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Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

CLARK VS. CLARK ANNOUNCED FOR NEF 27

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (December 6, 2016) –New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE.”  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the first amateur fight confirmed for the card.  Henry Clark (3-2) is scheduled to face Alex Clark (3-2) at a catchweight of 140-pounds.

 

Henry Clark fights out of the Choi Institute in Portland, Maine.  With wins over the likes of Sheldon Bang (2-2) and Fred Lear (4-2), Henry earned a shot at the NEF Amateur Bantamweight Title earlier this year.  The finish of the bout was mired in controversy as Henry contended that the referee stoppage resulting in a technical knockout victory for Johnny Crafts (4-1) was actually the result of an illegal eye poke suffered by Clark.

 

“I’m coming into to this fight with an iron will and a desire for violence,” declared Henry Clark.  “After my last loss, I can guarantee it will not go that way for me again. I’m the best 135-pounder in Maine, and I’m here to prove that. After I take what I want from Alex, there’s only one place for me to go and that’s a championship fight. I look forward to facing the challenges Alex will bring.”

 

Alex Clark is a member of Young’s MMA based in Bangor, Maine.  He recently returned to the NEF cage after an extended leave of nearly three years from active competition.  At “NEF 26” last month, Alex  lost a hard-fought battle against Florida’s Shawn Lunghi (2-0).  He will be looking to bounce back from that loss at “NEF 27,” and he promises an exciting contest for fight fans.

 

“I’m super excited about this fight,” said Alex Clark.  “Henry is a tough guy with absolutely no quit in him. He’s not afraid to stand and exchange and has good BJJ to back it up. This is an awesome matchup between a couple of strong willed warriors, but I think my strength and athleticism is going to be the difference. Styles make fights and there’s no doubt that this one will be a crowd pleaser.”

 

NEF’s next event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE” takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.  Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at www.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 visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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)

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

FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT SCHEDULED FOR NEF 27

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Lewiston, Maine (December 5, 2016) –New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE.”  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional featherweight bout to the card.  Josh “Hook On” Harvey (2-0) will meet Richie Collingham (3-3) at a fight weight of 145-pounds.

 

Harvey is a former NEF MMA Amateur Lightweight Champion.  He turned pro in 2016 after a stellar amateur career that saw him amass a record of 5-1 while facing some of the best the region has to offer.  In his pro debut, Harvey submitted Matt Denning (3-4) in Lewiston last spring.  He would follow up that victory with a win over Zenon Herrera (0-5) in August.  Harvey is a member of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine.

 

“I’m training for the fight I want, and this opponent is just one more step closer to where I am going,” said Harvey of the upcoming bout with Collingham. “Wishing him a healthy training camp and that he shows up.”

 

When Richie Collingham steps foot in the NEF cage on February 11 it will have been nearly a decade since his last fight.  Now training out of Lakes Region Vale Tudo in New Hampshire, Collingham has not actively competed since 2007.  He was very active on the California MMA circuit at that time and put together a string of submission victories.

 

“I’m very excited about stepping into the cage with a tough fighter like Josh Harvey and fighting for NEF and putting on a good show for everyone,” said Collingham.  “I’m putting in hard work and February 11th can’t come soon enough.”

 

NEF’s next event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE” takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.  Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at www.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 visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DARRION CALDWELL TAKES REMATCH WITH JOE TAIMANGLO, EARNS TITLE SHOT AGAINST EDUARDO DANTAS

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Complete Event Photos Here

THACKERVILLE, OK. (Dec. 3, 2016) – In the evening’s bantamweight main event, Darrion Caldwell (10-1) redeemed himself with a decisive unanimous decision (30-27 x3) win over Joe Taimanglo (23-7-1). The three-round battle capped off Bellator MMA’s massive doubleheader at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK.

With the win, Caldwell improves his record in the Bellator MMA cage to 7-1 and opens the door for a bantamweight world title clash with current division champion Eduardo Dantas. “Dudu,” of course, protected his belt just last night with a one-sided affair against Joe Warren in the first night of the promotion’s epic doubleheader.

After the fight, Caldwell and Dantas exchanged words inside the cage, as “The Wolf” announced his desire for the belt: “I look forward to fighting you. It’s been a long time coming.”

