Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

ONCE UNDEFEATED BANTAMWEIGHTS LOOK TO GET BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN

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Lewiston, Maine (September 29, 2016) – They started their amateur careers at a perfect 3-0, respectively.  Now, Fred Lear(3-2) and Ali Zebian (3-3) are both hoping to get back to their winning ways.

 

The mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bout between Lear and Zebian will take place onNovember 4 at the “CES vs. NEF: Supremacy” super-show in Lewiston.  The televised portion of the fight card, “CES 39,” will air live on AXS TV.  Lear and Zebian will battle on the non-televised portion of the card, “NEF 26,” at the bantamweight limit of 135-pounds.

 

Fred Lear is a member of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine.  He made his NEF debut at “NEF IX” in Biddeford, Maine in the summer of 2013.  Lear would finish two of his first three bouts, with a unanimous decision victory over the always-tough Carl Langston (5-8) sandwiched in between.

 

Lear has dropped his last two, including a title-qualifier to Henry Clark (3-2) last September in Lewiston.  He will be looking to rebound from that loss, but he knows Zebian presents a hefty challenge.  It is a challenge that Lear welcomes.

 

“Fighting Ali Zebian on November 4th is a monumental opportunity,” declared Lear. “He is powerful, talented and well coached. I love to compete and am excited for the fight to come.”

 

Ali Zebian represents Fighting Arts Academy (FAA) of Springfield, Massachusetts.  He was just 19-years old when he made his mixed-martial-arts debut in 2013.  The start to his career was nothing short of stellar.  Zebian finished his first three opponents by technical knockout.

 

While Zebian has lost his last three, those losses have been to opponents coming in with a combined record of 8-3-1.  He has faced stiff competition, and he will face it once again on November 4 against Fred Lear.

 

“Ali is one of the strongest and most tenacious guys I have ever trained with,” said Zebian’s FAA teammate Nick Newell.  “Simple errors cost him his last couple fights, but time off competing to focus on his technique have made him a new man. FAA head coach Jeremy Libiszewski and I have noticed his potential for some time now, and it’s finally all starting to come together.”

 

Tickets for “CES vs. NEF: Supremacy” start at $25 and are available now  atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visitwww.CESMMA.com and www.NewEnglandFights.com.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

HEAVYWEIGHTS WILL BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY ON NOVEMBER 4 IN LEWISTON

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Lewiston, Maine (September 27, 2016) – OnFriday, November 4, 2016 at the historic Androscoggin Bank Colisee, New England Fights (NEF) and Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES) will team up for a joint super-show featuring the stars of New England’s two most prestigious mixed-martial-arts promotions.

 

The televised portion of the fight card, “CES 39,” will air live on AXS TV.  Earlier today, NEF executives announced the first fight scheduled for the non-televised portion of the card, “NEF 26.”  Maine heavyweights Ras Hylton (2-0) and Kevin Smith (3-2) will collide in a battle of two of the region’s largest mixed-martial-artists.

 

Standing in at a towering 6’6,” and holding a black belt in Taekwondo, undefeated Ras Hylton, has become a quick fan-favorite during his short time in NEF.  “Ras-squath,” as he has become known amongst his many fans, made his NEF cage debut in February of this year, downing Zak Bergeron (0-1) just over a minute into the first round of their “NEF 21” bout.  Hylton would follow up that performance with a highlight-reel head-kick knockout of Matt Glover (1-1) which will undoubtedly be in the running for “KO of the Year” honors.  He is currently a member of First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

 

“I am looking forward to fighting Kevin Smith November 4th,” said Hylton when reached for comment.  “Young’s puts out great fighters and I’m sure he will live up to their reputation.  The more wins you get, the tougher your opponents are.  He will be my strongest challenge in the cage so far.”

 

It has been over two years since Kevin Smith stepped into an MMA cage to compete.  Prior to that time, Smith had been undefeated on NEF events.  All three of his victories with the promotion were finishes – two by way of submission and one knockout.  Like Hylton, Smith has never had to rely on the judges’ scorecards.  He is a member of Young’s MMA of Bangor, Maine.  During his time off from active cage competition, Smith took stock of his life goals and decided to make a career of mixed-martial-arts.

