Tag Archives: Helen Harper

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION EDUARDO DANTAS WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT FIGHT, DEFEATS BELLATOR NEWCOMER LEANDRO HIGO

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS – CREDIT BELLATOR/LUCAS NOONAN

 

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY –

Official Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo Main Card Results & Quotes:

Eduardo Dantas (20-4) defeated Leandro Higo (17-3) via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)

Eduardo Dantas Quote:

“It was tough to stay motivated for this fight once he missed weight. There was nothing to gain whether I beat him fast or slow. It wasn’t for the belt, it wasn’t going to change my ranking in Bellator,” Dantas said. “When [Darrion] Caldwell got injured, I asked Scott Coker to bring in tough bantamweights and they brought in a tough fighter, but you have to make weight. I train hard for several months, I don’t go out, I train. It’s the very minimum you can do. You have to make weight. Be a professional. I don’t think Caldwell is injured. I think he just doesn’t want to fight out of America. I am looking forward to getting my hands on him.”

Daniel Weichel (39-9) defeated John Macapa (21-2) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Daniel Weichel Quote:

“Macapa is definitely a tough opponent. He was almost undefeated coming into this with only one loss and I took him as seriously as I can take an opponent. At this time I treat everyone I fight as if it’s a championship fight. I think he is one of the top featherweight opponents that I could face so I’m pretty happy that I was able to beat him,” Weichel said. “I have to give a big shout out to all of my friends and family that drove 17-18 hours from Frankfurt and Cologne to be here and support me. They’ve been there for me and believed in me since day one and it’s difficult for me to even put into words how much it means to have them in my corner. I have to thank Bellator for putting me on this card and giving them the opportunity to come and watch me fight. I’m hoping that Bellator brings me to Mohegan Sun next week and puts me cage side so I can see who I will get to beat up next when (Daniel) Straus and (Patricio) ‘Pitbull’ fight.

Lena Ovchynnikova (12-4) defeated Helen Harper (4-2) via doctor stoppage at 5:00 of round two

Lena Ovchynnikova Quote:

“Before the fight I was a little bit nervous, and I felt that my first round wasn’t quite as good as I would of liked. But when the second round started she was going to feel my power and I knew that I would win,” Ovchynnikova said. “When the judges stopped the fight I couldn’t believe it. I was ready for a third round and I wanted to win with a knockout but we have what we have.”

Adam Borics (6-0) defeated Anthony Taylor (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:12 of round one

Adam Borics Quote:

“When the fight started, I felt a great deal of pressure from the crowd and I was in a bit of a rush. It took me a while to settle down and regain my composure, but once I did that I was able to see the fight much better. I’ve been working on my striking with Henri Hooft and I really was hoping to win with a knockout, but I saw my opening for a submission and I was able to end the fight with the choke,” Borics said. “I’m very happy that I was given this great opportunity to represent Hungary in MMA. This is very important for me to support the development of this sport in Hungary. It is my plan to continue to be an ambassador for the sport here and to continue to bring victories like this in the future.”

Brian Moore (10-5) defeated Michal Horejsi (5-3) via TKO at 3:57 of round two

Brian Moore Quote:

 

“I’m really, really happy that I got the call back from Bellator. To be honest I begged for the call back because Bellator is where I want to be. I want to be signed with Bellator, I want to be a household name. I really believe I’m one of the better featherweights in this division. I was given a guy who is very unpredictable. I was patient in my approach but I cut him down and was able to finish him. Tonight I wanted to make a statement with a knockout because my dream is to fight at Madison Square Garden. I want to open up the show. My teammate James (Gallagher) is already on the card and we’d put on a super camp together and we’d tear that place apart,” Moore said. “My hero, Sugar Ray Robinson used to own the Garden. I’ve watched every bit of footage I can get my hands on of Sugar Ray, he’s my idol. So to fight in the same arena as he has – and obviously my teammate Conor (McGregor) has fought there too – it would be a dream come true. But I want to open up the card and set the tone for the night because when you see a fighter that is as exciting as I am that’ll set the tone. Give me anyone, I don’t give a f-ck.”

Mate Kertesz (3-0) defeated Patrick Szombat (1-3) via TKO at 4:37 of round two

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PHOTOS & QUOTES FROM TODAY’S BELLATOR 177 & BELLATOR KICKBOXING 6 PRESS CONFERENCE

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B177Dantas_Higo 

EVENT SET TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY, APRIL 14 IN BUDAPEST

 

ADDITIONAL FIGHTER PHOTOS – CREDIT BELLATOR/LUCAS NOONAN

 

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Several fighters from both Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo and Bellator Kickboxing 6 gathered in Budapest this morning to speak with the media about their upcoming fights this Friday night inside the Budapest Sports Arena.

