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HISAKI KATO TAKES ON A.J. MATTHEWS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASH AS BELLATOR MMA INVADES MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21
GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting Hisaki Kato (6-2) against A.J. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21.
In addition, a lightweight faceoff pitting Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) against Ryan Couture (10-4) completes the SPIKE-televised main card. The first of what will be a stacked preliminary card is also official, with the news that Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-4) will fight Gilbert “Chocolate Thunder” Smith (12-5). Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.
Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.
Since signing with Bellator MMA, the calm and subdued Kato has been in nothing but absolute barn burners once the cage door shuts. The exciting fights have even transcended combat sport iterations, when at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 2” Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped Joe Schilling in his tracks, the second finish in as many tries for “The Japanese Musketeer” against “Stitch Em’ Up.” Currently situated in France, the 33-year-old has had one MMA contest thus far in 2016, stopping Yuta Watanabe in April.
When he’s not traveling the world in an effort to learn everything there is to know about the different martial arts disciplines, Matthews is putting his skills to the test under the Bellator MMA umbrella. A veteran of Strikeforce, “The Mercenary” has laced up the gloves seven times previously for the Viacom-owned promotion, stopping his opponent in all but one of his victories. Primarily training at Alliance MMA throughout his career, Matthews has spent much of his time as of late in Thailand, even taking a Muay Thai bout before meeting Ben Reiter at “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.”
At just 23-years-old, Yamauchi is one of the premiere young talents in the sport of MMA today. Prior to joining Bellator MMA, the Japanese submission specialist amassed an unfathomable 14-1 record with 11 submissions and one knockout. Since merging with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Yamauchi has strung together a promising mark of 5-2 with three rear-naked choke submissions. Of his 19 career wins, 15 have come by way of submission, while no opponent has yet been able to finish the elusive fighter. Yamauchi will now jump up in weight class and join the lightweight division for a clash with one of the most legendary last names in MMA, Couture.
Known to many as the son of former world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has made 14 professional appearances over his career, all of which took place under the bright lights of a national promotion like Strikeforce or Bellator MMA. Residing in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old submission specialist enters the cage having won four of his past five contests, with each of his victories coming by way of rear-naked choke submission. Although there is a noticeable age difference between his opponent, Yamauchi made his professional debut a mere two months after Couture, in October of 2010. Tune in to SPIKE on October 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.
Complete “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:
Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)
Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)
Middleweight Feature Bout: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)
Preliminary Card:
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)
“BELLATOR KICKBOXING: BUDAPEST” SET TO AIR ON SPIKE TV THIS FRIDAY, SEPT. 23
WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION KARIM GHAJJI, RAYMOND DANIELS, DENISE KIELHOLTZ RETURN TO ACTION
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (September 19, 2016) – Bellator’s world tour continues this Friday, September 23 when Bellator Kickboxing brings top-flight action to SPIKE TV all the way from Budapest, Hungary. The event will be headlined by Bellator Kickboxing’s welterweight champion Karim Ghajji (96-12) defending his belt against Zoltan Laszak (10-2).
In addition to this welterweight world title bout, the always-exciting Raymond Daniels(11-3) will return to action against Zsolt Benedek (15-3) of Hungary. Following her controversial defeat at “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” Denise Kielholtz (44-3) will also compete, when she takes on Renata Lantos (5-4).
The must-see kickboxing event will also feature the man who upset Melvin Manhoefearlier this year, Alexandru Negrea (9-3), who meets Ali El Ameri (42-10-2) at a catchweight of 189-pounds.
“Bellator Kickboxing: Budapest” will air on Spike Friday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Fresh off winning his championship at Bellator’s inaugural kickboxing show in Turin, Italy, Ghajji will defend the title he won at the expense of Mustapha Haida when he meets world-renowned Hungarian champion Zoltan Laszak in five, three minute rounds.
Raymond Daniels is never involved in a boring fight; look no further than his first two Bellator Kickboxing bouts, which have produced highlight-reel stoppages. This go-round, the showman will face the Hungarian Zsolt Benedek at 170-pounds. While Daniels will enter the ring as the favorite, Benedek will have the advantage of the home-town crowd, who he hopes will help propel him towards upsetting the American Superstar.
