David Rickels and Michael Chandler

For David Rickels, his rematch with Michael Chandler is an opportunity to prove how far he’s come.

Rickels (16-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) meets Chandler (13-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) at Bellator 145 on Friday. The lightweight bout takes place on the Spike-televised main card following prelims on MMAjunkie at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

More than two years after his first clash with Chandler at Bellator 97 in July 2013 – a fight Chandler won by 44-second knockout – Rickels is ready to showcase his progress and avenge what he considers the most humiliating of his three career losses.

Although Chandler has also improved, Rickels said he’s made so many effective adjustments to his training and personal life that he wants to be unrecognizable compared to the athlete who faced Chandler the first time.

“I changed significantly everything I do going into my camps with my mindset and how I perceive everything in this fight game; I’ve found my flame and love for the sport through training again,” Rickels told MMAjunkie. “How else do I show how great I am right now than beating someone who is a former champion and has beat me before? That is a defining moment that I can put across my belt, per se.

“This is just a huge opportunity for me to showcase everything I’ve been talking about. All of the skills that I’ve developed and everything I have going into this fight, this is where I want to show these things off.”

Rickels had suffered just one loss prior to his encounter with Chandler. He dropped a split decision to Karl Amoussou in May 2012 in a fight that many, including one cageside judge, thought he should have emerged as the winner.

The defeat to Chandler was the first definitive losing outcome of Rickels’ career. He said it was difficult to deal with at first, and it took some time to face the truth about why he didn’t get the result he wanted.

“The Caveman” said he came to the realization that the loss wasn’t because Chandler is significantly more skilled, but because his opponent put the necessary commitment into the sport that bred positive results. Rickels said he now has that unconditional commitment to his craft and that’s why he’s so excited to share the cage with Chandler again and show his true potential.

“This one’s special to my heart; this is a big fight for me,” Rickels said. “I would say losing to Chandler was the start of the path that I had to take to be who I am now. I was denial, thinking it was a lucky punch. I’d say, ‘This motherf-cker got a lucky punch on me!’ That’s the attitude I carried for a while. Then when I lost to (Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire), I realized there was nothing lucky about it. I realized I’m not training hard enough; I’m not doing everything I have to do to be the best in the world.

“That’s when I really flipped the script and started evolving my game and changing every damn thing I do every day. I had to lose to Chandler to be the fighter I am right now.”

Although Rickels views himself as a completely different fighter than the one he was just a few years ago, he knows Chandler is different, as well. The version of “Iron” that stepped in the cage with Rickels in 2013 was an undefeated prospect with a championship belt and a jetpack to the top of the sport strapped to his back.

The former titleholder has been forced to reevaluate his career lately, though. Chandler suffered three consecutive losses following his bout with Rickels and saw his stock in the sport drop significantly.

Chandler finally got back in the win column with a submission victory over Derek Campos at Bellator 138 in July, but Rickels said he sees a different fighter than the one he encountered previously.

“It sucks when you lose that disguise of invincibility; he was undefeated when he fought me the first time. and he carried that around for a while,” Rickels said. “In this game, if you’re not getting better, then you’re going to fade away, and you’re going to fade away fast. You’ll die out just like the goddamn dinosaurs. Everything has got to change what they do all the time to make improvements.

“I think I was the exact same way for a long time. I was really good going forward, a lot like Chandler, but not so great backing up. I’m sure those are things he’s been working on, finding ways to improve and protect himself better and how to conserve his energy better. But my focus has been on me and seeing the holes that I have that were exploited in previous fights; that’s where my focus has been.”

Not only is the chance to get a loss back against Chandler on the line at Bellator 145, but there’s also a prominent position in the lightweight division up for grabs.

Like most fighters in the division, Rickels wants the chance to become Bellator’s 155-pound titleholder, and a win over Chandler would significantly bolster his resume.

Rickels said he wants to dominate Chandler in every facet of fighting not only to prove he’s superior, but also to prove he’s worthy of a championship opportunity.

“This is going to be a gritty fight,” he said. “My toughness, my will and all of those things are going to come into play in this fight. I don’t expect anything short of a war, and that’s what I’m prepared for. However I get it is perfectly fine with me, but I wouldn’t mind just beating on him for three rounds and finishing on top. I want to beat the will out of him and just push the pace so much.”

For more on Bellator 145, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

Patricio Freire and Daniel Straus

Bellator returns to Scottrade Center in St. Louis tonight for Bellator 145. The event, one of the promotion’s “tentpole” cards, is heavy on homegrown talent, rematches, title shots and potential drama.

The four fighters competing atop Bellator 145 have risen through the promotion over the past few years. Between them, they have 48 Bellator fights and an overall promotional record of 40-8. These homegrown fighters compete for titles in two different weight classes.

Featherweight champion Patricio Freire and former champ Daniel Straus meet for the third time in the headliner. In the co-main event, lightweight champ Will Brooks faces Marcin Held.

Speaking of Brooks and Freire, they had some pre-fight drama on Wednesday during an apparent run-in at the fighter hotel. At this point, it’s unclear who instigated the brawl, but that’s something Bellator officials are looking into.

Before the official fights involving Freire and Brooks take place on Friday, the card features two additional rematches as heavyweight Bobby Lashley meets James Thompson and lightweight Michael Chandler faces David Rickels. The remaining main-card fight is a featherweight contest between Justin Lawrence and Emmanuel Sanchez.

Here are five reasons to check out the Bellator 145 fight card, which begins with 10 preliminary-card fights on MMAjunkie before the main card on Spike.

1. The trilogy

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire

The first time Freire (24-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) met Straus (23-6 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) was at Bellator 45 in May 2011. Freire won by unanimous decision.

The two met again in January of this year. By that time, Freire held the featherweight belt. Straus bloodied the champ during the fight, but he was unable to capitalize on the damage and tapped out to a fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Since then, both fighters have fought and won one fight. Both of those fights took place at Bellator 138, and both were second-round stoppage wins – Freire by knockout and Straus by submission.

This is a big fight, not only for Bellator, but also for the featherweight division as a whole. Freire, the No. 4 ranked fighter in the NOS Energy Drink MMA featherweight rankings, has his sights set on being the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division. Straus, ranked No. 11, has vowed that a loss to Freire “won’t happen again.”

2. Two different approaches

Will Brooks

Lightweight champ Brooks (16-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) has not been afraid to voice his opinion concerning his opponent, Held (21-3 MMA, 10-2 BMMA). He’s blasted Held, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, for “childish fearful diving stuff,” and more recently, he said Held is “one-dimensional,” “cowardly,” “weak” and “soft.”

Held has kept things low-key and told MMAjunkie, “I’m a sportsman, not a showman; everything I want to tell him I will show him in the cage.”

Both fighters appear in the lightweight rankings, with Brooks at No. 15 and Held an honorable mention.

3. Worth the wait?

Bobby Lashley

Lashley (13-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) and Thompson (12-14-0-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) first fought in May 2012. Thompson won that bout – held under the Super Fight League banner – by unanimous decision. Neither fighter has lost since, and with both men currently competing for Bellator, the promotion has been anxious to book a rematch. It hasn’t been easy.

Bellator scheduled the rematch on two previous occasions, Bellator 134 in February and Bellator 138 in June. Lashley was forced from the February bout due to injury while an injured Thompson withdrew from the June matchup.

