Category Archives: Spike TV

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

FORMER CHAMP ANDREY KORESHKOV TAKES ON CHIDI NJOKUANI DURING BELLATOR 182 MAIN EVENT AT TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO IN UPSTATE NEW YORK ON AUGUST 25

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ALSO, CONNECTICUT’S BRENNAN WARD RETURNS AGAINST FERNANDO GONZALEZ IN EXPLOSIVE MATCHUP

LOS ANGELES — Following Bellator NYC at Madison Square Garden, Bellator MMA returns to the Empire State to make its Upstate New York debut set to invade Turning Stone ResortCasino in Verona, N.Y. with a welterweight main event pitting former Bellator champ Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) against Chidi Njokuani (17-4, 1 NC) on Friday, August 25for Bellator 182.

In addition, a second welterweight bout will serve as the evening’s co-main showdown when Brennan Ward (14-5) meets Fernando Gonzalez (26-14) in a bout sure to produce fireworks, while featherweight A.J. McKee returns to the cage fresh off an ESPN “SportsCenter” Top-Ten finish of Dominic Mazzotta in his last outing.

Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. Njokuani 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 Bellator 182 go on sale Friday, June 2 at 10:00 a.m. ET for $85, $65, $47 and $37 and can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 26-year-old Russian phenom Koreshkov has been ascendant since his very first professional fight, claiming 19 career victories over 21 bouts, including wins in each of his first 13 contests. Fighting out of Omsk, Russia, “Spartan” will be making his 13th career appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and his first of 2017. Under the direction of Bellator MMA, Koreshkov has accrued a total of 10 victories over a four-year run, highlighted by a welterweight world title triumph over current champion Douglas Lima and a successful title defense over Benson Henderson at Bellator 153. Since making his professional debut in 2010, Koreshkov has collected 13 finishes, including 10 knockouts, eight of which came in the first round, making him one of the most dangerous 170-pounders in the game.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., Njokuani enters the cage riding momentum of an impressive streak that has seen him win eight consecutive bouts and 12 of his last 13. Since joining the Bellator MMA fray in 2015, the 28-year-old Njokuani has collected four victories, including a pair of knockout finishes. Most recently, “Chidi Bang Bang” defeated Melvin Guillard at Bellator 171 in January, adding to his current run of success.

The 28-year-old Ward enters the contest as one of the most feared fighters in Bellator MMA’s stacked 170-pound class. With 13 finishes over his 14 career victories, including nine knockouts, “Irish” possesses the perfect combination of pure strength and fearlessness. A 14-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, the Waterford, Conn. native will look to earn his 10th win under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Since joining Bellator MMA in 2012, Ward has yet to see a bout enter the third frame and has finished six of his nine opponents in the opening round. Fans can expect to see fireworks when Ward is inside the Bellator cage on August 25.

Hailing from Menifee, Calif., the 33-year-old Gonzalez will enter the Bellator cage for the eighth time in his 14-year professional career. Gonzalez has seen a great deal of success since joining forces with Bellator MMA; collecting six victories over a seven-fight, three-year span, highlighted by a first round knockout of Karo Parisyan.Gonzalez has come on strong as of late, tallying nine wins over his last 12 bouts, including a pair of first round knockouts and a five-fight winning streak from 2014-16. With 16 of his 26 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, the 40-fight veteran will look to add to that total as he prepares to go toe-to-toe with one of the most unshakable talents the welterweight division has to offer.

The son of respected MMA veteran Antonio McKee, A.J. McKee spent his entire childhood in the gym soaking up every bit of knowledge and experience available to him. The 22-year-old prodigy has applied that knowledge inside the Bellator cage and has made quite a splash in his first eight fights as an MMA professional, racking up six finishes in eight outings. The Long Beach, Calif. native heads to the East Coast looking to stay undefeated with another impressive finish.

Nationally-recognized for hosting legendary, fight-of-the-year-level boxing events, rivaling venues in major cities such as Las Vegas, Miami and New York City, Turning Stone was one of the first venues in New York to host professional MMA after it was legalized by the State last year, further distinguishing it as the premier destination for live combat sports. The August 25 Bellator MMA event will mark Turning Stone’s third professional MMA event in less than a year.

