Tag: Bellator

Matt Riddle Reconsiders Getting Real Job, Will Unretire at Bellator 109 Next Month


(Riddle’s “odd jobs” included stunt-work for the Dude, You’re Getting a Dell guy. / Screen-cap via mmanytt.se)

Last month, UFC veteran turned Bellator-signee Matt Riddle quit MMA in a fit of anger, vowing to get a normal job rather than put up with the constant frustrations of injuries and unsteady work in the fight game. Since then, Riddle has been sitting on his couch, taking giant bong rips and hearing from his non-fighter friends about what a pain in the ass it is to have a normal job. Unsurprisingly, he’s come to his senses.

MMAJunkie breaks the news that Riddle has unretired — throw a quarter in the jar, buddy — and is now re-scheduled to make his Bellator debut at Bellator 109, November 22nd at the Sands Casino Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Riddle’s home state. An opponent has not been named yet. As the Junkie article explains:

Riddle said “odd jobs” have been bringing some money in since his announcement, and he was prepared to keep earning that way if he stayed retired. But that’s not what he wanted.

“I know how to do stuff, so I was doing handyman stuff and making money that way,” he said. “But I’d rather make money in the cage. I really didn’t want to retire. I’m in my prime – I’m 27.”

And so, Bellator hangs on to one of their hottest prospects, and the world loses another handyman. Bittersweet, really.


(Riddle’s “odd jobs” included stunt-work for the Dude, You’re Getting a Dell guy. / Screen-cap via mmanytt.se)

Last month, UFC veteran turned Bellator-signee Matt Riddle quit MMA in a fit of anger, vowing to get a normal job rather than put up with the constant frustrations of injuries and unsteady work in the fight game. Since then, Riddle has been sitting on his couch, taking giant bong rips and hearing from his non-fighter friends about what a pain in the ass it is to have a normal job. Unsurprisingly, he’s come to his senses.

MMAJunkie breaks the news that Riddle has unretired — throw a quarter in the jar, buddy — and is now re-scheduled to make his Bellator debut at Bellator 109, November 22nd at the Sands Casino Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Riddle’s home state. An opponent has not been named yet. As the Junkie article explains:

Riddle said “odd jobs” have been bringing some money in since his announcement, and he was prepared to keep earning that way if he stayed retired. But that’s not what he wanted.

“I know how to do stuff, so I was doing handyman stuff and making money that way,” he said. “But I’d rather make money in the cage. I really didn’t want to retire. I’m in my prime – I’m 27.”

And so, Bellator hangs on to one of their hottest prospects, and the world loses another handyman. Bittersweet, really.

Matt Riddle Cuts Retirement Short, Returns at Bellator 109

The circus for Matt Riddle continues, as the recently retired mixed martial artist finds himself back in the game after a few short weeks.
He was originally slated to compete in the Season 9 Bellator welterweight tournament, but a rib injury forced him…

The circus for Matt Riddle continues, as the recently retired mixed martial artist finds himself back in the game after a few short weeks.

He was originally slated to compete in the Season 9 Bellator welterweight tournament, but a rib injury forced him out before he could enter the cage. Thinking that Bellator couldn’t get him another fight until next year, Riddle decided to hang up the gloves for good.

Or so he thought.

According to Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie, he is now back with Bellator, coming out of his extremely brief retirement. Plus, he will have a fight before the end of the year, taking a bout at Bellator 109 against an opponent to be determined.

Riddle has been on a wild ride the last few years. The medical marijuana user was with the UFC for his entire career until he was cut for failing multiple drug tests.

He then signed with Legacy Fighting Championship; however, Bellator bought out his contract and planned to use him in one of its tournaments.

That’s where the ride got rocky. Riddle got injured close to fight time and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. He was replaced by Ron Keslar and was told he wouldn’t be able to get a fight until next year.

Riddle said he had had enough. He told MMA Junkie that he didn’t “want anything to do with” the sport and was ready to give up MMA to get a “real job.”

It appears he has patched things up with Bellator for now. This could be good for him, as he is a skilled wrestler with an exciting style and good lasting power.

He has the potential to be a mainstay with the company as long as his drug tests come back clean. One has to expect him to be in a future welterweight tournament to make up for his absence in this season’s tourney.

