Tag Archives: Bellator

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH PITTING FORMER CHAMPION EMANUEL NEWTON AGAINST LINTON VASSELL COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 5, 2016) –The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is now complete, with the addition of a light heavyweight rematch featuring former Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) meeting Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC).

 

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

 

Both Newton and Vassell were participants in the four-man, light-heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.” Now, the pair of 205-pounders will look to re-establish themselves atop one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Bellator MMA.

 

A former champion, Newton will be making his 12th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion and hopes to duplicate the success he experienced at the expense of Vassell during “Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell” back in 2014. Better known as “The Hardcore Kid,” the 31-year-old has been half of some of the most memorable contests in Bellator MMA history, namely, his spinning-backfist finish of “King Mo” and his back-and-forth war with current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary.

 

Undoubtedly one of the goals for Vassell in 2016 is finding his way onto the recently announced Bellator MMA debut in London later this year. For this to come to fruition, “The Swarm” surely needs to redeem himself from the fifth-round, rear-naked choke submission defeat he suffered at the hands of his“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” opponent. February 19 will mark the seventh time Vassell has competed under the Bellator MMA banner and “The Swarm” will be looking to add to his impressive finishing mark of 13 stoppages in 15 victories.

 

 “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO-AUGUSTO SAKAI TO FIGHT DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 21, 2015) – A heavyweight contest pitting Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against the undefeated Augusto Sakai (9-0) has been added to the main card of  “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on February 26.

 

In addition, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against an opponent that will be revealed at a later date.

 

The contests will take up three slots of the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Paris native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

 

Maintaining an unblemished record to begin his professional career, Sakai will face arguably his stiffest competition to date when he meets Kongo on Feb. 26. With seven finishes in nine outings, the 24-year-old Brazilian most recently finished Alex Huddleston at “Bellator 145: With A Vengeance.”

 

Updated “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 Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DARRION CALDWELL SET FOR ‘BELLATOR MMA 151’ MAIN EVENT DEBUT AGAINST JOE WARREN AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON MARCH 4

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 18, 2015) – The main event of Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on March 4 will feature undefeated Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).

Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” go on sale this coming Monday, December 21 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. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. There is still work to be done though, and the next stop on the road to championship gold goes through a man who has held Marcos Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Bunch via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

 

Warren has done just about it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six year promotional tenure. Now, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling. Will a win for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” propel him to a title shot against the winner of Galvao-Dantas 2 a week prior? Tune into SPIKE on March 4 to find out.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA

FOLLOWING NO-CONTEST IN THEIR FIRST MEETING, PAUL BRADLEY-CHRIS HONEYCUTT REBOOKED FOR MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 148: KOSCHECK VS. SECOR’

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THREE PRELIMINARY BOUTS ALSO ADDED TO THE JANUARY 29th EVENT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 17, 2015) – Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) and Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) were in the middle of a great fight, when an accidental headbutt opened a gash on the head of Bradley, which led to the fight being called a no contest.

 

Now, the pair of welterweights will run it back during the main card of “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

Bellator officials previously announced two additional welterweight attractions featuring a main event of Josh Koscheck (17-10) versus Matt Secor (7-2) and a co-main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5).

 

Today, the preliminary portion of the card is filling up, with the news that Anthony Avila (12-4) will face John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) battles Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arcienega (14-5) versus Justin Smiley (9-7). Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

“Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

 

Aptly nicknamed “The Cutt,” the 27-year-old Honeycutt is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Edinboro University. Following his collegiate wrestling career, which ended with a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Honeycutt enlisted the help of fellow Edinboro wrestler Josh Koscheck, who he now trains with at the longtime MMA veteran’s Dethrone Base Camp in Fresno.

 

Honeycutt made his Bellator MMA debut in September 2014, scoring a TKO victory over Aaron Wilkinson. He picked up his second win for the promotion at “Bellator 133: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko,” scoring a TKO win over Clayton MacFarlane.

 

The 32-year-old Bradley is an Iowa native who also earned a pair of NCAA Division I All-American honors while competing at the famed University of Iowa. Bradley turned to mixed martial arts in 2006 and earned 11 consecutive victories to open his career, picking up the Ring of Combat middleweight title along the way.

 

Bradley made his way to the Bellator MMA cage in 2013, and in four appearances to date, has already picked up decision victories over Josh Neer and Karl Amoussou. While Bradley’s base is firmly in wrestling, he’s developed into a complete martial artist during his time in the sport and owns seven of his career wins by knockout with another seven coming by way of submission.

