Los Angeles— BELLATOR MMA har meddelt, at dens femte deltager til nytårsaften-forestillingen mod RIZIN Fighting Federation-modstandere bliver nr.. 10-rangeret let, Gadzhi Rabadanov(18-4-2), tager den 27-årige japanske fremtrædende rolleKoji Takeda(15-3) i et overbevisende matchup mellem to konkurrenter, der kører højt på styrken af på hinanden følgende sejre.
En første af sin slags blockbuster co-promovering, BELLATOR MMA vs. GRUND finder sted inde i Saitama Super Arena i Japan lørdag, December 31, og kan ses i USA på SHOWTIME kl 8 p.m. ET/PT nytårsaften.
Rabadanov mod Takeda vil deltage i en stjernespækket femkampBELLATOR MMA vs. GRUNDhovedkortet, som er stablet fra top til bund med nuværende og tidligere mestre, der konkurrerer i den firesidede ring under RIZINs unikke regler. I spidsen for begivenheden bliver en drømmekamp mellem RIZIN letvægtsmesterRoberto "Satoshi" de Souza(14-1) mod nr. 3 BELLATOR pund-for-pund talentAJ "Lejesoldat" McKee(19-1), med BELLATOR og RIZIN fjervægtsmestrePatricio Pitbull(34-5) ogKleber Koike(31-5-1) co-headlining af must-see begivenheden.
Tidligere BELLATOR-mestreJuan "Spanien" Archuleta(26-4) ogKyoji Horiguchi(30-5) vil runde det enestående hovedkort, står over for RIZIN'sSoo Chul Kim(18-6-1) ogHiromasa Ougikubo(25-6-2), henholdsvis.
Gadzhi Rabadanov, 29, underskrevet med BELLATOR i 2021 efter at have erobret Eagle FC letvægtstitlen, og har gjort en øjeblikkelig indflydelse på oprykningens bemærkelsesværdigt dybe letvægtsafdeling. Han meldte sin ankomst på tordnende vis klBELLATOR 263med en eftertrykkelig viral knockout af Daniel Carey, som han fulgte op med back-to-back dominerende enstemmige beslutningssejre over Jay Jay Wilson og Bobby King i 2022. Produktet af den berømte Club Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's School i Dagestan og det prestigefyldte American Kickboxing Academy, Rabadanovs stamtavle er i verdensklasse. Nytårsaften, Rabadanov vil se efter at fortsætte med at bygge på sit momentum med en imponerende præstation mod Koji Takeda.
“Det er en barndomsdrøm, der går i opfyldelse at kæmpe i Japan på den legendariske Saitama Super Arena," sagde Rabadanov. "Jeg er meget spændt, og jeg ved, at jeg har en svær modstander, som altid efterlader alt i ringen. Forvent et mesterværk fra mig, det bliver en mindeværdig kamp.”
En tidligere DEEP letvægtsmester, JapansKoji Takedahar været en aktiv fighter siden hans 2017 professionelle debut. Takeda kan prale af en overbevisende sag for medtagelse på dette historiske kampkort, vandt syv af sine sidste ti og tre af sine sidste fire udflugter under RIZIN- og DEEP-bannerne. Takeda er også bekendt med BELLATOR-fjender; han har tidligere kæmpet mod Spike Carlyle og sendt Zach Zane med armbar, begge kæmpede for nylig for Scott Coker-ledede oprykning. Takeda vil se efter at tilføje en tredje sejr i træk til sit CV mod den meget kendte Rabadanov i hans hjemby Saitama, Japan, på December 31.
BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN HOVEDKORT:
SHOWTIME
Lørdag, December 31 — 20.00 ET/PT
Letvægts hovedbegivenhed uden titel: AJ McKee(19-1) vs.Roberto de Souza(14-1)
Fjervægt uden titel hovedbegivenhed: Patricio Pitbull(34-5) vs.Kleber Koike(31-5-1)
Bantamvægt Feature Kamp: John Archuleta(26-4) vs.Soo Chul Kim(18-6-1)
UBESLAGTE VERDENSMESTERA.J. MCKEE FOR AT FORSVARE BELLATOR MMA 145-PUND VERDENSTITEL I OMKAMP MOD TIDLIGERE NUMMER ET PUND-FOR-PUND & TO-DIVISIONS MESTERPATRICK PITBULL
205-PUNDKAMPIONVADIM NEMKOV AT KAMPE TOP-RANKETCOREY ANDERSON TIL $1 MILLION PRÆMIE I BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX FINAL
BELLATOR 277 SÆT TIL FREDAG, APRIL 15, AT 10 P.M. ET / 7 P.M. PTLIVE PÅ SHOWTIME INDE I SAP CENTER I SAN JOSE, CALIF.
BILLETTER TIL SALG DENNE FREDAG
LOS ANGELES (Februar. 16, 2022) -To fremragende verdensmesterskabsopgør. Fire af BELLATOR MMAs bedste pund-for-pund kæmpere. En meget ventet omkamp. Kampagnens største atlet nogensinde, der stræber efter at hævne et højdepunkt-hjulstab til virksomhedens hjemmelavede superstjerne. En turneringsfinale, der giver en syvcifret jackpot til sejren.
BELLATORs fjerde fænomenale kampkort af 2022 lover at blive en for tiderne.
Frisk fra en 117-sekunders ødelæggelse af sin kommende modstander og gøre krav på $1 million dusør ved BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, ubesejret BELLATOR Fjervægts verdenstitelholderA.J. McKee (18-0) håber at tage det næste skridt mod at blive sportens største fighter, når han kæmper mod tidligere top-pund-for-pund og to-divisionsmesterPatricio Pitbull (32-5) for anden gang på mindre end ni måneder fredag, April 15, på10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT bor på SHOWTIME.
I co-featuret afBellator 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 på SAP Center i San Jose, Calif., nuværende 205-punds BELLATOR MMA verdensmesterVadim Nemkov (15-2) forsvarer sin titel for tredje gang og har som mål at tage hjem $1 millionpræmie tre dage før U.S. Skattedag, når han stikker af mod det stigende nr. 1-rangeret contenderCorey Anderson(16-5)i BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix-finalen.
Billetter tilBELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 kommer til salg på fredag, Februar. 18 hos beggeTicketmaster.com ogBellator.com med et særligt forsalg, der starter dagen før.
Derudover, fire indledende kampe er blevet annonceret, inklusive en læskende matchup mellem to højt rangerede sværvægtere som nr.. 5-rangeretTim Johnson (15-8) ansigter bølgende Nej. 6-rangeretTyrell Fortune(11-2, 1 NC) i en omkamp fraBellator 239. Deres første kamp endte med, at Johnson sikrede sig en sejr, der fik stor omtanke for 2020 Årets KO. De indledende kampe streames live tre timer tidligere kl7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT på BELLATOR MMA YouTube-kanalen, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube-kanal og Pluto TV.
I deres historiske indledende matchup på Forum i Inglewood, Calif., McKee bedøvede Pitbull ved at lande et straffende venstrebensspark i hovedet kl 1:40 af åbningsstrofen klBELLATOR MMA 263på juli 31, 2021. Mesteren fortsatte derefter angrebet ved at udløse en række brutale ubesvarede hovedskud, der ramte den brasilianske legende.
Øjeblikke senere, da McKee for tidligt løftede armene for at fejre, Pitbull rejste sig fra nederlagets dybder kun for at blive mødt af et kæmperhelvede, der var indstillet på at stjæle hans krone og gøre krav på $1 million præmie. Med den 25-dobbelte BELLATOR MMA-veteran bakket op mod hegnet, MMA's smarteste unge slagsmålsmand låst i en guillotine-choke. Med Pitbull tilsyneladende at miste bevidstheden, dommer Mike Beltran standsede sagerne kl 1:57 af åbningen rammen.