Stay tuned with Bleacher Report for more information as we move forward, including a potential opponent and possible implications of a future tournament.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bellator: The New Junkyard for Former UFC Talent

Former UFC heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Lavar Johnson are scheduled to make their Bellator Fighting Championships debut at Bellator 102 on Friday.
Unfortunately, both heavyweights at this point in their careers are much like Bellator—all structu…

Former UFC heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Lavar Johnson are scheduled to make their Bellator Fighting Championships debut at Bellator 102 on Friday.

Unfortunately, both heavyweights at this point in their careers are much like Bellator—all structure and washed-up talent.

On April 2, 2009, CEO Bjorn Rebney introduced Bellator as “the first-of-its-kind mixed martial arts promotions company” at a press conference in Hollywood.

The “first-of-its-kind” structure hindered on an eight-man tournament in every weight class to determine a champion and later an eventual challenger for the titleholder.

“There is new blood here,” said Matt Stansell, San Diego-based Bellator matchmaker, at the Hollywood press conference, via Sharon Robb of the Sun-Sentinel. “Everyone of these guys has a new story to be told and is going to be introduced to the public.”

However, after eight seasons, Bellator seems to be introducing only old blood and old stories. 

During Bellator‘s first few seasons, the mixed martial arts community did not seem to mind the signing of former UFC talent such as Josh Neer, Roger Huerta, Neil Grove and Ben Saunders. After all, who could blame an organization in its first few years of structuring weight classes. 

In fact, the veteran faces began to give new talent such as Pat Curran, Michael Chandler and Cole Conrad credibility with hardcore MMA fans.

It was not until Summer Series 2011, when MMA journalists and fans began to question the “new blood” concept. Konrad, the then-Bellator heavyweight champion, fought former UFC fighters Paul Buentello, Seth Petruzelli and Ricco Rodriguez. 

Two years later, the trend has reached a fever pitch.

At Bellator 97, announcer Jimmy King orchestrated a professional wrestling style surprise as it was unveiled Quinton “Rampage” Jackson would fight Tito Ortiz on the company’s first pay-per-view.

Both former UFC light heavyweight champions, the fighters were introduced as legends of the sport. And, in truth, both are.

Coincidentally, though, King neglected to mention Jackson is 2-4 in his past six fights, and Ortiz is a staggering 1-7-1 in his past nine bouts. 

Facts or records of washed-up talent were not mentioned at Bellator 99 when former UFC fighters Houston Alexander fought Vladimir Matyushenko in the headliner. Or at Bellator 101 when UFC alum Rich Clementi and Marcus Davis entered the cage.

And one can only assume Bellator will conveniently leave out certain facts when Kongo and Johnson enter the cage Friday.

But there is one glaring fact Bellator cannot ignore: Fans want a “new story.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bellator 101 Recap: Joe Warren Scores Submission Win, UFC Washouts Davis, Alessio, and Clementi All Come Up Short


(Spoiler alert: The guys you heard of are the ones who lost).

By Matt Saccaro

Bellator’s 101st show is over…and the majority of MMA fans are probably still unaware that Bellator has entered the triple digits, sadly. But CagePotato will always have you covered with Bellator recaps and highlights.

The main takeaway from the prelims was highly-regarded Polish prospect Marcin Held running through Ryan Healy worse than Khabib Nurmagomedov ran through Ryan’s brother Pat Healy back at UFC 165. I guess the Healy brothers have a weakness against fighters from Eastern Europe or something.

To start off the main card — which featured the Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinals — Saad Awad submitted an overmatched Martin Stapleton. In the next fight, long-time veteran John Alessio faced up-and-comer Will Brooks. It wasn’t pretty. Brooks dominated the fight from bell to bell. One judge even scored the fight 30-25 in Brooks’ favor. In the last round of the fight, Brooks opened up a nasty gash on Alessio’s cheek. It wasn’t “goat’s vagina” bad, but it was close.

The other UFC vets on the card didn’t fare well. Rich Clementi lost a decision to Ricardo Tirloni, and Marcus Davis lost to Russian prospect Alexander Sarnavskiy by submission. The fight only lasted 1:40, and it still felt like Davis was in there too long. If your hairline is starting to go grey, MMA might not be the best sport for you.

