Category Archives: mixed martial arts

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR RETURNS TO BUDAPEST FOR A BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT PITTING EDUARDO DANTAS AGAINST DARRION CALDWELL AT BELLATOR 177 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 14

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WELTERWEIGHT BELLATOR KICKBOXING TITLE ALSO ON THE LINE WHEN ZOLTAN LASZAK DEFENDS BELT AGAINST KARIM GHAJJI AT BELLATOR KICKBOXING 6

 

 

BUDAPEST — (February 8, 2017) – Bellator is returning to Hungary with a bantamweight world title fight pitting Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (19-4) against Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (10-1) serving as the main event of Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Caldwell from the Budapest Sports Arena on April 14. The MMA portion of the evening will also feature a featherweight bout between Hungarian-born Adam “The Kid” Borics (5-0) and Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor (1-2).

 

In addition, Bellator Kickboxing 6 will be headlined by a welterweight world title rematch featuring Zoltan Laszak (11-2) against Karim Ghajji (97-13-1). Additional bouts for both events will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Caldwell will be broadcast on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while Bellator Kickboxing 6 will air immediately following the MMA portion of the event, beginning at 11pm ET/10pm CT.

 

Dantas made his presence felt during his last outing, successfully defending his bantamweight championship belt in a five-round victory over Joe Warren. A 10-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, “Dudu” has recorded victories in 12 of his last 14 bouts, including nine under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Hailing from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the flashy 27-year-old is widely known as one of the most dynamic competitors in the division, tallying four knockouts and six submissions over his 23-fight career. A two-time Bellator MMA bantamweight world champion, Dantas will look to defend his title for the second time since winning the belt in a victory over former champion Marcos Galvao, and for the fourth time overall.

 

The 29-year-old Caldwell will be competing for division gold for the first time in his career and is coming off of a crucial victory over Joe Taimanglo at Bellator 167. “The Wolf” was able to avenge his earlier loss to Taimanglo, earning his 10th career victory and seventh under the Bellator MMA banner. Caldwell has collected five wins by way of first round knockout or submission, making him one of the most dangerous compeititors in the 135-pound class. Hailing from Rahway, N.J., the 11-fight veteran has quickly put together an impressive professional resume inside the cage, highlighted by a remarkable first round finish over former multi-division champion Joe Warren, a man whom Caldwell idolized coming into the sport. The Alliance MMA product now has the opportunity of a lifetime, as he prepares for the next chapter of his career and a shot at championship glory.

 

After winning the welterweight kickboxing championship at Bellator’s inaugural kickboxing show in Turin, Italy in 2016, Ghajji dropped his belt to world-renowned Hungarian champion Laszak when the pair met during Bellator’s first visit to Budapest last year. Now, fresh off an impressive win in Florence, Ghajji hopes to reclaim the belt that he feels is his.

 

If you missed their first enthralling encounter, watch it here.

 

Updated Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Caldwell Main Card:

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Eduardo Dantas (19-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (10-1)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Adam Borics (5-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-2)

 

Updated Bellator Kickboxing 6 Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Zoltan Laszak (11-2) vs. Karim Ghajji (97-13-1)

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

CAGE WARRIORS STAR PADDY PIMBLETT TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST NAD NARIMANI AT CW82

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Hugely popular Liverpudlian star will put his Cage Warriors featherweight world title on the line in the main event at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on April 1.

The fighting pride of Liverpool Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett will make his eagerly-awaited return to action in the main event at Cage Warriors 82.

Defending CW featherweight world champion Pimblett will take on fellow Brit Nad Narimani as he bids to further cement his position as one of the UK’s fastest-rising MMA stars.

Pimblett captured Cage Warriors gold when he knocked out French veteran Johnny Frachey for the vacant title at CW 78 in Liverpool last September.

He followed up his title win with a successful defence of his belt, edging out The Ultimate Fighter semi-finalist Julian Erosa at Cage Warriors Unplugged at the BT Sport studios last November.

Aged just 22, Pimblett returns to his stomping ground at the Echo Arena looking to continue his remarkable rise as one of the MMA world’s hottest young prospects.