"At være vært for verdens bedste mixed martial artister i den store by San Jose er noget, der har været vigtigt for mig i min karriere som kamppromotor, og jeg er glad for at kunne fortsætte det med vores kort den 15. april," BELLATORs præsident Scott Coker sagde. “Omkampen mellem A.J. McKee og Patricio Pitbull for fjervægtstitlen, såvel som vores Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix-finale med Vadim Nemkov mod Corey Anderson er to kampe, der kan føre til enhver begivenhed alene, men vi bringer begge til SAP Center i San Jose samme aften for at vise fansene her, at vi virkelig værdsætter deres støtte gennem årene.”
En indfødt fra Long Beach, Calif., BELLATORs højest bedømte pund-for-pund fighter har overgået de høje forventninger, der er stillet til ham, siden hans professionelle debut tre dage efter hans 20th fødselsdag. Bevæbnet med seks knockouts og syv afleveringer, Team Bodyshop-produktet, der vil vende 27 otte dage før hans revanchekamp mod Pitbull, har vist en evne til at sikre lynhurtige afslutninger med 10 kommer i første runde. "Lejesoldat" har opnået dominerende sejre over enhver fighter, der har modarbejdet ham, herunder tidligere verdensmestre Pitbull, Pat Curran, og Darrion Caldwell, som McKee indsendte med en sjældent modificeret halssving, der senere blev døbt "McKee-otine." Vinderen af 2020 Submission of the Year Award for hans 71-sekunders udslettelse af Caldwell har bekæmpet i alt 33 runder på tværs 18 karriere konkurrencer (1.8 runder per kamp), mens du logger mindre end 41 samlede minutter i BELLATOR-buret, siden han blev professionel i august 2012.
Den ene halvdel af den berygtede Pitbull Brothers-duo, Patricio har længe været betragtet som kronjuvelen af BELLATOR MMA, hvor han i øjeblikket sidder på nr. 3 i BELLATOR MMA mænds pund-for-pund-ranglisten. Holder en bemærkelsesværdig 32-5 rekord med sejre over elitekonkurrence, inklusive de tidligere verdensmestre Pat Curran, John Archuleta, og Daniel Straus (to gange). I 2019, den 34-årige brasilianer erobrede BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship fra Michael Chandler, bliver kun den anden BELLATOR-atlet, der har to titler samtidigt. Med 23 slutter i 37 professionelle kampe, Pitbull har gentagne gange vist, at han besidder de velafrundede færdigheder, der kræves for at regere over flere vægtklasser.
I øjeblikket er BELLATOR MMA's andenrangerede pund-for-pund fighter, Nemkov erobrede BELLATOR MMA let sværvægtskrone ved at besejre Ryan Bader via anden runde TKO kl.BELLATOR MMA 244 i august 2020. Rider en sejrsrække på ni kampe, der går tilbage til juni 2016, den glubske 29-årige spiller syv knockouts i første runde, med to i det første aktionsminut. Efter succesfuldt at forsvare sit lette sværvægtsbælte ved at opnå en svær enstemmig afgørelse over Phil Davis, Belgorods stolthed, Rusland og Fedor Emelianenko protegé scorede en fjerde runde aflevering af den sene afløser Julius Anglickas i semifinalen i BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix under hans sidste udflugt i okt.. 16, 2021.
Anderson, af Robbinsville, N.J., er steget til toppen af BELLATOR 205-pund ranglisten ved at besejre syv af sine seneste otte modstandere, herunder et stop i tredje runde af Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov klBELLATOR MMA 257 april 16, 2021. Præcis seks måneder senere klBELLATOR MMA 268, Rockford, Ill., indfødte gik ind i buret til de fortryllende lyde af The Doors' "Five to One,” og tog sangtitlen bogstaveligt ved at slå wrestlinglegenden Ryan Bader ud af Arizona State University 51 sekunder foran Baders hjembys publikum i Footprint Center i Phoenix, Ariz. I sin første salgsfremmende optræden, "Overtime" registrerede en anden runde TKO over den hollandske kickboxing-legende Melvin Manhoef klBELLATOR MMA 251 i november 2020. Før du sluttede dig til BELLATOR, Anderson talte en 10-5 rekord med en rivaliserende oprykning, vandt "The Ultimate Fighter 19"-turneringen i 2014, og kan prale af imponerende sejre over Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz og Johnny Walker, bl.a..