Featherweight Co-Main Event Lives up to Hype as Teixeira Outlasts Lawrence

It took 15 minutes to determine a winner, but in the end John Teixeira (21-1-2) notched a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27 x2) over Justin Lawrence (9-4) on Saturday night. The Brazilian veteran peppered away with a combination of jabs and kicks that severely damaged Lawrence’s lead leg throughout the bout. “Macapa” continues to dominate the featherweight division, earning victories in nine of his last 10 contests, including one draw. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014, Teixeira has won each of his four fights, maintaining his position among the 145-pound elite.

Flyweight Marathon Ends in Unanimous Decision Victory for Undefeated MacFarlane

 

Following three hard-fought rounds inside WinStar World Casino, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (5-0) emerged victorious with a (30-27, 29-28 x2) win over Emily Ducote (4-2). McFarlane was able to withstand an early barrage of strikes from Ducote, preserving her unblemished professional mark. “The Ilimanator” relied heavily on her accurate striking, as the 26-year-old Californian landed a remarkable 68% of her punches thrown. For the budding star Ducote, the loss is just her first of the year, following four consecutive victories to begin her campaign.

Njokuani Upsets Fialho With a Bang, Hands Portuguese Superstar First Loss of Career

 

In the first Spike-televised bout of the evening, Chidi Njokuani (16-4, 1 NC) delivered a brutal first round knockout against Andre Fialho(7-1) that came just 21 seconds into the contest. A flurry of Njokuani punches sent Fialho to the canvas and the 27-year-old took care of the rest. Dating back to 2012, “Chidi Bang Bang” has recorded wins in 11of his last 12 bouts and extends his current winning streak to seven. Of Njokuani’s 16 career victories, 10 have come by way of knockout, making him one of the most feared strikers in the stacked welterweight division. The young Portuguese star Fialho tastes defeat for the first time in his career and will look to redeem himself at the start of the new year.

Preliminary Card Results:

Jarod Trice (1-0) defeated Tommie Britton (0-1) via majority decision (28-28, 30-25, 30-26)

Jonathan Gary (12-7-2) defeated Aaron Roberson (5-5) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Justin Patterson (8-1) defeated Codale Ford (11-9) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Fernando Gonzalez (1-0) defeated Chris Hicks (3-9) via knockout at :15 of round one

Bronson St. Romaine (1-0) defeated Joey Soto (0-2) via unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: Miesha’s FU to Dana White, GSP and the Giant Fighters Union, Conor Being Conor and Ward vs. Kovalev recap

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show we discuss a fantastic month of November as far as fighting goes. We only had two shows last month, so we kick off this week in catch up mode. We discuss Ward vs. Kovalev at length, go off on a few tangents and then get to Tony’s review of “Bleed For This.”  We then go back to MMA for Rich’s commentary on Miesha Tate telling Dana White, “FU, you’re not my boss..” after his request that she go to the hospital after her fight with Raquel Pennington. Tate retired earlier in the evening after a stellar career. Rich also gets going about the fighter union front and some new developments with Georges St. Pierre, Ex-Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Cain Velasquez, T.J. Dillashaw and other UFC notables breaking new ground in the niche with the founding of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association.  We also manage to preview the upcoming weekend’s boxing schedule before the end of the broadcast tonight.

Part One:

 

Part Two:

Amateur MMA, Russia, WMMAA

Russia dominates 2016 World MMA Championship Sweeps all 7 weight classes

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Team Russia celebrates its victory with (center) Fedor Emelianenko
(photo gallery of new champions below)
MONTE CARLO, Monaco (December 1, 2016)- Team Russia parlayed its recent European Championship domination into a repeat performance at this past weekend’s World MMA Championship, by sweeping all seven weight classes in Studio City, Macau, China.
Close to 100 fighters competed, representing 23 countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Spain, Australia, Belgian, China, Colombia, France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Germany, Hungary, Macao, Nepal, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and Italy.
Russian middleweight Gamzat Hiramagomedov and light heavyweight Magomed Ankalayev are repeat world champions.
In team scoring, Asian team champion Kazakhstan won two Silver and four Bronze medals, Ukraine two Silver and two Bronze, Czech Republic one Silver and two Bronze, Chinas one Silver and two Bronze, Kyrgyzstan two Bronze, and one Bronze for France, India, Spain and Moldova.
“I would like to thank each athlete of our National MMA Team, our coaches, doctors and all the Russian MMA Union employees,” said MMA living legend Fedor Emelianenko, WMMAA honorary president and president of the Russian MMA Union. “The fighters had a long way, put in a lot of effort, and made it to the top. Despite an ever-growing competition level, our athletes achieved 100-percent of the set goals thanks to a great training camp, fight strategy and their spirit.
“We are proud to have two-time world champions in Magomed Ankalayev and Gamzat Hiramagomedov.  It’s a pleasure to follow the fighters’ personal evolution from fight to fight. The world champions will receive their accolades of Sports Master of International Level.”
Here’s a breakdown of results from each weight class:
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION: -61.2 kg (135 lbs.)
1. Omar Nurmagomedov (Russia)
2. Artur Mykytenko (Czech Republic)
3. Mirat Bekishev (Kazakhstan)
3. Chun Bo Yuan (China)
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: -65.8 kg (145 lbs.)
1. Kurban Taigibov (Russia)
2. Elnur Veliev (Ukraine)
3. Uulu Mustafa Rakhmatilla (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Roman Molodij (France)
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: -70.3 kg (154 lbs.)
1. Murad Ramazanov (Russia)
2. Sheng Liu (China)
3. Altynbek Bakhtygeldinov (Kazakhstan)
3. Leos Brichta (Czech Republic)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: -77.1 kg (170 lbs.)
1. Alibeg Rasulov (Russia)
2. Goyta Dazaev (Kazakhstan)
3. Syed Abdul Nazzeur Ibrahim (India)
3. Uulu Tologon Rakhmanberdi (Kyrgyzstan)
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: -84 kg (185 lbs.)
1. Gamzat Khiramagomedov (Russia)
2. Idris Gezalov (Ukraine)
3. Murad Abdurahmanov (Kazakhstan)
3. Rong Fan (China)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: -93 kg (205 lbs.)
1. Magomed Ankalaev (Russia)
2. Robert Lau (Germany)
3. Erkinbek Inzhel (Kazakhstan)
3. Darwin Rodriguez (Spain)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: +93 kg (+205 lbs.)
1. Amirkhan Isagadzhiev (Russia)
2. Alimzhan Suleimanov (Kazakhstan)
3. Viktor Pavlichek (Czech Republic)
3. Nicolae Scorohod (Moldova)
 
 
World bantamweight champion Omar Nurmagomedov
World featherweight champion Kurban Taigibov
World lightweight champion Murad Ramazanov
World welterweight champion Alibeg Rasulov
World middleweight champion Gamzat Khiramagomedov
World light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev
World heavyweight champion Amirkhan Isagadzhiev
INFORMATION:
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
ABOUT WMMAA:  The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts.  A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary.  More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH PITTING GOITI YAMAUCHI AGAINST VALERIU MIRCEA ADDED TO “BELLATOR 168: CARVALHO VS. MANHOEF 2” IN FLORENCE

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ALSO: PHILIPE LINS NOW MEETS KLEBER RAIMUNDO SILVA

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 30, 2016) – A lightweight bout pitting Goiti Yamauchi (20-3) against Valeriu Mircea (12-3) completes the MMA portion of “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2,” on a night which will feature both Bellator MMA and Bellator Kickboxing brands inside the Mandela Forum in Florence.

In addition, due to an injury suffered by Pietro Cappelli, Philipe Lins (10-1) will now meet Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7) in light heavyweight action on Dec. 10.

The mixed martial arts portion of action on Dec. 10 is headlined by a middleweight world title fight featuring a rematch between Rafael Carvalho (13-1) and Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC), while Italy’s own Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) will take on Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) at 205-pounds, and John Salter (12-3) meets Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4) in a middleweight bout. “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 4pm ET/PT.

