SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Ġunju 8, 2015) – With an unfortunate injury forcing the withdrawal of Yamauchi up, Emmanuel "El Matador" Sanchez (10-1) receives the call to step in against former featherweight champion Pat "Paddy Mike" Curran (20-7). With this change of opponent, and four newly announced matchups, "Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” on Ġunju 26 is now complete with 13 total scraps to sink your teeth into.
The additional fights include heavyweight bouts between Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3) u Derek OHI (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1) as well as featherweights Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0) u lightweights Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11).
"Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” is headlined by a heavyweight clash between French striking specialist Cheick “The Darkness” Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5). L-avveniment iseħħ Ġunju 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Jista.
The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. U/ 8 p.m. CT, filwaqt bouts preliminari nixxiegħa fuq Spike.com fil 7 p.m. U/ 6 p.m. CT. Biljetti għall “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” start at just $17 and are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.
Additional announced pairings on the SPIKE-televised card include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs.John “il naturali” Alessio (35-17) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1).
The 24-year-old Sanchez is an explosive featherweight, fighting with Duke Roufus out of the famed Roufusport gym in Milwaukee. The two-time Bellator veteran has shined throughout his current six-fight winning streak, most recently scoring a first-round rear naked choke over Stephen Banaszak at Bellator 128 followed by a dominant unanimous decision over Costa Rican standout Alejandro Villalobos at Bellator 135 dan Marzu passat. Sanchez faces stiff competition in former featherweight kingpin Curran, who has been involved in some of the most memorable Bellator fights of all time.
Huddleston, 28, is a key training has won four consecutive tilts since dropping the first fight of his professional career in 2011. Aktar reċentement, “The Shaved Gorilla” stopped Derek Bohl at Bellator 130. Standing opposite Huddleston inside the cage will be the 26-year-old Ayala, who is on a three-fight promotional winning streak of his own. The California native has stopped his last three foes before reaching the judges’ discretion.
In the second added heavyweight feature, Bohl will seek his first win for the Southern California-based promotion. “Marshmallow” has won his first two bouts in 2015 on the regional circuit. Brown will have his second opportunity at success for Bellator against Bohl. The hometown fighter was finished by Daniel Gallemore at Bellator 113, which was his last time in action.
Undefeated at 3-0, Reyno will bring the tenacity he has shown on the independent MMA scene to the Bellator cage. “Tonga” has finished every fight he has been involved in and will look to make a mark on the featherweight division with his debut. Scott, a Whichita native, made his Bellator MMA debut in 2011 and has had a mixed bag of success.
Lastly, a pair of experienced lightweights will round out the preliminary portion of the card when Navarro and Carrillo tangle inside the steel mesh. Bil 43 professional bouts between them, both veterans will attempt to string together some wins under the Bellator banner.
“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” - Il-ġimgħa, Ġunju 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, MULVANE, Kansas
Main Card (9 p.m. U)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Ġlieda Karatteristika Lightweight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator featherweight Ġlieda Karatteristika: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-1)
Bellator Middleweight Ġlieda Karatteristika: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)
Card preliminari
Ġlieda Bellator featherweight Prelim: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wolf (18-10)
Ġlieda Bellator Bantamweight Prelim: Jeimeson Šaudiņš (8-4) vs. Aaron Ely (4-2)
Ġlieda Bellator Ħfief Prelim: Bobby Cooper (12-5) vs. Pablo Villaseca (9-0)
Ġlieda Bellator Heavyweight Prelim: Daniel Gallemore (4-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (7-0)
Bellator Female Featherweight Prelim Fight: Iona Razafiarison (2-0) vs. Bryanna Fissori (1-0)
Ġlieda Bellator Heavyweight Prelim: Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3)
Ġlieda Bellator featherweight Prelim: Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0)
Ġlieda Bellator Heavyweight Prelim: Derek OHI (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1)
Ġlieda Bellator Ħfief Prelim: Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11)