AMMO Fight League’s Halloween event on Saturday night will include a grappling match between former Connecticut favorite Brennan Ward and Chris Samboy, who trains at Underdog BJJ in Hartford. Ward is perhaps best known for competing in Bellator’s middleweight tournament about eight years ago, during which he began as an alternate and eventually lost to then-champion Alexander Shlemenko.

A pair of amateur championship fights will headline the event, which will start at 5 PM at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Jessen Ramcharan will fight John Lamia for a vacant bantamweight title. Casey Norton of Terryville will fight Michael Queen for a vacant flyweight title.

The rest of the evening will include 12 amateur bouts;

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(September 17 – Hartford, CT)

UFC veteran Matt Bessette (25-10) announced his departure from MMA in dramatic fashion on Saturday night in front of a hometown crowd at the latest CES MMA event.

Bessette, who started as a lightweight champion for Reality Fighting and also competed in Bellator’s featherweight tournament, threw down his gloves following a submission victory over Ryan Dela Cruz (11-7) during the main event that evening.

He and Cruz traded punches and kicks throughout the bout with Bessette generally getting the better of the exchanges. Bessette, who fell on his rear end after missing a high kick during the second round, landed some strikes in the third round before he clinched and brought Cruz to the ground.

The win, which he clinched at 4:48 into that round with a reverse triangle choke, earned him the organization’s vacant world lightweight title. He also holds the organization’s featherweight title.

He verbally confirmed his retirement from the sport in front of the crowd at the Connecticut Convention Center. He reflected briefly on an MMA career that spanned 14 years and included an appearance on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.

During the evening’s other title fight, Jay “the Joker” Perrin (9-4) tapped out Joshua Smith (8-6) during the second round with a rear naked choke at about 1:30 and secured CES MMA’s bantamweight world title. The two clinched a lot during the first round, with Smith landing at least one knee. But Perrin generally dictated the pace of the fight and secured the win following a striking exchange.

Appropriately, a fighter nicknamed “Batman” won the previous fight on the card. Gary Balletto Jr. (7-2) secured a first round win over fellow welterweight Daniel Frunza (4-2) at 1:56 with a rear naked choke (there were a lot of these that evening).

Justin “the Fort” Sumter (8-4) opened his middleweight fight against Albert Tadevosyan (7-2-1) with a double-leg takedown. He then dominated a striking exchange that brought Tadevosyan to the ground. Sumter submitted Tadevosyan at 2:23 in the first round with a rear naked choke.

Eddy George (4-0) knocked down Rodolfo Barcellos (1-2) at least three times during the first round and stood until the referee waved the lightweight fight off at 1:27. George won by TKO with a right shot to the jaw ending the bout.

Gabriella Gulfin (3-3) earned a split decision from the judges following her lightweight bout with Alexandra Ballou (2-2). Two judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Gulfin and one scored 29-24 in favor of Ballou.

Ballou knocked Gulfin down with a straight punch to the face virtually at the end of the first round. Gulfin got at least two single-leg takedowns, attempted a rear naked choke and landed some strikes against a downed Ballou during the second round. Gulfin pulled of another single-leg takedown during the third round and throw some punches from the top – Ballou landed an elbow strike from the bottom before the round ended.

Harris Bonfiglio (2-2) submitted Kyle Lindner (0-1) at 2:14 in the first round of a flyweight bout. Bonfiglio landed a high side kick that dropped Lindner before he pounced on him and ended the fight with a rear naked choke.

Nate Ghareeb (4-1) ground and pounded his way to a TKO victory over Eduardo Rodrigues (1-1). Ghareeb ended the featherweight bout at 4:31 in the first round.

Israel Galvan (2-2) lifted and dropped David Durao (0-1) during the first round of their flyweight bout and later tried to stomp on his body. Durao threw a knee at Galvan, missed and fell during the second before the latter pounced on him. Galvan attempted a rear naked choke during the third and later dropped hammer fists on Durao. The judges all scored it 30-27 and awarded Galvan a unanimous decision.

The evening opened with a bantamweight bout Charra Phon (0-1) and Aaron Reese (1-2). A smattering of striking exchanges marked the fight, which the referee briefly stopped when Reese received a kick to the groin. Reese earned a unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 30-27.

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This week at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA, Premier FC will hold its first one-night tournament. The September 18 event will feature eight lightweights paired against each other with the winner receiving $12,000 and the runner up $9,000.

According to information available as of press time, the participating fighters so far include; UFC veteran Estevan Payan; Glory Kickboxing veteran Dylan Salvador; Bellator veteran Sam Watford; former Premier FC title holder Ali Zebian; number four-ranked New England fighter Jacob Bohn; number seven-ranked New England fighter D'Juan Owens; and Fabio Serrao 

The event will be available for streaming here.

There will also be a regular card as well. A bout between the tournament finalists and a middleweight championship fight between George Tokkos and Yun Ji will headline the event. The main card also includes;

• Timmy Tyler versus Pat Casey
• Marcel Fortuna versus Tim Caron
• Ras Hylton versus Domingo Barros.
• Tim Flores versus Bramdon Neiford
• Matt Denning versus Sage Philippe.

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The Connecticut Convention Center will host CES MMA on September 17.

Connecticut favorite Matt Bessette (24-10) will fight Ryan Dela Cruz (11-6) for the vacant lightweight title during the evening’s main event, whivch will be five rounds. Bessette currently holds the CES featherweight belt.

The card also includes a bantamweight world championship fight between Joshua Smith (8-5) and Jay Perrin (8-4).

The other bouts include;

• A welterweight bout between Gary Balletto Jr. (6-2) and Daniel Frunza (4-1).
• A lightweight bout between Eddy George (3-0) and Rodolfo Barcellos (1-1).
• A middleweight bout between Justin Sumter (7-4) and Albert Tadevosyan (7-1-1).
• A lightweight bout between Alexandra Ballou (2-1) and Gabriella Gulfin (2-3).
• A flyweight bout between Harris Bonfiglio (2-1) and Kyle Lindner in his professional debut.
• A featherweight bout between Nate Ghareeb (3-1) and Eduardo Rodrigues (1-0).
• A flyweight bout between Israel Galvan (1-2) and David Durao in his professional debut.
• A bantamweight bout between Aaron Reese (0-2) and Charra Phon in his professional debut.

We chatted with Karyn Wesch, the CEO of the CT-based Premier FC, about her professional background and the organization’s upcoming one-night tournament – an eight-man event in the mold of the earliest UFC shows. The MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts will host the event on the evening of September 18. We will provide updates on our blog and Facebook page as the event approaches.

Nutmegmma: What sparked your interest in organizing an eight-man tournament?

Wesch: The one-night tournament is something we have talked about for a few years.  We actually had a tournament back in 2012 or 2013 but it was spread out over several months to determine the champion. Since that time, we discussed how we could throw a one night tournament with the best fighters in a given weight class.  After Invicta successfully had a one-night event back in June we knew it was a possibility and put our minds together to make it happen.

Nutmegmma: Will the tournament include weight classes?

Wesch: This tournament will consist of the best fighters in the lightweight division.  We discussed which weight class appeared to be producing the most high-level fighters at the moment and agreed that the 155lbs division was the logical choice.  That’s not to say the other weight classes aren’t exciting but at this moment the 155lb division is highly competitive and exciting.  But every few months the excitement changes from weight class to weight class.

Nutmegmma: Have the fighters been selected?

Wesch: We have received a lot of interest from fighters both regionally and nationally.  We have selected half of the participants and we are still gathering names and choosing the best candidates.  The ones who have been selected are clearly top level fighters and have big names in the sport.  The remaining spots will be filled soon as there is a solid choice to choose from.  We wanted to ensure everyone who wanted in had a chance to put their name in.  There are still a few fighters we want in the tournament and are awaiting their response to the opportunity.

Nutmegmma: What is the prize?

Wesch: If you win this tournament you will walk away with $12,000 and runner-up walks away with $9000.  We wanted the payout to equal the risk of the tournament.  It takes a special fighter to sign up for this type of tournament.  It has a very “old school” feel to it.  A lot of modern fighters want to take fights that pad their records with hopes of making it to the next level.  There are plenty of promotions to help that type of fighter.  We wanted to go in a different direction and we were willing to put up the money to show the fighters we are willing to invest in them.

