Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and cage curiosities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.
TOTAL NUMBER OF BELLATOR FIGHTS: 3,195
TOTAL NUMBER OF BELLATOR EVENTS: 288
Bellator MMA staged back-to-back weekend events for the first time in months when it put on Bellator 286 in California on Saturday. The Long Beach Arena played host to a baker’s dozen matchups, bringing with it a main card that did not live up to expectations. The event featured a record of championship victories that will not likely be matched, a ruthless Russian “Murdalizer” and a pair of painful injuries.
Call the Paramedics: Two different fights throughout the night ended by injury, when Aaron Pico injured his shoulder and Richard Palencia snapped his leg. Bellator 286 is the third event in company history to see multiple bouts end by injury stoppage, joining Bellator 219 and 233.
Slow and Steady Won the Race: Patricio Freire staved off challenger Adam Borics to successfully notch his first defend on his third reign as champ. He is the only fighter in Bellator history to defend his throne on three separate championship runs.
The Pitbull Book: “Pitbull” further put space between the pack by remaining the winningest fighter in organizational history. His 22 wins in the Bellator cage sit in the pole position.
He Wants a Bantamweight Run Too: The appearance was Freire’s 27th since joining the roster in 2010. The Brazilian champ has competed three more times than the next most active fighter of Saad Awad.
The Champiest Champ: Freire has now recorded 12 wins in Bellator championship bouts. This tally is double that of the No. 2 fighter on the list: Michael Chandler.
Cardio is No Object: Six times in his Bellator run, Freire has needed all five rounds to earn the win. He holds the most 25-minute victories in promotional history.
Good Luck at 155: Moving up in weight, A.J. McKee outlasted Spike Carlyle to win a decision. “The Mercenary” added his 19th win to his ledger, moving him into sole possession of the second spot for the most wins with Bellator.
Gibson Risked Serious Damage: Aaron Pico is the third Bellator fighter to succumb to a shoulder injury during his encounter with Jeremy Kennedy. The first took place in 2012, when Kenny Moss hurt his shoulder against Raul Amaya. In February, this occurred again, when Aboubakar Tounkara’s shoulder damage caused him to lose the fight.
You Can Bet That’s Getting Run Back: As a +550 betting underdog, Kennedy sprang the upset when the -800 Pico could not continue at the end of Round 1. Only Blake Perry’s submission at +600 against Makoa Cooper (-900) at Bellator 278 in April was more substantial this year.
That’s a Doctor Stoppage! Tell Them! In his 14th fight with Bellator, Pico has still only gone the distance one time. His stoppage defeat officially in Round 1, eight of his career outings have concluded in the opening frame.
Barzzzzzzzzzzzzzz: It took Juan Archuleta all three rounds to overcome Enrique Barzola on the scorecards. Barzola has now reached the third round in each of his last 14 outings.
We Can’t Digg Postlims: The lone postlim saw Keoni Diggs outwork Ricardo Seixas to capture a decision verdict. The 15-minute affair marked only the second time that “Sasquatch” Seixas has ever fought beyond Round 2 in 13 pro appearances.
Jumpin’ Jay-Jay: By split decision, Jay-Jay Wilson beat Vladimir Tokov on the prelims. “The Maori Kid” saw his finish rate fall to 78% by prevailing over the Russian.
The Murdalizer Keeps Murdalizing: Khalid Murtazaliev pounded out Khadzhimurat Bestaev in Round 2 to record his second Bellator victory. The Dagestan-based Murtazaliev has notched 87% of his wins inside the distance, with every one due to strikes.
Only Beaten One Opponent with a Winning Record: Sumiko Inaba remained undefeated as a pro at 5-0 by topping Nadine Mandiau on the scorecards. The Hawaiian nicknamed “Lady Samurai” had never before gone the distance, with her past four wins coming by stoppage.
Should Have Been Unanimous: In a surprising split decision, Weber Almeida won against Ryan Lilley. “The Silverback” had never needed the judges to record a victory, with knockouts accounting for all of his previous triumphs.
Slow Rolling: The spotless record of Lance Gibson Jr. improved to 7-0 when he tapped the overweight Dominic Clark in 109 seconds. “Fearless” Gibson Jr. has earned four of his seven wins in the first round.
Never Say Never Again: Coming into Bellator 286, Borics (19 fights) and Seixas (12 fights) had never lost on the scorecards, Barzola had never dropped consecutive bouts (26 fights) and Palencia had never been defeated (10 fights).