He’ll face a stern test against Narimani, who enters the bout with a 9-2 pro record and took the previous Cage Warriors featherweight champ Alex Enlund all the way to the scorecards in a closely-contested battle at Cage Warriors 73, with just one point separating the two after five hard-fought rounds.

Narimani comes into the bout with Pimblett riding a two-fight win streak, with victories over Jeremy Petley (first-round KO) and Daniel Requeijo (third-round submission) setting up his April 1 clash with ‘The Baddy’.

Speaking ahead of his hometown return, Pimblett said: “I won the title in Liverpool, so there’s absolutely no way I’m going to lose it here.”

“This is my city, my arena and my title. Expect another huge party – and another huge win – when I come back home to defend my belt.”

Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan said: “Paddy’s the hottest prospect in the sport on this side of the pond and the prospect of seeing him defending his featherweight world title in front of his hometown fans is a mouth-watering prospect for MMA fans.

“Nad will take him to the limit, just as he did with our previous featherweight champ Alex Enlund, so expect a tough test and a great matchup.”

Tickets for Cage Warriors 82 are available from the Echo Arena, from just £25: bit.ly/CW82tkts

For the latest news and updates from Cage Warriors please visit CageWarriors.comand follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR ANNOUNCES IT RETURN TO PALA ALPITOUR IN TORINO, ITALY FOR MORE MMA & KICKBOXING ACTION ON APRIL 8, 2017

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THE INTERNATIONAL BELLA – TOUR CONTINUES

 

Coker and Di Blasi

 

Above: Scott Coker and Carlo Di Blasi

TORINO (Feb. 7, 2017) – Bellator President Scott Coker today announced that his fast-rising promotion will be revisiting Torino, Italy for Bellator 176, which will be immediatelyfollowed by Bellator Kickboxing 5 at the Pala Alpitour on Saturday, April 8.

Less than one year ago, Bellator hosted it’s first-ever international event at the Pala Alpitour in front of a sold-out crowd of over 15,000 fans. Since that show, the company has rapidly and successfully expanded across the globe under the direction of Coker, visiting London, Dublin, Budapest, Israel, Florence and has an event booked in Belfast later this month.

The highly-anticipated return to Torino will feature MMA action starting with Carrington “Jetsetter” Banks (6-0) vs. Mihail Nica (5-0) in welterweight action  as well as Djamal Chan (12-3) vs. Valeriu Mircea (13-4) in a lightweight affair. Additional bouts, including a main event will be announced shortly.

In kickboxing action, Bellator’s female flyweight World Champion Denise Kielholtz (46-3) defends her strap for the first time against ISKA and WKU World Champion Martine Michieletto (34-12-5) in the main event while Giorgio Petrosyan (83-2-2, 1NC) takes on Amansio Paraschiv (23-5-1)

Bellator 176 and Bellator Kickboxing 5 will be aired on SPIKE in America and further broadcast details will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are available now at www.oktagon.it and include access to an Oktagon Kickboxing event in addition to the Bellator 176 and Bellator Kickboxing 5 events.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the amazing city of Torino and once again working with my friend Carlo Di Blasi and his team,” said Coker. “Carlo is a great partner, and we look forward to replicating the success we had in this sold-out arena last year.”

“Oktagon is fortunate to be based in Italy, which is home to the most loyal and passionate sports fans in the world,” said Oktagon President  Di Blasi. “The past two co-promotions with Scott and Bellator have been incredibly successful, and I know that this show will be no different.”

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.

 

About Oktagon:

Oktagon has been a mainstay in combat sports for over 20 years now, after officially being founded by Carlo Di Blasi in 1996. At its beginning the show was dedicated to free fight, the name that was given initially to MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Other disciplines such as Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Savate were gradually added. From the early 2000’s onwards. During the last years Oktagon has reached a huge popularity, both in Italy and abroad, creating many superstars in the process. Under the watchful eye of Di Blasi, the promotion has put on some memorable matchups throughout the years with top fighters including Bellator welterweight Paul Daley as well as The Petrosyan brothers (Giorgio and Armen), Robin Van Roosmalen, Valentijn Overeem, Rico Verhoeven and Artem Levin.