So basically, every fight you win in the tournament increases your pay dramatically.  To win it all you need to win three fights that night.

Nutmegmma: How often will you hold these tournaments?

Wesch: Excellent question.  We are still trying to work out the details but our hope is we can host these tournaments at least three times per year.  We have received an overwhelming show of support and interest from fighters, coaches, and fans regarding the tournament.  As long as the fighters enjoy these types of events and the fans continue to support there will be no reason we won’t continue to produce these tournaments.

In fact, we have already announced that our next tournament will be held in February 2022 and the weight class will be middleweight (185lbs).

Nutmegmma: Will you still hold regular events?

Wesch: Yes.  We will still hold regular events outside of the tournaments.  The tournament will be part of larger events and will occur within the shows.  But we will also be hosting events that will not have tournaments in them.

Nutmegmma: When was Premier FC established and when did you hold your first show?

Wesch: Premier Fighting Championship was established back in 2009 in the office of a fight school. Myself and Jason Franklin were building American Fight Team and said we were sick of watching all our fighters be brought in to other states as the opponent because the promotions in WesternMass were a free-for-all joke. At that moment in time I didn’t know anything about running a promotion but jumped in the deep end head first!! The state was not sanctioned at the time but wanted to be so the UFC could do shows here. I spent months going to Boston from Connecticut to watch as the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission changed laws to allow MMA in the state. I held my first show one year later in 2010. From there, it was a journey that has enriched me with years of knowledge and I am still excited to say I am 100% still in it almost 12 years later. 

Nutmegmma: How many venues have hosted your shows?

Wesch: Premier has been invited to host our shows in five different locations. All different layouts but helping us organically grow into where we are today. I still hold great relationships with all of them but we just don't fit in them any longer. We can't thank the fight fans enough for coming back show after show to enjoy amazing MMA fights. 

Nutmegmma: Could you recap your professional background?

Wesch: As I stated above, I spent months in Boston while Massachusetts was getting sanctioned. At the time, I owned a cleaning company and had lots of little ones at home. My professional background was in Business and Marketing thanks to my amazing parents who owned businesses when I was growing up. I took every lesson learned in being a parent, a hard worker and a business owner and poured it into building what today is Premier FC! 

Nutmegmma: What are your long-term professional goals regarding MMA?

Wesch: I have been blessed in my career to have met some of the most influential people in the sport of MMA. Every one of them has brought me knowledge to help me grow in this sport. From Dana White to amateur fighters, they all have something to better me as a promoter and matchmaker and I thank every one of them for it! 

Nutmegmma: Could you provide more details regarding the Muay Thai shows that you are considering?

Wesch: Premier FC started back in 2009 with the first show being held in 2010. It was organically grown without putting itself deep into debt. My goal back then was to grow it as big as I could and go from there. We are thrilled to say we have implemented a new division under our umbrella. We will have our first Boxing event "Premier Fighting Championship Boxing" in November 2021. We are looking to also add Muay Thai under our umbrella somewhere in the summer of 2022. 

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• Carlos "the Cannon" Candelario (8-0-0) of Hartford is scheduled to fight Victor Altamirano (9-1-0) in a flyweight bout during Dana White's Conteder Series, which will air on Aug. 31. Candelario defeated Ronaldo Candido (6-0-0) by unanimous decision on the program in 2017 but was not awarded a spot in the UFC. 
• Southington native Parker Porter (2-6-0) earned a unanimous decision over Chase Sherman (15-8-0) during a heavyweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Cannonier versus Gastelum on Aug. 21. Porter, a Bellator veteran who used to compete in Reality Fighting and CES, has previously fought and lost to Jon Jones and Gabriel Gonzaga. Complete results are posted here.
• A Connecticut light heavyweight that competed twice on Dana White's Contender Series won on the preliminary card during the same event. William "Knightmare" Knight (10-2-0) of Manchester, a veteran of Premier Fighting Championship and CES, knocked out Fabio Cherant (7-3-0) at 3:58 in the first round. Knight, who started his career with Reality Fighting, landed a straight left that dropped Cherant and pounced on him. He peppered him with rights before the referee ended the fight.

