Tag Archives: Brian Rogers

JOSH THOMSON STOPS PABLO VILLASECA IN ‘BELLATOR 147’ HEADLINER

 

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

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING SIGNS ADAM WARD AND ANDREAS SPANG

LAS VEGAS (July 15, 2015) –World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has expanded its roster again with the signing of two new athletes – red-hot featherweight (145 pounds) Adam Ward and battle-tested,  light heavyweight (205 pounds) finisher Andreas “Sweet Swede” Spang– to exclusive, multi-fight agreements.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adam and Andreas – two aggressive and exciting competitors whose respective careers are on the upswing – to the rapidly expanding WSOF roster of world-class talent,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.

Ward’s and Spang’s WSOF debuts will be announced soon.

The 29-year-old Ward (15-6) of Chicago, Ill. is a versatile and prolific competitor who is in the midst of a six-fight winning streak dating back to Sept. 27, 2013 when the Gilbert Grappling team member made quick work of Pedro Velasco, submitting Velasco with a rear-naked choke in just 46 seconds.

In his last start, Ward earned a unanimous decision over Strikeforce veteran Rey “The Warrior” Trujillo.

Spang (9-3) is a 36-year-old native of Sweden who resides in Las Vegas and trains under “One Kick” Nick Blomgren.  A former amateur boxer who amassed a career record of 15-5, Spang also dabbled in professional kickboxing where he went 1-0 for the once great Japanese kickboxing promotion, K-1.

To date, Spang’s best conquest is perhaps his second round (3:34) KO (punch) of Brian “The Professional  Predator” Rogers on April 20, 2012.  When he enters the WSOF cage for the first time, Spang will be looking to notch his second straight win after earning a unanimous decision over J.A. Dudley on Dec. 5, 2014.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

Three-for-one, Wednesday Matinee

“Bellator MMA: Uncut” returns with a focus on this past week’s “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” card. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the main card competitors before and after they go to war inside the cage. The eight minute video showcases all the hard work and personal sacrifice these individuals put into their craft.

 

Arguably one of the best fights on the “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” card didn’t air on television, but instead took place during the preliminary portion of the event. Joey Beltran shined in his middleweight debut against Brian Rogers in a fight that featured a little bit of everything including a ferocious slugfest, a comeback as well as a showcase of toughness and will all rolled into one.

 

In addition, our post-lims featured Chad George’s finish of Mark Vorgeas with a Von Flue choke, making it only the second time in Bellator history this technique was used to end a fight.

The two fights took place on the Spike.com-streamed preliminary card of “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which aired this past Friday night during a Spike telecast that peaked with over 900K viewers.

EASY TWEETS:

Relive the oohs and aahs from last Fridays #BellatorMMA event with #BellatorUncut https://youtu.be/e26WvI7Eczk

.@Mexicutioner760 looked to be the first fighter to win in 3 different weight classes. In his way: @BRogthePredator! #Bellator136 https://youtu.be/l6L_acDCNd8

Watch hometown scrapper @Savage135’s rare Von Flue choke win from last Friday’s #Bellator136! https://youtu.be/XttOuAopLRA

 

Click on the images below to view the videos

 

 

WILL BROOKS RETAINS TITLE IN A STATEMENT 5-ROUND VICTORY

DSC_1699Bellator / Eric Coleman – Select Fight Photos / Scorecards

 

IRVINE, Calif. (April 10, 2015) – An energetic Southern Californian crowd was on hand tonight at the Bren Event Center enjoying a spectacular night of fights at Bellator 136.

 

With celebrities and MMA legends the likes of Tommy Lasorda, Charlie Hough, Jermaine Dye, Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Don Frye and Frank Shamrock cageside, the Scott Coker-led promotion emphatically returned to the arena for the first time since its debut on Spike at Bellator 85.

 

In addition to a lightweight title fight in the main event, 12 other exciting contests helped continue the trend of exciting cards on Spike TV thus far in 2015.

