Chris Gonzalez (6-0) defeated Roger Huerta (24-13-1) via submission (strikes) at 3:01 of round three
Jose Augusto (17-1) defeated Jonathan Wilson (9-3) via submission (head and arm choke) at 4:58 of round one
Roman Faraldo (5-0) defeated Trevor Gudde (2-2) via TKO 1:30 of round one
Jordan Newman (3-0) defeated Branko Busick (2-2) via TKO (strikes) at 2:30 of round two
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THE FINALS OF THE BELLATOR MMA FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX – CHAMPION PATRICIO “PITBULL” VS. #1-RANKED AJ MCKEE
Quotes:
Patricio “Pitbull:” “I am ready to fight AJ McKee right now, please just tell SHOWTIME, I will get in the cage and we can take care of this tomorrow.”
“I want to be the first man to defeat McKee, he has been opening his mouth about me for a very long time, this will be the biggest fight in BELLATOR history.”
AJ McKee: “Patricio Pitbull has been the man. Nothing against him. He’s got great accolades. I already said I’m going to be the champ-champ. For me, it’s the new era. He said my time is over. My time has just begun. We’ll see.
“It’s a fight the fans have wanted for the longest. On top of that, he’s underrated. He’s an outstanding champ. His accolades, his credentials, his record is phenomenal. But at the end of the day, nobody has a win over me. Nobody has a belt with my name on it and nobody is going to get a belt with my name on it.”
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
Exclusive Fight Content Includes Past Events, Highlights, And In-Depth Analysis of Featherweight And Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix
NEW YORK – MARCH 19, 2021 – BELLATOR MMAis launching on SHOWTIME on Friday, April 2 with BELLATOR MMA 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 followed by two consecutive Friday nights of live championship MMA fight action. In anticipation of the launch, SHOWTIME will air a collection of BELLATOR specials and fight replays across its distribution platforms to set the stage for the April 2 live event featuring the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal, as well as the beginning of the highly anticipated BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix set to begin on Friday, April 9 and Friday, April 16.
Starting this week, both SHOWTIME subscribers and non-subscribers have access to an exclusive collection of fights that have paved the way for the compelling upcoming matchups in each of these premier mixed martial arts tournaments featuring Patricio “Pitbull”, Emmanuel Sanchez, AJ McKee, Vadim Nemkov, Ryan Bader and more.
In addition, SHOWTIME Sports will present a pair of highlight-driven specials hosted by Morning Kombat’s Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas to preview the Pitbull vs. Sanchez featherweight semifinal and the start of the eight-man Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. Titled ROAD TO BELLATOR MMA, bothspecial programs will consist of highlights, analysis, and fight predictions, as SHOWTIME Sports’ dynamic combat sports duo prepares viewers for the live debut of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME.
ROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 will debut on Monday, March 22 while ROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix will premiere one week later on Monday, March 29 on the SHOWTIME Sports and BELLATOR MMA YouTube channels. Both programs also will be available to subscribers on all SHOWTIME On Demand platforms, on SHOWTIME EXTREME, as well as to SHOWTIME distributors for their free-on-demand and online portals.
On Saturday, March 27, a replay of BELLATOR MMA 253: Caldwell vs. McKeewill air on SHOWTIME at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The four-fight card, includingMcKee’s iconic “McKee-otine” finish over former BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Darrion Caldwell that propelled the young star into the Featherweight World Grand Prix Final, will also replay onSHOWTIME on Sunday, March 28 at 12 Midnight ET/PT, and again on Thursday, April 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
BELLATOR 253, along with several past events which featured the world-class fighters in the upcoming tournaments, will be scheduled on SHOWTIME EXTREME weeknights at 10 p.m. ET/PT and are now available on SHOWTIME On Demand platforms. Select events will be available for free to non-subscribers via SHOWTIME distributor platforms and on Pluto TV’s SHOWTIME Selects and BELLATOR MMA channels.
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 at SHO.com/BellatorMMA.
