DUBLIN, IRELAND. (Dec. 15, 2016) – The official weigh-ins for both “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” and “BAMMA 27” took place this afternoon at the 1878 club inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow at 3Arena, with the event airing on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quite the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s own James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight co-main clash.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for the division gold.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” takes place inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, and will air free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Card: (SPIKE TV – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)
Heavyweight Main Event: Satoshi Ishii (236.6 lbs.) vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (213 lbs.)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: Anthony Taylor (145.8 lbs.) vs. James Gallagher (145.6 lbs.)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Brian Moore (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145.6 lbs.)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Elina Kallionidou (135.8 lbs.) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (135.2 lbs.)
DUBLIN (December 14, 2016) – Two of the top MMA promotions in the world, Bellator and BAMMA have joined forces to deliver an early Christmas gift for MMA fans everywhere with a unique doubleheader event at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland this Friday, Dec. 16.
Despite the cold and rainy weather in Dublin, the main and co-main event fighters turned up the heat at the Official Fight Week Press Conference for the co-promoted event inside the Gibson Hotel. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker took center stage alongside BAMMA CEO David Green, and the two were flanked by “Bellator 169” combatants King Mo(19-5, 1 NC) and Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1) along with James Gallagher (4-0), and Anthony Taylor (14-2), as well as BAMMA main eventers Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8), a Chris Fields (11-7-1), who takes on Andrew Clamp (8-1, 1 NC).
Below are several transcribed quotes from the press conference.
King Mo:
“The cold weather (in Ireland) gets me, you know what I’m saying. But it’s gonna be hot in the venue, because I’m gonna bring the heat.” It’s gonna be action packed. I’m ready to scrap.”
“I’m shocked (by the support from the Irish fans). I came here to do PR last time and everyone was cool, but this time around its been even better. I went to Nandos (chicken restaurant) and got hooked up with like $70 worth of food. If y’all haven’t eaten at Nandos yet I suggest you try it out because that place is good.”
(To Ishii)
“Don’t run around the cage. Fight me square, entertain the fans, and put on a good show.”
“All the people out there, ya’ll better tune in and watch me kick and beat Ishii’s a** out the cage.”
Satoshi Ishii:
“It’s an honor to fight in Dublin. I’m looking forward to the fight, I’m excited, and I will do my best.”
James Gallagher:
“At the end of the day I can say whatever I want and he can say whatever he wants, but, you step in there and none of that means jack s***. It’s a fight between me and him, and that’s all that matters, and I’ll come out the winner.
“I literally do not care about him. I just care about me and what I’m going to do. I’m just going to go in there and smash his face in and that’s that. Simple answer.”
“Everything he is saying is a load of old bullsh**. Tune in on Friday night and you’ll see who’s going to the hospital after.”
“It’s amazing to fight in your own country and right here in the 3Arena. Walking out into that crowd, that feeling of pride is something you will always remember for the rest of your life.”
Anthony Taylor:
“Oh man, everything is going my way. The fact that I’ve got him, one-on-one, with the pretty one, it’s going tremendously fine. The atmosphere in Ireland is so beautiful. The weather, the women…oh my gosh the women! This is cuddling season
and I’m on Tinder just swiping right.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to showcase my skills. Everyone is looking at me as the underdog and saying this is a test. This ain’t no test, this is finals, and guess what? He’s going to fail.”
“I’m going to shock the world on Friday, and let them know who the hell is Anthony Pretty Boy Taylor, the most electrifying man in Bellator MMA. That’s what’s up, and I’m going to put on a show for all the people out there.”
“I get a lot of criticism, but I’ve also got a lot of Irish fans, just as much as he’s got, so it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have the pressure, it’s on him. I’m coming here to do my thing. If I lose, I suck it up like a man. But if I win, I’m gonna be a superstar. I already know I’m going to win, he can’t stop me.”
