בעללאַטאָר 263TAKES PLACE AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY, יולי 31 – לעבן אויף שאָוטיים®
TICKETS FOR THIS MASSIVE EVENT GO ON SALE TOMORROW ATBELLATOR.COM
לאס אנדזשעלעס— And then there were two…
What began with 16 featherweight athletes vying for a one-million-dollar grand prize and the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship has been narrowed to the greatest BELLATOR athlete in the history of the promotionפּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל (32-4) and the company’s best-ever homegrown fighter in No. 1 ראַנגקטAJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, יולי 31 בייַ די פאָרום אין ינגלעוואָאָד, קאַליף., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
בעללאַטאָר 263: פּיטבולל ווס. מאַקיairs live on SHOWTIME at 10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, יוני 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com with a pre-sale taking place on Thursday.
“This is without a doubt going to be the biggest BELLATOR fight of all time,” said BELLATOR President Scott Coker. “AJ McKee has been calling for a shot at Pitbull’s title since his very first professional victory inside our cage six years ago. Now he’s finally getting the opportunity to realize his dream of becoming a world champion against the winningest fighter in BELLATOR history. For Pitbull a win over McKee in this tournament final would be a statement piece to add to his long list of accolades and legacy as the best 145-pounder on the planet.”
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable record of 32-4 with wins over elite competition including the likes ofפּאַט קורראַן, Juan Archuleta, דניאל וועיטשעל (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. אַדדיטיאָנאַללי, he was able to capture the Lightweight World Championship in a 2019 contest opposite Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. מיט 23 finishes in 36 פאַכמאַן פיגהץ, Pitbull has shown time and time again that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
With a perfect record of 17-0, AJ McKee has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut at the ripe age of 20-years-old. With an even six knockouts and six submissions, the now-26-year-old McKee has shown a knack for securing finishes—and fast—with nine coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every man who has opposed him including former champions Pat Curran, געאָרגי קאַראַכאַניאַן, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted most-recently with a rare, modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” Finally, the Long Beach native will face the man he has called for since signing with BELLATOR, as he takes on Patricio Pitbull in the much-anticipated Featherweight World Grand Prix Final.
The preliminary portion of the event streams live at 7 פּ.ם. עט / 4 פּ.ם. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, as well as Pluto TV and features former featherweight title challenger and No. 2 ראַנגקטעממאַנועל סאַנטשעז(20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 ראַנגקטMads Burnell(15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 ראַנגקטMagomed “Tiger” Magomedov(18-1) און ניט קיין. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots(16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeatedUsman Nurmagomedov (12-0) קעגןManny Muro(12-6).
DOUGLAS LIMA DEFENDS WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST NO. 1 RANKED YAROSLAV AMOSOV IN MAIN EVENT
לאס אנדזשעלעס– BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card forBELLATOR MMA 260: Lima ווס. Amosovאויףפרייַטיק, יוני 11 ביי מאָהעגאַן זון אַרענאַ. The event is the promotion’s first show in America with fans in attendance since the start of the pandemic and airs LIVE on SHOWTIME at9 פּ.ם. עט / 6 פּ.ם. פּט.
BELLATOR’s 170-pound kingpinדאָוגלאַס לימאַ(32-8) returns to the welterweight division to put his title on the line against undefeated and No. 1 ראַנגקטYaroslav Amosov (25-0) in a must-watch main event clash.
אין דערצו צו די כעדליינער, the entirety of theבעללאַטאָר 260 main card on SHOWTIME is stacked, including a 175-pound contract weight co-main event pitting legendary No. 6 ranked welterweightפאולוס דיילי (43-17-2) against the streaking No. 3 ranked welterweightJason Jackson(14-4). אויך, a featherweight feature fight between the hard-hitting No. 6 ראַנגקט אהרן פּיקאָ (7-3) versus Birmingham’sAiden Lee(9-4) and a welterweight showdown betweenDemarques Jackson (11-5) און Mark Lemminger (9-0, 1 נק). The newly announced fifth and final main card bout features a showdown between No. 10 ראַנגקט Vanessa Porto (5-3) and Pitbull Brothers-productIlara Joanne (9-5) in a 128-pound contract weight bout.
The preliminary card is locked in with six action-packed fights, highlighted by a featherweight battle between No. 9 ראַנגקטTywan Claxton(6-2) און די ונדעפעאַטעדJustin Gonzales(11-0), who is making his BELLATOR debut. דערווייַל, hometown hero and fan-favoriteניק נואַל(16-3) is set to square off againstBobby King (9-3) in a lightweight bout and 20-year-old phenomLucas Brennan(4-0) prepares for a 150-pound contract weight clash withMatthew Skibicki (4-3). אויך, two-time NCAA All-American wrestling standoutKyle Crutchmer (6-1) will take on undefeated welterweightLevan Chokheli (9-0, 1 נק) to cap off this stacked preliminary card.
