Category Archives: mixed martial arts

FNU Combat Sports Show: News, Recaps and Previews

This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show we recap a packed weekend of fights, including world class boxing on Saturday and excellent Bellator (Friday) and UFC Fight Night (Sunday) cards to review. We also take a look ahead to this weekend’s UFC on Fox card and the upcoming boxing matches. We also cover some recent combat sports news and update listeners on the latest Conor McGregor/Floyd Mayweather talks. Listen to the whole show below:

SHOWTIME SPORTS® LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL TALK SHOW BELOW THE BELT

 

 

Exploring The Intersection Of Combat Sports And Pop Culture Through The Eyes Of Former Fighter, Comedian And Red Carpet Host Brendan Schaub

 

Premieres On YouTube And Facebook On Wednesday, February 28

 

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK – February 22, 2018 – SHOWTIME Sports continues to expand its position at the intersection of combat sports and culture with a first-of-its-kind, sports talk show, BELOW THE BELT hosted by Brendan Schaub. The twice-monthly, 30-minute show debuts on Wednesday, February 28 on SHOWTIME Sports digital platforms, days before American heavyweight Deontay Wilder defends his WBC title against Luis Ortiz. The announcement was made today by Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

 

 

 

 

BELOW THE BELT premieres each new show on the Below the Belt YouTube Channel and the Below the Belt Facebook Page. The program explores the latest news in combat sports and pop culture, with Schaub delivering candid thoughts in his unique and unfiltered style. BELOW THE BELT features interviews with the biggest names in combat sports and entertainment, road trips, fight camp visits, sketches, animation and pop-culture spoofs. The initial guest list of combat sports athletes and entertainers scheduled to appear on BELOW THE BELT includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, Paulie Malignaggi and Joe Rogan.

 

 

 

 

 

“Brendan brings an edge that resonates with today’s fight fans,” said Espinoza. “He has a fresh voice that is equal parts knowledgeable, funny and opinionated. BELOW THE BELT will complement SHOWTIME Sports programming to a broad audience on our digital platforms.”

 

This multi-platform program is unique in that it includes a weekly podcast and a composite program that airs once per month on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Following the digital debut on February 28, new shows launch on March 14, March 28, April 11, April 18, May 2 and May 16. The BELOW THE BELT podcast premieres on March 6, and the composite program premieres on March 29 on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

 

Schaub is a multi-platform entertainer, best known for his career in the UFC and as a personality in podcasting and comedy. Following his successful fighting career, where he was the runner-up of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” Schaub has served as an expert analyst for both ESPN and Spike TV. Schaub currently co-hosts the popular podcast “The Fighter and The Kid” averaging over nine million downloads per month. His “Big Brown Breakdown” podcast, averaging over four million downloads per month, transitions under the BELOW THE BELTfranchise. Parlaying his hosting talent from podcasts to television, Schaub was named a correspondent on “After Party” for the E! Network, and co-hosted this year’s Golden Globes and Grammy Awards after-shows. Schaub is set to reprise his role in the upcoming Academy Awards after-show. Additionally, Schaub performs sold-out live comedy shows across North America, Australia, London and Dublin, including regular solo stand-up sets at the world-famous Comedy Store, Hollywood Improv and The Laugh Factory.

 

BELOW THE BELT is produced by SHOWTIME Sports with Embassy Row.

 

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, 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 Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Sony PlayStation Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel, and offers Smithsonian Earththrough SN Digital LLC. 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.

MONSTER ENERGY BELLATOR MMA FIGHT SERIES OPENS 2018 AT MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS IN ATLANTA

 

 

ALSO, APPEARANCES BY FAN-FAVORITE AND MONSTER ENERGY ATHLETE ROY ‘BIG COUNTRY’ NELSON AND MMA LEGEND DAN HENDERSON

 

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LOS ANGELES — The Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series returns for its first event of 2018 in Atlanta when Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, visits Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, March 3. The series kicks off its second season with fights set to take place just hours before Round 9 of the premier indoor off-road motorcycle racing championship.