 

It took the full five rounds, but Will Brooks (16-1) made the first defense of his Bellator Lightweight strap, defeating Dave Jansen (20-3) via unanimous decision [49-46, 49-46, 49-46]. After a clear cut opening frame that saw “The Fugitive” surprise “Ill Will” with his explosive kicking and punching, Brooks slowly turned the tide in his favor, slowing the pace and using his world renown grappling to remain the 155-pound kingpin.

 

“Dave Jansen is exactly what people consider him to be,” said Brooks.  “He’s got that warrior spirit and he’s really intelligent. He fought hard, I just fought harder.  I’m still young in this sport, and there were definitely a lot of things that I wanted to do in the fight that he neutralized.  I’m looking to stay busy and get back to putting on exciting fights for the fans.”

 

After 15 minutes of co-main event action, Rafael Carvalho improved to 11-1, earning a split decision win [28-29, 30-27, 29-28] against Joe Schilling (2-4). The young Brazilian slowed the fight down throughout, nullifying the striking of “Stitch Em’ Up.” One judge did see the fight in favor of the world champion kickboxer, but it wasn’t enough as Schilling drops to .500 inside the Bellator cage.

 

In a battle of submission specialists, Marcin Held (21-3) finished Tiger Sarnavskiy (30-3) via verbal submission caused by a knee bar at 1:11 of round three. With the win, Held has now won 12 of his 21 professional fights via submission.

 

The first televised scrap of the evening featured heavyweights Tony Johnson (8-2) and Alexander Volkov (6-1). After three grueling rounds, “The Hulk” remained undefeated in the Bellator cage. Johnson was awarded a [29-28, 28-29, 29-28] split decision. Overall it was the wrestling of Johnson that earned him the victory. Now, Johnson returns home to his two daughters and fiancée, where he doubles as a self-proclaimed “Mr. Mom.”

 

Joey Beltran (16-11) bounced back from a lackluster opening round to take rounds two and three, ultimately defeating Brian Rogers (11-8) via majority decision [28-28, 29-28, 29-27]. “The Mexicutioner” impressed in his Bellator MMA middleweight debut, while “The Predator” has dropped four of five scraps.

Saad Awad (18-6) handed Rob Sinclair (12-3) the third loss of his career, earning a unanimous decision [30-27, 30-27, 30-37]. With the win, Awad moves even closer to a trilogy fight with lightweight champion Will Brooks.

 

In the opening bout of the evening, John Teixeira (18-1-2) defeated Fabricio Guerreiro (20-4) via split decision [29-28, 28-29, 29-28]. Guerreiro has now dropped two of his last three bouts, while “Macapa” has won three straight.

 

AJ McKee (1-0) made a successful professional debut on Friday night, finishing Marcos Bonilla (1-2) with a deep rear-naked choke at 2:08 round one. The contingent that remained after the main card was heavily in favor of the Long Beach, Calif., native.

 

Chad George (16-8) finished Mark Vorgeas (5-3-1) with a head and arm choke at 3:37 of the first round. There was no tap or verbal submission, as George had to inform the referee that his opponent had gone unconscious. The Los Angeles native now has nine submission wins in his young career.

 

Laguna Hills, Calif., Justin Governale (4-2) submitted hometown boy Jay Bogan (6-5) via rear-naked choke at 2:09 of round two. It was an exciting end to a fight that was nearly finished by Governale with strikes.
Steve Ramirez (1-1) finished Jon Santa Maria (3-1) with a toehold at 3:29 of round one.

 

Cleber Luciano (11-5) finished Aaron Miller (14-10) with an arm bar at 4:36 of round two.

