All photos by: Bellator MMA/Eric Coleman

TEMECULA, Calif. (Maj 15, 2015) – While Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) can no longer say he’s Bellator MMA’s Middleweight World Champion, he’s still managed to show his talent with a one-sided destruction of proven veteran Kendall “Den Spyder” Grove (21-15).

 

The contest served as the feature main event of Fredagens “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” card at Pechanga Resort & Casino i Temecula, Calif.

 

Halsey nearly finished the fight in the early going, moving to an arm-triangle choke that would have finished a lesser opponent, but Grove somehow battled through the effort. Stadig, it was a one-sided round for the former champ.

 

Grove was able to avoid such a precarious position in the second, but he was still forced to be on the defensive throughout most of the frame. With a high-paced wrestling attack, Halsey simply pushed his way to the floor and enjoyed top position for almost the entirety of the round.

 

The pattern continued as the fight wore on, with Halsey simply overpowering his opponent and constantly earning himself the dominant position. Grove briefly threatened with an armbar in the fourth frame, but Halsey simply yanked his limb free and pounded away with punches shortly after until he earned the TKO win at the 2:25 mark of the frame.

 

The undefeated Halsey, who was stripped of the Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title for failing to make weight, will look to again earn the belt in his next appearance.

 

“I was my own worst enemy. It was how I performed. He didn’t throw anything at me that I wasn’t ready for. I was just trying to tough through the injury. I had to tough it out and come out with the victory,” Halsey said.

 

"Naturligvis, you want to be as dominant as possible. I just felt like I couldn’t explode through my combinations or explode through the fight and finish how I wanted to. But like I said, you’ve got to deal with adversity, and I did it the best I could,” Halsey continued.

 

“I learned my lesson. I thank Bellator. I apologize to the commission. It’s unprofessional not to make weight. Ingen undskyldninger, but anybody knows that it’s hard to cut weight with an injury. The belt’s just a decoration, so I’m still the champ in my eyes. No one has taken the belt from me.”

 

I nattens co-main event, former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4), of Rio de Janeiro, Brasilien, took a step toward another shot at the title with a hard-fought decision victory over the hard-hitting Mike “The Marine” Richman, of Rose Mount, Fra.

 

While Richman showed excellent takedown defense throughout the 15-minute affair, Dantas’ work rate helped him earn the favor of the judges. Constantly pressing and looking to bring the fight to the floor, Dantas was able to just edge out Richman on the cards, 29-28 according to all three officials.

 

“I went out there and fought the way I trained to fight,” Dantas said after the win. “I knew Mike Richman was going to come with everything, but I wanted to win this fight and get back to the title. The only fight that makes sense next is for the title.

 

In a welterweight contest, Fernando “Den Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (24-13), of Menifee, Calif., scored a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over “Curtious” Curtis Millender (7-2), af San Bernardino, Calif.

 

With Millender enjoying a six-inch height advantage, the smaller Gonzalez struggled to score points in the first two rounds. But when the fight hit the floor in the third, Gonzalez latched onto a guillotine choke and earned a tap from his opponent at the 1:14 af den sidste runde.

 

“Jeg er 4-0 lige nu,” Gonzalez said after the win. “That’s one step closer to the title, and I’m excited to get in there and mix it up with whoever is next.”

 

With the result, Gonzalez now boasts four-straight Bellator MMA victories and put himself in line for a potential shot at the promotion’s Welterweight Title.

 

In the night’s first main-card matchup, ubesejret udsigt Darrion “Ulven” Caldwell (7-0), of Rahway, N.J., used a superior wrestling game to outwork more experienced opponent Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-5), of Lajes, Brasilien, en route a unanimous-decision victory.

 

With Caldwell scoring takedowns throughout the matchup, Silva looked for submissions when available, but he simply couldn’t find the necessary hold to work past his opponent’s defense. I stedet, Caldwell kept his pressure high, and judges awarded him the fight, 29-28 på alle tre kort.

 

After the victory, Caldwell made it clear he’s clearing his way to a shot at the Bellator MMA World Title.

 

“I don’t think there are any fighters out there as explosive as me at 135 pounds, or as fast,” Caldwell said. “Til sidst, I’ll be able to prove that.”

 

In the night’s final preliminary bout, Guam’s Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1) scored a third-round knockout of Mexico’s Antonio Duarte (18-6).

 

Derudover, fjerlette udsigten Jordan Parsons (11-1), San Diego, Calif., earned a third-round decision win over the previously undefeated Brazilian Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-1).

 

På en lys sværvægter konkurrence, Virgil Zwicker (14-4-1), of Temecula, Calif., earned a first-round knockout win over Razak Al-Hassan (12-5), Milwaukee, Wisc.

 

And in the night’s first fight, Ricky “Sniper” Rainey (11-3), of Gastonia, N.C., earned a second-round knockout win over Jessie Juarez (22-10), af Torrance, Calif.

Brandon Halsey (9-0) def. Kendall Grove (21-15)

Eduardo Dantas (17-4) def. Mike Richman (18-6 )

Fernando Gonzalez (24-14) def. Curtis Millender (7-2)

Darrion Caldwell (7-0) def. Rafael Silva (22-5)

Om Bellator

Bellator er en førende Mixed Martial Arts organisation med mange af de bedste kæmpere i verden. Under ledelse af veteran kamp promotor Scott Coker, Bellator er til rådighed for næsten 400 millioner hjem verden over i løbet af 120 lande. I USA, Bellator kan ses på Spike, MMA tv leder. Bellator består af et ledelsesteam, der omfatter top industriens fagfolk i tv-produktion, livebegivenhed orkestrering, fighter udvikling / relationer, mødested indkøb, sponsorering skabelse / udvikling, international licens, markedsføring, reklame, PR og kommissioner relationer. Bellator er baseret i Santa Monica, Californien og ejes af underholdning gigant Viacom, hjemsted for verdens førende underholdning mærker, der forbinder med publikum gennem overbevisende indhold på tværs af tv, film, online og mobile platforme.

 

Om Spike:

Spike er tilgængeligt 98.7 millioner hjem og er en division af Viacom Media Networks. En enhed af Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, ViaB), Viacom Media Networks er en af ​​verdens førende skabere af programmering og indhold på tværs af alle medieplatforme. Spike Internet-adresse er www.spike.com og for up-to-the-minut og arkivering presseinformation og fotografier, besøge Spike presse websted på http://www.spike.com/press. Følg os på Twitter spiketvpr for den seneste i at bryde nyhedsopdateringer, bag-kulisserne oplysninger og fotos.

TEMECULA, Calif. (Maj 14, 2015) – All twenty-six athletes competing at morgendagens "Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” event were happy to rehydrate after stepping on the scales at today’s official weigh-in, which took place at the Cabaret Theatre inside the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.

"Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,", Som airs levende og gratis på Spike på 9 p.m. OG / 8 p.m. CT, features a main event between Brandon "Bull" Halsey (8-0) and well-respected veteran Kendall “Da Spyda” Grove (21-14). The incumbent champion failed to hit the required mark of 185-pounds. Som et resultat, Grove is the only fighter who can leave the event as the champion, if Halsey does manage to win, he will be forced to vacate the belt.

I co-main event, a bantamweight battle will go on as planned between former 135-pound champion Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas(16-4) and a streaking Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), despite Richman missing weight.

In a critical welterweight battle between two hometown fighters, Cinderella Man Fernando "The Menifee Maniac" Gonzalez (23-13) looks to continue his hot streak against a young Curtis “Curtious” Millender (7-1).

I det åbne tv anfald af aftenen, one of MMA’s most promising prospects Darrion "The Wolf" Caldwell (6-0), looks to keep his record unblemished against a tough Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4), who has only suffered one defeat in his last 15 ender

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Hovedkortet (9 p.m. OG)

 

Bellator mellemvægt titel Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (188.1 lbs.) vs. Kendall Grove (184.9 lbs.)

 

Bellator Bantamvægt Fight: Eduardo Dantas (135.2 lbs.) vs. Mike Richman (139.8 lbs.)

 

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (170.9 lbs.) vs. Curtis Millender (170.8 lbs.)

 

Bellator Bantamvægt Fight: Darrion Caldwell (135.7 lbs.) vs. Rafael Silva (135.7 lbs.)

Indledende Card (7:45 p.m. OG)

Bellator mellemvægt Fight: Benji Radach (186 lbs.) vs. Ben Reiter (186 lbs.)

 

Bellator Bantamvægt Fight: Joe Taimanglo (136.2 lbs.) vs. Antonio Duarte (135.1 lbs.)

 

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Jordan Parsons (145.5 lbs.) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (146 lbs.)

 

Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Virgil Zwicker (206.7 lbs.) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (205.6 lbs.)

