up against the cage. They resumed after a short break. They resumed in stand-up as opposed to back up against the cage. Creer landed some good knees in the clinch. Both fighters had their moments with striking. Creer got a body lock takedown as the first round ended.

Heading into the second round, this fight become the longest one yet with Gwerder’s professional career. Creer went for a single leg takedown in the first minute after coming forward with punches. He eventually secured it. Both fighters did ground and pound. Creer got on Gwerder’s back. Gwerder stopped throwing punches and prioritized fighting off a rear naked choke attempt. The choke never got under Gwerder’s chin, but he spent a long time fighting it off. Gwerder eventually flipped over, taking top position before standing up and returning to striking. Creer tagged Gwerder with a straight. As expected, both fighters were fatigued. Creer threw Gwerder back to the ground and got on his back again.

The first two minutes of the third round saw somewhat slow-paced striking. Creer got another takedown, being dominant on the ground for three minutes. He tried for a kimura, but didn’t get much progress on it before the fight clock ran out., Ending the undefeated professional MMA record of Ty Gwerder, Joseph Creer got a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27 & 29-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Gwerder 9 9 9 27
Creer 10 10 10 30

Bout 3: Hunter Ewald (0-0) vs. Brysen Bolahao (0-1) (Catchweight 180 lbs)

In the final fight of the brief preliminary card, Hunter Ewald made his pro debut against Brysen Bolahao. Ewald was putting on the pressure early, backing Bolahao up against the fence. He shot for a takedown after 30 seconds of stand-up. Still standing up, Ewald got on Bolahao’s back. He eventually got a takedown, then started to search for a rear naked choke. It didn’t take long for Ewald to secure the choke, making Bolahao tap out. Getting a quick and fast win, Hunter Ewald had a successful professional MMA debut.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Ewald
Bolahao

Bout 4: Joey Davis (6-0) vs. Chris Cisneros (19-10) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the main card, Joey Davis attempted to stay undefeated, facing the much more experienced Chris Cisneros. Davis got a double leg takedown in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Davis landed lots of strikes from top position, but not enough in succession to end the fight. Cisneros was cut on the forehead, bleeding quite a bit from it. Davis turned up the intensity of strikes with about a minute to go, eventually doing enough for the referee to intervene. With a dominant and bloody performance, Joey Davis advanced his record to seven wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Davis
Cisneros

Bout 5: Tywan Claxton (5-1) vs. Braydon Akeo (3-0) (Featherweight)

Returning from his first loss as a pro, Tywan Claxton fought the still undefeated Braydon Akeo in the next bout. The first few minutes of the fight were slow, with both fighters turning up the head with two minutes to go. They went into a clinch after Claxton whiffed a wailing punch.

Akeo caught a leg early in the second round, trying to trip the other leg of Claxton. He couldn’t do it however, as Claxton recovered and went into a clinch. They returned to striking with three minutes to go.

Akeo tried for a takedown early in the third round, putting a body lock on Claxton. Going up against the fence, Claxton took control of the fight, landing strikes periodically. They got off the fencing halfway through the round. Akeo shot for a takedown, which Claxton stopped, putting Akeo up against the fence before dumping him to the floor. They got back up, but Claxton kept Akeo up against the cage. Claxton  got another takedown in the final minute of the fight. He got on Akeo’s back and tried for a rear naked choke, but ran out of time before being able to finish the fight. Bouncing back from his September loss, Tywan Claxton put on a dominant performance (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Claxton 10 10 10 30
Akeo 9 9 9 27

Bout 6: Alejandra Lara (8-3) vs. Veta Arteaga (5-3) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event slot of the evening, Alejandra Lara and Veta Arteaga faced off in a potential fight to find the next Flyweight Championship challenger. Right as the fight started, both fighters didn’t waste time to throw fists. Lara was landing good kicks to the body early on. Lara put Arteaga up against the cage for a minute or so. The next time that Lara put Arteaga up against the cage, she landed some elbows. Lara connected with many punches late in the round. Arteaga slipped and fell, which allowed Lara to take the fight to the ground.

Lara picked up where she left off at the start of the second round, landing more punches. With under two minutes left in the second round, Lara landed a head kick which dropped Arteaga. Lara stayed on her up against the cage, landing tons of punches.