 

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

MIKE HANSEN NO STRANGER TO TALL CHALLENGERS

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By: Kalle Oakes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (February 7, 2017) – On paper, it’s a mismatch. OK, while we’re being brutally honest, maybe it’s even a little crazy.

Mike “The Mustache” Hansen of Rumford stands a typical 5-foot-10. He has spent most of his competitive and everyday life since his junior year at Mountain Valley High School at a window between 200 and 215 pounds.

When he hits the double-digit threshold of fights as a professional mixed martial artist on Saturday, February 11, Hansen (5-4) will take on a relative giant making his pro debut.

Ras Hylton stands 6-foot-6, probably even in bare feet. He entered the cage for the last of his three amateur fights, a second-round stoppage of Kevin Smith, at 248 pounds.

Hansen, 31, says “NEF 27: Resurgence” at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston is simply another day at the office for a fighter who’s a light heavyweight in body but a heavyweight in spirit.

“People don’t realize my background in high school. My sophomore year I weighed 185 pounds. I never went below that,” Hansen said. “When I turned 17, I went above 200 pounds and stayed there. After that I wrestled exclusively at 275. Guys that are 6-4 or taller, guys who weigh 270, I’ve been playing with them for about 16 years.”

Grit, determination and technique have served Hansen beautifully since his days at that level, when he was a state champion.

In addition to a stint in the U.S. Army, Hansen spent the early years of his adult life dabbling in what was the relatively new discipline of MMA.

Not only were the opponents bigger than Hansen, they were chosen essentially at random. He rarely ventured into the cage with the benefit of a scouting report.

“There would be a place set up in a bar, it would be $25 at the door, and you wouldn’t know who you were going to fight until you got there. But I needed the experience,” Hansen said. “I had a lot of unsanctioned fights, and that makes for a lot of unsanctioned experience. Now I know the rules and mechanisms are set up to give me the best chance not to get injured. I feel like I’ve already experienced the worst that can happen to me.”

Hansen’s propensity for fighting anyone, anytime, anywhere has followed him to the more structured environment of NEF.

He was still admittedly getting back into fighting shape when he accepted the challenge against veteran super heavyweight Artie Mullen (265 pounds) on Feb. 7, 2015. Hansen took the battle to the canvas quickly and outdueled Mullen in 57 seconds.

Brendan Battles checked in at nearly 260 pounds when he dealt Hansen a first-round TKO. Even at his more natural 205-pound limit, Hansen hasn’t shied away from the best or the biggest. He owns victories over past NEF fighter of the year Crowsneck Boutin and the 6-foot-3 Matt Andrikut.

Hansen said that the ingredients to that success are no secret: Stay aggressive, push the issue early and stick to the game plan. Win or lose, he has never sat on the stool in the corner during a pro fight. Each has ended in the first round.

“I’m a first-round fighter. If this one gets to the second round, it’s because I changed my game plan for some reason,” Hansen said. “If you look at my Artie Mullen and Jesse Baughman (Hansen won by triangle choke in 4:21) fights, you could say, ‘Act 1, Scene 1,’ and it played out exactly the way I choreographed it. I was that meticulous.”

That’s the voice of experience, another element that is squarely in Hansen’s corner heading into the Hylton showdown.

The 28-year-old Hylton’s three amateur scraps – he also knocked out Zak Bergeron in the first round and Hansen’s teammate at Berserkers MMA, Matt Glover, in the second stanza – have required him to fight for a total of 9 minutes, 41 seconds.

“He’s a black belt in taekwondo, so he’s no joke. He’s had three fights. I know he wanted to go pro and find better competition,” Hansen said. “I welcome it, just like when I fought Brendan Battles. They’re both really talented, really skilled guys, but you can’t get that experience from three or four amateur fights.

”I think my number one advantage is my experience, if you add up all my time spent in the cage. You can’t get that from training. You just have to do it.”

Hansen points out that stamina is a question for bigger fighters, especially those making the transition from amateur to pro.

Rounds increase in length from three to five minutes. Fighters often believe that their training camp has prepared them for the change, until they hit the proverbial, invisible wall.