 

 

 

 

Prior to the start of the race on Saturday, March 3, the Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series will feature mixed martial arts action throughout the afternoon beginning at 4 p.m. ET at the Pit Party inside the Georgia World Congress Center, located next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Monster Energy Pit Party Passes are $20 each and are available through Ticketmaster. A valid event ticket is also required along with the Pit Pass for entry. Fans can also recycle an empty can of Monster Energy at the entrance to the Pits for free entry into the Pit Party.

 

 

 

 

Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet Bellator heavyweight and Monster Energy athlete Roy “Big Country” Nelson, as well as former PRIDE and STRIKEFORCE titleholder Dan “Hendo” Henderson, on Saturday, March 3 at the Pit Party at 2 p.m. ET. Pit Party access is required.

 

 

 

 

“Following the success of the Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series last year, we knew that we wanted to continue hosting these unique shows in 2018,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “We had the opportunity to put on exciting fights at Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races last season, and now, we look forward to entertaining fans at Monster Energy Supercross events as well. The entire team at Monster Energy has been instrumental in making Bellator MMA a great part of the fan experience and helping to build crossover interest between MMA and motorsports.”

 

 

 

 

Through Bellator MMA, alongside longstanding partner Monster Energy, mixed martial arts will be included as a pre-race activation exclusively for fans in attendance. The lineup on Saturday will consist of four MMA bouts featuring some of the best regional up-and-coming talent, with the main event prospects in consideration to be signed to a multi-fight Bellator MMA contract.

 

 

 

 

Monster Energy Supercross at Mercedes-Benz Stadium takes place Saturday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the Pit Party beginning at 12 p.m. ET. Tickets to the race and Pit Party are available at Tickemaster.com or by visiting www.SupercrossLive.com/tickets.

 

 

 

 

Updated Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series Atlanta Fight Card:

 

 

 

Featherweight Main Event: Lawson McClure (12-7, Atlanta, Ga.) vs. Josh Blyden (6-2, Savannah, Ga.)

 

 

 

Middleweight Bout: Devorius Tubbs (4-1, 1 NC, Atlanta, Ga.) vs. Joseph Creer (4-0-1, Columbus, Ga.)

 

 

 

Bantamweight Bout: Zac Cooper (4-4, Athens, Ga.) vs. Devante Sewell (4-2, Atlanta, Ga.)

 

 

 

Featherweight Bout: Mike Galitello (1-1, Atlanta, Ga.) vs. John Vaughan (Pro Debut, McDonough, Ga.)

 

Please visit Bellator.com for details.

 

*Event schedule subject to change.

LFA alum shine at UFC Fight Night 126 in Austin, Texas

9 former fighters compete, 7 win, and 
$150,000 in bonus money earned
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and the two promotions that merged to create it, RFA and Legacy FC, were well-represented and shined on the biggest stage when the UFC traveled to the state capital of Texas on Sunday night.

Nine former fighters competed, which included five former champions. This included former titleholders from LFA, RFA, and Legacy FC. The nine fighters included Derrick Lewis, Curtis Millender, Steven Peterson, Sage Northcutt, Diego Ferreira, Geoff Neal, Brian Camozzi, Roberto Sanchez, and Alex Morono. That group made up 37.5% of the entire card. Seven of the nine fighters were victorious, but that is because one of the fights pitted two of these fighters against each other. The other loss, resulted in a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus and also received widespread praise.
“I was excited to watch so many of the talented fighters from LFA, RFA, and Legacy do so well at UFC: Austinon Sunday night,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “The goal of LFA is to develop top prospects, so when they get to the UFC, they will continue to impress under the bright lights of the UFC for years to come.”

