CARVALHO AND MANHOEF MEET WITH MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE ON THE LINE В ЦЮ П'ЯТНИЦЮ AT ‘BELLATOR 155’ – LIVE AND FREE ON SPIKE
CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS
Президент Bellator Скотт Кокер, along with “Bellator 155: Карвалью проти. Манхуф” main and co-main event fighters Рафаель Карвалью (12-1), Мелвін Манхуф (30-12-1), Пет Карран(21-7) і Георгій Караханян (24-5-1) all joined this afternoon’s official media conference call to promote в цю п'ятницю подія.
Скотт Кокер
“We’re excited to be in Boise, fighting at the Century Link Arena. I think this is a fight town that has been hungry for a big MMA promotion and we’re proud to be the first to do it. We’ve got a great middleweight world title fight between Carvalho and Manhoef… Carvalho is coming off of a big win with a KO over Brandon Halsey and undoubtedly this fight is going to have a bunch of fireworks between both of these guys.”
On the fight between Curran and Karakhanyan…
“I definitely think that this fight has some title implications but we always like to see how the fight pans out…honestly if this is something that’s exciting and a barn burner and if this fight can stand on its own feet, it very well could be.”
On if a Bellator bonus structure is going to come to fruition in the future…
“It is something we’re working on but we’re just a little bit different, because we’re a premium TV model so it’s something that has been considered, but right now it’s something that is still just in dialogue.”
Рафаель Карвалью
“I am excited and really think this could be historical. It’s going to be a lot of strikes and it’s going to be a kickboxing fight with MMA gloves.”
“Every fight you’ve got to show what you got. In this fight, it’s going to be no different [now that I’m a champ]. I’m going to show everything I’ve got and I am always looking forward to the next fight.
“People recognize me more now and I have gained more respect now as the champion…Winning the belt for the first time is one thing, but the real deal is when you defend the belt and keep the belt. That’s when you become the real champion.
On overcoming challenges of living in Rio…
“There are good people as well as bad but the only thing that is going to dictate your future is you and how hard you work for it. It doesn’t matter where you live or what kind of clothing you wear, if you put your mind into it and are willing to work hard for it.
Мелвін Манхуф
“I look forward to making a kickboxing with small gloves. I am prepared for anything so it doesn’t matter what’s going to happen. I am looking forward to being there and doing what I do best, which is the striking, so for me it’s very nice that he wants to do the kickboxing in the cage with me.
Do you feel like people are counting you out heading into this fight?
“I don’t know what people are thinking but it all depends on what me and my team think and the fans who are supporting me think. I feel like the fight is still in me and I showed it at my last fight. I trained real hard for this fight and my goal is to show it again that you cannot count me out… You know my fight style; I do everything to knock people out so I am glad if [Карвалью] wants to make a kick boxing fight out of it.”
What would winning the Bellator title mean to you?
“It means a lot, with all of the hard work and a lot of people writing me off, but I think this is like a new era or new beginning for me and I could become a world champion. I think that being a fighter that’s been in the business so long, it has been an achievement already.”
Пет Карран
“I am really excited to step in there в п'ятницю and put on a dominant performance. I have made a lot of changes in my life, in my camp and everything is falling into place right now and I’m excited to showcase that в п'ятницю."
Do the stakes of this fight change for you as they would for a title?
“I feel like every fight at this point in your career, especially in this division is do-or-die and if you win you’re going to get that much pull-through coming or having the chance to fight for the title again and I feel like over and over George and I have been that much closer to another title shot.”
Георгій Караханян
“I can’t wait for П'ятниця ніч. I am going out there with nothing to lose, just going 100 percent and fighting my fight and come out with a victory.”
On this being a potential title eliminator and going up against two-time champ Curran…
“I know everybody is talking about the title but to me I don’t think about that, right now I have a good opponent in front of me with Pat Curran, a former champion and I can’t ask for a better opponent than him. I am very excited, I cannot wait and I am ready to put on a great show and I’m for sure coming out with my hands right.”
On coming back from surgery and making adjustments…
“I treat everything the same, I got about five surgeries last year and the last surgery was just a meniscus tear but after that, Bellator took good care of me. They put me in a very good rehab place and I’ve started my training and feel 100 відсотків ".
DIGITAL RECAP
"Bellator 155: Карвалью проти. Манхуф " emanates from CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho airs LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9e/8c. In preparation for the event, Bellator’s digital team has put together captivating new content, which you can view by clicking on the images below. Tune in to Bellator’s YouTube page for an inside look and more exclusive footage at what’s still to come.
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Чемпіонів: Рафаель Карвалью – The middleweight champion does NOT listen to the naysayers; he finds a way to win. Jimmy Smith breaks it down. |
Підвалини: Мелвін Манхуф – Melvin Manhoef only knows one way to fight…All in! Either way somebody is going lights out. Jimmy Smith breaks it down. |
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Підвалини: Marloes Coenen – Marloes Coenen is a level above her competition, the MMA Pioneer show it every time she steps into the cage. Jimmy Smith explains. |
What to Watch: Карвалью проти. Манхуф – This is for the Middleweight Championship! Рафаель Карвалью і Мелвін Манхуф will be a battle between masters of two opposing disciplines. Jimmy Smith and Manny Rodriguez break it all down. |
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What to Watch: Held vs. Янсен – Marcin відбудетьсяis a monster on the mat and Дейв Янсен will have to find a way to negate that submission game. Jimmy Smith breaks it down. |
What to Watch: Каран проти. Караханян – There is a special energy in the Featherweight division. The competition is stiff and the winner will be in title contention while the loser may be put in the back of a long line of contenders. Jimmy Smith and Manny Rodriguez explain. |
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Rolling With Jimmy – The Bellator Featherweight takes a ride in Jimmy Smith’s 1969 Plymouth Barracuda. He shares how it feels to be in a stacked division and his desire to fight the best in the world. |
БОРОТЬБА INFO: A middleweight championship matchup between Рафаель Карвалью (12-1) і Мелвін Манхуф (30-12-1) will serve as the evening’s main event of "Bellator 155: Карвалью проти. Манхуф " на CenturyLink Arena в Бойсе, Айдахо, П'ятниця, Травня 20.
На додаток, the main card features two of Bellator MMA’s top featherweights, з Пет "Педді Майк" Каррен (21-7) і Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (24-5-1) squaring off in the co-main event.Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne (21-4) will make her promotional debut after agreeing to a late addition bout against Dutch submission specialist Марлоес "Рюміна" Коєну (23-6) in female featherweight action. There will also be multiple heavyweight bouts featured on the main card, з Ден Чарльз (10-3) taking on undefeated Аугусто Сакаи (9-0) і Джої Белтран (17-12) зіткнувшись обличчям до обличчя Чейз Гормлі (12-5).
Квитки на "Bellator 155: Карвалью проти. Манхуф " are going fast and can be purchased at the CenturyLink Arena Box Office or CenturyLinkArenaBoise.com, а також Bellator.com. Захід транслюється в прямому ефірі і безкоштовно на Spike в 9 p.m. І/8 p.m. Коннектикут, while the can’t-misspreliminary card airs live on Bellator.com і Bellator Mobile App.