Scott Coker
“We’ve been on the road quite a bit this year with 25 fights, 28 if you include kickboxing. This is something that David and I started talking about a year ago. It’s been seamless and a lot of fun. David’s been a great partner to work with, BAMMA’s been great.”
“We’ve been following this league for a couple years now. We know that they’re the powerhouse here in the UK and were happy to team up with them and bring our top fighters.”
“This is going to be a great show that is going to be televised all over the world. It will be on SPIKE UK, which airs here in Ireland as well on Saturday at 11 p.m. local time, as well as on SPIKE in the United States at 9 p.m. ET. It will also air in 140 countries around the world, so this is an event that brings worldwide recognition to this event here in Ireland, and we’re very proud to be here.”
(Is this somewhat of a scouting mission for you on Friday?)
“The mission statement of the company is to bring the best fighters in the world to Bellator. So we’re going to be watching very closely I know there is some great talent here, and I’m excited to watch it and see what the future holds.”
(On the event coming together)
“David (Green) and I became friends a little more than a year ago, and has a big television producing background, and he’s done stuff for Spike and Viacom in the past. He’s a very big producer here in the United Kingdom. But as far as coming together, if you look at the background of Strikeforce or even before that in kickboxing, we were never opposed to having fighters in one organization against fighters in another organization. In the earliest parts of the Strikeforce career in MMA, we sent Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson (among others) to Pride against some of the Japanese fighters and they sent over (Shinya) Aoki, (Tatsuya) Kawajiri and some of the best fighters they had. To me, this is what martial arts is all about. We should have more events like this where top guys from different leagues compete against each other to find out who the best is. We’re not going to be opposed to that. That’s always been our philosophy
(On doing it again)
“That’s something David and I will talk about once this is over. We both individually have a big schedule for next year. We (Bellator) are going to go to more international events and more cities across the world. We are going to go to Latin America next year with shows on Mexico and Brazil.
“So we are going to have an exciting schedule to announce soon. This (Dublin event) is something that has worked out fantastic. The schedule and the timing was perfect. The door is always going to be open, these guys are a great partner and have been fantastic to work with and we look forward to doing more events.”
EVENT INFO
BAMMA and Bellator MMA will hold a unique doubleheader event in Dublin, Ireland this Friday, Dec. 16, which will feature multiple BAMMA world title bouts and an incredible Bellator MMA heavyweight main event rematch pitting “King Mo” against Satoshi Ishii. But before our ‘Bellator 169’ and ‘BAMMA 27’ competitors meet inside the cage, join us for an afternoon of verbal submissions at the official press conference inside The Gibson Hotel in Dublin.
Also on Friday night, Anthony Taylor enters enemy territory with a featherweight bout against Northern Ireland’s own James Gallagher. Also hailing from Ireland, Brian Moore will look to take advantage of the home crowd when he faces off against Daniel Weichel. The BAMMA bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy challenges Alan Philpott for the division gold. Lastly, the stacked event features a featherweight world title fight pitting former Bellator competitors Ronnie Mann against Martin Stapleton.
NEW WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT ADDED TO THE LAST EVENT OF THE YEAR
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 12, 2016) – After an incredible year that saw Bellator MMA host events in international territories all around the globe, it is only fitting that the promotion’s year-ending event, “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii,” takes place this Friday, December 16 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
Shortly after her fight against Helen Harper (4-1) was announced, Bruna Vargas (2-1) has withdrawn from the bout due to injury. Harper will be paid her show money and a new women’s featherweight bout has been added to the SPIKE-televised card between undefeated fighters Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) and Elina Kallionidou (5-0).
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, a pair of anticipated featherweight scraps will see Anthony Taylor (1-1) look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) and, Ireland’s Brian Moore(9-4) take on the always-game Daniel Weichel (37-9).
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, and will be immediately followed by “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence.”
