Category Archives: MMA

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE WILL BE ON THE LINE AT NEF 44 IN MILFORD, NH

June 10, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Milford, New Hampshire (June 9, 2021) – New England Fights (NEF) returns with its next event, “NEF 44: Back in Black,” on August 21, 2021 at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, New Hampshire. The show will feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and kickboxing fights. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur title fight to the card. Nathanial Grimard (3-0) will take on Brandon “BAMF” Maillet-Fevens (3-1) for the vacant NEF Amateur Featherweight Championship.

Grimard and Maillet-Fevens were originally scheduled to meet at “NEF 43” last year until the event was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grimard has not let the global pandemic slow down his fight aspirations. With New England states closed for MMA events, Grimard ventured south to Florida last February and again just last week, picking up back-to-back wins to open his amateur career at a perfect 3-0. The Exeter, New Hampshire native represents Nostos MMA of Somersworth, New Hampshire where he trains under UFC and Bellator veteran, and former NEF Professional Lightweight Champion, Devin Powell.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity to fight for title,” said Grimard. “I have been improving every fight, and I believe I have the skills and hard work to win the belt. I can’t wait to show my improvements in the NEF cage. I expect to see the best version of Brandon, and I think we will put on a great fight for August 21st.”

“Nate is exactly what you’d want in a fighter,” said Grimard teammate and Nostos co-proprietor Carol Linn Powell. “He does BJJ, striking, wrestling, drills, strength and conditioning, spars smart, even puts the Gi on. He has been working so hard for this sport and never stopped when the world did. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a title shot and I can’t wait to see him win that belt.”

Brandon Maillet-Fevens is one of the great comeback stories of NEF history. After losing his amateur debut at “NEF 36” in November 2018, Maillet-Fevens went on a three-fight win-streak, finishing all three of his opponents in those fights. In his most recent outing pre-pandemic, Maillet-Fevens defeated Tyler Knights (0-1) via second-round submission at “NEF 41” in November 2019. Maillet-Fevens represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) based in Lewiston, ME.

“It’s been a long year and half, but we never stopped working, never stopped perfecting our skills, because we knew this day was coming,” declared Maillet-Fevens. “I think this is a very exciting matchup. You’ve got two proven finishers that are hungry to take that next step in our careers. I know we’re both ready to go in there, put on a great show, and leave it all in the cage. I’m grateful and excited for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to a great fight!”

“Brandon is one of those guys who shows up every day, works hard, never complains, and even when he’s not fighting he’s in the gym getting better and helping his teammates,” noted CMBJJ coach Jesse Erickson. “He’s a role model for my up-and-comers. I’m very much looking forward to this contest!”

Tickets for “NEF 44: Back in Black” are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets/. The MMA and kickboxing event will take place at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, New Hampshire on Saturday, August 21, 2021, with a bell-time of 7 pm.

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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Showtime

LIZ CARMOUCHE MEETS UNDEFEATED KANA WATANABE IN THE CO-MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR MMA 261 ON FRIDAY, JUNE 25 – LIVE ON SHOWTIME AT 9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT

June 10, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

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Description automatically generated — **LOS ANGELES – Liz Carmouche** (15-7), who is No. 5 in the BELLATOR women’s pound-for-pound rankings, will face the promotion’s No. 3 ranked flyweight **Kana Watanabe** (10-0-1) during the co-main event of BELLATOR MMA 261: Johnson vs. Moldavsky on Friday, June 25.

The *BELLATOR 261* main card airs live on **SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT** and takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. A limited number of tickets starting at $60 are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

Newly announced preliminary matchups feature a bantamweight tilt pitting **Jaylon Bates** (2-0) against **Cody Matthews** (1-1) and middleweight matchup between **Taylor Johnson** (6-2) and **Lance Wright** (5-1).

The preliminary portion of *BELLATOR 261: Johnson vs. Moldavsky* begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT and will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

*BELLATOR 261: Johnson vs. Moldavsky* is anchored by an interim heavyweight title bout between No. 1 ranked **Timothy Johnson** (15-6) and No. 3 ranked **Valentin Moldavsky** (10-1). A featherweight fight featuring former title challenger No. 5 ranked **Daniel Weichel** (40-12) against Hawaii’s undefeated **Keoni Diggs** (9-0) and a light heavyweight re-booking between No. 10 ranked **Christian Edwards** (4-0) and **Ben Parrish** (4-1) have also been confirmed for the main card.

