FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (September 21, 2021) – New England Fights (NEF) returns with its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 45: Uprising,” on Friday, November 5, 2021, at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur featherweight title bout to the fight card. Reigning NEF Amateur Featherweight Champion Nathaniel Grimard (4-0) will defend his belt against Billy Wilson (6-1).
Since his debut in September 2019, undefeated Nathaniel Grimard has emerged as one of the top amateur prospects on the New England MMA circuit. Grimard submitted Justin Kangas (0-3) in the first round at “NEF 40” in Orono, Maine. During the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting shutdown of combat sports events in the northeast region, Grimard kept himself active by taking fights in Florida where he was victorious twice. Last month at “NEF 44” he won the NEF Amateur Featherweight Title with an impressive second-round technical knockout of Brandon Maillet-Fevens (3-2). Grimard represents Nostos MMA of Somersworth, New Hampshire where he trains under UFC and Bellator veteran, and former NEF Professional Lightweight Champion, Devin Powell (10-5).
“I’m very excited to fight in Portland against my toughest opponent yet,” said Grimard. “Billy comes from a very credible gym with a little more experience than me, but that’s what motivates and excites me about this fight. I believe this will be a great fight, and I’m expecting to put on my best performance to date.”
Billy “The Kid” Wilson comes to Maine as the challenger on November 5th. Of his six victories, Wilson holds four finishes with three technical knockouts and one submission. He has actively competed in the sport since summer 2017. Wilson currently represents Jackson Wink based in Albuquerque, New Mexico – a world-renowned MMA training academy whose roster reads like a “who’s who” of UFC champions and legends like Jon Jones (26-1) and Holly Holm (33-2-3) just to name a few.
“I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to go out and travel to a whole new area to compete,” said Wilson when reached for comment. “I had just switched my camps to Jackson Wink, and I think the fans will see a whole new fighter.”
“NEF 45: Uprising” takes place on Friday, November 5, 2021, at Aura in Portland, Maine. Doors open at 6 pm with first fight at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.Ticketmaster.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
#3-Phil Davis (23-6) defeated Yoel Romero (13-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-26)
Phil Davis had this to say following his win over Yoel Romero: “Six years ago, I was making my Bellator debut right here in San Jose, and I absolutely forgot – it’s one of my biggest mistakes ever – I forgot to encourage one of my best friends, training partners, roommates at Penn State. He was in the hospital with cancer and I forgot to encourage him. He ended up losing his battle with cancer. Now, I want to rectify that moment by just saying that my mom and dad, who are tremendous and are everything that I wish a mom and dad could be, are just wonderful. Last September, two weeks before my fight with Lyoto Machida, my mom calls me and tells me she has malignant breast cancer, so she had to go and get that taken care of. Exactly three days later my father told me he had aggressive prostate cancer. Then two weeks later I had to go and fight The Dragon. I really had to dig deep in a number of ways and I just want to say to my Mom and Dad – by God’s grace they’re still here, my mother’s in the crowd, my father’s at home staring at the tv crying – I love you guys and I cannot do this without you. You guys are amazing.”
#4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) defeated Mark Lemminger (12-4) via TKO (punches) at 1:27 of round one
Neiman Gracie made it clear who he wants next: “I don’t need to take people down to win fights anymore. I can do it all, but if I take you down, oh boy. I saw he was putting his head down so I come up with the uppercut. If you keep the fight standing, it’s the hospital. If you go to the ground, it’s the cemetery. There’s a couple guys I want to fight. I want to fight MVP. I’ve been calling this guy out forever and the fight never happens. They always have another excuse. I want my rematch with Jason Jackson… and I want Mr. Yaroslav Amosov,, I have the worst game for him and I believe I’ll be the one to give him his first loss.”