In the co-main event, former Legacy FC heavyweight champion Derrick Lewis, who also fought for RFA, did what “The Black Beast” does best. The no-nonsense Texan unleashed his unforgiving power-punching in the third round to pick up the TKO, his tenth UFC win, while also picking up his fourth UFC bonus. This time it was a $50,000 UFC “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Millender made his UFC debut on the main card just one month after winning the main event of LFA 30. The win at LFA 30 was Millender’s third straight win in an LFA headliner and his second straight via Head Kick KO. The win earned him a UFC contract and a debut fight against a former UFC title challenger in Thiago Alves. This time around, he used a knee to score the walk-off KO. The impressive debut also earned Millender the other $50,000 UFC “Performance of the Night” bonus.
The main card also saw Northcutt, a former Legacy FC star, earn his fifth win inside the UFC Octagon, while former Legacy FC bantamweight champion and LFA standout Peterson earned a $50,000 UFC “Fight of the Night” bonus for his wildly entertaining UFC debut, which took place in the featherweight division. Peterson’s UFC debut also earned him widespread praise from fans and fellow fighters alike. Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman was quick to tweet: “Peterson is my new favorite fighter!!”
Ferreira, a former Legacy FC lightweight champion, showed no signs of ring rust as he picked up a quick TKO win in less than two minutes into the final fight of the preliminary card. The win came after Ferreira made a come back to the sport after a two-year layoff. In the bout before Ferreira’s successful return, it was a battle of LFA / Legacy FC star Geoff Neal and former RFA welterweight champion Brian Camozzi. Neal made a big statement in his UFC debut and picked up the win via Rear Naked Choke.
Sanchez also picked up his first UFC win. The inaugural LFA flyweight champion earned a submission win via Rear Naked Choke less than two-minutes into the bout. Morono got things moving in the right direction for our LFA/RFA/Legacy FC alum, when the former Legacy FC welterweight champion submitted longtime UFC vet Josh Burkman via Guillotine Choke early in Round 1.
In September 2016, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form LFA. This new powerhouse promotion would serve as the premier developmental organization in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 150 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.

LFA returns on Friday, March 2nd with LFA 34 – Watley vs. Jenkins. The main event will feature the return of LFA lightweight champion Robert “Contact” Watley when he defends his title against LFA #1 lightweight contender Brandon “The Human Highlight Reel” Jenkins. The event will take place at the Minnetonka Ballroom inside the new Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
LFA 34 will be the fifth LFA event to take place in the state of Minnesota. RFA and Legacy FC hosted a combined nine events in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” before the merger. Six of those events took place under the RFA banner inside the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. The entire main card of LFA 34 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.

FNU Combat Sports Show: Is UFC Using Boxing as a Lifeline; CM Punk vs. Floyd?; Event Recaps and Previews

This week, Tom, Tony and Rich start our weekly broadcast with a discussion on the latest news on Floyd Mayweather Jr. teasing the idea of fighting in the cage. Even though Rich has been talking about this match-up on our show for weeks now, a recent article described the idea of CM Punk facing Mayweather as a rumor started by the
“Money Team.” Either Mayweather’s listening to our show or great minds think alike. We also touch on the subject of why the UFC may need to diversify with the addition of boxing cards and special events. We also recap last week’s boxing action and a spectacular UFC 221 card headlined by Yoel Romero’s TKO of Luke Rockhold. We then look forward to Roy Nelson’s fight with Matt Mitrione, set to go down later tonight on the Paramount Network. Finally, we preview UFC Fight Night 126, with a main event of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone facing Yancy Medeiros.

Listen to the show below:

 

LFA BRINGS BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT  TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY WITH LFA 36 – SIMON vs. ZANI

MAIN EVENT:
LFA BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION
 RICKY SIMON
vs.
LFA #1 BANTAMWEIGHT CONTENDER
VINICIUS ZANI
BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
CO-MAIN EVENT:
“PRETTY BOY”
JAMALL EMMERS
vs.
BJJ BLACK BELT
TALISON SOARES
FEATHERWEIGHT WAR
FRIDAY, MARCH 23rd LIVE on AXS TV
LIVE at the MORONGO OUTDOOR PAVILION
in CABAZON, CALIFORNIA
 