Additional prelims include a lightweight bout featuring No. 6 ranked **Myles Jury** (19-5) versus No. 7 ranked **Sidney Outlaw** (15-4), a women’s strawweight fight pitting **Lena Ovchynnikova** (12-6, 1 NC) against **Kyra Batara** (8-4), a light heavyweight contest seeing **Lee Chadwick** (26-15-1) versus **Simon Biyong** (7-1), and a lightweight affair between **Søren Bak** (14-1) and **Bobby Lee** (12-5).

Carmouche is a highly skilled veteran of the sport who joined BELLATOR’s women’s flyweight division in 2019 following a six-year run in the UFC. Fighting out of San Diego, the 37-year-old Team Hurricane Awesome-product also formerly competed for Strikeforce, notching a pair of victories with the promotion. Since signing with BELLATOR, “Girl-Rilla” has rallied off two straight wins, defeating Vanessa Porto and DeAnna Bennett. Prior to Carmouche’s days as a professional athlete, the Lafayette, Louisiana-native spent five years serving as an aviation electrician in the United Stated Marine Corps, where she completed three tours of duty in the Middle East.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the cage. I plan to end this fight with a dominant finish that stamps my name as the top contender for the belt,” Carmouche said.

Undefeated through 11 professional fights, Japan’s Watanabe steps into the BELLATOR MMA cage for the third time in as many years. With frying-pan-bending strength, the 32-year-old judoka boasts an impressive 60% finishing rate and has bested fellow BELLATOR flyweights Alejandra Lara and Ilara Joanne since joining the promotion’s ranks. The No. 3 ranked flyweight is looking to make a statement of her own and stake her claim to a shot at BELLATOR’s coveted 125-pound championship.

“I am very grateful to be given another opportunity to fight during these hard times. Liz Carmouche has tons of experience and has constantly been fighting the best which makes her without a doubt one of the best in the world,” Watanabe said. “I fully respect her in every aspect and am truly honored to face such an athlete. With that being said, I am excited to take on this challenge to prove to everybody and myself that I have what it takes to become the best in the world. I want to win this fight in a convincing way, to open up the doors for a title challenge shot.”

****

***BELLATOR MMA 261: Johnson vs. Moldavsky*** **Main Card:**
**SHOWTIME**
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

*Interim Heavyweight Title Main Event:* #1-**Tim Johnson** (15-6) vs. #3-**Valentin Moldavsky** (10-1)
*Flyweight Co-Main Event:* #2– **Liz Carmouche** (15-7) vs. #3-**Kana Watanabe** (10-0-1)
*Featherweight Main Card Bout:* #5- **Daniel Weichel** (40-12) vs. **Keoni Diggs** (9-0)
*Light Heavyweight Main Card Bout:* #10– **Christian Edwards** (4-0) vs. **Ben Parrish** (4-1)

**Preliminary Card:**
**BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV**
5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

*Strawweight bout:* **Lena Ovchynnikova** (12-6, 1 NC) vs. **Kyra Batara** (8-4)
*Lightweight bout:* #6-**Myles Jury** (19-5) vs. #7-**Sidney Outlaw** (15-4)
*Lightweight bout:* **Søren Bak** (14-1) vs. **Bobby Lee** (12-5)
*Bantamweight Bout:* **Jaylon Bates** (2-0) vs. **Cody Matthews** (1-1)
*Middleweight Bout:* **Taylor Johnson** (6-2) vs. **Lance Wright** (5-1)
*Light Heavyweight Bout:* **Lee Chadwick** (26-15-1) vs. **Simon Biyong** (7-1)

*Card subject to change.

For more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit BELLATOR.com.

kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA

United Fight Alliance Returns to Turkey June 17th for World-Class MMA & Kickboxing

June 9, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. (June 8, 2021) – United Fight Alliance (UFA) has announced it is heading back to Turkey to carry the June 17^th MMA World Mix Fight world-class event, featuring professional mixed-martial-arts and kickboxing, at Illusion in Antalya, Turkey.