 

Two titles will be on the line, as Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas defends his Bellator bantamweight belt against former LFA champ Leandro Higo, while Bellator kickboxing welterweight titleholder Zoltan Laszak takes on Karim Ghajji in a championship rematch.

 

Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo will be broadcast Friday, April 14 on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while Bellator Kickboxing 6 will air immediately following the MMA portion of the event, beginning at 11pm ET/10pm CT.

Below, you can find quotes from today’s press conference.

Bellator Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo Dantas:

“Thank you to Bellator for supporting me and thank you Budapest for the opportunity.”

“I’m very happy to be here. I want to say thank you to my opponent for accepting this fight. And I’m ready to show you what I do best, which is to punch his face.”

Leandro Higo:

“Thank you to Bellator for the opportunity. Thank you, Budapest, for the reception. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking forward to putting on a good show this Friday!”

“I feel no extra pressure because I’m here to do what I love, which is fighting. I’m looking forward to winning another championship belt.”

Adam Borics:

“I’d like to welcome all of you. This is one of the biggest opportunities of my life. I’m very much looking forward to the fight and I’m well prepared, so I can’t wait. I was fortunate enough to prepare for this fight in America with great professional coaches like Henri Hooft.”

“I’m ready. I can hardly wait for my arm to be lifted at the end.”

Anthony Taylor

“Welcome! Welcome! How’s it going? I am the “Pretty Boy”, the prettiest of them all. I definitely want to thank Budapest and Bellator for bringing me in. Of course, I bring numbers, you know, so I’m expecting this should bring over a million viewers, hands down.”

“I want to thank you all for coming here and showing the support. We’re going to put on a show – one hell of a show. We’re going to get these ratings up and have so much fun. Definitely.”

“Hands down, pound for pound, everyone knows I am the strongest 145-er in the division and if anybody stands in my way or stands in the middle of the cage and wants to bang with me, they’re gonna get knocked out. I kid you not! Anybody in the featherweight division stands toe to toe with me is going to get knocked out.”

“I’m not going to take nothing from this man. He has a 9-0 record so he’s definitely put in work. He beat up nine people, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to beat up me. I tell you that! But I give him credit because he’s coming out here and sacrificing his time and being away from his family to put in his work just as I am. We’re going to put on a show for all you fans out there and all you media out there.”

“You know in my eyes, this is the main event: The Hungarian versus the American. Everyone wants to see this fight. They want to see what is this man can do with a record of 9-0. He earned his wins and I respect him as a fighter. But after Friday he will be 9-1.”

Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight World Champion Zoltan Laszak

“I’d like to thank Bellator very much for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to this this rematch with Ghajji. This is a great chance to really entertain and I appreciate the support from all of the Hungarian fans. I feel their cheers and support every day.”

“This is the most important fight of my life because there has been much more promotion here in Budapest leading up to the event. I realize that most people in the arena will be cheering for me, and for Hungary. I’ve done my preparation and my homework. I’m excellently prepared and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

Karim Ghajji

“Thank you for the rematch. It was a big mistake in the first fight. Now I’m going to make it right and bring the belt back home to France.”

“Two days before the first fight I was sick and I had dealt with injuries during that camp, but this time I had a great camp, I’ve prepared myself very well, and this will be an explosive fight on Friday.”

Complete Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo Main Card:

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Eduardo Dantas (19-4) vs. Leandro Higo (17-2)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (38-9) vs. John “Macapa” (21-1-2)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Adam Borics (5-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-2)

 

Preliminary Card:

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Brian Moore (9-5) vs. Michal Horejsi (5-2)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Patrick Szombat (1-2) vs. Mate Kertesz (3-0)

 

Complete Bellator Kickboxing 6 Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Zoltan Laszak (83-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Karim Ghajji (23-5-1)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Joe Schilling (20-9) vs. Alexandru Negrea (9-2)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels (10-3) vs. Gyorfi Csaba (20-5)

Women’s Featherweight Feature Bout: Jorina Baars (40-0-3) vs. Irene Martens (20-9-2)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Gabriel Varga (13-4) vs. Gabor Gorbics (30-10)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

FOLLOWING INJURY TO DARRION CALDWELL, LEANDRO HIGO RECEIVES TITLE SHOT AGAINST EDUARDO DANTAS AT BELLATOR 177 IN BUDAPEST ON FRIDAY, APRIL 14

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LOS ANGELES — (March 14, 2017) – Following an undisclosed injury to Darrion Caldwell, budding superstar Leandro “Pitbull” Higo (17-2) will now challenge current champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (19-4) in a bantamweight world title fight at Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higoinside the Budapest Sports Arena on April 14.