The following fight replays are scheduled for the weeks ahead as fans prepare for the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME:
·BELLATOR MMA 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho – (Original air date 11/12/2020)
· BELLATOR MMA 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson – (Original air date 11/05/2020)
· BELLATOR MMA 245: Davis vs. Machida 2 – (Original air date 09/11/2020)
· BELLATOR MMA 244: Bader vs. Nemkov – (Original air date 08/21/2020)
· BELLATOR MMA 222: MacDonald vs. Gracie – (Original air date 06/14/2019)
· BELLATOR MMA 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch – (Original air date 04/27/2019)
· BELLATOR MMA 214: Fedor vs. Bader – (Original air date 01/26/2019)
· BELLATOR MMA 186: Bader vs. Vassell – (Original air date 11/03/2017)
· Plus, two individual bouts from BELLATOR MMA 209: – (Original air date 11/16/2018)
MEDIA MEMBERS TO VOTE ON TOP 10 COMPETITORS IN NINE WEIGHT CLASSES, AS WELL AS MEN’S & WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND LISTS
INITIAL RANKINGS SET TO BE RELEASED IN ADVANCE OF BELLATOR’S APRIL DEBUT ON SHOWTIME®
LOS ANGELES – Bellator MMA™ is pleased to announce the organization will implement an official fighter rankings system for each of its weight classes, in addition to a pound-for-pound list for both the men’s and women’s divisions, in the coming weeks. The official Bellator MMA Fighter Rankings will be determined by a 15-person voting panel, comprised exclusively of members of the MMA media.
“This is the greatest roster in the history of Bellator,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “As we continue to sign the top free agents in the sport and see the success of young prospects inside the Bellator cage, we felt that the time was right to introduce official fighter rankings. We are always looking at ways to improve our product and this adds a new and exciting aspect to the organization that will have a significant impact on how fans watch Bellator. Every division is competitive, every matchup is important, and we are set for several potential blockbusters as we begin a new year on Showtime.”
Votes will be cast for eligible fighters following each Bellator live event and final results will be made public. To ensure transparency, the tabulation of votes will be overseen solely by a third-party company, Combat Registry.
The initial rankings will be released in the days leading up to Bellator’s return to action and debut on SHOWTIME® Friday, April 2 with Bellator 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 at 9 p.m. ET.
Information detailing fighter eligibility, as well as additional voting criteria, is listed below:
Divisional Rankings:
Top 10 fighter rankings will be voted on in nine Bellator MMA weight classes, in addition to two pound-for-pound lists.
Champions of each division will be automatically assigned to the Champions slot atop the rankings.
Fighters in seven men’s divisions will be ranked, including:
Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Bantamweight
Fighters in two women’s divisions will be ranked, including:
Featherweight
Flyweight
Two pound-for-pound lists will be voted on, including:
Men’s
Women’s
New Fighter Eligibility:
A fighter must have competed once inside the Bellator cage on a current term with the company to be eligible.
Inactivity:
A fighter is eligible to be ranked for up to 15-months without competing.
Retirement
A fighter remains eligible for 60 days after an indication of retirement, with the organization ultimately determining if the fighter remains active and eligible.
Multiple Weight Classes:
A fighter is allowed to be actively ranked in two different weight classes and is eligible to be ranked in an additional weight class once they have competed at least once in that division.
A fighter must actively compete in each weight class – a period of inactivity longer than 15 months in a given weight class will result in the removal from that specific weight class, but not necessarily from another division or the overall rankings pool.
With the exception being that a fighter is actively participating in a World Grand Prix tournament in a different weight class.
Removal/Ineligibility:
A fighter serving a non-medical suspension from an overseeing regulatory body and/or the organization for longer than six months will be removed from rankings eligibility. A fighter will remain eligible with a suspension of six months or fewer.
Fighter Rankings Pool:
The final list of eligible fighters, and the weight classes in which they are eligible to be ranked, will ultimately be determined by the organization.
Voting Frequency:
New Bellator rankings will only be voted on after every event, regardless of frequency.
Votes will be due the Monday following a Bellator live event.
First-Place Votes:
Each rankings period will reveal how many number one contender votes each fighter received.
Voting Tabulation:
Tabulation of votes will be handled exclusively by Combat Registry, a third-party independent of Bellator MMA.
Voting Panel:
Bellator fighter rankings will be voted on exclusively by media members within the MMA industry.
In no capacity, will Bellator staff, athletes, talent or other organization personnel participate in voting.