Halfway through the final round, Lara had another good attack, landing elbows and punches in close range. With just over a minute left, Arteaga was cut open on the forehead by a cut. She was bleeding quite a bit. Despite being hit with everything for three rounds, Arteaga still fought like a well-conditioned fighter in the closing seconds of the bout. After 15 minutes of domination by Alejandra Lara, she got a unanimous decision win, possibly putting her next in line for another title shot (30-26, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Lara 10 10 10 30
Arteaga 8 9 9 26

Bout 7: Toby Misech (11-7) vs. Erik Perez (19-6) (Bantamweight)

 

Just as the last fight wrapped up, former UFC fighter Liz Carmouche came to the stage to announce that she has signed with Bellator. Later on, we got a backstage report that Josh Barnett was not cleared to fight, meaning the next fight would be the main event. Obviously a disappointing result for Barnett, who last fought in 2016. In what was now the main event of the evening, Toby Misech and Erik Perez faced off in a bantamweight fight. Before the fight, the national anthem was performed. Misech came in over the bantamweight limit, being 141 pounds. This fight was the Bellator debut for Perez. Early in the fight, Misech landed a left hook that dropped Perez. He scored two more punches on the ground which knocked Perez out. Showcasing powerful one-shot hands, Toby Misech closed the show for Bellator 235.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Misech
Perez

Bellator 236 Live Coverage

Wrapping up their two-night events in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bellator returned with Bellator 236 on Saturday night. Headlining the card, Bellator Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei MacFarlane attempted to defend her belt against Kate Jackson. Also in the co-main event was a quarter-final fight in the promotion’s featherweight grand prix. The fight was between A.J. McKee and Derek Campos.

Quick Results:

  1. Keoni Diggs def. Scotty Hao via Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:23)
  2. Kai Kamaka III def. Spencer Higa via Unanimous Decision
  3. Dustin Barca def. Brandon Pieper via Rear Naked Choke (RD 1: 0:58)
  4. Ben Wilhlem def. Keali’i Kanekoa via Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:24)
  5. Swayne Makana Lunasco def. Kaylan TKO, Unanswered Strikes (RD 3, 3:29)
  6. Zach Zane def. Nainoa Dung via Unanimous Decision
  7. Raufeon Stots def. Cheyden Leialoha via Unanimous Decision
  8. Juliana Velasquez def. Bruna Ellen via Unanimous Decision
  9. Jason Jackson def. Kiichi Kunimoto via Unanimous Decision
  10. A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos via Armbar (RD 3, 1:08)
  11. Ilima-Lei MacFarlane def. Kate Jackson via Unanimous Decision
  12. Nate Yoshimura def. Chas Dunhour via Knockout, Elbow (RD 2, 2:46)

Bout 1: Keoni Diggs (7-0) vs. Scotty Hao (4-2) (Lightweight)

The first fight of the evening saw undefeated Keoni Diggs face Scotty Hao. Diggs got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. He landed some punches from the top position. Hao started to bleed from his nose in the final minute of the round. Diggs stayed in the dominant position until the round ended.

Diggs came forward with punches at the start, then got a takedown from a bodylock. Halfway through the round, Diggs got on the back of Hao and put in a rear naked choke to get the win. Moving to 8-0 as a pro, Keoni Diggs put on a ground game clinic for one-and-a-half rounds.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Diggs 10
Hao 9

Bout 2: Kai Kamaka III (5-2) vs. Spencer Higa (7-10) (Featherweight)

In the next fight, Kai Kamaka III and Spencer Higa competed. After two minutes of a fast-paced striking battle between the two, Kamaka landed a double leg takedown. Kamaka kept ground and pound going for a few minutes before they got up against the cage in the closing seconds of the fight.

Kamaka got a very well timed double leg takedown early in the second round. He stayed in half guard on the ground while throwing punches. Just like the round before, Kamaka was dominant throughout.

Kamaka landed a good head kick in the first minute of the final round. Becoming more aware of Kamaka’s playbook, Higa stopped a takedown attempt and kept it in stand-up. Kamaka got a takedown in the second minute of the round. Kamaka put in a choke with a minute left in the round, but let it go. They stood up with under a minute left in the round. Higo landed knees to the body in the clinch. Kamaka went into a clinch, trying for another takedown, finishing it just as the round ended. Going to the decision, all three judges were in agreement that Kai Kamaka III was the winner (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Kamaka III 10 10 10 30
Higa 9 9 9 27

Bout 3: Dustin Barca (3-0) vs. Brandon Pieper (11-13) (Lightweight)