“In an amateur fight you go hard for three minutes, take a one-minute break, feel pretty good, go three more minutes and you’re just about done,” Hansen said. “In a pro fight, you go into that first round and three-and-a-half minutes in, you’re saying, ‘I’m good, let’s go.’ Then it gets to four minutes and you’re like, ‘Holy crap, I’m tired now.’”

Although he suspects that most observers expect Hylton to win on the merits of his size advantage and impressive amateur winning streak, Hansen said that being underestimated is as customary to him as being undersized.

“I’ve had people tell my striking coach, J.B. (Jason Eric Bell), before a fight that they felt sorry for me that their guy had such an advantage. They’ve told my wrestling coach, Gary Dolloff, the same thing,” Hansen said. “Then we get in there and it’s a different story.”

The opening bell for “NEF 27: Resurgence” on February 11 is set for 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and are available at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGER MATT INMAN OPENS UP AHEAD OF TITLE TILT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 6th, 2017

Manchester’s Matt Inman takes on France’s Karl Amoussou for the vacant Cage Warriors welterweight title at CW80 in London on February 18. Here he speaks at length ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

In the lead-up to Cage Warriors 80 we sat down with welterweight title challenger Matt Inman during a promotional video shoot to get his thoughts on his upcoming title bout with Frenchman Karl Amoussou.

Below is a full transcript of the interview.

HOW HAS YOUR TRAINING GONE FOR THIS FIGHT?
Training so far has been going really well. I’ve had a lot of footage of my opponent to look at and we’ve been working through his strategies and the specific techniques I need to use. Between now and the fight everything we want is in place and its just a matter of sharpening things up, making sure everything is ready for the fight.

HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY IN PREPARATION FOR THIS BOUT?
I’m constantly looking to add things to my skillset. I’m not a fighter who has a static amount of skills, there’s nothing I’m afraid to try out. I’m constantly looking to improve in that fashion.  Every time there’s a new opponent and new challenges posed by that opponent I’m looking to do different things in my training. This time has been no different. Karl as an opponent provides a lot of unique challenges and that’s what we’ve been working on in the gym.

ARE YOU THE HARDEST TRAINER YOU KNOW?
I don’t know if I’m the hardest trainer I know, but I think a lot of the guys I train with will tell you I’m fairly hard-working. I more or less live in the gym and never find myself short of motivation to train for any occasion.

HOW WOULD WINNING THE CAGE WARRIORS TITLE CHANGE YOUR CAREER?
Winning the Cage Warriors title would be huge in my career. I think Cage Warriors has become a really big platform and there’s a lot of exposure through TV and other ways. Winning that belt and being up there with other guys who have been Cage Warriors champions before is exactly the step forward I’m looking for in my career.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT FORMER CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTERS WHO ARE NOW IN THE UFC, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
I believe I belong in the UFC, you look at my record and the fights I’ve had, the people I’ve beaten, there isn’t a UFC card I’d look out of place on anywhere. That’s motivation to keep pushing towards that and it will come in good time. The main thing is I’m constantly performing and improving.

HOW DOES TRAINING AFFECT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?
I find my day-to-day life is built around training, from waking up in the morning it’s the first thing I’m doing. What I’m eating, when I’m resting, life really has to take a back seat to training. Training always comes first but that’s what I love to do, so I never find that difficult.

AFTER YOUR LAST FIGHT YOU SAID: “I DON’T WANT TO BE THE BEST, I JUST WANT TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE.” WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
That’s kind of my mindset really. I’ve never been the greatest natural athlete, people come into MMA with different attributes and I think I’ve had to work a lot harder than most to bring myself up to this level. It just means my skill, my technique, my dedication and my focus has to be 100%. I’ve come up against guys who are naturally faster, stronger and more powerful than me but I generally win through because of this mindset. I’m always looking to push myself to those levels.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? IS IT TO GET TO THE UFC, OR SOMETHING ELSE?
I think all the motivation I have is intrinsic, I’m not kind of looking on to the next thing because there’s always going to be one thing after the next. I do have goals about where I want to fight – I’d love to win the Cage Warriors title and of course every fighter wants to fight in the UFC. But my main motivation goes beyond that. I’m more interested in being the best fighter I can be, the best mixed martial artist, the most technical, the most skilled, the toughest I can possibly be. If that means I don’t make it to the UFC eventually or for whatever reason I never own one of these major titles, providing I’m looking to work towards that goal then that’s really what motivates me.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING AN MMA FIGHTER?
The best thing about being an MMA fighter is getting to do MMA everyday. This is what I do, this is full time. I’m fortunate really. I turned my hobby into a job and that’s all I have to focus on. I’m one of a genuine few people in the world who can wake up every morning and say I’m excited to get into work and I love what I do.

WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT BEING AN MMA FIGHTER?
The worst thing is dieting, keeping the weight down. I think most real fighters will agree with me, the process of restricting your body to make your weight class is by far the least enjoyable part, but that’s part of the job. Some people can go to work and eat pizza and it won’t affect the way they do their job but if I eat pizza and ice cream it will affect the way I do my job, so that’s something I just have to sacrifice.

KARL AMOUSSOU IS ON A SIX-FIGHT WIN STREAK, WITH ALL SIX COMING INSIDE THE DISTANCE. HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOU’RE NOT NUMBER SEVEN?
He’s a strong opponent, he’s won his last six – five I think inside the distance – so you can tell he starts strong early. I think in those fights I don’t think he’s fought an opponent who brings what I bring. I don’t think they have the experience, the skillset or the toughness. I’m going to be ready. I understand the guy’s an aggressive fighter and we’re going to be straight into the fire.  Come February 18 I’ll be completely ready for that and I’ll be ready to dig deep and do what it takes. I’ve finished a lot of people early too – don’t count out the fact I might be able to do that – it wont be all one-way traffic early. Out of 19 wins I’ve finished 17 of those and I’m going to be looking to finish, early or late.

IS THIS THE TOUGHEST FIGHT OF YOUR CAREER? IF NOT, IS IT THE MOST IMPORTANT?
It’s certainly the most important fight to date. The old adage that styles makes fights is true, you can never really be sure looking at an opponent on paper or on footage, exactly how he’s going to match up with you until you get in and you’re facing him across from the cage. I won’t say it’s going to be my toughest test to date, I’ve been through tough tests already but this is the biggest fight and I’m certain it will be one with no room whatsoever to make mistakes in. I’ve got to perform and I know that.

IS IT DIFFICULT TO GET YOUR FIGHT HEAD ON WHEN THERE’S NO NEEDLE?
I don’t think there’s much animosity between me and Karl personally, I don’t need that. When I’m focused on my own performance that’s going to be the same whoever the opponent is. Sometimes opponents might talk, they might say things, but I think if you’re relying on that to get yourself up for a fight, then your mindset is not necessarily in the right place to begin with. I’m focused on my performance and I’m sure Karl’s the same. We can expect us both at the top of our games and a great fight.

IS EARNING A SPOT IN THE UFC THE ULTIMATE GOAL FOR YOU?
Earning graduation to the ranks of the UFC is a goal, but I wouldn’t call it the ultimate goal because once I get to the UFC I believe I can perform there as well. Naturally I’d be disappointed if I didn’t make it into the UFC, most serious MMA fighters would tell you the same thing. It’s not the end of the road I don’t think, when I get there I’d still want to push on further. You just keep moving the goalposts every time you achieve a little goal and you’ll push further on to the next.

WILL YOU BE BRINGING BIG SUPPORT DOWN TO LONDON FROM MANCHESTER FOR THIS FIGHT?
I’m looking forward to fighting in the capital again, it was the scene of my last fight in Cage Warriors Unplugged. This time we’re not in a TV studio, so I’m looking forward to bringing a lot of support down from Manchester. I’ve been fortunate in the way people have got behind me and believed in me going into this fight.

DOES THAT ADD PRESSURE OR DOES THE SUPPORT HELP YOU?
It’s great to have support. It’s always nice to have people behind you. In all honesty I’m going to perform whatever the case. If I’m in an empty room and a cage or I’ve got a few thousand people screaming me on, that won’t affect my mindset because I’ve got to be ready to fight anywhere, anytime. So I’m not relying on a crowd or support to give a boost in a fight, that’s all in there already.