 

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

 

 

“BELLATOR: BROOKS vs. JANSEN” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS FOR FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE

“BELLATOR: BROOKS vs. JANSEN” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS FOR FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE

 

Champ Will Brooks (155) vs. Dave Jansen (154.6)

Champ Will Brooks (155) vs. Dave Jansen (154.6)

 

“I’m going to go out there and cut Dave Jansen down. I’m going to smoke him. I’m going to embarrass him.” – Will Brooks

“My mental edge is going to be key and me beating Will on Friday night. I’ve always believed it’s mentality before physicality, and it’s my mentality that’s going to lead me to the world title. It’s also going to be because of my experience, determination and laser focus. All of these things are just culminating into the perfect storm.” – Dave Jansen

 

Additional photos available here / credit to Bellator MMA / Eric Coleman

 

IRVINE. Calif. – April 9, 2015 – 25 of the 26 fighters competing on Friday’s “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Radisson Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif. The stacked MMA card emanates from the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif., tomorrow, airing LIVE and FREE on Spike at 9 p.m. ET.

 

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” is headlined by a fight between Bellator Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks (15-1) and Dave Jansen (20-2). “Ill Will” has won six consecutive bouts, while “The Fugitive” has rallied off seven straight victories of his own.

 

The event also features the return of multi-combat sports star Joe Schilling (2-3), who faces Brazilian standout Rafael Carvalho (10-1) in a middleweight co-main event.

 

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

 

Joe Schilling (185.6) vs. Rafael Carvalho (185.8)

 

Joe Schilling (185.6) vs. Rafael Carvalho (185.8)

 

Marcin Held (155.8) vs. Alexander Tiger Sarnavskiy (155)

 

Marcin Held (155.8) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (155)

Alexander Volkov (243) vs. Tony Johnson (264)

 

Alexander Volkov (243) vs. Tony Johnson (264)

 

Fabricio Guerreiro (145.8) vs. John Teixeira (145.2)

Fabricio Guerreiro (145.8) vs. John Teixeira (145.2)

 

Joey Beltran (184) vs. Brian Rogers (186)

 

Joey Beltran (184) vs. Brian Rogers (186)

 

Saad Awad (155.4) vs. Rob Sinclair (155.2)

 

Saad Awad (155.4) vs. Rob Sinclair (155.2)

 

A.J. McKee (144) vs. Marcos Bonilla (147)

 

A.J. McKee (144) vs. Marcos Bonilla (146

 

Jonathan Santa Maria (125) vs. Steve Ramirez (126)

 

Jonathan Santa Maria (125) vs. Steve Ramirez (126)

 

Chris Herrera (186) vs. Luc Bondole (185.6)

 

Chris Herrera (186) vs. Luc Bondole (185.6)

 

Chad George (136) vs. Mark Vorgeas (135.6)

 

Cleber Luciano (150) vs. Aaron Miller (150)

 

Jay Bogan (147.4) vs. Justin Governale (146)

 

Jay Bogan (146.6) vs. Justin Governale (146)

 

Aaron Miller (150) vs. Cleber Luciano (150)

 

Chad George (136) vs. Mark Vorgeas (135.6)

 

 

821 SECONDS OF AWESOME; GET READY FOR FRIDAY’S “BELLATOR: BROOKS vs. JANSEN” WITH NEW “IN FOCUS” & “FOUNDATIONS” DIGITAL CONTENT

 IN-FOCUS

Bellator MMA: In Focus with Will Brooks
Bellator MMA: In Focus with Will Brooks
Bellator MMA: In Focus with Joe Schilling
Bellator MMA: In Focus with Joe Schilling
FOUNDATIONS
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Volkov
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Volkov
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Tiger Sarnavskiy
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Tiger Sarnavskiy
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Marcin Held
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Marcin Held

 

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” takes place on Friday, April 10, at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks vs. top contender Dave Jansen, airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream live on Spike.com 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

Tickets for “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which start at just $38, are on sale at Bellator.com and Bren.UCI.edu.

