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.
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TOTAL NUMBER OF BELLATOR FIGHTS: 3,119
TOTAL NUMBER OF BELLATOR EVENTS: 282
Bellator
MMA cruised back to Paris with a full card that brought plenty
of momentum until the main event dashed it all and broke the hearts
of French fans. It was a knockout or bust evening, with fights
either ending on the scorecards or due to strikes, and this led to
many feast or famine matchups all day.
Bellator 280 featured the longest reigning active champ doing
what he does best, a stoppage that definitely occurred after the
final bell and a
Strikeforce finding his power again after years of
uncertainty.
Vive La France: Bellator stacked the deck with French fighters in
its return to Paris, with seven competitors representing L’Hexagone
against foreign combatants. Only Cheick Kongo and Fabacary Diatta
failed to pick up wins for their home country, with five others
beating their non-local adversaries. The first two fights pitted
Frenchman against Frenchman, resulting in two knockouts.
C’est Comme Ca: Ryan Bader successfully defended his heavyweight
strap for the second time – if counting the unification match with
Valentin Moldavsky, while excluding the title retention vs. Kongo
when the match ended by no contest due to an eye poke – keeping him
with the longest active championship reign (1200 days on Monday) in
Bellator.
Oui Peut la Defense: By claiming a decision over Kongo, Bader
became the first heavyweight champ in Bellator history to defend
his belt two times. Neither Cole Konrad nor Vitaly Minakov ever
made it to their second defense, with Konrad retiring from the
sport and Minakov pursuing other options in Russia.
Monsieur le Juge: Bader notched his third win on the scorecards as
a heavyweight, putting him in the record books as tied for the
fourth-most in company history. Konrad and Moldavsky (five each)
are joined for second, while Kongo’s seven are the most decision
wins of any Bellator heavyweight.
Kongo a Plus de 50 Ans: Kongo tried and failed for the third time
to claim a heavyweight belt, with all three such attempts coming in
the Bellator cage. He does, however, make history as the oldest
competitor to vie for a Bellator throne, as the Frenchman will turn
47 on May 17.
Apres la Cloche: With the stoppage coming seconds after the bell at
the end of Round 3, Yoel Romero was awarded the stoppage at 4:59
over Alex Polizzi. In doing so, he tied the record for the latest
finish in a non-title, non-tourney Bellator bout with Jason Fischer
and Keoni Diggs in 2012 and 2020, respectively.
15 Minutes de Liberte: Once again, Romero notched a knockout in the
third round of a bout, repeating a feat he has achieved many times.
The last seven stoppages for “Soldier of God” have all come in
Round 3.
Lentement Mais Suremant, on Reussit: Win or lose, Romero has yet to
have a fight end any sooner than 10:58 of a fight dating back to
2013. This oddity stretches across 14 fights, and he did not suffer
a stoppage loss in any of his defeats on that run.
Sang Par Gallon: In the second round, Davy Gallon put Benjamin
Brander away with punches. Throughout the French fighter’s career,
he has recorded eight wins by decision, seven by tapout and six by
knockout. On the other side, he has dropped five bouts by stoppage,
and four of his career fights have gone a decision that he has not
won. All three of his Bellator appearances have ended in victory,
with his last two by knockout. Of his stoppages due to strikes, one
has come from a rolling thunder kick.
Reecouter Larkin: For the first time since 2016, Lorenz Larkin
recorded a knockout. This lifted his career knockout rate back to
exactly 50%, and he snaps a five-fight decision win streak in the
process.
Depuis Qu Tu Es Bebe: When Larkin last scored a knockout in August
2016, five of the other competitors on this card had yet to make
their professional debuts.
Botter Son Cul, Seabass: To open the main card, Gregory Babene blew
through “Seabass” Mike Shipman in just over two minutes to register
the knockout. “Blade” celebrates a finish rate of 86% as a pro,
with each of his last nine victories coming within two rounds.
C’est Ma Maison: Taking home a unanimous decision over Lewis Long,
Thibault Gouti lodged his first win under the Bellator banner. The
35-year-old out of France remains defeated in his homeland, with
eight finishes across 12 wins. His five defeats came as a
Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter in
England, Canada and the U.S.
Le Vol: Soren Bak swiped a contentious decision over Charlie Leary
to improve his win streak to eight straight, a run that includes a
victory over Paddy Pimblett. Each of the last five bouts for “The
True Viking” has ended in the hands in the judges.
Boule de Feu a Combustion Lente: Needing three rounds to overcome
Katarzyna Sadura, Lucie Bertaud registered the first win for France
against the World by decision. “Fireball” holds all of her career
wins on the scorecards, while her defeats all came by stoppage.
Ne Jamais Dire Jamais Encore: Coming into Bellator 280, Polizzi (11
fights) and Victor de Lima Verchere (six fights) had never been
finished, Long (25 fights) and Sadura (nine fights) had never lost
on the scorecards and Diatta had never been defeated (eight
fights).