Raufeon Stots sleeps Juan Archuleta for interim BW title at Bellator 279.
Raufeon Stots is the new Bellator interim bantamweight champion after knocking out a former champion, Juan Archuleta, at Bellator 279.
Stots and Archuleta went toe-to-toe in the opening minutes of the fight, throwing bombs on the feet with their boxing. The two also battled in the clinch, with both fighters landing big blows.
As the pace began to pick up in Round 3, so did Stots’ comfort with his striking. He landed a big leg kick that caught Archuleta in the head with his knee, dropping him before landing powerful ground-and-pound strikes.
Watch Stots’ knockout below.
Raufeon Stots moves on in the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix
Archuleta entered Bellator 279 looking to bounce back in a big way after losing his bantamweight title to Sergio Pettis at Bellator 258. Before that, he had earned the then-vacant title over Patchy Mix at Bellator 246.
Archuleta had also challenged for the Bellator featherweight title against Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire, losing via a unanimous decision at Bellator 228. Despite previously competing at 145 pounds, he has looked formidable since making the transition to bantamweight.
Stots was originally supposed to face his Roufusport MMA teammate Pettis in the opening round of the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix. But, Pettis pulled out just weeks before the fight due to a torn ACL he suffered in training camp.
Stots’ most recent victories came against Magomed Magomedov and Josh Hill via unanimous decisions, and he had won nine in a row overall.
The victory over Archuleta sends Stots to the next round of the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix, as he earns the interim bantamweight title at Bellator 279.
Bellator 279: Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe 2 took place on Friday, April 23, 2022, live from the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, HI. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.
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