Early in his pro-MMA career, undefeated Dustin Barca fought the much more experienced Brandon Pieper next. Early into the fight, the fighters got into a body lock on the cage. Barca took down Pieper with a rear naked choke. Pieper tried to fight out of it, but tapped out eventually. With a very quick win, Dustin Barca moved to 4-0 as an MMA pro.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Barca
Pieper

Bout 4: Ben Wilhelm (3-0) vs. Keali’i Kanekoa (2-2) (Welterweight)

In another fight that showcased an undefeated fighter, Ben Wilhelm faced Keali’i Kanekoa. They were swinging hard right out of the gates. Kanekoa got a takedown quite quickly. They stood up only moments later, fighting in a clinch. Wilhelm caught a leg and tried for a takedown, but couldn’t get uit. They really enjoyed fighting in the clinch, throwing lots of knees from the position. Rolling onto the ground, Wilhelm put in a rear naked choke. It got under the chin, with Kanekoa eventually tapping out. With a very flashy takedown and choke, Ben Wilhelm continued his undefeated career after a fast and chaotic fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Wilhelm
Kanekoa

Bout 5: Swayne Makana Lunasco (0-0) vs. Kaylan Gorospe (0-0) (Bantamweight)

In a double debut, Swayne Makana Lunasco and Kaylan Gorospe fought next. This was a rematch, as these two have faced off as amateurs in the past. Lunasco got a takedown after a minute or so of inactive striking. Lunasco got on Gorospe’s back, trying to join the club of rear naked choke winners on this card. They got back up, where Gorospe landed a couple of good punches. Lunasco got a double leg takedown that didn’t have much setup. Lunasco tried for a guillotine choke, but Gorospe’s head popped out of it. He tried for an arm triangle with a minute left in the fight. After enduring the choke for quite some time, Lunasco eventually lost the choke. He landed a couple of punches before the round clock expired.

Lunasco tried for another takedown early in the first round but did not get it. Gorospe landed a knee and some strikes Lunasco as he failed to secure his takedown. Lunasco got his first takedown of the round in the second minute. They got back up shortly after. While Lunasco was rolling around he got caught in some punches. Lunasco got a double leg takedown. Lunasco was dominant on the ground, trying for an arm triangle again. He let go of the hold, then landed a few more strikes from above. Lunasco started to let some elbows fly. Gorospe started to bleed from the nose. After Lunasco landed dozens of unanswered strikes, the round finally ran out of time.

Lunasco got a takedown to start off the final round. He stayed in the top position on the ground for a few minutes. After Lunasco continued with strikes for quite some time, the referee finally stepped in. With nothing short of a dominant performance, Swayne Makana Lunasco started his pro-MMA career with a win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Lunasco 10 10
Gorospe 8 8

Bout 6: Nainoa Dung (3-0) vs. Zach Zane (13-9) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the main card, the experienced Zach Zane fought the up-and-coming Nainoa Dung. Zane got a single leg takedown in the first 30 seconds of the fight. He did minimal ground and pound from top position. They got up for a moment where Dung threw a head kick, but Zane was able to control the situation and bring it back to the ground. Zane continued to hold top position until the round ended.

In a body lock at the start of the second round, Zane got another takedown. Dung got up but was tossed right back down. Zane got on the back of Dung, where he tried for a rear naked choke. Both of them went into a combination of moveson  the ground which was fast and ended with Zane back in top position. Zane tried for a guillotine choke as the second round closed out. In this round, Zane showcased his talent on the ground.

The two fighters traded punches to open the final round. Dung landed some good shots, keeping it in stand-up. He put in a guillotine choke while in stand-up, which was brought to the ground. Zane escaped the choke, but Dung got on his back and tried for a rear naked choke. Zane got Dung off of his back, getting into top position. They went back to stand-up with a minute and a half left in the round. Zane tried for a takedown but didn’t fully commit to it. Zane at a body kick, but used it to land a takedown. They switched positions many times, with Zane being in the controlling position most of the time. Zane held off Dung until the round ended. The fight went to the scorecards after the three rounds, with Zach Zane getting a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). After the fight, Zane praised Dung.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Dung 9 9 10 28
Zane 10 10 9 29

Bout 7: Raufeon Stots (12-1) vs. Cheyden Leialoha (7-1) (Bantamweight)

The seventh fight saw two experienced bantamweights make their Bellator debut against each other. Both only losing once prior to this meeting, Raufeon Stots and Cheyden Leialoha battled. Stots put Leialoha up against the cage in a body lock early on. Stots got a takedown halfway through the round, but Leialoha got up shortly after, still in the body lock. They went back to striking with two minutes left in the round. Stots reversed a takedown, getting his own.