Yderligere anfald vil blive annonceret snart.
Bellator 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2Hovedkortet:
Fredag, April 15 - Lev videreSHOWTIME
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Verdensmesterskab i fjervægt: C–A.J. McKee (18-0) vs. Nej. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)
Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Finale: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. Do Not. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)
DUBLIN –It was announced today that former two-division championPatricio “Pitbull”has made the decision to relinquish his BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship. Som et resultat, BELLATOR MMA PresidentScott Cokerconfirmed that the hotly anticipated rematch between Waterford, Irlands Peter "Showstopper" i stilhed (13-5-1) og Patricky “Pitbull” (23-10) will be elevated to the main event ofBellator 270with the newly vacated 155-pound world title on the line.
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Irland, on Friday November 5th.
I USA, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/14.00. PT. BELLATOR fans in Ireland can watch the eagerly anticipated event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, whilst UK fight fans can watch the event live on BBC iPlayer.
The preliminary card will stream live beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube-kanal og Pluto TV.
BELLATOR’s return to the Irish capital will be co-headlined by an explosive bantamweight fight between two grappling wizards in No. 6 rangeret James "The Strabanimal" Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 rangeret Patchy Mix (14-1).
Billetter til Bellator 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2are on sale now and can be purchased online fromTicketmaster.dk og Bellator.com.
Also announced today – heavyweight hostilities featuringGokhan Saricam (5-1) og Rob Beech (5-2) has been added to the preliminary card. Please find an updated bout listing below:
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 MainCard: SHOWTIME (OS) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRLAND) Fredag, Oktober 1 - 9 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET/14.00. PT
Lightweight World Title Main Event: #4-Peter Queally (13-5-1) vs. #1-Patricky “Pitbull”(23-10) Bantamweight Co-Main Event: #6-James Gallagher (11-1) vs. #2-Patrick Mix (14-1) Mellemvægt Bout: #6-Charlie Ward (9-4) vs. #9-Nobert NovenyiJr. (5-0) Fjervægt Bout: #6-Daniel Weichel (41-6) vs. #7-Pedro Carvalho (11-5)
Indledende Card: BELLATOR MMA YouTube -kanal | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube -kanal | Pluto tv (OS) BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRLAND) 6 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Fjervægt Bout:Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1) Fjervægt Bout:Ilias Bulaid(2-0) vs. Georges Sasu(5-2) Weltervægt Bout: Ashley Reece(8-2) vs. Luca Poclit (6-1) Letvægts Bout: Daniele Scatizzjeg (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-8, 1 NC) Light Heavyweight Bout: Lee Chadwick(26-15-1) vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus(15-4) Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saricam(5-1) vs. Rob Beech(5-2) Weltervægt Bout:Nicolò Solli (3-1) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0) Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan(4-0) vs.Audrey Kerouche(7-5, 2 NC) Fjervægt Bout: Junior Morgan (3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut) Weltervægt Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Debut) vs. Joe Nazokatov(Pro Debut)
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*Kort kan ændres.
Besøg Bellator.com for yderligere information. Opdateret tidsplan for BELLATOR -begivenheder Sat. Oktober. 16 // Bellator 268: Let Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinaler // Footprint Center // Phoenix, DET Sat. Oktober. 23 // Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moskva, Rusland Fri. November. 5 // Bellator 270: Gallagher vs.. Blande // 3Arena // Dublin, Irland Fri. November. 12 // Bellator 271: Cyborg vs. Kavanagh // Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Kasino // Hollywood, FL
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Om BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA er en førende global kampsportsorganisation med mange af de bedste krigere i verden. Under ledelse af veteran kamp promotor Scott Coker, BELLATOR -begivenheder finder sted i større byer verden over og kan ses på fjernsyn i over 160 lande til et tilgængeligt publikum på over en milliard mennesker. I USA, BELLATOR kan ses på SHOWTIME. BELLATOR består af et ledelsesteam, der omfatter branchens bedste fagfolk inden for tv -produktion, livebegivenhed orkestrering, fighter udvikling / relationer, mødested indkøb, sponsorering skabelse / udvikling, international licens, markedsføring, reklame, PR og kommissioner relationer. BELLATOR er baseret i Hollywood, Calif. og ejes af underholdningsgiganten ViacomCBS, hjemsted for verdens førende underholdning mærker, der forbinder med publikum gennem overbevisende indhold på tværs af tv, film, online og mobile platforme.