Tickets are on sale NOW through Ticketmaster.com
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the LFA will return to California in March with a bantamweight world title fight and a high-stakes featherweight war.
The main event of LFA 36 will feature the return of LFA bantamweight champion Ricky Simon when he defends his title against LFA #1 bantamweight contender Vinicius “Don” Zani. LFA 36 – Simon vs. Zani takes place Friday, March 23rd at the Morongo Outdoor Pavilion at the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“I’m excited to bring an LFA title fight to Coachella Valley at LFA 36”, stated Soares. “This will be our third show in my home state of California. Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is a beautiful 4-diamond establishment and we look forward to featuring our bantamweight world title fight at the world-class Morongo Outdoor Pavillion on March 23rd.”
Tickets for LFA 36 – Simon vs. Zani are available for purchase NOW at Ticketmaster.com.
Simon (11-1) returns tot he LFA Octagon after winning the vacant LFA bantamweight title in December in the main event of LFA 29. The fight served as the LFA’s final fight of 2017 and left fight fans and MMA pundits anxiously awaiting the next move of the wildly popular Pacific Northwesterner. Simon took home LFA gold by shutting down eight-time UFC vet Chico Camus with a bloody and dominant 5-round decision win. The title win stamped a career-year for the 25-year-old, which also saw him pick up a win a fight in front of UFC President Dana White on Week 5 of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Simon is now eager to defend his title instead of basking in the glow of 2017. He also wants to up the ante by taking on the clear cut #1 contender Vincius Zani.
Zani (11-4) will challenge the champion in one of the most anticipated title fights of 2018. Zani has been perfect since competing for the promotion. This started before the merger of RFA and Legacy FC, when he showcased his world-class Muay Thai skills in the co-main event of RFA 38. The Brazilian known as “Don Zani” defeated Joe Murphy that night with UFC President Dana White sitting cageside. Zani unleashed a barrage of leg kicks and other violent techniques that excited the crowd, while putting the division on notice. He would win his next two fights in LFA after the merger and has shown no signs of taking his foot off the pedal. In his last appearance in October, Zani defeated former RFA title challenger Joey Miolla via Unanimous Decision in the co-main event of LFA 24.
The co-main event of LFA 36 will feature the return of Jamall “Pretty Boy” Emmers (12-3). The powerful 28-year-old is one of the only people to have fought for LFA, RFA, and Legacy FC. He became the third fighter to complete this rare hat trick of promotional appearances when he co-headlined LFA 5 last year. That night, Emmers lived up to the hype surrounding him after the praise he received from UFC President Dana White on Episode 7 of Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight just a few months earlier. Emmers traveled to the high-altitude of Colorado and defeated the highly-touted Cory Sandhagen, who is now making waves in the UFC. Emmers hopes to shine once again and perhaps punch his own ticket to the UFC with a breakthrough performance at LFA 36.
Emmers will face Talison Soares (10-2), who is coming off a breakthrough performance of his own last month in the co-main event of LFA 30. The 29-year-old Brazilian prospect, who is a decorated BJJ black belt from the prestigious Checkmat academy, made his international debut against fellow top prospect and BJJ ace Fernando Padilla that night. He took full advantage of the opportunity and wowed the crowd by thoroughly out-grappling his heavily favored Mexican opponent. Soares now looks to keep the momentum moving in the right direction by defeating Emmers, who has won three straight fights since impressing the UFC boss at RFA 38. Soares knows a second straight impressive showing will catapult him to the top of what many consider LFA’s deepest division.
Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Bantamweight Title Bout (135 lb)
– Ricky Simon (11-1) vs. Vinicius Zani (11-4)
Co-Main Event | Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Jamall Emmers (12-3) vs. Talison Soares (10-2)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Tommy Aaron (5-3) vs. Troy Guerrero (5-1)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
– Herdem Alacabek (3-0) vs. Jonathan Noriega (3-0)
In September 2016, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 150 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 36 will be the third LFA event to take place in the state of California. RFA hosted eight events inside “The Golden State” before the merger. The entire main card of LFA 36 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.

TURN THE PAGE: JONES & DENNING WILL WRITE NEXT CHAPTER IN STORIED CAREERS AT NEF 33

Portland, Maine (February 9, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland onApril 14, 2018 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 33: Riptide.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the card.  Bill Jones (12-10) is scheduled to meet Matt Denning (5-7) at a fight weight of 155-pounds.

