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Category Archives: Bellator
’Bout Time: Four Preliminary Scraps Confirmed for Bellator 140 in Uncasville, Connecticut
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 22, 2015) – Four fresh preliminary bouts will support the welterweight main card showcase of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov.” Veteran striker Josh “The Dentist” Neer (36-14) faces submission artist Matt Secor (6-2) at welterweight, Blair “The Bull Shark” Tugman (7-5) battles Rodrigo “The Young Lion” Almeida (12-2) at 135 lbs., Ilya Kotau makes his professional debut opposite Nicolas Sergiacom(1-0) at 170 lbs., and Parker Porter (5-4) faces Eric “Lucky Strikes” Bedard (6-5) in the heavyweight division.
Bellator 140 features five world-class welterweight bouts including World Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears (16-13), Brennan “The Irish Bad Boy” Ward (10-3) scrapping with Gavin “War Horse” Sterritt (6-1), and knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) challenging Dennis Olson (14-8).
The main card airs live and free on July 17th on Spike at 9 P.M. EST while the announced preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 P.M. EST.
Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office orTicketmaster.com.
Veteran striker Josh Neer returns to Bellator MMA after going 3-1 in his last four fights. Neer has over 50 fights of experience to his credit and a combined 32 wins by knockout and submission. Neer dropped a unanimous decision loss to Paul Bradley at Bellator 129 and seeks to come back from the loss with a commanding victory over Secor.
Matt Secor challenges Neer riding a two-fight winning streak. Secor is a talented grappler who has earned six wins by submission ahead of Bellator 140. He will need to display his best ground game tactics to submit the established MMA veteran and to impress in his Bellator debut.
Blair Tugman will be competing in his home state of Connecticut and will aim to string together his third consecutive Bellator victory. The bantamweight fighter last competed in February’s “British Invasion” event and earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Marvin Maldonado. Tugman’s bantamweight competitor, Rodrigo Almeida makes his promotional debut on the heels of seven straight victories. Almeida demonstrated dominating striking power in his most recent fight and earned a 15-second technical knockout win.
Ilya Kotau makes his professional debut at 170 lbs. opposite Nicolas Sergiacomi in a showcase of prospective East Coast talent.
Hartford’s Parker Porter takes his second heavyweight fight in Bellator MMA and will be looking to redeem himself from a Bellator 98 debut loss. Standing opposite Porter is Eric Bedard, who has finished all six of his professional victories and seeks to continue the streak in his promotional debut.
Main Card (9 P.M. EST)
Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin Sterritt (6-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)
Preliminary Card (7 P.M. EST)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Josh Neer (36-14) vs. Matt Secor (6-2)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Blair Tugman (7-5) vs. Rodrigo Almeida (12-2)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Ilya Kotau (debut) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (1-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Parker Porter (5-4) vs. Eric Bedard (6-5)
“UNFINISHED BUSINESS” IS FINISHED, AS KIMBO SLICE STOPS KEN SHAMROCK IN SAINT LOUIS
PATRICIO FREIRE RETAINS FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE WITH MUST-SEE SECOND ROUND KNOCKOUT OVER DANIEL WEICHEL
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM BELLATOR 138
PHOTO CREDIT: BELLATOR
The long-awaited, highly anticipated matchup between mixed martial arts legend Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) and bare-knuckled brawler Kimbo Slice (5-2) definitely didn’t disappoint. The energy from the packed crowd at Scottrade Center in St. Louis was palpable, as fans from all walks of life had waited since 2008 to see the two enter the cage, with Slice claiming victory by TKO at 2:22 in round one.
When the opening bell sounded, the founding father of MMA looked to shoot for the takedown on Slice immediately, maneuvering into a position to secure a win with a rear-naked choke. But as promised, Slice refused to tap.
Before the crowd could blink, the two fighters were upright and exchanging blows. Slice was able to land a lethal right hook that stunned Shamrock, sending him immediately to the canvas. Just as Slice moved in to land additional blows on the defenseless Shamrock, referee John McCarthy quickly stepped in and stopped the fight.
After the bout, an exuberant Slice acted as if this victory was long overdue. “I’ve been in this position before,” said Slice. “I trained my ground game very well. Tapping was not an option.”
