‘IRISH’ BRENNAN WARD WELCOMES EVANGELISTA ‘CYBORG’ SANTOS TO THE BELLATOR MMA WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION

FOUR ADDITIONAL PRELIMINARY MATCHUPS ADDED TO THE MOHEGAN SUN EVENT IN CONNECTICUT

Santa Monica, CALIF. (Marts 1, 2016) – The co-main event for "Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson " is set, med nyheden om det Patricio "Pitbull" Freire (24-3) will compete against John "Macapa" Teixeira (19-1-2) in featherweight action on April 22 på Mohegan Sun Arena i Uncasville, Conn.

 

Desuden, Connecticut egen "Irske" Brennan Ward (13-3) returns to action in his home state fresh off an impressive victory in Japan, når han hilser Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (20-16) i Bellator flosse på 170-pounds.

 

The two bouts join a main event that features the highly anticipated Bellator debut of Benson "Smooth" Henderson (23-5), da han udfordrer weltervægt mester Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) for hans bælte. Four preliminary bouts were also announced; additional contests will be added in the coming weeks.

 

Billetter til "Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson " starter ved kun $30 og er der tilbud nu på Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com og Mohegan Sun Box Office. Arrangementet airs levende og gratis på Spike på 9 p.m. OG/8 p.m. CT, mens foreløbige anfald vil streame live på Bellator.com og Den Bellator Mobile App.

 

For “Pitbull,” a fight on April 22 is the first step back towards a shot at Daniel Straus’ featherweight title, a belt that Freire held before the two met at "Bellator 145: Med en hævn. " På 28 years of age and with already 15 fights under the Bellator MMA banner, the Natal-native has been victorious in seven out of his last eight outings and emphatically finished Daniel Weichel in what was a knockout of the year candidate in 2015.

 

Undefeated in Bellator MMA, including an entertaining victory his last time out against Gleristone Santos; “Macapa” has not suffered defeat since 2012. A product of the highly regarded Nova Uniao team, Teixeira has previously competed in the UFC, where he was a competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” April 22 will only be the fourth time the 29-year-old has fought outside of Brazil.

 

For Ward, fighting at the Mohegan Sun is like competing in his own backyard. Placeret 10 miles from his home in New London, Conn., “Irish” has won four times at the Mohegan Sun, all by finish with three KOs and one submission. Senest, the 27-year-old former NCAA All-American moved up in weight and submitted former heavyweight Ken Hasegawa in Japan while representing Bellator MMA during Rizin FF’s inaugural event this past December. The win brought Ward’s current winning streak to five fights, all coming by way of finish.

 

Best known to fans as “Cyborg,” Santos enters the Scott Coker-led promotion fresh off a win already in 2016. A veteran of Pride FC and Strikeforce, “Cyborg” has been involved in some memorable tussles against names the likes of: Nick Diaz, Gegard Mousasi, Francis Carmont, og Melvin Manhoef (2x). Nu, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt will turn his attention to one of Bellator MMA’s fastest rising stars.

"Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson "Opdateret Fight Card:

Bellator Weltervægt verden titel Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) vs. Benson Henderson (23-5)

Bellator Fjervægt Co-Main Event: Patricio Freire (24-3) vs. John Teixeira (19-1-2)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Bout: Brennan Ward (13-3) vs. Evangelista Santos (20-16)

 

Indledende Card:

Bellator Letvægts Indledende Bout: Sam Watford (1-0) vs. Dean Hancock (2-0)

Bellator Fjervægt Indledende Bout: Chris Foster (8-4) vs. Felipe Lavandoski (5-0)

Bellator Letvægts Indledende Bout: Jason Bakanowski (3-2) vs. T.J. Hepburn (4-2)

Bellator Fjervægt Indledende Bout: Pete Rogers (2-3) vs. Mike Mangan (0-3)