 

 

 

Having begun competing in MMA back in 2007, Bill Jones is one of the longest-active fighters on the New England regional scene. His list of opponents over the years reads like a “who’s who” of local featherweights and lightweights.  He holds wins over some of the best the region has to offer like UFC veteran Tateki Matsuda (13-8) and current UFC competitor Matt Bessette (22-8).  Most recently, Jones competed on the national stage at World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 35 last spring in New York.  Jones is currently a member of Nostos MMA based in Somersworth, New Hampshire.  “NEF 33″ will be Jones’ long-awaited first appearance in the NEF cage.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to finally make my NEF debut and face Matt Denning, a fight I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Jones.  “My health is at a new level since I stopped smoking. I feel refreshed and ready to put on my best performance to date against an opponent that I’m looking to dismantle in impressive fashion. Everyone knows not to sleep on me. I made my mark in the regional scene a long time age – and April 14th will be the next chapter in that story. Let’s get after it!”

 

 

 

Including his amateur career, Matt “Ken Doll” Denning is a fifteen-fight veteran of the NEF cage.  He is on a two-fight win-streak in that cage with first-round submission victories over Josh Parker (6-10) at “NEF 28” and Dom Jones (1-1) at “NEF 29.”  Like Jones, Denning is a veteran of the WSOF cage, having competed for the national promotion at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Most recently, Denning fought for national promotion Bellator in Connecticut.  He is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) based in Lewiston, Maine.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to fight for NEF again,” said Denning. “The last two times I fought for them, I had first round submission wins. Bill is a veteran and someone that I’ve tried to fight for a while. After this fight, I don’t expect to be as active as I have been in the past. I want to focus on my job, Hollie and Becca. I look forward to a great showing and seeing all my fans.”

 

 

 

NEF returns to Portland, Maine, at Aura on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.  For more information on the event, please visit www.NewEnglandFights.com.

Phight News Unlimited Combat Sports Show, Post SuperBowl Special

Tom, Tony and Rich are back this week to chat a bit about the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first SuperBowl and eventually the latest happenings in Combat Sports. We go through the boxing schedule for this week first, then recap the last week’s biggest match-ups. Then we dive into the MMA scene and look back on another UFC Fight Night event and ahead to UFC 221. Listen to the whole broadcast below:

 

M-1 CHALLENGE 87 WEIGHTS & PICTURES 

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (February 8, 2018) — The official weigh in was held todau fpor tomorrow’s M-1 Challenge 87, highlighted by the grand opening of M1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
 
MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT – M-1 CHALLENGE INTERIM FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
 (L) Mikael “Hulk” Silander

(Finland) 124.56 LB. (56,5 kg.)

vs.
(R) Arman Ashimov (Kazakhstan) – 124.78 LB. (56,6 kg.)

CO-FEATURE – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
(L) Kleber Raimundo “Orgulho” Silva (Brazil) – 204.37 LB. (92,7 kg.)
vs.
(R) Dimitry Mikutsa (Ukraine) – 205 LB. (93 kg.)
FEATHERWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
Timur Nagibin (Russia) – 144.62 LB. (65,6 kg.)
vs.
Jadison Dimitry “Tita” Silva (Brazil) – 144.84 LB. (65,7 kg.)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
(R) Shavkat Rakhmonov (Kazakhstan) – 169.76 LB. (77 kg.)
vs.
(L) Levan Solodovnik (Russia) – 168.87 LB. (76.6 kg.)
(L) Pablo Ortmann (Switzerland) – 169.76 LB. (77 kg.)
vs.
(R) Ingiskhan Ozdoev (Russia) – 170 LB. (77.1 kg.)
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Jose “Agus” Augustin Jimenez Garcia (Spain) – 263.23 LB. (119,4 kg.)
vs.
Adam Bogatyrev (Russia) – 255.74 LB. (116 kg.)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Charles-Henri Tchoungui (France) – 170 LB. (77.1 kg.)
vs.
Artem Nenakhov (Russia) – 169.54 LB. (76.9 kg.)
Amiran Gogoladze (Georgia) – 170 LB. (77.1 kg.)
vs.
Stanislav “Stas” Podolsky (Russia) – 167.33 LB. (75.9 kg.)
Anderson “Fala Mansa” De Queiroz Diniz (Brazil) – 168.43 LB. (76,4 kg.)
vs.
Danila Prikaza (Russia) – 170 LB. (77.1 kg.)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Pavel Gordeev (Russia) – 158.07 LB. (71,7 kg.)
vs.
Bobur “Karshinskiy” Kurbonov (Uzbekistan) – 158.51 LB. (71,9 kg.)
Jani Salmi (Finland) – 154.76 LB. (70,2 kg.)
vs.
Nikolay Goncharov (Russia) – 154.76 LB. (70,2 kg.)
Aleksandar Rakas (Croatia) – 154.54 LB. (70,1 kg.)
vs.
Anatoly Lyagu (Ukraine) – 155 LB. (70,3 kg.)
 