UFA CEO Jordan “Jay” Adams will be calling all the action from cageside, live on TV 8.5 in Turkey, and taped-live to tentatively air on the UFA network in July across the United States.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Turkey’s MMA World Mix Fight Organization,” Adams said. “They have been waiting a long time to produce this show. Their enthusiasm and anticipation is over the top. I can tell they can’t wait to present their athletes to the rest of the world. We now get to see their skill sets as only the region’s’ best will be on the card. Afghanistan, Morocco, Georgia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Angola, Iraq and of course, Turkey, are all well represented in the cage on June 17^th in Antalya Turkey. United Fight Alliance will be there to make sure you don’t miss one second of fights!”

Three MMA World Mix Fight title fights are on tap. The main event is a battle between Turkey’s Bayram Yalcin (13-2-0) and Habib Karimo (10-1-0), of Afghanistan, for the MMA World Mix Fight Featherweight Championship.

Turkey’s Hamdi “Wolverine” Kuzgun (7-2-0) squares off with Elmahdi Zineddine (11-6-0), fighting out of Germany by way of Morocco, in the co-featured event for the vacant MMA World Mix Fight middleweight title.

The third title fight matches undefeated Turk, Koray Cengiz (8-0-0), against Vaja Matcharashvili (4-4-0), of Georgia, for the vacant MMA World Mix Fight Heavyweight crown.

There are two other scheduled MMA fights on the card: Turkey female strawweight Sedef Arsian (0-1-0 vs. Iranian Fatime Yavari (0-1-0), and Iraq featherweight Hamza Nahma (10-3-0) vs. RussianAkhmed Erzu Akrieve (7-1-0).

Three kickboxing fights are also on tap. WAKO World kickboxing champion Bahram Rajabzadeh (30-3-1), of Azerbaijan, versus heavyweight Mohammed Amine (25-4-0), fighting out of Morocco by way of Netherland, showcases two of the best kickboxers in Europe.

Turkey’s World kickboxing and Muay Thai champion, Mehmet Koktas (10-3-0), throws down with South African middleweight Mateus Mengue (9-1-0), while Turkish heavyweight Mehmet “Mountain” Ozer (15-5-0) takes on Iranian Muhammad Abdollahpor (9-3-0).

INFORMATION

Website: www.UnitedFightAlliance.com

Facebook: /Brawlcall

Twitter: @brawlcall

Instagram: @brawlcall

boxing, iKon Fighting Federation, mixed martial arts, MMA

Future Combat Sports Queen Amanda Serrano headlines iKON 7 MMA event this Friday

June 9, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

LAS VEGAS (June 7, 2021) – Pure and simple, **Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano** is a true fighter, whether it’s in a cage, ring or on a mat. Someday, she could very well be legitimately known as the “Queen of Combat Sports.”

The 10-time, 7 division world boxing champion headlines this Friday night’s ***iKON 7***, presented by iKON Fighting Federation, the mixed-martial-arts division of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, at Benito Juarez Auditorium in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

***iKON 7*** will be streamed live and exclusively June 11th on UFC FIGHT PASS^®, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com or download the UFC app.

Universally recognized as unquestionably one of the top three women boxers in the world today, joining **Katie Taylor** and **Claressa Shields**, the Puerto Rico-native Serrano, fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, is 1-0-1 in mixed-martial-arts competition. She will face pro-debuting **Valentia Garcia,** of Mexico, in the ***iKON 7*** main event.

“It’s an honor to headline iKON 7,” Serrano said. “It is a fast-rising MMA organization that I plan to plant my flag on. My co-manager, **Pearl Gonzalez**, turned me on to it and so far, I’m loving my dealings with them.

“My first two opponents in MMA were also Mexicans and they were tough. I don’t want it any other way if I’m going to have people take me seriously in this sport. From what I understand, my opponent has striking experience but in MMA, you should never expect a particular style. Most are well rounded and regardless of their primary style, I’m ready for it.”

Serrano has conquered boxing and legitimately rates as one of the greatest female boxers of all-time, as well as a future Hall of Famer, sporting a 40-1-1(30 KOs) pro record. She’s also 6-0 with in Jiu-Jitsu with five submissions.