 

Updated “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Matt Secor (7-2)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smiley (9-7)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

‘THE YOUNG ASSASSIN’ VS. ‘THE GREEK ASSASSIN’   MELVIN GUILLARD TAKES ON HOUSTON’S MIKE BRONZOULIS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 16, 2015) – A lightweight contest pitting Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Houston’s Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1) has been added to the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker announced the new addition on his Twitter account last night.

 

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

 

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Houston, Texas native. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Bronzoulis returned to the Bellator MMA fray against a debuting Josh Thomson at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” this past September. “The Greek Assassin” has not shied away from tough opponents throughout his career, having competed against guys like Thomson, Joe Riggs, Gerald Harris and Jorge Patino during his 28-fight career. The Houston native hopes to have plenty of hometown support when he takes on Guillard inside the Bellator MMA cage on Feb. 19.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JOSH THOMSON STOPS PABLO VILLASECA IN ‘BELLATOR 147’ HEADLINER

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COMPLETE MAIN CARD PHOTO SELECTION HERE

 

SAN JOSE, CA. (December 4, 2015) – Josh Thomson’s (22-8, 1 NC) a mixed martial arts legend in San Jose and his “Bellator 147” effort against a young and promising prospect by the name of Pablo Villaseca (10-2) will only add to his career’s story.

A packed Event Center on the San Jose State University’s campus witnessed the “The Punk” utilize a plethora of skills en route to a finish of the Chilean fighter. Referee Jason Herzog officially called a stop to the action at 3:59 of the second frame, sending those in attendance into an uproar and pushing Thomson’s mark under the Bellator MMA banner to 2-0.

After the fight, Thomson made it clear that while a matchup against incumbent Bellator lightweight kingpin Will Brooks is enticing, he’s about the fans and the vast majority of fans he’s heard from want him to fight “Iron” Michael Chandler.

“Will Brooks is a great fighter man, and he has the belt,” Thomson said. “But, regardless of the gold around his waist, the fans want me to fight Michael Chandler and I fight for the fans.”

Bellator President Scott Coker has said he foresees Thomson returning to action in early 2016, and without fights scheduled for Chandler or Brooks as of print, another marquee lightweight contest could come to fruition sooner, rather than later. Watch the finish here.

Weichel Tops Karakhanyan, Hoping to Face Daniel Straus For the Title

 

In the featherweight co-feature bout of the evening, Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1) and Daniel Weichel (36-9) unleashed hard jabs and numerous round houses throughout a three-round thriller. The difference was Weichel’s ability to use his pinpoint accuracy to pepper away at his jab, putting an end to Karakhanyan’s night. In the end, “The Weasel” escaped with a split decision victory with scores of (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), and likely moved closer to another shot at the 145-pound champion. Watch the official decision here.

Anderson Outduels Freire Once Again, Inside the Bellator MMA Cage

 

A lightweight rematch between Patricky Freire (14-7) and Derek Anderson (13-2, 1 NC) came to a head tonight, with both men trading body blows and kicks for the 15 minute duration of their violent bout. In the end, “Barbaric” took home a split decision victory with judges’ scores of (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). The upset marks his second career win over Freire, after previously making his Bellator debut in a unanimous decision victory over Freire at “Bellator 98.”Take a look at some highlights here.

Piccolotti Wins Bloody Battle at the Expense of Soto

 

In a tightly contested battle between grappling experts Adam Piccolotti (7-0) and Mario Soto, (6-2) “The Bomb” remained undefeated after a second round rear-naked choke submission. Piccolotti sliced up Soto, opening up a significant cut over the right eye of the 29-year-old birthday boy. With blood squirting everywhere, “Dr. Mario” was forced to tap out at 3:25 of round two. Both Northern California fighters brought in a large contingent of hometown fans, but it was the Bay-area guy, Piccolotti, emerging victorious in the end, a product of landing 86% of his strikes thrown. Peep the gash on Soto’s head here.

Rogers Powers Past Zwicker in ‘Bellator 147’ Opener

 

During the opening contest on SPIKE, Brian Rogers (12-8) put an end to a two-fight skid in his debut at light heavyweight, opening fire with vicious ground-and-pound technique, mixed in with relentless hammer fists, which led to Virgil Zwicker (14-5-1) tapping out by arm-triangle submission at 4:38 of round two. “Rezdog” fought valiantly during his time inside the Bellator MMA cage, even withstanding a low blow earlier in the contest; but in the end, it was “B-Rog The Predator’s” night. Watch the video highlights here.

