Category Archives: Bellator

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIAM MCGEARY SET TO DEFEND LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT GOLD IN MAIN EVENT CLASH WITH PHIL “MR. WONDERFUL” DAVIS AT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA IN CONNECTICUT ON NOVEMBER 4

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BRENNAN WARD vs. SAAD AWAD & MARLOES COENEN vs. TALITA NOGUEIRA ALSO SET FOR MAIN CARD ACTION

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (September 23, 2016) – A light heavyweight title fight pitting current belt-holder Liam McGeary (11-0) against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (16-3) will serve as the main event at “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” on November 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

 

The SPIKE-televised main card will also feature a welterweight battle between Saad Awad (19-8) and Connecticut’s own Brennan Ward (13-4), as well as a female featherweight contest pitting Marloes Coenen (23-7) against undefeated Brazilian Talita Nogueira (6-0).

 

Tickets for “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. The event can be seen 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.

 

Undefeated light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary returns to the same venue where he was crowned king in 2015. Now, the 33-year-old British striker will look to defend his title for the second time since winning the belt in a hard-fought victory over Emanuel Newton at “Bellator 134.” An eight-time veteran of Bellator MMA, McGeary has finished his opponent in 10 of his 11 career bouts, including eight first round wins – one coming against MMA legend Tito Ortiz. Standing at 6’6”, McGeary will have a noticeable height advantage over his opponent Davis when the two take center stage on November 4 inside Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

“Mr. Wonderful” returns to the Bellator MMA cage having won three consecutive contests and seven of his last nine. Hailing from Harrisburg, Penn., Davis has finished his opponent in eight of his 16 career wins, including five submission victories. A 13-fight veteran of the UFC, the 31-year-old Davis will likely not be fazed by the bright lights of what is quite possibly the biggest challenge of his illustrious career. The former NCAA National Champion wrestler will try to take this contest to the ground and display his impeccable grappling skillset against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

 

With a dozen fights under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion, the Bellator MMA veteran Awad will enter the cage for the 28th time in his career and third of the calendar year. A native of San Bernardino, Calif., Awad’s 2016 campaign is highlighted by a spectacular first round finish of Brazilian standout  “Cyborg” Santos at “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” as well as a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Derek Anderson at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.” With eight first round knockout victories under his belt, five of which came in the opening minute of action, the 33-year-old “Assassin” will undoubtedly come out guns blazing at 170-pounds on November 4 in search of his 16th career finish.

 

It wouldn’t feel like a complete Bellator MMA card in Connecticut without New London’s own, “Irish” Ward. The 28-year-old former NCAA All-American lives just 10 miles from Mohegan Sun Arena, where he has emerged victorious four times, including three knockouts and one submission. A 12-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Ward has recorded wins in four of his last five bouts dating back to 2015, highlighted by a pair of first round KO’s at Mohegan Sun Arena. With 12 of the welterweight’s 13 career victories coming by way of knockout and submission, look for Ward to attack early and often when he enters the cage in front of friends and family onNovember 4.

 

Dutch submission specialist Coenen will be making her fourth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner after making her promotional debut in 2014. The 35-year-old former Strikeforce competitor enters the cage having won four of her last six contests, including her first two bouts with the Scott Coker-led promotion. The 30-fight veteran nicknamed “Rumina” has finished her opponents in 20 of her 23 career wins, including a remarkable 17 submission victories.

 

The undefeated 30-year-old Nogueira will be making her Bellator MMA debut inside Mohegan Sun Arena onNovember 4. The fight will be her first since 2013, when the Brazilian grappler collected her sixth career win, fourth of the submission variety. Nogueira was originally slated to make her promotional debut in 2015, before a knee injury forced her to withdraw from of a scheduled bout with fellow featherweight Julia Budd at “Bellator 133.” Now, “Treta” will look to maintain her unblemished mark and put her name in title contention when she enters the cage in what will surely be the stiffest test of her flourishing career.