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(Uncasville, CT -- August 13)

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A middleweight title fight between reigning belt holder Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2) and top-ranked contender John Salter (18-4) will headline Bellator MMA 264 on August 13. The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville will host the event. 

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Area favorite Carlos Candelario (7-0) will be one of three Connecticut fighters will appear on the card for CES 63 this week.

The MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts will host the event on August 6 along with a boxing event promoted by CES on August 7.

A welterweight bout between UFC veteran John Howard (28-16) and Ozzie Alvarez (8-6) will serve as the main event of the evening. Howard has also fought for the Professional Fighters League and the World Series of Fighting. This will be Alvarez’s first fight with CES.

New Britain native Candelario, who trains at Underdog BJJ in Hartford, will fight Miguel Restrepo (5-5) in a bantamweight bout. Candelario defeated Ronaldo Candido (6-0, according to www.tapology.com) by unanimous decision during his 2017 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series but was not selected to compete in the UFC.

Two West Haven fighters, Will Smith (3-3) and Eddy George (2-0), will also appear on the card. Smith, who lost his last two fights with Bellator, will face Chris Disonell (5-4) in a bantamweight bout. George, who trains with the Fighting Arts Academy in Springfield, will fight Tony Jackson in a lightweight bout -- Jackson will make his professional debut that evening.

Miguel Cuevas, who fights out of Springfield, and Kody Murray will make their debuts in a featherweight bout.

Josh Hardy will make his debut against Tom Pagliarulo (1-0) in a featherweight bout.

Ashiek Ajim (3-1) will fight Richard Barnard (2-6) in a bantamweight bout.

Nick Fiore (1-0) will fight Jay Ellis (15-98) in a featherweight bout.

Thad Jean and Sage Philippe will make their debuts in a featherweight bout.

CES will present their next Connecticut event on September 17. The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford will host the card, dubbed CES 64: Champ versus Champ, which will feature a lightweight world title fight between Connecticut favorite Matt Bessette (24-10, according to www.tapology.com) and Bruce Boyington (17-12, according to wwwtapology.com).

www.nutmegmma.com will post more information on this event.

(Editor’s note: all fighter statistics provided by CES representatives unless otherwise indicated.)

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A 170-pound pound professional bout between Connor Barry and Gary Edwards will headline the Glastonbury-based AMMO Fight League’s next MMA event -- Ammo: The Return.

The Big E in West Springfield, MA will host the event on August 7. That evening’s card will also feature 15 amateur bouts and open with two grappling events. One of the bouts will be a five-round championship bout between Nuridiin Abrar and Brian Cosco, who will both compete for the 155-pound championship, which is vacant.

The rest of the card includes;

• Anthony Alvarado will fight Jessen Ramcharan in a 140-pound bout.
• Anthony Basile will fight Nick Roman in a 155-pound bout.
• Samantha Ayala will fight Crystal Nadeau in a 130-pound bout.
• Ray Johns will fight Kenyon Moore in a 170-pound bout.
• Aidan DeFran will fight George Demers in a 170-pound bout.
• Jonathan Colon will fight Tyler O’Doerty in a 155-pound bout.
• Casey Norton will fight Ebrahim Aziz in a 125-pound bout.
• Jon Hayes will fight Julian Reza in a 170-pound bout.
• Justin Perez will fight Jack Maycock in a 155-pound bout.
• Robby Grillo will fight Matthew Rodriguez in a 130-pound bout.
• LenPatrick Asselin will fight Jon Viruet in a 170-pound bout.
• Jake Russo will fight Parker Smith in a 145-pound bout.
• Logan Bond will fight Lee Mchorse in a 190-pound bout.
• Brandon Neiford will fight A.J. Barton in a 125-pound bout.

The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville will host Bellator 262 on Friday evening. A flyweight world title fight between belt holder Juliana Velasquez (11-0) and Denise Kielholtz (6-2) will headline the event. 