The Bellator Kickboxing card features a female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz (45-3) and Gloria Peritore (11-1-1), but this time, a world title will be on the line. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” will also feature a lightweight clash between Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) and British kickboxing champion Jordan Watson (48-11-2), a middleweight matchup pitting Joe Schilling (19-9) against Victorio Lermano(30-7), a welterweight contest pairing Luca Novello (22-4-2) with Karim Ghajji (96-13-1), and Kevin Ross(31-9) will meet Alessio Arduini (26-14-2) in a lightweight fight. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” airs Friday, Dec. 16 at 11:15 pm ET, immediately following “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”

An 8-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Yamauchi enters the cage in search of his 21st career win and seventh under the Scott Coker-led promotion. You would be hard-pressed to find a fighter with more promise than the 23-year-old top prospect, who has already taken down proven veterans the likes of Martin Stapleton, Isao Kobayashi, and most recently Ryan Couture. The former featherweight returned to the lightweight division to face the aforementioned Couture earlier in the year at “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove,” a fight in which Yamauchi dominated from the get-go, earning yet another first round submission victory. Yamauchi has finished his opponent in 17 of his 20 career wins, including 14 in the opening round of action. The Japanese-Brazilian submission specialist continues to make great strides in the sport, consistently displaying the flawless Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique that has given opponents many nightmares year after year.

Challenging Yamauchi will be Valeriu Mircea, a Moldova-born competitor that has also seen a great deal of success early on in his MMA career. The 23-year-old knockout artist will be making his Bellator MMA debut following three consecutive victories, including a pair of first round knockouts. Dating back to 2015, Mircea has collected wins in nine of his last 10 bouts and has already tallied six victories over his 2016 campaign. With three of his last four wins coming by way of first round knockout, you can expect an early array of attack in this pairing of two top prospects.

Taking on Lins will now be Raimundo Silva, a 28-year-old striker who will be making both his 2016 and Bellator MMA debut. Dating back to 2011, “Orgulho” has won seven of his last 11 contests, highlighted by his most recent knockout victory over Claudio Rocha, which came just 3:25 into the first round.

 

Complete “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” Card:

Middleweight World Title Bout: Rafael Carvalho (13-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Philipe Lins (10-1) vs. Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7)

Middleweight Feature Fight: John Salter (12-3) vs. Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (31-9) vs. Valeriu Mircea (12-3)

Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Jordan Watson (48-11-2)

Flyweight World Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Gloria Peritore (11-1-1)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (19-9) vs. Victorio Lermano (30-7)

Welterweight Feature Fight: Luca Novello (22-4-2) vs. Karim Ghajji (96-13-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Kevin Ross (31-9) vs. Alessio Arduini (26-14-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO KANSAS WITH LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH FEATURING DAVID ‘THE CAVEMAN’ RICKELS AND AARON DERROW INSIDE KANSAS STAR ARENA ON JANUARY 27

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PAIR OF UNDEFEATED PROSPECTS CHRIS HARRIS AND JORDAN YOUNG ALSO SLATED FOR MAIN CARD ACTION

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 28, 2016) – A lightweight bout pitting Kansas’ most popular MMA fighter David Rickels (17-4, 2 NC) against Aaron Derrow (14-8) and a middleweight bout featuring undefeated phenom Chris Harris (7-0) versus Jordan Young (5-0) are the first two fights announced for “Bellator 171” which will take place inside Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on January 27.

“Bellator 171,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, is expected to have a main event announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the event starting at just $24, go on sale Saturday, Dec. 3 with an exclusive two-day Bellator Nation pre-sale beginning November 30, and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or KansasStarEventCenter.com. The event takes place one week after the extremely anticipated “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” in Inglewood, Calif.

“The King of Kansas” will once again compete on the Spike-televised main card of Bellator MMA’s return to Kansas Star Arena. A 17-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Rickels will return to action for the first time since competing against Melvin Guillard this past summer. “The Caveman” has strung together an impressive career, totaling 11 wins over his seven years with the promotion, including four of his five career knockouts. A native of Derby, Kansas, Rickles recently delivered a brutal first round knockout in his co-main clash with Bobby Cooper at “Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Spartan.” The 27-year-old Rickels now prepares for Aaron Derrow, who enters the bout undefeated since joining Bellator MMA in 2014.

A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Derrow has made an immediate impact on the promotion, collecting victories in each of his first two fights under the Bellator MMA umbrella. Following his hot start, “Daddy Long Legs” will now be tasked with one of the lightweight divisions  most proven veterans in David Rickels. Of his 14 career wins, Derrow has finished his opponent in 12 of them, including 10 of the submission variety. The 29-year-old Derrow has scored two knockouts, each of which came in the first twenty seconds of action. Derrow will have his hands full with Rickels and the raucous hometown crowd that follows him when the two enter the cage on January 27.

