‘IRISH’ BRENNAN WARD WELCOMES EVANGELISTA ‘CYBORG’ SANTOS TO THE BELLATOR MMA WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION

FOUR ADDITIONAL PRELIMINARY MATCHUPS ADDED TO THE MOHEGAN SUN EVENT IN CONNECTICUT

Raug Monica, California. (Lub peb hlis ntuj 1, 2016) – The co-main event for "Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson " is set, with the news that Patricio "Pitbull" Freire (24-3) will compete against John "Macapa" Teixeira (19-1-2) in featherweight action on Plaub Hlis Ntuj 22 ntawm Mohegan Sun Arena nyob rau hauv Uncasville, Conn.

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Connecticut tus kheej "Irish" Brennan Ward (13-3) returns to action in his home state fresh off an impressive victory in Japan, thaum nws zoo siab txais tos Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (20-16) mus rau hauv lub Bellator MMA fray ntawm 170-phaus.

 

The two bouts join a main event that features the highly anticipated Bellator debut of Benson "Du" Henderson (23-5), raws li nws txoj kev sib tw welterweight yeej Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) rau nws txoj siv. Four preliminary bouts were also announced; additional contests will be added in the coming weeks.

 

Daim pib rau "Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson " pib ntawm cia li $30 thiab yog rau cov muag khoom tam sim no nyob Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com thiab cov Mohegan Tshav Box Office. Qhov kev tshwm sim airs nyob thiab dawb rau cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, thaum ua ntej bouts yuav kwj nyob rau Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.

 

For “Pitbull,” a fight on Plaub Hlis Ntuj 22 is the first step back towards a shot at Daniel Straus’ featherweight title, a belt that Freire held before the two met at "Bellator 145: Nrog Ib pauj. " Ntawm 28 years of age and with already 15 fights under the Bellator MMA banner, the Natal-native has been victorious in seven out of his last eight outings and emphatically finished Daniel Weichel in what was a knockout of the year candidate in 2015.

 

Undefeated in Bellator MMA, including an entertaining victory his last time out against Gleristone Santos; “Macapa” has not suffered defeat since 2012. A product of the highly regarded Nova Uniao team, Teixeira has previously competed in the UFC, where he was a competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” Plaub Hlis Ntuj 22 will only be the fourth time the 29-year-old has fought outside of Brazil.

 

For Ward, fighting at the Mohegan Sun is like competing in his own backyard. Nyob 10 miles from his home in New London, Conn., “Irish” has won four times at the Mohegan Sun, all by finish with three KOs and one submission. Uas nyuam qhuav, the 27-year-old former NCAA All-American moved up in weight and submitted former heavyweight Ken Hasegawa in Japan while representing Bellator MMA during Rizin FF’s inaugural event this past December. The win brought Ward’s current winning streak to five fights, all coming by way of finish.

 

Best known to fans as “Cyborg,” Santos enters the Scott Coker-led promotion fresh off a win already in 2016. A veteran of Pride FC and Strikeforce, “Cyborg” has been involved in some memorable tussles against names the likes of: Nick Diaz, Gegard Mousasi, Francis Carmont, thiab Melvin Manhoef (2x). Tam sim no, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt will turn his attention to one of Bellator MMA’s fastest rising stars.

"Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson "tshiab sib ntaus Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight ntiaj teb Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) vs. Benson Henderson (23-5)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Co-Main kev tshwm sim: Patricio Freire (24-3) vs. John Teixeira (19-1-2)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Brennan Ward (13-3) vs. Evangelista Santos (20-16)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Hnav Yam ua ntej Bout: Sam Watford (1-0) vs. Dean Hancock (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Chris Foster (8-4) vs. Felipe Lavandoski (5-0)

Bellator MMA Hnav Yam ua ntej Bout: Jason Bakanowski (3-2) vs. T.J. Hepburn (4-2)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Pete Rogers (2-3) vs. Mike Mangan (0-3)