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(June 25 -- Uncasville, CT)

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(June 25)

A heavyweight title fight between Timothy Edwards (15-6) and Valentin Moldavsky ((10-1) will headline Bellator 261 tonight, June 25. Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT will host the event, which will include a flyweight fight between Liz Carmouche (15-7) and Kana Watanabe ((10-0-1).

The main event will mark the first time that Bellator has awarded an interim heavyweight  title. The current heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader (28-6), is now competing in the organization’s Heavyweight Grand Prix.

The main card will also include;

• A featherweight bout between Daniel Weichel (40-12) and Keoni Diggs (9-0).
• A lightweight bout between Myles Jury (19-5) and Sidney Outlaw (15-4).
• A light heavyweight bout between Christian Edwards (4-0) and Simon Biyong (7-1).

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(June 11 – Uncasville, CT)

Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) and Jason Jackson (15-4) were among the winners at Bellator MMA 260, which Mohegan Sun Arena hosted on Friday evening.

Amosov, who won the welterweight world championship title, used his wrestling skills to smother Douglas Lima (32-9) for five rounds during the main event. Two judges scored the bout 49-46 and one scored it 50-45.

Jackson used takedowns to trump fellow welterweight Paul Daley (43-18-2) for three rounds during the co-main event. Daley’s striking skills only figured occasionally as Jackson pounced on Daley and lay on him for much of the fight, which was contracted at 170 pounds. The bout yielded a hostile reaction from the frustrated audience. Judges awarded Jackson a unanimous decision and scored it 30-27.

“It’s not easy to come out here and do what me and Paul Daley just did,” said Jackson amidst the boos. “We came out here, we fought our asses off.”

Aaron Pico (8-3) submitted Aiden Lee (9-5) with an anaconda choke at 1:33 in the third round of a featherweight bout. “I’ll fight anybody in the top 10 honestly,” said Pico afterwards. He scored eight takedowns during the fight before securing the win.

The main card opened with a welterweight fight between Mark Lemminger (12-3) and Demarques Jackson (11-6). Lemminger, who dominated the majority of the fight, punched his way to a TKO victory at 3:30 in the second round.

Jackson did reverse his position on the ground during the second round and take Lemminger’s back. But Lemminger assumed a dominant position again and dropped elbows, attempted a rear naked choke and grounded-and-pounded before the referee waved the fight off.

The preliminary card opened with a light heavyweight fight between Alex Polozzi (8-1) and Gustavo Trujillo (3-2). Polizzi submitted Trujillo with a straight arm bar in the first round.

Poliizzi shot for a single leg takedown early in the first round but wound up on his back with Trujillo in the top position. Trujillo later lifted and dropped Polizzi, who reversed his position on the ground and attempted a rear naked choke. He eventually secured the win at 4:22.

Marina Mokhnatkina (5-2) defeated Amanda Bell (7-8) by unanimous decision during a generally one-sided featherweight bout. Bell attempted a submission from the bottom near the end of the last round and stalked Mokhnatkina during much of the stand-up phase. All three judges scored it 30-27.

Lucas Brennan (4-0) submitted Matthew Skibicki (4-4) by anaconda choke at 1:54 in the first round. The bout was contracted at 150 pounds.

Bobby King (10-3) defeated local favorite Nick Newell (16-4) by split decision. Two judges scored the lightweight bout 30-27 for King and the other scored it 29-28 for Newell.

Newell pinned King against the fence early in the first round. King responded with hammer fists and the two ended the round by exchanging frantic striking combinations.

During the second round, King threw kicks at Newell’s chest and stepped up his striking while Newell used clinching, knees and wrestling. Newell attempted two guillotines during the frame. The referee briefly stopped the round after Newell received a kick to the crotch.

Newell continued to wrestle and cinch during the third round, at one point catching one of King’s kicks and throwing him. King kept throwing punches during the round while Newell ended it by attempting a flying knee.

Justin Gonzales (12-0) defeated Tywan Claxton (6-3) by split decision. Two judges scored the featherweight bout 29-28 in favor of Gonzales and one scored it 29-28 in favor of Claxton.

The two exchanged strikes during the first round but Gonzales appeared more aggressive. Gonzales had a bloody nose during the middle of the frame.

Claxton took down Gonzales during the second round after a striking exchange. The fighters returned to their feet and clinched with Claxton throwing knees.

