Tag Archives: Bellator

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

ROYCE GRACIE, KIMBO SLICE EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN DOUBLE MAIN EVENT AT ‘BELLATOR 149’

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Complete Set of Photos Here

HOUSTON, TEXAS (Pebrero 19) - Kini usa ka gipares nga susama sa sport sa mixed martial arts — Ken Shamrock batok Royce Gracie — and on Friday night at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie," it was Gracie who went home with a second victory over Shamrock in the third fight of their classic rivalry.

 

After landing a knee to the body of Shamrock, Gracie pounced, raining down hammerfists to the temple of “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” that forced the referee to call a stoppage to the action at 2:22 sa pag-abli frame. Will this victory lead to more fights for Gracie inside the Bellator MMA cage? Stay tuned.

Kimbo Dilim (6-2) emerged victorious after an all-out brawl with his old nemesis Dughan 5000, sending the South Florida resident facefirst into the mat at 1:32 sa round sa tulo ka. The win ends a longstanding beef between the two men that began in the streets of Perrine, and wound up being settled inside the Bellator MMA cage.

Derek Fields (16-6) upset Melvin Guillard (32-16-2) with vicious strikes only 32 segundos sa ikaduhang hugna. Uban sa kadaugan, “The Stallion” bounced back from two consecutive defeats against Michael Chandler ug Brandon Girtz.

A light heavyweight rematch between Emanuel Newton ug Linton Vassell featured multiple low blows, which ultimately cost “The Hardcore Kid” the bout on the scorecards, with judges’ giving scores of (30-26, 29-27, 29-27). Uban sa kadaugan, “The Swarm” snapped a one-fight skid and moves one-step closer to the top at 205-pounds.

Emmanuel Sanchez (13-2) grinded out another split decision at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie," pagpildi Daniel Pineda (21-12) uban sa iskor sa (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Uban sa kadaugan, “El Matador” has now won three consecutive bouts at featherweight and continues his pursuit of trying to become the “Oscar De La Hoya” of mixed martial arts.

Preliminary Results:

Isaac Villanueva (9-7) napildi Richard Knepp (3-3) pinaagi sa TKO (kinumo) sa :42 Mahon (5-4) napildi Davis Sylvester (5-4) via TKO at 4:22 of R2

Adrian Yanez (4-1) napildi Ryan Hollins (10-8) pinaagi sa unanimous decision (29-28 X3)

Jason Langellier (3-0) napildi Anthony Ivy (1-1) pinaagi sa pagpasakop (anaconda choke) sa 2:09 or R1

Justin Wren (12-2) napildi Juan Torres (4-5) pinaagi sa unanimous decision (30-27 X3)

Mike Trinh (3-3) napildi Angel Zamora pinaagi sa pagpasakop (armbar) sa 3:49 of R

C.J. Hancock (1-0) napildi Ruben Esparza (1-1) pinaagi sa pagpasakop (likod-hubo choke) sa 1:26 of R3

Manny Lozoya (1-0) napildi Jacob Norsworthy (1-6) pinaagi sa pagpasakop (gipunggotan ug ulo) sa 2:33 of R1

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

MMA LEGENDS KEN SHAMROCK & ROYCE GRACIE SET FOR ‘BELLATOR 149’ SHOWDOWN TOMORROW

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Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

 

HOUSTON, TEXAS (Pebrero 18, 2016) – After weigh-ins sa Huwebes inside the Toyota Center, the main card competitors of "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " are set to enter the cage and fight ugma night LIVE and FREE on Spike.

 

The big night features a double main event that pits Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) batok sa Royce Gracie (14-2-3) alang sa usa ka ikatulo nga panahon ug Kimbo Dilim (5-2) fights the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” Also fin action is former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) ug Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to top their epic 2014 slugfest. In catchweight action,Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) looks to build on his impressive young career, sa diha nga siya makakuha sa Daniel Pineda (21-11). Ug, Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to the cage to take on Derek Fields (15-6), as the two lightweights go to battle.

"Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, and airs live on SPIKE at 9 sa gabii. UG/8 sa gabii. CT, samtang ang preliminary bouts magaganayan sa Spike.com sa 6 sa gabii. CT. Full weigh-in results can be found below.

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 sa gabii. UG/8:00 sa gabii. CT)

Bellator Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (201.2) vs. Royce Gracie (190.8)

Bellator heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Dilim (232) vs. “Dada 5000” (265)

Bellator Lightweight Cebuano News Engkuwentro: Melvin Guillard (156) vs. Derek Fields (155)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (205) vs. Linton Vassell (205.4)

Bellator Catchweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (149.2) vs. Daniel Pineda (148.2)

 

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com - 6 sa gabii. UG/5:00 sa gabii. CT)

 

Bellator heavyweight Feature Fight: Justin Wren (247) vs. Juan Torres (259.8)

Bellator featherweight Feature Fight: Davis Sylvester (144.2) vs. Jeremy Mahon (144.4)

Bellator middleweight Feature Fight: Ruben Esparsa (184.2) vs. C.J. Hancock (185.6)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Adrian Yanez (134.6) vs. Ryan Hollis (134.8)

Bellator middleweight Feature Fight: Isaac Villanueva (185.8) vs. Richard Knepp (184.8)

Bellator Catchweight Feature Fight: Mike Trinh (128.8) vs. Angel Zamora (129.4)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Jason Langellier (158.4) vs. Anthony Ivy (154)

Bellator featherweight Feature Fight: Manny Lozoya (142) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (141.8)

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA

SCOTT COKER LAUNCHES BELLATOR KICKBOXING ADDITIONAL DETAILS REVEALED ABOUT THE PREMIERE BELLATOR KICKBOXING MEGA EVENT IN ITALY APRIL 16

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Houston, TX, (Pebrero 18, 2016) – Scott Coker, President of Bellator MMA and one of combat sport’s most accomplished promoters, will launch “Bellator Kickboxing” this April with his partners at Spike. The announcement was made today at a press conference ahead of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie,” which airs ugma night on Spike at 9e/8c.

Bellator Kickboxing will feature many of the world’s best kickboxers including Joe Schilling, Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross, Keri Melendez ug Anastasia Yankova, who were in attendance at today’s press conference. The current Bellator MMA team based out of Santa Monica, CA will run the new league.

 

Coker has over 30 years of experience promoting combat sports, overseeing both K-1 and Strikeforce Kickboxing leagues during his illustrious career. “Kickboxing is a thrilling, non-stop action-packed sport that I believe will resonate with MMA fans,"Miingon Coker. “Our first goal is to develop stars and showcase these incredible athletes on the #1 home for combat sports, Spike TV.”

 

The first event for Bellator Kickboxing will be a co-promoted show with Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing on Abril 16 sa Pala Alpitour sa Turin, Italy.

 

The Bellator Kickboxing event’s headliner will feature Melvin Manhoef vs. Alexandru Negrea as well as a 5-round title fight when current ISKA 72kg champion Mustapha Haida will move up in weight to challenge Karim Ghajii for his ISKA 75 KG belt. Other participants competing at the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing extravaganza include Ross, Daniels and Denise Kielholtz. Opponents for these participants will be announced in the near future.

 

The event will also include “Bellator 152,” a mixed martial arts card will feature Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Rogers, and also features Bellator MMA stars Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, Brent Primus, Anastasia Yankova ug A.J. McKee.

 

Bellator Kickboxing’s debut event will air on Spike Sabado, Abril 16 sa 9:00pm ET/PT on brief tape delay. Sa sayo pa nga adlaw, Spike will broadcast Bellator MMA’s first international show, “Bellator 152,” LIVE at 3:00pm ET.

 

Details on future events will be announced in the near future.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM “BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE” PRESS CONFERENCE

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CLICK HERE FOR FULL SELECTION OF PHOTOS

(CREDIT: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

CLICK ABOVE FOR FULL PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO

 

HOUSTON – (Feb. 17, 2016) – The four combatants of the “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " double-main event joined Bellator MMA President Scott Coker on stage for the official press conference on Wedneday afternoon, uban sa Ken Shamrock (28-16-2), Royce Gracie (14-2-3), Kimbo Dilim (5-2) ug "Dughan 5000” each contributing to the highly entertaining press conference with great soundbites, that you can find in the video above.

 

The highly anticipated event takes place karong Biyernes at the Toyota Center in Houston and airs live and free on Spike at 9 sa gabii. UG/8 sa gabii. CT. Preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.comug Ang Bellator Mobile App .

Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) ug Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to recreate their epic 2014 barnburner. In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will attempt to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, sa diha nga Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Fields (15-6).

 

Tiket alang niini nga mixed martial arts extravaganza pagsugod sa lang $50 ug sa ibabaw sa pagbaligya karon sa Bellator.com, ingon man usab sa HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

PHOTOS FROM “BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE” OPEN WORKOUTS

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CLICK HERE FOR FULL SELECTION OF PHOTOS

(CREDIT: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

 

The four combatants from the “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " double-main event took part in an open workout this afternoon at the beautiful, state-of-the-art O Athletik gym in Houston prior to their fights sa Biyernes sa gabii.

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Ang maong kalihokan bahin Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) in action against Royce Gracie (14-2-3) alang sa usa ka ikatulo nga panahon ug Kimbo Dilim (5-2) fights the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, mas maayo nga nailhan nga "Dughan 5000."

