Bellator 286 is primed and ready to go down later tonight (Sat., Oct. 1, 2022) inside Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, which is headlined by an intriguing title fight in the Featherweight division as champion, Patricio Pitbull, defends his belt against the no.1 ranked fighter in the division, Adam Borics. In further action, A.J. McKee will make his debut at Lightweight to face off against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender, Spike Carlyle.
Many readers check in before, during, and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action, which will begin at 7.p.m. ET with YouTube “Prelims” and then transition to Showtime at 10 p.m. ET for main card action. Feel free to leave a comment (or 286) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
Bellator 286 Quick Results:
145 lbs.: Champion Patricio Pitbull vs. Adam Borics – Pitbull via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: A.J. McKee vs. Spike Carlyle – McKee via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Aaron Pico vs. Jeremy Kennedy – Kennedy via first-round TKO, shoulder injury (HIGHLIGHTS)
135 lbs.: Juan Archuleta vs. Enrique Barzola – Archuleta via unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Bobby Seronio vs. Miguel Peimbert – Seronio via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Nick Browne vs. Islam Mamedov – Mamedov via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Jay Jay Wilson vs. Vladimir Tokov – Wilson via split decision
185 lbs.: Khadzhimurat Bestaev vs. Khalid Murtazaliev – Murtzazaliev wins via second round TKO
125 lbs.: Sumiko Inaba vs. Nadine Mandiau – Inaba via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Weber Almeida vs. Ryan Lilley – Almeida via split decision
155 lbs.: Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Dominic Clark – Gibson via first-round submission (triangle choke)
135 lbs.: Richard Palencia vs. Cee Jay Hamilton – Hamilton via second-round TKO, leg injury (HIGHLIGHTS)
155 lbs.: Keoni Diggs vs. Ricardo Seixas – Diggs via unanimous decision
Bellator 286 Play-By-Play:
Champion Patricio Pitbull vs. Adam Borics
Round 1: They touch gloves. Inside leg kick for Borics. Pitbull looking to pick his shots carefully. Borics with the obvious reach advantage and lands a one-two. Kick to the midsection lands for the challenger. Left hook connects for Pitbull, then a kick to the midsection. Good exchange and Borics attempts a flying knee and Pitbull knocks him down mid-air with a shot to the jaw. Pitbull looking to take his foe’s back. Boric holding on to one of his hands. Pitbull brings the action back to the feet and they separate. Pitbull gets the takedown again and he is now in Borics’ guard. Pitbull softening up Borics’ ribs as he postures up. The referee breaks up the action, weird. Pitbull attempts a flying knee and he lands a nice right hand as a follow up. 10-9 Pitbull
Round 2: High kick from Borics, then a jab. Pitbull with a solid left. Borics is bleeding from the right side of his face. Pitbull cracks Borics with a hard right hand. Nice jab from Borics. Front kick from Borics. Low kick from Borics, checked by the champion. Live kick by Borics lands. Nice jab from Pitbull, and then a one-two from Borics in return. Another inside low kick scores for Borics. The action has slowed and the crowd is beginning to boo. Pitbull shoots in and gets the takedown. Half guard for Pitbull. Short shots to the face are landing for Pitbull, but not very damaging. A slower round but Pitbull takes it again. 10-9 Pitbull.