Updated Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. NjokuaniMain Card:

Welterweight Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) vs. Chidi Njokuani (17-4, 1 NC)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Brennan Ward (14-5) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (26-14)

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (8-0) vs. TBD

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

OFFICIAL BELLATOR 179: DALEY VS. MACDONALD WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

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EVENT TAKES PLACE TOMORROW AT THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY IN LONDON — AIRS AT 9 PM ET/8 PM CT ON SPIKE

COMPLETE WEIGH-IN PHOTOS HERE

Official Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonaldMain Card Weights:

Welterweight Main Event: Rory MacDonald (170.1) vs. Paul Daley (170.8)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Linton Vassell (205) vs. Liam McGeary (205.5)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Augusto Sakai (263.75) vs. Cheick Kongo (244)

Catchweight Feature Bout: D.J. Griffin (164) vs. Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson Jr. (165)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Dan Vinni (169.4) vs. Alex Lohore (170)

 

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jay Dods (154.75) vs. Alfie Davis (155)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Dan Konecke (227.5) vs. Stav Economou (260.75)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Jamie Powell (125.2) vs. Amir Albazi (125.5)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Umer Kayani (168.75) vs. Nathan Jones (169)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Fabian Edwards (184.5) vs. Rafal Cejrowski (185)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Jeremy Petley (148.75) vs. Chase Morton (149.75)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Marcin Prostko (185.25) vs. Mike Shipman (185.75)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:Salih Kulucan (135.5) vs. Diego Barbosa (136)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MONSTER ENERGY BELLATOR MMA FIGHT SERIES HITS CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOR MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE WEEKEND ON MAY 20

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ALSO, MMA LEGENDS TITO ORTIZ AND DAN HENDERSON TO MEET WITH FANS FOR AUTOGRAPH SIGNING ON MAY 19

 

LOS ANGELES – The Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series visits Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend on Saturday, May 20 and will feature several MMA bouts throughout the afternoon prior to the start of the on-track racing action. All bouts are set to take place between 3:30-5 p.m. ET at the Monster Energy display in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Zone.

Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet two of the biggest names in the history of the sport onFriday, May 19, when former UFC champion Tito Ortiz and former PRIDE and STRIKEFORCE titleholder Dan Henderson will be available to sign autographs at the Monster Energy display in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Zone between 3-4 p.m. ET.

Through Bellator MMA, along with 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.

The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race takes place Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1. Tickets to the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race are available at ‪NASCAR.com/tickets or by calling Charlotte Motor Speedway at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

 

Updated Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway Fight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Allen Crowder (7-2, Mebane, N.C.) vs. Robert Neal (4-2, Jefferson, Ga.)

Welterweight Bout: Jeremie Holloway (8-2, Charlotte, N.C) vs. Jacob McClintock (8-2, Charleston, S.C.)

Lightweight Bout: Mike Stevens (6-3, Winston-Salem, N.C) vs. Lashawn Alcocks (6-8, Wilmington, N.C.)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Allen Bose (5-0, Jacksonville, N.C.) vs. Chris Crawford (8-5, Durham, N.C)

 

Please visit Bellator.com for details.

 

*Event schedule subject to change.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV, women's MMA

BELLATOR WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT CHAMP TO BE CROWNED IN 2017

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LOS ANGELES – Bellator is pleased to announce the signings of Valérie Létourneau (8-6), Alejandra Lara (6-1), Sabriye Şengül(Debut), Kristi Lopez (2-0), Na Liang (6-0) and Juliana Velasquez (5-0) to multi-fight contracts that will see them compete in Bellator’s emerging 125-pound division. Additionally, Bellator will look to crown its next women’s flyweight world champion this year.

“2017 has been a big year for us in terms of bringing in marquee free agents that can have an immediate impact on their division,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “This group of flyweight signings demonstrates that we’re committed to that throughout our roster, as we’re adding even more depth to an already-competitive weight class. We’re adding a proven title contender, along with a group of prospects from all around the globe, and we look forward to putting on great fights and displaying the talent this division has to offer.”

These news stars join a division that already includes talented fighters, such as Keri Taylor-Melendez (1-0), Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (6-0),Anastasia Yankova (5-0), Emily Ducote (5-2), Colleen Schneider (11-7) and Lena Ovchynnikova (12-4, 1 NC).

The Canadian-born Létourneau, a former UFC strawweight title challenger, carries an impressive track record of thrilling fights, highlighted by a world title contest against undefeated UFC champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Now, moving up to a more natural weight class, the 33-year-old American Top Team product will make her debut for Bellator in 2017. She will look to improve upon her eight victories as a professional, a tally that includes five finishes, with four coming by way of knockout.