THERE’S A SPECIAL GUEST DJ AT THIS EVENT. DO YOU NOTICE THE TUNES BETWEEN ROUNDS AND WHAT WOULD YOUR REQUEST BE?
I never really notice much of what is going on around me during a fight outside of the fight itself. A little bit of a pick-me-up between rounds might be good. Sling on a bit of the Rocky theme song. That could be good!

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS?
Technical, tough and I’ve got an engine.

WHO HAS THE ADVANTAGE WHEN THE FIGHT GOES TO THE FLOOR?
If the fight goes to the floor I think it’s an interesting one, Karl’s won a lot of his fights by submission – to me he appears a very explosive grappler. If he gets hold of a heel or an arm he’ll take that home with him. He’s strong and powerful and he can lock onto those submissions. I think all-round my grappling is going to be stronger though. I think I have a greater understanding of those positions, I know exactly what I should be looking for at any point and I know by those terms exactly how to keep myself out of danger as well.

Limited tickets for Cage Warriors 80 are available via the AXS website, priced from just £20. Included in the ticket price is a free meet and greet with UFC stars including Dan Hardy.

For the latest news and updates from Cage Warriors please visit CageWarriors.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

Photo: Matt Inman – Credit: Dolly Clew / Cage Warriors 
www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

WELTERWEIGHT CLASH PITTING ANDREY KORESHKOV AGAINST FERNANDO GONZALEZ SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR 174 AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON MARCH 3

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CHRIS HONEYCUTT-KENDALL GROVE SET FOR 2017 DEBUTS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (February 3, 2017) – A welterweight fight pitting Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) against Fernando Gonzalez (25-14) and a middleweight bout featuring Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) against Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC) have been added to the main card of Bellator 174: Corenen vs. Budd on March 3 at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK.

The bouts will join a card that is headlined by the first-ever Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight World Title fight pitting Marloes Coenen (23-7) against Julia Budd (9-2). One additional main card contest will be announced shortly.

Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Budd will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

Hailing from Omsk, Russia, the 26-year-old Koreshkov will enter the cage for the 22nd time in his professional career and 13th under the Bellator MMA banner. “Spartan” began his career with 13 consecutive victories, including his first five wins under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Koreshkov continued to see success as his name began to grow in the mixed martial arts world, collecting six wins over his last seven fights, including a welterweight world title victory over current champion Douglas Lima and a successful title defense over Benson Henderson. With 10 of his 19 career wins coming by way of knockout, the Russian phenom possesses the type of power that can put an emphatic end to any opponent’s night when he is in the cage.

A 39-fight veteran of mixed martial arts, Gonzalez will be making his seventh appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the promotion in 2014, “The Menifee Maniac” has tallied five victories, including a brutal knockout of Karo Parisyan just 1:43 into the bout. In his most recent contest, Gonzalez nearly edged the undefeated Michael Page, becoming just the second opponent to take him the distance in a controversial split decision. With 16 of his 25 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, the 33-year-old Gonzalez continues to be one of the most feared strikers in Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight division.

The 28-year-old Honeycutt will make his 2017 debut, following an impressive 2016 campaign that saw him emerge victorious in each of his three bouts. A native of Fresno, Calif. “The Cutt” had a blazing start to his professional career, earning victories in each of his first six contests, including four knockouts and three first-round finishes. Honeycutt continued to see success under the Bellator MMA umbrella, collecting five wins over a three year stretch. Fireworks are all but guaranteed in this slugfest, as the equally fearless Grove hopes to give the Thackerville fan base exactly what they came for.

Hailing from Maui, Hawaii, Grove will be making his make his eighth appearance for Bellator MMA, as the veteran continues to climb the ranks in a competitive middleweight class. “Da Spyder” has finished 17 of his 23 career victims, including seven of his last eight, making him must-see television every time he competes on SPIKE. The 34-year-old striker also holds a significant height advantage over his opponent, standing at 6’6′ compared to Honeycutt’s 5’10′ frame. With each of his last six bouts ending in a stoppage, we can be sure to see more of the same aggressive style when he and Honeycutt go toe-to-toe inside WinStar World Casino & Resort on March 3.

