Yancy Medeiros wins Bellator 279 homecoming in Hawaii, outslugs Emmanuel Sanchez in three-round banger

HONOLULU – Yancy Medeiros’ Bellator debut was a success – and it couldn’t have come at a location and venue more meaningful to him.

In front of his home island crowd, Medeiros (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated Emmanuel Sanchez (20-8 MMA, 12-7 BMMA) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) and sent the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, including pal Nate Diaz, into a frenzy.

From the opening bell, Medeiros and Sanchez slugged it out. When Sanchez tried to take Medeiros down, he defended successfully – a theme for the rest of the bout. Sanchez had his moments in the striking department, as he rocked Medeiros on multiple occasions with his punches. Sanchez’s leg kicks were on point.

Things went solidly for Sanchez in each round until they didn’t. Medeiros rallied with his striking and landed wobble-inducing shots. In the final round, Medeiros pointed to the center of the cage and the two slugged it out. The exchanges leaned toward Medeiros, who ultimately won the fight.

The fight was a one-off for Medeiros, who parted ways with the UFC in 2021. The victory snapped a four-fight skid for the Oahu-born fighter and could lead to further opportunities with Bellator.

As for Sanchez, the loss is his fourth in a row. Sanchez moved up to lightweight for this bout after multiple failed title attempts at featherweight.

• Yancy Medeiros def. Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

• Goiti Yamauchi def. Levan Chokheli via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:49

• Bobby King def. Keoni Diggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Dayana Silva def. Janay Harding via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

• Justin Gonzales def. Kai Kamaka via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

• Lance Gibson Jr. def. Nainoa Dung via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)