Hailing from Medellin, Colombia, Alejandra Lara will look to make a statement in Bellator’s budding women’s flyweight division. The 22-year-old knockout artist has earned six victories in seven outings since making her professional debut in 2011. “Azul” has shown tenacity in her fights thus far, showcasing a pair of first round knockouts, as well as a first round armbar submission. Lara trains alongside UFC fighters Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana at Team Lobo in Mexico.

Fighting out of Hollywood, Calif., Kristi Lopez will enter the Bellator fray as she prepares for her third professional bout. Prior to that, “Loba” also tallied three victories over a four-fight, two-year span on the amateur circuit.

Chinese submission specialist Na Liang will look to build on a 2017 campaign that already saw her finish an opponent in a mere 38 seconds. The first-round stoppage marked the fifth time in six appearances that Liang’s opposition failed to make it out of the opening round. After competing exclusively at bantamweight to begin her career, Liang decided to move down to the flyweight division, where she also saw success by collecting a trio of first round finishes.

With an impressive following in Turkey from her kickboxing career, Sabriye Şengül will now transition to MMA under the direction of Bellator. With a professional kickboxing record of 6-1, the 26-year-old prospect holds the potential to achieve the same success in multiple combat sport disciplines.

Undefeated at 30 years of age, Juliana Velasquez trains under the Nogueira brothers in Brazil, carrying one of the most famous names in MMA with her inside the Bellator cage.  Additionally, Juliana trains alongside fellow Bellator flyweight Bruna Vargas. With five wins in five appearances, the Rio de Janeiro resident will look to become another Brazilian Bellator champion.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

HEAVYWEIGHT FEATURE FIGHT PITTING CHEICK KONGO AGAINST AUGUSTO SAKAI ADDED TO BELLATOR 179: DALEY VS. MACDONALD AT THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY ON MAY 19

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BELLATOR 179 PRELIMINARY MATCHUPS SET

 

LOS ANGELES — A newly announced heavyweight bout featuring Cheick Kongo (26-10-2) against Augusto Sakai (9-0-1) has been added to the already-electric Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald event, which emanates from The SSE Arena, Wembley on May 19.

Kongo, the French-born heavyweight, is currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes wins over Oli Thompson and Alexander Volkov, while the 25-year-old Sakai looks to stay unbeaten and make a name for himself in the division.

Additionally, preliminary matchups featuring some of the U.K.’s best up-and-coming talent have been finalized for the event.

Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald will be broadcast on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event are on sale now at The SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office (0844 815 0815), ssearena.co.uk and axs.com.

Updated Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald Main Card:

Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (39-14-2) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-4)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Michael Page (12-0) vs. Derek Anderson (14-3)

Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Liam McGeary (12-1) vs. Linton Vassell (17-5)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (26-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0-1)

Preliminary Card:

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jay Dods (6-0) vs. Alfie Davis (6-1)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Rob Beech (4-1) vs. Stav Economou (17-5)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Jamie Powell (6-1) vs. Amir Albazi (8-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Umer Kayani (4-3) vs. Nathan Jones (10-5)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Dan Vinni (14-14) vs. Alex Lohore (10-1)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Liam Etebar (6-1) vs. Rafal Cejra Cejrowski (2-0)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout (150 lbs.): Jeremy Petley (10-8) vs. Chase Morton (6-3)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Marcin Prostko (4-5) vs. Mike Shipman (9-1)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Salih Kulucan (4-5) vs. Diego Barbosa (3-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PATRICKY ‘PITBULL’ VS. DEREK CAMPOS 2 SET TO HEADLINE BELLATOR 181 AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO AND RESORT ON JULY 14

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LOS ANGELES — Bellator MMA is returning to WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. with a lightweight main event pitting Patricky “Pitbull” Freire(17-8) against Derek Campos (18-6) on Friday, July 14.

The event 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 Bellator 181: Pitbull vs. Campos 2 go on sale this Friday, April 28, 2017 at 10 a.m. CT and can be purchased at WinStar’s Global Event Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hailing from Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil, the eldest of the “Pitbull” brothers steps inside the Bellator cage for the18th time in his professional career. Patricky Freire will be looking to build on an impressive start to his 2017 campaign, following a second-round finish of Josh Thomson at Bellator 172. Having won seven of his last 10 bouts, “Pitbull” is on a fierce path that has firmly established himself as a contender for the 155-pound belt. With 11 of his 12 career finishes coming by way of knockout, including each of his seven in Bellator, the 31-year-old Brazilian phenom hopes to add to that total and once again defeat Campos in the evening’s main event.

