In April of this year, Yamauchi met fellow lightweight Dan Moret at a clash on the Bellator 256 card. Both men had success in the bout, but with a vast majority of control time and a number of extremely close submission threats, most fans were ready to see Yamauchi’s hand raised.

The judges on the other hand saw it differently, awarding Moret the split decision win to the confusion of many. The decision was so controversial, commentator John McCarthy refused to comment on the mic, stating “I won’t say anything [about the decision] because it’s going to be bad.” This marked one of the most disputed decisions in recent memory.

However, with Yamauchi set to face Chris Gonzalez tomorrow evening, the question remains how will the controversial result in his last outing affect Yamauchi’s mindset going into Saturday night?

Speaking with Braeden Arbour of The Body Lock, Yamauchi elaborates on exactly that.

“I don’t think it changes anything at all,” he explains. “It just gives me more hunger… I just want to win and prove it didn’t affect anything because the most important thing is I don’t believe I lost that fight.”

Judging in mixed martial arts has become an increasingly hot topic over the last few years. At the inception of the sport, there was no question that the young MMA fell victim to governing body’s not prepared with good enough officials. However, over two decades later, still judging is a problem. Both Bellator and the UFC have seen massive spikes in criticism over the results on their cards.

However, the issue doesn’t seem to be weighing on Yamauchi’s mind, who is laser-focused on tomorrow evening.

“I just believe that the judges made a terrible decision and it happens in the fight business. I try to just move on and you know… I’m not gonna play the victim. There’s nothing that we can do about it. We just gotta move on, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

Bellator’s #1 submission artist returns tonight at 10:00 PM EST, to take on Chris Gonzalez at Bellator 263. They will kick off the main card on Showtime, live from the Forum in Inglewood California. It seems that Yamauchi is honed in, with his eyes focussed on his opponent, ready to once again prove why he has been one of the best lightweights in the sport for years, a sentiment reflected in his final words given to us on the fight.

“Tomorrow night – Saturday will be my day and I’ll get my redemption.”

The post “It just gives me hunger:” Goiti Yamauchi reveals his mindset ahead of Bellator 263 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Valerie Loureda, who lost to Hannah Guy at Bellator 259 last weekend, kept her #8 spot in the women’s flyweight rankings. But somehow, Guy entered the rankings at #9. The #9 spot means Guy is now one position underneath Loureda and one spot above talented flyweight Vanessa Porto.

What’s going on here, Bellator? Well, really, our criticism is directed at the voting panel made up of 15 established MMA journalists.

Drake Riggs says that this might be one of the most unjustifiable things he has ever seen in mixed martial arts history. It’s a bold claim but this latest Bellator rankings update makes no sense at all and Patrick Auger agrees.

In this video, Auger and Riggs discuss the latest Bellator MMA rankings and why we are quickly losing (or have already lost) confidence in these rankings already.

What do you think? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post Bellator’s latest MMA rankings are 💩 appeared first on The Body Lock.

It’s rare for a submission victory to stun fans and media members simultaneously. But this seemingly happened after McKee forced Caldwell to tap from a nasty neck crank.

The position itself isn’t all that uncommon, however. In 10th Planet gyms, the modified full guard position is better known as the “100% sweep,” or simply, “100%,” and is renowned for being a highly effective setup for sweeps.

But there’s a brutal neck crank available from the position, as well, and that’s what McKee hit Caldwell with at Bellator 253.

McKee’s 71-second submission was enough to win first-place honors from five of our six members here at The Body Lock. Honorable mentions include Ayaka Hamasaki’s impressive leg-scissor choke against Miyuu Yamamoto at RIZIN 26 and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s triangle choke submission against Justin Gaethje.

Full results for The Body Lock’s 2020 Submission of the Year award:

• McKee def. Caldwell (15)
• Hamasaki def. Yamamoto (6)
• Khabib def. Gaethje (6)

In a video posted to The Body Lock’s YouTube channel, Matthew Wells and Drake Riggs shared their thoughts on McKee’s Submission of the Year.

• Wells voted McKee (#1), Nurmagomedov (#2), and Sterling (#3)
• Riggs voted Hamasaki (#1), Chochlikova (#2), and Shinryu (#3)

AJ McKee’s first-round submission win deserving of first-place in our Submission of the Year category in 2020? Or did you prefer another submission?

We’d love to see your opinion in the comments section below!

The post A.J. McKee’s neck crank is The Body Lock’s 2020 Submission of the Year appeared first on The Body Lock.

Mousasi became a two-time middleweight champion following his dominant unanimous decision victory over Douglas Lima in the Bellator 250 headliner on Thursday.

