LOS ANGELES –BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card forBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storleyno hnub vas xaum, Feb. 19, nyob rau ntawm lub Mohegan Sun Arena nyob rau hauv Uncasville, Conn. SHOWTIME will televise the phenomenal main card live at9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Tsis tas li ntawd, nine thrilling preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT.
Nyob rau hauv lub ntsiab kev tshwm sim ntawm yav tsaus ntuj, Ua Tsis. 4-rankedNeiman Gracie(11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12thconsecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-rankedLogan Storley(12-1) in a five-round clash of top-5 welterweights. Nyob rau hauv lub co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-rankedAndrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishesChance Rencountre(16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla.
The updated and complete listing of bouts can be found below.
BELLATOR’S NO. 4-RANKED WELTERWEIGHT NEIMAN GRACIETO TAKE ON NO. 5 LOGAN STORLEY IN AN INTERNATIONAL BATTLE OF TOP-10 CONTENDERS IN MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR MMA 274 RAU HNUB SATURDAY, FEB. 19, NYOB RAU SHOWTIME
FORMER BELLATOR CHAMPION ANDREY KORESHKOV FACES FELLOW RUSSIAN STAR MUKHAMED BERKHAMOV IN CO-HEADLINER WHEN BELLATOR RETURNS TO MOHEGAN SUN ARENA IN UNCASVILLE, CONN., WITH AN ACTION-PACKED NIGHT OF FIGHTS
LOS ANGELES –Fresh off an 87-second destruction of Mark Lemminger in the co-main event ofBELLATOR MMA 266, Ua Tsis. 4-rankedNeiman Gracie(11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12thconsecutive time when he takes on once-beaten and No. 5-rankedLogan Storley(12-1) in a clash of top-10 170-pounders atBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley nyob rau hnub Saturday, Feb. 19.
In the co-featured bout inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 8-rankedAndrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign againstMukhamed Berkhamov(15-1), a winner of his last seven contests. The main card will also see undefeatedKeri Taylor Melendez (5-0) compete at flyweight against former title challenger and No. 6-rankedVeta Arteaga (6-4) and a pair of heavyweights who find themselves tied at No. 8 in the official rankings will open the main card, when undefeated prospectDavion Franklin (4-0) fightsSaid Sowma (8-2).
SHOWTIME will televise theBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storleymain card live at9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.Tsis tas li ntawd, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT.
Daim pib rauBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storleywill go on sale Friday, Jan. 7 at bothTicketmaster.com thiabBellator.com, with a special presale taking place Thursday, Jan. 6.
Five preliminary contests are also official forBELLATOR MMA 274,three lightweight bouts, the first pitting 44-fight veteranGeorgi Karakhanyan(31-12-1) against Northern California’sAdas Piccolot(12-4), a battle between two of the best nicknames in MMA, Mandel “Rat Garbage” Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) thiabNick “Nyquil” Browne(12-1), raws li zoo raws liCorey Samuels (3-2), who won in ten seconds in his BELLATOR debut, returning to face undefeatedJustin Montalvo(4-0).
The final two preliminary contests will seeIsaiah Hokit (0-1) will move down to featherweight in his second BELLATOR outing, thaum nws yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauvAlbert Birckhead (0-1) nyob rau hauv nws debut promotional. Lastly, top-flight bantamweight prospectJaylon Bates (4-0) welcomesChris Disonell (6-4) back to BELLATOR for the first time since 2019.
Originating from the exalted Brazilian jiu-jitsu family, Gracie scored his first professional TKO when he backed his opponent against the fence and unleashed a barrage of unanswered punches to Lemminger’s head, forcing referee Jason Herzog to stop the contest at 1:27 of the opening round on Sept. 18, 2021, nyob rau hauv San Jose, California.
The great grandson of Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, nephew of MMA icon Royce Gracie, and cousin to Renzo Gracie, Neiman Gracie opened his outstanding MMA career by recording nine consecutive wins of then-undefeated opponents, including eight by submission.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 33-year-old BELLATOR veteran currently holds a 9-2 promotional record. While others his age were learning to speak their native language, Gracie began jiu-jitsu training at age four. Fast forward to 18 years later when the multi-faceted fighter earned the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt at 22. Tsis tas li ntawd, the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Kings MMA fighter captured the 2011 U.S National Jiu-Jitsu title, 2008 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu crown, thiab 2007 American National Jiu-Jitsu championship during an illustrious amateur career.
Hailing from Webster, S.D., the hard-hitting Storley commenced his pro vocation with six consecutive knockouts, including five in the initial stanza, en route to 11 straight triumphs overall. Tsis tas li ntawd, “The Storm” will make his ninth consecutive BELLATOR appearance where he currently holds a magnificent 7-1 cov ntaub ntawv.
Like his counterpart on Feb. 19, Storley began wresting at a young age, albeit one year later at age five. Tsis tas li ntawd, the Sanford MMA product and former folkstyle wrestler completed a fabled amateur career as a four-time NCAA Division-I champion at the University of Minnesota, as well as a six-time South Dakota High School Activities Association titlist.
The 29-year-old Storley, who holds academic degrees in both business and marketing, thrilled his hometown crowd in his last turn by earning a split-decision victory over Dante Schiro in the co-featured bout ofBELLATOR MMA 265in Sioux Falls, S.D.
BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEYMAIN CARD:
Saturday, Feb. 19 – live onSHOWTIME
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Welterweight Main kev tshwm sim: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)
Gegard Mousasi following retaining his middleweight title: “He’s a southpaw so everything is more difficult. It was a little bit more difficult to get my punches in, but other than that I felt good. I’m way stronger than people think. Maybe I look skinny but I’m a lot stronger and physically I was the stronger guy in there. On top, I felt like I could just pressure him, put my weight on him and hurt him with my punches. Make him feel the pressure. It was a five-rounder so in my mind, I’m saying ‘Okay, don’t do everything now because we can go five.’”
Andrey Koreshkov following his return to the BELLATOR MMA Cage:
“I try to show everybody that I’m here, I can compete, and I can beat anyone. I think I’m one of the top fighters in this division. Nyob rau hauv kuv lub tswv yim, I must fight with somebody for the third, second or first place. I’m open to anybody. It doesn’t matter. Neiman Gracie, Jason Jackson, Paul Daley, Michael “Venom” Page – anybody!"
“I’ve never claimed to be the best wrestler in MMA, but y’all better stop sleeping on my wrestling. I’m a two-time national champion for a reason. Ain’t nobody stopping me in the wrestling division. I’m the best wrestler in the division.”
Davion Franklin has his sights set on fellow BELLATOR heavyweight Cheick Kongo:
“I was just thinking about putting him out. Getting him out in the first round. That was my goal this whole time. I learned just to keep going. By the way, I heard Cheick Kongo commented under Everett Cummings’ Instagram post saying that Everett’s gonna’ tap me out. Hey Cheick Kongo, step up, you’ll get done the same way, if not worse.”
Khadzhi Bestaev had this to say following a successful BELLATOR debut:
“He was bigger than me and very tough, but I knew he was going to gas out. He started gassing out in the second or third round, but I’m still surprised by the decision. I thought it was a draw or maybe a split-decision. But I have to see the fight. Nyob rau hauv kuv lub taub hau, he kicked and punched me so many times so hats off to him. He didn’t give up. I just dropped him a couple of times and that was the difference.” Preliminary Card: Pam Sorenson (9-3) yeej Roberta Samad(5-1) ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Jeffrey Glossner (3-2) yeej Sebastian Ruiz (2-4) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 29-28-29-28) Jon McNeil(1-0) yeej Orlando Mendoza (0-1) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 3:57 ntawm puag ncig peb
About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Nyob rau hauv cov kev coj ntawm qub tub rog sib ntaus pab txhawb Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. Nyob rau hauv lub tebchaws United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, nyob kev tshwm sim orchestration, fighter txoj kev loj hlob / kev sib raug zoo, venue ceev, sponsorship creation / kev loj hlob, thoob ntiaj teb daim ntawv tso cai, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, California. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, lub tsev mus rau lub ntiaj teb premier lom zem hom uas txuas nrog audiences los ntawm yuam cov ntsiab lus nyob rau hauv TV, tsab ntawv tsa suab duab, hauv internet thiab mobile platforms.
BATTLE FOR VACANT BELLATOR MMA MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE AIRS LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK AND DAZN AT 10 P.M. ET/9 P.M. I
Tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 14
LOS ANGELES– A middleweight superfight for the vacant 185-pound title, pitting former divisional championGegard Mousasi (46-7-2) against current Bellator welterweight titleholderDouglas Lima (32-7),has been added to Bellator’s exciting return to SAP Center at San Jose on Saturday, Tej zaum 9 – LIVE on Paramount Network and DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. I.
