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Zonke izikhala by FNU47
BANTAMWEIGHT CONTENDER ALEXIS SANTIAGO READY FOR HEADLINING DEBUT AGAINST ERIK RUIZ ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 FROM SAM’S TOWN LIVE IN LAS VEGAS
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BELLATOR MMA SIGNS LIGHTWEIGHT STANDOUT ‘IRON’ MICHAEL CHANDLER TO MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT EXTENSION
Click for fight highlights: Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez
Santa Monica, Calif. (February 12, 2015) – When sifting through a list of Bellator MMA’s greatest fights, few names appear as often as "Iron" Michael Chandler (14-3).
Namuhla, Bellator MMA is proud to announce that Chandler will be continuing to compete for the promotion for the foreseeable future, with the news that the former 155-pound champion has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight extension to remain with the Scott Coker-led promotion.
“Michael Chandler is synonymous with our brand and doubles as an incredibly talented and exciting mixed martial artist,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Not every fighter or free agent aligns with our future plans, but when looking at Chandler’s resume, inking him to a long-term extension was a no-brainer. I look forward to getting him back in action as soon as possible.”
Chandler was also pleased with his extension, esishoyo: “I’m ecstatic to continue my career with Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. It’s obvious that good things are continuing to happen for this promotion and it’s correlating to big opportunities for myself as well,"Chandler kusho. “I can’t wait to get back in action and test myself against some of these new guys coming in and move back up through the ranks. Njengenjwayelo, my eyes are on that belt, and it will be back around my waist soon.”
A 14-fight Bellator MMA veteran, Chandler has been a member of the Viacom-owned promotion since 2010. Prior to joining the Bellator ranks, the Missouri native competed for Strikeforce. Amongst his notable victories, Chandler bested Eddie Alvarez via submission at “Bellator 58” in what many fans and pundits alike considered the fight of 2011.
Further along the way, Chandler defeated the likes of Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, Marcin Held, Rick Hawn, futhi David Rickels (2x). Of his 14 iwina njengoba professional, Chandler has amassed 12 victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.
Chandler remains in Bellator’s lightweight division, which includes kingpin Will Brooks, kanye Josh Thomson, Brandon Girtz, Melvin Guillard, Benson Henderson, Brent Primus, Derek Anderson, futhiYou Awad.
WESTERN CANADIANS JANKS TROTTER AND STUART MCLELLAN SET TO BATTLE FOR C.P.B.C. 154-POUND TITLE IN CALGARY, AB
UNBEATEN 2012 U.S. OLYMPIAN MICHAEL HUNTER, MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDER PAUL MENDEZ & FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER CLAUDIO MARRERO FEATURED IN UNDERCARD ACTION SATURDAY, FEB. 27 FROM HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, Calif.
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TRASH TALK BEGINS AROUND FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT AT NEF 22
Lewiston, Maine (February 12, 2016) - New England ayalwa (NEF), America isibalo-one zesifunda fight ukukhuthazwa, izobamba umcimbi walo olandelayo, “NEF 22: Zonke Izinkolo Ziholela LAPHA” on Saturday, April 22, 2016at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée e Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature a mix of mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Ngasekuqaleni namuhla, NEF announced the addition of a featherweight contest to the amateur portion of the “NEF 22” fight ikhadi. Bantamweight Champion Johnny Crafts (4-0) will move up in weight to face Taylor Costantino (2-1) at 145-pounds.
Crafts was successful last Saturday in his attempt to capture the inaugural NEF MMA Amateur Bantamweight Title. He took out Henry Clark (3-2) in the third round of their bout in Lewiston. Crafts is a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) brown belt out of Team New England United (NEW). He also cross-trains with Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) e Lewiston.
“I’m excited to step up to 145 to fight Taylor,” said Crafts of the upcoming matchup with Costantino. “I will be very strong at that weight seeing as I cut pretty extensively to make 135. It will allow me to focus on different areas this camp instead of putting a lot of my energy into cutting weight.”
Costantino is himself coming off a big win last Saturday at “NEF 21.” It took him a mere 25-seconds to down Frank Johanson (0-1), a training partner of Crafts at CMBJJ, e emzuliswaneni wokuqala. Costantino is clear that he is coming to fight on April 23, and he does not plan on engaging in a grappling contest with Crafts.
“Respect to him for coming up in weight,” said Costantino of Crafts. “He’s a glorified pajama warrior that has never been punched in the face with any type of authority. He will clinch quickly and look for the takedown. He’ll realize real quick that he has never fought or trained with anybody like me.”
Crafts and Costantino are not strangers to one another. Several years ago, the two met in a jiu-jitsu tournament with Crafts coming out on top.
“Taylor and I have competed before in a sport jiu-jitsu tournament,” recalled Crafts. “Taylor says I am a glorified pajama warrior who has never been punched in the face, but if I recall correctly, I submitted him without my ‘pajamas’ no-gi in that tournament pretty quickly. I train with a lot of very talented and tough fighters daily who punch me in the face very hard. People say the same thing about me not getting punched – kahle, I have had four fights and they just haven’t had the chance to. Anyone who has trained with high-level fighters will tell you that gi jiu-jitsu only makes you more of a technical fighter. If he doesn’t believe that, that is fine – he will feel it on April 23rd.”