Although he was the favorite, many expected a more competitive fight for Mousasi was never really troubled by Lima throughout the 25 minutes of action.

And now that Mousasi is back on top of the 185-pound division, Coker would like to see him move up to light heavyweight.

“When we signed Gegard he had a desire to fight at 205,” Coker said in the post-fight press conference (via MMA Junkie). “We’re going to explore that. We’ve got some great fights for him at 205.

“I still think we have the best 205-pound weight class in the world. We have I think six, seven, eight deep, including Corey Anderson who is going to fight Melvin (Manhoef) next week. To me, it’s something that I think he should do and he should go and try to check it out. But it’s up to him. We’ll see how he feels.”

Mousasi last competed at 205 back in 2013 when he made his UFC debut. And if he does move up, Coker has a few names in mind he would like for him to face.

There’s also the possibility of him becoming a simultaneous two-weight champion by facing current light heavyweight king Vadim Nemkov in a champion vs. champion bout.

For now, Coker will just let Mousasi celebrate his victory and rest up.

“I think him fighting Ryan Bader – I could see him fighting maybe Corey Anderson,” Coker added. “There’s a lot of guys. Even fighting (Vadim) Nemkov at some point. If he wants to go for the belt, we could have that conversation. He’s been focusing on this fight, and now that it’s over, I’m going to let him rest up and then we’ll have some conversations.”

The post Scott Coker wants to explore light heavyweight possibilities for Gegard Mousasi following Bellator 250 appeared first on The Body Lock.

When the fight was first announced, Mousasi opened as the -137 betting favorite while Lima was a slight +110 underdog. And with the event edging near, the former UFC star has become a slightly bigger favorite.

Oddsmakers currently have Mousasi ranging from a -161 to -175 favorite while Lima is as high as a +149 underdog. That means you would have to bet $161 to win $100 on Mousasi while a $100 wager on Lima would earn you as much as $149.

It certainly makes sense as Lima is the smaller fighter who will be making his middleweight debut in Bellator against an experienced veteran in Mousasi who has only suffered one defeat — a majority decision loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. in June last year — in his last 10 outings.

Here are the opening odds for the pair’s last five fights:

Gegard Mousasi last five fights

• vs. Lyoto Machida (W): -185
• vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. (L): -405
• vs. Rory MacDonald (W): -200
• vs. Rafael Carvalho (W): -190
• vs. Alexander Shlemenko (W): -445

Douglas Lima last five fights

• vs. Rory MacDonald (W): +110
• vs. Michael Page (W): -335
• vs. Andrey Koreshkov (W): +135
• vs. Rory MacDonald (L): +185
• vs. Lorenz Larkin (W): +120

The post Updated Bellator 250 betting odds for Gegard Mousasi vs. Douglas Lima appeared first on The Body Lock.

Chandler made it five wins in his last six with an impressive first-round knockout of Benson Henderson at Bellator 243 on Friday night.

.@MikeChandlerMMA gets it done in round 1️⃣.#Bellator243 pic.twitter.com/yQbBhtY2PH

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 8, 2020

Being the final fight of his Bellator contract, it was the ideal way for him to further increase his value in potential free agency.

And for many observers, the time is right for the three-time Bellator lightweight champion to finally join the UFC, especially as he has long been seen as one of the top fighters to have never competed for the Las Vegas-based promotion.

There would certainly be a number of great matchups for him should that come to fruition. Of course, one fighter nearly everyone wants to face is McGregor and while Chandler respects what the Irishman has done for the sport, he still believes the former two-weight UFC champion is not as good as he thinks he is.

“I do believe it’s myself,” Chandler told reporters after the win when asked how a fight with McGregor would go. “But the thing about Conor McGregor is I’ve always loved what he has done with the sport. I’ve never once hated on him. In the very beginning, I did say he’s not as good as he thinks he is, but he’s better than we think he is and he continued to prove that.

“I still don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is, but that’s a testament to his self-belief, you know? If all of us had a little bit more self-belief like Conor McGregor, life would be a little bit different and we’d look at life through a different lens.”

That said, Chandler envisions getting the finish in under two rounds as he sees himself breaking McGregor in a potential fight.

“As far as that fight goes, I finish Conor in under two, in my opinion,” he added. “It’d be similar to, shades of [Nate] Diaz 1. Wear him down, hit him with hard shots. hard, hard shots. Take every single one of his shots.

“He’s got that sneaky and strong and thick and hard left hand that he throws, and it’s straight. You avoid that, wear him down a little bit, make him see Jesus. Just put him out.”

While McGregor vs. Chandler seems highly unlikely in reality, anything can happen in this sport — especially if the latter does end up signing with the UFC.

