The final Bellator event of the year takes place Friday with Bellator 289, which goes down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. In the main event, interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots’ (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and Danny Sabatello (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will meet in a title fight that also doubles as a semifinal matchup in the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix.
The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see Liz Carmouche (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) attempt to make her first women’s flyweight title defense when she runs it back with Juliana Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat for the title in controversial fashion earlier this year.
For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 289.
Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello
Stots six-fight Bellator winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active steak in the division.
Sabatello has earned all three of his Bellator victories by decision.
Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez
Carmouche became the first female fighter in UFC history to enter the octagon at UFC 157 in February 2013.
Carmouche challenged for the UFC women’s bantamweight and flyweight titles during her tenure with the promotion.
Carmouche is one of three fighters in Bellator history to hold the women’s flyweight title.
Carmouche’s four-fight Bellator winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Carmouche is 6-2 since she dropped to the women’s flyweight division in December 2017.
Carmouche has earned 11 of her 17 career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her four Bellator wins.
Carmouche’s three stoppage victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Ilia-Lei Macfarlane (seven) and Denis Kielholtz (five).
Velasquez is one of three women’s flyweight champions in Bellator history. Carmouche and Macfarlane also accomplished the feat
Velasquez’s seven victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (11).
Velasquez’s three stoppage victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (seven) and Denise Kielholtz (five).
Velasquez’s two knockout victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied with four others for most in divisional history.
Dalton Rosta vs. Anthony Adams
Dalton Rosta’s (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak at middleweight is tied for the third-longest active steak in the division behind Johnny Eblen (eight) and Anatoly Tokov (seven).
Rosta has earned four of his seven career victories by stoppage.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.