Fighting out of Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin, “KO” Kavanagh has fought all three of her professional bouts with BAMMA, and has earned her nickname bye scoring two knockouts in her first three fights. Kavanagh fought in BAMMA’s first-ever women’s fight, and ended her opponent’s night in just 17 seconds. Originally slated to compete in a bantamweight fight against Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2) on the BAMMA portion of this co-promoted night of fights, Kavanagh now moves up in weight to face Kallionidou under the Bellator banner.
At only 18 years of age, Kallionidou has already made a name for herself in her home country Greece, where she holds the Cage Survivor women’s featherweight title. Incredibly, “Gunner” started her professional career off with a bang, scoring a first-round TKO just a month after her 16th birthday. Since then, the Greek fighter has gone 5-0, with three knockouts. The fight this Friday night, will be her first fight outside of Greece.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for the division gold. Lastly, the stacked event features a featherweight world title fight pitting former Bellator competitors Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) against Martin Stapleton (18-4).
Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Elina Kallionidou (5-0)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Main Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Featherweight World Title Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Martin Stapleton (18-4)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Brian Moore (9-4) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)
FLORENCE, ITALY — (December 9, 2016) — Following weigh-ins on Friday morning from Grand Hotel Mediterraneo in the capital city of Tuscany, all 10 competitors fighting during the main card of “Bellator 168: Sakara vs. Beltran” are now ready to compete tomorrow night at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT, LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.
The mixed martial arts portion of action is headlined by a light heavyweight main event contest featuring Italy’s own Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC), who will take on Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC). In addition, John Salter (12-3) meets Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4) in a middleweight bout, Philipe Lins (10-1) competes against Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7), Goiti Yamauchi (20-3) returns to lightweight action against Valeriu Mircea (12-3), and Ed Ruth (1-0)looks to remain undefeated in 2016 on short notice againstEmanuele Palombi (5-2)
See below for complete weights and photos from today’s weigh-in proceedings.
December rolls on with another stuffed edition of the FNU Combat Sports Show.
We feature an important interview with Bellator MMA Fighter Daniel Weichel at the end of the broadcast. Weichel will be fighting next week at Bellator 169. During the rest of the show we recap past events and discuss the Fighter Organization effort at length. Tom, Tony and Rich cover a variety of scheduled events and results from last week. We detail and preview all the major matches in boxing and mixed martial arts.
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — (December 8, 2016) – A featherweight showdown pitting Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) against Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” on January 21, 2017 inside The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif.
Tickets for this monumental event start at $36 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Karakhanyan delivered one of the most spectacular performances of his 10-year career at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull,” when he knocked out Bubba Jenkins just 53 seconds into the contest. Karakhanyan then followed that victory up with another early stoppage, ending Kirill Medvedovsky’s evening via TKO just 3:40 into the first frame at “Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima 2.” With 20 of his 26 career wins coming by way of stoppage, “Insane” looks to add to that total and finish “El Matador,” something nobody has been able to accomplish.
“El Matador” will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, a promotion with which the 26-year-old has had much success to date. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he trains at the famed Roufusport gym, Sanchez is riding a recent string of success, having won nine of his last 11 contests, including three of the past four. Six of Sanchez’s 13 career victories have come by way of knockout or submission, with five of the finishes ending in the opening frame. Sanchez was supposed to compete against A.J. McKee at “Bellator 167: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo 2,” but was forced out of the bout after suffering multiple muscle strains during training. Since signing with Bellator MMA, “El Matador” has competed against a who’s who of talent, facing names the likes of: Pat Curran, Justin Lawrence, Henry Corrales, and Daniel Weichel.
The fight joins a main card that is headlined by a legendary clash between veterans Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1). In addition, Ralek Gracie (3-0) against Hisaki Kato (7-2) will also be featured on the main card, as will what promises to be an absolute slugfest, when Paul Daley (38-14-2) meets Brennan Ward (14-4). The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.
