Products You May Like
It may not have been pretty — or without some controversy — but Logan Storley is the new Bellator interim welterweight champion. Storley defeated Michael “Venom” Page in the main event of Bellator 281 this past weekend to claim the interim belt that was created when the invasion of Ukraine sidelined division champ Yaroslav Amosov.
Storley did little offensively through the bout with Page, instead choosing to neutralize the dynamic striker through clinches and takedown attempts. The result was a split decision win that left few happy, especially Page’s countrymen, who turned out in force for the showdown in London.
The win breaks Storley into the pound-for-pound rankings in the Bellator MMA Fighter Rankings as he debuts at No. 10. He also vaulted up the welterweight rankings, moving four slots to a tie for No. 1, resting below Amosov. Page remains at No. 2.
Below are the top-10 pound-for-pound rankings for both men and women. The full top-10 rankings for each division within the promotion can be found here. The rankings are voted on by 17 members of the media.
Can’t get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news.
Editor’s note: CBS Sports insiders Brian Campbell and Shakiel Mahjouri are members of the 17-person voting panel. Bellator and CBS Sports are both owned by ViacomCBS.
Bellator Rankings (May 17)
Men’s pound-for-pound
| Fighter | Record |
|---|---|
|
1. Patricio Pitbull |
33-5 |
|
2. Vadim Nemkov |
15-2 |
|
3. Gegard Mousasi |
49-7-2 |
|
4. AJ McKee |
18-1 |
|
5. Ryan Bader |
30-7 |
|
6. Yaroslav Amosov |
26-0 |
|
7. Corey Anderson |
16-5 |
|
8. Sergio Pettis |
22-5 |
|
9. Raufeon Stots (up one) |
18-1 |
|
10. Logan Storley (NR) |
14-1 |
Women’s pound-for-pound
| Fighter | Record |
|---|---|
|
1. Cris Cyborg |
26-2 |
|
2. Liz Carmouche |
17-7 |
|
3. Juliana Velasquez |
12-1 |
|
4. Arlene Blencowe (up one) |
15-9 |
|
5. Cat Zingano (up one) |
12-4 |
|
6. Denise Kielholtz (down two) |
6-4 |
|
7. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane |
11-2 |
|
8. Kana Watanabe |
10-1-1 |
|
9. Sinead Kavanagh |
8-5 |
|
10. Leslie Smith |
12-9-1 |
Other notable results
- Middleweight: Fabian Edwards dominated former UFC champion Lyoto Machida to score a first-round knockout victory. With the win, Edwards moved from No. 4 into a tie for the No. 3 spot at 185 pounds. Machida came in unranked, as he was moving down from light heavyweight.
- Women’s flyweight: Kana Watanabe overcame a few scary early moments to pull off an exciting triangle choke submission of Denise Kielholtz. The result sent Kielholtz slipping on the women’s pound-for-pound list, dropping two spots to No. 6. Watanabe remained steady at No. 8. However, in the flyweight division, Watanabe and Kielholtz flipped standings with Watanabe moving from No. 2 to No. 3.
- Welterweight: Paul Daley remains at No. 8 with a stunning knockout of Wendell Giacomo. Daley will likely leave the rankings soon as he announced before the event that the fight would be his retirement bout.
- Featherweight: Daniel Weichel picked up a knockout of Rob Whiteford in just 72 seconds. With the win, Weichel remains No. 7 at 145 pounds.