Barring any last-minute difficulties, it seems like this time the fight will happen, and fans will be anxious to see if it’s worth the wait.

4. Make or break for former champ

Michael Chandler

On the morning of Nov. 2, 2013, Chandler (13-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) was atop the Bellator lightweight division. When the day came to a close, he had lost a split decision to Eddie Alvarez and surrendered the title he took from Alvarez in November 2011.

Things didn’t go any better for Chandler in his next two outings. In May 2014, he lost to Brooks by split decision for the interim strap. Brooks then bested Chandler in November 2014 by TKO and became the undisputed lightweight titleholder.

Chandler turned things around in his most recent bout while looking quick and confident in a first-round submission win over Derek Campos in June.

The former champion recently told MMAjunkie he knows he’s better than Brooks. If Chandler wants the opportunity to prove that, he’s going to have to defeat Rickels (16-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA), a man Chandler knocked out in their first meeting in 2013, on Friday.

5. Make the most of it

Justin Lawrence

Lawrence (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made his Bellator debut in June and earned a first-round TKO win over Sean Wilson. The promotion must have liked what it saw because after that preliminary-card fight, officials wanted Lawrence to face former featherweight champion Pat Curran at Bellator 145.

Unfortunately, Curran was forced from the card due to a knee injury. Taking Curran’s place is Sanchez (11-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA), whose only defeat in his past eight fights was a June unanimous-decision loss to Curran.

Lawrence admitted he was “bummed out” to go from facing Curran to Sanchez. This is the kind of fight that can show fans and Bellator officials what a fighter is made of and possibly change career trajectory.

For more on Bellator 145, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

ST. LOUIS – Former champ Michael Chandler was a massive favorite in his Friday quest to get back to a lightweight title shot, and he came through with flying colors at Bellator 145.

In front of his home fans, Chandler (14-3 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) knocked David Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) down in the second, then jumped on him to finish with punches after punishing him throughout the round prior to that.

Below, check out highlights from the lightweight fight, which took place at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

For complete coverage of Bellator 145, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

Daniel Straus and Patricio Freire

ST. LOUIS – In a classic 25-minute title fight, Daniel Straus captured the Bellator featherweight title for the second time when he beat champ Patricio Freire.

Straus (25-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) took a unanimous decision from Freire (24-3 MMA, 12-3 BMMA), getting scores of 49-46 and a pair of 48-47s in a fight that featured plenty of slugging – and a big knockdown by Straus in the second round.

The fight was the main event of Bellator 145, which took place at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The main card aired on Spike after prelims on MMAjunkie.

The featherweights danced around each other for the first minute before Freire finally threw a punch that Straus ducked under. The two clinched up with Straus’ back on the fence. When they broke away, Straus looked for a takedown two minutes in, but couldn’t secure it. Each fighter swung and missed. After a scramble on the ground with about a minute left, Freire got back to his feet to find a flying knee from Straus coming right at him. He barely got out of the way, then dodged a heavy hand that followed it.

The second round featured much clinch work in the first two minutes, but when the fighters broke off, it was Straus planting the champion on the canvas with a pair of right jabs, followed by a vicious straight left hand. Straus pounced on him and went to work with punches, but Freire played defense by latching on to one of Straus’ arms. Straus slammed his way out of it, then went right back to work with punches before going after a guillotine choke. But Frire got out and started slugging with 45 seconds left and the two went back to the middle. A high kick from Straus was caught, but the challenger made a big statement in the round.

A pair of punches from Straus conected in the third, and he followed it up with another one and a body kick. Straus ducked under a punch, then landed big again. The challenger slipped throwing a punch, but Freire couldn’t capitalize. Midway through the round, Straus put some good combos on the champ, but Freire stayed in the pocket. Referee John McCarthy stopped the fight for a moment from an accidental eye poke from Straus to Freire. But when things got going again, Straus was back to landing heavy stuff or just missing.

Freire complained of an eyepoke again in the fourth, and McCarthy told Straus again to watch himself before they restarted. The pace slowed until Straus bombed a left hand and followed it with a hard right. But he couldn’t put “Pitbull” on the canvas that time. But he kept slinging leather hoping to connect. A takedown attempt with 90 seconds left nearly went awry when Freire went after a guillotine choke, but Straus broke out. He continued to land on the champ, but Freire, for his part, was able to fire back – just not at the same pace or strength.

Freire may have been told he was down in the fight, because his pace seemed to pick up early in the fifth. But when he tried to get inside to take Straus down, it was defended and took Freire right out of his offense. About midway through the fifth, Freire was able to get Straus to the canvas and took his back. He landed punches to the body as Straus covered up. Freire looked for a choke while Straus went into defensive mode. With 90 seconds left, he got back to his feet, but wasn’t quite out of danger yet with Freire pressing him to the cage. A spinning elbow from Freire was off the mark with a minute left, and with 45 seconds left they came out slugging at each other. Freire was winning late on volume, but it may have been too little, too late.

Straus won for the second straight time and third time in four fights. Freire lost for the first time since January 2013 and had a seven-fight winning streak snapped.

Brooks survives leg attacks, grinds out Held to retain title

Marcin Held did exactly what Will Brooks expected him to do, and he even put him in danger a handful of times. But in the end, Brooks retained his lightweight title in a co-main event that had him fairly on cruise control.

Brooks (17-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) took a unanimous decision from Poland’s Held (21-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA), getting scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.

Held did what most expected him to do quickly into the fight. He took Brooks down and worked him to the fence. The dangerous leg submission specialist stayed patient and scooped Brooks back up when he tried to get back to his feet. The crowd grew quickly impatient with Held’s plan of attack, since it didn’t yield much action on the canvas. But Brooks got back to his feet with two minutes left, reversed position and took Held down. Held threw his legs up for a triangle, then went after Brooks’ left leg. He had it tightly, but Brooks stayed calm and worked his way out of the dangerous spot to land a few elbows to close the frame.

Brooks dropped Held to the canvas quickly in the second with a takedown into side control. He tried to jump to mount, but Held recovered to guard, where he continued to work for a triangle, then an armbar. Then it was right back to work for Held going after a leg. But Brooks stayed on top, finally jumping to mount, and avoided danger while landing punches to the ribcage. After Held briefly got to half-guard, Brooks once again jumped to full mount and finished the round on top.

Held dove at Brooks’ leg immediately into the third, but couldn’t get the takedown and Brooks went back to work on top in his guard, much like the second round. Held had a brief attempt at Brooks’ leg, but Brooks scrambled away, then quickly was back on top. Late in the round, Brooks was able to pin Held’s arm for a moment to rain down punches – only to have Held threaten Brooks’ right leg late. When Held went to his corner after the third, his right eye was bloody.

Brooks had some mild showboating to start the fourth, dancing around before throwing a kick that seemed to take Held from his feet. But Held went after Brooks’ left leg once they hit the ground. Brooks survived that attempt, too, and it was rinse and repeat with Brooks back on top. As had become the pattern, Held threatened Brooks’ leg once again, but the champion worked out and finished the frame on top.

In the fifth, Brooks got inside and clinched Held up, then dragged him to the canvas. He heard boos from the crowd, but he wasn’t about to stop the formula that had been successful for him for the first 20 minutes. Referee John McCarthy stood the fighters up with two minutes left, but Brooks took Held down again with 90 seconds left.

Brooks said a knee injury suffered in the first round, when Held was working a submission attempt, is what forced him to continue taking the fight to the ground.