The inaugural voting panel will include the following members of the media:
Jeff Cain – MMA Weekly
Brian Campbell – CBS Sports
Rodrigo Del Campo – Claro Sports
Rob DeMello – KHON Hawaii
Jason Floyd – The MMA Report
George Garcia – MMA Junkie
Amy Kaplan – FanSided
Nolan King – MMA Junkie
John Hyon Ko – South China Morning Post
Mark LaMonica – Newsday
Igor Lazarin – TASS Russia
Shakiel Mahjouri – Fightful MMA
Joe McDonagh – Cageside Press
John Morgan – MMA Junkie
Ken Pishna – MMA Weekly
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Main Card: Patricio “Pitbull” (31-4) defeated Pedro Carvalho (11-4) via KO (punch) at 2:10 of round one Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) defeated Logan Storley (11-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) defeated Daniel Weichel (40-12) via unanimous decision (48-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Preliminary Card: Aaron Pico (7-3) defeated John de Jesus (13-9) via KO (punch) at 4:12 of round two Keri Taylor Melendez (5-0) defeated Emilee King (4-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:02 of round one Manny Muro (12-6) defeated Devin Powell (10-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Jornel Lugo (5-0) defeated Schyler Sootho (4-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Lucas Brennan (4-0) defeated Andrew Salas (6-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) Roman Faraldo (4-0) defeated Pat Casey (6-4) via (TKO) punches at 2:30 of round two Trevor Gudde (2-1) defeated Khonry Gracie (2-2) via TKO (knee) at 3:28 of round three
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
Bellator 250:Mousasivs. LimaMain Card: Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2) defeated Douglas Lima (32-8) via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) Henry Corrales (18-5) defeated Brandon Girtz (16-10) via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27) Dalton Rosta (4-0) defeated Ty Gwerder (5-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card: Jake Hager (3-0, 1 NC) defeated Brandon Calton (2-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Sabah Homasi (14-8) defeated Bobby Voelker (33-14) via knockout (punches) at :20 of round two Johnny Eblen (7-0) defeated Taylor Johnson (6-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Adam Borics (15-1) defeated Erick Sanchez (9-6) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Cody Law (1-0) defeated Orlando Ortega (0-1) via submission (D’Arce Choke) at 2:41 of round one
LOS ANGELES – On Thursday, December 10, Bellator MMA presents a long-awaited world title bout featuring a clash of undefeated flyweights, as champIlima-Lei Macfarlane(11-0) defends her 125-pound championship belt against Brazil’s Juliana Velasquez (10-0) at Bellator 254. The event airs live on CBS Sports Network from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
CBS Sports Network will air Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez LIVE in all U.S. markets, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Returning to the Bellator cage for the first time since a victory over Kate Jackson in her hometown of Honolulu last December, Macfarlane will look to continue her dominance over Bellator’s elite woman’s flyweight division as she defends her title against Julianna Velasquez on December 10. The inaugural Bellator flyweight champion, Macfarlane enters the contest with a perfect professional record of 11-0, including eight coming by way of stoppage. Adding to her impressive resume, “The Ilimanator” has the most victories amongst women in the Bellator cage (10) and has no plans of slowing down, as she seeks to add to her legacy inside the cage with her fifth successful title defense at Bellator 254. With a professional record of 10-0, Rio de Janeiro’s Juliana Velasquez looks to remain perfect in her first chance at Bellator gold. The black belt judoka will attempt to become the second women’s flyweight champion in Bellator history when she looks to extend her promotional winning streak to six. With prior stoppage wins over Rebecca Ruth and Kristina Williams, Velasquez also defeated former 125-pound title challenger Alejandra Lara en route to her upcoming title shot. Much like Macfarlane, the 34-year-old Team Nogueira-product will be competing for the first time in 2020, nearly a year removed from her Bellator 236 unanimous decisionvictory over Bruna Ellen.