Claxton threw a high kick and slipped early in the third round. The fighters continued to clinch and exchange strikes as the bout ended.

Kyle Crutchmer (7-1) defeated Levan Cokheli (9-1, with one no contest) by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the welterweight bout 30-27.  Crutchmer shot in on Cokheli during the first round, later lifting and dropping him. Crutchmer continued to dominate the bout in similar fashion.

A women’s fight between Vanessa Porto (22-9) and Ilara Joanne (9-5) was scratched.

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A welterweight world title fight between reigning champion Douglas Lima (32-8) and Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) will headline Bellator MMA 260 on Friday, June 11 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

Paul Daley (43-17-2) will fight Jason Jackson (14-4) during the evening’s co-main event. Organizers contracted the bout at 175 pounds.

Area favorite Nick Newell (16-3) of Milford, CT will appear on the preliminary card in a lightweight bout against Bobby King (9-3).

The rest of the main card includes;

• A featherweight bout between Aaron Pico (7-3) and Aiden Lee (9-4).
• A bout between Vanessa Porto (22-9) and Ilara Joanne (9-5) contracted at 128 pounds.
• A welterweight bout between Demarques Jackson (11-5) and Mark Lemminger (11-3).

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(May 21 -- Uncasville, CT)

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(Uncasville, CT -- May 7)

Sergio Pettis (21-5) secured tBellator MMA's bantamweight belt from Juan Archuleta (25-3) during the main event at Bellator 258. Mohegan Sun Arena hosted the event that evening.

Two judges scored the bout 49-46. One judge scored it 50-45.

Archuleta shot for a takedown early in the first round but Pettis stuffed it. He succeeded in taking Pettis down during the second round, although Pettis returned to his feet quickly and disengaged before Archuleta attempted a single-leg. Pettis appeared more dominant during the stand-up that marked the third and fourth rounds. Archuleta brought the fight to the ground again during the fifth round but Pettis countered by attempting a triangle choke from the bottom.

“I knew he was going to get the better of the exchanges,” said Pettis afterward. “He hit me with some good shots but I knew my shots were hitting him a little bit harder. I was calculated, calm. He said there was a storm running and there was heavy tides but   I was out here and I was water tonight.

Anthony Johnson (23-6), who returned to the sport after a four-year break, knocked out Jose Augusto (7-3, with one no-contest) at (1:30 in the second round. Johnson ended the exciting fight with a right-handed counterpunch. The win advances him to the semifinals for Bellator’s Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, during which organizers will match him against Vadim Nemkov (14-2).

Augusto took the fight on short notice after Yoel Romero (13-5) failed to pass a physical exam. Bellator spokespersons confirmed that he will be eligible to replay for clearance to fight in the coming months.

Peter Quaelly (13-5) defeated Patricky Pitbull (23-9) by TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage at :01 in the third round of a lightweight bout. The stoppage occurred due to a cut near Pitbull’s eye.

There was a brief stoppage in he fiurst round after Quaelly ustained a kick to the groind during a striking exchange. Pitbull secured takedowns during the first two rounds but was clearly bleeding from the forehead courtesy of an elbow strike from a grounded Quaelly.

“If you think you’re going to stop me with leg kicks, you need another plan,” said Quaelly, who praised his opponent and expressed an interest in fighting Pitbull’s brother Patricio next.

Michael Page (19-1) defeated Derek Anderson (17-4, with one-no contest) by TKO after a doctor’s stoppage at the end of the first round. The stoppage resulted from Page flattening Anderson’s nose with a high kick during the fight, which was contracted at 175 pounds and opened the main card.

Anderson pinned Page against the cage early in the fight in an attempt to trump Page’s evasiveness. But Page eluded Anderson during much of the fight.

“Tough guys are only good when they can hit their target,” said Page, who expressed admiration for Anderson. “Strength means everything when you can land but t means nothing when you can’t, and that’s my whole thing.”

The preliminary card opened with a bantamweight bout between Erik Perez (20-8) and Blaine Shutt (8-5). Perez earned a unanimous decision win with two judges scored it 30-27 and one scored it 30-26. Shutt shot for a single leg takedown in the first round and later attempted a guillotine, but Perez generally dominated the bout.

