GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD

סאַנטאַ מאָניקאַ, קאַליף. (סעפּטעמבער 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting היסאַקי קאַטאָ (6-2) קעגן אַ.דזש. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “בעללאַטאָר 162: שלעמענקאָ ווס. גראָווע” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., אויף אקטאבער 21.

דערצו, a lightweight faceoff pitting יאַמאַוטשי אַרויף (19-3) קעגן ריאַן קאָוטורע (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) וועט קעמפן 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 פּ.ם. און/8 פּ.ם. קאָרט, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com און די בעללאַטאָר מאָביל אַפּ.

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 "בעללאַטאָר ממאַ: Dynamite 2” Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped דזשאָו שילינג 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 בן רעיטער בייַ "בעללאַטאָר 156: גאַלוואַאָ ווס. Dantas 2.”

אין בלויז 23-יאָרן-אַלט, 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 רעקאָרד מיט 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 האָבן קומען דורך וועג פון סאַבמישאַן, 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 אָקטאָבער 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.

גאַנץ "בעללאַטאָר 162: שלעמענקאָ ווס. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: אלכסנדר שלעמענקאָ (53-9) ווס. קענדאַלל גראָווע (23-15)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: באַבי לאַשלי (14-2) ווס. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: היסאַקי קאַטאָ (6-2) ווס. אַ.דזש. Matthews (8-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: יאַמאַוטשי אַרויף (19-3) ווס. ריאַן קאָוטורע (10-4)

פּרעלימינאַרי קאַרד:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: ריקי ראַיניי (11-4) ווס. גילבערט סמיט (12-5)