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Champ Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-3) vs. Rafael Carvalho (10-1)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alexander Volkov (24-4) vs. Tony Johnson (8-2)

Preliminary Card (7:30 p.m. ET)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Fabricio Guerreiro (20-3) vs. John Teixeira (17-1-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Saad Awad (17-6) vs. Rob Sinclair (12-2)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Joey Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian Rogers (11-7)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jay Bogan (6-4) vs. Justin Governale (3-2)

 

Dark Bouts (Following Spike TV broadcast)

 

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Marcos Bonilla (1-1) vs. A.J. McKee (0-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Chris Herrera (4-2) vs. Luc Bondole (4-1-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Chad George (15-8) vs. Mark Vorgeas (5-2-1)

Bellator Catchweight (150 pounds) Prelim Fight: Cleber Luciano (10-5) vs. Aaron Miller (14-9)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Updated “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” lineup complete with 13 fights; new contest pitting Jay Bogan against Justin Governale added

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 1, 2015) – The star-studded 13-bout lineup for “Bellator MMA: Brooks vs. Jansen” has been updated with the addition of a featherweight preliminary contest between Jay Bogan (6-4) vs. Justin Governale (3-2). In addition, Chris Herrera (4-2) replaces Ben Jones against Luc Bondole (4-1-1).

 

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” takes place on Friday, April 10, at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks vs. top contender Dave Jansen, airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET), while preliminary bouts stream live on Spike.com (7 p.m. ET).

Tickets for “Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao,” which start at just $38, are already on sale at Bellator.com and Bren.UCI.edu.

Bogan, will be making his Bellator MMA debut against Governale. The Fullerton, Calif., native has earned five of his six professional wins by way of submission and as recently as March 15 won his fourth consecutive bout.

Governale, who fights out of Laguna Hills, Calif., has previously accrued three victories on the regional circuit and will now be making his first appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. The Subfighter MMA-product was last in action on Nov. 22.

Herrera will step in on short notice to fight Bondole. “The Crusher” just defeated Bondole at Bellator 132 and looks to make it two in a row on April 10. Bondole is originally from Portland, Maine, but now makes his home in Huntington Beach, Calif., where he trains with Kings MMA.

 

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Champ Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-3) vs. Rafael Carvalho (10-1)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alexander Volkov (24-4) vs. Tony Johnson (8-2)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Fabricio Guerreiro (20-3) vs. John Teixeira (17-1-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Saad Awad (17-6) vs. Rob Sinclair (12-2)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Joey Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian Rogers (11-7)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jay Bogan (6-4) vs. Justin Governale (3-2)

 

Dark Bouts (Following Spike TV broadcast)

 

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Marcos Bonilla (1-1) vs. A.J. McKee (0-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Chris Herrera (4-2) vs. Luc Bondole (4-1-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Chad George (15-8) vs. Mark Vorgeas (5-2-1)

Bellator Catchweight (150 pounds) Prelim Fight: Cleber Luciano (10-5) vs. Aaron Miller (14-9)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” lineup complete with 13 fights; new contests include Tony Johnson vs. Alexander Volkov, Fabricio Guerreiro vs. John Teixeira

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 11, 2015) – The star-studded 13-bout lineup for “Bellator MMA: Brooks vs. Jansen” is now complete with the addition of a main-card heavyweight slugfest of Alexander “Drago” Volkov(24-4) vs. Tony Johnson (8-2) and six new preliminary matchups, including featherweights Fabricio Guerreiro (20-3) vs. John “Macapa” Teixeira (17-1-2).

Additional new preliminary contests added to the lineup include a 150-pound catchweight contest of Cleber Luciano (10-5) vs. Aaron “Blood Spiller” Miller (14-9) bantamweights Chad “Savage” George (15-8) vs.Mark Vorgeas (5-2-1), middleweights Ben Jones (4-4) vs. Luc Bondole (4-1-1), welterweights John “Johnny Merc” Mercurio (6-7) vs. Greg Parker (4-1) and featherweights Marcos “Murder Marx” Bonilla (1-1) vs. A.J. McKee (0-0).