 

“Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Liam McGeary (11-0) vs. Phil Davis (16-3)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0)

 

Preliminary Card:

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Diekmann (15-7, 1 NC) vs. Tyler King (11-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Blair Tugman (8-6) vs. Walter Smith-Cotito (4-4, 1 NC)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Michael Zichelle (8-4) vs. Tim Caron (5-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ilya Kotau (1-1) vs. Carlos Corriea (1-0)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah Payant (1-3) vs. Hannah Regina (Debut)

Bellator, kickboxing, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA & KICKBOXING TO HOLD ANOTHER SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL TAG-TEAM EVENT AT THE MANDELA FORUM IN FLORENCE, ITALY ON DEC. 10

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“BELLATOR 167” TO FEATURE ALESSIO SAKARA VS. JOEY BELTRAN

 

“BELLATOR KICKBOXING: FLORENCE” WILL SEE DENISE KIELHOLTZ VS. GLORIA PERITORE FOR INAGURAL FEMALE FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE

 

(Lto R: Denise Kielholtz, Armen Petrosyan, GiorgioPetrosyan, Florence Minister of Sport Andrea Vannucci, Bellator President Scott Coker, Gloria Peritore, Mustapha Haida, Oktagon President Carlo DiBlasi gather at PalazzoVecchio for a press conference to announce Dec. 10 event at Mandela Forum.)

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (September 21, 2016) – Within days of “Bellator Kickboxing: Budapest,” the Scott Coker-led promotion hosted a press conference yesterday at the historic Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy to announce its next international extravaganza. The Viacom-owned fight company is returning to Italy with another combo-event featuring heart-pounding action from the Bellator MMA and Bellator Kickboxing brands, both taking place onDec. 10 from the Mandela Forum in Florence. Both events will air on SPIKE, and exact broadcast details will be revealed at a later date.

 

“Bellator 167” will boast Italy’s most popular and beloved mixed martial artist, Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) who takes on Mexican-American slugger Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) in a light heavyweight headlining matchup.

 

Meanwhile, “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” features an anticipated female flyweight rematch between Dutch striking ace Denise “Miss Dynamite” Kielholtz (45-3) and the woman who defeated her this past June, Gloria Peritore (11-1-1) for the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing Female Flyweight World Championship. Additionally, Italian superstar striker Giorgio Petrosyan will be making his Bellator Kickboxing debut and other Bellator Kickboxing superstars Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross and Joe Schilling are also likely to compete on the card against opponents to be named later.

 

“International expansion was a major goal for us in 2016, and I feel that we’ve really nailed it thus far,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “After the incredible success of our first event in Italy this past April where we packed the Pala Alpitour with over 14,000 people, we knew that we wanted to return for a second go-round before the end of the year.  With our great partner Carlo DiBlasi and his team at Oktagon, we are looking forward to another epic event on December 10.”

 

“Our partnership with Bellator is producing incredible results, so as to double the stages in Italy and start a European course that has seen us protagonists in recent days in Budapest,” said Oktagon President Carlo DiBlasi. “I am sure that Florence will respond to the appointment on December 10 and will not be disappointed by the spectacle that the best fighters in the world will bring on Mandela forum ring.”

 

Not to be confused with current pop sensation “Alessia Cara,” Italy’s favorite mixed martial arts superstar Alessio Sakara returns to the Bellator MMA fray fresh off an emphatic finish of Brian Rogers at “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza.” Known for his knack for the spectacular, “Legionarius” will be making his second appearance for the Viacom-owned promotion in his home country, a locale he’s undefeated in throughout his career as a professional, a run that began in 2002. A longtime member of the world-renown “American Top Team,” there’s no doubt that Sakara comes to the cage looking to finish, ending the proceedings before reaching the judges’ scorecards in 14 of his 18 wins; a similar record to his opponent on Dec. 10.

 

Having competed across multiple weight classes from heavyweight down to middleweight, the man fondly referred to as “The Mexicutioner” always comes ready to go toe-to-toe. A six-fight Bellator MMA competitor, Beltran has competed against the elite in multiple promotions and weight divisions, facing names like: “Rampage” Jackson, Kendall Grove, Emanuel Newton, and Stipe Miocic. Now, the 34-year-old San Diego native returns to light heavyweight, looking to add to his impressive total of 14 finishes in 17 wins as a professional. A veteran of Strikeforce, as well as the UFC, it’s surprising Beltran hasn’t previously crossed paths with Sakara, but all that changes when the cage door closes in Florence.