The post Bellator 243’s Michael Chandler believes he finishes Conor McGregor in under two rounds in potential UFC fight appeared first on The Body Lock.

Tuesday, the promotion revealed in a press release that it has secured an exclusive channel on free TV platform Pluto TV, which boasts 24 million monthly viewers in the U.S.

In a statement, Bellator President Scott Coker said, “I am excited for the launch of the Bellator MMA channel on Pluto TV that will feature unlimited access to our extensive content library… This is a great way to increase the promotion’s visibility across additional ViacomCBS platforms, while giving our fans the opportunity to relive these incredible moments from inside the Bellator cage.”

Bellator will air a steady stream of past notable fights on its Pluto channel, according to the release, which lists the channel as a “non-stop” library of standout performances from Bellator’s marquee events.

Senior Vice President of Content Strategy & Global Partnerships at Pluto TV, Amy Kuessner, said of the deal, “We are excited to welcome a renowned and respected mixed martial arts organization like Bellator MMA to Pluto TV.”

Kuessner also noted the shared parent company of Bellator and Pluto TV, ViacomCBS.

“Being a part of the ViacomCBS organization affords us unique access to a coveted portfolio of premium brands and properties with built-in fanbases, like Bellator, that further differentiates the types of programming we can stream on Pluto TV,” said Kuessner.

Past Bellator fights and events can be found on the Paramount Network, streaming service DAZN, the promotion’s YouTube channel, and now, Pluto TV.

For Bellator, the move marks a new platform through which to promote its fight library to new and longtime fans, as well as introduce new Pluto TV viewers to Bellator.

“The launch of Bellator MMA as an exclusive channel on Pluto TV brings free and easy access to millions of new and existing fans,” said Kuessner, “with premium content that is guaranteed to really pack a punch.”

The post Bellator MMA secures exclusive channel on free TV service Pluto TV appeared first on The Body Lock.

Chisora, 36, is one of the United Kingdom’s top heavyweight pugilists. Most recently, he stopped David Price in the fourth round of their October 2019 clash, which saw Chisora capture the vacant WBO Intercontinental championship.

On Monday, the one-time WBC title challenger told Insider that “If the fight with [former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr] Usyk is not going to be this year, then I’ll just go do a fight in Bellator.”

Chisora was scheduled to face Usyk on March 11, but the event was postponed due to concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to Chisora, if the fight with Usyk doesn’t materialize, a move to MMA may be likely.

“This is what we’re looking at now; another option so we can get another fight going using Bellator MMA rules,” continued Chisora.

While it is uncommon for a boxer as experienced as Chisora to transition to MMA, it would not be the first time that a boxer moved from the ring to the cage.

Famously, former heavyweight world champion James Toney fought for the UFC in an ill-fated, one-off match against five-time and two-weight UFC champion Randy Couture. Ray Mercer had better luck; the former WBO heavyweight champ defeated ex-UFC titlist Tim Sylvia in his sole MMA fight, knocking Sylvia out in mere seconds.

Holly Holm is a clear example of a boxer-turned-MMA-fighter who achieved great things in both combat sports, capturing multiple titles in boxing before knocking out Ronda Rousey to become the UFC bantamweight champion, and ex-WBO champ Heather Hardy is currently competing for Bellator MMA.

Chisora notes that he intends to transition to MMA regardless of if the Usyk fight takes place.

“I know how to wrestle, things like that,” he told Insider. “I’m chuffed about doing that. [Prominent MMA gym London] Shootfighters… they’ve got [rugby player turned future MMA debutant] James Haskell, they’ve got [viral welterweight standout] Michael ‘Venom’ Page, I’m just excited.”

Chisora continued, “For the last three years, I’ve been training at Shootfighters, wrestling, doing what they do.”

The Zimbabwean-born Brit is managed by Matchroom Boxing, the managerial firm run by Eddie Hearn, one of the sport’s top promoters. Matchroom, which also manages the likes of heavyweight star Anthony Joshua, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, and others, has a streaming rights deal with DAZN.

DAZN, a live sports streaming platform, also currently has a deal in place with Bellator MMA, potentially greasing the wheels for a sport-to-sport transition for Chisora.

“We’ll get a fight done. It will definitely happen, mate.”

The post Heavyweight boxer Dereck Chisora interested in MMA fight with Bellator appeared first on The Body Lock.

While most major sporting organizations and leagues are currently shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC is gearing up for a faster than expected return on May 9 with UFC 249.

The pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, and if the event goes swimmingly, the promotion will host another two events within the seven-day period.

A UFC Fight Night card is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, at the same location, with another event to follow suit on May 16.