Updated Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez Main Card: CBS Sports Network | DAZN
Flyweight World Title Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0) vs. Juliana Velasquez (10-0)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
Bellator 249: Cyborg vs.BlencoweMain Card: Cris “Cyborg” (23-2) defeated Arlene Blencowe(13-8) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:46 of round two Leandro Higo (20-5) defeated Ricky Bandejas(13-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:32 of round two Steve Mowry (8-0) defeated Shawn Teed (6-3-1) via TKO at 4:22 of round one Saad Awad (23-13, 1 NC) and Mandel Nallo(7-1, 1 NC) ended in a no contest (unintentional low blow) Preliminary Card: Andrew Kapel(16-7) defeated Joseph Creer(7-2-1) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage – cut) at 5:00 of round two Kemran Lachinov(10-2) defeated Kyle Crutchmer(6-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Christian Edwards(4-0) defeated Hamza Salim(5-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:38 of round two Da’mon Blackshear (8-3) defeated Mike Kimbel (3-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:14 of round two Aviv Gozali(5-0) defeated Logan Neal(1-1) via submission (kimura) at 3:22 of round one Albert Gonzales(2-2) defeated Kastriot Xhema(3-5, 1 NC) via TKO (fighter retirement) at 5:00 of round two
CHAMP PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ DEFENDS HIS TITLE IN QUARTERFINAL MATCHUP AGAINST PEDRO CARVALHO, WHILE DANIEL WEICHEL FACES EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
PLUS, DARRION CALDWELL MEETS UNDEFEATED AJ MCKEE IN SEMIFINALS ON NOV. 19
LOS ANGELES — The Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix resumes Thursday, Nov. 12 with two quarterfinal matchups set to take place, as champ Patricio “Pitbull” (30-14) defends his title against Pedro Carvalho (11-3), while Daniel Weichel (40-11) and Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) square off in a battle of former title contenders. Additionally, the first semifinal bout is set for Thursday, Nov. 19, when former titleholder Darrion Caldwell(15-3) squares off with undefeated AJ McKee(16-0) for a spot in the tournament finals. All the action airs LIVE on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
In the main event of Bellator 252 on Nov. 12, fans will see a featherweight world title bout with two-division Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” defending his 145-pound crown against SBG Ireland’s Carvalho. In addition to the five-round championship headliner, a second Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal will go down, as two former title challengers in Weichel and Sanchez meet again following a razor-thin split decision-victory for Weichel in 2016. The winners of these two bouts can expect to see each other in the next semifinal matchup.
The Bellator 253 headliner on Nov. 19 sees former bantamweight world champion Caldwell go toe-to-toe with rising prospect McKee on the other side of the bracket in the first semifinal. The winner earns a guaranteed spot in the finals and a shot at the Bellator world title and a chance to take home one million dollars.
All three Featherweight World Grand Prix bouts were initially slated to take place at the postponed Bellator 241 and Bellator 244 events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic effectively putting the yearlong tournament on hiatus.
CBS Sports Network will air Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho and Bellator 253: Caldwell vs. McKee LIVE in all U.S. markets at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Hailing from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, two-time featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” will enter the Bellator cage for a promotional record 23rd time on Nov. 12. With impressive wins to his credit over Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus (x3), Daniel Weichel (x2) and Pat Curran, the 33-year old continues on in the Featherweight World Grand Prix not far removed from his lightweight championship victory in May of last year. Having earned a finish in 21 of his 30 wins as a professional, the simultaneous two-division champion most recently bested current bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta on the scorecards in an exciting opening round World Grand Prix matchup and fans can certainly expect more fireworks when he finally sets his sights on Carvalho.
Portuguese submission specialist Pedro Carvalho will be entering the Bellator cage for just the fifth time in his eight-year professional career, looking for his seventh consecutive victory and his first world title victory. With victories in nine of his last 11 contests, including against DerekCampos, DanielCrawfordand a face crank-submission over Sam Sicilia in the opening round, the 25-year-old SBG Ireland-product is on the cusp of greatness – and winning the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix would be the perfect way to solidify it.
With over 50 professional fights to his name, Germany’s Daniel Weichel is ready to make his 2020 debut in a highly anticipated World Grand Prix quarterfinal bout with Sanchez, a fighter Weichel got the better of four years ago at Bellator 159. Following his Bellator debut in 2014, “Drake” has enjoyed an impressive promotional mark of 9-3, including pivotal victories over Sanchez, Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan and Saul Rogers.
On the heels of yet another masterful performance that ended in a submission victory over Tywan Claxton in the opening round of the World Grand Prix, “El Matador” is ready for another title run as he prepares for the 50-fight veteran and the man who beat him once before, Daniel Weichel. Since joining forces with Bellator in 2014, the Milwaukee, Wisc.-resident has collected 11 victories over a 14-fight stint, including key wins over the likes of Claxton, Daniel Straus, Marcos Galvao and Georgi Karakhanyan (2x).
Having needed just one round to put away his last opponent via submission in the quarterfinals of the World Grand Prix, Darrion Caldwell is on a mission to regain Bellator gold. “The Wolf,” a former North Carolina State University NCAA National Champion wrestler, has looked unstoppable since moving up to the featherweight division, having defeated Adam Borics, as well as Henry Corrales in the opening round of the tournament. Now, the former bantamweight champ sits only two victories away from holding a title in his second division – a feat very few athletes can claim.
Touted by ESPN as the best fighter in MMA under the age of 25, AJ McKee looks to back up the lofty expectations often held by the public for second generations-athletes. Undefeated in his career, “The Mercenary” has made himself known to the world through his flashy persona and trash talk, but most importantly, his work inside the Bellator cage. With every one of his pro bouts taking place with Bellator, the Long Beach-native can achieve what he set out to do beginning at Bellator 146 in 2015 and become world champion with just two more wins.