 

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Jesse Juarez (171 lbs.) vs. Ricky Rainey (170.7 lbs.)

 

Bellator Featherweight Fight: A.J. Jenkins (146 lbs.) vs. Arlene Blencowe (145.8 lbs.)

 

Bellator Letvægts Fight: Steve Kozola (155.8 lbs.) vs. Ian Butler (155.2 lbs.)

 

Bellator Bantamvægt Fight: Shawn Bunch (135.4 lbs.) vs. Rolando Perez (135.3 lbs.)

 

Bellator Bantamvægt Fight: John Yoo (135.4 lbs.) vs. Albert Morales (134.4 lbs.)

 

Om Bellator

Bellator er en førende Mixed Martial Arts organisation med mange af de bedste kæmpere i verden. Under ledelse af veteran kamp promotor Scott Coker, Bellator er til rådighed for næsten 400 millioner hjem verden over i løbet af 120 lande. I USA, Bellator kan ses på Spike, MMA tv leder. Bellator består af et ledelsesteam, der omfatter top industriens fagfolk i tv-produktion, livebegivenhed orkestrering, fighter udvikling / relationer, mødested indkøb, sponsorering skabelse / udvikling, international licens, markedsføring, reklame, PR og kommissioner relationer. Bellator er baseret i Santa Monica, Californien og ejes af underholdning gigant Viacom, hjemsted for verdens førende underholdning mærker, der forbinder med publikum gennem overbevisende indhold på tværs af tv, film, online og mobile platforme.

 

EASY TWEET: Hard-hitting MMA vet @benjyradach returns to face undefeated former @PennWrestling star @BenReiterMMA Maj 15 #Bellator

 

Santa Monica, Calif. (Maj 7, 2015) – One of MMA’s hardest-hitting pioneers will return to action for the first time since 2010, som Benji “Razor” Radach(21-6) has agreed to replace an injured A.J. Matthews (7-3) in a middleweight preliminary fight against Ben “The Hunter” Reiter (15-0-1).

 

The new addition again finalizes a full nine-bout preliminary card scheduled in support of four main-card contests at “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove.”

 

The night’s featured matchups include undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) mod tårnhøje Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Den Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), welterweights Fernando “Den Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1) og bantamweights Darrion “Ulven” Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” finder sted på Fredag, Maj 15, på Pechanga Resort & Casino i Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. OG (6 p.m. PT lokal tid), mens foreløbige anfald streame på Spike.com.

 

Billetter til “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” der starter ved lige $50, er i øjeblikket til salg på Pechanga.com og Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

 

Døre til “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” åben ved 4 p.m. PT lokal tid, og den første konkurrence foregår 45 minutter senere.

 

Fighting professionelt siden 2001, Radach fought for many of MMA’s biggest promotions, including Strikeforce, EliteXC, the International Fight League and the UFC. Seventeen of Radach’s 21 career wins have come by knockout, and he makes no secret of his intentions when he enters the cage. Boasting past clashed with MMA notables such as Brian Foster, Gerald Harris, Matt Horwich, Chris Leben, Gustavo Machado, Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Scott Smith, bl.a., Radach put his fighting career on hold in 2010, as he addressed a variety of nagging injuries. Nu fuldt tilbagebetalt, Radach looks to make a successful return to action.

 

Radach now meets a top undefeated prospect and former UPenn wrestling star Reiter, who fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after spending much of his early career in Peru.

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” - Fredag, Maj 15, Pechanga Resort & Kasino, Temecula, Calif.

Hovedkortet (9 p.m. OG)

 

Bellator mellemvægt titel Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)

Bellator Featured Bantamvægt Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)

Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)

Bellator Featured Bantamvægt Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

Indledende Card (7:45 p.m. OG)

 

Bellator Mellemvægt Foreløbigt Fight: Benji Radach (21-6) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Foreløbigt Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)

Bellator Bantamvægt Foreløbigt Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)

Bellator Fjervægt Foreløbigt Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)

Bellator Welterweight Foreløbigt Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

 

Mørke Bouts (ca.. 11 p.m. OG)

 

Bellator Letvægts Mørk Foreløbigt: John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert Morales (1-0)

Bellator Letvægts Mørk Foreløbigt: Shawn Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4)

Bellator Letvægts Mørk Foreløbigt: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)

Bellator Letvægts Mørk Foreløbigt: A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene Blencowe (5-4)