Updated Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Budd Main Card:

Women’s Featherweight World Title Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Julia Budd (9-2)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (25-14)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC)

Preliminary Card:

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Cody Pfister (12-6) vs. Jonathan Gary (12-7)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Witt (7-3) vs. Justin Patterson (8-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Emmanuel Rivera (5-0) vs. Treston Thomison (10-4)

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

FNU Combat Sports Show Featuring PRESIDENT Donald Trump Interview

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Hosts Tom, Tony and Rich of The Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports show had the awesome experience of catching up with President Donald Trump for an exclusive interview contained in tonight’s broadcast. We ask “The Donald” about everything from Mayweather vs. McGregor to Iran and China. The interview starts about 23 minutes into the full show tape, but we will also place the interview alone in another audio file below the main show file on this post. We also discuss some MMA labor union issues, Aisling Daly retiring young from the UFC, Conor McGregor claiming his next bout will be in a boxing ring and Dana White saying Ronda Rousey is all done with fighting professionally. We also recap the first big UFC and Bellator events of the year from last week and look forward to UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on Saturday night. We take time at the end of the broadcast to talk boxing with a recap of last week’s stunning rematch between Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton. We also talk about the Thursday night bouts on FS1 tonight. Here is our full show:

And here is the Trump interview by itself:

And if you didn’t catch why Rich gave a shout out to the movie “Good Morning Vietnam” you can listen to Rich’s first interview with Trump from 2008 here:

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

UFC STARS JOIN CAGE WARRIORS FOR FAN MEET AND GREET AT CW80

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 1at, 2017
MMA legend Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy heads up a cast of former Cage Warriors stars who will return to their former home to meet the fans at Cage Warriors 80 in London.

We’re just three weeks away from Cage Warriors’ first world title fight of 2017 as England’s Matt Inman and France’s Karl Amoussou get set to do battle for the vacant welterweight title at Cage Warriors 80.

The headlining title fight tops a packed card of action at Cage Warriors’ new home at Indigo at The O2 on February 18, but fight fans will also get a rare opportunity to catch up with some Cage Warriors’ stars of yesteryear ahead of the event.

We’re delighted to announce that we’ll also be hosting a special meet and greet session with a host of former Cage Warriors stars who have all gone on to further their respective careers in the UFC.

Heading the lineup is Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy, the popular welterweight who became the first British fighter to compete for a UFC world title when he battled the great Georges St-Pierre all the way to the scorecards at UFC 111 back in 2010.

Dan has since forged a successful career on the other side of the fence as a colour commentator and one of the most astute, respected MMA analysts in the game.

Dan will be joined by fellow former Cage Warriors stars Jack Hermansson, Darren Stewart, Alex Enlund and Tom Breese for a special meet and greet session, which is open to all fans attending the event on February 18. No additional ticket is required.

Limited tickets for Cage Warriors 80 are available via the AXS website, priced from just £20. Secure yours today and make sure you’re a part of the latest exciting chapter in Cage Warriors’ history.
For the latest Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View past CWFC action, free and on-demand, online via Cage Warriors TV.

Photo: Dan Hardy – Credit Cage Warriors 
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