ENGLERNE - I dag, BELLATOR officials confirmed a must-see main event pitting hard-hitting heavyweightsCheick Kongo (30-11-2) og Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) against one another topsBELLATOR MMA 265 på fredag, August 20 from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. and airs live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
The card has also confirmed top featherweights No. 3 Adam Borics (17-1) og nr. 4 Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) will meet for the right to face the winner of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix Final betweenPatricio “Pitbull”(32-4) og AJ McKee (17-0), which takes place on Saturday, Juli 31.
Tickets for the event go on sale this Thursday at 10 a.m. CT and are available at Sanford Pentagon Box Office & Ticketmaster.
The preliminary portion ofBELLATOR MMA 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov currentlyfeatures a flyweight bout pitting No.5-rankedAlejandra Lara (9-4) mod DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) and willbegin at 6:00 p.m. OG / 3:00 p.m. PT and stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube-kanal og Pluto TV. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced in the near future.
Holding an impressive MMA record of 30-11-2, 1 NC, Do Not. 3-ranked Cheick Kongo returns to action for the first time since headlining the first-ever major MMA event in his native France last October. The former kickboxer remains a force to be reckoned with and holds records for the most fights (16) og vinder (12) i BELLATORs sværvægtshistorie. With high-profile victories overVitaly Minakov, Mirko Cro Cop, Antoni Hardonk, and Matt Mitrione, the Parisian is keen to pad his current promotional records, set new ones, and earn his shot at BELLATOR gold.
The man nicknamed “The Paratrooper,” Kharitonov is the owner of an equally notable MMA resume, with the Russian scoring vicious wins against some of the sport’s marquee names, such as Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, Matt Mitrione, and Alistair Overeem. Nu, fresh off two championship victories on the regional circuit, Kharitonov returns to the BELLATOR cage with the intention of climbing the heavyweight rankings and asserting himself as a BELLATOR title contender.
28-year-old Hungarian Adam “The Kid” Borics has won 17 af 18 fights to begin his professional career, bouncing back from his only loss with three straight victories. Training out of South Florida’s Sanford MMA gym, Borics has firmly established himself as a true threat to anyone in the 145-pound division, where he is currently ranked third.
Undefeated in his first eight fights as a professional, New Zealand’s Wilson has won in style, accumulating six finishes in those eight wins. Following a split decision win against Tywan Claxton, Wilson scored a violent knockout of Sergio DeBari, then followed that victory up with an equally vicious spinning backfist stoppage over SBG’s Pedro Carvalho in April. The Kiwi fighter will be looking to secure a high-stakes victory over Borics with a world title shot awaiting the winner.
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BELLATOR MMA 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov Hovedkortet: SHOWTIME Fredag, August 20 - 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Heavyweight Main Event: #3-Cheick Kongo (30-11-2) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) Featherweight No. 1 Contender’s Bout: #3-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #4-Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0)
LOS ANGELES – June 17, 2021– BELLATOR MMA’s Featherweight and Lightweight World ChampionPatricio Pitbull (32-4) and undefeated top-ranked challengerAJ McKee (17-0) previewed their must-watch Featherweight World Grand Prix Final and 145-pound title fight during a virtual press conference Wednesday. Both fighters’ head coaches, Eric Albarracinof Team Pitbull Brothers, og Antonio McKeeof Team Bodyshop, also chimed in with a look at the final preparations both fight camps are taking as we approach the massive event.