Preliminary Card Results & Photos:

A.J. McKee (3-0) defeated JT Donaldson (1-1) via knockout (knee) at 4:14 of round two WATCH FINISH HERE

Brandon Hester (3-0) defeated Idris Wasi (1-3) via unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-27)

Gabriel Carrasco (7-0) defeated Khomkrit Niimi (6-8) via technical knockout (elbows) at 3:19 of round one

Nick Barnes (10-1) defeated James Terry (16-8) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:48 of round one

Erick Sanchez (6-2) defeated Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) via technical knockout (punches) at 1:22 of round three

Jeremiah Labiano (9-3) defeated Alvin Cacdac (16-12) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bronson Mohika (1-1) defeated Jose Perez (1-1) defeated via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Adin Duenas (3-1) defeated Anthony Taylor (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:43 of round one

Anthony Do (2-0) defeated Dustin Moore (0-1) via technical knockout at 2:05 of round one

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MARCOS GALVAO MEETS EDUARDO DANTAS IN REMATCH FOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE AT ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’ ON FEBRUARY 26

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ALSO: DAVID ‘THE CAVEMAN’ RICKELS RETURNS HOME

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 4, 2015) – Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) against former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on February 26.

 

In addition, hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against an opponent that will be revealed at a later date. “The Caveman” always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent.

 

The main event, as well as Rickels’ fight will make up two of the televised contests at “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Bellator.com at 7 p.m. ET. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, go on sale next Saturday, December 12 at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

A rib injury sustained by Dantas during training camp forced him to withdraw from his previously scheduled title shot at“Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho.” Now fully recovered, promotional officials have rebooked the tilt.

 

“Loro,” who has fought for world-renowned promotions the likes of World Extreme Cagefighting and Shooto since 2003, will be competing for the 11th time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 34-year-old is presently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight scraps. In his last outing, Galvao finished Joe Warren at“Bellator 135: Warren vs. Galvao” via submission to win his first-ever championship.

 

Meanwhile, Dantas will be looking to duplicate the success he had against Galvao in their first meeting, which resulted in a second-round knockout at “Bellator 89.” The 26-year-old Nova Uniao product bounced back from his unanimous decision loss against Warren to dispel of Mike Richman in the same manner at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament winner is looking to call himself a two-time bantamweight champion come October 23.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA ANNOUNCES FIRST OVERSEAS EVENT TO TAKE PLACE AT PALA ALPITOUR IN TORINO, ITALY ON APRIL 16, 2016

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Coker and Di Blasi

Above: Scott Coker and Carlo Di Blasi

 

PARIS (Nov. 27, 2015) – Not even an entire month after announcing plans to host multiple international events in 2016, Bellator MMA has come out with a date and location for its first foray across the pond. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker joined Oktagon Kickboxing President Carlo Di Blasi in Paris this afternoon to announce a co-promoted event set to take place on April 16 at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy.

The event will feature both Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing bouts, with the Bellator MMA portion airing in the United States on SPIKE. Exact broadcast information and fight card will be announced in the near future.  Tickets for the event will be available at www.oktagon.it beginning December 14th 2015.

“We are very excited to be working side by side with my friend Carlo Di Blasi and his team,” said Coker. “Carlo is a great ally, and someone who I admire for all of the amazing work he has done in combat sports throughout Europe over the past twenty years.  We look forward to putting on an amazing show for the Italian people, and fans tuning in from around the world when we combine our efforts on April 16 in Torino”

“Oktagon has had incredible success building a loyal and committed fanbase throughout Europe over the past twenty years,” said Di Blasi. “I know that these fans are going to really enjoy the exciting brand of MMA that Bellator offers when we partner with them on April 16.”

In conjunction with the fight announcement, Bellator MMA has signed one of Italy’s most notable mixed martial artists, Alessio Sakara (17-11, 2 NC MMA / 8-1 Boxing), who is expected to fight at the event. Sakara has competed as a middleweight, but recently returned to light heavyweight, scoring a TKO victory just 1:32 into his last outing this past September.  The tattooed striker has always performed well in front of his countrymen, going 6-0 in MMA and 6-1 in boxing when fighting in Italy, and looks to add onto that success next April.

Bellator has had a record-shattering year in 2015 with Coker at the helm, powered by several major events including “Bellator: Kimbo vs. Shamrock,” which generated 2.9 million viewers and “Bellator: Dynamite 1,” which set company records for attendance and gate. The event in Torino marks Bellator’s first-ever event overseas, but it won’t be the last. In addition to the Torino event, Bellator MMA has announced plans for additional international events in London and Israel slated for 2016.

Oktagon Kickboxing has been a mainstay in combat sports for 20 years now, officially founded in 1996.  Under the watchful eye of Di Blasi, the promotion has put on some memorable matchups throughout the years with top fighters including Bellator welterweight Paul Daley as well as The Petrosyan brothers (Giorgio and Armen), Robin Van Roosmalen, Valentijn Overeem, Rico Verhoeven and Artem Levin.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

EMMANUEL SANCHEZ-DANIEL PINEDA ADDED TO MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 25) – A featherweight contest pitting Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) against Daniel Pineda (21-11) has been added to the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” onFeb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

 

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — MMA legends Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie meet for a third time and Kimbo Slice will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.”