Shamrock, who looked to be in top shape coming into the fight, was full of class in defeat. “When you come into a fight and you get beat you have to show respect,” said Shamrock. “I’m frustrated, I had the submission but I didn’t take my time with it. I lost my position. I tried to scramble, but I wasn’t that fast and I got caught.”
In the night’s co-feature and potential comeback “Fight of the Year,” current Bellator Featherweight World Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (24-2) retained his title against Daniel “Weasel” Weichel (35-9) with a beautiful left hook knockout 32-seconds into round two.
In the first round it looked like Bellator would have a new 145-pound champion, as the German international immediately came forward with pressure, catching the Brazilian with multiple jabs.
Just when it looked like referee McCarthy would stop the action, the first round bell sounded just in the nick of time to save Freire from a stunning first-round knockout.
After the fight, a seemingly stunned “Pitbull” didn’t seem to lose any confidence. “My opponent was very tough, but I can go to war,” said Freire. “I am very happy to still be the champion. I’m here, if you want my belt you can try to come get it.”
“I believe the bell saved me,” Freire continued. “He hit me with a hard punch on my chin but I stayed calm going into the second round because I knew I needed to win the fight. I saw an opening after he punched me and I hit him with my best shot.”
A visibly distraught and emotional Weichel knew he let a golden opportunity slip away. “I started the second round slowly,” said Weichel. “I didn’t want him to recover after the first round. I started on the offensive in the second round and unfortunately I got caught.”
In heavyweight action, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (13-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., made quick work of Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3), dominating the 29-year-old with a great ground and pound, an arsenal that including multiple suplexes. Referee McCarthy stopped the fight at 4:14 in the second round resulting in a TKO for the three-time NAIA amateur wrestling champion and his third straight win under the Bellator banner.
Charles, who took the fight on two weeks’ notice after James Thompson dropped out due to injury, was overmatched by the considerably larger Lashley, who kept himself in great position to eventually vie for the heavyweight title.
The 38-year-old referenced his esteemed wrestling background as a major factor in claiming victory. “You always go back to your basics in a fight and wrestling is my background,” said Lashley. “I need to keep moving forward, the heavyweight division is wide open. I need to keep my eyes open.”
Daniel Straus (23-6), of Coconut Creek, Fla. looked like he has fully rebounded from his title shot loss to Pitbull Freire, convincingly beating Henry Corrales (12-1) of La Mirada, Calif. via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:47 into round two.
Straus looked like he came into the fight to make a statement, quickly attacking Corrales with consecutive blows to the head that had the Californian staggering backwards on multiple occasions.
“I’m still dominating people,” said Straus. “This is what I do. Win or lose I come in here to beat up my opponent.”
Straus seemed confident that he would have no issues reclaiming his belt. “Whoever wins the featherweight belt tonight,” exclaimed Straus. “I am coming to beat you up.”
It was a valiant effort by Corrales, who was making his Bellator debut, but it was obvious that he was a step behind Straus from the opening bell. The loss was just the first in Corrales’ career.
In the night’s first main-card contest, lightweight and hometown favorite Michael Chandler (13-3), of High Ridge, Mo., made quick work of Derek “The Stallion” Campos (15-5), needing just 2:17 secondsto score a submission (rear-naked choke) win.
Coming off three straight losses, Chandler clearly looked relieved following the fight. “Derek Campos is a tough guy, he hit me in my mouth and bloodied me a bit,” said Chandler. “I was excited to fight this guy. I’m not in this sport to tip toe and find easy fights.”
Feeling notably confident, Chandler called out current lightweight champion Will Brooks, who happened to be sitting cage side. “I want that belt back,” said Chandler. “Will Brooks, that belt has my name on it, wherever you are.”
On tonight’s preliminary card shown on Spike.com
Hometown fighters were represented in all nine preliminary fights, starting with Miles McDonald (2-1) of Springfield, MO defeated Dan O’Connor (5-5) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:30 in round 3.
Hugh Pulley (5-2) of St. Louis, MO defeated Eric Irvin (9-4) of Farmington, MO via Split Decision scored 30-27 (Pulley), 29-28 (Pulley), 29-28 (Irvin)
Kyle Kurtz (4-0) of Jackson, MO stayed undefeated with a round 2 Submission victory over Adam Cella (6-4) of St. Louis, MO.
Chris Heatherly (9-3) of Cahokia, IL defeated Garrett Gross (6-4) of Coconut Creek, FL via Unanimous Decision scored 29-28 three times.
