Longtime MMA knockout artist Sergei Kharitonov was looking for his sixth win in his last seven fights when he faced Chase Gormley on the main card of tonight’s (Fri., March 31, 2016) Bellator 175 from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. And although main event fighters Rampage Jackson and King Mo stole the pre-fight spotlight
Longtime MMA knockout artist Sergei Kharitonov was looking for his sixth win in his last seven fights when he faced Chase Gormley on the main card of tonight’s (Fri., March 31, 2016) Bellator 175 from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
And although main event fighters Rampage Jackson and King Mo stole the pre-fight spotlight with their never-ending smack talk, it was the assassin-like precision of heavyweight Kharitonov that was by far the best performance of the card. The Russian may have been down on the scorecards with Gormley throwing and landing an accurate volume of varied strikes, but Kharitonov kept calm, landing a laser-like jab.
The combat sports legend then landed a clean straight right that rocked Gormley, and Kharitonov finished the job by stepping back with a perfect uppercut with the exact same hand that had his opponent out cold. Watch the insane KO courtesy of Bellator here:
Sergei Kharitonov was stunned last November in his Bellator debut, dropping a first round decision to Javy Ayala. The Strikeforce and PRIDE veteran would make sure that didn’t happen again Friday night at Bellator 175, finishing Chase Gormley in a featured bout that aired on Spike. The win improved Kharitonov’s record to 24-6 overall and […]
Sergei Kharitonov was stunned last November in his Bellator debut, dropping a first round decision to Javy Ayala. The Strikeforce and PRIDE veteran would make sure that didn’t happen again Friday night at Bellator 175, finishing Chase Gormley in a featured bout that aired on Spike. The win improved Kharitonov’s record to 24-6 overall and […]
Chase Gormley believes Sergei Kharitonov may be easier to put away thanks to his last outing. Gormley battles Kharitonov this Friday night (March 31) inside the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The heavyweight bout will be part of the Bellator 175 card. The main card airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET and is […]
Chase Gormley believes Sergei Kharitonov may be easier to put away thanks to his last outing. Gormley battles Kharitonov this Friday night (March 31) inside the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The heavyweight bout will be part of the Bellator 175 card. The main card airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET and is […]
The UFC octagon has long been billed as the ultimate proving ground for mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, and as such has played host to the great of the sport for over 20 years. However, it would be wrong to suggest that all the best fighters in the world have fought in the UFC at
The UFC octagon has long been billed as the ultimate proving ground for mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, and as such has played host to the great of the sport for over 20 years.
However, it would be wrong to suggest that all the best fighters in the world have fought in the UFC at some point in their careers, as there have been some notable stand-outs that have never fought on the sport’s biggest stage.
As you’ll read in the pages that follow, the reasons for this are varied, from financial stumbling blocks and personality clashes at the negotiating table, through to injury woes and personal issues, and occasionally just simply having been inexplicably overlooked.
There’s some serious talent on display here, so prepare to consider what might have been as we countdown of the 10 best fighters who have never fought in the UFC.
10. Paulo Filho
An extremely talented fighter, Filho would surely have fought in the UFC at some stage in his career had he not been sidetracked by a bigger battle with his own inner demons.
The Brazilian’s career began with victories in Heroes, Deep and Pancrase promotions, and that soon led to him signing with PRIDE.
Filho could do no wrong as he continued to extend his unbeaten record with wins over the likes of Ryatuo Sakurai and Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua, before taking out Ryo Chonan and Kazuo Misaki to reach the final of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand-Prix in 2006, but a bicep injury would then force him out of the tournament.
Filho left PRIDE after that, but continued to impress by winning the WEC’s middleweight title against Joe Doerksen and then successfully defended the belt against Chael Sonnen.
By this stage Filho had compiled a flawless 16-0 campaign and was being hailed by some as the best middleweight in the world, but his career then began to spiral out of control due to depression, drug addiction, money issues and later health problems.
Despite several attempts to get back on track, trouble never seemed far away from Filho, and at one stage he would claim just three wins in 11 fights, ending any hopes of making his way to the UFC and instead becoming the poster child for wasted talent in the sport.
On Monday, Bellator MMA announced that former PRIDE heavyweight star Sergei Kharitonov will be making his promotional debut and fan-favorite Paul Daley will be making his return at the upcoming Bellator 163 event in November.