PRE-UNDERCARD
Tino Gilaranz (Spain) – 154.1 LB. (69,9 kg.)
vs.
Valentin Kryzhanovsky (Russia)151.46 LB. (68,7 kg.)
 
(all fights & fighters subject to change)

WHEN:           Friday, February 9, 2018
WHERE:         M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia
 
PROMOTER:  M-1 Global
LIVE STREAM: www.m1global.tv (10.30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT in USA)
INFORMATION:

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@Vadim_finkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
 
UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
Feb. 9 – M-1 Challenge 87: Silander vs. Ashimov, M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Feb. 22 – M-1 Challenge 88: Ismagulov vs. Tutarauli, Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia

UNDEFEATED PROSPECTS JAMES GALLAGHER & ADAM BORICS HEADLINE  BELLATOR 196 IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY ON APRIL 6

BOK HALL TO HOST BELLATOR MMA AND KICKBOXING EVENTS

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator will hold its third event in Budapest, Hungary on Friday, April 6, bringing along a battle of young guns looking to remain undefeated early in their mixed martial arts careers. The pride of Strabane, Northern Ireland, James Gallagher (7-0) meets Budapest’s Adam Borics (10-0) in an exciting Bellator 196 featherweight main event matchup.

 

 

A women’s flyweight bout will serve as the co-main event of the card, when the Bellator women’s 125-pound kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz (1-1) takes on Lena Ovchynnikova (12-5, 1 NC). In addition, the April 6 card at BOK Hall will also feature world-class kickboxing action, as Bellator Kickboxing returns for another great night of fights. A main event for the kickboxing portion of the card will be announced in the coming days.

 

 

 

Bellator 196: Gallagher vs. Borics will be broadcast Friday, April 6 free on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Bellator Kickboxing 9 will air immediately following at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.

 

 

 

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Feb. 9 and are available at www.Bellator.hu.

 

 

 

 

There are few mixed martial artists that invoke the type of polarizing reaction “The Strabanimal” does when entering the Bellator cage. A longtime training partner of Conor McGregor under the tutelage of world-renowned coach John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland, the 21-year-old has been on a tear since signing with Bellator in 2016, racking up four wins in four contests. With each victory, Gallagher has showcased a growing skillset, culminating in a first-round submission of Chinzo Machida at Bellator 180 last June. Now fully recovered from injury, Gallagher has a tough test ahead in the undefeated Hungarian.

 

 

 

Adam Borics made his Bellator debut at Bellator 177, finishing Anthony Taylor via submission in the opening frame. Known as “The Kid,” Borics has competed exclusively throughout his four-year career in Europe, and this time will be no different. Having won over plenty of fans over on the heels of his promotional debut in April of last year, Borics will definitely have the home field advantage on April 6.

 

 

 

 

Bellator women’s kickboxing flyweight champ Denise Kielholtz is riding high following her first MMA victory over Jessica Middleton earlier this year at Bellator 188, while Lena Ovchynnikova will enter the Bellator cage on April 6 looking to duplicate the success she had the last time she competed in Hungary, a TKO victory over Helen Harper. When the pair of flyweights compete at Bellator 196, look for both to keep the fight on their feet, making for an exciting standup battle.

 

 

 

Updated Bellator 196: Gallagher vs. Borics Fight Card:

 

 

Featherweight Main Event: James Gallagher (7-0) vs. Adam Borics (10-0)

 

 

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Denise Kielholtz (1-1) vs. Lena Ovchynnikova (12-5, 1 NC)

 

****