 

“I knew deep down that fighting is what I was made to do, and I won’t be happy doing a regular job,” shared Smith, “so I put everything aside to focus on this full time and my ultimate goal is to make it to the big show and fight in Bellator or the UFC.”

 

Tickets for “CES vs. NEF: Supremacy” start at $25 and are available now  atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visitwww.CESMMA.com and www.NewEnglandFights.com.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIAM MCGEARY SET TO DEFEND LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT GOLD IN MAIN EVENT CLASH WITH PHIL “MR. WONDERFUL” DAVIS AT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA IN CONNECTICUT ON NOVEMBER 4

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BRENNAN WARD vs. SAAD AWAD & MARLOES COENEN vs. TALITA NOGUEIRA ALSO SET FOR MAIN CARD ACTION

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (September 23, 2016) – A light heavyweight title fight pitting current belt-holder Liam McGeary (11-0) against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (16-3) will serve as the main event at “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” on November 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

 

The SPIKE-televised main card will also feature a welterweight battle between Saad Awad (19-8) and Connecticut’s own Brennan Ward (13-4), as well as a female featherweight contest pitting Marloes Coenen (23-7) against undefeated Brazilian Talita Nogueira (6-0).

 

Tickets for “Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. The event can be seen live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.

 

Undefeated light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary returns to the same venue where he was crowned king in 2015. Now, the 33-year-old British striker will look to defend his title for the second time since winning the belt in a hard-fought victory over Emanuel Newton at “Bellator 134.” An eight-time veteran of Bellator MMA, McGeary has finished his opponent in 10 of his 11 career bouts, including eight first round wins – one coming against MMA legend Tito Ortiz. Standing at 6’6”, McGeary will have a noticeable height advantage over his opponent Davis when the two take center stage on November 4 inside Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

“Mr. Wonderful” returns to the Bellator MMA cage having won three consecutive contests and seven of his last nine. Hailing from Harrisburg, Penn., Davis has finished his opponent in eight of his 16 career wins, including five submission victories. A 13-fight veteran of the UFC, the 31-year-old Davis will likely not be fazed by the bright lights of what is quite possibly the biggest challenge of his illustrious career. The former NCAA National Champion wrestler will try to take this contest to the ground and display his impeccable grappling skillset against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

 

With a dozen fights under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion, the Bellator MMA veteran Awad will enter the cage for the 28th time in his career and third of the calendar year. A native of San Bernardino, Calif., Awad’s 2016 campaign is highlighted by a spectacular first round finish of Brazilian standout  “Cyborg” Santos at “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” as well as a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Derek Anderson at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.” With eight first round knockout victories under his belt, five of which came in the opening minute of action, the 33-year-old “Assassin” will undoubtedly come out guns blazing at 170-pounds on November 4 in search of his 16th career finish.

 

It wouldn’t feel like a complete Bellator MMA card in Connecticut without New London’s own, “Irish” Ward. The 28-year-old former NCAA All-American lives just 10 miles from Mohegan Sun Arena, where he has emerged victorious four times, including three knockouts and one submission. A 12-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Ward has recorded wins in four of his last five bouts dating back to 2015, highlighted by a pair of first round KO’s at Mohegan Sun Arena. With 12 of the welterweight’s 13 career victories coming by way of knockout and submission, look for Ward to attack early and often when he enters the cage in front of friends and family onNovember 4.

 

Dutch submission specialist Coenen will be making her fourth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner after making her promotional debut in 2014. The 35-year-old former Strikeforce competitor enters the cage having won four of her last six contests, including her first two bouts with the Scott Coker-led promotion. The 30-fight veteran nicknamed “Rumina” has finished her opponents in 20 of her 23 career wins, including a remarkable 17 submission victories.

 

The undefeated 30-year-old Nogueira will be making her Bellator MMA debut inside Mohegan Sun Arena onNovember 4. The fight will be her first since 2013, when the Brazilian grappler collected her sixth career win, fourth of the submission variety. Nogueira was originally slated to make her promotional debut in 2015, before a knee injury forced her to withdraw from of a scheduled bout with fellow featherweight Julia Budd at “Bellator 133.” Now, “Treta” will look to maintain her unblemished mark and put her name in title contention when she enters the cage in what will surely be the stiffest test of her flourishing career.