Below is the official press release issued by the promotion this afternoon:
PAUL DALEY RETURNS TO STATESIDE ACTION AGAINST DEREK ANDERSON AT ‘BELLATOR 163’ ON NOVEMBER 4
SERGEI KHARITONOV SET FOR BELLATOR MMA HEAVYWEIGHT DEBUT AGAINST JAVY AYALA, LIVE & FREE ON SPIKE
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (October 3, 2016) –
A welterweight showdown pitting Paul “Semtex” Daley (38-14-2) against Derek “The Barbaric” Anderson (14-2) as well as a heavyweight bout featuring Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) against Javy “Eye Candy” Ayala (9-5) complete the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” on November 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The addition of the two bouts round out a main card chalk full of action, highlighted by a light heavyweight world title main event pitting current champion Liam McGeary (11-0) against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (16-3). In addition, Saad Awad (19-8) and hometown favorite Brennan Ward (13-4) square-off in a welterweight bash live and free on SPIKE, along with female featherweights Marloes Coenen (23-7) and Talita Nogueira (6-0). Tickets for “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. The event can be seen live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.
With 54 career fights under his belt, the 33-year-old Daley has seen it all. “Semtex,” a former member of the British Army, made his professional debut in 2003, before competing under the direction of both Strikeforce and UFC. Now the Nottingham, England native seems to have found a home, as he will make his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, following three wins and a pair of knockout finishes in his first stint with the promotion. Daley has emerged victorious in nine of his last 11 contests, with eight of the nine wins coming by way of knockout. It should come as no surprise that the former Cage Rage Welterweight Champion has strung together a recent flurry of finishes, as 30 of his 38 career wins have come by way of finish. Daley hopes to continue along his path of dominance and further cement his name among the division’s elite when he and Anderson square off on November 4.
Fresh off of an entertaining unanimous decision victory over Saad Awad at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull,” Anderson hops back into the cage in search of his sixth win since joining the Viacom-owned promotion back in 2013. Prior to signing with Bellator MMA, “Barbaric” strung together an unblemished mark of 9-0, finishing all nine of his victims, including six in the first round. Now, the 26-year-old San Diego native will be jumping up in weight class to challenge Daley in the welterweight division for the first time in his professional career. The tall and lengthy Anderson will look to add to his current two-fight winning streak as he faces the British striking sensation in a marquee matchup at Bellator MMA’s latest tentpole offering.
After being forced to withdraw from his originally scheduled Bellator MMA debut earlier this year, the 36-year-old Kharitonov will once again prepare to take center stage for first time under the bright lights of Bellator MMA. A winner in 10 of his last 12 fights, including his last five outings, “The Paratrooper” enters the cage as a surefire contender for the vacant heavyweight belt. A veteran of PRIDE Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, and DREAM, the Moscow native prefers to take matters into his own hands rather than the judges, tallying 22 finishes over his 23 career wins, including stoppages in each of his last 10 victories. The multi-dimensional Kharitonov holds notable wins over former UFC Champions Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski, all while remaining on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.
Ayala, another heavyweight competitor capable of ending a fight in the blink of an eye, has finished his opponent in eight of his nine career wins. “Eye Candy” also has a knack for putting his challengers out of their misery early in the bout, recording seven of his eight finishes in the first round of action. A 6-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, the 28-year-old has recorded victories in four of his six contests since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion back in 2013. Ayala’s success in mixed martial arts runs in the family, as his cousin, Joe Soto, is a former Bellator MMA Champion. Be sure to tune in on November 4 as two of the top finishers in the highly competitive heavyweight division clash at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Complete “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Liam McGeary (11-0) vs. Phil Davis (16-3)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Saad Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)
Welterweight Feature Bout: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) vs. Javy Ayala (9-5)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0)
Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Diekmann (15-7, 1 NC) vs. Tyler King (11-4)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Blair Tugman (8-6) vs. Walter Smith-Cotito (4-4, 1 NC)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Michael Zichelle (8-4) vs. Tim Caron (5-0)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ilya Kotau (1-1) vs. Carlos Corriea (1-0)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah Payant (1-3) vs. Hannah Regina (Debut)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Keenan Raymond (3-3) vs. Kastroit Xhema (Debut)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Thomas English (6-6) vs. Christopher Foster (9-4)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Boran (6-0) vs. Vinicius De Jesus (4-1)
On Monday, Bellator MMA announced that former PRIDE heavyweight star Sergei Kharitonov will be making his promotional debut and fan-favorite Paul Daley will be making his return at the upcoming Bellator 163 event in November.
Below is the official press release issued by the promotion this afternoon:
PAUL DALEY RETURNS TO STATESIDE ACTION AGAINST DEREK ANDERSON AT ‘BELLATOR 163’ ON NOVEMBER 4
SERGEI KHARITONOV SET FOR BELLATOR MMA HEAVYWEIGHT DEBUT AGAINST JAVY AYALA, LIVE & FREE ON SPIKE
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (October 3, 2016) –
A welterweight showdown pitting Paul “Semtex” Daley (38-14-2) against Derek “The Barbaric” Anderson (14-2) as well as a heavyweight bout featuring Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) against Javy “Eye Candy” Ayala (9-5) complete the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” on November 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The addition of the two bouts round out a main card chalk full of action, highlighted by a light heavyweight world title main event pitting current champion Liam McGeary (11-0) against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (16-3). In addition, Saad Awad (19-8) and hometown favorite Brennan Ward (13-4) square-off in a welterweight bash live and free on SPIKE, along with female featherweights Marloes Coenen (23-7) and Talita Nogueira (6-0). Tickets for “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. The event can be seen live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.
