Bellator 273
{{short description|Bellator mixed martial arts event in 2022}}
{{Infobox MMA event
|name=Bellator 273: Bader vs. Moldavsky
|image=Bellator273.jpg
|image_size=
|promotion=Bellator MMA
|date={{Start date|2022|01|29}}
|venue=Footprint Center
|city=Phoenix, Arizona, United States
|attendance=
|gate=
|previousevent=Bellator 272: Pettis vs. Horiguchi
|followingevent=Bellator 274: Gracie vs. Storley
}}
Bellator 273: Bader vs. Moldavsky was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA, it took place on January 29, 2022 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.{{Cite web|date=2021-12-13|title=Ryan Bader to defend heavyweight title vs. Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 273|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/12/bellator-273-ryan-bader-to-defend-heavyweight-title-vs-valentin-moldavsky|access-date=2021-12-13|website=MMA Junkie|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Bellator MMA {{!}} BELLATOR MMA World Heavyweight Unification Bout Pitting Champion Ryan Bader Against Interim Titlist Valentin Moldavsky Set For Saturday, January 29, 2022 in Phoenix|url=https://www.bellator.com/article/Bellator-273-Heavyweight-Championship-Announcement|access-date=2021-12-13|website=www.bellator.com|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Heck|first=Mike|date=2021-12-13|title=Ryan Bader vs. Valentin Moldavsky heavyweight title unification bout headlines Bellator 273 next month|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/12/13/22832621/ryan-bader-vs-valentin-moldavsky-heavyweight-title-unification-bout-headlines-bellator-273|access-date=2021-12-13|website=MMA Fighting|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-12-13|title=Bellator's Bader to face Moldavsky for title bout|url=https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/32860267/bellator-heavyweight-champ-ryan-bader-face-interim-champ-valentin-moldavsky-january-title-unification-bout|access-date=2021-12-15|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}
Background
A winner in eight of his last 11 bouts, Bader will be making his return to the heavyweight division for the first time since 2019, Bader’s last title defense came against the Cheick Kongo at Bellator 226, a bout Bader was controlling until an accidental eye poke prematurely ended the contest. Since then, Bader lost his 205-pound title against Vadim Nemkov before entering the light heavyweight grand prix where he defeated Lyoto Machida in April before suffering a KO loss to Corey Anderson in October at Bellator 268. Moldavsky, a protege of Fedor Emelianenko, became Bellator’s first-ever interim heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision win over Timothy Johnson at Bellator 261.
A middleweight bout between Romero Cotton and Dalton Rosta was scheduled for this event.{{Cite web|date=2021-12-20|title=Bellator 273 pins Romero Cotton against Dalton Rosta in prospect showcase|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/12/bellator-273-news-romero-cotton-vs-dalton-rosta-fight|access-date=2022-01-14|website=MMA Junkie|language=en-US}} However, two weeks before the event Cotton pulled out of the bout due to illness and was replaced by Duane Johnson.{{Cite web|title=Bellator middleweight Dalton Rosta (5-0) will now be facing Sanford MMA's Duane Johnson (6-2) at Bellator 273 on Jan. 29|url=https://twitter.com/lynchonsports/status/1483165563350224896|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-18|website=Twitter|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117195830/https://twitter.com/LynchOnSports/status/1483165563350224896 |archive-date=2022-01-17 }}
A featherweight bout between Weber Almeida and Josh Wright was scheduled for this event, however it was scrapped for unknown reasons.{{Cite web|title=Sources: Weber Almeida vs. Josh Wright is OFF next week's Bellator 273 in Phoenix.|url=https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status/1483949752890834951|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-20|website=Twitter|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119235434/https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status/1483949752890834951 |archive-date=2022-01-19 }} Fabricio Franco was instead booked against Weber.{{Cite web|title=Weber Almeida (5-1) now faces Fabricio Franco (8-4) at Bellator 273|url=https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status/1485704801463717893|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Twitter|language=en}} At weigh ins, Franco came in 151.2 lb - 5.2 pounds over the featherweight weight limit, leading to the bout being scrapped.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-28|title=Bellator 273 weigh-in results: Title fight set; one bout scrapped after big miss|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/01/bellator-273-ryan-bader-valentin-moldavsky-weigh-in-results|access-date=2022-01-28|website=MMA Junkie|language=en-US}}
Results
{{MMAevent}}
{{MMAevent card|Main Card (Showtime)}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Heavyweight
|Ryan Bader (c)
|def.
|Valentin Moldavsky (ic)
|Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 48–47, 48–47)
|5
|5:00
|For the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|Islam Mamedov
|Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Featherweight
|def.
|Aiden Lee
|Technical Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|0:41
|Fight ended in the third round after an accidental eyepoke.
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|Jaleel Willis
|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|1
|1:42
|
}}
{{MMAevent card|Preliminary card (Youtube/Pluto TV)|header=no}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Bantamweight
|def.
|TKO (elbows and punches)
|3
|3:01
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|KO (head kick and punches)
|1
|0:36
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Middleweight
|Dalton Rosta
|def.
|Duane Johnson
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Bantamweight
|Nikita Mikhailov
|def.
|Blaine Shutt
|TKO (punches)
|3
|3:23
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Featherweight
|def.
|Ben Lugo
|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|1
|2:27
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|Sullivan Cauley
|def.
|Ben Parrish
|TKO (punches)
|1
|4:35
|
}}
{{MMAevent end|notes=yes}}
See also
{{Portal|Martial Arts}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bellator Tournament Events}}
{{2022 in mixed martial arts}}
Category:2020s in Phoenix, Arizona
Category:2022 in mixed martial arts
Category:January 2022 sports events in the United States
Category:2022 in sports in Arizona