Leialoha got a takedown in the second round, but not after lots of resistance from Stots. Stots reversed the position on the ground, taking top position and staying in control for most of the round. He didn’t do anything substantial, but he did keep active enough for the referee to keep them on the ground for the whole round.

Stots put Leialoha up against the cage early on in the final round. They went back to stand-up, although Stots landed a takedown shortly after. Leialoha tried for an armbar on the ground, but Stots slipped out of it eventually. Stots stayed on top of Leialoha. They got up and traded punches as the fight clock finished. After three rounds, it was Raufeon Stots who got the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Stots 10 10 10 30
Leialoha 9 9 9 27

Bout 8: Juliana Velasquez (9-0) vs. Bruna Ellen (5-2) (Flyweights)

In the next matchup, undefeated fighter and potential title contender Juliana Velasquez faced Bruna Ellen. It was an all-Brazilian match. Velasquez had a clear height and reach advantage. After nearly two minutes of inactive standup, Velasquez dropped Ellen with a left straight punch. She took top position on the ground, where Ellen held a body lock to slow the momentum of Velasquez. They got back up and returned to stand-up. Ellen often came in with combinations but they hardly connected.

Ellen continued to be on the perimeter of the cage throughout the second round. Velasquez got some good jabs in throughout the round, often counter-punching. Velasquez turned up the head in the closing seconds of the round, coming forward with many strikes including a flying knee.

Velasquez had her best round in the third, connecting with tons of combinations. She landed tons of punches when in a clinch up against the cage. When finally going to the scorecards, Juliana Velasquez upped her wins to double digits (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Velasquez 10 10 10 30
Ellen 9 9 8 26

Bout 9: Jason Jackson (10-4) vs. Kiichi Kunimoto (20-8-2) (Welterweight)

In the next fight, former RIZIN fighter Kiichi Kunimoto faced Jason Jackson, who took this fight on short notice. Jackson was quick from the start, throwing a head kick in the opening seconds. Jackson landed a right hook which cleaned Kunimoto’s clock, putting him on his back. Jackson made the referee stand Kunimoto back up, and they returned to striking. Kunimoto landed a takedown and got on Jackson’s back. Jackson turned the situation around, taking top position on the ground. From the bottom, Kunimoto tried for a kimura. Jackson rolled out of it. They got back up for the final minute of the round. Kunimoto put on a body lock, but was slammed in the end by Jackson.

The second round was mostly striking, with Jackson landing good shots. Kunimoto failed many times to get the fight to the ground. Jackson almost got roped into a takedown in the final minute, but avoided it and made the referee stand Kunimoto up.

Kunimoto shot for a takedown early in the final round, which Jackson reversed into a takedown of his own. He got up moments later. Jackson had some good striking throughout the third round., Jackson got in top position on the ground in the final minute of the round. Jackson tossed Kunimoto as the fight ran out of time. At the end of the fight, all three judges thought Jason Jackson pulled off the victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Jackson 10 10 10 30
Kunimoto 9 9 9 27

Bout 10: A.J. McKee (15-0) vs. Derek Campos (20-9) (Featherweight World GP Quarter-Final)

In the co-main event of the evening, A.J. McKee and Derek Campos fought in the quarter-finals of the Featherweight GP. Right off the bat, McKee tried for a flying knee which did not connect. He slipped when throwing a punch, which allowed Campos to take the fight to the ground. They got back up, where McKee shot for a takedown. He got on Campos’ back and tried for a rear naked choke. He didn’t get it, but stayed on the back of Campos. He stayed there until the round ended.

Campos got dropped early in the second round, but it was hard to tell whether it was from a punch or not. McKee tried for a choke on the ground but couldn’t get it. When in stand-up, McKee got on his back on the ground. Campos took top position on the ground. Campos stayed in top position for quite some time, landing punches every once in a while.