אַלעBELLATOR 260prelims will stream live at6 פּ.ם. ET/3 p.m. פּטon the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMA. Subscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 און ווייַטער פון, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 פּ.ם. עט / 6 פּ.ם. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR BELLATOR’S FIRST FAN-ATTENDED EVENT STATESIDE IN OVER A YEAR
לאס אנדזשעלעס— Today, BELLATOR MMA confirmed that No. 6 ראַנגקט פעאַטהערוועיגהטאהרן פּיקאָ (7-3) has been added to theBELLATOR MMA 260: Lima ווס. Amosovmain card on Friday, יוני 11, where he will oppose grappling aceAiden Lee(9-4), in a 145-pound bout. The fight will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, קאַן. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9 פּ.ם. עט / 6 פּ.ם. פּט.
בעללאַטאָר 260will be headlined by welterweight world championדאָוגלאַס לימאַ(32-8), who will defend his 170-pound title against the undefeated and top-rankedYaroslav Amosov(25-0).
The event marks BELLATOR’s first fan-attended event in the United States sinceבעללאַטאָר 239took place on February 21, 2020. A limited number of tickets starting at $60 are available now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at Bellator.com.
Since his professional MMA debut in 2017, Aaron Pico has widely been considered one of the brightest prospects in the sport. The Jackson Wink fighter has showcased a wrestling acumen that stacks up with the best in the world, coupled with vicious punching power that has earned him stunning KO victories with both his left and right hand. The 24-year-old has shown steady growth each time out in the BELLATOR cage and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.
Fighting for the first time on American soil, the 26-year-old Lee looks to secure his third straight victory inside the BELLATOR cage. An underrated submission specialist, the Englishman earned his fourth career victory via rear-naked choke against Damian Frankiewicz and a stunning head-kick knockout against Jeremy Petley in the first round of their matchup last September.
אַדדיטיאָנאַללי, a welterweight fight between BELLATOR veteranKyle Crutchmer (6-1) and promotional debutantLevan Chokheli(9-0, 1 נק) has been added as a preliminary bout. Crutchmer, who trains out of AKA in San Jose, wrestled at Oklahoma State University, where he became a two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 מייַסטער. דערווייַל, Chokheli looks to keep his record flawless while making a sound first impression in his BELLATOR debut. The 24-year-old Georgian boasts an impressive 100% finishing rate, having never seen the final bell in all nine of his fights.
Also added to the preliminary card,“The Boogeyman,"Lance Wright(5-1) will be making his BELLATOR debut after an impressive showing on the American regional scene. He will be tasked with fightingTaylor “Tombstone” Johnson (6-2), a two-fight veteran of the BELLATOR cage.
All prelims will stream live at5:30 פּ.ם. ET/2:30 פּ.ם. פּטon the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Full bout listings are below.
NEW YORK – MAY 19, 2021 -BELLATOR MMA, a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring the world’s most dominant combat sports athletes, is set to welcome back fans in attendance to watch live events beginning with BELLATOR 260: Lima ווס. Amosovאויף פרייטאג, יוני 11, and BELLATOR 261: זשאנסאן ווס. Moldavskyאויףפרייַטיק, יוני 25, בייַ די מאָהעגאַן Sun אַרענאַ אין ונקאַסוויללע, קאַן. Both events will be televised live on SHOWTIME®.
To amplify the anticipated return to fan-attended events, BELLATOR has tapped Elevate Sports Ventures, an innovative and resourceful sports and entertainment marketing firm, to support sponsorship, premium and ticket sales strategies for the internationally renowned mixed martial arts brand.
A limited number tickets starting at $60 will be made available beginning this Friday, מייַ 21 for BELLATOR 260: Lima ווס. Amosovand BELLATOR 261: זשאנסאן ווס. Moldavskyfor purchase at Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.
Elevate’s integration comes on the heels of BELLATOR MMA’s move to its new exclusive U.S. television partner, שאָוטיים, which began televising the promotion’s events in April. The sports agency additionally will support BELLATOR’s marketing, operational and routing strategies for events moving forward.
“We are very excited to be getting into business with Elevate,” said BELLATOR MMA President Scott Coker. “They bring a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to the table with a proven track record of providing consistent results for top professional sports franchises, leagues and events. It feels like our family just got bigger, and I am confident that this new relationship will lead to the continued growth of the BELLATOR brand.”
“At Elevate, we are inspired by BELLATOR’s ambition to meaningfully connect and engage with current and new fans, and aggressively route new live events to its diverse, global fanbase,” said Elevate Sports Ventures Chairman and CEO Al Guido.
Following this Friday’s BELLATOR 259: Cyborg vs. סמיט 2, BELLATOR MMA will have hosted 16 events without spectators in attendance at Mohegan Sun Arena during the COVID-19 pandemic. דערצו, the promotion held three cards in Milan, איטאליע, and a historic night of fights in Paris, which marked the first time a major MMA promotion held an event in France.
Elevate will leverage its “Insights” vertical, utilizing industry-leading data and analytics practices, to generate smarter sponsorship, premium and ticket-sales targets and strategies, including producing data-driven fan profile analysis, product and pricing strategies, lead-scoring modeling and more for BELLATOR MMA’s front office, global brand and future live events.
For more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, באַזוכןBELLATOR.com.