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee will emanate from the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event go on sale tomorrow, Fredag, Juni 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what the fighters and their coaches had to say Wednesday:
Patricio Pitbull, BELLATOR Featherweight World Champion & BELLATOR Lightweight World Champion
“I’m a little bit older and faster than the rest of my division and I’m going to use this in my favor. (22:47)
“Of all the opponents I’ve faced, AJ is the most dangerous, and I know that. Med det er sagt, I know that I’m going to win this fight and prove his father wrong. (26:18)
“At the beginning of his career, he faced very low-level guys. He has a few wins over tough opponents, but he’s never fought anyone like me. He claims that he is ready for me, but he isn’t, and he’ll learn that very quickly in front of his home crowd.” (38:48) AJ McKee, Do Not. 1 Ranked BELLATOR Featherweight & Featherweight World Grand Prix Finalist
“It’s been a great journey and this is something I’ve dreamed of my entire career. Som jeg sagde, I’ve been calling Pitbull’s name since I first stepped into that cage and he’s ignored me, pretending like he doesn’t know who I am. Ved slutningen af dagen, there is nowhere else for him to run and he has to look me in my eyes. I’m looking forward to it. Everyone says I haven’t been tested and I agree. Men, when you do see me get tested, a whole different animal will come out. (23:22)
“After I beat Pitbull and become the face of BELLATOR, we can run it back for that second belt too. Becoming champ-champ is something that I said I was always going to do, and that I will do. I went through the trials and tribulations of not wanting to fight, to then having my passion for this come back and me seeing all my goals be within reach. It’s going to be fun, especially after the long break due to my knee surgery. I can’t wait to get in there again. The Mercenary does one thing: he signs the contract and then takes the person out. (24:22)
“I’ve been preparing for this fight for six years because Pitbull has been at the top for so long. Igen, I have a foot longer reach on him, so he has to come to me. He says he is training with gold medal wrestlers, but I will do the same thing to him that I did to Pat Curran and Darrion Caldwell. I’m comfortable off my back. Just because he’s Brazilian, that doesn’t mean anything in terms of Jiu jitsu. I have that evolved Jiu jitsu and that’s what I get people with when they don’t see it coming.” (31:45)
Scott Coker, BELLATOR President “We’re excited to be back in California and we are excited to be back in the Forum, a place where we have had so many great fights. It’s going to be an amazing event. My staff is excited and the fighters are excited. When you think about live sports, it needs fans. We got a taste of it last week at the Mohegan Sun, which has been an amazing partner for us, but it’s time to travel and get back to what BELLATOR does best. That is putting on great fights touring from city-to-city, starting with this amazing fight on July 31. (4:10)
“This is the fight that everyone wanted to see. We have so many amazing athletes in this division that we went through the lottery system for matchups, which provided us with amazing fights. But at the beginning, I was wishing that the final would be McKee versus Pitbull. When we signed McKee, he had zero fights to his name. Nu, look at where he is today. Back then, Pitbull was our champion and obviously still is today, so this fight is the “OG” vs. the new guard and we’ll have to see what happens.” (5:13)
“Patricio’s had a bullseye on his back since he became the champ in 2014, when he beat Pat Curran and this run has gone exactly as we planned. We were the matchmakers, we sent Darrion Caldwell to the other side of the bracket to take out some of the young bucks and he did. Derefter, AJ took him out and here we are. I think this is the perfect matchup for the finals. We have a young, up-and-coming, undefeated fighter and the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, Patricio Pitbull. This is going to be the greatest fight in BELLATOR history. (7:20)
“Even at 17-0, AJ is still very young in the game. He’s very unpredictable. Men, at the end of the day it’s Pitbull who is the pound-for-pound best on the planet, it’s Pitbull who is the double champ, it’s Pitbull who has the best coaches in the game and they don’t know how to prepare for that.” (8:18)
“I lived a different life, one where it wasn’t all good. I was dealing with a lot of stuff that a lot of African American men deal with. No mother and no father, growing up in the streets of Los Angeles. It was what it was, but I made the right decisions and never got caught for anything that I did that could have put me away for the rest of my life and found my drive and motivation through my son. The things that AJ would say as a kid, like ‘Daddy if you die, can I die with you?’ I didn’t care about living and I didn’t have a problem with killing either. And then one day AJ says ‘Dad, whatever you do and wherever you go, I want to come with you.’ I was ready to clock out, but then I realized that I needed to be here for him. He had nothing but me, so that gave me the drive and the strength to find a better way out.