“I was having a hard time getting good fights in boxing I wanted,” Serrano explained, “so, I asked my trainer/manager **Jordan** (**Maldonado**) started talking about MMA. A year before I debuted in MMA, I shot a movie, ‘Fight Valley’, in which both my sister, **Cindy**(**Serrano**), and I co-starred alongside **Miesha Tate**, **Chris Cyborg** and **Holly Holm**. During the filming we talked about helping each other train in our respective disciplines and yeah, it materialized but in way I became an MMA practitioner.

“Training is totally different. I took a year off from boxing just to learn the basics. Today, I train everyday regardless of upcoming fights or not. There are a ton of things I still need to learn. I’m pretty much a workaholic and a sore loser, so, if I’m messing with it, I want it all! I’d love to one day fight for World title (in MMA) and become a champion in both sports at the same time. I have what it takes to do it if anyone does. I do want to switch the narrative as a striker and be known in MMA for my ground game.”

Las Vegas fighter **Johnny “The Paradox” Parsons** (6-2-0, iKON: 2-0-0) takes on **Ricardo “Woody” Chavez** (5-1-0), of Mexico, at a 175-pound catchweight In the co-featured event.

Undefeated Tucson welterweight **Pete “Dead Game” Rodriguez** goes for his fourth consecutive win without a loss – all in iKON competition – against Mexican opponentRoberto “Pixley 2B” Pixley (5-1-0).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard is Yakima, Washington featherweight **Jorge “The Natural” Alcala** (4-1-0) vs. **Sergio “The Animal” Cortez** (3-2-0), Hong Kong female featherweight **Ramona Pasqual** (4-2-0) vs. pro-debuting **Guadalupe Guzman**, Miami by way of Egypt welterweight **Manmoud Sebie** vs. **Enrique Hernandez** in a battle of pro-debuting fighters, pro-debuting female flyweights **Rosselyn Chavira**, of Tucson (AZ) and **Sofia Salacar**, Miami bantamweight Claudia Zamaora (2-1-0, iKON: 1-0-0), and Mexican featherweights **Luis “Mano” Garcia** (1-2, iKON: 1-1-0) vs. pro-debuting **Angel Rivera** off-UFC FIGHT PASS.

Card subject to change.

**INFORMATION:**

Websites:  http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com
Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre
Twitter: @iKONFightingFederation, @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial
Instagram: @iKONFightingFederation, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

**ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS**: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV,Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

**ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS**^®: UFC FIGHT PASS^® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Showtime

BELLATOR MMA Confirms Full Fight Card for BELLATOR 260 on SHOWTIME Next Friday, June 11 at 9 p.m. ET

June 5, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

DOUGLAS LIMA DEFENDS WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST NO. 1 RANKED YAROSLAV AMOSOV IN MAIN EVENT

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LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card for BELLATOR MMA 260: Lima vs. Amosov on Friday, June 11 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The event is the promotion’s first show in America with fans in attendance since the start of the pandemic and airs LIVE on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR’s 170-pound kingpin Douglas Lima (32-8) returns to the welterweight division to put his title on the line against undefeated and No. 1 ranked Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) in a must-watch main event clash.

In addition to the headliner, the entirety of the BELLATOR 260 main card on SHOWTIME is stacked, including a 175-pound contract weight co-main event pitting legendary No. 6 ranked welterweight Paul Daley (43-17-2) against the streaking No. 3 ranked welterweight Jason Jackson (14-4). Also, a featherweight feature fight between the hard-hitting No. 6 ranked Aaron Pico (7-3) versus Birmingham’s Aiden Lee (9-4) and a welterweight showdown between Demarques Jackson (11-5) and Mark Lemminger (9-0, 1 NC). The newly announced fifth and final main card bout features a showdown between No. 10 ranked Vanessa Porto (5-3) and Pitbull Brothers-product Ilara Joanne (9-5) in a 128-pound contract weight bout.