A previously announced preliminary contest of bantamweights Jared Papazian (18-11) vs. Raja Shippen (14-9-1) has been removed from the card.

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” takes place on Friday, April 10, at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks vs. top contender Dave Jansen, airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET), while preliminary bouts stream live on Spike.com (7 p.m. ET).

Tickets for “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which start at just $38, are already on sale at Bellator.com andBren.UCI.edu.

Johnson, of North Platte, Neb., is an American Kickboxing Academy product who returns to the Bellator MMA cage for the first time since a 2011 victory over Derrick Lewis. Including a pair of appearances fighting overseas in Maylasia and the Philippines, Johnson is currently 4-1 in his past five contests, most recently needing just 81 seconds to score a TKO win over Robert Neal. Johnson also owns a win over former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

Meanwhile, 26-year-old Russian slugger Volkov, a Moscow native, has earned 17 of his 24 career victories through strikes. An incredible 15-1 in his past 16 appearances, Volkov’s only loss in that span came in a 25-minute matchup with current Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Vitaly Minakov. Aiming for another shot at that belt, Volkov appears primed for a breakout performance.

At just 24 years old, Guerreiro, of Santana, Amapa, Brazil, already boasts 20 career victories, 17 of which have come by way of stoppage. With Bellator MMA wins over Shahbulat Shamhalaev and Desmond Green already under his belt, Guerreiro makes his fourth Bellator MMA appearance.

Meanwhile, Teixeira is a 28-year-old who hails from just 12 miles away from his opponent, growing up in Macapa, Amapa, Brazil. With just one loss in a 20-fight career that dates back to 2007, Teixeira was victorious in his Bellator MMA debut and now looks to defeat a cross-state rival on an international stage.

Brazilian-born Luciano now lives in Huntington Beach, Calif., where he serves as a jiu-jitsu instructor in his own academy. A Royler Gracie black belt since he was 19 years old, Luciano has started to focus more on MMA in recent years and is an impressive 10-2 in his past 12 appearances, with seven submission wins in that span. He’ll face Miller, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., who returns to action following 16 months on the sidelines after a submission loss to Michael Guymon. Prior to the result, Miller had boasted a five-fight winning streak.

George, of Los Angeles, Calif., is nearing 10 years in the sport but now makes his Bellator MMA debut. While George has never been knocked out in 23 professional contests, he has been tapped out in six of his eight career losses. He now faces Vorgeas, of Laguna Hills, Calif., who owns four of his five career victories by tapout.

Bondole is originally from Portland, Maine, but now makes his home in Huntington Beach, Calif., where he trains with Kings MMA. Bondole seeks revenge after suffering his first career loss in his Bellator MMA debut. He now meets Jones, of Riverside, Calif., who fights for the first time under the Bellator MMA banner. Jones has never fought to a judges’ decision in his eight career contests to date.

Mercurio, of Huntington Beach, Calif., seeks his first victory under the Bellator MMA banner. He meets crosstown rival Parker, who has yet to fight to a judges’ decision in his first five appearances.

Bonilla, of Los Angeles, Calif., recently picked up his first official career win and now meets McKee, of Lakewood, Calif., who makes his professional debut.

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Champ Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-3) vs. Rafael Carvalho (10-1)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alexander Volkov (24-4) vs. Tony Johnson (8-2)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: John Mercurio (6-7) vs. Greg Parker (4-1)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Joey Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian Rogers (11-7)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Saad Awad (17-6) vs. Rob Sinclair (12-2)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Fabricio Guerreiro (20-3) vs. John Teixeira (17-1-2)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Marcos Bonilla (1-1) vs. A.J. McKee (0-0)

 

Dark Bouts (Following Spike TV broadcast)

 

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Ben Jones (4-4) vs. Luc Bondole (4-1-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Chad George (15-8) vs. Mark Vorgeas (5-2-1)

Bellator Catchweight (150 pounds) Prelim Fight: Cleber Luciano (10-5) vs. Aaron Miller (14-9)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” adds five new contests, including    Marcin Held vs. “Tiger” Sarnavskiy, Joey Beltran vs. Brian Rogers and more

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 5, 2015) – The action-packed lineup for “Bellator MMA: Brooks vs. Jansen” continues to fill, and the latest round of additions includes a key lightweight matchup between two international contenders with a combined 50 career victories, as well as four intriguing preliminary contests.