Brooks defended his title for the second straight time, won for the fourth straight time in a title fight, and got his eighth straight win overall. Held had a six-fight winning streak snapped and lost for the first time in two and a half years.

Chandler bloodies and batters Rickels for easy TKO win

As the biggest favorite on Saturday’s card, former lightweight champion Michael Chandler made easy work of David Rickels in his quest to get back to a title fight.

Chandler (14-3 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) had the briefest of moments in the second round when Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) looked for some momentum, but ultimately Chandler bloodied and completely battered Rickels en route to a TKO stoppage at the 3:05 mark of the second.

The fighters sprinted to the center of the cage, where Rickels looked to work a high kick early, then one to the leg. He went to the body soon after, But Chandler moved inside and started teeing off with punches. He tried to drag Rickels down and after Rickels was on top for a brief second, Chandler reversed to get on top in guard. He bombed a right elbow down as Rickels played defense. Chandler tried to pass, but Rickels’ guard was good. When Rickels threatened with a triangle choke, Chandler pulled away and Rickels quickly popped back to his feet with two minutes left in the round. Within a minute, though after some exchanges, Chandler got another takedown. He tried for an arm triangle late, but it wasn’t there and he ended the frame on top.

Chandler threw bombs again in the second, and a leg kick briefly wobbled Rickels. But the taller fighter stayed standing – just long enough for Chandler to clinch with him and get his third takedown of the fight, this time along the fence. Rickels used a guillotine choke attempt to get back to his feet and popped Chandler with a left hand, then a right. A few more punches popped off his chin. But then Chandler caught Rickels with a right that put him on the canvas. He couldn’t finish a guillotine choke there, but he quickly was pounding Rickels hard enough that he began gushing blood as Chandler went after a second choke. When that failed, he got on top and continued to smash Rickels’ face. Finally, mercifully, with two minutes left in the round, referee Mike England stopped the fight as Chandler sprinted to the cage to celebrate for his home fans.

Chandler won for the second straight time after a three-fight skid – the only three losses of his career. Rickels lost for the first time since March 2014.

Lashley tears through Thompson in 54 seconds

Bobby Lashley avenged one of his two MMA losses, and did so in devastating fashion by taking out James Thompson 54 seconds into their heavyweight fight.

It took only two seconds for the first punches to be thrown, and then 12 seconds for Lashley (14-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) to shoot for a takedown. Thompson (20-15 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) winced in pain as he went to the canvas, clearly hurting his left leg.

But when Lashley got the takedown, he went to work quickly trying to pound on Thompson. He found plenty of success. As Thompson turtled up from the heavy blows, it didn’t take long for referee Mike England to save Thompson from a worse beating. The punches Thompson was taking were heavy enough that when he went to stand up after England stopped the fight, he fell back to the canvas, still dazed. He needed help from the cage, unable to put pressure on his left leg.

“It feels good,” Lashley said after the win. “I had a good training camp – I feel good today. I feel light. They’ve got to do more than just practice defense, because I don’t think they can stop my takedowns. When I took that shot, I heard his knee pop and he couldn’t get back up.”

Bellator officials told MMAjunkie after the fight that Thompson said he felt his left hamstring pop, not his knee.

Lashley won for the seventh straight time and stayed perfect at 4-0 under the Bellator banner. Thompson had a five-fight winning streak snapped and lost for the first time since September 2010.

Emmanuel Sanchez outlasts Justin Lawrence for split decision

It wasn’t easy, but Emmanuel Sanchez was able to get past Justin Lawrence to open the Bellator 145 main card.

Lawrence (8-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) kicked high to open, but Sanchez (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) blocked it and started to stalk from the middle. But Lawrence delivered a second kick, then a third seconds later, showing his game plan right away. Sanchez did well backing Lawrence up, but he wasn’t able to land cleanly until he sneaked a kick through 90 seconds into the fight. He started working kicks, as well, catching Lawrence to his lead leg before keeping him backpedaling. In a close exchange, both fighters landed punches, but it was a Sanchez knee that cracked Lawrence’s chin. The two then clinched up against the fence to close the round.

Sanchez came out strong in the second and continued to control the center of the cage. Ninety seconds in, Sanchez worked to take Lawrence down on the fence, but couldn’t drag the fight to the canvas. They stayed in that stalemate for more than two minutes before referee John McCarthy finally broke them up with Sanchez bleeding near his left eye. With 15 seconds left, Sanchez threw a high kick that drilled Lawrence on the chin, and he nearly fell to the canvas. But he survived the round to see a third.

Sanchez found success finally taking Lawrence down in the third, but Lawrence reversed position and got on top with more than three minutes left in the frame. Sanchez went after Lawrence’s leg late in the round, but couldn’t secure it. An armbar attempt fell short, too. Sanchez got back to his feet with 30 seconds left and got a few punches and knees off, but a last-second takedown attempt failed.

When the final scores were read, Sanchez had a pair of 29-28s to one dissenting 29-28 in favor of Lawrence.

Sanchez won for the second straight time after a split-decision win over Henry Corrales at Bellator 143. Lawrence had a four-fight winning streak snapped.

The full Bellator 145 results include:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Daniel Straus def. Patricio Freire via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) – to win featherweight title
• Champ Will Brooks def. Marcin Held via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) – to defend lightweight title
• Michael Chandler def. David Rickels via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:05
• Bobby Lashley def. James Thompson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:54
• Justin Lawrence def. Emmanuel Sanchez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

• Rashard Lovelace def. Brandon Lowe via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:07
• Fazlo Mulabitinovic def. Scott Ettling via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:52 – 140-pound catchweight
• Kain Royer def. Clay Mitchell via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 3:41
• Augusto Sakai def. Alex Huddleston via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Adam Meredith def. Jordan Dowdy via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:54
• Kyle Kurtz def. Steven Mann via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:59
• Garrett Gross def. Jeff Crotty via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – 160-pound catchweight
• Cheljean Erwin-Davis def. Adam Cella via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:35

For complete coverage of Bellator 145, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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Bellator returned on Friday with a a pair of title fights in St. Louis – and crowned a new champion in the main event.

In the Bellator 145 headliner, Daniel Straus (25-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) finally got a win over Patricio Freire (24-3 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) after two prior losses, including one for the title earlier this year. Straus outslugged the champ to win a unanimous decision in a fight that made a case for best-of consideration for 2015.

In the co-feature, Will Brooks (17-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) took a unanimous decision from Marcin Held (21-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) with a pair of 49-46 scores and a 50-45 to retain his lightweight title. Due to an early injury from a leg submission attempt from Held, Brooks used a takedown-heavy attack to grind out the victory.

Also on the card, Michael Chandler (14-3 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) bloodied and battered David Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) to take another step toward a possible title fight toward the lightweight belt he once held. Bobby Lashley (14-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) took out James Thompson (20-15 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in less than a minute. And Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) upset Justin Lawrence (8-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) to open the main card.

Check out the highlights above.

Bellator 145 took place at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

For complete coverage of Bellator 145, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

Marcos Galvao and Eduardo Dantas

Bellator bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao (17-6-1 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) will look to defend his belt against the man who denied him a title once before, former champ Eduardo Dantas (17-4 MMA, 7-2 BMMA).

Bellator officials today announced the rematch will serve as the headlining bout of Bellator 150 on Feb. 26 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas.