“I made it this far, did my thing as a wrestler and was the best in the world. I did what I was doing, but I didn’t have the right mindset, so I had to check my mental and learn how to be a respectable human being. Once I did that, things started to shift for me and now here we are. I did things to keep AJ in private school, not to buy cars, musik, and jewelry. I did it all to pay for his school tuition.” (14:36)
Bellator 263TAKES PLACE AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY, Juli 31 – Live på SHOWTIME®
TICKETS FOR THIS MASSIVE EVENT GO ON SALE TOMORROW ATBELLATOR.COM
LOS ANGELES— And then there were two…
What began with 16 featherweight athletes vying for a one-million-dollar grand prize and the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship has been narrowed to the greatest BELLATOR athlete in the history of the promotionPatricio Pitbull (32-4) and the company’s best-ever homegrown fighter in No. 1 rangeretAJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, Juli 31 på The Forum i Inglewood, Calif., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKeesendes live på SHOWTIME kl 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, Juni 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com with a pre-sale taking place on Thursday.
“This is without a doubt going to be the biggest BELLATOR fight of all time,” said BELLATOR President Scott Coker. “AJ McKee has been calling for a shot at Pitbull’s title since his very first professional victory inside our cage six years ago. Now he’s finally getting the opportunity to realize his dream of becoming a world champion against the winningest fighter in BELLATOR history. For Pitbull a win over McKee in this tournament final would be a statement piece to add to his long list of accolades and legacy as the best 145-pounder on the planet.”
Den ene halvdel af den berygtede Pitbull Brothers-duo, Patricio har længe været betragtet som kronjuvelen af BELLATOR MMA, where he sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable record of 32-4 with wins over elite competition including the likes ofPat Curran, John Archuleta, Daniel Weichel (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. Derudover, he was able to capture the Lightweight World Championship in a 2019 contest opposite Michael Chandler, bliver kun den anden BELLATOR-atlet, der har to titler samtidigt. Med 23 slutter i 36 professionelle kampe, Pitbull has shown time and time again that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
With a perfect record of 17-0, AJ McKee has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut at the ripe age of 20-years-old. With an even six knockouts and six submissions, the now-26-year-old McKee has shown a knack for securing finishes—and fast—with nine coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every man who has opposed him including former champions Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan, og Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted most-recently with a rare, modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” Finally, the Long Beach native will face the man he has called for since signing with BELLATOR, as he takes on Patricio Pitbull in the much-anticipated Featherweight World Grand Prix Final.
The preliminary portion of the event streams live at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube -kanal, as well as Pluto TV and features former featherweight title challenger and No. 2 rangeretEmmanuel Sanchez(20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 rangeretMads Burnell(15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 rangeretMagomed “Tiger” Magomedov(18-1) og nr. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots(16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeatedUsman Nurmagomedov (12-0) modManny Muro(12-6).
chris gonzalez (6-0) besejretRoger Huerta (24-13-1) via indsendelse (strejker) på 3:01 af runde tre
Joseph Augustus (17-1) besejretJonathan Wilson (9-3) via indsendelse (head and arm choke) på 4:58 af runde én
roman faraldo (5-0) besejretTrevor Gudde (2-2) via TKO 1:30 af runde én
Jordan Newman (3-0) besejretBranko Busick (2-2) via TKO (strejker) på 2:30 af runde to
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THE FINALS OF THE BELLATOR MMA FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX – CHAMPION PATRICIO “PITBULL” VS. #1-RANKED AJ MCKEE
Citater:
Patricio “Pitbull:"“I am ready to fight AJ McKee right now, please just tell SHOWTIME, I will get in the cage and we can take care of this tomorrow.”
“I want to be the first man to defeat McKee, he has been opening his mouth about me for a very long time, this will be the biggest fight in BELLATOR history.”
AJ McKee: “Patricio Pitbull has been the man. Nothing against him. He’s got great accolades. I already said I’m going to be the champ-champ. For mig, it’s the new era. He said my time is over. My time has just begun. We’ll see.