The event is anchored by a previously announced heavyweight world title bout, featuring two-division Bellator champRyan Bader(27-5, 1 NC) defending his 205-pound title against Russia’sVadim Nemkov (11-2).
Bellator: Bader vs. Nemkov airs live on Paramount Network and DAZN on Saturday, Tej zaum 9 ntawm 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. I. Preliminary action will stream on DAZN, Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets can be purchased at the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Ticket Office at SAP Center, through Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.
The Bellator middleweight title was recently relinquished byRafael Lovato Jr.due to ongoing medical complications.
Fighting out of Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands, Mousasi has cemented legendary status within the sport, having won titles with multiple promotions across a 55-fight career. Uas nyuam qhuav, Mousasi defeatedLyoto Machida ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab, clearing his path to a shot at a second Bellator middleweight title run. With victories in his storied career against Machida, Rory MacDonald, Chris Weidman, Rafael Carvalho, Vitor Belfort, Jacare Souza, Dan Henderson and Mark Hunt, a victory over Douglas Lima will add to his already-impressive resume.
Looking to join the ranks ofRyan Bader thiab Patricio “Pitbull”as two-division champions, Lima moves up 15-pounds to try his hand against Mousasi. Since making his promotional debut in 2011, “The Phenom” has earned 14 victories, including a trio of world titles and 10 finishes, making the American Top Team-product one of the most dominant fighters in the 170-pound division. Nrog 26 ntawm nws 32 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, including consecutive dominant finishes overAndrey Koreshkov thiab Michael “Venom” Page”in the first two rounds of the World Grand Prix tournament, Lima most recently capped of his 2019 with a win over Rory MacDonald to regain the welterweight world title.
TSEEM,TICKETS FOR BELLATOR: KORESHKOV VS. LARKIN ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, KAUM-OB HLI 14
LOS ANGELES– Bellator returns to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. on Friday, Lub peb hlis ntuj 29 with an exciting welterweight clash, as former 170-pound world championAndrey Koreshkov (21-3) squares off against Southern California nativeLorenz Larkin (20-7, 1 NC) in the headliner.
Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, Kaum Ob Hlis Ntuj 14 and will be available at the Pechanga box office, raws li tau zoo raws li Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and Pechanga.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT and simulcast on DAZN.com, thaum ua ntej kev txiav txim yuav kwj rau Bellator.com thiab thooj plawv nyob rau hauv Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Hailing from Omsk, Russia, 28-year-old Andrey Koreshkov will enter this bout on the heels of a 23-minute marathon withDouglas Limain the opening round of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix only a few months ago. “Spartan” will be making his 16th career appearance for Bellator and his first of his 2019 phiaj los nqis tes. Since joining Bellator, Koreshkov has tallied a dozen victories over his six-year stint, emphasized by a welterweight world title win over former division kingDouglas Lima ntawmBellator 140. Training alongside another former Bellator champion inAlexander Shlemenko, Koreshkov has earned 21 career wins over 24 xaus, kuj muaj 15 finishes since making his professional debut in 2010. Of his 15 finishes, 12 have come by way of knockout and 10 via first-round KO, making the Russian knockout artist one of the toughest tests Larkin has ever faced. Koreshkov will look to add to an already impressive professional resume when he returns to action at Pechanga Resort Casino on March 29.
Larkin enters a pivotal main event matchup following a pair of victories overFernando Gonzalez ntawmBellator 193thiabIon Pascu ntawmBellator 207. The official alternate in Bellator’s Welterweight World Grand Prix, “Da Monsoon” has held his own against the promotion’s elite, also competing againstDouglas Lima thiabPaul Daley. Proudly hailing from Riverside, California., Pechanga Resort Casino provides an ideal site for the Millenia MMA-product to extend his current winning streak and put on a show for a raucous partisan crowd. Nrog 11 ntawm nws 20 career victories coming via knockout, the 32-year-old striker hopes to add yet another former champion to his list of victims when he takes on Koreshkov in Temecula.
TSEEM, CONNECTICUT’S BRENNAN WARD RETURNS AGAINST FERNANDO GONZALEZ IN EXPLOSIVE MATCHUP
LOS ANGELES — FollowingBellator NYC ntawm 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 champAndrey Koreshkov (19-2) tiv thaiv Chidi Njokuani (17-4, 1 NC) on Friday, August 25forBellator 182.
Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, a second welterweight bout will serve as the evening’s co-main showdown whenBrennan Ward (14-5) raws li Fernando Gonzalez (26-14) in a bout sure to produce fireworks, while featherweightA.J. McKeereturns to the cage fresh off anESPN “SportsCenter” Top-Ten finishof Dominic Mazzotta in his last outing.
Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. Njokuaniwill be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Daim pib rau Bellator 182 mus ntawm kev muag khoom Friday, Lub rau hli ntuj 2 ntawm 10:00 a.m. THIAB rau $85, $65, $47 thiab $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 xaus, including wins in each of his first 13 kev sib tw. 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 championDouglas Limaand a successful title defense overBenson Henderson ntawm Bellator 153. Since making his professional debut in 2010, Koreshkov has collected 13 finishes, kuj muaj 10 knockouts, eight of which came in the first round, making him one of the most dangerous 170-pounders in the game.
Sib ntaus sib tua tawm ntawm Las Vegas, Nev., Njokuani enters the cage riding momentum of an impressive streak that has seen him win eight consecutive bouts and 12 ntawm nws lub xeem 13. Txij thaum pub ntxiv tshaj qhov Bellator MMA fray nyob rau hauv 2015, the 28-year-old Njokuani has collected four victories, including a pair of knockout finishes. Uas nyuam qhuav, “Chidi Bang Bang” defeatedMelvin Guillard ntawm Bellator 171 nyob rau hauv Lub ib hlis ntuj, 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. Nrog 13 finishes over his 14 hauj lwm victories, nrog rau cuaj 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 onLub yim hli ntuj 25.
Hailing from Menifee, California., 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 xaus, including a pair of first round knockouts and a five-fight winning streak from 2014-16. Nrog 16 ntawm nws 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. McKeespent 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, California. 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. Lub Lub yim hli ntuj 25Bellator MMA event will mark Turning Stone’s third professional MMA event in less than a year.
Tshiab Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. NjokuaniMain Card:
Welterweight Main kev tshwm sim: 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
Julia Budd (10-2) yeej Marloes Coenen (23-8) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 2:42 ntawm puag ncig plaub
Quotes: “I have dreamt about this moment forever. Thaum kuv yog 21 and first started kickboxing, I dreamt about being a champion and I didn’t make it, I lost.” Budd said. “Yog li ntawd, this is my dream come true. The moment I signed with Bellator, I saw all the champions up there on the banners and I said to myself that i want to be up there with them some day. Now it feels like everything has come together.”
“Theres only one message that I want to give out to all the fighters out there and that’s please listen to your body. I’m very proud of all the women in MMA and I’m very grateful for Bellator,” Coenen said. “This company picked me up when I was in a dark place and Scott Coker has given me so many opportunities throughout my career. Bellator MMA will always be my home.”
Quote: “Everything I thought was going to happenhmo no, happened. Every time he was going to go for a take down, I wanted to make him pay for it.” Gonzalez hais tias. “I had to keep him busy and make him scramble. My plan was to box with him and then keep him away with the leg kicks. I wanted to make him work and get him tired and it proved to be effective in the third round. My next fight, Kuv xav Andrey Koreshkov. He is one of the best and Bellator’s former champion. I think I will win that fight, which will put me right in line withDouglas Limanext.”
Quote:“I’m so grateful for Bellator and Spike to be able to come out here, do what I love and perform. Tab sis, for me, it’s about so much more than the competition, it’s all about knocking some dude out, so that we can knock out the water crisis with my team out there in the Congo,” Wren said. “They are so incredible. I just train them and put the tools in their hands. They are much better fighters than I ever could be in this cage, so I want to be as good as I can, so that I can give them a voice.”
Rafael Lovato Jr. (5-0) yeej Charles Hackman(4-5) via TKO at 0:13 ntawm puag ncig ib
Quote:“I was completely prepared for this fight and had an incredible camp," Lovato Jr. hais tias.“I’m just so happy and thankful to be with Bellator now. I’m so excited about my future, so let’s ride this wave.
Cody Pfister (13-6-1) yeej Jonathan Gary (12-8-2) ntawm cuav (rear liab qab caj pas) ntawm 4:04 ntawm puag ncig ib
Quote:"Jonathan Garyis a class act, a great guy, and I’m glad that I had the chance to compete against himhmo no. My retirement caught a lot of people by surprise," Pfister said.“I’m going to take time off to focus on other aspirations, but who knows, maybe I’ll be back. Bellator is a class company and I’m honored that my last fight will be with them. Scott Coker and Bellator know how to take care of the fighters and I really like what they’ve done with the company.”