In addition, John “Macapa”(21-1-2) will face Daniel Weichel (38-9) in a featherweight contest and Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) meets Helen Harper (4-1) at 125-pounds. Rounding out the Spike-televised MMA action will be a featherweight matchup pitting Hungarian-born Adam “The Kid” Borics (5-0) against Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor(1-2).

 

Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higowill be broadcast on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while Bellator Kickboxing 6 will air immediately following the MMA portion of the event, beginning at 11pm ET/10pm CT.

 

Complete Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo Main Card:

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Eduardo Dantas (19-4) vs. Leandro Higo (17-2)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (38-9) vs. John “Macapa”Teixeira (21-1-2)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Taylor (1-2) vs. Adam Borics (5-0)

Preliminary Card:

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Brian Moore (9-5) vs. Ludovit Klein (6-0)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mate Kertesz (3-0) vs. Adam Polgar (10-8)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PAIR OF INJURIES MAKE WAY FOR BRUNA VARGAS AND BRIAN MOORE ON MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 169’ INSIDE 3ARENA IN DUBLIN

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BANTAMWEIGHT FEATURE FIGHT PITTING SHAY WALSH AGAINST LUIZ TOSTA ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD ON DEC. 16

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 5, 2016) – Injuries to both Paul Redmond and Bruna Ellen have led to new opponents for Daniel Weichel (37-9) and Helen Harper (4-1) on December 16. Weichel will now face Ireland native Brian Moore (9-4) in a featherweight bout, while Harper will be challenged by Bruna Vargas (2-1) in a flyweight fight at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Finally, a bantamweight bout pitting Shay Walsh (14-4) against Luiz Tosta (9-2) puts a stamp on the main card of “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”

The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight clash.

Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott(16-8) prepare to duke it out for division gold.

Fighting out of Lancaster, England, Walsh will be making his Bellator MMA debut and against the savvy veteran Tosta. Dating back to 2014, Walsh has accrued four victories over his past five contests, including a brutal knockout of Gaz Pilot at “BAMMA 21: DeVent vs. Kone.” Of his 14 career wins, nine have come by way of knockout or submission, making it easy to picture another explosive attack out of the gates by Walsh. After competing in the 145-pound division for the first 15 fights of his professional career, Walsh made the move down to the bantamweight division, where he has strung together wins in two of his first three appearances.

The 36-year-old Tosta enters the bout riding a recent string of success that includes victories in seven of his last eight contests with one draw. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tosta will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, after recording the aforementioned draw in his promotional debut earlier this year at “Bellator 158.” With each of his nine career victories coming by way of submission, seven of which occurred in the first round, it’s clear that Tosta will once again look for the early takedown and finish his opponent.

Filling in for the injured Redmond is Brian Moore, as he enters the cage riding a current two-fight winning streak and a blossoming career that is ready to take off. The 29-year-old Moore has won five of his last seven contests, including a trio of first round victories, highlighted by a vicious knockout that came just 2:30 into his bout earlier in the year. Of his nine career wins, Moore has finished seven of his victims, making him a tall task for the wily veteran Weichel. A native of Wexford, Ireland, “The Pikeman” will not have to travel far for his upcoming showdown with one of Bellator MMA’s most proven veterans, as “The Weasel” will enter hostile territory for this face-off.

Replacing Ellen is the always dangerous Bruna Vargas, who will square off with Harper in search of her first win under the direction of Bellator MMA. The 27-year-old Vargas has recorded two wins over three contests, since making her professional debut in 2013. Hailing from Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Team Nogueira prospect hopes to redeem herself with a promising performance against another stiff opponent in Harper.

Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)

Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Bruna Vargas (2-1) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)

Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)

 

Updated “BAMMA 27” Card:

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Chris Fields (11-7-1) vs. Andy Clamp (8-1)

Featherweight Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)

Featherweight Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)

Lightweight Bout: Rhys McKee (4-0) vs. Jai Hebert (4-0)

Welterweight Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)

Welterweight Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)

Bantamweight Bout: Ian Cleary (Debut) vs. Andrew Lofthouse (Debut)

Welterweight Bout: Terry Brazier (6-1) vs. Niklas Stolze (7-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2)

Bantamweight Bout: Richie Smullen (2-0) vs. Conor Dillon (5-8)

Bantamweight Bout: Blaine O’Driscoll (2-1) vs. Neil Ward (2-2)

Welterweight Bout: Keith McCabe (1-1) vs. Richard Kiely (Debut)

Welterweight Bout:Will Fleury (1-0) vs. Kyle Mclurkin (Debut)