Updated “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)
Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)
Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)
Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (Dec. 6, 2016) – It was announced today that one of MMA’s hottest prospects, Ed Ruth (1-0), will waste no time continuing to build his resume, as he fights Emanuele Palombi (5-2) for his second fight in as many months. The bout takes place this Friday at “Bellator 168: Sakara vs. Beltran,” on Dec. 10 from the Mandela Forum in Florence and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 4pm ET/PT.
At only 26 years old, Ruth is looking to pave the way for the other members of “The New Breed,” a group of highly accomplished wrestlers who have all signed to fight under the Bellator MMA banner including: Joey Davis (1-0), Tyrell Fortune (1-0), Jarod Trice (1-0) as well as Aaron Pico and Romero Cotton – the last of which have yet to make their highly anticipated professional debuts. Before he was a three-time National Champion and four-time All-American wrestler at Penn State University, Ruth attended the world-renown Blair Academy in Susquehanna Township, PA, where he was the top-ranked recruit in the nation for his weight class. Having achieved great success at every stage of competition throughout his life, Ruth aspires to have the Bellator middleweight gold around his waist before long. After making the move across the country to Fresno, Calif., where he now trains at Dethrone Basecamp with other Bellator MMA fighters like Josh Koscheck and Chris Honeycutt, Ruth made his professional MMA debut just last month on Nov. 4, when he finished Dustin Collins-Miles with strikes at 3:19 into the first round.
Ruth now faces Rome’s Palombi, a seven-fight veteran with five victories including three KO’s and one submission. Ruth, who is taking the fight on less than a week’s notice, must quickly learn how to tune out a hometown crowd, who will certainly be heavily in favor of the Italian fighter.
The evening is highlighted by a main event featuring Italy’s most renowned mixed martial artist Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC), who will duke it out with Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) in a light heavyweight main event. Other Bellator MMA competitors will also be in action, including John Salter (12-3), Goiti Yamauchi (31-9) and Philipe Lins(10-1).
The Bellator Kickboxing brand will also be on display in Italy with a card that features a female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz (45-3) and Gloria Peritore (11-1-1), but this time, a world title will be on the line. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” will also include a lightweight clash between Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) and British kickboxing champion Jordan Watson (48-11-2), a middleweight matchup pitting Joe Schilling (19-9) against Victorio Lermano (30-7), a welterweight contest pairing Luca Novello (22-4-2) with Karim Ghajji (96-13-1), and Kevin Ross(31-9) will meet Alessio Arduini (26-14-2) in a lightweight fight. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” airs Friday, Dec. 16 at 11:15 pm ET, immediately following “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”
BANTAMWEIGHT FEATURE FIGHT PITTING SHAY WALSH AGAINST LUIZ TOSTA ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD ON DEC. 16
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 5, 2016) – Injuries to both Paul Redmond and Bruna Ellen have led to new opponents for Daniel Weichel (37-9) and Helen Harper (4-1) on December 16. Weichel will now face Ireland native Brian Moore (9-4) in a featherweight bout, while Harper will be challenged by Bruna Vargas (2-1) in a flyweight fight at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Finally, a bantamweight bout pitting Shay Walsh (14-4) against Luiz Tosta (9-2) puts a stamp on the main card of “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight clash.
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott(16-8) prepare to duke it out for division gold.
Fighting out of Lancaster, England, Walsh will be making his Bellator MMA debut and against the savvy veteran Tosta. Dating back to 2014, Walsh has accrued four victories over his past five contests, including a brutal knockout of Gaz Pilot at “BAMMA 21: DeVent vs. Kone.” Of his 14 career wins, nine have come by way of knockout or submission, making it easy to picture another explosive attack out of the gates by Walsh. After competing in the 145-pound division for the first 15 fights of his professional career, Walsh made the move down to the bantamweight division, where he has strung together wins in two of his first three appearances.
The 36-year-old Tosta enters the bout riding a recent string of success that includes victories in seven of his last eight contests with one draw. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tosta will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, after recording the aforementioned draw in his promotional debut earlier this year at “Bellator 158.” With each of his nine career victories coming by way of submission, seven of which occurred in the first round, it’s clear that Tosta will once again look for the early takedown and finish his opponent.