McKee got a good takedown in the first minute of the third round. Campos was able to reverse the position, but from the bottom McKee put in an armbar while Campos transitioned. It made Campos tap out quite quickly. Continuing his undefeated record, A.J. McKee reached the halfway point of the Featherweight World Grand Prix, with the final destination possibly being a one million dollar prize.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
McKee 10 9
Campos 9 10

Bout 11: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0) vs. Kate Jackson (11-3-1) (Bellator Flyweight World Championship)

Finally, in the main event of the evening, Hawaii’s own Ilima-Lei MacFarlane attempted to defend her Bellator Flyweight Championship against England’s Kate Jackson. MacFarlane had quite the grand entrance, with 11 other people onstage with her doing a performance before her walk to the cage. As expected, the crowd was quite behind MacFarlane. Jackson tried to trip MacFarlane early on in a clinch, but it was avoided. MacFarlane landed a trip takedown later on. From the bottom, Jackson landed some good upkicks and punches. They stood up in a clinch with two minutes left in the round. MacFarlane landed knees to the head while in the clinch, which cut Jackson open. They stayed in the standing clinch until the last few seconds of the first round.

MacFarlane started the second round with a good two-punch combo. They went into another standing clinch, where Jackson landed some punches that made MacFarlane start to bleed as well. MacFarlane secured a takedown with under two minutes left in the round. MacFarlane landed elbows from top position. In the final seconds of the round, MacFarlane put in a hold, but didn’t have enough time to finish Jackson with it.

The third round included the most kickboxing from both fighters. MacFarlane landed some great punches coming forward in the fourth minute. MacFarlane got another takedown, this time in the final minute of the third round.

MacFarlane opened the fourth round by landing some punches in clinch and then landing a takedown. After being in top position for a while, MacFarlane got up and took the back of Jackson. MacFarlane started to try for an armbar, but Jackson kept a hold of her arm. Jackson avoided the hold until the round expired.

The first two minutes of the final round was a close striking battle between two fighters who were clearly fatigued. MacFarlane landed a takedown in the closing seconds of the fight. She continued with strikes, nearly getting a stoppage win, with the bell stopping her. After fighting for 25 minutes, the fight went to the scorecards. When consulting the judges, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane pitched a shutout to defend her Flyweight Championship yet again (50-45, 50-44 & 50-44).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
MacFarlane 10 10 10 10 10 50
Jackson 9 9 9 9 9 45

Bout 12: Nate Yoshimura (0-0) vs. Chas Dunhour (0-1) (Flyweight)

 

Before the show completely wrapped up, they had one post-lim to present. In that fight, Nate Yoshimura debuted against Chas Dunhour, who had yet to win as a pro. Dunhour got dropped by a strike in the third minute of the fight. They were trading blows throughout the first round. Yoshimura got a takedown with a minute to go, but Dunhour got up quite quickly. Dunhour stopped a takedown in the final seconds of the round.

Yoshimura came forward with some hard punches early in the second round. Yoshimura got hurt halfway through the round. He was hit with a counter right which started everything. A left hook made Yoshimura retreat to the cage. With Yoshimura up against the cage, Dunhour landed an elbow which took Yoshimura out cold. After a loss when debuting in professional MMA, Chas Dunhour bounced back in explosive fashion, getting a knockout victory.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Yoshimura 10
Dunhour 9

Bellator wraps up it’s 2019 season next week when it heads to Japan for a co-promoted card with RIZIN Fighting Federation. Headlining the card will be Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson.

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Edgar vs. Korean Zombie Full Preview

In 2019, UFC hosted 42 MMA events across the world. They touched down in well established markets like New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Brazil and more, but they also visited growing markets like Denmark, Mexico and Singapore. In the final event of the year, and decade, UFC heads to Korea for the second time in its history. 

The country has a niche MMA market, including regional promotions like ROAD FC and Angel’s Fighting Championship. No doubt they have produced prominent names in MMA, including the “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim, A Sol Kwon and Seo Hee Ham. Arguably the most well-known however is Chan Sung Jung, better known as “The Korean Zombie.” After serving his mandatory military time in South Korea, Jung started his second UFC run in 2017. Now 2-1 in his campaign, he goes up against Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC Busan.

Live from the Sajik Arena (사직실내체육관), in Busan (부산시), Korea (한국), UFC concludes it’s action-packed 2019 with UFC on ESPN+ 23. Starting at the ripe time of 2AM EST, the prelims for UFC Busan features seven bouts.

Bout 1: Heili Alateng (알라탕 헬리) (13-7-1) vs. Ryan Benoit (라이언 브누아) (10-5) (Bantamweight)

In the first bout of the show, Ryan Benoit will make a return to the UFC after a two-year layoff to face Heili Alateng. Benoit is 3-3 in the UFC, being absent since 2017, where he defeated Ashkan Mokhatarian with a head kick. Alateng is familiar to Korea, having been a frequent fighter in ROAD FC prior to being scouted by the UFC. He won his UFC debut against Danaa Batgerel back in August, going the distance with the Mongolian fighter.