Similar to “Pitbull,” Campos has started off his 2017 season on the right foot, earning a pivotal win over Derek Anderson at Bellator 170 earlier this year. Fighting out of Lubbock, Texas, “The Stallion” will enter the Bellator cage for the 12th time. Having won nine of his last 12 contests, Campos hopes to continue his recent success and avenge his earlier loss to “Pitbull” over three years ago at Bellator 117. Campos will also enter the bout riding a three-fight winning streak, which includes impressive victories over Melvin Guillard and Anderson.

Updated Bellator 181: Pitbull vs. Campos 2 Main Card:

Lightweight Main Event: Patricky “Pitbull” (17-8) vs. Derek Campos (18-6)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PHIL DAVIS SET TO DEFEND LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST RYAN BADER DURING SPIKE-TELEVISED BELLATOR 180

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WRESTLING PHENOM AARON PICO TO MAKE MMA DEBUT AGAINST ZACH FREEMAN ON MAIN CARD

ALSO, NEIMAN GRACIE VS. DAVE MARFONE ADDED TO SPIKE TELECAST, WHILERYAN COUTURE-HAIM GOZALI ANCHOR BELLATOR 180 PRELIMS ON BELLATOR.COM

LOS ANGELES – The biggest night in the history of Bellator continues to grow, with the addition of Phil Davis (17-3, 1 NC) defending his light heavyweight world title against one of the promotion’s newest free agent acquisitions, Ryan Bader (22-5), during the main event of Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader on June 24th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The five-round contest will anchor the LIVE and FREE broadcast of Bellator 180, which airs on SPIKE. In addition, undefeated Neiman Gracie (5-0) will return to action when he meets Dave Marfone (5-2) at welterweight. This contest, along with “Mr. Wonderful” versus “Darth” Bader joins a previously announced bout pitting “The Strabanimal” James Gallagher (6-0) against Chinzo Machida (5-2).

It was also announced last week that Aaron Pico would make his long-awaited MMA debut against Zach Freeman(8-2) during Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva, leading off a pay-per-view blockbuster that features a double main event of Chael Sonnen (29-15-1) and Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC), as well as Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) meeting Matt Mitrione(11-5).

Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva also includes two championship bouts, with Douglas Lima (28-6) defending his 170-pound strap against Lorenz Larkin (18-5, 1 NC) and current lightweight champion Michael Chandler (16-3) putting his world title on the line against the undefeated Brent Primus (7-0).

The Bellator.com-streamed preliminary portion of the Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader action on June 24 adds Ryan Couture (10-5) making his welterweight debut against Israel’s Haim Gozali (7-3). Three additional preliminary bouts are also confirmed and are listed below.

Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva airs LIVE on pay-per-view beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Prior to the pay-per-view event, SPIKE will air Bellator 180 LIVE and FREE on both coasts, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Additionally, Bellator 180 prelims will air exclusively on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event start at $60, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are currently on sale at Ticketmaster, TheGarden.com and Bellator.com.

Follow the conversation using #BellatorNYC on social media.

Complete Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva Card (Pay-Per-View):

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Chael Sonnen (29-15-1) vs. Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC)

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

Welterweight World Title Bout: Douglas Lima (28-6) vs. Lorenz Larkin (18-5, 1 NC)

Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (16-3) vs. Brent Primus (7-0)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Aaron Pico (Debut) vs. Zach Freeman (8-2)

 

Updated Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader Card (SPIKE):

Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Phil Davis (17-3, 1 NC) vs. Ryan Bader (22-5)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: James Gallagher (6-0) vs. Chinzo Machida (5-2)

Welterweight Main Card Bout: Neiman Gracie (5-0) vs. Dave Marfone (5-2)

 

Updated Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader Preliminary Card (Bellator.com):

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ryan Couture (10-5) vs. Haim Gozali (7-3)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jerome Mickle (2-1) vs. Anthony Giacchina (1-1)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout (168 1bs.): John Salgado (4-7-1) vs. Hugh McKenna (0-1)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout (130 1bs.): Matt Rizzo (9-2, 1 NC) vs. Sergio da Silva (6-8)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

Bellator 178 Recap, Results and Fighter Quotes

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MAIN CARD BOUTS:

Patricio ‘Pitbull’ (26-4) defeated Daniel Straus (24-7) at :37 of round two to capture the Bellator MMA Featherweight World Title.
 
