Bellator 263: “Pitbull vs McKee” is set to air TONIGHT (Sat., July 31, 2021) from The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif., broadcasting via Showtime. Headlining the event will a Featherweight title fight between division kingpin, Patricio Friere and A.J. McKee. The bout will also mark the conclusion of the promotion’s $1 million Featherweight Grand Prix, which began in mid-2019 and was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bellator 263’s main card will air on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results for the full card and comprehensive play-by-play for the televised portion of Bellator 263 below.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action. Feel free to leave a comment (or 263) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 263 QUICK RESULTS
145 lbs.: Featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull vs A.J. McKee (Featherweight World Grand Prix Final) – McKee via first round submission (HIGHLIGHTS)
145 lbs.: Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Mads Burnell – Burnell via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Manny Muro – Nurmagomedov via first round TKO (HIGHLIGHTS)
155 lbs.: Brent Primus vs. Islam Mamedov – Mamedov via split decision
155 lbs.: Goiti Yamauchi vs. Chris Gonzalez – Yamauchi via first round TKO
125 lbs.: Vanessa Porto vs. Ilara Joanne – Porto via split decision
155 lbs.: Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Daniel Carey – Rabadanov via first round knockout (HIGHLIGHTS)
145 lbs.: Khasan Magomedsharipov vs. Jonathan Quiroz – Magomedsharipov via second round TKO (HIGHLIGHTS)
180 lbs.: Joshua Jones vs. Johnny Cisneros – Jones via second round TKO
155 lbs.: Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Kiefer Crosbie – Karakhanyan, first round submission
135 lbs.: Brian Moore vs. Jordan Winksi – Moore via unanimous decision
BELLATOR 263 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Patricio Pitbull vs A.J. McKee – Featherweight World Grand Prix Final
Round 1: McKee with an inside leg kick. “Pitbull” lands a hard low kick. Both men are tentative to start. A lot of circling, feeling out. McKee lands a hard right kick that stuns “Pitbull.” He’s hurt! McKee goes in for the kill and “Pitbull” looks like he’s out. McKee celebrates the win but the fight is not over. McKee goes in and latches on a guillotine. It’s tight, “Pitbull” is out! Now it is over and McKee pulls off the upset! Wow!
Final Result: Mckee via first round submission
Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Mads Burnell
Round 1: High kick from Sanchez. Burnell goes in for the single leg, no-go. Nice low kick from Burnell. Body shot from Sanchez, then up top. Body shot from Burnell and Sanchez fires right back. No one is backing down in this slugfest. Sanchez with a nice liver shot but Burnell eats it right up. Low kick from Burnell and Sanchez fires right back. These two are exchanging shots until Burnell goes in and lands the takedown. Burnell lands a nice one-two punch combination on the break. Both of these men are letting it all fly. What a great first round. Sanchez is bleeding from his left eye. Nice uppercut from Sanchez finds its spot and Burnell goes in for another takedown and he gets it. Great first round. 10-9 Sanchez
Round 2: Burnell goes in and lands another hard takedown, Burnell’s wrestling is on point tonight. He has Sanchez up against the cage. Sanchez separates and starts to let his fists fly. This is an absolute dog fight. Sanchez goes in for a lazy takedown. Spinning kick from Sanchez and Burnell ducks right under it. Both men look exhausted. Nice shot to the body from Burnell and he goes in and lands another takedown. Burnell in half guard. Sanchez trying to throw shots from the bottom position. Burnell in control in top position. Sanchez trying to grab a hold of Burnell’s wrists. 10-9 Burnell.
Round 3: Burnell goes in for another takedown early and he secures it. Sanchez gets up but Burnell takes him down one more time. Burnell takes his back and is looking for a rear-naked choke. Sanchez defends well but Burnell isn’t let the position go. Sanchez rolls out of it and he is now in side control. Sanchez needs to do something here because he could very well be down on the judges’ scorecards. Burnell trying to land another takedown and he gets it with two minutes remaining. Sanchez staying busy, though, looking for submissions. He simply doesn’t stop moving. Burnell now in side control with one minute remaining. Sanchez with an elbow from the bottom. Sanchez looks for advice from his corner. Both men trying to score some points as the fight comes to an end. Will be a tough one to call. 10-9 Burnell.
Final result: Burnell def. Sanchez via unanimous decision
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Manny Muro
Round 1: Nurmagomedov with a high kick and then another, follows it with a straight right hand. Another high kick. Nurmagomedov takes him down with the quickness and he now has his back. Muro in trouble here. Nurmagomedov looking for the rear-naked choke. Muro eating shots from the side. He scrambles but Usman is too quick and takes him down again. Muro is back up but Nurmagomedov simply takes him down again. Muro’s eye is starting to swell. He reverses position and he gets back up. Nurmagomedov tags him with a vicious knee to the body and drops Muro. Nurmagomedov goes in for the kill an earns the first round stoppage win.
Final result: Nurmagomedov def. Muro via first round TKO
Brent Primus vs. Islam Mamedov
Round 1: Inside leg kick from Mamedov. Primus with a one-two combination. Kick to the body from Mamedov, Primus returns the favor. Big right hand from Mamedov finds its spot. Double jab from Primus. Primus pushes Mamedov to the cage and unloads a right and a left hand. Mamedov reverses position and pushes the former champion against the cage. Reverse from Primus. Mamedov reverses position and lands a takedown. Primus looking for an ankle and now Mamedov is in full guard. Primus looking for an omoplata. Mamedov once again in guard. Primus holding him close to his body. Mamedov separates and tries to unload some ground-and-pound. 10-9 Mamedov
Round 2: Mamedov with a jumping knee to start the round. Primus grabs a hold of him and pushes him up to the cage before being taken down. Primus gets right back up almost instantly. Jockeying for position against the cage. Nice elbow from Primus lands. Mamedov scores a nice judo throw and is in side control. Primus looking for the submission but Mamedov defends well. Though on the bottom, Primus is staying very busy in search of a submission forcing Mamedov to defend. 10-9 Primus
Round 3: Mamedov sweeps Primus early in the round and he jumps into half guard. Once again Primus defends and goes on the offensive from the bottom. Close fight going into the last round. Nice short elbow from the bottom position from Primus. A lot of the same as the first two rounds, Mamedov is in top position but isn’t doing much with it. Primus has a tight hold on Mamedov’s arm and he is torqueing it, he is really bending it but he refuses to tap. Wow, that looked painful. Primus lets go and Mamedov is once again in guard. This is going to be a tough fight to score. 10-9 Mamedov
Final result: Mamedov def. Primus via split decision
Goiti Yamauchi vs. Chris Gonzalez
Round 1: Gonzalez opens up with a high kick. Blitzes in with a left hand that grazes Yamauchi, who counters with a high kick. Hard kick to the body from Yamauchi and another. Low kick from Gonzalez. Inside leg kick form Yamauchi and a jumping knee. Kick to the body lands for Gonzalez. Uppercut lands for Gonzales who fires right back. Intense first round. They exchange knees in the clinch. Counter right hook from Gonzalez. Yamauchi lands a three punch combination and then a right uppercut. Yamauchi lands a straight right hand that floors Gonzalez! He pounces and starts landing bombs to put an end to the fight. Wow.
Final result: Yamauchi def. Gonzalez via first round TKO
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