With 54 career fights under his belt, the 33-year-old Daley has seen it all. “Semtex,” a former member of the British Army, made his professional debut in 2003, before competing under the direction of both Strikeforce and UFC. Now the Nottingham, England native seems to have found a home, as he will make his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, following three wins and a pair of knockout finishes in his first stint with the promotion. Daley has emerged victorious in nine of his last 11 contests, with eight of the nine wins coming by way of knockout. It should come as no surprise that the former Cage Rage Welterweight Champion has strung together a recent flurry of finishes, as 30 of his 38 career wins have come by way of finish. Daley hopes to continue along his path of dominance and further cement his name among the division’s elite when he and Anderson square off on November 4.
Fresh off of an entertaining unanimous decision victory over Saad Awad at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull,” Anderson hops back into the cage in search of his sixth win since joining the Viacom-owned promotion back in 2013. Prior to signing with Bellator MMA, “Barbaric” strung together an unblemished mark of 9-0, finishing all nine of his victims, including six in the first round. Now, the 26-year-old San Diego native will be jumping up in weight class to challenge Daley in the welterweight division for the first time in his professional career. The tall and lengthy Anderson will look to add to his current two-fight winning streak as he faces the British striking sensation in a marquee matchup at Bellator MMA’s latest tentpole offering.
After being forced to withdraw from his originally scheduled Bellator MMA debut earlier this year, the 36-year-old Kharitonov will once again prepare to take center stage for first time under the bright lights of Bellator MMA. A winner in 10 of his last 12 fights, including his last five outings, “The Paratrooper” enters the cage as a surefire contender for the vacant heavyweight belt. A veteran of PRIDE Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, and DREAM, the Moscow native prefers to take matters into his own hands rather than the judges, tallying 22 finishes over his 23 career wins, including stoppages in each of his last 10 victories. The multi-dimensional Kharitonov holds notable wins over former UFC Champions Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski, all while remaining on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.
Ayala, another heavyweight competitor capable of ending a fight in the blink of an eye, has finished his opponent in eight of his nine career wins. “Eye Candy” also has a knack for putting his challengers out of their misery early in the bout, recording seven of his eight finishes in the first round of action. A 6-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, the 28-year-old has recorded victories in four of his six contests since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion back in 2013. Ayala’s success in mixed martial arts runs in the family, as his cousin, Joe Soto, is a former Bellator MMA Champion. Be sure to tune in on November 4 as two of the top finishers in the highly competitive heavyweight division clash at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Complete “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Liam McGeary (11-0) vs. Phil Davis (16-3)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Saad Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)
Welterweight Feature Bout: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) vs. Javy Ayala (9-5)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0)
Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Diekmann (15-7, 1 NC) vs. Tyler King (11-4)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Blair Tugman (8-6) vs. Walter Smith-Cotito (4-4, 1 NC)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Michael Zichelle (8-4) vs. Tim Caron (5-0)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ilya Kotau (1-1) vs. Carlos Corriea (1-0)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah Payant (1-3) vs. Hannah Regina (Debut)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Keenan Raymond (3-3) vs. Kastroit Xhema (Debut)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Thomas English (6-6) vs. Christopher Foster (9-4)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Boran (6-0) vs. Vinicius De Jesus (4-1)
The planned co-main event for Saturday’s Bellator 154 card is no more, as Sergei Kharitonov has fallen ill.
According to a report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Kharitonov and Josh Appelt is off the planned event from the SAP Center in San Jose, Californi…
The planned co-main event for Saturday’s Bellator 154 card is no more, as Sergei Kharitonov has fallen ill.
According to a report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Kharitonov and Josh Appelt is off the planned event from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Evangelista Santos vs. Saad Awad moves into the co-main role on Spike TV.
Yep. Sergei Kharitinov is indeed off Bellator card on Friday in San Jose. Being told he's ill.
Kharitonov signed with Bellator earlier this year, having previously competed for Scott Coker in Strikeforce. The Russian is 23-5 in his career and unbeaten over his last five since a 2011 submission loss to Josh Barnett.
This is the second scheduled co-main event for the card to be removed, as Josh Thomson was expected to meet Michael Chandler before an injury knocked Thomson out. The event goes head-to-head with UFC 198.
