SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 9, 2015) – A talent-laden preliminary card for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” event is starting to take shape with the addition of welterweights Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky “Krypskytten” Rainey (10-3), bantamweights Joe “The Juggernaut” Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Anthony “Tigre” Duarte (18-5) och fjäder Jordanien “Pretty Boy” Parsons (10-1) vs. Júlio César “Morceguinho” Neves Jr. (30-0).

 

The new additions complement the four-bout main card for “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove,” which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) mot tornar Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Den Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), ljus tungviktare Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. “Razor” Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) och welterweights Fernando “Den Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1).

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” sker på Fredag, Maj 15, på Pechanga Resort & Casino i Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. OCH (6 p.m. PT lokal tid), medan preliminära skjutningarna strömma på Spike.com.

 

Biljetter till “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” som börjar på just $50, finns för närvarande på försäljning till Pechanga.com och Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

 

Dörrar till “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” öppen vid 3:30 p.m. PT lokal tid, och den första tävlingen äger rum 30 minuter senare. Ytterligare skjutningarna kommer att meddelas inom kort.

 

Juarez, av Torrance, Calif., is a seven-time Bellator MMA veteran whose days with the company date back to the promotion’s second show. The 33-year-old has been fighting professionally since 2006 but is currently enjoying one of the best runs of his career at 5-1 in his past six appearances, a run that includes Bellator MMA wins over Ron Keslar, Joe Williams and Jordan Smith.

 

Rainey, of Gastonia, N.C., fights for the fourth time under the Bellator MMA banner. All three of Rainey’s Bellator MMA fights have ended in the first round, as he’s bracketed TKO wins over Johnny Cisneros and Andy Murad around a loss to top contender Michael “Venom” Sida. Seven of Rainey’s 10 career wins have come by finish, including six by knockout.

 

A five-time Bellator MMA veteran, Taimanglo has quickly established himself as one of Guam’s top fighting exports. A scrappy 30-year-old, Taimanglo never fails to entertain. He fought most recently in September, scoring a decision win over Michael Parker.

 

Kämpar professionellt sedan 2006, Duarte hails from Tijuana, Mexiko. He makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of back-to-back submission wins over Marco Beristain and Ed West. Fifteen of Duarte’s 18 career wins come by way of stoppage, Inklusive 11 by tapout.

 

The 24-year-old Parsons, of Fargo, N.D., is a member of California’s famed Alliance MMA. Fighting professionally, Parsons has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world after winning 10 av hans första 11 professionella slagsmål, including three by knockout and two by submission. Parsons made his Bellator MMA debut in April 2014, scoring a knockout win over Tim Bazer just four seconds into the second round.

 

Brazil’s Neves Jr. has compiled an incredible career mark of 30-0 despite being just 20 år gammal. Konkurrerande professionellt sedan 2011, när han var bara 17 år gammal, Neves Jr. already owns a pair of Bellator MMA victories by TKO, as he downed Poppies Martinez in the first round of a September 2014 matchup and finished Josh Arocho in the second round of an April 2014 tävling.

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” - Fredag, Maj 15, Pechanga Resort & Kasino, Temecula, Calif.

Huvud Card (9 p.m. OCH)

 

Bellator Mellanvikt Titel Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)

Bellator Utvalda Bantamvikt Slagsmål: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)

Bellator Utvalda Lätt tungvikt Slagsmål: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)

Bellator Utvalda Weltervikt Slagsmål: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Mille (7-1)

 

Preliminära kortet (7 p.m. OCH)

 

Bellator Weltervikt Prelim Slagsmål: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

Bellator Bantamvikt Prelim Slagsmål: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)

Bellator Fjäder Prelim Slagsmål: Jordanien Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)