Justin Lawrence (8-2) of Pacific, MO defeated Sean Wilson (34-26) of Omaha, NE via TKO in 4:56 of round 1.
Justin Guthrie (18-8) of Colorado Springs, CO defeated Steven Mann (10-2) of St. Louis, MO via Submission (Brabo Choke) at the 1:09 mark in round two.
Main Card Results
Kimbo Slice def Ken Shamrock by KO – Round 1, 2:22
Patricio Freire def. Daniel Weichel by KO – Round 2, :32 to retain Bellator MMA Featherweight title
Bobby Lashley def. Dan Charles via TKO – Round 2, 4:14
Daniel Straus def. Henry Corrales by submission (guillotine) – Round 2, 3:47
Michael Chandler def. Derek Campos by submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:17
Preliminary Card Results
Miles McDonald def. Dan O’Connor by submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:30
Hugh Pulley def. Eric Irvin by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Kyle Kurtz def. Adam Cella by submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:13
Chris Heatherly def. Garrett Gross by Unanimous Decision (29-28 three times)
Justin Guthrie def. Steven Mann by submission (brabo choke) – Round 2, 1:09
Justin Lawrence def. Sean Wilson via TKO – Round 1, 4:56
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
BELLATOR MMA ANNOUNCES A LANDMARK EVENT IN COMBAT SPORTS HISTORY
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN AMERICA: MMA AND KICKBOXING APARATUS IN THE SAME ARENA, ON THE SAME NIGHT, FROM THE SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE, CA. ON SEPTEMBER 19 ON SPIKE
Tito Ortiz Battles Liam McGeary for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Title
Four-Man, One-Night Light Heavyweight No. 1 Contender Tournament Featuring Phil Davis, Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal, Emanuel Newton, and Linton Vassell
In Addition, World-Class Kickboxing Action Featuring Bellator & Glory Fighters Joe Schilling and Paul Daley
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Bellator MMA will present a landmark event in American combat sports history on September 19 from the SAP Center in San Jose, which will air live on Spike. An event so big it will include two fields of battle – a Bellator cage and a Glory kickboxing ring.
“I’m so proud and honored to bring this truly amazing event to my hometown of San Jose,” said Scott Coker, President of Bellator MMA. “This mega-card will feature something for every combat sports fan- MMA legends, rising stars, a stacked tournament, plus many of the world’s best kickboxers. It will be an unforgettable night for the thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home.”
In the main event, MMA legend Tito Ortiz (18-11) will take on Bellator’s reigning light heavyweight king, Liam McGeary (10-0). This will mark McGeary’s first defense of his coveted title.
The epic evening will also showcase a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the division. The participants include the return of Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (15-4, 1 NC), former champion Emanuel Newton (25-8-1), the always dangerous Linton Vassell (15-4-1) and Phil Davis (13-3), who makes his highly anticipated Bellator Debut.
First round pairings for the tournament, as well as further details on the tournament format will be announced shortly.
The event will also feature Glory Kickboxing bouts that will feature many of the best fighters in the world. Namely, Bellator MMA competitors Joe Schilling and Paul “Semtex” Daley. Opponents for Schilling and Daley, as well as additional kickboxing matchups will be announced shortly.
Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Dynamite” will go on sale Friday, June 26 with an exclusive presale taking place on Thursday, June 25th. With the announcement of “Bellator MMA: Dynamite!!!,” Coker is making his triumphant return to Northern California, a region where he pioneered the sport of mixed martial arts as owner of Strikeforce.
OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS, PHOTOS AND INFORMATION FROM “BELLATOR MMA: UNFINISHED BUSINESS”
SAINT LOUIS (June 18, 2015) – After weigh-ins at Scottrade Center on Thursday, Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock will finally settle their “Unfinished Business.”
“Bellator MMA: Kimbo vs. Shamrock,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features a main event between the aforementioned Slice and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man.” The fight is nearly seven years in the making, after a fluke accident caused the cancellation of their first planned meeting.
In the co-main event, a battle for the featherweight championship will go on as planned when Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (23-2) looks to defend his title against a streaking Daniel Weichel (35-8). On his second attempt, “Pitbull” hit the required mark of 145-pounds.