Bout 2: Amanda Lemos (아만다 레모스) (6-1-1) vs. Miranda Granger (미란다 그레인저) (7-0) (Flyweight)

Similar to the first fight of the evening, Amanda Lemos comes back from an extensive break to face Miranda Granger in this fight. Lemos last fought in 2017, losing to Leslie Smith. That was Lemos’ first fight in the UFC, attempting to bounce back from whatever negative momentum still is there from the dated loss. Granger got her debut jitters out of the way in August, getting a win over Hannah Goldy. Granger had previously fought in regional promotion CFFC. She has stayed undefeated throughout her professional and amateur career.

Bout 3: Said Nurmagomedov (사이드 누르마고메도프) (13-1) vs. Raoni Barcelos (라오니 바르셀로스) (14-1) (Bantamweight)

In a fight that feels buried deep down this card, up-and-coming Said Nurmagomedov and Raoni Barcelos are pitted against each other in a bantamweight bout. Nurmagomedov is 2-0 in the UFC, prevailing over Justin Scoggins and Ricardo Ramos. Barcelos is 3-0, having recently defeated Carlos Huachin via punches.

Bout 4: Alexandre Pantoja (21-4) (알렉산드레 판토자) vs. Matt Schnell (14-4) (맷 슈넬) (Flyweight)

Matt Schnell took a little time to get on his feet in the UFC. He lost to Tim Elliott on The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, then lost two times on other shows. But, in late 2017, he snapped his losing streak and started what is now a four-fight winning streak. Attempting to move it to five, Schnell goes up against Alexandre Pantoja. “The Cannibal” most recently lost to Deiveson Figueiredo via decision at UFC 240, breaking a three-fight winning streak he had before. Pantoja has a solid 5-2 record in the UFC.

Bout 5: Omar Morales (오마르 모랄레스) (8-0) vs. Dong Hyun Ma (마동현) (16-10-3) (Lightweight)

The first Korean fighter on the card, Dong Hyun Ma, has a tall order: end Omar Morales’ undefeated streak. Morales is a Dana White’s Contender Series winner, making his debut on this card. He has also fought in Bellator in the past, taking out Troy Nawrocki in under a minute at Bellator 204. Ma has fought in the UFC since 2015, going 3-4 in the promotion. “The Maestro” will walk into this fight on a two-fight losing streak, recently getting stopped by Scott Holtzman in August.

Bout 6: Suman Mokhtarian (수만 모크타리안) (8-1) vs. Seung Woo Choi (최승우) (7-3) (Featherweight)

As the prelims near their end, two fighters will compete who have never tasted victory in the UFC. Suman Mokhatarian lost in The Ultimate Fighter Season 27, and most recently lost in the first round to Sodiq Yusuff. Korean fighter Seung Woo Choi debuted earlier this year, losing to Movsar Evloev and Gavin Tucker. He had previously been successful in Korean promotion TFC.

Bout 7: Ciryl Gane (시릴 가네) (5-0) vs. Tanner Boser (태너 보저) (17-5-1) (Heavyweight)

In the featured fight of the preliminary card, undefeated Ciryl Gane faces Tanner Boser. Gane debuted earlier this year, prevailing over Raphael Pessoa and Dontale Mayes. He had previously fought in Canadian promotion TKO. Boser won his UFC debut two months back, going the distance against Daniel Spitz. Before then, he had competed many times in ACB.

Bout 8: Kyung Ho Kang (강경호) (16-8) vs. Pingyuan Liu (리우 핑유안) (15-5) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the main card, “Mr. Perfect” Kyung Ho Kang will face Pingyuan Liu. Coming from recognized Korean gym “Team MAD,” Kang has been a part of the UFC since 2013. A win at this show would give him a three-fight winning streak. That would make a three-way tie with his two other three-fight winning streaks for most consecutive wins in his career. But that’s looking quite ahead of time. First, he has to defeat Liu, who is no walk-through opponent. While he recently lost to Jonathan Martinez in July, the fight ended his 10-fight winning streak which dates back to his career in WLF.

Bout 9: Jun Yong Park (박준용) (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (마크-안드레 바리올트) (11-3) (Middleweight)

The next fight sees Jun Yong Park and Marc-Andre Barriault battle for their first win in the promotion. Park lost his debut to Anthony Hernandez in August, getting caught in an anaconda choke in the second minute. Barriault lost twice this year, more recently in a split decision to Krzysztof Jotko. He wrapped up a six-fight undefeated stint in TKO before being signed by the UFC.