 

The streaking Dutch striker Denise Kielholz had her progress temporarily slowed when she was upset by Peritore at “Bellator: Dynamite 2” this past June. A 27-year-old native of Sicily, Italy, Peritore has won titles such as the ISKA & WTKA Amateur World Kickboxing Champion and IASKA Amateur World K-1 Championship. The first meeting between these two ladies was a tightly contested and technical, with both competitors picking their spots wisely over the course of three rounds. The ante has been upped the second go around though, with the news that a freshly minted Bellator Kickboxing belt will be waiting for the victor.

 

Updated “Bellator 167” Card:

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)

 

Updated “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:

Female Flyweight World Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Gloria Peritore (11-1-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

HISAKI KATO TAKES ON A.J. MATTHEWS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASH AS BELLATOR MMA INVADES MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21

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GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting Hisaki Kato (6-2) against A.J. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21.

In addition, a lightweight faceoff pitting  Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) against Ryan Couture (10-4) completes the SPIKE-televised main card. The first of what will be a stacked preliminary card is also official, with the news that Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-4) will fight Gilbert “Chocolate Thunder” Smith (12-5). Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Since signing with Bellator MMA, the calm and subdued Kato has been in nothing but absolute barn burners once the cage door shuts. The exciting fights have even transcended combat sport iterations, when at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 2” Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped Joe Schilling in his tracks, the second finish in as many tries for “The Japanese Musketeer” against “Stitch Em’ Up.” Currently situated in France, the 33-year-old has had one MMA contest thus far in 2016, stopping Yuta Watanabe in April.

When he’s not traveling the world in an effort to learn everything there is to know about the different martial arts disciplines, Matthews is putting his skills to the test under the Bellator MMA umbrella. A veteran of Strikeforce, “The Mercenary” has laced up the gloves seven times previously for the Viacom-owned promotion, stopping his opponent in all but one of his victories. Primarily training at Alliance MMA throughout his career, Matthews has spent much of his time as of late in Thailand, even taking a Muay Thai bout before meeting Ben Reiter at “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.”

At just 23-years-old, Yamauchi is one of the premiere young talents in the sport of MMA today. Prior to joining Bellator MMA, the Japanese submission specialist amassed an unfathomable 14-1 record with 11 submissions and one knockout. Since merging with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Yamauchi has strung together a promising mark of 5-2 with three rear-naked choke submissions. Of his 19 career wins, 15 have come by way of submission, while no opponent has yet been able to finish the elusive fighter. Yamauchi will now jump up in weight class and join the lightweight division for a clash with one of the most legendary last names in MMA, Couture.

Known to many as the son of former world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has made 14 professional appearances over his career, all of which took place under the bright lights of a national promotion like Strikeforce or Bellator MMA. Residing in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old submission specialist enters the cage having won four of his past five contests, with each of his victories coming by way of rear-naked choke submission. Although there is a noticeable age difference between his opponent, Yamauchi made his professional debut a mere two months after Couture, in October of 2010. Tune in to SPIKE on October 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.

 

Complete “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)

 

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)

Bellator, kickboxing, Spike TV

“BELLATOR KICKBOXING: BUDAPEST” SET TO AIR ON SPIKE TV THIS FRIDAY, SEPT. 23

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WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION KARIM GHAJJI, RAYMOND DANIELS, DENISE KIELHOLTZ RETURN TO ACTION

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (September 19, 2016) – Bellator’s world tour continues this Friday, September 23 when Bellator Kickboxing brings top-flight action to SPIKE TV all the way from Budapest, Hungary. The event will be headlined by Bellator Kickboxing’s welterweight champion Karim Ghajji (96-12) defending his belt against Zoltan Laszak (10-2).

 

In addition to this welterweight world title bout, the always-exciting Raymond Daniels(11-3) will return to action against Zsolt Benedek (15-3) of Hungary. Following her controversial defeat at “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” Denise Kielholtz (44-3) will also compete, when she takes on Renata Lantos (5-4).

 

The must-see kickboxing event will also feature the man who upset Melvin Manhoefearlier this year, Alexandru Negrea (9-3), who meets Ali El Ameri (42-10-2) at a catchweight of 189-pounds.

 

“Bellator Kickboxing: Budapest” will air on Spike Friday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

Fresh off winning his championship at Bellator’s inaugural kickboxing show in Turin, Italy, Ghajji will defend the title he won at the expense of Mustapha Haida when he meets world-renowned Hungarian champion Zoltan Laszak in five, three minute rounds.