DeAnna Bennett after her unanimous decision win: “I can’t describe to you how I’m feeling right now. This place means everything to me. I’m born and raised in the bay area… I’m so glad to be her fighting in this cage for Bellator with all of these fans here. My dad, he’s with me here…He always knew I was gonna fight here and get my hand raised in this building. I wanted that first round finish so bad, but Alejandra, she’s so tough, so tough. You can’t have a good fight with just one person. Both fighters have to be great fighters to put on a good show so half this victory belongs to her for coming into the cage and being a good opponent and being willing to put everything out there just like I did. I felt better in the standup than I did on the ground… honestly a lot of that has been working with my coach here Brian Wright (sp?) Here at Killer Bee. I owe this resurgence in my career to him because he’s really helped me become the fighter, become well-rounded. I’ve had a lot of coaches in the past who’ve been like, “if you don’t get a takedown, you’re not gonna win a fight” well, boom, looks like I just won a fight.“
Saul Rogers (15-4) defeated Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Following the win, Saul Rogers had this to say: “It felt amazing. I’ve been killing myself too long trying to cut down to 145 and now that I’ve moved up, I feel stronger, I feel more dominant. I’m always good at guillotines but tonight, none of those guillotines were even close – I wasn’t in danger. But the knee, he hit me with one clean and then the second got through not as clean and I just tried staying protected. But you as you seen in the fight, I had a big smile on my face. I love that sh*t, you know what I mean? I feel miles better. In other fights, after maybe around two and a half minutes, my hands gassing and I had nothing to carry on then. I controlled him for three rounds and I still feel good to go. Any of these fighters that are on the cusp and are still killing themselves, take it from me, move up, be healthier, be happier, have a longer career. It’s much better.”
Ben Parrish (5-1) defeated#8-Christian Edwards (5-1) via KO (punches) at 0:38 of round one
Ben Parrish after his shocking knockout of Christian Edwards: “It feels good to shut a lot of people up, man that’s all I will say. I told my boss, Casey, back home, I’ll knock him out with a left hook. What’d I say? Don’t get it twisted, everybody’ll find an excuse to throw salt on me – hey, that’s not luck, that’s preparation, baby. If I can’t do it with six months of training, beat him, nobody was gonna beat him.” Preliminary Card: Alex Polizzi (9-1) defeated #7-Grant Neal (6-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Anthony Adams (9-2) defeated Khalid Murtazaliev (15-3) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Bobby Seronio III (1-0) defeated Socrates Hernandez (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-26, 29-26) Abraham Vaesau (6-3, 1 NC) defeated Albert Gonzales (2-3) via KO (punches) at 2:17 of round one Shane Keefe (2-0) defeated Rhalan Gracie (0-3) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Edwin De Los Santos (1-0) defeated Jon Adams (0-2-1) via TKO (strikes) at 3:29 of round one Jesse Delgado (1-0) defeated Joshua Dillon (1-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
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About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
LOS ANGELES – A previously announced BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Championship bout between Vadim Nemkov (14-2) and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has been cancelled following the news that “Rumble” has been forced to withdraw from the bout due to an undisclosed illness.
As a result, official BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix alternate Julius Anglickas (10-1) has been called upon to fill-in for Johnson in the semifinal bout and will now challenge defending champion Nemkov on Saturday, Oct. 16 in the main event of BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
After earning the distinction of alternate in BELLATOR MMA’s Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix following a victory over Gregory Milliard at BELLATOR 257, the 30-year-old Lithuanian will now have the golden opportunity to showcase his skills on MMA’s biggest stage, win BELLATOR gold and move to the grand prix finals. Anglickas’ original opponent No. 10 ranked light heavyweight Karl Albrektsson (12-3) will now meet Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-6-1) during the preliminary card. Also, a bantamweight tilt between undefeated Jaylon Bates (3-0) and Raphael Montini de Lima (6-4, 1 NC) is official, along with a welterweight bout pitting Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-0) versus Jaleel Willis (15-2).
BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight WorldGrand Prix Semifinals will be telecast live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The preliminary portion of the docket will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The card features a second grand prix semifinal between current BELLATOR Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader (28-6) and No. 2 ranked 205-pounder Corey Anderson (15-5) Undefeated since joining forces with the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2019, the Anglickas has emerged as the No. 5 ranked fighter in the promotion’s stacked 205-pound weight class. Holding a professional record of 10-1 and currently sporting a nine-fight winning streak that began in 2016, the 30-year-old powerhouse is now in the running for the million-dollar grand prix prize. Team Fedor’s Vadim Nemkov most recently went five hard rounds with former champion Phil Davis, earning a unanimous decision victory en route to punching his ticket to the semifinals. Nemkov has been perfect in BELLATOR to this point, winning all six of his contests including three knockouts and a submission. Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Nemkov vs. Anglickas // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals Main Card: SHOWTIME 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Light Heavyweight World Title Main Event: C-Vadim Nemkov (14-2) vs. #5-Julius Anglickas (10-1) Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Bout: #1-Ryan Bader (28-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Corey Anderson (15-5) Lightweight Bout: #3-Benson Henderson (28-10) vs. Brent Primus (10-2) Featherweight Bout:Henry Corrales (18-6) vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2)
Preliminary Card: BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT Light Heavyweight Bout: #10-Karl Albrektsson (12-3) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-6-1) Bantamweight Bout:Erik Perez (20-8) vs. Brett Johns (17-3) Light Heavyweight Bout: Sullivan Cauley (1-0) vs. Deon Clash (1-0) Lightweight Bout: Nick Browne (11-1) vs. Bobby Lee (12-6) Middleweight Bout: Javier Torres (11-5, 1 NC) vs. Gregory Milliard (12-6) Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba (2-0) vs. Randi Field (2-0) Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (4-0) vs. Raymond Pina (9-4) Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (3-0) vs. Raphael Montini de Lima (6-4, 1 NC) Welterweight Bout:Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-0) vs. Jaleel Willis (15-2) Amateur Strawweight Bout: Maria Henderson (1-0) vs. Collette Santiago (0-1)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
LOS ANGELES – A pair of elite mixed martial artists meet in the main event of BELLATOR MMA 266 next Saturday, Sept. 18 inside the SAP Center at San Jose when former 205-pound champion and No. 3 ranked Phil Davis (22-6) welcomes MMA superstar Yoel Romero (13-5) to the BELLATOR promotion. The main card of BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero airs live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.
In addition, the evening features a welterweight co-main event pitting No. 4 ranked Neiman Gracie (10-2) against Mark Lemminger (12-3) and a women’s flyweight contest between former title challenger #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) and DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1).
Two additional main card fights have been added with a lightweight fight featuring Georgi Karakhanyan (31-11-1, 1 NC) versus Saul Rogers (14-4) and a light heavyweight tilt between No. 10 ranked Christian Edwards (4-0) against Ben Parrish (4-1) kicking off the action.
Nine action-packed preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT. Complete bout listing available below.
Updated schedule of BELLATOR events Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland
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BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero Main Card: Saturday, September 18 – live on SHOWTIME 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT
Light Heavyweight Main Event: #3-Phil Davis (22-6) vs. Yoel Romero (13-5) Welterweight Bout: #4-Neiman Gracie (10-2) vs. Mark Lemminger (12-3) Flyweight Bout: #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) vs. DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-11-1, 1 NC) vs. Saul Rogers (14-4) Light Heavyweight Bout: #10-Christian Edwards (4-0) vs. Ben Parrish (4-1)
Light Heavyweight Bout: #7-Grant Neal (6-0) vs. Alex Polizzi (8-1) Middleweight Bout: Khalid Murtazaliev (15-2) vs. Anthony Adams (8-2) 175-Pound Contract Weight Bout:Abraham Vaesau (5-3, 1 NC) vs. Albert Gonzales (2-2) Bantamweight Bout: Socrates Hernandez (Pro Debut) vs. Pedro Juarez (Pro Debut) Bantamweight Bout:Bobby Seronio III (Pro Debut) vs. Erin Hunter (Pro Debut) Welterweight Bout:Rhalan Gracie (0-2) vs. Shane Keefe (1-0) 160-Pound Contract Weight Bout:Eddie Abasolo (Pro Debut) vs. Art Hernandez (4-5, 1 NC) Flyweight Bout:Edwin De Los Santos (Pro Debut) vs. Jon Adams (0-1-1) 130-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Jesse Delgado (Pro Debut) vs. Joshua Dillon (1-1)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
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About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
LOS ANGELES – The highly anticipated BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Semifinals event has become even more stacked, adding a 155-pound bout between two former world champions when No. 3 ranked lightweight Benson Henderson (28-10) squares up against Brent Primus (10-2). In addition, a featherweight battle pitting Henry Corrales (18-6) against Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2) is set to kick off the main card action on SHOWTIME live Saturday, October 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Both semifinal matchups for the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix will top the card at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. Light heavyweight World Champion Vadim Nemkov (14-2) defends his world championship against No. 4 ranked Anthony“Rumble” Johnson (23-6), while current BELLATOR Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader (28-6) faces No. 2-ranked light heavyweight Corey Anderson (15-5) in the co-main event.