Johnny Soto (4-1) earned a unanimous decision over Walter Almeida (5-1) during a featherweight bout. Two judges scored it 29-28 and one scored it 29-27.

Almeida hot in on Soto in the first round. But Soto generally dicta5ed he pace and put Almeida in a rear naked choke as he round ended.

Johnny Campbell (21-13, with one no-contest) submitted Henry Corrales (18-6) with a rear naked choke at 4:12 in the second round of a bantamweight bout. Campbell dropped Corrales with an uppercut and secured a bully mount before eventually transitioning to his back and ending the fight.

Johnny Eblen (8-0) grounded and pounded his way to victory over Daniel Madrid (18-7) at 2:44 in the first round of a middleweight bout.

Patchy Mix (14-1) submitted Albert Morales (10-7-1) with an arm triangle choke at 2:40 in the third round of a bantamweight fight. Mix attempted a couple of rear naked choke during the second round.

Raufeon Stots (16-1) defeated Josh Hill (20-3) by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bantamweight bout 30-27.

Lorenz Larkin (23-7, with one no-contest) defeated Rafael Carvalho (16-6) by split decision. All three judges scored the middleweight bout 29-28 with one favoring Carvalho.

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A bantamweight title fight between belt holder Juan Archuleta (25-2) and Sergio Pettis (20-5) will headline Bellator MMA 258 on May 7. Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT will host the event that evening.

Bellator will also present a bout in the quarterfinals of their Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. Anthony Johnson (22-6) will fight Jose Augusto (7-2 with one no contest) to determine who will advance to the semi-finals.

The main card will also include a lightweight bout between Patricky Pitbull (23-9) and Peter Queally (12-5-1).  

A bout between Michael Paige (18-1) and Derek Anderson (17-3 with one no-contest) has been contracted at 175 pounds for the event.

The preliminary card will include;

• A bantamweight bout between Josh Hill (20-3) and Raufeon Stots (15-1).
• A middleweight bout between Lorenz Larkin (22-7 with one no-contest) and Rafael Carvalho (16-5).
• A bantamweight bout between Patrick Mix (13-1) and Albert Morales (10-6-1).
• A welterweight bout between Logan Storley (11-1) and Omar Hussein (8-2).
• A middleweight bout between Johnny Eblen (7-0) and Daniel Madrid (18-6).
• A bantamweight bout between Henry Corrales (18-5) and Johnny Campbell (20-13 with one no-contest).
• A featherweight bout between Weber Almeida (5-0) and Johnny Soto (3-1).
• A bantamweight bout between Erik Perez (19-8) and Blaine Shutt (8-4).

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(April 16 – Uncasville, CT)

Vadim Nemkov (13-2) defeated Phil Davis (22-5, with one no-contest) by unanimous decision during the main event of Bellator 257 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Nemkov, who is Bellator’s current light heavyweight champion, has advanced to the semi-finals for the organization’s Grand Prix in that weight class – he will face the winner of a bout between Yoel Romero (13-5) and Anthony Johnson (22-6) on May 7 at the arena.

“It’s very hard to knockout Phil Davis so I was getting ready for a five round fight and I knew I was going to go the distance,” said Nemkov. “Our conditioning was put on point.”

Nemkov generally dominated the first three rounds of the bout as he outpunched Davis and mostly dictated the pace of the fight. But Davis began to improve during the fourth round as he stopped a takedown attempt by Nemkov before getting on top of him, landed some decent punches and threw a high kick. Nemkov’s face bled during the fifth round as the standup continued and he attempted a takedown – Davis landed a knee to Nemkov’s midsection during the round and stopped another takedown attempt. All three judges scored the bout 48-47.

Corey Anderson (15-5) grounded and pounded his way to a TKO victory over Dovletdzhan Yaghimuradov (18-6-1) during the third round of another light heavyweight bout in the quarterfinals. Anderson will next fight Ryan Bader (28-6, with one no-contest) in the semi-finals. Bader defeated Lyoto Machida (26-11) at the arena last week, avenging a loss from about nine years ago.