In the night’s main event, the Bellator-sponsored Joe Warren defeated the unheralded Nick Kirk via armbar in a Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal bout. Warren won the fight, but took more punches than were necessary; “defense” might not be in his vocabulary.

Complete results from the event — as well as videos of the Warren/Kirk and Sarnavskiy/Davis fights — are after the jump.


(Spoiler alert: The guys you heard of are the ones who lost).

By Matt Saccaro

Bellator’s 101st show is over…and the majority of MMA fans are probably still unaware that Bellator has entered the triple digits, sadly. But CagePotato will always have you covered with Bellator recaps and highlights.

The main takeaway from the prelims was highly-regarded Polish prospect Marcin Held running through Ryan Healy worse than Khabib Nurmagomedov ran through Ryan’s brother Pat Healy back at UFC 165. I guess the Healy brothers have a weakness against fighters from Eastern Europe or something.

To start off the main card — which featured the Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinals — Saad Awad submitted an overmatched Martin Stapleton. In the next fight, long-time veteran John Alessio faced up-and-comer Will Brooks. It wasn’t pretty. Brooks dominated the fight from bell to bell. One judge even scored the fight 30-25 in Brooks’ favor. In the last round of the fight, Brooks opened up a nasty gash on Alessio’s cheek. It wasn’t “goat’s vagina” bad, but it was close.

The other UFC vets on the card didn’t fare well. Rich Clementi lost a decision to Ricardo Tirloni, and Marcus Davis lost to Russian prospect Alexander Sarnavskiy by submission. The fight only lasted 1:40, and it still felt like Davis was in there too long. If your hairline is starting to go grey, MMA might not be the best sport for you.

In the night’s main event, the Bellator-sponsored Joe Warren defeated the unheralded Nick Kirk via armbar in a Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal bout. Warren won the fight, but took more punches than were necessary; “defense” might not be in his vocabulary.

Complete results from the event — as well as videos of the Warren/Kirk and Sarnavskiy/Davis fights — are after the jump.

Main Card
Joe Warren def. Nick Kirk via submission (armbar), Round 2
Alexander Sarnavskiy def. Marcus Davis via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 1:40
Ricardo Tirloni def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Will Brooks def. John Alessio via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-25)
Saad Awad def. Martin Stapleton via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 3:46

Preliminary Card
Nathan Coy def. Andy Uhrich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Marcin Held def. Ryah Healy via KO (punches), Round 1, 1:12
Dave Vitkay def. Tyson Jeffries via submission (rear naked choke), Round 3, 3:07
Brent Primus def. Scott Thometz via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 3:48
Austin Springer def. Zack Skinner via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)
Peter Aspenwal def. Jeremiah Riggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)


(Joe Warren vs. Nick Kirk)


(Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Marcus Davis)

[EXCLUSIVE] Bellator’s Joe Warren Talks Bellator 98 Health Scare, Getting Back to Fighting, and the Return of Olympic Wrestling


(Photo via Bellator)

By Elias Cepeda

Former Bellator champion Joe Warren was set to face Nick Kirk earlier this month at Bellator 98 in Connecticut before the state’s commission refused to allow him to fight. The exact reason was not given at the time but speculation from fans and members of the media as to why Warren was barred from fighting abounded.

Some wondered if Warren had tested positive for marijuana as he had during his competitive wrestling days. Even Bellator’s CEO Bjorn Rebney volunteered a theory – that Warren had been knocked out during his training camp and so was not being allowed to fight because of brain damage. Just two fights ago, of course, Warren was hurt badly in a KO loss to Pat Curran. That was his second straight KO loss.

Warren has since been cleared to fight in tonight’s Bellator event and he and Kirk will square off in this season’s bantamweight tournament. CagePotato visited with Warren as he cut weight Wednesday.

Not knowing how else to get into the matter with Warren as he stepped out of the sauna we simply had to ask, “What the heck happened?”

“A big mess happened,” Warren said.

“The Connecticut commission is stricter than most and I had a CT scan and MRI done leading up to the fight. I had three different doctors telling me different things. They didn’t read the images correctly and thought I had an abnormality on the image of my brain. One was telling me I had had a stroke, one was telling me I’d never fight again. Crazy stuff. Another said that I was fine. I was running around for weeks getting different tests done out of my own pocket, my family was scared. It was a huge ordeal.”