Arguably the most important fight of Denise Kielholz’s career, the talented Dutch Kickboxer will face another fighter of Hungarian descent when she meets Renata Lantos in a flyweight encounter. After dropping a decision Gloria Peritore, Kielholtz has been hell-bent on earning a rematch against the Italian, but will have to get through Lantos first.
Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Budapest” Card:
Welterweight World Title Main Event: Karim Ghajji (96-12) vs. Zoltan Laszak (10-2)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Raymond Daniels (11-3) vs. Zsolt Benedek (15-3)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (44-3) vs. Renata Lantos (5-4)
189 lb. Catchweight Feature Bout: Alexandru Negrea (9-3) vs. Ali El Ameri (42-10-2)
Baranchyk Excited to Impress New Hometown Fans Friday in Miami, OK
Miami, OK (September 19, 2016) – When junior welterweight buzzsaw Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk first fought at the Buffalo Run Casino in March, he was not known by locals. Many of the fans packed the venue primarily to support “Four State Franchise” members Kenzie Morrison, Jesse Cook and Dillon Cook. Things however quickly changed.
On that evening, Baranchyk destroyed fellow unbeaten Nicholas Givhan in 21 seconds with a crushing left hook. Exactly three months later, Baranchyk returned to the Buffalo Run Casino and had the fans watching him closely. The explosive 23-year-old delivered again, stopping another unbeaten fighter Eliseo Cruz Sesma in less than three rounds. A fighter previously unknown to locals quickly became in demand.
“The fans here fell in love with Ivan,” said Promoter Tony Holden, who has promoted fights for more than 25 years. “He’s got a great style that can win over a crowd that may not have known much about him and that’s exactly what he did in his last two fights.”
In August, Holden signed Baranchyk to a co-promotional agreement, working in association with DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc.
Now a member of the “Four State Franchise,” Baranchyk looks to run his record to 12-0 with 11 knockouts when he meets 7-0 Zhimin Wang of China in a ten round contest for the USBA junior welterweight title Friday evening at the Buffalo Run Casino. The Branchyk-Wang bout takes places on a ShoBox quadrupleheader featuring three other exciting matchups between fighters with a combined record of 96-3-1. The card airs live on Showtime at 10 pm ET and tickets to the fight are sold out.
With a win, Baranchyk will likely be ranked in the top 15 and move onto bigger fights. However, the Brooklyn, NY based Russian is solely focused on entertaining his newfound supporters.
Baranchyk said of his upcoming bout, “I’m excited beyond belief to once again fight on Shobox and in my new hometown of Miami, OK. This time (my opponent) is much more serious but I am prepared to fight anyone. I am going to show a high level of boxing and god willing the fight will end early in a knockout.”
Integrated Sports Media secures Vasquez, Jr.-Lopez PPV rights in U.S. and Puerto Rico for Oct. 8 grudge match
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Live from San Juan, Puerto Rico
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
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 TENAFLY, NJ (September 18, 2016) — Integrated Sports Media, North America’s undisputed leader of pay-per-view distribution of major boxing events, has secured the rights to for the much anticipated showdown between former world champions Wilfredo “Papito” Vazquez, Jr. and Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez, headlining “Guerra En El Clemente,” Saturday night, October 8, live from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Guerra En El Clemente: Vasquez Jr. Lopez, presented by Black Tiger Media, will be distributed by Integrated Sports Media live, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, in the United States and Puerto Rico on both cable and satellite pay per view on iN Demand, DISH, DIRECTV and Vubiquity. The event will also be available to watch across Canada on Fight Network, as well as via Fite TV app for iOS and Androide devises or watch on the www.Fite.TVwebsite. Suggested retail price is $29.95.
“We’re excited to bring North American boxing fans a true grudge match between former world champions Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and Juan Manuel Lopez,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said. “It’s also a crossroads fight with the winner most likely back as a legitimate world title contender and the loser possibly facing retirement. They really don’t like each other and sparks will be flying from the opening bell. Additional pay-per-view fights will be announced soon and with the passion of Puerto Rican fighters, we anticipate a can’t-miss show for real boxing fans.”
“I am thrilled and happy to be able to present this highly anticipated event to boxing fans in Puerto Rico and the United States,” said Carlos Maldonado, President of Black Tiger Promotions. “The response from all cable and satellite providers has been phenomenal. This fight promises to be an all-out war in the ring, non-stop action from the opening bell until the end, which could happen at any moment. No hype; these guys really don’t like each other. “
The 12-round Vasquez, Jr. vs. Lopez main event is presented in association with Matias Entertainment and sponsored by Best Alarms and Municipio de San Juan.