Filling in for the injured Redmond is Brian Moore, as he enters the cage riding a current two-fight winning streak and a blossoming career that is ready to take off. The 29-year-old Moore has won five of his last seven contests, including a trio of first round victories, highlighted by a vicious knockout that came just 2:30 into his bout earlier in the year. Of his nine career wins, Moore has finished seven of his victims, making him a tall task for the wily veteran Weichel. A native of Wexford, Ireland, “The Pikeman” will not have to travel far for his upcoming showdown with one of Bellator MMA’s most proven veterans, as “The Weasel” will enter hostile territory for this face-off.
Replacing Ellen is the always dangerous Bruna Vargas, who will square off with Harper in search of her first win under the direction of Bellator MMA. The 27-year-old Vargas has recorded two wins over three contests, since making her professional debut in 2013. Hailing from Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Team Nogueira prospect hopes to redeem herself with a promising performance against another stiff opponent in Harper.
Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Bruna Vargas (2-1) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Chris Fields (11-7-1) vs. Andy Clamp (8-1)
Featherweight Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)
Featherweight Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
Lightweight Bout: Rhys McKee (4-0) vs. Jai Hebert (4-0)
Welterweight Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)
Bantamweight Bout: Ian Cleary (Debut) vs. Andrew Lofthouse (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Terry Brazier (6-1) vs. Niklas Stolze (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2)
Bantamweight Bout: Richie Smullen (2-0) vs. Conor Dillon (5-8)
Bantamweight Bout: Blaine O’Driscoll (2-1) vs. Neil Ward (2-2)
Welterweight Bout: Keith McCabe (1-1) vs. Richard Kiely (Debut)
Welterweight Bout:Will Fleury (1-0) vs. Kyle Mclurkin (Debut)
THACKERVILLE, OK. (Dec. 3, 2016) – In the evening’s bantamweight main event, Darrion Caldwell (10-1) redeemed himself with a decisive unanimous decision (30-27 x3) win over Joe Taimanglo (23-7-1). The three-round battle capped off Bellator MMA’s massive doubleheader at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK.
With the win, Caldwell improves his record in the Bellator MMA cage to 7-1 and opens the door for a bantamweight world title clash with current division champion Eduardo Dantas. “Dudu,” of course, protected his belt just last night with a one-sided affair against Joe Warren in the first night of the promotion’s epic doubleheader.
After the fight, Caldwell and Dantas exchanged words inside the cage, as “The Wolf” announced his desire for the belt: “I look forward to fighting you. It’s been a long time coming.”
Featherweight Co-Main Event Lives up to Hype as Teixeira Outlasts Lawrence
It took 15 minutes to determine a winner, but in the end John Teixeira (21-1-2) notched a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27 x2) over Justin Lawrence (9-4) on Saturday night. The Brazilian veteran peppered away with a combination of jabs and kicks that severely damaged Lawrence’s lead leg throughout the bout. “Macapa” continues to dominate the featherweight division, earning victories in nine of his last 10 contests, including one draw. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014, Teixeira has won each of his four fights, maintaining his position among the 145-pound elite.
Flyweight Marathon Ends in Unanimous Decision Victory for Undefeated MacFarlane
Following three hard-fought rounds inside WinStar World Casino, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (5-0) emerged victorious with a (30-27, 29-28 x2) win over Emily Ducote (4-2). McFarlane was able to withstand an early barrage of strikes from Ducote, preserving her unblemished professional mark. “The Ilimanator” relied heavily on her accurate striking, as the 26-year-old Californian landed a remarkable 68% of her punches thrown. For the budding star Ducote, the loss is just her first of the year, following four consecutive victories to begin her campaign.
Njokuani Upsets Fialho With a Bang, Hands Portuguese Superstar First Loss of Career
In the first Spike-televised bout of the evening, Chidi Njokuani (16-4, 1 NC) delivered a brutal first round knockout against Andre Fialho(7-1) that came just 21 seconds into the contest. A flurry of Njokuani punches sent Fialho to the canvas and the 27-year-old took care of the rest. Dating back to 2012, “Chidi Bang Bang” has recorded wins in 11of his last 12 bouts and extends his current winning streak to seven. Of Njokuani’s 16 career victories, 10 have come by way of knockout, making him one of the most feared strikers in the stacked welterweight division. The young Portuguese star Fialho tastes defeat for the first time in his career and will look to redeem himself at the start of the new year.
THACKERVILLE, OK. (Dec. 2, 2016) — Despite receiving a point-deduction for a low kick in the fifth and final round, Eduardo Dantas (19-4) was impeccable on the feet during his rematch with Joe Warren (14-6) at “Bellator 166”on Friday, peppering Warren with jabs for 25-minutes and earning a majority decision (47-47, 49-44, 48-46) in front of a packed house at WinStar Resort and Casino.
With the loss, Warren’s bid for a third Bellator MMA title reign ended, as he was unable to secure a takedown throughout the main event bout. “The World’s Baddest Man” had never lost a fight that went to the judges’ scorecards until Friday, while “Dudu” rectified the defeat he took against Warren at “Bellator 128.”
After the fight, Dantas dedicated his victory to the families of those affected by the deadly plane crash suffered by the Chapecoense Soccer Team in Brazil last week. The victory now sets the stage for tomorrow night’s “Bellator 167” event, which pits Joe Taimanglo against Darrion Caldwell.
McKee Overcomes Adversity, Remains Undefeated with Impressive Ground-and-Pound Victory
In the evening’s featherweight co-main event, A.J. McKee (6-0) came from behind to defeat Ray Wood (7-3) with a unanimous decision triumph (29-27, 30-25, 30-27). McKee was tested early in the opening round, as Wood landed multiple blows that sent McKee flying to the canvas. However, McKee was able to stay the course and answered the bell, convincingly dominating Wood during the final two frames. Wood becomes just the first of McKee’s six victims to make it out of the first round, forcing the 21-year-old “Mercenary” into his first-ever decision. Fighting out of Long Beach, Calif., McKee proclaimed his desire to compete on the upcoming “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” super-card after the win, calling out his previously scheduled opponentEmmanuel Sanchez.
Galvao Edges Davis for Split Decision win in Bantamweight Thriller
In a night highlighted by a pair of phenomenal bantamweight matchups, Marcos Galvao (18-7-1) was able to squeak out a tightly fought contest with L.C. Davis (23-8), emerging victorious with a split decision win (29-28 x2, 28-29). A 12-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Galvao earned his eighth victory under the promotion’s direction and first of his 2016 campaign. “Loro” seems to be finding his groove, tallying victories in five of his past six contests. For Davis, the loss is just his second since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014.
Chris Honeycutt Delivers Flawless Performance – Rewarded With Unanimous Decision Victory
In the opening bout of “Bellator 166,“Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) brought a rowdy Thackerville crowd to their feet throughout the course of a one-sided middleweight affair, defeating Ben Reiter (17-2-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25 x2). An early knee, coupled with a ruthless combination of blows opened a sizeable gash on the side of Reiter’s head, forcing the 29-year-old New Yorker to take some chances. The win is Honeycutt’s second consecutive victory at 185-pounds, opening the door in what is currently a wide open division. For Reiter, the loss is just the second of his career, the first of which also came at WinStar Resort and Casino.
Preliminary Card Results:
Gregory Babene (18-11) defeated Emiliano Sordi (14-6) via submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:11 of round one
Treston Thomison (10-4) defeated Dawond Pickney (10-6) via submission (Arm-bar) at :51 of round one
Derrick Adkins (9-3) defeated Chris Jones (10-5) via submission (Brabo Choke) at 4:09 of round two
Kinny Spotwood (3-2) defeated John King (4-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