 

“Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Liam McGeary (11-0) vs. Phil Davis (16-3)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0)

 

Preliminary Card:

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Diekmann (15-7, 1 NC) vs. Tyler King (11-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Blair Tugman (8-6) vs. Walter Smith-Cotito (4-4, 1 NC)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Michael Zichelle (8-4) vs. Tim Caron (5-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ilya Kotau (1-1) vs. Carlos Corriea (1-0)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah Payant (1-3) vs. Hannah Regina (Debut)

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale

FNU Combat Sports Show: Weekly Wrap Up

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Tony Penecale, Tom Padgett and Rich Bergeron break down the week that was in combat sports and look forward to upcoming events in this September 22 broadcast. We discuss Liam Smith’s brutal knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez, preview Kovalev vs. Ward, and outline the upcoming weekend’s boxing schedule. We also discuss Don King’s “N-word” slip and a couple examples of fighters being upset with the rigors of fighting professionally. First, we examine why Joe Warren had no sponsors going into his bout last Friday that served as the co-main event of Bellator 161. Then we delve into the Al Iaquinta contract dispute with the UFC that took him off UFC 205 recently. We also look back on UFC Fight Night 94 and preview UFC Fight Night 95.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING: RETURNS TO EVERETT, WASHINGTON WITH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BLOCKBUSTER EVENT ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Blagoy Ivanov makes his third heavyweight title defense

Jared Rosholt faces Caio Alencar in a featured heavyweight scrap

Tickets for WSOF35 go on sale tomorrow 

LAS VEGAS (September 22, 2016) – World Series of Fighting (www.WSOF.com) announced today that it will return to Everett, Wash. with a heavyweight championship blockbuster Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at XFINITY Arena at Everett, on Saturday, Dec. 3, live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

In the main-event, reigning world champion Blagoy Ivanov (14-1) will put his title on the line for the third time against the victor of the WSOF33 bout between knockout artists and contenders Shawn Jordan (18-7) and Ashley Gooch (10-4) on Friday, Oct. 7.

In addition, former UFC standout Jared Rosholt (14-3) will make his much-anticipated promotional debut against fellow World Series of Fighting newcomer and finisher Caio Alencar (9-1) in a featured heavyweight contest.

Tickets for WSOF35 go on sale tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. PT at the XFINITY Arena Box Office, charge by phone 866.332.8499, or online atwww.WSOF.com and www.xfinityarenaeverett.com.

“We are looking forward to bringing another action-packed night of world-class MMA action to the city of Everett, on the heels of what was one of our greatest fight cards to date, from top to bottom, and an arena packed with incredibly passionate fight fans,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

The 5-foot-11, 29-year-old Ivanov of Sofia, Bulgaria fended off a valiant and tenacious Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland for five straight, electrifying rounds of battle in the main event of WSOF31 on June 17 to retain the coveted heavyweight title.

Ivanov is a Judo black belt and was a semi-finalist at the 2008 world Sambo championships where he famously defeated all-time MMA great Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko.

The stocky, heavy-handed Ivanov went on to emerge the runner-up in the 2014 Bellator MMA season-long, heavyweight tournament.  During his seven-fight stint with the league that began in 2013, he notched six consecutive victories, all by way of (T)KO or submission.

The 6-foot-2, 30-year-old Rosholt of Sandpoint, Idaho is coming off a solid run with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he amassed a record of 6-2, defeating the likes of Walt Harris and seven-foot giant Stefan Struve, along the way.

Rosholt was a 2010 NCAA Division I national wrestling championship runner-up and three-time All-American for Oklahoma State University.

Alencar of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil is a 6-foot-4, 37-year-old import who will make his debut in the U.S. as well as his first start in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.

After beginning his professional career just five years ago, Alencar ran to six consecutive wins and, to date, has earned all but one of his nine career victories by way of (T)KO.

Additional WSOF35 bouts will be announced soon.

Doors at XFINITY Arena at Everett will open for WSOF35 at 3:30 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 4 p.m.
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Challenge 71  Viktor Nemkov vs. Attila Vegh

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October 21 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
 

Two-time M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov (L) returns Oct. 21 in M-1 Challenge 71 against former Bellator champion Attila Vegh
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (September 21, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced M-1 Challenge 71, featuring world-class light heavyweights Viktor Nemkov and Attila “Pumukli” Vegh in a light heavyweight showdown, will be held Friday, October 21, at Saint Petersburg, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 71 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
A native of Kazakhstan fighting out of famed Stary Oskol, Russia, Nevkov (23-6-0, M-1: 16-5-0) is a former two-time M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion.  He first captured the coveted belt nearly three years ago, when he defeated Vasily Babich by way of a second-round submission (arm-lock) for the vacant title.
 