 

Raymond Daniels is never involved in a boring fight; look no further than his first two Bellator Kickboxing bouts, which have produced highlight-reel stoppages. This go-round, the showman will face the Hungarian Zsolt Benedek at 170-pounds. While Daniels will enter the ring as the favorite, Benedek will have the advantage of the home-town crowd, who he hopes will help propel him towards upsetting the American Superstar.

 

Arguably the most important fight of Denise Kielholz’s career, the talented Dutch Kickboxer will face another fighter of Hungarian descent when she meets Renata Lantos in a flyweight encounter. After dropping a decision Gloria Peritore, Kielholtz has been hell-bent on earning a rematch against the Italian, but will have to get through Lantos first.

 

Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Budapest” Card:

 

Welterweight World Title Main Event: Karim Ghajji (96-12) vs. Zoltan Laszak (10-2)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Raymond Daniels (11-3) vs. Zsolt Benedek (15-3)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (44-3) vs. Renata Lantos (5-4)

189 lb. Catchweight Feature Bout: Alexandru Negrea (9-3) vs. Ali El Ameri (42-10-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO TAKES HOME MAJORITY DECISION IN MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 161’

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AUSTIN, TEXAS — (September 16, 2016) — It took 15 minutes of heavyweight action during the main event of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” to decide a winner between Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) and Tony Johnson (10-3), but in the end, it was “The Darkness” who emerged victorious via majority decision on Friday night.

The action between the two sluggers varied between heavy punches and elite wrestling, but the grappling of Kongo won out, as the 41-year-old got the better part of the action in the final ten minutes and began his newly signed extension with Bellator MMA on a high note.

The heavyweight title picture remains unclear, but if one thing’s certain, it’s that Kongo will have a claim to the strap when the promotion decides to put the title back on the line.

 

Guillotine Choke Fuels Joe Warren to Victory in Co-Main Event

 

Joe Warren (14-5) and Sirwan Kakai (12-5) traded blows for over ten minutes of heart pounding action in the evening’s co-main event, but it was Warren who finished on top after delivering a neck crank submission just 1:04 into the third round. After the win, the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is now tied for second all-time in Bellator MMA victories with 12. The former two-division champion Warren has now won seven of his last nine contests and has once again proven why he belongs among the division’s elite. The loss marks the first time over Kakai’s eight-year career that he has been finished by an opponent.

Anastasia Yankova Outlasts Veta Arteaga in Flyweight Marathon

 

In a highly-anticipated women’s flyweight battle,  undefeated Russian Anastasia Yankova (4-0) came out on top against Veta Arteaga (2-1) via split decision. With the win the 25-year-old Yankova continued along her brisk path to stardom with a comeback performance that two out of three cage side judges saw in her favor. Yankova impressed in her first ever fight in the US, recording her fourth career victory and second with the Scott Coker-led promotion. The win is the first to go the distance for Yankova, with each of her initial three coming by way of submission. For Arteaga, the difficult judges’ decision leaves her with the first loss of her professional career.

Compelling Lightweight Opener Ends in Unanimous Decision win for Lubbuck’s Campos

During the opening contest at “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” Texas’ own Derek Campos (17-6) scored a come-from-behind unanimous decision (29-28 x3) win over Dutch knockout artist Djamil Chan (12-3). After absorbing a devastating blow that sent him to the canvas early in the opening round of action, “The Stallion” quickly recovered and responded in a big way in rounds two and three. The 28-year-old Campos scored his second straight win and sixth since joining the Bellator MMA fray. For Chan, the loss ends an impressive run of seven consecutive victories over a dominant four-year stretch.