The two were expected to fight earlier this year at Bellator 144 before a Dantas injury forced the promotion to reschedule the matchup.

Additionally, Kansas native David Rickels will face an opponent yet to be named.

As with all Bellator events, the night’s main card airs live on Spike. Additional contests are expected to be announced shortly.

Dantas and Galvao originally met at Bellator 89 in February 2013. Galvao was coming off a winning effort in Bellator’s Season 6 bantamweight tournament, earning a title shot with then-champ Dantas. However, Dantas denied Galvao, scoring a second-round knockout.

Since then, Galvao has won four consecutive matchups, including a Bellator 135 win over Joe Warren to claim the title.

For more on Bellator 150, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

David Rickels

After previously being named to the card for Bellator 150, David Rickels has an opponent lined up for the event.

Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) will fight in front of his hometown fans against Bobby Cooper (12-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

Bellator 150 takes place Feb. 26 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card will air on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie. In the main event, Marcos Galvao defends his bantamweight title in a rematch with former champ Eduardo Dantas.

Rickels dropped his most recent bout, losing by TKO to Michael Chandler at Bellator 145. Prior to that bout, he was doing well against tough veteran John Alessio before an unintentional illegal knee resulted in a no-contest. After starting his Bellator career with eight wins in nine fights, Rickels is 2-3 in his previous five bouts.

Cooper has alternated wins and losses as of late but has found success in his two trips to the Bellator cage. His most recent bout was a split decision victory over Pablo Villaseca at Bellator 139.

The latest Bellator 150 card includes:

• Marcos Galvao vs. Eduardo Dantas – for bantamweight title
• Bobby Cooper vs. David Rickels
• Cheick Kongo vs. Augusto Sakai

For more on Bellator 150, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

Cheick Kongo

These things happen in MMA.

On the eve of Bellator 150, the promotion announced bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao has fallen ill and his title defense against former champion Eduardo Dantas is no longer going to take place on Friday night.

While that’s a huge loss for the event, the show will go on.

In the new main event, heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Vinicius Queiroz meet in a fight that was originally set to be part of the Bellator Season 9 heavyweight tournament in 2013.

Prior to the headlining bout, established fighters Kendall Grove and David Rickels look to keep their names in the mix against lesser-known opponents Francisco France and Bobby Cooper, respectively.

Bellator 150 takes place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card airs on Spike after prelims on MMAjunkie. Here are five reasons you want to tune in.

1. Rebuilt and ready

Cheick Kongo

The reconstructed version of Queiroz (8-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) found success in his first fight in two years when he submitted Ewerton Teixeira at Bellator 143.  Queiroz took those two years off after undergoing surgery in both knees.

At Bellator 150, he gets his chance to prove that he’s a title threat in the heavyweight division when he steps in as an injury replacement for Augusto Sakai to face Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA). These two were originally scheduled to meet after Queiroz knocked out Lavar Johnson in the Season 9 Bellator heavyweight tournament, but Queiroz was forced out of that fight due to an injury.

If Queiroz wanted a fight that brings him closer to a title fight, he has it against Kongo.

2. Caveman in a rut

David Rickels

“The Caveman” Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) may be a fan favorite, but he’s struggled to put together consecutive wins in Bellator since he won four straight from November 2012 to March 2013. In his past six fights, he’s gone 2-3 with one no-contest. True, those losses came at the hands of top lightweights Michael Chandler (twice) and Patricky Freire, but in the big picture, a loss is a loss.

If Rickels wants to keep fighting the cream of the crop in Bellator, and perhaps earn himself another title shot, he’s going to need to get past Cooper (12-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) at Bellator 150.

3. A possible new contender at middleweight

Kendall Grove

France (13-3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has been making steady progress in his MMA career. He joined Bellator after capturing the RFA middleweight title. In his first fight with the promotion, he ended the 16-fight unbeaten streak of Ben Reiter, stopping him by second-round submission. That gave France 12 submissions in 13 career victories.

At Bellator 150, France faces the most recognizable name of his career when he meets former UFC fighter Grove (22-15 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who’s been with Bellator since 2013. During that time, Grove has gone 3-2, most recently defeating Joey Beltran by TKO at Bellator 143.

A win here, and France could find himself a fight or two away from a title shot.

4. Opportunity knocks

Gaston Reyno

With Galvao falling ill, Bellator has moved the featherweight bout between Gaston Reyno (5-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and Chuka Willis (6-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) to the main card.

If you’re looking for a prospect to keep your eye on at Bellator 150, Reyno is your man. The 29-year-old featherweight from Uruguay has never left the first round after finishing three fights by submission and two via TKO.

Reyno, a training partner of UFC lightweight James Krause, is very aggressive with his kicks, mixing up both low and high kicks that pack a lot of power. He’s also shown a strong ground game, never panicking when he’s in a bad spot and taking advantage of any opening his opponents afford him.

5. New blood in the women’s flyweight division

Rebecca Ruth

Flyweights Rebecca Ruth (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) may not be names you are familiar with right now, but that may change by the time Bellator 150 comes to a close.

Ruth fought three times in 2015 with Shamrock FC, and she was clearly on another level from her opponents after winning each fight by TKO.

Ruth is solid, if a little reckless on her feet, and has shown some skill on the ground, but she prefers to stand and throw hands. Her only loss came at RFA 18, where she dropped a split decision to current UFC fighter Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.

Ovchynnikova is the more experienced fighter in this matchup after competing in kickboxing and muay Thai at the same time she has been a professional MMA fighter. Ovchynnikova’s most notable past opponent was current UFC fighter Joanne Calderwood, who defeated Ovchynnikova at Super Fight League 3.

These two are both high-risk fighters, and that should make for an enjoyable fight.

For more on Bellator 150, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

Cheick Kongo

Bellator 150 weigh-ins took place today, and the main card fighters are on weight and ready for action.

Bellator 150 takes place Friday at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Among those weighing in today were heavyweight headliners Cheick Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) and Vinicius Queiroz (8-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA), who took the stop spot on the card following today’s cancellation of a bantamweight title fight champ Marcos Galvao (17-6-1 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) and former titleholder Eduardo Dantas (17-4 MMA, 7-2 BMMA).

Kongo checked in at 235.2 to Queiroz’s 233.6. Both fighters stated that they’re ready for the bout and will look to score a finish in an entertaining bout.

Co-main event fighters Bobby Cooper (12-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and David Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) also made weight for their lightweight clash with Cooper at 155.8 and Rickels at 156.

After weighing in, Rickels told Cooper that he figured out the best way to cope with a loss and presenting his opponent with hand lotion and a box of tissues, a reference to his recent statements that he dealt with his loss Michael Chandler.

The Bellator 150 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Cheick Kongo (235.2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (233.6)
• Bobby Cooper (155.8) vs. David Rickels (156)
• Francisco France (185.4) vs. Kendall Grove (186)
• Gaston Reyno (143.6) vs. Chuka Willis (146)
• Lena Ovchynnikova (124.6) vs. Rebecca Ruth (125.2)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

• Gregory Babene (185) vs. Brandon Farran (187.2)
• David Hammons (262.4) vs. Kyle Noblitt (242.2)
• Chris Harris (185.4) vs. Julian Marquez (186)
• Henry Lindsay (155.4) vs. Marcio Navarro (155.8)
• Thai Clark (146) vs. Deron Carlis (146)
• Andre Fialho (170.8) vs. Manuel Meraz (170)
• Jonathan Gary (155.4) vs. Jason Witt (158.4)

For more on Bellator 150, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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Cheick Kongo rarely makes it pretty, but the veteran was able to edge out an often ugly decision over Vinicius Queiroz in the main event of Bellator 150.