Yaghimuradov landed an impressive spinning heel kick against Anderson during the first round, but Anderson generally outstruck him, getting a single leg takedown during the second round and launching a ground-and-pound attack that included lots of elbows. Anderson brought down Yaghimuradov early in the third round and fired a volley of elbows and punches. The referee waved the fight off at 2:15.

Veta Arteaga (6-4) earned an unanimous decision over Desiree Yanez (5-2) during a flyweight bout. One judge scored the fight 28-28 – the referee deducted a point during the second round after Arteaga threw two illegal knees in the clinch. Two judges scored it 29-27.

Arteaga appeared more aggressive during the first round as she worked angles during the standup. She took Yanez’s back near the end.

She knocked down Yanez during the second round and pounced on her before she ended up in her half guard. She later attempted a rear naked choke before she kneed Yanez in the face a few times. Although Yanez was standing, she also was supporting herself up with one hand, which prompted the referee stoppage.

Yanez clinched with Arteaga during the third round, changed levels and scored a double-leg takedown. But Arteaga pushed Yanez off with her legs and the returned to their feet. They continued to clinch and exchange shots as the fight ended.

The main card opened with a bout between Paul Daley (47-17-2) and Sabah Homasi (15-9). Bellator contracted the fight at 175 pounds.

Homasi started strong in the first round as he served a buffet of punches, kicks and knees to Daley before jumping into his guard and attempting to ground-and-pound him. But Daley stifled the attempt and got back on his feet – he landed a few knees to Homasi’s face before the round ended.

During the second round, Daley caught an attempted kick and dropped Homasi twice with punches – he used hammer fists with his first ground-and-pound attempt and more punches with his second before the referee waved the fight off at 1:44.

During the preliminary card, Karl Albrektsson (11-3) defeated Viktor Nemkov (30-8-1) by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the light heavyweight bout 30-27.

Nemkov started the first round out well by putting Albrektsson in a guillotine. But Albrektsson lifted and dropped him before he slipped out of it and later attempted to attack from the top with punches and elbows. This setr the general pattern for the rest of the fight.

Lance Gibson Jr. (3-0) defeated Marcus Surin (6-2). By unanimous decision. Two judges scored the lightweight bout 30-27 and one scored it 29-28. Gibson generally dominated the first round but sustained an accidental eye poke while slipping a punch during the second, which prompted a referee stoppage. Surin managed to take Gibson’s back and attempted to ground and pound him during the third round.

Raymond Daniels (3-1, with one no-contest) defeated Peter Stanonik (4-4, with one no-contest) by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the welterweight bout 30-26 and one scored it 30-27. Daniels generally dominated he fight and threw lots of high kicks as well as a variety of other strikes. Stanonik reversed his position on the ground during the third round and attempted to ground and pound Daniels.

Grachik Bozinyan (11-4) defeated Demarques Jackson (11-5) by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the welterweight bout 29-28 and one scored it 30-27. Jacksom shot for a takedown in the first round but wound up o the bottom after some clinching. Bozinyan scored a takedown early in the second round after changing levels in the clinch and generally dominated the fight at that point. Jackson eventually took Bozinyan’s back during the third, but the latter reversed his position.

Steve Mowry (9-0) made quick work of fellow heavyweight Shaun Asher (13-4-1) with a TKO victory at :55 in the first round. Mowry landed a knee that dropped Asher and rained hammer fists on him as the referee stopped the fight.

Julius Auglickas (10-1) defeated Gregory Milliard (12-5) by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the light heavyweight bout 30-27 and one scored it 29-28. Auglickas secured a few takedowns during the fight.

Julia Budd (15-3) defeated fellow featherweight Dayana Silva (9-6) by split decision. All three judges scored it 29-29 with two favoring Budd. Budd secured take downs during the second and third rounds although Silva countered with a whizzer during the last round and returned to her feet.

Jay Jay Wilson (8-0) defeated Pedro Carvalho (11-5) by TKO due to strikes at :53 in the second round of a featherweight bout.

Mads Burnell (15-3) submitted Saul Rogers (14-4) with a rear naked choke at 4:08 in the second round of a featherweight bout.

(Editorial note: fighter records provided by spokespersons for Bellator).

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