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, Toyota Center Box Office, and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Spike.com.

 

Sanchez has bounced back from a tough decision loss against former Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Pat Curran with two wins against young, top-flight 145-pound talent, distancing himself from the title of prospect and solidifying himself as a contender. “El Matador” now boasts a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA umbrella and will be fighting for the fifth time in a span of 329 days.

 

Standing opposite of the Roufusport fighter will be Pineda, a 30-year-old that already has amassed a 32-fight professional career. A veteran of Legacy Fighting Championship, “The Pit” has never seen a victory reach the judges’ scorecards, finishing 15 pairings via submission, the other six by knockout. This will be Pineda’s first appearance for Bellator MMA since 2010 at “Bellator 19.”

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

A NEW CHAMPION IS CROWNED, ANOTHER RETAINS AT ‘BELLATOR 145: WITH A VENGEANCE’

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More photos from Straus vs. Freire here

 

Patricio Freire (24-2) and Daniel Straus (23-6) went to war at Scottrade Center on Friday night, sending a packed house home happy after 25-minutes of nonstop action. In the end, the judges crowned a new champion.

 

Straus walked away with the unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) and the belt tightly wrapped around his waist. The American Top Team product claimed that he broke his hand during the fight, but with all the punches thrown, it sure didn’t seem so.

More photos from Brooks vs. Held here

 

In the first of not one, but two world title bouts, Will Brooks (17-1) dominated Marcin Held (21-4) on the mat, cruising to a unanimous decision victory (50-45, 49-46, 49-46).

 

After getting taken down in the opening round, Brooks came back and utilized his wrestling to gring out the Polish fighter over the course of the next 20 minutes. With the victory, Brooks has now successfully defended his title for the second time since defeating Chandler to win the title.

 

More photos from Chandler vs. Rickels here

 

Michael Chandler (14-3) truly has Dave Rickels’ (16-4) number. The Missouri native managed to finish “The Caveman” for the second time in as many tries on the main card of “Bellator 145: With a Vengeance.”

 

“I’ve had so many people pour into my life for decades, I am thankful to all of them,” Chandler said. “I just listen to my coaches and luckily tonight I got the finish,” Chandler said. “I want that title so bad I can taste it. Scott Coker, give me the winner of Marcin and Held or else I’ll be forced to keep knocking out every lightweight on the roster until you do.”

 

The end came at 3:05 of round two, which saw “Iron” Mike pummel his foe with punches until the referee stopped the fight.

 

More photos from Lashley vs. Thompson here

 

Revenge is a dish best served cold and Bobby Lashley (14-2) defeated James Thompson (20-15) so quickly, there was no time for the dish to get hot.

 

“The Dominator” did what he does best, shooting in on “The Colossus” and scoring the takedown which he then followed up with offensive shots to the head of his opponent, earning the technical knockout at 54-seconds of round one.

 

There’s not much doubt that Lashley moves inevitably closer to a title shot with the win and remains undefeated under the Bellator MMA banner. When he receives his title shot though, is yet to be seen.

 

More photos from Sanchez vs. Lawrence here

 

The opening fight of the main card at “Bellator 145: With a Vengeance” featured a competitive bout between two young, up-and-coming featherweights. In the end, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) took home a split decision over Justin Lawrence (7-3) with scores of (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

 

With the victory, “El Matador” has now notched two consecutives wins via split decision, while the defeat is Lawrence’s first under the Bellator MMA banner and likely sets up sets up a fight that will propel him to the

 

Preliminary Card Results:

Fazlo Mulabitinovic defeats Scott Ettling via submission (armbar) at 1:52 of round one

Kain Royer defeats Clay Mitchell via submission (kneebar) at 3:41 of round one

Rashard Lovelace (2-0) defeats Brandon Lowe (0-1) via TKO (strikes) at 2:07 of round one

Augusto Sakai (9-0) defeats Alex Huddleston (6-2) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Adam Meredith (4-1) defeats Jordan Dowdy (2-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:54 of round one

Kyle Kurtz (5-1) defeats Steven Mann (11-3) via submission (triangle choke) 2:59 of round one

Garrett Gross (7-4) defeats Jeff Crotty (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1) defeats Adam Cella (6-5) via TKO (Punches) at :35 of round three

Preliminary card photos here

In addition, three other announcements regarding “Bellator 149” were made this evening and those press releases can be found here.