Bellator 150 took place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card aired on Spike following preliminary bouts on MMAjunkie.

The two heavyweights fought at a measured pace in Round 1. Both men attempted to establish range early, but it was the leg kicks of Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) – mostly unchecked by Queiroz (8-4 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) – that were the most effective tools utilized in the opening frame.

The leg kicks continued to land in Round 2 as Kongo circled and refused to let Queiroz engage. The crowd began to boo the slow pace of the fight, but Kongo didn’t shift out of his usual gear. However, Queiroz scored with a driving takedown to put Kongo on the mat at the halfway point of the round.

Kongo held on to a tight half-guard, neutralizing the offense of Queiroz and drawing a stand-up from referee John McCarthy with 15 seconds left in the round.

Having found success controlling the placement of the bout with takedowns the previous round, Queiroz scored another takedown early in Round 3, but was unable to keep the action grounded. Kongo worked to his feet and used a flurry of punches to push back to the cage where he employed a strategy of clinching and throwing knees to the legs until McCarthy once again restarted the fighters in the center of the cage. Kongo attempted to come forward with a big right hand and left an opening for Queiroz to score with a big counter that dropped the UFC veteran.

Queiroz didn’t follow up with much on the ground, instead grinding out the remainder of the fight and possibly costing himself the fight.

The official scorecards were announced 30-27, 28-29, 29-28 to boos from the crowd.

Kongo is now riding a two-fight winning streak, picking up a pair of wins after a split decision loss to Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 134. Queiroz had a two-fight winning streak snapped in the loss.

Rickels stops Cooper after big knee

David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) is no stranger to wild fights, and that wildness is exactly what he brought to the cage against Bobby Cooper (12-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the evening’s lightweight co-main event.

Rickels and Cooper exchanged wildly on the feet from the opening bell, but it was “The Caveman” who was able to survive the brawl and land a massive knee that scored the knockdown.

With Cooper bleeding badly from the knee, Rickels followed the fight to the canvas and pounded away with strikes until the referee was forced to call a halt to the bout at the 3:49 mark of Round 1.

Rickels is now No. 2 all-time in wins in the Bellator cage.

Grove overcomes tragedy, scores massive knockout

Kendall Grove (23-15 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) entered the cage with a heavy heart for his middleweight bout with Francisco France (13-4-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), but it was his heavy hands that brought the fight to a shocking end with a knockout at the 0:35 mark of Round 2.

After being thrown off by the leg kicks of France in Round 1, Grove looked to play the dirty boxing game to start the second round. With France pushed against the cage, Grove unloaded with a right hand that sent his foe crashing to the cage. As the referee moved in to call a halt to the bout, Grove landed a few perfunctory punches to the unconscious France.

Grove suffered the loss of his brother just one month ago and dedicated the bout to his sibling’s memory. He is now riding a two-fight winning streak after a Bellator 143 TKO of Joey Beltran.

Gaston Reyno (5-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) almost finished in Chuka Willis (7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) with a guillotine choke in Round 1 of their featherweight bout, only to find his back taken. In Round 2, it was Willis coming close to getting the finish, dropping Reyno with an overhand right. Round 3 ended with Reyno locking in a guillotine choke but running out of time. Reyno was not able to do enough in the back-and-forth affair, however, as Willis took the unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

In the main card opener, and first ever women’s flyweight fight on a Bellator main card, Rebecca Ruth (6-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) showcased some heavy hands and a varied attack to take a unanimous decision over Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Ruth stunned Ovchynnikova on multiple occasions with big overhand punches, but it was her ability to take the fight to the ground in the final round and grind out the frame that cemented the fight by scores of 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.

The full Bellator 150 results include:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Cheick Kongo def. Vinicius Queiroz via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• David Rickels def. Bobby Cooper via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:49
• Kendall Grove def. Francisco France via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 0:35
• Chuka Willis def. Gaston Reyno via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Rebecca Ruth def. Lena Ovchynnikova via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

• Kyle Noblitt def. David Hammons via. TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:45
• Henry Lindsay def. Marcio Navarro via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:30
• Chris Harris def. Julian Marquez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Andre Fialho def. Manuel Meraz via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:29
• Gregory Babene def. Brandon Farran via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:37
• Thai Clark def. Deron Carlis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on Bellator 150, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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Kendall Grove scored a crushing knockout win on Friday’s Bellator 150 main card. It was a nice distraction after such a rough month on the personal front.

Grove (23-15 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), a former UFC fighter who won “The Ultimate Fighter 3” in 2006, fought for the first time since losing his brother in a motorcycle accident. His win over fellow middleweight Francisco France (13-4-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), which aired on Spike from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., was dedicated to his sibling’s memory.

Check out the highlights above.

They also include Cheick Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) narrowly defeating Vinicius Queiroz (8-4 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in the heavyweight headliner, David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) battering Bobby Cooper (12-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) with knees in the lightweight co-headliner, Chuka Willis (7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) topping previously unbeaten Gaston Reyno (5-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a featherweight fight, and flyweight Rebecca Ruth (6-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) showing off her striking in a solid win over Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).

For more on Bellator 150, including a full event recap, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

Undefeated prospect Darrion Caldwell will look to keep his march toward a bantamweight title going when he meets Joe Taimanglo in the main event of Bellator 159.

In addition to the bout between Caldwell (9-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and Taimanglo (22-6-1 MMA, 5-3 BMMA), Bellator announced a lightweight co-main event featuring Melvin Guillard (32-16-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) and David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 12-4 BMMA).

The event takes place July 22 from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Caldwell has been on a tear in the bantamweight division, most recently making a big statement by choking out former multi-time champ Joe Warren at Bellator 151.

In Taimanglo, Caldwell faces an experienced veteran currently riding a three-fight winning streak. In his most recent bout, he took a unanimous decision victory over Sirwan Kakai at Bellator 151.

Guillard has struggled in his two trips to the Bellator cage, most recently suffering a brutal knockout loss to Derek Campos at Bellator 149. He is 1-3 since his UFC release and is on a three-fight losing skid.

Rickels stopped Bobby Cooper with strikes at Bellator 150. Prior to that victory, he was stopped by former champ Michael Chandler.

The current Bellator 159 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Darrion Caldwell vs. Joe Taimanglo
• Melvin Guillard vs. David Rickels

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

• Manny Meraz vs. Trey Ogden
• Matt Foster vs. Chris Harris

For more on Bellator 159, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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Joe Taimanglo had one good moment in his bout with highly rated bantamweight prospect Darrion Caldwell, but it was all he needed, as he scored a shocking submission win.

Taimanglo (23-6-1 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) tapped out 14-1 favorite Caldwell (9-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) in the third round of their Bellator 159 headliner at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Caldwell used his range early, moving in and out with lengthy attacks, though he eventually took the fight to the floor and settled into top position. Taimanglo scrambled well underneath and worked himself to guard, but Caldwell always looked to advance position and never really faced any counter attacks.

As they scrambled to the feet, Caldwell tried to lock in a kimura from a standing position, eventually dragging the action to the floor. But Taimanglo proved no pushover, defending and transitioning to keep himself free.