Quote from Patricio Pitbull:
 
“It’s a dream come true to win back this title and this belt is for my son. It’s a gift for him,” Pitbull said. “I want him to be proud of his Dad and know that I overcame a lot to bring this title back home to Brazil.”
 
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (6-0) defeated Jessica Middleton (2-1) via submission (arm bar) at 2:15 of round one
 
Quote from Ilima-Lei Macfarlane:
 

“I went in there and did everything that I wanted to do. I did everything that I needed to do and as I said in the cage, I really wanted to make a statement that this is my division,” Macfarlane said. “If they’re going to crown a champion, I want to be number one up there.”

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dj72akdy8jofbuo/AAA9qJSRDe8Y8do_Fz3q57VLa?dl=0

Saad Awad (20-9) defeated Ryan Quinn (13-7-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
 
Quote from Saad Awad:
 

“It was a really tough fight and I knew he was a great wrestler. I saw a lot of that coming, he was in my face the whole time,” Awad said. “I thought i could take him out in that first round but he kept coming back. It was a tough fight, glad i came out on top.”

 

 

PRELIMINARY BOUTS:

Tyrell Fortune (3-0) defeated Branko Busick (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
 
Quote from Tyrell Fortune:
 

“I thought it was great for me to go out and get three rounds in,” Fortune said following his Bellator 178 win. “I felt like I utilized my jab and my knees really well. Obviously I m still pretty too, no bumps and no cuts. I dominated the fight.”

 
Ed Ruth (3-0) defeated David Mundell (6-3) via technical knockout at 3:13 of round 2
 
Quote from Ed Ruth:
 

“I thought it was a good fight and a solid win for me. There were definitely some areas where I could’ve been faster and I could’ve been sharper,” Ruth said after moving to 3-0 in Bellator. “I felt like I missed a lot of openings, but I’ll go back to work and train some more and be ready to go again soon.”

 
Jordan Young (7-0) defeated Tim Caron (7-1) via submission (Brabo Choke) at 3:55 of round one
 
Quote from Jordan Young:
 

“That was light work, easy money. I respect him, but I am here to eat. I need somebody to call me tomorrow, next week, whenever, but I have to eat man,” Young said after remaining undefeated. “I go hard 24/7, so somebody call me because I always stay ready.”

Kas Xhema (1-0) defeated Nick Alley (1-1) via knockout at 3:19 of round one

Quote from Kas Xhema:

“The fight was great. I have the best team and the best coaches, I am very lucky guy,” Xhema said. “Over here at American Top Team Connecticut, I truly feel like we are the best team around.”

Additional Results:

Blair Tugman (10-6) defeated Tom English (6-8) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:54 of round three

Chris Foster (11-5) defeated Shane Manley (3-3) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Billy Giovanetta (9-5) defeated Joshua Ricci (3-0) 

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE WHEN DANIEL STRAUS MEETS PATRICIO PITBULL FOR THE FOURTH TIME TOMORROW NIGHT ON SPIKE

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Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

UNCASVILLE, CONN. (April 20, 2017) –The official weigh-ins for Bellator 178: Straus vs. Pitbull 4 took place this afternoon at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow, with the event airing LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. See below for official weights and photos from tomorrow’s event.

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT)

Featherweight World Title Main Event: Daniel Straus (145) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (144)

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event:Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (126) vs. Jessica Middleton (126)

Catchweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (164.5) vs. Ryan Quinn (164.5)

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (146) vs. Dominic Mazzotta (146)

Preliminary Card: (Bellator.com – 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT)

 

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Ed Ruth (185.5) vs. David Mundell (184.25)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune (244.5) vs. Branko Busick (220)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Tim Caron (195)  vs. Jordan Young (195)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Nick Alley (167) vs. Kastroit Xhema (165)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Don Shainis (149.5) vs. Max Kelleher (149.75)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:Regivaldo Carvalho (139.5) vs. Jason Perrin (140)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Kemran Lachinov (164.5) vs. Sam Watford (164)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout:John Lopez (125.5) vs. Remo Cardarelli (124)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Chris Foster (145) vs. Shane Manley (146)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Thomas English (146) vs. Blair Tugman (146)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Billy Giovanella (124.75) vs. Joshua Ricci (126)

