PHOENIX – A.J. McKee protege Jaylon Bates is starting to look a whole lot like his friend and new mentor.
At Bellator 268, Bates (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) continued his winning ways when he submitted Raphael Montini (6-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) via armbar at 3:49 of Round 1. The finish was his third submission in four professional outings – all of which have come under the Bellator banner.
Bates, 24, has trained at multiple gyms in his short career but has most recently landed at Team Bodylock, training under Antonio McKee.
As soon as the fight hit the mat, Bates was in control. Bates rolled to mount before the two fighters tumbled and Bates went for the arm. He adjusted his grip and reacted to Montini’s defensive tactics before he locked in the submission and got the tap.
Check out the finish in the video below:
The New Breed just keeps getting better. 👏 @Jaylon_Bates submits Raphael Montini in the very first round to make it 4️⃣ wins in a row.
LIVE now on #Bellator268 @MonsterEnergy Prelims, fueled by @ampm.
📲 https://t.co/yleh37GN23 pic.twitter.com/u2bmQXPwMX
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 16, 2021
Bellator 268 took place Saturday at Footprint Center. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
The up-to-the-minute Bellator 268 results include:
- Jaylon Bates def. Raphael Montini via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:49
- Sullivan Cauley def. Deon Clash via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
- Maria Henderson def. Collette Santiago via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:40