Bout 10: Da Un Jung (정다운) (12-2) vs. Mike Rodriguez (10-4) (마이크 로드리게스) (Light Heavyweight)

Following a strong debut in August from Da Un Jung, he returns on this card to face Mike Rodriguez. Jung’s UFC debut saw him choke Khadis Ibragimov to win the fight. He had previously fought in many promotions, mainly Japanese promotion HEAT. Rodriguez recently lost to John Allan via decision, making him 1-2 in the promotion. He found himself in the UFC after getting a stoppage victory in the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Bout 11: Doo Ho Choi (최두호) (14-3) vs. Charles Jourdain (찰스 조르단) (9-2) (Featherweight)

A couple of fights after gym-mate Kyung Ho Kang fights, Doo Ho Choi will be put up against Charles “Air” Jourdain in a featherweight class. Choi has been out of the spotlight lately, recently losing to Jeremy Stephens via punches in early 2018. Before then, his most recent fight was a loss to Cub Swanson in 2016. Attempting to break his streak, “The Korean Superboy” will be put up against Jourdain, who lost in his UFC debut against Des Green back in May. Coincidentally, like many other fighters on this card, Jourdain fought frequently in Canadian promotion TKO before being signed to the UFC.

Bout 12: Volkan Oezdemir (볼칸 우즈데미르) (16-4) v.s Aleksandar Rakic (알렉산더 라키치) (12-1) (Light Heavyweight)

The co-main event of the show sees light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Rakic get put up against one of the weight classes gatekeepers, Volkan Oezdemir. Rakic is 4-0 since debuting in the UFC, more recently getting a win over Jimi Manuwa in under a minute due to a head kick. Oezdemir recently put an ending to a three-fight losing streak, stopping Ilir Latifi in two rounds. To be absolutely fair, Oezdemir’s losses came against title challengers like Daniel Cormier, Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes. Whether he will allow Rakic to add his name to the list of winners will be seen on Saturday.

Bout 13: Chan Sung Jung (정찬성) (15-5) vs. Frankie Edgar (프랭키 에드가) (23-7-1) (Featherweight)

The main event of the evening sees Chan Sung Jung, or, “The Korean Zombie” face Frankie Edgar in a five-round fight. This matchup only came together in recent weeks, as Jung’s original opponent was Brian Ortega. He pulled out of the fight recently however, citing a torn ACL taking him out of action. Edgar stepped up to the plate, and here we are. Jung left the UFC limelight in 2014 to undergo two years of military service in Korea. He returned in 2017, stopping Dennis Bermudez in under three minutes with punches. His first lost in his recent run came against Yair Rodriguez, who landed a literal last-second elbow to knock Jung out in a five-round bout. Jung bounced back however, recently defeating Renato Moicano in just under a minute with strikes.

Edgar’s last fight was for the Featherweight Championship. While he went all 25 minutes with now-former champion Max Holloway, he did not prevail. Before then, he beat Cub Swanson. He was originally slated to face Jung in 2018, but was replaced due to a torn bicep. Edgar is one of the most experienced fighters in UFC’s history, with a record of 17-7-1 in the promotion.

After this event, UFC will be absent from events for four weeks. When returning, UFC will present UFC 246. Currently scheduled to headline the card is Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone in a five-round non-championship fight. In the meantime however, there will most certainly still be MMA. Bellator will debut in Japan on the 28th, with Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson main eventing the card. New Year’s Eve will have a double header with RIZIN in Japan and PFL having their grand finals in New York. ONE Championship will also hold a big card in Thailand to kick off the new year’s tour of MMA events.

 

Bellator 235 Preview

On the same weekend that the UFC holds their last show of 2019, Bellator will hold two of their final three shows of the year. This weekend, Bellator travels to Honolulu, Hawaii for back-to-back nights of MMA action. In the first show of the evening, MMA veteran Josh Barnett faces Ronny Markes, along with many other fights on the card.

Bout 1: Hunter Ewald (0-0) vs. Brysen Bolohao (0-1) (Welterweight)

In the first preliminary bout of the show, Hunter Ewald will make his MMA debut against Brysen Bolohao. Ewald comes from a BJJ background, getting second place in the IBBJF 2019 American Nationals. He comes from the Longman Jiu-Jitsu gym in Kilauea, Hawaii. Bolohao made his MMA debut back in December of 2018, the last time that Bellator visited the state. He lost in that outing, getting choked out in the second round by Robson Gracie Jr. This time around he will try to get his first win as a pro.