The preliminary card is locked in with six action-packed fights, highlighted by a featherweight battle between No. 9 ranked Tywan Claxton (6-2) and the undefeated Justin Gonzales (11-0), who is making his BELLATOR debut. Meanwhile, hometown hero and fan-favorite Nick Newell (16-3) is set to square off against Bobby King (9-3) in a lightweight bout and 20-year-old phenom Lucas Brennan (4-0) prepares for a 150-pound contract weight clash with Matthew Skibicki (4-3). Also, two-time NCAA All-American wrestling standout Kyle Crutchmer (6-1) will take on undefeated welterweight Levan Chokheli (9-0, 1 NC) to cap off this stacked preliminary card.

All BELLATOR 260 prelims will stream live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up at SHO.com/BellatorMMA. Subscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 and beyond, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.

Full bout listings are below:

BELLATOR MMA 260: Lima vs. Amosov Main Card:

Friday, June 11 – Live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Welterweight World Title Main Event: c-Douglas Lima (32-8) vs. #1-Yaroslav Amosov (25-0)

175-pound Contract Weight Co-Main Event: #6-Paul Daley (43-17-2) vs. #3-Jason Jackson (14-4)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Aaron Pico (7-3) vs. Aiden Lee (9-4)

128-pound Contract Weight Bout: #10-Vanessa Porto (22-9) vs. Ilara Joanne (9-5)

Welterweight Bout: Demarques Jackson (11-5) vs. Mark Lemminger (11-3)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Kyle Crutchmer (6-1) vs. Levan Chokheli (9-0, 1 NC)

Featherweight Bout: #9-Tywan Claxton (6-2) vs. Justin Gonzales (11-0)

Lightweight Bout: Nick Newell (16-3) vs. Bobby King (9-3)

150-pound Contract Weight Bout: Lucas Brennan (4-0) vs. Matthew Skibicki (4-3)

Featherweight Bout: #8-Amanda Bell (7-7) vs. Marina Mokhnatkina (4-2)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Alex Polizzi (7-1) vs. Gustavo Trujillo (3-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Showtime

Featherweight Sensation Aaron Pico Meets Birmingham’s Aiden Lee During Main Card of BELLATOR 260 on Friday, June 11 – Live on SHOWTIME

May 29, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR BELLATOR’S FIRST FAN-ATTENDED EVENT STATESIDE IN OVER A YEAR

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LOS ANGELES — Today, BELLATOR MMA confirmed that No. 6 ranked featherweight Aaron Pico (7-3) has been added to the BELLATOR MMA 260: Lima vs. Amosov main card on Friday, June 11, where he will oppose grappling ace Aiden Lee (9-4), in a 145-pound bout. The fight will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR 260 will be headlined by welterweight world champion Douglas Lima (32-8), who will defend his 170-pound title against the undefeated and top-ranked Yaroslav Amosov (25-0).

The event marks BELLATOR’s first fan-attended event in the United States since BELLATOR 239 took place on February 21, 2020. A limited number of tickets starting at $60 are available now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at Bellator.com.

Since his professional MMA debut in 2017, Aaron Pico has widely been considered one of the brightest prospects in the sport. The Jackson Wink fighter has showcased a wrestling acumen that stacks up with the best in the world, coupled with vicious punching power that has earned him stunning KO victories with both his left and right hand. The 24-year-old has shown steady growth each time out in the BELLATOR cage and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

Fighting for the first time on American soil, the 26-year-old Lee looks to secure his third straight victory inside the BELLATOR cage. An underrated submission specialist, the Englishman earned his fourth career victory via rear-naked choke against Damian Frankiewicz and a stunning head-kick knockout against Jeremy Petley in the first round of their matchup last September.

Additionally, a welterweight fight between BELLATOR veteran Kyle Crutchmer (6-1) and promotional debutant Levan Chokheli (9-0, 1 NC) has been added as a preliminary bout. Crutchmer, who trains out of AKA in San Jose, wrestled at Oklahoma State University, where he became a two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. Meanwhile, Chokheli looks to keep his record flawless while making a sound first impression in his BELLATOR debut. The 24-year-old Georgian boasts an impressive 100% finishing rate, having never seen the final bell in all nine of his fights.

Also added to the preliminary card, “The Boogeyman,” Lance Wright (5-1) will be making his BELLATOR debut after an impressive showing on the American regional scene. He will be tasked with fighting Taylor “Tombstone” Johnson (6-2), a two-fight veteran of the BELLATOR cage.