Also announced for Bellator 252…is a third main card bout featuring the always-exciting Aaron Pico (6-3) of Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., who returns for his second appearance inside Bellator’s “FightSphere, having previously defeated Solo Hatley Jr. in impressive fashion at Bellator 242. He will take on Pittsburgh’s John de Jesus (13-8), who was most recently victorious at Bellator 244 against Vladyslav Parubchenko, in what promises to an explosive featherweight contest.
For further information, please visit Bellator.com.
Updated Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Fight Card: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. ET Featherweight World Title Bout/FWGP Quarterfinal:Patricio “Pitbull”Freire (30-4) vs. Pedro Carvalho (11-3) Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal: Daniel Weichel (40-11) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) Featherweight Main Card Bout: Aaron Pico (6-3) vs. John de Jesus (13-8)
Updated Bellator 253: Caldwell vs. McKee Fight Card: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. ET Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal:Darrion Caldwell (15-3) vs. AJ McKee (16-0)
MASSIVE EVENT AIRS LIVE ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK THURSDAY, NOV. 5
LOS ANGELES – Bellator MMA is back in primetime on Thursday, Nov. 5 with a card headlined by an exciting battle featuring one of the promotion’s newest free agent acquisitions in Corey Anderson (13-5), who will make his highly anticipated Bellator debut against Dutch combat sports legend Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1, 2 NC) in the stacked light heavyweight division. The action emanates from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., where Bellator has held all its domestic shows since the promotion’s return to live events.
CBS Sports Network will air Bellator 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson LIVE in all U.S. markets, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Legendary Dutch fighter Melvin Manhoef is one of the most feared and violent striking specialists in all of combat sports. With 29 of his 32 career victories coming by way of knockout, “No Mercy” boasts one of the highest knockout percentage rates of any MMA fighter with at least 15 victories. Manhoef has collected victories over iconic names in the sport, including Mark Hunt and Kazushi Sakuraba, throughout an illustrious career dating back to 1995, when he earned the first of many knockout victories at only 18 years of old. After stacking together two consecutive victories, including a TKO over Yannick Bahati in his last outing, Manhoef looks to spoil the much-hyped Bellator debut of Anderson in the main event of Bellator 251.
Rockford, Illinois’ Corey Anderson joined Bellator’s light heavyweight division this past August after opting to depart the UFC. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 19 was ranked fourth in the UFC’s 205-pound division at the time of his departure, having defeated top opponents, including current champion Jan Blachowicz, Johnny Walker, Ilir Latifi and Glover Teixeira. Prior to honing his MMA under world-renowned BJJ ace Ricardo Almeida, the 31-year-old became a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler and earned his degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. “Overtime” will look to ascend to the top of a crowded Bellator light heavyweight class that includes champion Vadim Nemkov, Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida, newcomer Christian Edwards and former LFA champ Alex Polizzi.
Updated Bellator 251: Manhoefvs. Anderson Fight Card: CBS Sports Network Light Heavyweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1, 2 NC) vs. Corey Anderson (13-5)
BELLATOR 247, HEADLINED BY PAUL DALEY AGAINST DEREK ANDERSON, AIRS LIVE THURSDAY, OCT. 1 AT 4 P.M. ET PRELIM BOUTS TO STREAM ON CBSSPORTS.COM
LOS ANGELES – Bellator MMA has today confirmed the full fight card for Bellator 247: Daley vs. Anderson, which takes place Thursday, Oct. 1 at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy.
Bellator 247: Daley vs. Anderson kicks off the new partnership between Bellator MMA and CBS Sports Network, which will air the event LIVE Thursday, Oct. 1 (4 p.m. ET) from Italy’s fashion capital. Beginning with this event, CBS Sports Network will televise Bellator MMA events, both domestic and international, LIVE in all U.S. markets, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel.
In addition to the exciting welterweight main event between veteran Paul Daley (42-17-2) and Derek Anderson(16-3, 1 NC), three other main card bouts are now confirmed, with the additions of Norbert Novenyi Jr. (5-0) taking on Laid Zerhouni (7-5) at middleweight, a flyweight matchup between former title challenger Kate Jackson (11-4-1) and current Bellator Kickboxing flyweight champion Denise Kielholtz(5-2), as well as a lightweight contest pitting Ilias Bulaid(2-0) against Ivan Naccari (Pro Debut) in an explosive opening bout.