In a critical heavyweight scrap between two larger than life fighters, Bobby Lashley (12-2) looks to continue his undefeated ways in Bellator MMA against a very game Dan “The Man” Charles (9-2). Lashley was originally slated to face James Thompson, but an injury derailed the tilt.
One of MMA’s most promising prospects Henry Corrales (12-0), looks to keep his record unblemished against former featherweight champion Daniel Straus (22-6), who has only suffered three defeats in his last 22 bouts.
In the opening televised bout of the evening, Mike Chandler (12-3) will attempt to return to lightweight glory when he faces Derek Campos (15-4). The Missouri native has been involved in plenty of legendary wars inside the Bellator cage and if his comments at the weigh-ins were any indication, he plans on making his homecoming nothing short of special.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (232) vs. Ken Shamrock (204.4)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (144.9) vs. Daniel Weichel (144.5)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (239) vs. Dan Charles (228)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (144.4) vs. Henry Corrales (144.9)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (155.6) vs. Derek Campos (152.8)
Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)
Bellator Bantamweight Fight: A.J. Siscoe (135.5) vs. Garrett Mueller (135.6)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Kain Royer (184.6) vs. Enrique Watson (185.8)
Bellator 166 lb. Catchweight Fight: Rashard Lovelace (160.6) vs. Demagio Smith (164.8)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Justin Lawrence (145.7) vs. Sean Wilson (145.8)
Bellator Welterweight Fight: Steve Mann (169.8) vs. Justin Guthrie (170.3)
Bellator Lightweight Fight: Garrett Gross (155.2) vs. Chris Heatherly (160)
Bellator Welterweight Fight: Adam Cella (170.3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (171)
Bellator Lightweight Fight: Eric Irvin (155.2) vs. Hugh Pulley (155.6)
Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (115.3) vs. Miles McDonald (115.3)
Sergei Kharitonov-Kenny Garner rematch To headline M-1 Challenge 59 plus Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Michal Wiencek & Luigi Fioravanti vs. Sergey Kovalev July 3 in Astana, Kazakhstan
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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (June 18, 2015) – The much-anticipated Heavyweight SuperFight rematch between Sergei “The Paratrooper” Kharitonov and Kenny “Deuce” Garner will headline the July 3rd M-1 Challenge 59: Battle of Nomads 5 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The 6′ 4″, 260-pound Kharitonov (22-5-0, 12 KO/TKO, 9 SUB), fighting out of Moscow, was a star in the United States-based Strikeforce, as well as Japanese MMA organizations Dream and PRIDE Fighting Championships. His victims have included reigning UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum,former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Alistar Overeem, as well as Pedro Rizzo,among the more notables.
Garner, fighting out of Port St. Lucie, Florida, won the inaugural M-1 Challenge interim heavyweight championship Oct. 14, 2011 atM-1 Challenge: 27, by way of a fifth-round submission (strikes) against Maxim Grishin. Garner successfully defended his title June 21, 2012 at M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rizzo, when Guram Gugenishvili was unable to continue fighting in the third round after suffering an injury. Garner was a replacement for injured Satoshi Ishii this past November 25 against Kharitonov in Beijing. The rugged American dominated the opening round, even attempting to submit the tough Russian, who rebounded in the second round by keeping the fight in a stand-up mode. The fight was stopped in the third round with Kharitonov declared the winner due to safety concerns for Garner, who suffered serious cuts and other damage to his face and head.
M-1 Challenge 59 will be streamed live from Kazakhstan in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Promising Kazakh welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov (2-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) will be showcased in his homeland against Polish foe Michal Wiencek (5-2-0, 2 SUB).
The 19-year-old Rakhmonov was the 2013 WMMAA welterweight champions, in addition to capturing top honors in the Asian and Kazakhstan championships. His amateur experience prepared for M-1 Challenge competition, in which he is undefeated in two fights, including his last a first-round knockout of Bartosz Chyrekthis past May 2nd at M-1 Challenge 57.
Wiencek, 21, was a winner at the Berserkers Grand Prix. In his last fight April 10 at M-1 Challenge 56, he won his M-1 Challenge debut in impressive fashion, choking outRustam Gadzhiev in the third round (see picture to the right).
Another interesting match has been announced as popular American middleweight Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti takes on undefeated Russian Sergey Kovalev.
Fiorvanti (striking on right in this picture) is coming off a decision loss this past February 21 to Nodar Kudukhashvili at M-1 Challenge 55.The Italian-American joined the U.S. Marines after graduating from high school. He started training in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in California and Iraq while active in the military. Fioravanti holds a second-degree black belt in Pancrase Pankration. Kovalev (5-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) has been out of action more than two years due to an injury. His last fight was April 9, 2013 in his M-1 Challenge debut, in which he choked Gregory Babine into submission
All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional fights to soon be announced.
Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 59 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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SPIKE TV AND BELLATOR MMA PRESENT THE DEFINITIVE LOOK AT TWO OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN AND COMPLICATED FIGHTERS IN MMA HISTORY WITH “FINALLY: KIMBO vs. SHAMROCK”
Spike TV and Bellator MMA present a compelling and insightful look at one of the most talked about fights of 2015 in “Finally: Kimbo vs. Shamrock.” Produced by Leigh Simons, the one-hour documentary debuts on Spike WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 at 11:00pm ET/PT.
Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice took very different paths to stardom. Kimbo Slice was an internet sensation thrust into the spotlight seemingly overnight while Ken Shamrock was an MMA pioneer who fought his way to the top with workman-like resolve and dedication.
Their two paths were supposed to cross in the cage seven years ago. However, on that fateful day of October 4, 2008, a freak accident robbed the MMA world of one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport. A fight of epic proportions that never was – now finally will be. On Friday, June 19, the infamous street fighting legend and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Ken Shamrock will now meet in the main event of “Bellator: Unfinished Business.”
“FINALLY” will take an in-depth look at the events seven years ago and addresses the various conspiracy theories relating to the fight’s cancellation. The show travels to the gritty streets of Miami where Kimbo made a name for himself and to San Diego to visit Ken Shamrock’s unorthodox training facility. Viewers will get a rare glimpse of these complicated warriors outside of the cage with a first person account of their personal struggles and achievements.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Injury to James Thompson derails ‘Bellator: Unfinished Business’ heavyweight rematch, Dan Charles steps up against Bobby ‘The Dominator’ Lashley on short notice
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 11, 2015) – While Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock are prepared to take care their “Unfinished Business” on June 19, Bobby Lashley and James Thompson’s score will need to be settled somewhere down the line.
Thompson has been forced off the main card due to an undisclosed injury suffered during training and as a result, Dan Charles(9-2) has agreed to fill-in on short notice against “The Dominator.” The fight will still take place on the main portion of the Spike-televised card.
Charles, will be making his fourth appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion, last competing in the main event of 2014’s “Monster Energy Cup.” After dropping two fights, “The Man” has bounced back to with two straight wins to earn a shot against a heavyweight title contender the likes of Lashley. The 29-year-old Phoenix, Ariz. Native has ended seven of his nine victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.
A 6-foot-3 wrestling standout, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (12-2) started training in the grappling arts at age 12 and would go on to win several titles including three National Championships at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA National Championship, a CISM World Championship Silver Medal and two Armed Forces Wrestling Championships during his time in the U.S. Army. In addition to a professional wrestling career with stints in the WWE, ECW and TNA, Lashley began his MMA career in 2008, and he’s built an impressive career mark that includes Bellator MMA submission wins over Karl Etherington and Josh Burns.
“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)
Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)
Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)
Emmanuel Sanchez Replaces Injured Goiti Yamauchi; Plus Four Additional Preliminary Bouts Complete 13-Fight “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” Card On June 26
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 8, 2015) – With an unfortunate injury forcing the withdrawal of Goiti Yamauchi, Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (10-1) receives the call to step in against former featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7). With this change of opponent, and four newly announced matchups, “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” on June 26 is now complete with 13 total scraps to sink your teeth into.
The additional fights include heavyweight bouts between Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3) and Derek Bohi (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1) as well as featherweights Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0) and lightweights Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11).
“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” is headlined by a heavyweight clash between French striking specialist Cheick “The Darkness” Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5). The event takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.
The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT. Tickets for “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” start at just $17 and are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.
Additional announced pairings on the SPIKE-televised card include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs.John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1).
The 24-year-old Sanchez is an explosive featherweight, fighting with Duke Roufus out of the famed Roufusport gym in Milwaukee. The two-time Bellator veteran has shined throughout his current six-fight winning streak, most recently scoring a first-round rear naked choke over Stephen Banaszak at Bellator 128 followed by a dominant unanimous decision over Costa Rican standout Alejandro Villalobos at Bellator 135 this past March. Sanchez faces stiff competition in former featherweight kingpin Curran, who has been involved in some of the most memorable Bellator fights of all time.