Preliminary Card Results:

Armando Villareal (1-0) defeated Tommy Burghardt (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:08 of round one

Sean Clements (1-0) defeated David Ramirez (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 2x)

Matt Mazurek (4-4) defeated Jose Guerra (0-3) via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

Daniel Pineda (22-12) defeated Mark Dickman (11-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:07 of round three

Emily Ducote (4-1) defeated Kenya Miranda (2-3) via submission (armbar) at 4:37 of round two

Rey Trujillo (21-15) defeated Deuce King (15-18) via submission (reverse arm triangle) at 1:20 of round one

Garrett Scott (2-0) defeated Waylon Bronstrup (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:50 of round one

Nick Gonzalez (19-13) defeated Warren Stewart (11-23) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON DECEMBER 2

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A.J. MCKEE-EMMANUEL SANCHEZ WILL COMPETE DURING MAIN CARD IN FEATHERWEIGHT ACTION

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – Bellator MMA will return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on December 2with a night of must-see mixed martial arts action, and the first confirmed bout on the Spike-televised portion of the card will feature undefeated prospect A.J. McKee (5-0) taking on Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (13-3).

Tickets for “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” start at just $45 and go on sale this coming Monday, September 19 at 10 a.m. CT. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

The event airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fighting out of Long Beach, Calif., McKee enters this fight following the quickest finish of his budding career, a 32-second guillotine choke submission at“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.” A 5-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, McKee has a knack for finishing fights early and often, spending a grand total of10:25 inside the cage over the course of his five scraps. Trained by his father, Antonio McKee, the Team Bodyshop product will try to protect his unblemished mark and fufill his goal of becoming the youngest champion in MMA history when he enters the cage on December 9.

“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 Roufusport, 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. 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.

Updated “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” Main Card:

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (5-0) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Radio Show: September 15th Broadcast

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This week’s radio show features a recap of the Brook vs. Golovkin bout, the defeat of Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight Title bout with Alistair Overeem and Tony’s visit with former gues Antonio Tarver at a recent Philadelphia boxing event. Tom, Tony and Rich also look at some news from combat sports and preview upcoming UFC, Bellator and boxing events.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘THE AMERICAN GANGSTER’ CHAEL SONNEN ENDS RETIREMENT, SIGNS WITH BELLATOR MMA

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 15, 2016) – Bellator MMA is elated to announce the signing of Chael Sonnen (28-14-1), to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract.

 

By signing with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Sonnen effectively ends his retirement from professional mixed martial arts and he will now enter the 205-pound division championed by Liam McGeary, amongst others.

 

“I’m consistently blown away by the product and presentation that Bellator is bringing to the fans,” said Sonnen. “I’m not nearly done competing and I’m coming after everyone, everywhere. I’m not sticking to one weight class either, I fight at ‘Gangster Weight’ and nobody is safe.”

 

Sonnen has spent a vast majority of his 43-fight career with the UFC, a run where he competed against names the likes of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva (2x), Rashad Evans, “Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia, Brian Stann, and current middleweight champion Michael Bisping. In addition to his exploits inside the cage, the West Linn, Ore., native has mastered the art of being in front of the camera, doing major broadcasting work for both ESPN and Fox Sports.

 

“Chael is an incredible athlete that has competed at the very highest levels of the sport,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said, “I know that he is going to continue to do just that here at Bellator. When we were in the process of signing him, Chael was adamant that he wants to compete in three divisions here. He already has unfinished business with Wanderlei Silva, but he also wants to fight guys like Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and even Rory MacDonald at middleweight. These are all fights that I’d be very inclined to watch, so hopefully we can put some, if not all of these matchups together starting before the end of the year.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JAMES ‘THE STRABANIMAL’ GALLAGHER-KIRILL MEDVEDOVSKY BOUT ADDED TO BELLATOR MMA EVENT IN ISRAEL ON NOVEMBER 10

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF (Sept. 12, 2016) – A featherweight contest between budding Irish star James Gallagher (4-0) and Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1) has been added to the main card of the promotion’s first ever card at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on November 10.

The fights join a main event that features a Welterweight World Title bout between current title holder Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) and the man who he took it from over a year ago, Douglas Lima (27-6). In addition, one of the newest members of the Bellator MMA family, Noad Lahat (9-2), will challenge fellow featherweight Scott Cleve (15-5) in the evening’s co-main event. Additional fights will be announced in coming weeks.

The event will air in America on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. Bellator has partnered with Ananey Communications, an Israeli television conglomerate boasting 14 channels, several of which showcase Viacom content including the EGO and EGO TOTAL channels which have broadcast Bellator in Israel since 2012.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com or Eventim.co.il/mma.