All prelims will stream live at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Full bout listings are below.

BELLATOR MMA 260: Lima vs. Amosov Main Card:

Friday, June 11 – Live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Welterweight World Title Main Event: c-Douglas Lima (32-8) vs. #1-Yaroslav Amosov (25-0)

175-pound Contract Weight Co-Main Event: #6–Paul Daley (43-17-2) vs. #3-Jason Jackson (14-4)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Aaron Pico (7-3) vs. Aiden Lee (9-4)

Welterweight Bout: Demarques Jackson (11-5) vs. Mark Lemminger (11-3)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Kyle Crutchmer (6-1) vs. Levan Chokheli (9-0, 1 NC)

Featherweight Bout: #9-Tywan Claxton (6-2) vs. Justin Gonzales (11-0)

Lightweight Bout: Nick Newell (16-3) vs. Bobby King (9-3)

Featherweight Bout: Lucas Brennan (4-0) vs. Matthew Skibicki (4-3)

Featherweight Bout: Amanda Bell (7-7) vs. Marina Mokhnatkina (4-2)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Alex Polizzi (7-1) vs. Gustavo Trujillo (3-1)

Middleweight Bout: Taylor Johnson (6-2) vs. Lance Wright (5-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

mixed martial arts, MMA

SFT dominating Brazilian National MMA Rankings

May 26, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

SAO PAULO, Brazil (May 25, 2021) – Fighters in SFT’s stable, according to MMA Premium, dominated May’s Brazilian National MMA Rankings.

In the male pound-for-pound ratings, SFT stable fighters captured three of the top four positions: 2, Marcos “Babuino” de Santos (33-13-1, SFT: 3-0-), 3. Wellington “Predador” Prado (11-2-0, SFT: 5-1-0), 4. Thiago “Manchinha” Silva (19-9-0, (SFT: 0-1-0).

“Babuino” and “Predador”, respectively, are also the top 2 ranked featherweights, while Junior and Acacio “Pequeno” dos Santos (13-3-0, SFT: 2-0-0) finished one-two in the light heavyweight division.

SFT women also placed second and third in the women pound-for-pound ratings, respectively, with strawweights Julia Polastri (8-2-0, SFT: 1-0-0) and Karine “Killer” Silva (13-4-0, SFT: 2-0-0).

SFT swept the top three positions in female bantamweight rankings, in order, with Karine “Killer,” who was SFT’s 2020 Submission of the Year recipient, Gisele “Gi” Moreira (9-4-0, SFT: 1-0-0) and Sidy Rocha (12-8-2, SFT: 0-1-0).

“SFT was established in 2018 by our film and production company,” SFT president David Hudson said. “Two events were produced, but then we were on hold for five years, and back then, I had nothing to do with SFT. When events were resumed in 2018, I wondered why a country that played a major role in the creation of MMA and UFC didn’t have a world-class promotion. After analyzing what was being done and attending SFT 4 in Brazil, I was sure the problem was how things were being done. I decided to walk away from the film industry and dedicated my life to MMA.

“Under my leadership, SFT has had a whole new way of promoting MMA. Each decision I made, I was told that by many that I was wrong, and it would result in the end of SFT. Numbers don’t lie and thanks to God, I I have the numbers that prove I was correct., However, as innovative and even crazy my ideas may have been, I knew that at the end of the day our fights had to be top notch. I had a 3-year plan and my goal was to have top 10 Brazilian fighters in each weight class in SFT, excluding those who had contracts outside of Brazil.”

SFT is tentatively prepared to return July 10th with SFT 27 in Brazil.

“We were on track to reaching our goal, but the pandemic caused us to pause at the year of year too,” Hudson explained. “Due to inactivity, many of our fighters dropped out of the top 5 and 10 in national rankings. We still have a lot of the best of the best in Brazil in our stable and in July we will return with our monthly events. I am sure that in a year, things will be back on track, and we’ll be closer to our goal.

“Part of our strategy was to have events in the United States, but there are still travel restrictions for Brazilians going to the USA. As soon as we are able to bring our fighters to the United States to fight, we will, and then we will be one step closer to attaining my goal.”

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