Round 3: Borics whiffs on a one-two and Pitbull shoots in for the takedown, it’s stuffed. High kick for Borics. Borics goes for another flying knee and Pitbull catches him mid-air and takes him down. Pitbull now in half guard. Pitbull slapping Borics’ ears as he is now in full mount. Borics trying to keep close to the champion to not give him any space. The boo birds are coming down hard. Borics trying to escape but Pitfbull has a good position and he isn’t letting go. Nice elbow from Pitbull and now tries a can opener. Borics gives up his back and he is now carrying Pitbull, who is draped all over him. Borics just walking around the cage and he hits Pitbull’s chin with his head, not appreciated from the champ. Pitbull takes Borics’ down again. And again, Borics gets up but the champion is all over him. this should be tiring for both men. Borics manages to revers position. Not a ton of action, but enough from Pitbull to take this round, as well. 10-9 Pitbull
Round 4: Nice shot to the midsection from the challenger. He needs to wrok in these championship rounds down 0-3. Inside leg kick from Borics. The challenger trying to walk the champion down. Another inside leg kick lands. Left hook misses for Pitbull, action has slowed tremendously here. Overhand right lands for Pitbull. Both men go in for a right hand at the same time and miss. Inside leg kick lands for Borics, they have been there all night. Pitbull’s offense has gone missing over the last two rounds but still doing what he needs to do to narrowly win the rounds. Nice jab lands for Borics, then a jab and then a right for Borics. 10-9 Borics
Round 5: Borics has to let it all hang out in the final round if he wants to make it happen. Borics is stalking and letting his hands fly a bit more. He throws a nice one-two combination and then another inside leg kick that Pitbull refuses to check. Spinning back kick misses for Borics. Borics lands a right hand and then a one-two combo. Borics goes in for a flying knee..again..and he gets taken down for his efforts…again. He was winning this round before the mistake. Pitbull is once again draped all over Borics back looking for a rear-naked choke. Borics is trying to shake him off but it’s not happening. Pitbull has his leg wrapped around Boric’s knee, trying to prevent him from moving but it doesn’t work because he lands a HUGE takedown. He has 90 seconds to score a finish. He is in half guard position and the first time he has top position in 24 minutes of action. The champion doing a good job of controlling the challenger, not letting him fire off any hard shots. Pitbull works his way up to his feet and is now looking for a kimura. 30 seconds remaining. Pitbull is still looking for a last minute submission and he is now in top position as the fight comes to an end. Close round. 10-9 Pitbull
Final Result: Pitbull def. Borics via unanimous decision
A.J. McKee vs. Spike Carlyle
Round 1: Carlyle comes in fast with a flying knee and both men are swinging for the fences. They rock each other and McKee with a flying knee and then drops Carlyle with a nice right hand. What a pace to open things up! No feeling out process. McKee takes his back. Spike with nice right hand. He reverses position and he is now in top control. Half guard for “The Alpha Ginger.” Side control for Carlyle and McKee looking for an escape. Carlyle looking real strong here and McKee gets the reversal. They are back to the feet. Great action and pace in the first four minutes. McKee transitions to full mount and Carlyle gives up his back and McKee looking for the rear-naked choke. Carlyle is busted open is as the round comes to an end. What an insane first five minutes of the fight. A close one. 10-9 McKee
Round 2: Carlyle comes out aggressive again and gets taken down for his efforts. McKee takes his back as he tries to become the first person to finish “The Alpha Ginger.” McKee looking for a rear-naked choke again, softening his foe up with shots to the side of the head. Carlyle is tough. They are back to the feet and Carlyle swinging for the fences but not connecting. McKee takes Carlyle down again and is now looking for an anaconda choke. And now McKee is twerking…yes, you read that right. McKee now looking for a Peruvian necktie and Carlyle escapes. McKee relentless with his submission attempts but Carlyle is showing his great defense. 10-9 McKee
Round 3: Carlyle, again, comes out like a madman. McKee showing his poise and landing his shots including a big left hand. Carlyle is exhausted and gets taken down by McKee. Side control for “The Mercenary.” North-South position now. McKee is looking for an arm and now has all of his weight on Carlyle sitting on him. McKee is now looking for a guillotine and Carlyle is just dripping buckets of blood here. McKee slams “The Alpha Ginger” back to the mat. A rear-naked choke is in McKee’s sights but Carlyle staying strong. McKee now has a guillotine choke in and Carlyle slips out thanks in large part to the sweat and the blood. Now Carlyle is looking for a rear-naked choke but McKee escapes. Now McKee is looking for a toe-hold, amazing scrambles and submission attempts from both men here in the final round. He didn’t get the finish he predicted, but he gets his first win at 155 pounds. 10-9 McKee
Final Result: McKee def. Carlyle via unanimous decision
Aaron Pico vs. Jeremy Kennedy
Round 1: Pico comes in fast and lands a one-two combo that stuns Kennedy. He shakes off the cobwebs. It’s Kennedy that shoots in for a takedown and he gets Pico’s back. Kennedy has a good hold of Pico up against the cage and lands some foot stomps. Pico seems to have hurt his shoulder, it seemed as if he was trying to pop it back into place. Kennedy puts Pico down to one knee and lands some knees to the side of Pico’s head and he takes him down to the mat. Pico keeps touching his shoulder, it’s obviously hurt. Kennedy isn’t letting of Pico and he has his back. He is looking for a rear-naked choke here. Kennedy now throwing some elbows on that hurt shoulder. Shots to the side of the head for Kennedy. Kennedy still has a hold of Pico’s back. Kennedy looking to end it in the first but it looks like Pico will survive. Now, about that shoulder. 10-9 Kennedy.