Speaking to MMA Junkie last week, Coker stated that the UFC’s determined approach could have drastic consequences not just for the UFC but other mixed martial arts promotions, as well.

“That’s pretty ambitious,” Coker said.

“I don’t know what’s their protocol. That’s the one thing I would say: Let’s all be sensible because at the end of the day, if you don’t figure it out and you don’t have all the answers, there could be something bad that happens. And then everybody is backtracking, everybody is going to be in a defensive position, and it’s going to affect everybody. Not just them, but us as well.

“If it was a situation where the communication was – if I was talking to [UFC vice president of regulatory affairs] Marc Ratner, I would just say, ‘Hey, Marc. Be careful, man, because this is a very serious situation. Make sure everything gets done properly because we don’t want to have something bad happen in this sport.”

UFC 249 will be sanctioned by the Florida State Athletic Commission, who released this statement to ESPN:

“Florida’s State Commission and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation have been in continued coordination with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to identify options for bringing the UFC to Florida for upcoming events.”

“Florida welcomes the UFC to the Sunshine State, and our commission stands ready to sanction the events to be held on May 9, 13 and 16. Health and safety protocols will be in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all individuals who are helping to make these events possible.”

As the UFC moves forward through the pandemic, Bellator’s timeline for return is sometime in July, according to Coker.

The post Scott Coker concerned about UFC’s ‘ambitious’ plan to host three events in eight days appeared first on The Body Lock.

The news was first reported by KITV4, who obtained a copy of the legal complaint.

Macfarlane, her older sister Mahina Macfarlane Souza, and a third, unidentified girl accuse the prestigious Hawaiin private school of “gross negligence,” alleging that Yuen “targeted and sexually groomed” the then-underage students.

At the time of the alleged incidents, Macfarlane was twelve years old and in the sixth-grade, and her sister was fourteen.

According to the complaint, the Macfarlane sisters were “subjected to demands made by Coach Yuen” to touch “his genitals, offers of cash in exchange for sexual acts, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances by a predatory adult on two minors, and the display and sending of sexually explicit photographs.”

The complaint alleges that Macfarlane sisters “pled for the school’s help and protection,” reporting the alleged misconduct around 2004 and 2005, but claims that “Punahou did not provide or offer the Macfarlane sisters any help, did nothing to protect the girls from Coach Yuen, did not keep Coach Yuen away from them and allowed Coach Yuen to continue assisting, interacting and participating with Punahou’s basketball program.”

Allegedly, after the Macfarlane sisters’ attempt to report Yuen to the school’s administrators, Yuen responded with “retaliation,” including “calling the girls “liars” and “sluts”, mocking them, holding them up to “ridicule”, and benching them during basketball games.”

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Macfarlane spoke at length about the lawsuit, her experience, and her complex emotions.

“Punahou knew I was a victim and witness to my own sister’s abuse and didn’t even bother to check on me,” she said.

Speaking to Hawaii News Now, Macfarlane said the alleged incidents pushed her away from basketball, her first sporting love, and into wrestling to avoid Yuen.

“I had an inappropriate relationship with an adult who was in an authoritative position and a position of power, as a 12-year old, and that has 100-percent affected what I think is a healthy relationship,” Macfarlane added.

“There was no follow at all, whatsoever, which was especially heartbreaking because I love Punahou… I truly believe and know that they all knew what was going on and it was just like a culture there,” said Macfarlane of the school.

When contacted by Hawaii News Now, “Yuen declined to comment and referred questions to his attorney, who did not return [their] request for comment.”

Yuen is not believed to have been charged with a crime or arrested to date in connection with these allegations.

The day after the lawsuit’s filing, the Punahou School issued a formal statement.

“We are deeply troubled by reports of sexual abuse raised by three former students. The reports allege abuse from 2004-2005 by Dwayne Yuen, a former girls basketball coach at our school. We are currently investigating these reports and are committed to working with the survivors to find resolution and healing.

In no uncertain terms, Punahou stands with survivors of sexual abuse everywhere, and we respect the courage it takes to report these incidents.

Providing for the physical, mental, and emotional safety of our students is our highest priority at Punahou. We hold ourselves to the highest ideals and are committed to reckoning with the past and bringing issues out of the shadows so that we can resolve them and provide counseling and support to survivors,” said the school.

Macfarlane, 30, is undefeated in MMA at a stellar 11-0.

The Bellator MMA flyweight champion has defended her title four times since capturing the vacant belt in 2017, and has been credited with bringing the promotion to her native Hawaii, where she has twice retained her championship.

The post Bellator champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane involved in sexual abuse lawsuit against former school, coach appeared first on The Body Lock.