Bellator, kickboxing, Spike TV

KARIM GHAJJI RECLAIMS WELTERWEIGHT BELLATOR KICKBOXING WORLD TITLE; JORINA BAARS, RAYMOND DANIELS & JOE SCHILLING ALSO EMERGE VICTORIOUS

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS – CREDIT BELLATOR/LUCAS NOONAN

 

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY –

Official Bellator Kickboxing 6 Main Card Results & Quotes:

Karim Ghajji (98-13-1) defeated Zoltan Laszak (11-3) via split decision (50-45, 48-47, 46-49)

Karim Ghajji Quote:

“We prepared really hard for this fight. Everything that we set out to accomplish, we did. I know I could do even better, but you know in fights it doesn’t go exactly the way you want every time. In the first round when I slipped, I hurt my knee and it was extremely painful but I knew I had to dig down and do more and more to win this belt, which means everything to me,” Ghajji said. “This is the most beautiful day of my life. Like we say: ‘Hallelujah! I got my belt back.’ I felt a lot of pressure to get this belt back, and what an amazing sensation it is to win it back. I look forward to fighting the best fighters Bellator has to offer to confirm that I am the champ, but also, I’d like to compete in MMA. In France we have a lot of tough MMA fighters at our gym and my ground and pound is quite destructive. I would like to do this.”

Joe Schilling (21-9) defeated Alexandru Negrea (10-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Joe Schilling Quote:

“The fight was okay I was really surprised that he was so tough. He’s fought in Super Combat in Romania so he’s had a lot of tough European opponents that he’s fought against. Skill level I didn’t think he’s fought against the level of competition that I’ve competed against, but he did a really good job and he was really tough. He was trying to bait me into throwing with him and he’d try to catch me when I would come in, so I was trying to stay a lot more composed and show that I’m not that idiot that fought [Hisaki] Kato twice,” Schilling said. “I’ve made a lot of changes in my personal life. I’m a lot more focused and more serious and my goal tonight was to show the level of competitor and world class kickboxer that I am and I think I did that. Hats off to Alex, he did a great job. There’s not that many people who can take those kinds of shots for three rounds. I think the judges decision was a little ridiculous. I don’t think I’d have given him half of one round let alone a round. I think they gave him the second, which is silly. But, overall it was a good night, vacation starts now.”

Raymond Daniels (13-3) defeated Csaba Gyorfi (20-6) via KO at 0:36 of round three

Raymond Daniels Quote:

“Another opportunity to go out there and make a mark with that Bellator brand. I know my man Nick Diaz says: ‘Cut out all that spinning shit,’ but I think he means everybody but me,” Daniels said. “I’ve been training for many years in sport karate and the martial arts and you know it’s a lot like training to be a sniper so to speak. There’s holes and there’s windows and when your opponent gives you those holes you have to seize that opportunity. I saw that hole, I exposed it, and it happened to be with my spin kick which is one of my most powerful and devastating techniques. If I hit that mark with that kick it’s a home run, grand slam, I’m hitting it out of the park every time. I’ve been able to spar recently with several great MMA veterans like Rory MacDonald, Georges St. Pierre and Tyron Woodley and I’ve had a lot of fun training with those guys so I’m definitely interested in doing MMA again. It’s a lot of fun to go at it with small gloves because people can’t use the big gloves as a shield to block my shots. I want to seize this Bellator Kickboxing title and continue to help build this kickboxing brand because I know they’re investing a lot of time into it. So yea, I’m definitely interested in crossing that bridge and getting some MMA fights, but my main focus is to take home that kickboxing gold.”

 

Jorina Baars (41-0-3) defeated Irene Martens (20-10-2) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)

Jorina Baars Quote:

“It was a good fight, I thought that Irene [Martens] was very tough. I had control from the very beginning of the fight and I kept it for all three of the rounds. I was a little disappointed in the first round but the second and third round I performed much better. She worked hard and moved a lot, so my strategy was to keep the pressure on her and try to put her in the corner and I think I succeeded at that,” Baars said after her win. “It was amazing to finally fight for Bellator. The organization is so professional. I’m looking forward to my future fights here and I hope to win the Bellator title.”

Gabor Gorbics (31-10) defeated Gabriel Varga (13-5) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-30)

Gabor Gorbics Quote:

“I’m very happy with the win and I hope I continue to win here in Bellator,” Gorbics said. “I trained very hard for this. I’ve got a lovely family and team that helped me to prepare and I will get back in the gym on Monday to continue training.”