Several new preliminary fights have been confirmed as well and are listed below. The preliminary card will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Former champions collide in the desert, as former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson squares off with former BELLATOR lightweight champion Brent Primus in a 155-pound bout that is sure to produce fireworks. Both men hold black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and have the capability to finish a fight no matter where it goes. Fighting out of Glendale, AZ., “Smooth” Benson Henderson fights on his home turf but has a tough test in a Primus who is eager to return to the top of the mountain at 155-pounds.
Hard-hitting Henry Corrales reintroduces himself to the featherweight ranks, taking on submission guru Vladyslav Parubchenko in the opening bout of the main card. With 13 of his 18 professional victories coming by way of finish, “OK” Corrales steps in the cage with another known finisher, as Parubchenko has finished 14 of his 16 victories with stoppages. Both fighters are in the mix within a stacked BELLATOR featherweight division, and with a win, either fighter could find themselves making an immediate impact on the 145-pound rankings. Updated schedule of BELLATOR events Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals Main Card: SHOWTIME 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Light Heavyweight World Title Main Event: C-Vadim Nemkov (14-2) vs. #4-Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (23-6) Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Bout: #1-Ryan Bader (28-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Corey Anderson (15-5) Lightweight Bout: #3-Benson Henderson (28-10) vs. Brent Primus (10-2) Featherweight Bout:Henry Corrales (18-6) vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2)
Preliminary Card: BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT Light Heavyweight Bout: #5-Julias Anglickas (10-1) vs. #10-Karl Albrektsson (12-3) Bantamweight Bout:Erik Perez (20-8) vs. Brett Johns (17-3) Light Heavyweight Bout: Sullivan Cauley (1-0) vs. Deon Clash (1-0) Lightweight Bout: Nick Browne (11-1) vs. Bobby Lee (12-6) Middleweight Bout: Javier Torres (11-5, 1 NC) vs. Gregory Milliard (12-6) Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba (2-0) vs. Randi Field (2-0) Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (4-0) vs. Raymond Pina (9-4) Amateur Strawweight Bout: Maria Henderson (1-0) vs. Collette Santiago (0-1)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
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About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
Salita Promotions congratulates fighting superstar Claressa Shields for having the street she grew up on in Flint, Michigan, honorarily dedicated in her name by City of Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely. Last Sunday, Shields, 26, was presented the accolade, which turned Spencer Street into Claressa Shields Street, at her Joy Tabernacle Church, where Shields was a guest speaker.
Mayor Neely says he’s overjoyed to be able to bestow the honor on the city’s fighting legend and says the next steps are to determine if it will be a ceremonial name change or an official name change. Ceremonial would mean adding Shield’s name to the existing name and official would mean the removal of the existing street name and replacing it with Shield’s name.
“Claressa continues to make us all proud while exemplifying what it means to be a true champion,” said Mayor Neely. “She has accomplished so much, remains connected to this community and we just want to honor her. This street dedication is well-deserved.”
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, three-division professional boxing champion, the first fighter, male or female, to unify championships in two divisions and the fastest boxer in history to win titles in three different weight divisions, says this award is especially touching for her.
“I could not be happier today y’all!” said Shields on Twitter. “I had a great time at church! So thankful to everyone who came out to worship with me today! I was surprised by the Mayor of Flint! The street I grew up on Spencer street is being named after me ‘Claressa Shields Street.’ My grandma would be so PROUD!!!! I delivered a great message today! I feel so special!!! I’m overjoyed.”
“This is a well-deserved honor for a woman and fighter who has done a lot to help and support her home city,” said Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions. “She never stops working toward success in her career or as a public figure with an inspiring message. Salita Promotions is proud to represent her.”
PAIR OF GRUDGE MATCHES HEADLINE THE CARD AS IRISH MMA PHENOMENON JAMES GALLAGHER MEETS FELLOW SUBMISSION ACE PATCHY MIX AT BANTAMWEIGHT & HOME-CROWD FAVORITE PETER QUEALLY FACES TOP RANKED PATRICKY “PITBULL” IN IMMEDIATE REMATCH
BELLATOR 270 TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 27
DUBLIN – After more than 18 months away from the 3Arena, BELLATOR’s return to the iconic Dublin venue is set for Friday, Nov. 5, when Ireland’s own No. 6 ranked James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) faces the No. 2 ranked Patchy Mix (14-1) in a huge bantamweight main event to headline BELLATOR 270.
In the co-headliner, No. 4 ranked lightweight and Dublin’s very own Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1), will be looking to bring the house down again when he faces 23-time BELLATOR veteran and No. 1 ranked Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (23-10) in a highly anticipated rematch. An additional five preliminary matchups for BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix are also confirmed below.