In the second, Caldwell used his striking to get inside and again take the action to the floor. The crowd got a bit restless as Caldwell controlled from the top, but Taimanglo remained active from his back to prevent any real serious offense. Referee John McCarthy stood the fighters in the final minute, but Taimanglo couldn’t take advantage of the restart.

In the third, Caldwell shot from distance but couldn’t get hold of the legs. Taimanglo took advantage of his one opportunity, wrapping up the neck and falling to his back. Squeezing hard in full guard, Taimanglo forced the frustrated Caldwell to tap for his first professional loss, just nine seconds into the final round.

Caldwell was expected to challenge for the Bellator bantamweight title with a win, but Taimanglo missed weight for the fight, so it’s unclear if he’ll be awarded a similar opportunity.

Melvin Guillard (33-16-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) missed weight for Bellator 159, marking the fourth time he had done so in the lightweight division, and confirmed his future will take place at 170 pounds. But before leaving the weight class, Guillard scored a big win over David Rickels (17-5 MMA, 11-5 BMMA).

Both men wasted little time meeting in the center of the cage and exchanging blows. Guillard threw heavy punches, while Rickels mixed in a few kicks and knees to start, though he did land early to the groin. On the restart, Guillard was able to land a big elbow in the clinch that wobbled his foe. Guillard took advantage of the opportunity and jumped on top with big punches and elbows, battering his opponent and leaving no choice but to call the fight.

After the win, Guillard said he’s like to debut at 170 pounds against fellow slugger Paul Daley.

Ducote spoils Vargas’ debut, Weichel outworks Sanchez

While it was Bruna Vargas (2-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) who entered the event with the buzz behind her name, flyweight Emily Ducote (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) took advantage of the opportunity with a devastating submission victory set up by a brutal right hand.

Ducote struck first, landing a pair of massive right hands that left Vargas clearly wobbled. However, she battled through the trouble and actually found herself in top position when the fight hit the floor.

Ducote came out on fire again in the second, landing another big right hand to start the frame that sent her opponent toppling to the canvas. Ducote jumped on top with punches, but as Vargas tried to cover and clear the cobwebs, Ducote switched her attention to the neck, latching in a rear-naked choke that earned an instant tap.

In a key featherweight matchup, German import Daniel Weichel (37-9 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) picked up a big win over Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3 MMA, 5-2 BMMA), though he had to sweat out the result.

Weichel started the fight quickly, pressing the action and looking to go on the attach. Sanchez proved willing to stand and trade, and he was quick to work back to his feet after a few takedowns.

The pace remained high in the second, with Sanchez pushing forward in trademark fashion, and the two exchanged shots on the feet until the final bell.

Weichel was the more accurate striker again in the third, though Sanchez never backed down, firing wild, powerful strikes until the bitter end. In the end, Weichel earned the nod by split decision, with wild scores of 30-27, 28-29 and 29-28.

Full Bellator 159 results include:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Joe Taimanglo def. Darrion Caldwell via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 0:09
• Melvin Guillard def. David Rickels via knockout (strikes) – Round 1, 2:14
• Emily Ducote def. Bruna Vargas via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:29
• Daniel Weichel def. Emmanuel Sanchez split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 6:45 p.m. ET)

• Manuel Meraz vs. Trey Ogden
• Matt Foster vs. Chris Harris
• Henry Lindsay vs. Josh Pfeifer
• Brandon Phillips vs. Chuka Willis
• Philipe Lins def. Guilherme Viana via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:13
• Jessica Middleton def. Bruna Ellen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Gaston Reyno def. L.J. Hermreck TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:57
• Johnny Marigo def. Andy Riley via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:44
• Fernando Martinez def. Marcio Navarro via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

For more on Bellator 159, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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Sit back and watch one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

In Friday’s Bellator 159 headliner, bantamweight Joe Taimanglo (23-6-1 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) tapped out top prospect and 14-1 favorite Darrion Caldwell (9-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) after capitalizing on a brief mental lapse.

The bout, which aired on Spike from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., is now the fifth biggest upset in MMA history, according to furysfightpicks.com.

In the co-headliner, vet Melvin Guillard (33-16-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA), who missed weight for the fourth time as a lightweight, kissed goodbye to the 155-pound division with a beatdown of David Rickels (17-5 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) in the co-headliner. He heads to welterweight on the strength of a brutal knockout.

Also on the card, Daniel Weichel (37-9 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) gambled his top-contender status but emerged victorious over featherweight Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3 MMA, 5-2 BMMA), and flyweight Emily Ducote (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) upset and tapped out Bruna Vargas (2-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) thanks to a big right hand.

Check out all the highlights above.

And for more on Bellator 159, including a full event recap, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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At Bellator 159, Melvin Guillard (33-16-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) knocked out David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) to pick up his first win in more than two years. The result won’t stick, however, after the Kansas Athletic Commission today overturned the result, suspended Guillard for a year and fined him $10,000.

The actions were taken as a result of “a positive test for a non-performance enhancing banned substance,” according to a release provided by the commission.

Guillard snapped a three-fight losing skid with the July 22 victory, which took place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., and aired on Spike.

Trouble is nothing new for Guillard, who failed a post-fight drug test for cocaine after a 2007 UFC loss to Joe Stevenson. He missed weight in four of his five most recent bouts, including the fight with Rickels.

The complete release from the commission reads:

The Kansas Athletic Commission (KAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Melvin Guillard for one year and has fined Guillard $10,000 for the result of a positive test for a non-performance enhancing banned substance. In addition, Guillard’s July 22, 2016 bout with David Rickels will be changed to a “no contest”.

The KAC learned of the results August 3, 2016, and Guillard’s suspension will be applied retroactively to July 22, 2016. All fighters licensed by the KAC are subject to random drug testing and must follow the world anti-doping (WADA) code.

“The first and foremost job of the Kansas Athletic Commission is to protect the health and welfare of the fighters we are charged with regulating” said Adam Roorbach, head of the Kansas Athletic Commission. “Banned substances have no place in the world of combat sports, and their usage will not be allowed in the state of Kansas.”

For more on Bellator 159, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

Bellator’s early 2017 schedule continues to build with a return to the Midwest.

Bellator 171 is set for Jan. 27 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., the promotion today announced. The main card will air on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie, and tickets go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster or the venue box office.

The promotion also announced two fights for the card and expects to announce a main event in the coming weeks. In a lightweight bout, Kansas’ own David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) will take on Aaron Derrow (14-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). And in a middleweight fight between a pair of unbeatens, Chris Harris (7-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is set to meet Jordan Young (5-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Rickels, one of Bellator’s most veteran fighters, has had an up-and-down stretch for nearly four years. After a four-fight winning streak in 2012-2013, he’s been on an eight-fight run without back-to-back wins. He’s 3-3 in that time – with a pair of no-contests. Most recently, a loss to Melvin Guillard at Bellator 159 was flipped when Guillard failed a drug test.

Derrow had a five-fight skid in 2012-2013, but since then has won two straight fights. In October 2014, he took a unanimous decision from Nate Jolly at Bellator 130 – which was his most recent outing. The Missouri-based fighter will be getting back in the cage after more than two years on the sidelines.

Harris returned to Bellator in July and finished Matt Foster in just 83 seconds with a rear-naked choke. His promotional deut came in February with a unanimous decision win over Julian Marquez at Bellator 150, which stands as the only time he’s gone the distance in his seven-fight career.