MMA fighters & fans of rival Russian soccer teams Added to M-1 Challenge 74 card

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18 in St. Petersburg, Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 2, 2017) – The February 18th M-1 Challenge 74 card in St. Petersburg got even more interesting with M-1Global’s announcement that a fight between fans of arch-rival Russian soccer (non-American football) teams will square-off in full team colors.
In the main event, undefeated M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Rashid Yusupov (6-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), of Russia, defends his title against former titlist Stephan “T-800” Puetz (15-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), of Germany.
M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (42-11-2, M-1: 9-1-0) faces challenger Abukar Yandiev (8-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) in theM-1 Challenge 74 co-feature.
Billed as the first MMA fight part of a major event to feature MMA fighters who are also fans of two of the top soccer clubs in Russia, CSKA and Spartak, battling between the ropes to determine the strongest soccer fan under MMA rules, not in the street.
Light heavyweight Dmitry Tebekin (4-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), representing CSKA, will throw-down against Spartak fan Arthur Reig Tjul’parov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0).  Tebekin was the St. Petersburg Cup winner and vice-champion of St. Petersburg, while Tjul’parov was also vice-champion of St. Petersburg as well as the third-place finisher in the All-Russian Grand Prix
.
M-1 Challenge 74 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg 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 Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Also fighting on the M-1 Challenge 74 main card, in addition to Yusupov-Puetz and Butenko-Yandiev, is former M-1 Challenge bantamweight champion Vitaly Branchuk (21-6-0, M-1: 1-2-0), of Ukraine, vs. Frenchman Moktar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci (13-7-0); two-time M-1 Challenge lightweight title challengerArtiom Damkovsky (22-10-1, M-1: 12-7-0), of Belarus, vs. undefeatedBrazilian Pablo “Negao” Pereira (7-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), and Ukrainian welterweight Vyacheslav “Bison” Bogomol (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) vs. unbeatenPablo Ortmann (6-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Switzerland.
INFORMATION

www.M1Global.tv

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@M1GlobalNews
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JOSH KOSCHECK RETURNS TO THE CAGE AGAINST MAURICIO ALONSO AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE ON FEB. 18

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MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT FEATURING ANATOLY TOKOV AGAINST FRANCISCO FRANCE ADDED TO THE PRELIMINARY CARD

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (January 31, 2017) – A welterweight bout pitting Josh Koscheck (17-10) against Mauricio Alonso(12-7, 1 NC) has been added to the Spike-televised main card of Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on February 18, 2017.

 

In addition, recently signed Russian star Anatoly Tokov (24-2) is set to square off against Francisco France (13-4-1) in a middleweight clash that will be featured on the Bellator.com-streamed undercard, while a previously announced main card bout between Adam Piccolotti and Brent Primus has been cancelled after Piccolotti has been forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.

 

Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now at the SAP Center Box Office as well as Ticketmaster.com.

 

Koscheck will be making his highly anticipated Bellator MMA debut after signing with the Viacom-owned promotion in 2015. Prior to the signing, “Kos” competed under the UFC banner for nearly a decade, compiling 15 wins and nine finishes. Now, the 39-year-old Dethrone Base Camp product hopes to soar to the top of Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight class and add to his impressive resume of 17 career victories. Never one to mince words, Koscheck has made it clear that he hopes to once again meet Paul Daley inside the cage, but first, the Fresno, Calif. native must get through Alonso on Feb. 18 when he returns to action on Spike.

 

Hailing from Parana, Brazil, Alonso will be making his second appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA and first in the welterweight division since 2014. The 36-year-old enters the bout riding a recent string of success, earning victories in each of his last two contests and seven of his last 10 dating back to 2010. Of his 12 career wins, Alonso has finished his opponent five times, including four knockouts. Alonso will look to build off of an undefeated 2016 campaign when he competes on Feb 18.

 

Under the tutelage of the legendary Fedor Emilianenko, Tokov has strung together an impressive resume of his own, where from 2012 to 2016, the prospect was riding a streak of 17 consecutive wins. The 26-year-old Russian is known to end fights early and often, finishing his opponent in 19 of his 24 career wins, including nine first round finishes. If Tokov is going to continue to blossom on the Bellator roster, he will have to defeat his opponent on Feb. 18 first.

 

Hailing from Gilbert, Arizona, 18-fight veteran France enters the bout having won six of his last eight contests, including one draw and five finishes. The 33-year-old submission specialist will be making his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first in nearly a year at Bellator 172. “Kiko” brings with him one of the most dynamic ground games in the division, finishing 12 of his 13 victims via submission; displaying a wide array of devastating techniques, including rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes, arm bars, and kimuras.

 

Updated Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)

Lightweight Co-Main Event: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Mauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC)

 

Preliminary Bouts:

Middleweight Preliminary Fight: Anatoly Tokov (24-2) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)