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Watch Rafael Lovato Jr.’s championship banner unveiled for home fans at Bellator 224

BAD MMA News — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:02:35 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Newly minted Bellator champion Rafael Lovato Jr. got to bring his new belt home Friday and see his championship banner for the first time. Lovato was born in Ohio, but moved to Oklahoma when he was 8. He’s been based there ever since, and the 36-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has his own academy in Oklahoma City. In June, Lovato (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) stayed unbeaten and won his first MMA title with a major upset of middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi (45-7-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) at Bellator 223 in London

Watch Rafael Lovato Jr.’s championship banner unveiled for home fans at Bellator 224 – MMA Junkie

Bellator 224 reactions: Winning and losing fighters on social media

BAD MMA News — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:03:27 +0000

Since the early days when the sport was anything but a mainstream endeavor, the MMA industry has thrived and survived through various websites, forums and, perhaps most importantly, social-media platforms. Fighters interact with fans, each other and many more through the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, which helps outsiders get a deeper look into the minds of the athletes. Following Friday’s Bellator 224 event in Thackerville, Okla., several of the winning and losing fighters, along with their coaches, training partners or family members, took to social media to react to the event or share a message with supporters. Check out some of those reactions. * * * * The defeated View this post on Instagram @bellatormma @bellator.europe thank you for letting me punch the head of the nastiest bitch I ever came across @lesliesmithmma enjoy my money you cunt A post shared by Sinead Kavanagh (@sineadkavanagh86) on Jul 13, 2019 at 6:54am PDT View this post on Instagram The Champ @championjewel I’ll share the cage some day @bellatormma @bellator.europe A post shared by Sinead Kavanagh (@sineadkavanagh86) on Jul 14, 2019 at 7:41am PDT View this post on Instagram I totally lost my match.

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Bellator 224 reactions: Winning and losing fighters on social media – MMA Junkie

Bellator 224 post-event facts: Champ Julia Budd keeps stranglehold on division

BAD MMA News — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 14:43:34 +0000

Julia Budd continued her dominance of the Bellator women’s featherweight division on Friday with a win in the Bellator 224 headliner. Budd (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) remained unbeaten in the Bellator cage and earned her third consecutive title defense with a first-round TKO win over challenger Olga Rubin (6-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) to continue her reign over the women’s 145-pound division. For more on the numbers to come out of the event, check below for 30 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 224. * * * * General Debuting fighters went 0-1 on the main card of the event. Betting favorites went 4-0 on the main card. Betting favorites improved to 5-4 (with one no-contest and one draw) in Bellator main events this year

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Bellator 224 post-event facts: Champ Julia Budd keeps stranglehold on division – MMA Junkie

After Bellator 224 win, Juliana Velasquez wants champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane before year ends

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 21:24:40 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Juliana Velasquez extended her unbeaten record with a stoppage win over Kristina Williams at Bellator 224 and said she hoped to get a shot at championship gold by the end of the year. Velasquez (9-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) had hoped for a crack at current flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane after her previous win at Bellator 212, but her second-round TKO finish of Williams (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) at WinStar World Casino on Friday night ensured her place in pole position to face the Hawaiian champ. “I hope so,” Velasquez told MMA Junkie backstage after her win

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After Bellator 224 win, Juliana Velasquez wants champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane before year ends – MMA Junkie

Former champ Rafael Carvalho unsure of what’s next after Bellator 224 win

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 20:09:02 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho returned to his winning ways with a unanimous-decision victory over Chidi Njokuani at Bellator 224, but he said his future in the division remains uncertain. Speaking to MMA Junkie backstage after his win at the WinStar World Casino, Carvalho (16-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) admitted he desperately needed to secure the victory, but also added that he was unsure of his next move. “I think it was very important to win the fight, that I return with a victory,” he said. “In the future is in the hands of Bellator and in the hands of God

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Former champ Rafael Carvalho unsure of what’s next after Bellator 224 win – MMA Junkie

Back in win column after Bellator 224, Ed Ruth plots international route to welterweight title

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 18:40:12 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Ed Ruth put the show back on the road with a stoppage win over Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 224 on Friday night, then said he fancied taking his skills on an international tour as he plots his route to the welterweight title. Speaking with MMA Junkie backstage after his second-round TKO finish of the Japanese veteran, Ruth (7-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) said he was keen to jump back into action “as soon as possible.” And while the lure of fighting on a local card in California appealed to him, he’d love nothing more than to head overseas to ply his trade around the world. “Honestly, those cards out in California I do want to get on, because it’s closer to home for me,” Ruth said. “But I’m hearing they’ve got a couple of cards overseas that I want to hop on, too. I’m no stranger to traveling.

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Back in win column after Bellator 224, Ed Ruth plots international route to welterweight title – MMA Junkie

Bellator 224 highlights: Julia Budd has arguably her most dominant title defense

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 16:02:46 +0000

Bellator 224 is in the books, and you can check out the highlights right here on MMA Junkie. The event took place Friday night at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., and aired on Paramount. In the main event, Julia Budd had arguable the most dominant defense of her women’s bantamweight title by defeating Olga Rubin via TKO at the 2:14 mark of the first round . Related Bellator 224: Julia Budd wants Gabi Garcia in Rizin on NYE, then Leslie Smith Twitter reacts to Julia Budd's TKO of Olga Rubin to defend title at Bellator 224 Also on the main card, former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho and welterweight contender Ed Ruth got back in the win column. And Juliana Velasquez earned a statement stoppage victory that could set up a potential showdown with flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

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Bellator 224 highlights: Julia Budd has arguably her most dominant title defense – MMA Junkie

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of Bellator 224 with Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 12:30:53 +0000

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a Bellator win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well. Inside, see what the fighters from the Bellator 224 main card went with as their backing tracks in Thackerville, Okla. 1 2 3 4 … 5

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of Bellator 224 with Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy – MMA Junkie

Bellator 224: Julia Budd wants Gabi Garcia in Rizin on NYE, then Leslie Smith

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 05:36:25 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – After arguably her most dominant title defense yet, Julia Budd knows a few things. For starters, Budd thinks she proved herself to be the best women’s featherweight in the world.

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Bellator 224: Julia Budd wants Gabi Garcia in Rizin on NYE, then Leslie Smith – MMA Junkie

Bellator 224 results: Takedowns pace Rafael Carvalho win over Chidi Njokuani

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 03:17:47 +0000

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Former champion Rafael Carvalho needed a win in a major way after two straight losses, and while Chidi Njokuani was no easy out, he got what he needed. Carvalho (16-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) took a unanimous decision from Njokuani (18-7 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) in a fight that featured plenty of kickboxing, muay Thai and dirty boxing – but was settled in large part thanks to takedowns for Carvalho in each of the three rounds. Carvalho, who lost the middleweight title to start a two-fight skid, won with a trio of 29-28 scores

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Bellator 224 results: Takedowns pace Rafael Carvalho win over Chidi Njokuani – MMA Junkie