Young, from Iowa, started his pro career in 2014 with four straight choke submission wins. In February, at Victory FC 48, he went the distance for the first time in a unanimous decision win over Cameron Olson.

For more on Bellator 171, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

With 17 Bellator fights in a little more than five years, David Rickels needed a break following his knockout at the hands of Melvin Guillard at Bellator 159 in July.

Rickels has been one of the most active fighters not just in Bellator, but in all of high-level MMA over the past half-decade. He’s rarely had a break during that stretch, so when he was stopped by Guillard’s thunderous punches in the first round, he knew it was time for a step back.

“As far as training goes, I was putting my body through the grinder, and as far as fighting goes, I’ve been staying pretty active on the Bellator roster,” Rickels told MMAjunkie. “It’s not something I don’t like, but I just wanted a little bit of time to let my body heal up, get away from sparring and let my head heal up and go from there.”

Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA), who fights Aaron Derrow (14-8 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in the co-main event of Friday’s Spike-televised Bellator 171 fight card at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., originally lost to Guillard (32-16-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) by first-round knockout in their catchweight contest six months ago. However, when Guillard flunked a drug test, the result was overturned to a no-contest.

Regardless of what the result says on his record, Rickels still knows in his heart he lost the fight, which was the fourth time in six fights he failed to have his hand raised.

“I just don’t know how anyone could take that away as any kind of win,” Rickels said. “It’s still an ‘L’ in my eyes. That was one of my best training camps I’ve ever had and to come up short, mentally kind of hurt. For me to come up short really hurt, but taking a little time helped me with that – getting the wheels turning again and getting me back in the right state of mind to get back in a fight.”

Rickels said the details of Guillard’s issues matter little to him. He believes he’s better than Guillard regardless of whether he was slacking or cutting corners, and that’s what stings the most.

“I would definitely think differently (if he tested for PEDs); I’d still be upset,” Rickels said. “Have I fought guys who have been on PEDs? I can guarantee it. To me, this dude failed for cocaine. I just lost to the dip(expletive) who barely trained and did cocaine before the fight, so that really (expletive) me up mentally. I’m like, ‘How the (expletive) can I put in so much effort and then this guy beats me?’ That part is what hurt the most.”

It was reported that Guillard had tested positive for cocaine and that’s why the result was overturned. The Kansas Athletic Commission will not confirm the substance, though, and Guillard told MMAjunkie that he did not test positive for cocaine.

In an April 2007 fight in the UFC, Guillard tested positive for cocaine metabolites after a 27-second loss to Joe Stevenson.

Nevertheless, Guillard presumably didn’t test positive for a performance-enhancing drug after his fight with Rickels, because what was originally a one-year suspension recently was reduced to six months, and “The Young Assassin” was placed in the Bellator 171 main event opposite Chidi Njokuani.

Rickels said it took a while to accept and move past the outcome against Guillard. That made his time off even more useful, and now Rickels said he’s recharged and ready to produce a big year in the Bellator lightweight division.

“The Caveman” still considers himself one of the best at 155 pounds, but his record in six fights since 2014 show an underwhelming two wins, two losses and two no-contests. Rickels said his goal at Bellator 171 is to pick up a clean victory free of any controversy.

“I want to go out there and I want to perform well,” Rickels said. “I feel like a worldbeater in training. I’m the tip-top in terms of timing and speed and everything. I want to go in there and feel that same energy in the cage. I want a good win and to see what’s next.”

For more on Bellator 171, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.

Last week’s Bellator 170 fight card earned fantastic ratings for the promotion. According to Spike officials, the event averaged 1.37 million viewers, while the main event, which saw Tito Ortiz submit Chael Sonnen in the first round of Ortiz’s retirement fight, averaged 1.85 million viewers. Those numbers made Bellator 170 the third most watched show in the promotion’s history.

The question now becomes how many of those viewers were convinced to stick with the promotion for Friday’s Bellator 171?

In the main event of Bellator 171, Melvin Guillard faces Chidi Njoukuani at a catchweight of 180 pounds. While these two don’t have the name recognition of Ortiz and Sonnen, they do have 34 career stoppage victories between them, a number that should raise the eyebrows of fight fans.

In the co-main event, former Bellator lightweight title contender David Rickels looks to get back in the win column, facing Aaron Derrow.

Bellator 171 takes place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The prelims stream on MMAjunkie, while Spike has the four-fight main card. Here are five reasons to tune in for the entire event.

1. Good streak, bad streak

What you have here are two fighters headed in opposite directions. Njoukuani is unbeaten in eight fights, including knockout victories in his last two outings. Guillard has officially won just two of his last eight fights, his most recent win being a 2014 TKO over Gesias Cavalcante while fighting for WSOF.

Yes, Guillard did knock out David Rickels at Bellator 159, but that fight was later ruled a no contest after Guillard failed a drug test for a non-performance-enhancing banned substance. Guillard was also fined $10,000 and suspended following that failed drug test.

Guillard may be on the downside of his career, but he remains a recognizable name to MMA fans, and that’s what’s missing from Njoukuani’s resume: a win over a name opponent. If Njoukuani (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) does defeat Guillard (32-16-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA), he could set himself up for an even bigger name opponent in his next fight, someone like Michael Page or even Paul Daley.

As for Guillard, he’s likely running out of chances with Bellator; he needs to deliver in a big way at Bellator 171 to stay in the promotion’s good graces.

2. More than just a cool walkout

If you watched Bellator 170, you heard more than one mention about Rickels’ walkouts and how fans should be excited for what Rickels is going to do before he steps into the cage at Bellator 171. What you didn’t hear were mentions of Rickels’ fighting, and for a guy that’s been competing for Bellator since 2011, that seemed like a bit of a slap in the face.

Yes, Rickels has delivered some memorable walkouts, but he’s also fought top-level competition in Bellator, even challenging for the lightweight title in 2013, a fight he lost to Michael Chandler by first-round knockout.

Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) faces Derrow (14-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at Bellator 171. Derrow has not fought since October 2014, when he defeated Nate Jolly at Bellator 130. The win was Derrow’s second straight victory. Before that, he had lost five straight.

There are no gimmes in MMA, but Derrow is not on the same level as the fighters Rickels is accustomed to facing. As long as Rickels doesn’t take this fight lightly, he should be able to deliver both an eventful walkout and a victory in front of a hometown crowd in Kansas.

3. Strange booking, but could be fun

Unbeaten featherweight prospect A.J. McKee went the distance for the first time in his last fight, winning a unanimous decision over Ray Wood at Bellator 166.

A.J. McKee

Wood caught McKee with a jump knee in the first round, and there was no doubt that McKee was shaken by the strike, but “Mercenary” recovered and dominated the rest of the fight.

In an interesting bit of matchmaking, Bellator has decided to match McKee (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) against a fighter that Wood defeated in April 2016, Brandon Phillips (6-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).

While the booking may be a step back for McKee, this should be a fun one for the fans. Like McKee, Phillips is more likely to finish a fight than go the distance, with five of his six wins coming by way of stoppage. Phillips most recent fight was a second-round submission loss to Bryce Mitchell at WSOF 33.

4. Take it down a notch

Gaston Reyno was on a 5-0 roll before facing Chuka Willis at Bellator 150. Reyno looked good early in that contest, threatening Willis with a guillotine choke in the first round. However, Willis survived that submission attempt and took control of the fight and earned a unanimous decision victory.

Apparently bothered by that loss, Reyno returned at Bellator 159 and fought rather recklessly against L.J. Hermreck. Reyno came out swinging wildly, obviously looking for the finish from the opening bell. Reyno did earn that finish, getting the TKO with just over a minute remaining in the fight.

Reyno (6-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) should have his confidence back after the win over Hermreck, but he needs to rein in his emotions. He left himself too open to counterstrikes against Hermreck, and that could cost him when he faces Justin Overton (3-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Overton’s last win was a first-round submission over Hermreck. Since that victory, Overton has lost two straight.

5. Watch the process

Tyrell Fortune and Jarod Trice, two of Bellator’s notable signings of 2016, both return to the cage at Bellator 171. And like their debut fights, both face opponents that have about the same amount of professional experience that they have – very little.

Tyrell Fortune

Fortune ran through Cody Miskell in his debut, earning a first-round TKO win. Fortune (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) now faces Will Johnson (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) who makes his professional debut in Mulvane.

Trice had a rougher go in his first bout, going the distance with Tommie Britton in a light heavyweight contest before getting his hand raised in a majority decision victory. Trice (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) moves up to heavyweight for this matchup, facing Kevin Woltkamp (0-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who has lost both of his pro fights by first-round TKO.

It’s always interesting to see young, raw fighters progress, and by the looks of things, Bellator is going to give both Fortune and Trice the time to develop at their own pace. That means fans hoping to watch these wrestlers morph into mixed martial artists are going to need to tune into the prelims for a while.

For more on Bellator 171, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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Filed under: Bellator, News, Videos

The tough times continued for Melvin Guillard under the Bellator banner. His winless skid with the promotion extended to four fights in a utterly one-sided unanimous decision to Chidi Njokuani in Friday’s Bellator 171 main event.

The 180-pound catchweight fight headlined the Bellator 171 lineup at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card aired on the Spike following prelims streamed on MMAjunkie.

Although Njokuani (17-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) picked up the convincing victory, his clash with Guillard (32-17-2 MMA, 0-3 BMMA), who displayed essentially none of the dangerous striking prowess he’s become so well known for, was simply bizarre.

The first round of the fight saw more referee interaction than most cards will see all together. After an inactive first two minutes, referee John McCarthy warned both fighters for timidity. Shortly thereafter, Guillard landed an accidental low blow from the clinch. Moments later, Njokuani connecting with an illegal knee as Guillard attempted to get up from a grounded position.

The action was able to flow much smoother in the second round. Njokuani’s enormous size advantage allowed him to keep the fight at his desired striking range as he picked “The Young Assassin” apart with kicks. Guillard tried to alter the pace of the fight by shooting for multiple takedowns, but he was never able to ground his opponent for any meaningful portion of time. Njokuani nearly picked up a stoppage when he hurt Guillard with a body shot near the end of the round, but he didn’t have enough tim to end the fight.

With momentum on his side Njokuani went the safe route in the final round. He waited for Guillard to close the distance when he turned the tables and scored with a takedown of his own. He got into dominant positions and worked away with ground strikes, but Guillard survived until the final bell.

Njokuani won the fight convincingly by scores of 30-25, 30-24 and 30-26, moving his undefeated streak to nine fighters since his most recent defeat in March 2013. Guillard, meanwhile, has just two wins in his past 11 contests overall.

Rickels TKOs Derrow in brutal beatdown

In his record 18th fight under the Bellator banner, David Rickels (18-4 MMA, 12-4 BMMA) lived up to his position as a massive betting favorite when he completely overwhelmed an outmatched Aaron Derrow (14-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) for a third-round TKO victory.

It was all Rickels from the opening seconds of the welterweight bout. He connected hard with his first punch of the fight and nearly scored a quick stoppage. Derrow survived, though, but ended up spending almost the entire frame taking a beating from Rickels while on his back.

It was more of the same in the second round. Rickels landed clean and dropped Derrow to the mat. From there he unleashed a ruthless onslaught of methodical ground-and-pound punishment which could have easily led to a stoppage. The referee decided he hadn’t seen enough to halt the fight, though, and allowed the action to move to the final frame.

It didn’t last much longer after the third round began. Rickels came out searching for the stoppage, and Derrow was clearly prepared to take the nearest exit out of the fight. Rickels gave him one when he connected with a shot that put Derrow down, and one final flurry of elbows from “The Caveman” led to the TKO finish at the 44-second mark of Round 3.

“Give me the fun fights, give me whoever wants it,” Rickels said in his post-fight interview. “155, 170, whoever wants ‘The Caveman,’ give it to me. I feel like I’m top-10. I want to get in there with the best of the best.”

McKee stays unbeaten in underwhelming affair

Highly touted featherweight prospect A.J. McKee (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) lost some steam off his hype train when he beat Brandon Phillips (6-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) by unanimous decision in forgettable affair.

At 21, McKee has been pegged as a future star for Bellator and a fighter who could eventually contend for the 145-pound belt. His 15-minute contest with Phillips showed he still has plenty of ground to make up before he’s ready for the elite, because while he was never truly in danger, “The Mercenary” definitely didn’t perform like a more than 10-1 betting favorite.

The overwhelming majority of the fight saw McKee striking from the outside while Phillips tried to figure out range and counter. Phillips landed the more impactful shots, but McKee’s work rate was likely the difference in taking a decision by scores of 29-28, 29-2 and 30-27.

Complete Bellator 171 results included:

MAIN CARD (Spike)

• Chidi Njokuani def. Melvin Guillard via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-26)
• David Rickels def. Aaron Derrow via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 0:44
• Jessica Middleton def. Alice Smith Yauger via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-26)
• A.J. McKee def. Brandon Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie)

• Dominic Garcia def. William Lavine via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:08
• Chance Rencountre def. Jake Lindsey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Johnny Marigo def. Joe Fulk via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:23
• Manuel Meraz def. Scott Heston via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mike Breeden def. Craig Farley via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:38
• Justin Overton def. Gaston Reyno via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 0:34
• Jordan Young def. Chris Harris via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Tyrell Fortune def. Will Johnson via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:27
• Jarod Trice def. Kevin Woltkamp via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 3:17
• Bruna Ellen def. Carmela James via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

For more on Bellator 171, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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Filed under: Bellator, Featured, News, Videos

It doesn’t get much more lopsided than the Bellator 171 main event on Friday night.

Chidi Njokuani (17-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) dominated Melvin Guillard (32-17-2 MMA, 0-3 BMMA) in a bizarre 180-pound catchweight fight. Njokuani’s unanimous decision win – he picked up a trio of 10-8 rounds from one judge for a 30-24 and also got a 30-25 and 30-26 – dropped Guillard to 0-4 with Bellator in what may have been his last shot with the promotion.

Bellator 171 took place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

In the co-main event, welterweight David Rickels (18-4 MMA, 12-4 BMMA) gave his home fans a thrill when he overwhelmed Aaron Derrow (14-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) for a third-round TKO victory. Featherweight prospect A.J. McKee (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) had to go the distance to beat Brandon Phillips (6-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in a unanimous decision. And Jessica Middleton (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) cruised past Alice Smith Yauger (4-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a women’s flyweight fight.

Check out the highlights from the card in the video above.

And for more on Bellator 171, including a recap of the event, check out the MMA Events section of the site.