BELLATOR’S NO. 4-RANKED WELTERWEIGHT NEIMAN GRACIETO TAKE ON NO. 5 LOGAN STORLEY IN AN INTERNATIONAL BATTLE OF TOP-10 CONTENDERS IN MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR MMA 274 KA MOQEBELO, Mar. 19, PHELA ON Showtime
FORMER BELLATOR CHAMPION ANDREY KORESHKOV FACES FELLOW RUSSIAN STAR MUKHAMED BERKHAMOV IN CO-HEADLINER WHEN BELLATOR RETURNS TO MOHEGAN SUN ARENA IN UNCASVILLE, CONN., WITH AN ACTION-PACKED NIGHT OF FIGHTS
LOS ANGELES – Fresh off an 87-second destruction of Mark Lemminger in the co-main event ofBELLATOR MMA 266, Se Ke Oa. 4-Thailand RankedNeiman Gracie(11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12go th consecutive time when he takes on once-beaten and No. 5-Thailand RankedLogan Storley(12-1) in a clash of top-10 170-pounders atBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley ka moqebelo, Feb. 19.
In the co-featured bout inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 8-Thailand RankedZhenya Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign againstMukhamed Berkhamov(15-1), a winner of his last seven contests. The main card will also see undefeatedKeri Taylor Melendez (5-0) compete at flyweight against former title challenger and No. 6-Thailand RankedVeta Arteaga (6-4) and a pair of heavyweights who find themselves tied at No. 8 in the official rankings will open the main card, when undefeated prospectDavion Franklin (4-0) lintoaSaid Sowma (8-2).
SHOWTIME will televise theBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley main card live at9 p.m. Et / 6 p.m. PT.Ekelletsa moo, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT.
Ditekete tsaBELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley will go on sale Friday, Jan. 7 at bothTicketmaster.com leBellator.com, with a special presale taking place Thursday, Jan. 6.
Five preliminary contests are also official forBELLATOR MMA 274, three lightweight bouts, the first pitting 44-fight veteranGeorgi Karakhanyan(31-12-1) against Northern California’sAdama Piccolot(12-4), a battle between two of the best nicknames in MMA, Mandel “Rat Garbage” Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) leNick “Nyquil” Browne(12-1), moho leCorey Samuels (3-2), who won in ten seconds in his BELLATOR debut, returning to face undefeatedJustin Montalvo(4-0).
The final two preliminary contests will seeIsaiah Hokit (0-1) will move down to featherweight in his second BELLATOR outing, ha o nka kaAlbert Birckhead (0-1) a hae a papatso qalo. Lastly, top-flight bantamweight prospectJaylon Bates (4-0) welcomesChris Disonell (6-4) back to BELLATOR for the first time since 2019.
Originating from the exalted Brazilian jiu-jitsu family, Gracie scored his first professional TKO when he backed his opponent against the fence and unleashed a barrage of unanswered punches to Lemminger’s head, forcing referee Jason Herzog to stop the contest at 1:27 of the opening round on Sept. 18, 2021, a San Jose, Dorella.
The great grandson of Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, nephew of MMA icon Royce Gracie, and cousin to Renzo Gracie, Neiman Gracie opened his outstanding MMA career by recording nine consecutive wins of then-undefeated opponents, including eight by submission.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 33-year-old BELLATOR veteran currently holds a 9-2 promotional record. While others his age were learning to speak their native language, Gracie began jiu-jitsu training at age four. Fast forward to 18 years later when the multi-faceted fighter earned the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt at 22. Ekelletsa moo, the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Kings MMA fighter captured the 2011 U.S National Jiu-Jitsu title, 2008 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu crown, le 2007 American National Jiu-Jitsu championship during an illustrious amateur career.
Hailing from Webster, S.D., the hard-hitting Storley commenced his pro vocation with six consecutive knockouts, including five in the initial stanza, en route to 11 straight triumphs overall. Ho feta moo, “The Storm” will make his ninth consecutive BELLATOR appearance where he currently holds a magnificent 7-1 rekoto.
Like his counterpart on Feb. 19, Storley began wresting at a young age, albeit one year later at age five. Ekelletsa moo, the Sanford MMA product and former folkstyle wrestler completed a fabled amateur career as a four-time NCAA Division-I champion at the University of Minnesota, as well as a six-time South Dakota High School Activities Association titlist.
The 29-year-old Storley, who holds academic degrees in both business and marketing, thrilled his hometown crowd in his last turn by earning a split-decision victory over Dante Schiro in the co-featured bout ofBELLATOR MMA 265 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEYSEHLOOHO KARETE:
Moqebelo, Feb. 19 – live onNAKO EA LIPONTŠO
9 p.m. Et / 6 p.m. PT
Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs.. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: #8-Zhenya Koreshkov (24-4) vs.Mukhamed Berkamov (15-1)
Flyweight Bout: #6–Veta Arteaga (6-4) vs.Keri Taylor Melendez (5-0)
Heavyweight bout: #8-Said Sowma (8-2) vs.#8–Davion Franklin(4-0)
PRELIMINARY KARETE:
BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV
6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Bobebe bout: Georgi Karakhanyan(31-12-1) vs.Adama Piccolot(12-4)
Bobebe bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs.Nick Browne(12-1)
Bantamweight bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs.Chris Disonell (6-4)
Bobebe bout: Corey Samuels (3-2) vs.. Justin Montalvo(4-0)
Featherweight bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs.Albert Birckhead (0-1)
*Card subject to change.
Please visitBellator.com bakeng sa boitsebiso bo eketsehileng.
****
Updated schedule of BELLATOR events
A lula. Jan. 29 // BELLATOR 273: Bader vs. Moldavsky// Footprint Center // Phoenix, Ariz.
Sat., Feb. 19/ / BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Area // Uncasville, Conn.
Free. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland