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Lossis Archives: Mixed Martial Arts
WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING SIGNS CAROS FODOR AND COREY DEVELA TO EXCLUSIVE PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS
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WMMAA & Battle Brotherhood partner to launch World Alliance To support global military brotherhood
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‘IRISH’ BRENNAN WARD TO DEFEND HIS HOMETURF AGAINST DENNIS ‘THE MENACE’ OLSON AT BELLATOR 144
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (September 8, 2015) – “Irish” Brennan Ward (11-3) will compete for the third time in 2015 when he meets Dennis “The Menace” Olson (14-9) in a welterweight contest at “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which emanates from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., rau October 23.
The bout will take place during the main card of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which will be televised live on Spike at 9 p.m. LI/8 p.m. I, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. LI.
The main event of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” features an exciting rematch for the bantamweight title fight between champion Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) and his former training partner Eduardo Dantas(17-4). Nyob hauv tus nqi feature, Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) will look to regain the vacant Bellator MMA Middleweight Title when he takes on Rafael Carvalho (11-1).
Daim pib mus “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $25, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 6:00 p.m. LI local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after.
Ward is fresh off an ESPN Top-10 first-round knockout of Roger Carroll at “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” his second consecutive victory. “Irish” has competed in his home state of Connecticut on three-straight occasions, but the crowd may be torn as he faces Olson, who also calls the New England area his home.
Olson fought valiantly against Paul Daley this past July, but ultimately was defeated in his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. “The Menace” has finished 10 of his 14 wins as a professional and will also be competing for the third time in 2015.
Bellator 144: “Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Updated Card
Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. LI/8 p.m. I)
Bellator Bantamweight Championship Fight: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)
Bellator Middleweight Championship Fight: Brandon Halsey (9-0) vs. Rafael Carvalho (11-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (11-3) vs. Dennis Olson (14-9)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (8-0) vs. TBA
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
4 PRELIMINARY BOUTS ANCHORED BY RYAN COUTURE VERSUS NICK GONZALEZ COMPLETES ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (Lub yim hli ntuj 24, 2015) – Four fights have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” rau September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of Ryan Couture (10-3) versus Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez, (18-12) as well as three other preliminary scraps.
The remaining fights round out a stacked card that also includes: Abram Torres (3-3) noj Daniel Cervantes (2-3), Saul Elizondo (6-5) returning to action against Amador Ramirez (4-4) and undefeated Steve Garcia (5-0) meeting Eduardo Bustillos (4-1).
The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. LI/8 p.m. I, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. LI/6 p.m. I.
Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. I local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after.
Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Ryan Couture will look to remain undefeated in 2015. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission.
Couture will go up against Gonzalez, who you can call a true Bellator MMA veteran. “The Ghost” competed at the promotion’s inaugural event back in 2009 and then again at Bellator 6. With 30-fights to his name, the Austin, Texas native will compete professionally for the first time in nearly two years.
In a battle of 170-pounders, Torres will look to end a two-fight losing when he faces Cervantes on September 25. Cervantes has won his only fight in 2015, a unanimous decision win on Tej zaum 29.
Elizondo and Ramirez will square off in bantamweight action. Both men will be making their Bellator MMA debuts.
Finally, undefeated Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia will look to add to the impressive start to his pro career when he meets Eduardo Bustillos. The 23-year-old has already notched three wins under the Bellator MMA banner and has finished four out of five bouts. Bustillos is no slouch, having ended three of his four wins via submission.
“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card
Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. LI/6 p.m. PT)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)
Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. LI/3:30 p.m. PT)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Nick Gonzalez (18-12)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Abram Torres (3-3) vs. Daniel Cervantes (2-3)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Saul Elizondo (6-5) vs. Amador Ramirez (4-4)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (5-0) vs. Eduardo Bustillos (4-1)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
JOHN RAIO THRIVING IN RETIREMENT WITH A FIRST CLASS TEAM
Lewiston, Maine (September 3, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX,” Rau hnub Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature three members of First Class MMA in action that night. Hannah Sparrell (0-0), Rafael Velado (0-0) thiab Nick Shea (1-0) from the Brunswick, Maine-based gym. Recently, First Class MMA founder and head coach John “First Class” Raio joined NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson as the guest on the NEF Podcast.
This past June, 38-year-old Raio retired after competing in the NEF cage for some three-and-a-half years. Raio now concentrates on training the members of his First Class MMA gym, including preparing Sparrell, Velado and Shea for their upcoming bouts.
“I definitely can put a lot more time into my fighters as well as my family,” said Raio. “The fighters, I can put a lot more time into them because it’s not all about me. When you’re fighting, when you’re training for a fight, no matter how much you try to focus on Nick Shea or Nick Gully or Hannah Sparrell or Rafael or any of our fighters, you can’t really put 100% effort into a fighter when you really focus on your own fight. It’s tough splitting between their fight and your fight and your job, your family and your kids.”
Since the birth of NEF in early 2012, and the subsequent explosion of the sport’s popularity in the state, many new gyms have sprung up in recent years, including First Class MMA. Raio enjoys, more than anything else, the tight-knit, family-like atmosphere that has developed at the facility since he opened the gym.
“The biggest thing I like about our gym, I enjoy going and being a part of, is there’s a very humble group of students and instructors,” noted Raio. “Everyone who teaches in there is about the fighters. It’s about the students. They’re not about themselves. They’re more about trying to help people get better. Whether they’re a fighter or a teacher, we have a few teachers who go there and we have several women students and several children and adults. It’s a real good mix and very much a family atmosphere. We rarely lose a student.”
Tus “First Class” moniker is not merely a nickname given to Raio because of his past job with the postal service. Early on in his MMA career, Raio earned the reputation of a respectful, classy, professional, likeable individual, hence the pun in his nickname. Those same qualities have carried over to the students of First Class MMA.
“I try to treat everybody equally,” said Raio. “I try to treat everyone respectfully. I think a lot of those guys (at the gym), in turn, treat each other respectfully. If I ever have an issue with a student, if they’re not acting respectful to the instructors or the other students, I’ll pull them aside and if they have to leave then they have to leave. That’s part of life… Our gym attracts, for some reason, people who are just nice people.”
With more and more new students coming through his gym’s door, Raio has definitely kept busy since his retirement from active competition. Like a proud father, Raio has a real passion for the success of his students. The ultimate reward for him is seeing his protégées do well in the cage.
“After the last show (NEF XVIII), when I saw Nick (Gulliver, 1-0) have his arm raised and Rob (Robinson, 1-0), I was so happy for those guys,” recalled Raio. “I’m so happy to see these two guys win. As much as I didn’t come away with a win against Bruce (Boyington, 10-8), I said ‘if we go 2-1, I’d rather be the one that didn’t pull off the victory.’ I’ve never been as happy for my own win than I was for Nick and Rob that night.”
To learn more about First Class MMA, you can visit the team’s Facebook page “First Class Fitness & MMA.”
You can listen to the NEF Podcast in its entirety atwww.NewEnglandFights.com/Podcasts/.
New hais Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX,” takes place on Hnub vas xaum, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Daim pib mus “NEF XIX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. tsis tas li ntawd, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
About New England Fights
New hais Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
BARRY PINCUS JOINS WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICIER (CFO)
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UNDEFEATED DARRION ‘THE WOLF’ CALDWELL MEETS SHAWN ‘BUNCH THE GREAT’ BUNCH AT ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25
CHASE GORMLEY MAKES HIS BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST DAN CHARLES
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (September 2, 2015) – Not one, but two must-see bouts have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” rau September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of undefeated Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0) versus Shawn Bunch (4-1) and heavyweight action seeing Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC) against Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3).
The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. LI/8 p.m. I, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. LI/6 p.m. I.
Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. I local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced shortly.
Caldwell remained undefeated with an impressive unanimous decision win over Rafael Silva at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The standout collegiate wrestler has made it clear that he hopes to have Bellator MMA championship gold on his mantle before the year is out. “The Wolf” plans to remain at bantamweight for the foreseeable future even though he was unbeaten at 145-pounds as well.
Standing opposite of Caldwell will be Bunch, a 32-year-old Ohio native who has seen all six of his professional fights take place in Bellator MMA. A member of American Kickboxing Academy in Northern California, “Bunch The Great” wants nothing more than to give Caldwell his first defeat as a pro.
In heavyweight action, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Chase Gormley will look to keep his five-fight winning streak intact when he competes on September 25. The Titan Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin won the regional promotion’s title in his last outing with a unanimous decision win over Jon Madsen in March.
Dan Charles will return to action for the first time since his matchup with Bobby Lashley tom “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” a bout that “The Man” took on short notice after James Thompson was forced out due to injury. The 29-year-old will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has earned victory via finish in seven out of nine wins.
“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card
Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. LI/6 p.m. PT)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)
Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. LI/3:30 p.m. PT)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
CHASE GORMLEY MAKES HIS BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST DAN CHARLES
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (September 2, 2015) – Not one, but two must-see bouts have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” rau September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of undefeated Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0) versus Shawn Bunch (4-1) and heavyweight action seeing Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC) against Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3).
