JUSTIN ‘THE BIG PYGMY’ WREN RETURNS TO ACTION IN EVENT’S FEATURED PRELIMINARY BOUT

Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 2, 2015) –An injury to Mike Bronzoulis has shifted things during the SPIKE-televised main card of "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " rau Feb. 19 ntawm Toyota Center nyob rau hauv Houston, Texas. Tam sim no, the lightweight contest will pit Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) tiv thaiv Derek Liaj teb (15-6).

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Justin “The Big Pygmy Viking” Wren (11-2) returns to action in what will be his second appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, thaum nws muaj raws li Juan Torres (4-4) in heavyweight fisticuffs.

 

The fights join a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) raws li Royce Gracie (14-2-3) rau ib tug peb lub sij hawm thiab Kimbo Hlais (5-2) yuav sib ntaus sib tua tus txiv neej uas tau raug hu nws tawm vim lawv kev phooj ywg twb xyoos dhau los, Dhafir Harris, zoo li "Lub hauv siab 5000" (2-0). In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and former light heavyweight titlist Emanuel Newton (25-9) battles Linton Vassell (15-5).

 

Daim pib rau no mixed martial arts extravaganza pib ntawm cia li $50 thiab yog rau cov muag khoom tam sim no nyob Bellator.com, raws li tau zoo raws li HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

"Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. I, thaum ua ntej bouts yuav kwj nyob rau Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.

 

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz nyuam qhuav pib lub xyoo. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Texas native with plenty to prove. Of Guillard’s 32 yeej raws li ib tug kws, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Known as “The Stallion” to those familiar with his mixed martial arts career, Campos will come into his meeting with Guillard riding a two-fight skid. During his eight-fight tenure with Bellator MMA, the 27-year-old Texan has faced a plethora of top lightweight talent, going up against names the likes of: Michael Chandler, Patricky Freire, Brandon Girtz (2x), and Estevan Payan.

 

You would be hard-pressed to find a better story in all of MMA than the one that Wren can tell. The two-time National High School Wrestling Champion generated massive amounts of media attention on the road to his promotional debut at "Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girt,” where he defeated Josh Burns. His story begins several years earlier, nyob rau hauv 2010, when Wren confronted an opponent tougher than any he could face in combat sports: addiction.

 

With an opportunity to continue fighting on the table, Wren left the sport and began his recovery process. A chance meeting with a friend led Wren on a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he came across and developed a deep connection with the Mbuti Pygmies, many of whom were enslaved, living on only the scraps the slave masters would pay them with. Wren found his calling there and wanted to do everything in his power to help the Pygmies. With multiple visits to the Congo, including a stint that lasted a year, Wren started a foundation called “Fight for the Forgotten.” Through his efforts, Wren and his staff of 17 have systematically bought the land of the slave owners, and have thus far legally given 2,740 acres of rainforest to the Pygmies, effectively freeing them from slavery.

 

Partnering with other groups like Shalom University and joining forces with Water4.org, Wren and his charity are responsible for drilling 26 water wells to help provide both the Pygmies and the former slave masters with clean water, and have plans to drill hundreds more. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, the team has begun a sustainable farming project to benefit and provide food to both the Pygmies and non-Pygmies of the community.

 

Take a look below at the complete 19-fight "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " card and be sure to tune into SPIKE on February 19 ntawm 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT for an event that has something for every fight fan.

Completed “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Fight Card

Bellator MMA Openweight Main kev tshwm sim: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main kev tshwm sim: Kimbo Hlais (5-2) vs. “Dada 5000” (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)

Bellator MMA Hnav Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Liaj teb (15-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Ruben Esparsa (1-0) vs. C.J. Hancock (Debut)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Adrian Yanez (3-1) vs. Daniel Santos (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Isaac Villanueva (9-7) vs. Richard Knepp (3-3)

Bellator MMA Hnav Yam ua ntej Bout: Mike Trinh (2-3) vs. Angel Zamora (2-2)

Bellator MMA Hnav Yam ua ntej Bout: Jason Langellier (2-0) vs. Anthony Ivy (1-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Manny Lozoya (Debut) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (1-5)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Amateur Bout: Leomana Martinez (2-0) vs. Casey Jones (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Chris Solis (2-0) vs. Alex Macedo (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Jonathan Davis (2-0) vs. Shawn Solis (1-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Amateur Bout: Hunter Scott-Gregg (1-0) vs. Ricardo Deluque (1-0)