Huddleston, 28, is a key training has won four consecutive tilts since dropping the first fight of his professional career in 2011. Most recently, “The Shaved Gorilla” stopped Derek Bohl at Bellator 130. Standing opposite Huddleston inside the cage will be the 26-year-old Ayala, who is on a three-fight promotional winning streak of his own. The California native has stopped his last three foes before reaching the judges’ discretion.
In the second added heavyweight feature, Bohl will seek his first win for the Southern California-based promotion. “Marshmallow” has won his first two bouts in 2015 on the regional circuit. Brown will have his second opportunity at success for Bellator against Bohl. The hometown fighter was finished by Daniel Gallemore at Bellator 113, which was his last time in action.
Undefeated at 3-0, Reyno will bring the tenacity he has shown on the independent MMA scene to the Bellator cage. “Tonga” has finished every fight he has been involved in and will look to make a mark on the featherweight division with his debut. Scott, a Whichita native, made his Bellator MMA debut in 2011 and has had a mixed bag of success.
Lastly, a pair of experienced lightweights will round out the preliminary portion of the card when Navarro and Carrillo tangle inside the steel mesh. With 43 professional bouts between them, both veterans will attempt to string together some wins under the Bellator banner.
“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-1)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)
Preliminary Card
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wilk (18-10)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Jeimeson Saudino (8-4) vs. Aaron Ely (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Bobby Cooper (12-5) vs. Pablo Villaseca (9-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Daniel Gallemore (4-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (7-0)
Bellator Female Featherweight Prelim Fight: Iony Razafiarison (2-0) vs. Bryanna Fissori (1-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Derek Bohi (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11)
Bellator Knocks Out Four Additional Preliminary Bouts for Kansas Card On June 26
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 3, 2015) – With a complete four-fight main card already announced for “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” on June 26, the promotion has turned its focus to the preliminary showcase with four new fights.
The newly announced bouts include bantamweights Jeimeson “The Minion” Saudino (8-4) vs. Aaron “The Cyborg” Ely (4-2), lightweights Bobby “Super Duper” Cooper (12-5) vs. Pablo Villaseca (9-0), as well as heavyweights Daniel “Big Kansas” Gallemore (4-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (7-0), and female featherweights Iony Razafiarison (2-0) and Bryanna “Pink Ranger” Fissori (1-0).
“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” is headlined by a heavyweight clash between French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5). The event takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.
The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 6:45 p.m. ET/ 5:45 p.m. CT. Tickets for “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” start at just $17 and are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.
Additional announced pairings on the SPIKE-televised card include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs.John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17), former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1) on the event’s featured portion.
In a bantamweight battle between two Kansas natives, Wichita’s Saudino is a scrapper who has won half of his eight professional victories without the judge’s help. He looks to improve to nine wins against Leavenworth’s Ely, a ground game specialist who has earned all four professional victories by submission. This 135-pound bout will be a must-see showcase of Midwest MMA talent.
RFA and Titan FC veteran Cooper has already earned two victories in the Bellator cage and will look to make his fight at Bellator 139 three in a row. He goes up against Villaseca, a Chilean MMA prospect with an unblemished professional record at 9-0, with three knockouts and three submission finishes.
Emporia’s “Big Kansas” Gallemore is a heavyweight who’s hands have earned all four of his victories, three of which have taken place under the Bellator banner. He will meet the undefeated Sakai, a dangerous Brazilian striker who has finished six of seven of his opponents with either his fists or knees.
Iony Razafiarison is a coming off of a unanimous decision victory in her professional debut this past January, and will look to make an immediate impact in her first fight with the Bellator promotion. She will take on Bryanna Fissori, who also makes her promotional debut at Bellator 139 after winning her first career victory by knockout last October.
“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)
Preliminary Card
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wilk (18-10)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Jeimeson Saudino (8-4) vs. Aaron Ely (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Bobby Cooper (12-5) vs. Pablo Villaseca (9-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Daniel Gallemore (4-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (7-0)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Iony Razafiarison (2-0) vs. Bryanna Fissori (1-0)