Tickets to BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix go on general sale on this Friday, Aug. 27, with an exclusive presale on Thursday, Aug. 26, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.
Fans in Ireland will be able to watch the event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, while those in the UK can watch the event live on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile U.S. fans will be able to enjoy the main card action live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, with a replay at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The eagerly awaited bantamweight matchup between Gallagher and Mix has the potential to go down as one of the all-time great fights in BELLATOR history. It was originally due to take place in May at BELLATOR 258, but injury forced Gallagher out of the encounter. Now, in front of what is guaranteed to be an electric Irish crowd, the “Strabanimal” will finally get his chance to silence Mix as he looks to earn the biggest win of his career to date.
“I’m so grateful to be back as the headline in Dublin,” said Gallagher, “I’ve moved to America to take my mindset and skill set to another level and I’m happy I can show my work to my home fans! Welcome to the Jimmy Show! ”
Patchy Mix is currently the #2 ranked bantamweight and fights out of Extreme Couture in Las Vegas. Like Gallagher, Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions, including the rare Suloev Stretch.
Mix said of his long-awaited matchup: “I’m going to walk into James’ home country and put him away in the first round.”
After a series of lively back-and-forth trash talk encounters and cancelled bouts due to injury, Queally and Pitbull finally met in the BELLATOR cage in May earlier this year, with the Irishman causing a huge upset, securing a hard-fought TKO victory due to a doctor’s stoppage following a cut Patricky sustained in the second round.
Queally, meanwhile, who trains alongside Gallagher out of Ireland’s famous Straight Blast Gym, will be looking to once again use the might of the home-crowd to help him secure a decisive win over his bitter rival, Pitbull.
“I can’t wait to get back out there again to settle this once and for all with Pitbull and really give the 3Arena crowd something special,” Queally said. “Patricky is such a perfect opponent, there has been so much that has gone on with me and him that I think the crowd will be even more invested than normal this time. Expect an all-out war – I’m going to beat him, and the lightweight belt is next.”
Freire – the older brother of BELLATOR lightweight champion Patrício – has competed professionally since 2005, earning a fearsome reputation as a knockout artist. Living up to the moniker “Pitbull,” Freire will be looking to even the score with Queally, silence the home crowd and get back to his winning ways.
“He knows he was getting beat up in the first fight,” said Pitbull. “He felt pain in his legs and body, I’m gonna make him feel even more pain now. The Irish fans are very loud and passionate, but when I knock him out, you will be able to hear a pin drop in that arena.”
The news of a return to Dublin rounds off a trio of BELLATOR MMA events confirmed on European soil in 2021, with the cage setting down in London on October 1 and Moscow on October 23 before heading to the Irish capital on November 5.
BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix MainCard:
SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)
Marcelo Golm (9-3) defeated Billy Swanson (4-1) via TKO (strikes) at 4:57 of round one
#6-Jornel Lugo (7-0) defeated Keith Lee (7-4) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 5:00 of round one Preliminary Card: Fabio Aguiar (18-2) defeated Taylor Johnson (7-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Mike Hamel (8-5) defeated Bryce Logan (12-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Archie Colgan (3-0) defeated Ben Simons (3-3) via TKO (punches) at 00:00 of round one Duane Johnson (6-2)defeated Deven Fisher(4-9) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:04 of round one Bailey Schoenfelder (2-0) defeated Kory Moegenburg (1-3) via TKO (strikes) at 4:11 of round one
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
LONDON, UK – A women’s featherweight fight will serve as the co-main event for BELLATOR MMA 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 on Friday, October 1 when No. 5 ranked Leah McCourt (5-1) meets Jessica Borga (3-3) at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London.
The bout will sit atop the card alongside a must-see rematch between No. 1 ranked Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (32-9) and No. 2 ranked Michael “Venom” Page (19-1) where the stylish striker from London will look to avenge the lone blemish on his record in front of his home crowd.
BELLATOR MMA 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 main card action will kick off at 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET, while the preliminary card begins at 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET. BELLATOR fans can watch the event live on SHOWTIME (US), BBC iPlayer (UK), as well as both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport (Ireland). Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online from axs.com/uk and BELLATOR.com.