“Johnny did submit me when I first moved to Maine,” Costantino admitted. “Legit submission, and his pure grappling is definitely high level. My grappling is MMA based, not slow jitsu. It’s grimy, grueling and punishing. Pure grappling, I would worry about his game. But it’s a fight, sport jiu-jitsu means next to nothing to me.
“I wish I could say people will get to see my whole game, but I can’t guarantee that. Johnny will feel my power and look to go to his comfort zone. I will break him, you will see quit in his eyes.”
“After Taylor won in impressive fashion at NEF 21, he immediately screamed at me while still inside the cage that he wanted a black belt for his next challenge,” wathi NEF co-umnikazi wabantu Math Peterson. “Well, he’s getting a brown belt in Johnny Crafts who, by all accounts, is due to receive his black belt any day, is a perfect 4-0 in the cage and is the current NEF amateur bantamweight champion. This fight is dripping with drama and will define a future top contender for the featherweight title in NEF’s stacked 145-pound division.”
umzuliswano olandelayo New England ayalwa ', "NEF 22: Zonke Izinkolo Ziholela LAPHA," ithatha indawo Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée e Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 futhi ukudayiswa manje www.TheColisee.com noma ngokumemeza Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. Ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe mcimbi fight updates ikhadi, sicela uvakashele iwebhusayithi ukukhuthazwa sika at www.NewEnglandFights.com. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ungakwazi watch NEF imiqophi at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, landela them on Twitternefights futhi ukuhamba neqembu Facebook esemthethweni "New England Ilwisana."
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT PITTING KENDALL GROVE AGAINST FRANCISCO FRANCE COMPLETES ‘BELLATOR 150’ MAIN CARD
Santa Monica, Calif. (February 11, 2015) – A fifth and final main card fight has been added to “Bellator 150: Galvão vs.. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on February 26, with the news that Kendall Grove (22-15) has agreed to fight Francisco “Kiko” France (13-3-1).
Ngaphezu kwalokho, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos "Loro" Galvão (17-6-1) ngokumelene iqhawe zangaphambili Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against Bobby Cooper (12-5). "Bellator 150: Galvão vs.. Dantas 2 " also features the Bellator MMA debut of newly signed women’s flyweight Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), when she meets Rebecca Ruth (5-1) and a heavyweight co-main event of Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) ngokumelene Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)
The contests make up the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvão vs.. Dantas 2,” lapho Airs siphile on Spike at 9 p.m. KANYE/8 p.m. CT, kanti izikhathi zokudakwa sokuqulwa kwecala kuyobe usakaze bukhoma ku Bellator.com futhi I Bellator Mobile App.
Amathikithi "Bellator 150: Galvão vs.. Dantas 2 " okuyinto ukuqala at nje $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, kanye Kansas Star Arena ibhokisi ehhovisi.
Grove capped off 2015 with an emphatic knockout of Joey Beltran at "Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis," in September. The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: 3," has fought professionally since 2003 for promotions all around the world, notably ProElite and UFC. This will be “Da Spyder’s” sixth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner as he hopes to climb back towards a 185-pound title shot – he competed for the gold last year against Brandon Halsey.
A veteran of Strikeforce, “Kiko” has strung together a five-fight winning streak as of late, most recently handing the formerly undefeated Ben Reiter the first loss of his young career at "Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef. " It’s safe to classify the 33-year-old Arizona native as a “submission specialist,"Nge 12 of yakhe 13 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent tap.
Qedela "Bellator 150: Galvão vs.. Dantas 2” Fight Card:
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvão (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)
Bellator MMA Isici uHlelo Bout: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Kendall Grove (22-15) vs. Francisco France (13-3-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3) vs. Rebecca Ruth (5-1)
IKhadi Preliminary:
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Gregory Babene (16-11) vs. Brandon Farran (12-10)
Bellator MMA featherweight Isici Bout: Gaston Reyno (5-0) vs. Chuka Willis (6-2)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Isici Bout: David Hammons (1-1) vs. Kyle Noblitt (1-0)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (4-0) vs. Julian Marquez (2-0)
Bellator MMA Isici uHlelo Bout: Marcio Navarro (14-11) vs. Henry Lindsay (4-5)
Bellator MMA featherweight Isici Bout: Thai Clark (5-0) vs. Deron Carlis (4-1)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Isici Bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)
Bellator MMA Isici uHlelo Bout: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)
UNBEATEN PROSPECTS JUAN HERALDEZ, LADARIUS MILLER & MAURICE LEE HIGHLIGHT UNDERCARD ACTION ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 FROM SAM’S TOWN LIVE IN LAS VEGAS
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King’s Promotions Fighters Carlos Rosario & David Gonzales speak after big wins this past Tuesday night
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Boxing Manager and 2016 Forbes “30 Under 30” Honoree Adrian Clark Offers Manifesto to Help Fighters Clarify Roles
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