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Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) ug Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to recreate their epic 2014 barnburner. In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will attempt to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, sa diha nga Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Fields (15-6).

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Tiket alang niini nga mixed martial arts extravaganza pagsugod sa lang $50 ug sa ibabaw sa pagbaligya karon sa Bellator.com, ingon man usab sa HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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"Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " ipasibya live ug gawasnon sa mibugway sa 9 sa gabii. UG/8 sa gabii. CT, samtang ang preliminary bouts magaganayan live sa Bellator.com ug Ang Bellator Mobile App.

 

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

Rampage Coming Back to Bellator MMA

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Following an amicable agreement to settle the litigation between the two parties, the always entertaining and exciting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is returning to Bellator.

 

Bellator MMA is thrilled to have “Rampage,” one of the most recognizable fighters in the history of the sport, joining a very competitive light heavyweight division featuring champion Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, Hari Mo, Tito Ortiz, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell among others.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

BELLATOR MMA SIGNS LIGHTWEIGHT STANDOUT ‘IRON’ MICHAEL CHANDLER TO MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT EXTENSION

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Click for fight highlights: Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez

Santa Monica, Calif. (Pebrero 12, 2015) – When sifting through a list of Bellator MMA’s greatest fights, few names appear as often as "Iron" Michael Chandler (14-3).

 

Karon, Bellator MMA is proud to announce that Chandler will be continuing to compete for the promotion for the foreseeable future, with the news that the former 155-pound champion has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight extension to remain with the Scott Coker-led promotion.

 

“Michael Chandler is synonymous with our brand and doubles as an incredibly talented and exciting mixed martial artist,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Not every fighter or free agent aligns with our future plans, but when looking at Chandler’s resume, inking him to a long-term extension was a no-brainer. I look forward to getting him back in action as soon as possible.”

 

Chandler was also pleased with his extension, nga nag-ingon: “I’m ecstatic to continue my career with Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. It’s obvious that good things are continuing to happen for this promotion and it’s correlating to big opportunities for myself as well,"Chandler miingon. “I can’t wait to get back in action and test myself against some of these new guys coming in and move back up through the ranks. Sama sa kanunay nga, my eyes are on that belt, and it will be back around my waist soon.”

 

A 14-fight Bellator MMA veteran, Chandler has been a member of the Viacom-owned promotion since 2010. Prior to joining the Bellator ranks, the Missouri native competed for Strikeforce. Amongst his notable victories, Chandler bested Eddie Alvarez via submission at “Bellator 58” in what many fans and pundits alike considered the fight of 2011.

 

Further along the way, Chandler defeated the likes of Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, Marcin Gipahigayon, Rick Hawn, ug David Rickels (2x). Sa iyang 14 daog ingon sa usa ka propesyonal nga, Chandler has amassed 12 victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Chandler remains in Bellator’s lightweight division, which includes kingpin Kabubut-on Brooks, uban sa Josh Thomson, Brandon Girtz, Melvin Guillard, Benson Henderson, Brent Primus, Derek Anderson, ugIkaw Awad.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT PITTING KENDALL GROVE AGAINST FRANCISCO FRANCE COMPLETES ‘BELLATOR 150’ MAIN CARD

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Santa Monica, Calif. (Pebrero 11, 2015) – A fifth and final main card fight has been added to “Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on Pebrero 26, with the news that Kendall nga Kakahoyan (22-15) has agreed to fight Francisco “Kiko” France (13-3-1).

 

Dugang pa, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos "loro" Galvao (17-6-1) batok sa kanhi champion Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against Bobby Cooper (12-5). "Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2 " also features the Bellator MMA debut of newly signed women’s flyweight Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), when she meets Rebecca Ruth (5-1) and a heavyweight co-main event of Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) batok sa Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

 

The contests make up the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2,” nga Kalaki nagpuyo sa mibugway sa 9 sa gabii. UG/8 sa gabii. CT, samtang ang preliminary bouts magaganayan live sa Bellator.com ug Ang Bellator Mobile App.

 

Ang mga tiket sa "Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2 " nga magsugod sa lang $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, ingon man sa Kansas Star Arena box office.

Grove capped off 2015 with an emphatic knockout of Joey Beltran sa "Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis," sa Septyembre. The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: 3," has fought professionally since 2003 for promotions all around the world, notably ProElite and UFC. This will be “Da Spyder’s” sixth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner as he hopes to climb back towards a 185-pound title shot – he competed for the gold last year against Brandon Halsey.

 

A veteran of Strikeforce, “Kiko” has strung together a five-fight winning streak as of late, most recently handing the formerly undefeated Ben Reiter the first loss of his young career at "Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef. " It’s safe to classify the 33-year-old Arizona native as a “submission specialist,"Uban sa 12 sa iyang 13 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent tap.