The new matchups include a main-card lightweight contest of Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2), as well as preliminary bouts of bantamweights Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian (18-11) vs. Raja Shippen (14-9-1), middleweights Joey “Mexicutioner” Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian “The Professional Predator” Rogers (11-7), lightweights Saad “Assassin” Awad (17-6) vs. Rob “C4” Sinclair (12-2) and flyweights Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1).

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” takes place on Friday, April 10, at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks vs. top contender Dave Jansen, airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET), while preliminary bouts stream live on Spike.com (7 p.m. ET).

Tickets for “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which start at just $38, are already on sale atBellator.com and Bren.UCI.edu

The 23-year-old Held, a native of Tychy, Poland, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who boasts one of the most dangerous submission games in the world.  A former no-gi grappling world champion, Held has been competing in mixed martial arts professionally since 2008 and has earned 11 of his 20 career wins by tapout. With just one loss in his past 11 appearances, Held owns Bellator MMA wins over Patricky Pitbull, Nate Jolly, Derek Anderson, Rodrigo Cavalheiro, Ryan Healy, Rich Clementi, Murad Machaev, Derrick Kennington and Phillipe Nover.

The 26-year-old Sarnavskiy, from Omsk, Russia, has an equally impressive record and has earned the rank of Master of Sport in hand-to-hand combat. A seven-time Bellator MMA veteran, Sarnavskiy is currently enjoying a five-fight winning streak and is 10-1 in his past 11 appearances. In his 30 career victories, 25 have come by stoppage, including 18 submissions and seven knockouts.

Papazian, of West Hills, Calif., is a seven-year veteran of the sport who has been training in martial arts since he was just 6 years old. A former King of the Cage flyweight champion, Papazian is 3-1 in his past four outings. He faces Shippen, of Lake Forest, Calif. A Reign Training Center product, Shippen is 11-1 in his past 12 appearances and has earned 13 of his 14 career wins by stoppage, including five knockouts and eight submissions.

The hard-hitting Beltran, of San Diego, Calif., Beltran is a three-time Bellator MMA veteran and former light heavyweight who now makes his first appearance in the middleweight divisions. A slugger by trade, 11 of Beltran’s 15 career wins have come by way of knockout. He now meets fellow knockout artist Rogers, of Denver, Colo. With nine Bellator MMA appearances to his name, Rogers also prefers to stand and bang and has earned nine of his 11 career wins with strikes.

Awad, of San Bernadino, Calif., is a Millennia MMA product who owns five wins under the Bellator MMA banner, four of which have come by stoppage. Fourteen of his 17 career wins have come by stoppage, including seven knockouts and seven submissions. He faces Sinclair, of Manchester, England, who is 8-1 in his past nine appearances. Ten of Sinclair’s 12 career wins have come by way of finish, including nine knockouts, and he now makes his Bellator MMA debut.

Santa Maria, of Whittier, Calif., is a Reign Training Center fighter who made his professional debut in March 2014 and has already picked up three victories, including a November win under the Bellator MMA banner. He now faces Ramirez, of Corona, Calif., who suffered a split-decision loss in his professional debut and now hopes to earn his first official career victory.

Additional contests, including one more main-card matchup, will be announced shortly

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Champ Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Rafael Carvalho (10-1) vs. Joe Schilling (2-3)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Jared Papazian (18-11) vs. Raja Shippen (14-9-1)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Joey Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian Rogers (11-7)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Saad Awad (17-6) vs. Rob Sinclair (12-2)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1)

 

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.