JASON JACKSON SCORES DOMINANT WIN TO BECOME THE THIRD-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT, WHILE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION SEES MAJOR SHAKEUP WITH THE ARRIVAL OF USMAN NURMAGOMEDOV AND TOFIQ MUSAYEV
BELLATOR RETURNS TO ACTION ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 WITH WELTERWEIGHT CLASH PITTING NEIMAN GRACIE VS. GOITI YAMAUCHI – LIVE ON SHOWTIME
LOS ANGELES – Last Friday, Jason Jackson (16-4) showcased a wrestling masterclass against former BELLATOR champion Douglas Lima (32-11) in a five-round main event battle. Jackson’s ability to subdue Lima’s offense earned him a shutout unanimous decision victory and with the win, Jackson now moves one step closer to a title shot and cements his status as the No. 3-ranked contender in the division, while Lima drops to the No. 4 spot. There was also a huge shake up to the lightweight divisional rankings, as the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0) climbs to No. 1 in the rankings with a first-round guillotine submission victory over Chris Gonzalez (7-2), while former RIZIN champion Tofiq Musayev (19-4)blasted his way into the No. 2 spot in his promotional debut by knocking out former number one contender and designated title challenger Sidney Outlaw (16-5) in just under 30 seconds. The undefeated Dalton Rosta (7-0) earned a TKO victory against three-time NCAA D-II wrestling champion Romero Cotton (6-1) to put an end to their long-awaited grudge match, jumping two spots to No. 6 in the middleweight rankings. Human highlight-reel Roman Faraldo (8-0) makes his debut on the official BELLATOR Rankings at No. 10 in the welterweight rankings after keeping his career-long 100% KO streak intact with a devastating first-round finish against Luis Iniguez (5-2). BELLATOR MMA returns to action on Friday, August 12 with a five round main event between Neiman Gracie (11-3) and Goiti Yamauchi (27-5). BELLATOR 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi will air on SHOWTIME beginning at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The co-main event of BELLATOR 284 will include a heavyweight clash between former interim champion Valentin Moldavsky (11-2) and undefeated prospect Steven Mowry (10-0). Former Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-2) will be looking for a victory in the feature bout as she faces Bruna Ellen (6-3). Former Middleweight Title Challenger Austin Vanderford (11-1) takes on Anthony Adams (9-2). The preliminary fight card will begin at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT, and will be distributed on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV. Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi on sale at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Click here for additional information detailing fighter eligibility, as well as additional voting criteria.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information. Apply for BELLATOR media credentialsRSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilitiesUpdated schedule of BELLATOR events Fri. Aug. 12 // BELLATOR 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi // Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD
Fri. Sep. 23 // BELLATOR 285: Henderson vs. Queally // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland
Sat. Oct. 29 // BELLATOR Milan // Allianz Cloud Arena // Milan, Italy