On the preliminary card, Ireland’s Brian Moore (12-7) will make his return to the Bellator cage following injury against Italy’s Simone D’anna (7-2) at 145-pounds. Also, four welterweight bouts are official, when undefeated Justin Burlinson(5-0) faces fellow unbeaten foe Bobby Pallett (5-0), Lewis Long(17-6) meets former Bellator headliner Gianni Melillo (13-5), Walter Gahadza(18-5) returns against the undefeated Uros Jurisic (10-0) and Kywan Gracie(1-0) continues his young MMA career against Moldova’s Constantin Gnusariev(3-0-1).
Originally slated to face Liz Carmouche prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, flyweight Mandy Bohm(6-0, 1 NC) gets a new assignment and welcomes Griet Eeckhout (5-3-1) to the Bellator cage in the first of two women’s preliminary bouts at Bellator 247: Daley vs. Anderson. The second pits Jade Jorandagainst Monika Tochlikova in an atomweight contest that will serve as both fighters’ professional debuts.
Additionally, two Bellator veterans welcome two new athletes to the Bellator cage, when Lee Chadwick(25-15-1) goes to battle with London Shootfighters-product Ederson Cristian Macedo(10-5) at light heavyweight and SBG Ireland’s Blaine O’Driscoll (8-3) tests his skills against France’s Salah Elkas (6-6) in a flyweight affair. Lastly, a 160-pound contract weight bout has been booked, as undefeated Chris Duncan(6-0) meets Iamik Furtado (6-3).
A proud Hungarian, Norbert Novenyi Jr. enters the Oct. 1 contest boasting a perfect professional mark of 5-0, including a trio of submissions and two first-round finishes. The middleweight will be making his fourth appearance for Bellator MMA, collecting decisive wins in each of the previous three contests. Another decisive finish at Bellator 247 could place the London Shootfighters-product into the mix at the top of the 185-pound division. Hailing from Montpellier, France, Zerhouni will be making his first appearance of 2020 and first fight on a Bellator card, where he will be searching for his fourth win over his last five fights. With each of his five career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, including four in the opening round, the 24-year-old finisher will look for yet another early stoppage in the co-main event of Bellator 247.
Fighting out of Amsterdam, 31-year-old Denise Kielholtz will be making her second MMA appearance of her 2020 campaign and seventh since joining Bellator MMA in 2017. With 47 career kickboxing wins, including a Bellator Kickboxing women’s flyweight championship, the multi-dimensional Dutch Muay Thai fighter hopes to extend her current three-fight winning streak when she enters the cage in Milan. “Miss Dynamite” also enters the contest riding a successful streak that includes five victories in six contests, highlighted by a trio of first-round finishes. With victories in four of her past six contests and nine of her last 12, Kate Jackson comes into the bout riding one of the hottest streaks in the women’s flyweight division. Hailing from Cornwall, England, the former Bellator flyweight No. 1-contender will be looking to add to her six career knockouts, a total that includes five in the first round. The 34-year-old Jackson is hoping a win over Kielholtz puts her right back into the 125-pound world title conversation.
Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (42-17-2) vs Derek Anderson (16-3, 1 NC)
Middleweight Co-Main Event: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (5-0) vs. Laid Zerhouni (7-5)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Kate Jackson (11-4-1) vs. Denise Kielholtz (5-2)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Ilias Bulaid (2-0) vs. Ivan Naccari (Pro Debut)
Preliminary Card:
CBSSports.com | Bellator MMA’s YouTube Channel
12:15 p.m. ET
Featherweight Bout: Brian Moore (12-7) vs. Simone D’anna (7-2) Welterweight Bout: Justin Burlinson (5-0) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0) Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (17-6) vs. Gianni Melillo (13-5) Flyweight Bout: Mandy Bohm (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Griet Eeckhout (5-3-1)
160-pound Contract Weight Bout: Chris Duncan (6-0) vs. Iamik Furtado (6-3) Welterweight Bout:Walter Gahadza (18-5) vs. Uros Jurisic (10-0) Welterweight Bout:Kywan Gracie (1-0) vs. Constantin Gnusariev (3-0-1) Light Heavyweight Bout: Lee Chadwick (25-15-1) vs. Ederson Cristian Macedo (10-5) Flyweight Bout: Blaine O’Driscoll (8-3) vs. Salah Elkas (6-6) Atomweight Bout: Jade Jorand (Pro Debut) vs. Monika Tochlikova (Pro Debut)