Pico’s corner tried hard to pop his shoulder back into place in between rounds and he tried coming out for the second round. Right before the action started the referee called the doctor, who didn’t allow Pico to continue despite his constant pleas to allow him. What an unfortunate ending for Pico, and for Kennedy.
Final Result: Kennedy def. Pico via first round TKO (shoulder injury)
Juan Archuleta vs. Enrique Barzola
Round 1: Archuleta tags Barzola with a huge right hand in the opening seconds. Archuleta follows it up with a nice one-two that rocks Barzola, who is trying to shake the cobwebs early. Nice shot to the body for Archuleta, and Barzola can’t pop off any offense here. A three-punch combo from Archuleta. “The Spaniard” goes in and gets a takedown. He takes Barzola’s back, foot stomps for good measure. Low kick and then a right hand tags Barzola right on the kisser. Left hook connects for Archuleta, who is using some great footwork to get his spots. Barzola changes levels and he gets a takedown. Side control for Barzola, now in North-South position. Barzola takes Archuleta’s back and “The Spaniard” is now in defense mode. Action back to the feet, Barzola looking for another takedown and he gets it. Fast pace in the opening round. Archuleta escapes and he kicks Barzola in the arm while he was down. 10-9 Archuleta
Round 2: Both men swinging, nothing really connecting. Barzola goes in for another takedown but it is stuffed. Archuleta now shoots and he gets the takedown but Barzola is back to his feet with the quickness. Nice left hook lands for Barzola. Archuleta shoots for the single and he gets the takedown again. Barzola connects with an elbow to the side of the head and the referee steps in to warn him. Seems to have connected the back of the head. Barzola manages to get up and escape and he is now trying to walk Archuleta down. Nice uppercut from Barzola, Archuleta shoots in for another takedown and it’s stuffed. Archuleta still working for it and he gets it, but only for a little bit as Barzola gets back to his feet and reverses position up against the cage. This one was close. 10-9 Archuleta
Round 3: Archuleta tags Barzola with a short right hand that seems to have briefly rocked him. Hick kick from Barzola, Archuleta shakes it off and he shoots and scores another takedown. Action up against the cage momentarily before Archuleta sweeps his foes legs and takes him down to the mat. Archuleta needs to get to work here, down 2-0. Uppercut just missed for Archuleta. Nice footwork from Archuleta again to avoid the big shots. Archuleta shoots in for another takedown but his foe prevents. Beautiful scramble on the ground before they get back to the feet. Right hand cracks Barzola’s face and he is now fighting with a bit more of a rush with only 90 seconds remaining the fight. Elbows to the side of the head from Barzola, Archuleta escapes before Barzola manages to grab him and drag him down to the mat. Barzola has the hooks in and is looking for a Hail Mary rear-naked choke. Archuleta defending well but Barzola isn’t giving up. Archuleta gets up, takes Barzola’s back and lands an uppercut on the separation to end the round. 10-9 Barzola
Final Result: Archuleta def. Barzola via unanimous decision
For more Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.