With an unblemished mark of 7-0, Harris enters the cage riding an impressive string of success to begin his professional career. Fighting out of Wichita, Kansas, Harris will have the luxury of competing in front of his home crowd as he prepares to make his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. Harris has a knack for finishing his opponents early and often, recording six wins by way of knockout or submission, including four in the first round. The 26-year-old knockout artist will look to build off of a commendable 2016 campaign that saw him emerge victorious in each of his three contests, including a pair of wins with the Scott Coker-led promotion.

Also boasting an undefeated record through five career bouts, the 22-year-old Young will make his promotional debut against the equally impressive Harris. Of his five career wins, four have come by way of submission, with each of the four finishes occurring in the opening round of action. Prior to making his professional debut in 2014, the submission specialist had similar success on the amateur circuit, where he collected four submission victories over a five-fight span. Fighting out of Urbandale, Iowa, the 6’4’’ Young will also hold a significant height advantage over the 5’11’’ Harris as he prepares to challenge one of the most aggressive opponents of his career.

Updated “Bellator 171” Main Card:

Lightweight Feature Bout:  Dave Rickels (17-4, 2 NC) vs. Aaron Derrow (14-8)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (7-0) vs. Jordan Young (5-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

RALEK GRACIE SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST HISAKI KATO AT ‘BELLATOR 170: ORTIZ VS. SONNEN’ ON JAN. 21 FROM THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES

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TICKETS FOR THE EVENT ON SALE NOW

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (November 22, 2016) – The second main card fight announced for “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” at The Forum on January 21, 2017 features the Bellator MMA debut of Los Angeleno Ralek Gracie (3-0), who will meet Hisaki Kato (7-2) in a middleweight bout.

 

The fight joins a card that already features a contest that many mixed martial arts fans thought they’d never see, when Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1) return to action. The event will be broadcast 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.

 

Tickets for this massive event start at $36 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announcing in the coming weeks.

 

At only 22, Ralek made his MMA debut in Japan, where he defeated his opponent, Kastuyori Shibata with a devastating armbar. Nearly a year later, Ralek returned to Japan for his second MMA fight and again was victorious, this time defeating Gahdzhiev Alavutdin with an armbar from the mount. These two bouts led to a highly anticipated matchup with Kazushi Sakuraba, where again the Los Angeles native left “The Land of the Rising Sun” with the victory. That was the last time Ralek would fight under MMA rules, until now. Ralek is the third son of Rorion, the nephew of Royce, Rickson, and Royler Gracie and received his black belt from Grand Master Helio Gracie. The Gracie Family is famous for putting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the map around the globe.

 

Since joining the Bellator MMA roster, you would be hard-pressed to find a fighter who has been involved in more exciting matchups than Hisaki Kato. Nicknamed “The Japanese Mouseketeer,” the 34-year-old French-Japanese competitor has finished Joe Schilling on two separate occasions, and was involved in what many called a “Round of the Year” candidate during his lone Bellator MMA loss against Melvin Manhoef in 2015. Now, Kato sets his sights on Gracie, looking to nullify the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of his Jan. 21 foe.

 

Updated “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

2016 World MMA Championships November 26-27 in Macau

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (November 22, 2016)- The best amateur mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world will compete Nov. 26-27 at the World MMA Championships in Studio City, Macau, China.
Close to 100 fighters have registered to compete.  The 2016 European (Russia) and Asian (Kazakhstan) team champions head a list that includes Spain, Australia, Belgian, China, Colombia, France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Germany, Hungary, Macao, Nepal, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.
We’re looking forward to the World MMA Championship in Macau on November 26-27,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “We expect spectacular, competitive fights.”
The WMMAA Congress will also be held to discuss MMA issues relative to children and women, as well as countries being decided to host the 2017 European, Asian and World MMA Championships. A judicial committee will also be created and seminars held for coaches, judges and medical specialists in each country.”
INFORMATION:
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
ABOUT WMMAA:  The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts.  A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary.  More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.