Bout 2: Ty Gwerder (4-0) vs. Joseph Creer (6-1-1) (Middleweight)

Making his Bellator debut, undefeated Ty Gwerder will face Joseph Creer in the next bout. Previously fighting in well-known regional promotion LFA three times, Gwerder will look for his fifth win as a pro on his biggest stage yet. Creer has fought twice for Bellator, most recently losing to Austin Vanderford at Bellator 225.

Bout 3: Cass Bell (4-0) vs. Pierre Daguzan (5-3) (Bantamweight)

The brief preliminary card will conclude with undefeated Bellator prospect Cass Bell facing Pierre Daguzan. Bell has fought his whole career as a pro in Bellator, getting all four of his wins via stoppage so far. Daguzan hasn’t won since early 2018, recently losing to Federico Vento and having a no contest outing against Bill Takeuchi.

Bout 4: Joey Davis (6-0) vs. Chris Cisneros (19-10) (Welterweight)

Starting off the main card, Bellator’s undefeated Joey Davis will face the much more experienced Chris Cisneros. Davis has built his whole pro career in Bellator, earning four stoppage wins out of his six victories thus far. He’s coming off of a one-minute victory over Jeff Peterson at Bellator 229. Cisneros has fought in Bellator before, losing a bout in late 2018 to Maki Pitolo. He has recently won twice on the regionals, fighting his way back to the big stage.

Bout 5: Ty-wan Claxton (5-1) vs. Braydon Akeo (3-0) (Featherweight)

Coming off his first loss as a pro, Ty-wan Claxton will be matched up against debuting Bellator fighter Braydon Akeo. Claxton is another one of Bellator’s homegrown talent, having won his first five fights as a pro within the promotion, including four via stoppage. He tasted defeat for the first time back in September, losing to Emmanuel Sanchez in the first round of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. His opponent, Akeo, is one of the many Hawiian fighters on the card. He debuted as a pro in late 2018, with this fight being his fourth in just over a year’s time.

Bout 6: Veta Arteaga (5-3) vs. Alejandra Lara (8-3) (Flyweight)

In the only women’s bout of the evening, longtime Bellator fighters Veta Arteaga and Alejandra Lara meet for the first time. Arteaga’s last fight was a loss to Bellator Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, who fights the day after her. The loss was a doctor’s stoppage due to a cut. Lara’s last fight was at Bellator 225, winning in the first round against Taylor Turner. Lara came in at 126.8 for the flyweight fight. Because of coming over the limit, she gave up 20% of her show purse for the fight.

Bout 7: Erik Perez (19-6) vs. Toby Misech (11-7) (Bantamweight)

The co-main event of the card sees former UFC fighter Erik Perez take on Hawaii’s Toby Misech. Perez is on a five-fight winning streak which dates back to his UFC run. He went 7-2 in the promotion before going to Combate Americas for two fights. However, coming off of a one-year layoff, Perez has something to prove in this matchup. Misech is 1-1 in Bellator, having last fought at Bellator 215, losing to Edurado Dantas via decision. Misech weighed in at 141 on Thursday, missing the 136 limit for bantamweight. Because of this, he lost 20% of his show money.

Bout 8: Josh Barnett (35-8) vs. Ronny Markes (19-7) (Heavyweight)

To say we haven’t seen Josh Barnett in a little while would be an understatement. Now at 42-years-old, Barnett hasn’t fought in over three years. Last time viewers saw him was at the end of his more recent UFC run, winning over Andrei Arlovski. Outside of MMA however, you may have seen Barnett doing pro-wrestling or grappling. After a 2016 battle with USADA while in the UFC, Barnett asked for his release in 2018. His contract signing with Bellator was announced in April, with this being his first fight for the promotion.

He meets Ronny Markes in the main event of Bellator 235. Markes is coming off of an unsuccessful 2019 PFL season, competing in the promotion’s light heavyweight division. He lost his first fight to Sigi Pesaleli, then missed weight for his fight at PFL #6, losing his final chance to score points before their playoffs. His career has also included a 2011 to 2014 UFC run, going 3-2 in the promotion. He has fought as light as middleweight in the past, but is going up to heavyweight for this contest.

Bellator will return on Saturday, finishing their double-header in Hawaii with a title fight between Ilima-Lei MacFarlane and Kate Jackson.