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The 25 greatest Bellator fighters who never fought in the UFC

BAD MMA News — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:34:25 +0000

The official end of Bellator MMA (originally known as Bellator Fighting Championships from its debut in 2009 through 2012), coupled with the constant news of former Bellator fighters expressing their discontent with the PFL, has definitely brought on a wave of nostalgia for me – perhaps a bigger wave than I would have imagined. I’m extremely grateful for my time as a Bellator play-by-play commentator, which spanned 127 events and (somehow) exactly 1,250 fights from 2010 through 2015. One to never keep track of things like this, I went back and counted for this article. Even though I had already commentated Pride and M1 Global, when Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney hired me in November 2009, he gave me a gig that fully shifted me from being a soccer commentator to a fight commentator – which is exactly what I wanted, and for which I will always be extremely grateful. The announcement of Patricio Freire – arguably the greatest fighter in Bellator history and inarguably the fighter with the best-ever Bellator career – signing with the UFC definitely created a conversation about which other Bellator alumni could soon make this move. This also has opened up discussions about which now-retired Bellator greats could have gone to the UFC had they been given the chance, or seized the opportunity presented.

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The 25 greatest Bellator fighters who never fought in the UFC – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 medical suspensions: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane out 6 months thanks to Liz Carmouche leg kicks

BAD MMA News — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:18:34 +0000

Bellator 300 took place this past Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego and featured 16 fights. On Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of athlete medical suspensions from the California State Athletic Commission, the sanctioning body that oversaw the event. Check out the full list of medical suspensions from Bellator 300 below.

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Bellator 300 medical suspensions: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane out 6 months thanks to Liz Carmouche leg kicks – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 Main Card Photo Gallery

BAD MMA News — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 21:34:16 +0000

The Bellator 300 photo gallery illuminates the event that lived up to all expectations as it delivered a fantastic event for the company’s 300th pay-per-view card. Headlining the card, we saw Usman Nurmagomedov retain his lightweight title in a one-sided dominant performance against former champion Brent Primus. The Russian put on a clinic and showed just how well-rounded he is despite being just 25 years old. Usman Nurmagomedov vs Brent Primus Lucas Noonan/BELLATOR MMA Primus was forced to fight off a barrage of unorthodox strikes as well as a nasty ground game from his opponent. Nurmagomedov opened up his arsenal and fired hook kicks, punishing elbows, and clean fundamental attacks which kept the title challenger guessing

Bellator 300 Main Card Photo Gallery – MMA Weekly

Bellator 300 salaries: Five of six main-card fighters earn same six-figure payout

BAD MMA News — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 05:11:58 +0000

SAN DIEGO – Five of the six Bellator 300 main-card participants earned a disclosed payout of $150,000, with Cris Cyborg earning twice that amount. California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter purses Saturday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments or discretionary bonuses. Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov , Brent Primus , Cat Zingano , flyweight champ Liz Carmouche , and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane each took home $150,000, while women’s featherweight champ Cyborg earned $300,000. All six fighters earned a flat amount as opposed to being paid show money and win money

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Bellator 300 salaries: Five of six main-card fighters earn same six-figure payout – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 results: Liz Carmouche stops Ilima-Lei Macfarlane with leg kicks in battle of friends

BAD MMA News — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 04:03:22 +0000

SAN DIEGO – Bellator president Scott Coker figured the friendship between flyweight champion Liz Carmouche and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane would go out the window once the bell rang in their Bellator 300 fight. It wasn’t quite like that – but in the end, one of them was taken off on a stretcher. Carmouche (20-7 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), who wasn’t at risk of losing her title after Macfarlane (13-3 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) missed weight, earned a surprising fifth-round TKO victory to retain her belt Saturday night at Pechanga Arena that, at times, resembled a glorified sparring session – at least in the beginning. Round 1 saw the two friends mostly just circle each other, with Macfarlane initiating most of the offense, although nothing significant ever landed

Bellator 300 results: Liz Carmouche stops Ilima-Lei Macfarlane with leg kicks in battle of friends – MMA Junkie

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane addresses Bellator 300 weight miss for title fight against friend Liz Carmouche

BAD MMA News — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 21:23:40 +0000

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will no longer be fighting for the Bellator gold after missing weight Friday morning. Her good friend Liz Carmouche, who is also her good friend, didn’t hold it against her. The two friends were set to compete for the Bellator women’s flyweight title on the main card of Bellator 300, but it has since become a one-way title fight after Macfarlane weighed in at 126.6 pounds.

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Ilima-Lei Macfarlane addresses Bellator 300 weight miss for title fight against friend Liz Carmouche – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 breakdown: Will Ilima-Lei Macfarlane stop friend Liz Carmouche’s title run?

BAD MMA News — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:44:11 +0000

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down MMA’s top bouts. Today, we look at the featured flyweight title fight for Bellator 300. Bellator 300 takes place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. The main card, which features three title fights, airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 300 breakdown: Will Ilima-Lei Macfarlane stop friend Liz Carmouche’s title run? – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 referees, judges assigned for three title fights

BAD MMA News — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:32:30 +0000

Referees and judges for the three Bellator 300 title fights have been assigned. California State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster informed MMA Junkie of the assignments for the event, which takes place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

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Bellator 300 referees, judges assigned for three title fights – MMA Junkie

Friends Liz Carmouche, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane embrace being foes – for one night only at Bellator 300

BAD MMA News — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 00:07:47 +0000

SAN DIEGO – Friends and former teammates competing against each other is common in sports. Take the NFL, for example, where each Sunday players are always up against guys with whom they used to share the locker room. Like MMA, football is a violent sport. Unlike MMA, there is no intent to injure with every tackle – only to bring the ball carrier down to the turf

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Friends Liz Carmouche, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane embrace being foes – for one night only at Bellator 300 – MMA Junkie

Bellator 300 video: Friends, teammates Liz Carmouche and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane have first official faceoff in San Diego

BAD MMA News — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 21:50:51 +0000

SAN DIEGO – The trio of title fights at Bellator 300 starts with a showdown storyline straight out of a movie. Women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on longtime teammate, friend and former titleholder Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (13-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA).

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Bellator 300 video: Friends, teammates Liz Carmouche and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane have first official faceoff in San Diego – MMA Junkie