(Photo via Bellator)

By Elias Cepeda

Former Bellator champion Joe Warren was set to face Nick Kirk earlier this month at Bellator 98 in Connecticut before the state’s commission refused to allow him to fight. The exact reason was not given at the time but speculation from fans and members of the media as to why Warren was barred from fighting abounded.

Some wondered if Warren had tested positive for marijuana as he had during his competitive wrestling days. Even Bellator’s CEO Bjorn Rebney volunteered a theory – that Warren had been knocked out during his training camp and so was not being allowed to fight because of brain damage. Just two fights ago, of course, Warren was hurt badly in a KO loss to Pat Curran. That was his second straight KO loss.

Warren has since been cleared to fight in tonight’s Bellator event and he and Kirk will square off in this season’s bantamweight tournament. CagePotato visited with Warren as he cut weight Wednesday.

Not knowing how else to get into the matter with Warren as he stepped out of the sauna we simply had to ask, “What the heck happened?”

“A big mess happened,” Warren said.

“The Connecticut commission is stricter than most and I had a CT scan and MRI done leading up to the fight. I had three different doctors telling me different things. They didn’t read the images correctly and thought I had an abnormality on the image of my brain. One was telling me I had had a stroke, one was telling me I’d never fight again. Crazy stuff. Another said that I was fine. I was running around for weeks getting different tests done out of my own pocket, my family was scared. It was a huge ordeal.”

Given the brutal nature of Warren’s losses combined with his lifetime in combat sports and relatively advanced age, one could argue that CT scans and MRI imaging exams before each fight are great ideas. Warren insists that he is fine, however, and of course so does the Oregon commission overseeing his fight with Kirk tonight.

The fighter also says that he was not knocked out at any point during his most recent training camp, as was earlier reported. “I saw those things being written and it was just nuts,” he tells us.

“This whole camp has been focused on my not taking damage, actually. We’ve been very careful and safe and it has gone great.”

With all the confusion behind him, Warren has had scant time to focus on his opponent. The former world champion Greco-Roman wrestler has a lot of respect for his younger opponent and looks forward to just competing.

“He’s a tough, well-conditioned guy,” Warren says of Kirk.

“And, he’s a wrestler so you can never overlook him. I just want to go in there, lay hands on him and put him down. Beating Nick Kirk will get me a step closer to that belt again.”

One recent news item has made Warren particularly happy – The International Olympic Committee’s decision to once more include wrestling in the games. “Wrestling was the first Olympic sport,” he says.

“There might as well not be an Olympics without wrestling. When I was a kid, I dreamt of being in the Olympics. Wrestlers need that to work towards.”

Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz Are Giant Monsters in Bellator’s New Pay-Per-View Ad [VIDEO]

(Props: BellatorMMA via Reddit/MMA)

To promote their first pay-per-view show on November 2nd, Bellator has released a 30-second ad in which headliners Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz are depicted as what the Japanese would call kaiju. Think King Kong vs. Godzilla, if King Kong and Godzilla were longtime friends who constantly complained about being disrespected by their former boss.

It’s a none-too-subtle reference to how BIG this fight is, at least for Bellator, whose long-term health as a promotion could be strengthened by a respectable buyrate in their first PPV outing. But as a cynical observer, I’m not expecting an epic clash of monsters in the main event. I’m expecting guys like Michael Chandler, Eddie Alvarez, and Pat Curran to steal the show as usual, while two old relics smush up against each other for 15 minutes before slithering back into the dark and mysterious waters of the Pacific Ocean.


(Props: BellatorMMA via Reddit/MMA)

To promote their first pay-per-view show on November 2nd, Bellator has released a 30-second ad in which headliners Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz are depicted as what the Japanese would call kaiju. Think King Kong vs. Godzilla, if King Kong and Godzilla were longtime friends who constantly complained about being disrespected by their former boss.

It’s a none-too-subtle reference to how BIG this fight is, at least for Bellator, whose long-term health as a promotion could be strengthened by a respectable buyrate in their first PPV outing. But as a cynical observer, I’m not expecting an epic clash of monsters in the main event. I’m expecting guys like Michael Chandler, Eddie Alvarez, and Pat Curran to steal the show as usual, while two old relics smush up against each other for 15 minutes before slithering back into the dark and mysterious waters of the Pacific Ocean.