Currently riding a four-fight win streak, Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt returns to action following a stunning come-from-behind victory against Janay Harding during her last outing at BELLATOR 259 in May. Now sitting at No. 5 in BELLATOR’s featherweight rankings, a win at the expense of her opponent on Oct. 1 will go a long way in moving “The Curse” one step closer to a BELLATOR world title shot against incumbent champion, Cris Cyborg.
Making her third appearance for BELLATOR, Jessica Borga will be competing for the second time in 2021. Most recently, “The Black Widow” went 15 minutes with former title challenger Talita Nogueira, following up an impressive submission triumph over Amber Leibrock in her promotional debut.
Additional bouts have been added to the fight card, which can be found below.
Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events Fri. Aug. 20 // BELLATOR 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov //Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia
BELLATOR MMA 267 Lima vs. MVP 2 MainCard: SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
Welterweight Main Event: #1-Douglas Lima (32-9) vs. #2-Michael Page (19-1) Featherweight Bout: #5-Leah McCourt (5-1) vs. Jessica Borga (3-3) Featherweight Bout: Robert Whiteford (16-4))vs. Andrew Fisher (18-8-1) Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (16-8) vs. Tim Wilde (13-4) Light Heavyweight Bout: Luke Trainer (4-0) vs. Yannick Bahati (9-5)
Preliminary Card: BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US) BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (18-6) vs. Uros Jurisic (11-1) Lightweight Bout: Kane Mousah (13-3) vs. Davy Gallon (18-7-2) Flyweight Bout: Lucie Bertaud (3-2) vs. Elina Kallionidou (7-4) Lightweight Bout: Charlie Leary (17-11-1) vs. Gavin Hughes (10-2) Featherweight Bout: Fabacary Diatta (7-0)vs. Nathan Rose (7-3) Strawweight Bout: Chiara Penco (5-3) vs. Katherina Dalisda (5-2) Bantamweight Bout: Khurshed Kakhorov (7-0) vs. Mike Ekundayo (8-1) Welterweight Bout: Jack Grant (17-7) vs. Nathan Jones (13-10)
*Card subject to change
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
c-Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2) defeated #1-John Salter (18-5) via TKO (punches) at 2:07 of round three
Gegard Mousasi following retaining his middleweight title: “He’s a southpaw so everything is more difficult. It was a little bit more difficult to get my punches in, but other than that I felt good. I’m way stronger than people think. Maybe I look skinny but I’m a lot stronger and physically I was the stronger guy in there. On top, I felt like I could just pressure him, put my weight on him and hurt him with my punches. Make him feel the pressure. It was a five-rounder so in my mind, I’m saying ‘Okay, don’t do everything now because we can go five.’”
Andrey Koreshkov following his return to the BELLATOR MMA Cage:
“I try to show everybody that I’m here, I can compete, and I can beat anyone. I think I’m one of the top fighters in this division. In my opinion, I must fight with somebody for the third, second or first place. I’m open to anybody. It doesn’t matter. Neiman Gracie, Jason Jackson, Paul Daley, Michael “Venom” Page – anybody!”
“I’ve never claimed to be the best wrestler in MMA, but y’all better stop sleeping on my wrestling. I’m a two-time national champion for a reason. Ain’t nobody stopping me in the wrestling division. I’m the best wrestler in the division.”
#7-Davion Franklin (4-0) defeated Everett Cummings (15-1) via KO (punches) at :21 of round one
Davion Franklin has his sights set on fellow BELLATOR heavyweight Cheick Kongo:
“I was just thinking about putting him out. Getting him out in the first round. That was my goal this whole time. I learned just to keep going. By the way, I heard Cheick Kongo commented under Everett Cummings’ Instagram post saying that Everett’s gonna’ tap me out. Hey Cheick Kongo, step up, you’ll get done the same way, if not worse.”
Khadzhi Bestaev had this to say following a successful BELLATOR debut:
“He was bigger than me and very tough, but I knew he was going to gas out. He started gassing out in the second or third round, but I’m still surprised by the decision. I thought it was a draw or maybe a split-decision. But I have to see the fight. In my head, he kicked and punched me so many times so hats off to him. He didn’t give up. I just dropped him a couple of times and that was the difference.” Preliminary Card: Pam Sorenson (9-3) defeated Roberta Samad (5-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Jeffrey Glossner (3-2) defeated Sebastian Ruiz (2-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28-29-28) Jon McNeil (1-0) defeated Orlando Mendoza (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:57 of round three
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
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