Tag Archives: Bellator

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj 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 (Lub ob hlis ntuj 19) - Nws yog ib tug pairing uas yog synonymous nrog cov kev ua si nawv ntawm mixed martial arts — Ken Shamrock tiv tiag 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 ntawm cov lus qhib ncej. Will this victory lead to more fights for Gracie inside the Bellator MMA cage? Stay tuned.

Kimbo Hlais (6-2) emerged victorious after an all-out brawl with his old nemesis Lub hauv siab 5000, sending the South Florida resident facefirst into the mat at 1:32 ntawm puag ncig peb. 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 Liaj teb (16-6) upset Melvin Guillard (32-16-2) with vicious strikes only 32 vib nas this mus rau hauv lub thib ob puag ncig. Nrog lub yeej, “The Stallion” bounced back from two consecutive defeats against Michael Chandler thiab Brandon Girtz.

A light heavyweight rematch between Emanuel Newton thiab 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). Nrog lub yeej, “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," defeating Daniel Pineda (21-12) nrog cov qhab nia ntawm (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Nrog lub yeej, “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.

Yam ua ntej tau:

Isaac Villanueva (9-7) yeej Richard Knepp (3-3) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm :42 Mahon (5-4) yeej Davis Sylvester (5-4) via TKO at 4:22 of R2

Adrian Yanez (4-1) yeej Ryan Hollins (10-8) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28 x 3)

Jason Langellier (3-0) yeej Anthony Ivy (1-1) ntawm cuav (anaconda choke) ntawm 2:09 or R1

Justin Wren (12-2) yeej Juan Torres (4-5) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (30-27 x 3)

Mike Trinh (3-3) yeej Angel Zamora ntawm cuav (armbar) ntawm 3:49 of R

C.J. Hancock (1-0) yeej Ruben Esparza (1-1) ntawm cuav (rear-liab qab caj pas) ntawm 1:26 of R3

Manny Lozoya (1-0) yeej Jacob Norsworthy (1-6) ntawm cuav (guillotine) ntawm 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 (Lub ob hlis ntuj 18, 2016) – After weigh-ins rau hnub Thursday inside the Toyota Center, the main card competitors of "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " are set to enter the cage and fight tag kis night LIVE and FREE on Spike.

 

The big night features a double main event that pits Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) tiv thaiv Royce Gracie (14-2-3) rau ib tug peb lub sij hawm thiab Kimbo Hlais (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) thiab 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, thaum nws yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauv Daniel Pineda (21-11). Thiab, Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to the cage to take on Derek Liaj teb (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 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, thaum tej yam xub thawj bouts yuav kwj rau Spike.com ntawm 6 p.m. I. Full weigh-in results can be found below.

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 p.m. THIAB/8:00 p.m. I)

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

Bellator Heavyweight Main tshwm sim: Kimbo Hlais (232) vs. “Dada 5000” (265)

Bellator Hnav Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (156) vs. Derek Liaj teb (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 p.m. THIAB/5:00 p.m. I)

 

Bellator Heavyweight Feature sib ntaus: Justin Wren (247) vs. Juan Torres (259.8)

Bellator Featherweight Feature sib ntaus: Davis Sylvester (144.2) vs. Jeremy Mahon (144.4)

Bellator Middleweight Feature sib ntaus: Ruben Esparsa (184.2) vs. C.J. Hancock (185.6)

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

Bellator Middleweight Feature sib ntaus: Isaac Villanueva (185.8) vs. Richard Knepp (184.8)

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

Bellator Sib Feature sib ntaus: Jason Langellier (158.4) vs. Anthony Ivy (154)

Bellator Featherweight Feature sib ntaus: 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, (Lub ob hlis ntuj 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 tag kis 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 thiab 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,"Hais tias 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 Plaub Hlis Ntuj 16 nyob rau Pala Alpitour nyob rau hauv Turin, Ltalis.

 

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 thiab A.J. McKee.