Last December, Nevkov became a two-time M-1 Challenge champion, defeating German Stephan Puetz by majority decision in the M-1 Challenge 63 Fight of the Night.  In his first defense this past May at M-1 Challenge 66, Nemkov lost a split decision to reigning champion Rashid Yusupov.
 
Vegh, fighting out of Slovakia, is a former Bellator champion.  In his M-1 Global debut last June at M-1 Challenge 68, Vegh was stopped in the opening round of his title challenge on punches to M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov.  
 
 Attila Vegh (R) is out to make his mark in M-1 Challenge competition
 
Additional M-1 Challenge 71 fights will soon be announced.
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

HISAKI KATO TAKES ON A.J. MATTHEWS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASH AS BELLATOR MMA INVADES MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21

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GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting Hisaki Kato (6-2) against A.J. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21.

In addition, a lightweight faceoff pitting  Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) against Ryan Couture (10-4) completes the SPIKE-televised main card. The first of what will be a stacked preliminary card is also official, with the news that Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-4) will fight Gilbert “Chocolate Thunder” Smith (12-5). Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Since signing with Bellator MMA, the calm and subdued Kato has been in nothing but absolute barn burners once the cage door shuts. The exciting fights have even transcended combat sport iterations, when at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 2” Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped Joe Schilling in his tracks, the second finish in as many tries for “The Japanese Musketeer” against “Stitch Em’ Up.” Currently situated in France, the 33-year-old has had one MMA contest thus far in 2016, stopping Yuta Watanabe in April.

When he’s not traveling the world in an effort to learn everything there is to know about the different martial arts disciplines, Matthews is putting his skills to the test under the Bellator MMA umbrella. A veteran of Strikeforce, “The Mercenary” has laced up the gloves seven times previously for the Viacom-owned promotion, stopping his opponent in all but one of his victories. Primarily training at Alliance MMA throughout his career, Matthews has spent much of his time as of late in Thailand, even taking a Muay Thai bout before meeting Ben Reiter at “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.”

At just 23-years-old, Yamauchi is one of the premiere young talents in the sport of MMA today. Prior to joining Bellator MMA, the Japanese submission specialist amassed an unfathomable 14-1 record with 11 submissions and one knockout. Since merging with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Yamauchi has strung together a promising mark of 5-2 with three rear-naked choke submissions. Of his 19 career wins, 15 have come by way of submission, while no opponent has yet been able to finish the elusive fighter. Yamauchi will now jump up in weight class and join the lightweight division for a clash with one of the most legendary last names in MMA, Couture.

Known to many as the son of former world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has made 14 professional appearances over his career, all of which took place under the bright lights of a national promotion like Strikeforce or Bellator MMA. Residing in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old submission specialist enters the cage having won four of his past five contests, with each of his victories coming by way of rear-naked choke submission. Although there is a noticeable age difference between his opponent, Yamauchi made his professional debut a mere two months after Couture, in October of 2010. Tune in to SPIKE on October 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.

 

Complete “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)

 

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO TAKES HOME MAJORITY DECISION IN MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 161’

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AUSTIN, TEXAS — (September 16, 2016) — It took 15 minutes of heavyweight action during the main event of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” to decide a winner between Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) and Tony Johnson (10-3), but in the end, it was “The Darkness” who emerged victorious via majority decision on Friday night.

The action between the two sluggers varied between heavy punches and elite wrestling, but the grappling of Kongo won out, as the 41-year-old got the better part of the action in the final ten minutes and began his newly signed extension with Bellator MMA on a high note.

The heavyweight title picture remains unclear, but if one thing’s certain, it’s that Kongo will have a claim to the strap when the promotion decides to put the title back on the line.