The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. LI/8 p.m. I, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. LI/6 p.m. I.
Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. I local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced shortly.
Caldwell remained undefeated with an impressive unanimous decision win over Rafael Silva at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The standout collegiate wrestler has made it clear that he hopes to have Bellator MMA championship gold on his mantle before the year is out. “The Wolf” plans to remain at bantamweight for the foreseeable future even though he was unbeaten at 145-pounds as well.
Standing opposite of Caldwell will be Bunch, a 32-year-old Ohio native who has seen all six of his professional fights take place in Bellator MMA. A member of American Kickboxing Academy in Northern California, “Bunch The Great” wants nothing more than to give Caldwell his first defeat as a pro.
In heavyweight action, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Chase Gormley will look to keep his five-fight winning streak intact when he competes on September 25. The Titan Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin won the regional promotion’s title in his last outing with a unanimous decision win over Jon Madsen in March.
Dan Charles will return to action for the first time since his matchup with Bobby Lashley tom “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” a bout that “The Man” took on short notice after James Thompson was forced out due to injury. The 29-year-old will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has earned victory via finish in seven out of nine wins.
“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card
Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. LI/6 p.m. PT)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)
Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. LI/3:30 p.m. PT)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
CHAEL SONNEN JOINS WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AS COLOR COMMENTATOR FOR LIVE NBCSN TELECASTS
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GLORY KICKBOXING BOUT PITTING KERI ANNE TAYLOR-MELENDEZ VS. HADLEY GRIFFITH ADDED TO MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR MMA: DYNAMITE 1’
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (September 1, 2015) – A 120-pound Glory kickboxing bout pitting Ker Anne Taylor-Melendez (2-1) against Hadley “Relentless” Griffith (pro debut) completes the Spike-televised card of “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” on September 19 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
For the first time ever, “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” will feature both a Bellator MMA cage and a Glory kickboxing ring on one arena floor at the same time. In the evening’s main event, Tito Ortiz (18-11) will challenge the undefeated Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion, Liam McGeary (10-0) for the title.
Additionally, the previously announced fight card features a Glory kickboxing title fight featuring Zack Mwekassa (13-2, 12 KO) thiab Saulo Cavalari (31-2, 19 KO) for the vacant Light Heavyweight Championship, as well as Bellator MMA competitors Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) thiab Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (24-13) also competing in Glory action, when they trade-in the MMA gloves for kickboxing gloves.
On the mixed martial arts side, Bellator MMA will also conduct a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the division that features Phil Davis (13-3) noj Emanuel Newton (25-8-1) thiab Linton Vassell (15-4-1) facing Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (15-4, 1 NC). Newly signed lightweight standout Josh “The Punk” Thomson (20-8, 1 NC) is also in action, when he makes his Bellator MMA debut against Mike “The Greek Assassin” Bronzoulis (18-8-1).
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” airs live and free on Spike at 9/8c. Tickets for the historic event start at just $30 and are on sale now at the SAP Center box office and are also available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
At only 31 years of age, Taylor-Melendez has previously competed in both kickboxing and muay Thai, but fully intends on transitioning to the sport of mixed martial arts in the near future. The spouse of former WEC and Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and co-owner of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, Taylor-Melendez first took up combat sports close to 10 xyoo dhau los, making a name for herself fighting in the Bay Area. After racking up a 4-1 amateur record, she took her talents to the professional circuit, where she currently holds a 2-1 kickboxing record.
A five-fight mixed martial arts veteran, Griffith will return to action for the first time in 2015, except this time it will be inside a Glory kickboxing ring. “Relentless” eagerly awaits her return to combat sports after being out of action for more than a year due to an injury that caused the amputation of the top of her middle finger. A native of Washington, and training in Colorado, Hadley will likely have plenty of fan support on September 19 in San Jose, Calif.
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” – Hnub vas xaum, September 19 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Tito Ortiz (18-11) vs. © Liam McGeary (10-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: TBD vs. TBD
Glory Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Saulo Cavalari (31-2) vs. Zack Mwekassa (13-2)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Thomson (20-8) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-8-1)
Glory Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (37-13-2 MMA/20-3 Kickboxing) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13/1-2 Kickboxing)
Glory Bantamweight Feature Fight: Kerri Anne Taylor-Melendez (2-1) vs. Hadley Griffith (Debut)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Phil Davis (13-3) vs. Emanuel Newton (25-8-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Linton Vassell (15-4-1) vs. Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Bout: Francis Carmont (23-10) vs. Philipe Lins (9-1)
*Fight card subject to change