 

Bellator Kickboxing’s debut event will air on Spike Saturday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 16 ntawm 9:00pm ET/PT on brief tape delay. Nyuam qhuav pib hnub ntawd, 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, Ntsia hlau loj 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, nrog Ken Shamrock (28-16-2), Royce Gracie (14-2-3), Kimbo Hlais (5-2) thiab "Lub hauv siab 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 no hnub Friday at the Toyota Center in Houston and airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I. Preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.comthiab Lub Bellator Mobile App .

Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) thiab 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, thaum Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Liaj teb (15-6).

 

Daim pib rau no mixed martial arts extravaganza pib ntawm cia li $50 thiab yog rau cov muag khoom tam sim no nyob Bellator.com, raws li tau zoo raws li HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj 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 on Friday hmo ntuj.

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Qhov kev tshwm sim nta Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) in action against Royce Gracie (14-2-3) rau ib tug peb lub sij hawm thiab Kimbo Hlais (5-2) fights the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, zoo li "Lub hauv siab 5000."

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Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) thiab 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, thaum Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Liaj teb (15-6).

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Daim pib rau no mixed martial arts extravaganza pib ntawm cia li $50 thiab yog rau cov muag khoom tam sim no nyob Bellator.com, raws li tau zoo raws li HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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"Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm 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.

 

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj TV

Rampage Coming Back to Bellator MMA

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Rampage-Jackson-Bellator

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, King Mo, Tito Ortiz, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell among others.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj 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

Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 12, 2015) – When sifting through a list of Bellator MMA’s greatest fights, few names appear as often as "Hlau" Michael Chandler (14-3).

 

Hnub no, 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, hais: “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 hais tias. “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. Raws li ib txwm, 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 Tuav, Rick Hawn, thiab David Rickels (2x). Of his 14 yeej raws li ib tug kws, Chandler has amassed 12 victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Chandler remains in Bellator’s lightweight division, which includes kingpin Yuav Brooks, nrog rau Josh Thomson, Brandon Girtz, Melvin Guillard, Benson Henderson, Brent Primus, Derek Anderson, thiabKoj Awad.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj TV

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

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Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 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 Lub ob hlis ntuj 26, with the news that Kendall Grove (22-15) has agreed to fight Francisco “Kiko” France (13-3-1).

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos "Loro" Galvao (17-6-1) tiv thaiv yav tas los yeej 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) tiv thaiv Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

 

The contests make up the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2,” uas airs nyob rau 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.

 

Daim pib rau "Bellator 150: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2 " uas pib ntawm cia li $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, raws li tau zoo raws li lub Kansas Star Arena chaw ua hauj lwm.

Grove capped off 2015 with an emphatic knockout of Joey Beltran ntawm "Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis," nyob rau hauv lub Cuaj Hli Ntuj. 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,"Nrog 12 ntawm nws 13 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent tap.

Sau kom tiav "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 Hnav Feature Bout: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Kendall Grove (22-15) vs. Francisco Fabkis (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 Feature 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 Hnav Feature Bout: 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 Feature Bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)

Bellator MMA Hnav Feature Bout: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj 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

Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 10, 2015) – The main card of "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” rauLub peb hlis ntuj 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.

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Sirwan Kakai (12-3) yuav ua kom nws debut promotional tiv thaiv Joe Taimanglo (21-6) in the fourth and final main card contest. Seven preliminary scraps have also been confirmed and can be found below.

Daim pib rau "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. Qhov rooj rau cov kev tshwm sim qhib 5:00 p.m. I hauv zos lub sij hawm, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

"Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while preliminary boutswill stream live on Bellator.com thiab Lub 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. "Ib tag hmo 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: Dynamite 1 " event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul "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 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

 

Tshiab "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 li (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 Yam ua ntej Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Ntoo (5-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Shane Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen 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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Raug Monica (Lub ob hlis ntuj 6, 2015) - Bellator MMA yog txaus siab ncha moo lub kos npe rau ntawm Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) mus rau ib qho kom multi-xyoo, multi-sib ntaus daim ntawv cog lus. 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, California. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Muaj zog. 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 thiab 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 Thawj Tswj Hwm Scott Coker hais tias. “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. Kuv nyob rau hauv zoo zoo, 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, thiab 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.”