Bug-os nga "Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Cebuano News Engkuwentro: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Kendall nga Kakahoyan (22-15) vs. Francisco Pransiya (13-3-1)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3) vs. Rebecca Ruth (5-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Gregory Babene (16-11) vs. Brandon Farran (12-10)

Bellator MMA featherweight Feature bout: Gaston Reyno (5-0) vs. Chuka Willis (6-2)

Bellator MMA heavyweight News bout: David Hammons (1-1) vs. Kyle Noblitt (1-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (4-0) vs. Julian Marquez (2-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Cebuano News Engkuwentro: Marcio Navarro (14-11) vs. Henry Lindsay (4-5)

Bellator MMA featherweight Feature bout: Thai Clark (5-0) vs. Deron Carlis (4-1)

Bellator MMA welterweight News bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Cebuano News Engkuwentro: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Taga TV

GILBERT SMITH REPLACES MICHAEL PAGE, FACES FERNANDO GONZALEZ IN ‘BELLATOR 151’ CO-MAIN EVENT

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SIRWAN KAKAI MAKES PROFESSIONAL DEBUT AGAINST JOE TAIMANGLO

Santa Monica, Calif. (Pebrero 10, 2015) – The main card of "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” saMarso 4 is complete with today’s announcement that Gilbert Smith (12-4) will replace Michael Page and now face Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) in the evening’s co-main event.

 

Dugang pa, Sirwan Kakai (12-3) mohimo sa iyang promotional debut batok sa Joe Taimanglo (21-6) in the fourth and final main card contest. Seven preliminary scraps have also been confirmed and can be found below.

Ang mga tiket alang sa "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Mga pultahan alang sa maong kalihokan nga bukas sa 5:00 sa gabii. CT lokal nga panahon, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

"Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” ipasibya live ug gawasnon sa mibugway sa 9 sa gabii. UG/8 sa gabii. CT, while preliminary boutswill stream live on Bellator.com ug Ang Bellator Mobile App.

 

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. "Midnight Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

 

Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking "Bellator MMA: Dinamita 1 " event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Si Pablo "Semtex" Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

 

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan," 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

 

Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 away. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

 

Updated "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)

Bellator MMA featherweight Feature bout: Yamauchi sa (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA featherweight Preliminary bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Wood (5-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)

Bellator MMA welterweight Preliminary bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)

Bellator MMA featherweight Preliminary bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

Bellator MMA welterweight Preliminary bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)

Bellator MMA middleweight Preliminary bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)

Bellator MMA featherweight Preliminary bout: Shane Peterson (13-4) vs. Esteban Banaszak (5-5)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

CHRIS ‘THE CRIPPLER’ LEBEN RETURNS TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, SIGNS WITH BELLATOR MMA

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Santa Monica (Pebrero 6, 2015) - Bellator MMA nga mapahitas-on sa pagpahibalo sa pagpirma sa Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) ngadto sa usa ka bug-os nga multi-tuig nga, multi-away nga kontrata. The former World Extreme Cagefighting Middleweight World Champion has fought professionally since 2002, and holds the record for most fights in the UFC at 185-pounds (22).

 

Since taking a break from the sport in 2014, Leben has resided in San Diego, Calif. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Fitness. Known for his tendency to put on an exciting show each and every time he enters the cage, Leben was a member of the inaugural cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” alongside fellow Bellator MMA competitors Stephan Bonnar ug Josh Koscheck. The 35-year-old has fought elite talent throughout his mixed martial arts tenure, against names the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Mark Muñoz, and Bellator MMA’s own Alessio Sakara.

 

“If I were to draw up the prototypical Bellator MMA competitor, there would be parts of Chris [Leben] in there,"Bellator MMA Presidente Scott Coker miingon. “The guy has never had a boring fight and as I’ve said from day one, we’re going to continue to grow from the ground up and buy from the top down. I know that Chris still has a lot of fight left in him and I’m excited to see him fight We are hoping to see his Bellator debut this Spring.”

 

“Focusing on just coaching at Victory MMA has been amazing, but recently, I started to get the itch to compete again,” Leben said. “So I extended an olive branch to the people at Bellator and here I am. Ako sa dakung porma, I love the possible matchups this roster has to offer and I’m ready to show the world why they call me ‘The Crippler.’”

 

Leben joins a budding roster of Bellator MMA talent, with recent signings that include: Benson Henderson, Anastasia Yankova, Lena Ovchynnikova, ug Sergei Kharitonov.

 

It has yet to be determined what weight class Leben will compete at, but when asked what division he hopes to settle in, Leben made it clear: “I’ll go wherever the big fights are.”