 The 32-year-old Vasquez, Jr. (24-6-1, 19 KOs), the son of the great 3-time division world champion Wilfredo Vasquez, fights out of the boxing hotbed of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which is known for producing great boxers including the late Hall of Famer Hector “Macho” Camacho. He captured the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight world title in 2010, stopping previously unbeaten Marvin Sonsona (14-0-1) by way of a fourth-round knockout.
Vasquez, Jr. made a pair of successful title defenses against 15-0 Zsolt Bedak(TKO10) and 26-6-1 Ivan Hernandez(TKO11), before losing his title belt in 2011 to Jorge Arce (TKO12) marking the only time Vasquez has been stopped in his nearly 10-year professional boxing career. He had another world title shot in 2012, losing a 12-round majority decision to Nonito Donaire (27-1) for the vacant WBO 122-pound division championship.
 Lopez (34-5, 31 KOs), fighting out of Caguas, Puerto Rico, is a former WBO super bantamweight and featherweight world champion. From 2008 to 2010, “JuanMa” was one of the most feared punchers in boxing, as well as one of its most popular because of his electrifying performances in the ring and engaging personality. During this stretch, he developed into one of the leading pound-4-pound fighters in the working, defeating a Who’s Who of the top super bantamweights and featherweights in the world such as 34-1 Daniel De Leon (TKO1), 33-1 Sergio Medina(TKO1), 54-6-2 Gerry Penalosa (RTD10), 37-1-1 Steve Luevano (37-1-1) and 39-5 Rafael Marquez (RTD8).
Lopez, 33, who hasn’t fought in two years, turned pro in 2005 and the gifted southpaw won his first 30 fights. All five of Lopez’ career losses have been to world champions: Orlando Salido twice, Mikey Garcia, Francisco Vargasand Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar
INFORMATION:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Twitter: @integratedPPV
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Ishe Smith Scores Majority Decision Over Frank Galarza In The Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce Main Event From The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
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CHEICK KONGO TAKES HOME MAJORITY DECISION IN MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 161’
AUSTIN, TEXAS — (September 16, 2016) — It took 15 minutes of heavyweight action during the main event of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” to decide a winner between Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) and Tony Johnson (10-3), but in the end, it was “The Darkness” who emerged victorious via majority decision on Friday night.
The action between the two sluggers varied between heavy punches and elite wrestling, but the grappling of Kongo won out, as the 41-year-old got the better part of the action in the final ten minutes and began his newly signed extension with Bellator MMA on a high note.
The heavyweight title picture remains unclear, but if one thing’s certain, it’s that Kongo will have a claim to the strap when the promotion decides to put the title back on the line.
Guillotine Choke Fuels Joe Warren to Victory in Co-Main Event
Joe Warren (14-5) and Sirwan Kakai (12-5) traded blows for over ten minutes of heart pounding action in the evening’s co-main event, but it was Warren who finished on top after delivering a neck crank submission just 1:04 into the third round. After the win, the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is now tied for second all-time in Bellator MMA victories with 12. The former two-division champion Warren has now won seven of his last nine contests and has once again proven why he belongs among the division’s elite. The loss marks the first time over Kakai’s eight-year career that he has been finished by an opponent.
Anastasia Yankova Outlasts Veta Arteaga in Flyweight Marathon
In a highly-anticipated women’s flyweight battle, undefeated Russian Anastasia Yankova (4-0) came out on top against Veta Arteaga (2-1) via split decision. With the win the 25-year-old Yankova continued along her brisk path to stardom with a comeback performance that two out of three cage side judges saw in her favor. Yankova impressed in her first ever fight in the US, recording her fourth career victory and second with the Scott Coker-led promotion. The win is the first to go the distance for Yankova, with each of her initial three coming by way of submission. For Arteaga, the difficult judges’ decision leaves her with the first loss of her professional career.
Compelling Lightweight Opener Ends in Unanimous Decision win for Lubbuck’s Campos
During the opening contest at “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” Texas’ own Derek Campos (17-6) scored a come-from-behind unanimous decision (29-28 x3) win over Dutch knockout artist Djamil Chan (12-3). After absorbing a devastating blow that sent him to the canvas early in the opening round of action, “The Stallion” quickly recovered and responded in a big way in rounds two and three. The 28-year-old Campos scored his second straight win and sixth since joining the Bellator MMA fray. For Chan, the loss ends an impressive run of seven consecutive victories over a dominant four-year stretch.
Preliminary Card Results:
Armando Villareal (1-0) defeated Tommy Burghardt (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:08 of round one
Sean Clements (1-0) defeated David Ramirez (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 2x)
Matt Mazurek (4-4) defeated Jose Guerra (0-3) via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
Daniel Pineda (22-12) defeated Mark Dickman (11-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:07 of round three
Emily Ducote (4-1) defeated Kenya Miranda (2-3) via submission (armbar) at 4:37 of round two
Rey Trujillo (21-15) defeated Deuce King (15-18) via submission (reverse arm triangle) at 1:20 of round one
Garrett Scott (2-0) defeated Waylon Bronstrup (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:50 of round one
Nick Gonzalez (19-13) defeated Warren Stewart (11-23) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON DECEMBER 2
A.J. MCKEE-EMMANUEL SANCHEZ WILL COMPETE DURING MAIN CARD IN FEATHERWEIGHT ACTION
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – Bellator MMA will return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on December 2with a night of must-see mixed martial arts action, and the first confirmed bout on the Spike-televised portion of the card will feature undefeated prospect A.J. McKee (5-0) taking on Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (13-3).
Tickets for “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” start at just $45 and go on sale this coming Monday, September 19 at 10 a.m. CT. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.
The event airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Fighting out of Long Beach, Calif., McKee enters this fight following the quickest finish of his budding career, a 32-second guillotine choke submission at“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.” A 5-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, McKee has a knack for finishing fights early and often, spending a grand total of10:25 inside the cage over the course of his five scraps. Trained by his father, Antonio McKee, the Team Bodyshop product will try to protect his unblemished mark and fufill his goal of becoming the youngest champion in MMA history when he enters the cage on December 9.
“El Matador” will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, a promotion with which the 26-year-old has had much success to date. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he trains at Roufusport, Sanchez is riding a recent string of success, having won nine of his last 11 contests, including three of the past four. Six of Sanchez’s 13 career victories have come by way of knockout or submission, with five of the finishes ending in the opening frame. Since signing with Bellator MMA, “El Matador” has competed against a who’s who of talent, facing names the likes of Pat Curran, Justin Lawrence, Henry Corrales, and Daniel Weichel.
Updated “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” Main Card:
Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (5-0) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)
FNU Combat Sports Radio Show: September 15th Broadcast
This week’s radio show features a recap of the Brook vs. Golovkin bout, the defeat of Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight Title bout with Alistair Overeem and Tony’s visit with former gues Antonio Tarver at a recent Philadelphia boxing event. Tom, Tony and Rich also look at some news from combat sports and preview upcoming UFC, Bellator and boxing events.
‘THE AMERICAN GANGSTER’ CHAEL SONNEN ENDS RETIREMENT, SIGNS WITH BELLATOR MMA
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 15, 2016) – Bellator MMA is elated to announce the signing of Chael Sonnen (28-14-1), to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract.
By signing with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Sonnen effectively ends his retirement from professional mixed martial arts and he will now enter the 205-pound division championed by Liam McGeary, amongst others.
“I’m consistently blown away by the product and presentation that Bellator is bringing to the fans,” said Sonnen. “I’m not nearly done competing and I’m coming after everyone, everywhere. I’m not sticking to one weight class either, I fight at ‘Gangster Weight’ and nobody is safe.”
Sonnen has spent a vast majority of his 43-fight career with the UFC, a run where he competed against names the likes of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva (2x), Rashad Evans, “Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia, Brian Stann, and current middleweight champion Michael Bisping. In addition to his exploits inside the cage, the West Linn, Ore., native has mastered the art of being in front of the camera, doing major broadcasting work for both ESPN and Fox Sports.
“Chael is an incredible athlete that has competed at the very highest levels of the sport,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said, “I know that he is going to continue to do just that here at Bellator. When we were in the process of signing him, Chael was adamant that he wants to compete in three divisions here. He already has unfinished business with Wanderlei Silva, but he also wants to fight guys like Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and even Rory MacDonald at middleweight. These are all fights that I’d be very inclined to watch, so hopefully we can put some, if not all of these matchups together starting before the end of the year.”