n nFor Immediate Release:nSeptember 14, 2022n IMMEDIATE FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE REMATCH BETWEEN CURRENT CHAMPION LIZ CARMOUCHE AND NUMBER ONE RANKED JULIANA VELASQUEZ ADDED TO ALREADY STACKED BELLATOR 289 CARD ON FRIDAY, DEC. 9n nBANTAMWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX SEMIFINALS ALSO CONTINUE AT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA WHEN INTERIM CHAMPION RAUFEON STOTS FACES DANNY SABATELLO & PATCHY MIX MEETS MAGOMED MAGOMEDOVLOS ANGELES — A BELLATOR Flyweight World Championship rematch between Liz Carmouche (17-7) and the woman she defeated for the title, Juliana Velasquez (12-1), is set for the co-main event slot of BELLATOR 289 on Friday, Dec. 9 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.n nThe five-round championship contest has been added to a card that already features the continuation of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix Semifinals as Raufeon Stots (18-1) defends his interim championship opposite fast-rising star, the No. 6-ranked Danny Sabatello (13-1), and No. 2-ranked Patchy Mix (16-1) takes on No. 3-ranked Magomed Magomedov (19-2).n nAll the action will air LIVE on SHOWTIME at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT, while the preliminary portion of the event will air free-to-watch beginning at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV. Tickets for the event are currently on sale at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.n nIn addition to the confirmed main card, two bruising preliminary fights are official for BELLATOR 289. The first is a welterweight bout featuring Wisconsin’s Mark Lemminger (12-5) taking on Michael Lombardo (12-3-1), while the second fight is a featherweight tilt pitting highly touted prospect Cody Law (6-1) against fan-favorite Cris “Sunshine” Lencioni (9-3), who makes his return to BELLATOR MMA.n nWidely regarded as a pioneer of women’s mixed martial arts, Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche will make the first defense of her newly captured title in an immediate rematch against former titleholder Julianna Velasquez. A quick glance at Carmouche’s recent in-cage exploits will show that the 38-year-old has turned back the clock since signing with BELLATOR in 2020. A professional since 2010, Carmouche has looked dominant on her current four-fight winning streak over ranked BELLATOR flyweights DeAnna Bennett, Vanessa Porto, Kana Watanabe, and Velasquez, scoring three finishes in the process. Carmouche’s fourth-round TKO of Velasquez at April’s BELLATOR 278 in Hawaii served as an emphatic conclusion to her long journey for a world title, setting up a highly anticipated rematch for BELLATOR’s return to the Mohegan Sun Arena on December 9. n nWhile April 22 will be remembered by Carmouche as the day she earned her first MMA world title, it marked a bitter memory for former champion Julianna Velasquez. The 35-year-old Brazilian believes the referee’s stoppage in her fight with Carmouche was premature, and at the time of the finish, Velasquez was up 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 across the judges’ scorecards. Velasquez will look to prove the ending of their last fight was a fluke, and an immediate rematch gives the former Brazilian national judo champion and jiu-jitsu purple belt an opportunity to get back the lone loss of her professional MMA career, regaining her one-time title in the process.n nFor more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit BELLATOR.com.n n# # #n nBELLATOR 289: STOTS VS. SABATELLO MAIN CARD:nSHOWTIMEnFriday, Dec. 9 — 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PTn nBantamweight World Grand Prix Semifinal: IC-Raufeon Stots (18-1) vs. #6-Danny Sabatello (13-1)nFlyweight World Title Bout: C–Liz Carmouche (17-7) vs. #1-Juliana Velasquez (12-1)nBantamweight World Grand Prix Semifinal: #2– Patchy Mix (16-1) vs. #3-Magomed Magomedov (19-2)n nBELLATOR 289: STOTS VS. SABATELLO PRELIMINARY CARD:nBELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TVn6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PTn nFeatherweight Bout: Cody Law (6-1) vs. Cris Lencioni (9-3)nWelterweight Bout: Mark Lemminger (12-5) vs. Michael Lombardo (12-3-1)n n*Card subject to changenPlease visit Bellator.com for additional information.n n nAbout BELLATOR:nBELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.n nAbout SHOWTIME:nShowtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
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