Although it wasn’t pretty, Jake Hager improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 3-0-1 following a hard-earned split decision victory over previously unbeaten prospect Brandon Calton at the Bellator 250: Mousasi vs. Lima event on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
Serving as one of the featured preliminary bouts for the card that emanated from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on 10/29, Hager vs. Calton aired live via DAZN and CBS Sports Network, with the preliminary fights also streaming across all of Bellator MMA’s digital platforms, including their official YouTube channel.
After three grueling rounds that saw Hager get lumped up, with both of his eyes badly swollen and a number of cuts on his face, the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) veteran and member of Chris Jericho’s “Inner Circle” faction earned the nod on two of the three official judges scorecards, earning 29-28 scores opposite the third judges card, which went 28-29 in favor of Calton.
Hager, 38, was coming into Bellator 250 on Thursday night with a 2-0-1 record after last competing in the first and only fight that he didn’t get his hand raised in, a No Contest ruling against Anthony Garrett (4-2-1) at Bellator 231: Mir vs. Nelson 2 back in October of 2019. He fought another undefeated Heavyweight prospect in Calton, 40, who made his Bellator MMA debut in the bout, coming into the promotion with a perfect 2-0 record, with both of his wins coming by way of technical knockout in the first and second round.
Watch the complete Jake Hager vs. Brandon Calton three-round battle, as well as the rest of the Bellator 250 preliminary fights from Thursday night’s event via the video archive from their YouTube channel embedded below. The Hager-Calton fight begins at approximately the 1:26:23 mark of the video, which features a total run time of 1:54:38.
Additionally, here are some post-fight photos of Jake Hager’s marked up face, and a picture of him in his locker room backstage at the Bellator 250 event after his victory over Brandon Calton on the preliminary card.
For more on the Bellator 250 MMA event from Thursday, October 29, 2020, visit Bellator.com.
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.@AEW star @RealJakeHager moved to 3-0 in Thursday's @BellatorMMA fight, but he didn't come out unscathed. 🤕#Bellator250 | Full recap: https://t.co/O8g0u6ZN8Q pic.twitter.com/0cCMNeRhk6
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 30, 2020