 

Guillotine Choke Fuels Joe Warren to Victory in Co-Main Event

 

Joe Warren (14-5) and Sirwan Kakai (12-5) traded blows for over ten minutes of heart pounding action in the evening’s co-main event, but it was Warren who finished on top after delivering a neck crank submission just 1:04 into the third round. After the win, the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is now tied for second all-time in Bellator MMA victories with 12. The former two-division champion Warren has now won seven of his last nine contests and has once again proven why he belongs among the division’s elite. The loss marks the first time over Kakai’s eight-year career that he has been finished by an opponent.

Anastasia Yankova Outlasts Veta Arteaga in Flyweight Marathon

 

In a highly-anticipated women’s flyweight battle,  undefeated Russian Anastasia Yankova (4-0) came out on top against Veta Arteaga (2-1) via split decision. With the win the 25-year-old Yankova continued along her brisk path to stardom with a comeback performance that two out of three cage side judges saw in her favor. Yankova impressed in her first ever fight in the US, recording her fourth career victory and second with the Scott Coker-led promotion. The win is the first to go the distance for Yankova, with each of her initial three coming by way of submission. For Arteaga, the difficult judges’ decision leaves her with the first loss of her professional career.

Compelling Lightweight Opener Ends in Unanimous Decision win for Lubbuck’s Campos

During the opening contest at “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” Texas’ own Derek Campos (17-6) scored a come-from-behind unanimous decision (29-28 x3) win over Dutch knockout artist Djamil Chan (12-3). After absorbing a devastating blow that sent him to the canvas early in the opening round of action, “The Stallion” quickly recovered and responded in a big way in rounds two and three. The 28-year-old Campos scored his second straight win and sixth since joining the Bellator MMA fray. For Chan, the loss ends an impressive run of seven consecutive victories over a dominant four-year stretch.

Preliminary Card Results:

Armando Villareal (1-0) defeated Tommy Burghardt (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:08 of round one

Sean Clements (1-0) defeated David Ramirez (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 2x)

Matt Mazurek (4-4) defeated Jose Guerra (0-3) via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

Daniel Pineda (22-12) defeated Mark Dickman (11-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:07 of round three

Emily Ducote (4-1) defeated Kenya Miranda (2-3) via submission (armbar) at 4:37 of round two

Rey Trujillo (21-15) defeated Deuce King (15-18) via submission (reverse arm triangle) at 1:20 of round one

Garrett Scott (2-0) defeated Waylon Bronstrup (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:50 of round one

Nick Gonzalez (19-13) defeated Warren Stewart (11-23) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON DECEMBER 2

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A.J. MCKEE-EMMANUEL SANCHEZ WILL COMPETE DURING MAIN CARD IN FEATHERWEIGHT ACTION

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – Bellator MMA will return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on December 2with a night of must-see mixed martial arts action, and the first confirmed bout on the Spike-televised portion of the card will feature undefeated prospect A.J. McKee (5-0) taking on Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (13-3).

Tickets for “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” start at just $45 and go on sale this coming Monday, September 19 at 10 a.m. CT. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

The event airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fighting out of Long Beach, Calif., McKee enters this fight following the quickest finish of his budding career, a 32-second guillotine choke submission at“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.” A 5-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, McKee has a knack for finishing fights early and often, spending a grand total of10:25 inside the cage over the course of his five scraps. Trained by his father, Antonio McKee, the Team Bodyshop product will try to protect his unblemished mark and fufill his goal of becoming the youngest champion in MMA history when he enters the cage on December 9.

“El Matador” will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, a promotion with which the 26-year-old has had much success to date. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he trains at Roufusport, Sanchez is riding a recent string of success, having won nine of his last 11 contests, including three of the past four. Six of Sanchez’s 13 career victories have come by way of knockout or submission, with five of the finishes ending in the opening frame. Since signing with Bellator MMA, “El Matador” has competed against a who’s who of talent, facing names the likes of Pat Curran, Justin Lawrence, Henry Corrales, and Daniel Weichel.

Updated “Bellator MMA in Thackerville” Main Card:

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (5-0) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Radio Show: September 15th Broadcast

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This week’s radio show features a recap of the Brook vs. Golovkin bout, the defeat of Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight Title bout with Alistair Overeem and Tony’s visit with former gues Antonio Tarver at a recent Philadelphia boxing event. Tom, Tony and Rich also look at some news from combat sports and preview upcoming UFC, Bellator and boxing events.