A native of Northern Ireland, the undefeated Gallagher will make his second appearance since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion earlier this year. In a unanimous decision victory, Gallagher discarded of opponent Mike Cutting at “Bellator 158: Daley vs. Lima,” paving the way for a potentially bright future for the 19-year-old featherweight prospect. The win was the fourth of his professional career and first to go past the opening frame, being that the previous three victories all came by way of first round submission. Fighting out of the highly-acclaimed gym SBG Ireland, Gallagher has begun his career training alongside well-known teammate Conor McGregor, as he continues to grow and learn from one of the game’s best.

Born on November 14, the recently signed 23-year-old Medvedovsky hopes to unwrap an early birthday present inside Menora Mivtachim Arena. The Netanya, Israel native enters his bout with a record of 6-1, with one knockout and a pair of submission finishes. Coming off of back-to-back first round victories, Medvedovsky hopes to make quick work of his younger opponent Gallagher and give his hometown fans exactly what they came to see.

“Bellator MMA in Tel Aviv” Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) vs. Douglas Lima (27-6)

Featherweight Feature Co-Main Event: Noad Lahat (9-2) vs. Scott Cleve (15-5)

Bantamweight Feature Bout: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1)

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Feature Bout: Joaquin Buckley (6-0) vs. Jackie Gosh (6-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR TO HOST THE FIRST MAJOR MMA EVENT IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL ON NOVEMBER 10

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WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION ANDREY KORESHKOV TO FACE DOUGLAS LIMA IN MAIN EVENT

 

ALSO: ISRAELI ARMY VETERAN NOAD LAHAT SET FOR BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST SCOTT CLEVE

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (Sept. 7, 2016) – Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) will make the second defense of his belt against the man he took it from more than a year ago, Douglas Lima (27-6), in the main event of the promotion’s historic debut at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on November 10.

 

In addition, the card will feature one of Israel’s own in the co-headliner, when newly signed Bellator MMA featherweight Noad Lahat (9-2) meets Scott Cleve (15-5). Additional main card and preliminary fights will be announced in coming weeks.

 

The Viacom-owned fight promotion’s historic event will air in America on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. Bellator has partnered with Ananey Communications, an Israeli television conglomerate boasting 14 channels, several of which showcase Viacom content including the EGO and EGO TOTAL channels which have broadcast Bellator in Israel since 2012.

 

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com or Eventim.co.il/mma.

 

Currently sitting atop Bellator MMA’s welterweight division, the 26-year-old champion Koreshkov most recently dismantled former world champion Benson Henderson for 25 minutes in his first-ever title defense. 19-1 as a professional, “Spartan” hasn’t tasted defeat since 2013 and has finished 13 of his opponents by either knockout or submission. It’s worth noting that Koreshkov trains under the leadership of former middleweight championAlexander Shlemenko.

 

Coming off of a dominant victory over top contender Paul Daley, “The Phenom” Lima has earned the right to challenge for the promotion’s 170-pound title, which he once held. The American Top Team standout has a knack for winning fights in spectacular fashion before reaching the judges’ scorecards, which he has accomplished in 23 of his 27 wins as a professional. Born in Brazil, the 28-year-old has secured victories over top competition since starting his career in 2006, tallying wins against Ben Saunders (2x), Ryan Ford, Steve Carl and Olympic competitor Rick Hawn. Now fully healthy, Lima looks to fight twice in a calendar year for the first time since 2013.

 

A black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Lahat made his professional debut in 2008, where he began an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. The 32-year-old “Neo” then decided to take his talents to the UFC, where he tacked on two more wins, rounding out his current professional record of 9-2. Hailing from Alfei Menashe, Samaria Israel, Lahat was also a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces before transitioning to his now promising MMA career. He will look to compete in a strong Bellator MMA Featherweight class that includes current titleholder Daniel Straus, Pat Curran, Patricio “Pitbull,” Daniel Weichel, and Georgi Karakhanyan.

 

At 34 years of age, Scott Cleve is set for his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, the Colorado native has a knack for ending fights early, stopping his opponent in 11 of his 15 victories. Notable victories on the “Pariah MMA” standouts resume include wins over UFC veteran Abel Trujillo, along with Bellator competitors Derek Campos and Matt Bessette.

 

“Bellator MMA in Tel Aviv” Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) vs. Douglas Lima (27-6)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Noad Lahat (9-2) vs. Scott Cleve (15-5)