“It’s a fight the fans have wanted for the longest. Oven i købet, he’s underrated. He’s an outstanding champ. His accolades, his credentials, his record is phenomenal. Men i slutningen af dagen, nobody has a win over me. Nobody has a belt with my name on it and nobody is going to get a belt with my name on it.”
Exclusive Fight Content Includes Past Events, Højdepunkter, And In-Depth Analysis of Featherweight And Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix
NEW YORK – MARCH 19, 2021 – BELLATOR MMAis launching on SHOWTIME on Friday, April 2 withBELLATOR MMA 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2followed by two consecutive Friday nights of live championship MMA fight action. In anticipation of the launch, SHOWTIME will air a collection of BELLATOR specials and fight replays across its distribution platforms to set the stage for the April 2 live event featuring theBELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal, as well as the beginning of the highly anticipatedBELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prixset to begin on Friday, April 9 and Friday, April 16.
Starting this week, both SHOWTIME subscribers and non-subscribers have access to an exclusive collection of fights that have paved the way for the compelling upcoming matchups in each of these premier mixed martial arts tournaments featuringPatricio “Pitbull”, Emmanuel Sanchez, AJ McKee, Vadim Nemkov, Ryan Bader og mere.
Desuden, SHOWTIME Sports will present a pair of highlight-driven specials hosted byMorning Kombat’sBrian Campbell and Luke Thomas to preview the Pitbull vs. Sanchez featherweight semifinal and the start of the eight-man Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. TitledROAD TO BELLATOR MMA, bothspecial programs will consist of highlights, analysis, and fight predictions, as SHOWTIME Sports’ dynamic combat sports duo prepares viewers for the live debut of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME.
ROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2will debut on Monday, March 22 whileROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prixwill premiere one week later on Monday, Marts 29 på denSHOWTIME Sports ogBELLATOR MMAYouTube channels.Both programs also will beavailable to subscribers on all SHOWTIME On Demand platforms, på SHOWTIME EXTREME, as well as to SHOWTIME distributors for their free-on-demand and online portals.
Lørdag, Marts 27, a replay ofBELLATOR MMA 253: Caldwell vs. McKeewill air on SHOWTIME at 8 p.m. ET / PT.The four-fight card, includingMcKee’s iconic “McKee-otine” finish over former BELLATOR Bantamweight World ChampionDarrion Caldwellthat propelled the young star into the Featherweight World Grand Prix Final, will also replay onSHOWTIME on Sunday, Marts 28 på 12 Midnight ET/PT, and again on Thursday, April 1 på 9 p.m. ET / PT.
Bellator 253, along with several past events which featured the world-class fighters in the upcoming tournaments, will be scheduled on SHOWTIME EXTREME weeknights at 10 p.m. ET/PT and are now available on SHOWTIME On Demand platforms. Select events will be available for free to non-subscribers via SHOWTIME distributor platforms and on Pluto TV’s SHOWTIME Selects and BELLATOR MMA channels.
As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMA.
The following fight replays are scheduled for the weeks ahead as fans prepare for the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME:
·BELLATOR MMA 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho- (Original air date 11/12/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson- (Original air date 11/05/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 245: Davis vs. Machida 2- (Original air date 09/11/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 244: Bader vs.. Nemkov- (Original air date 08/21/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 222: MacDonald vs. Gracie- (Original air date 06/14/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch- (Original air date 04/27/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 214: Fedor vs. Bader- (Original air date 01/26/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 186: Bader vs.. Vassell- (Original air date 11/03/2017)
·Mere, two individual bouts from BELLATOR MMA 209: - (Original air date 11/16/2018)
Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Hovedkortet: Patricio “Pitbull” (31-4) besejret Pedro Carvalho(11-4) via KO (dorn) på 2:10 af runde én Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) besejret Logan Storley (11-1) via split beslutning (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) besejret Daniel Weichel (40-12) via enstemmig afgørelse (48-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Indledende Card: Aaron Pico (7-3) besejret Johannes af Jesus (13-9) via KO (dorn) på 4:12 af runde to Keri Taylor Melendez (5-0) besejret Emilee King (4-4) via indsendelse (bageste nøgne choker) på 3:02 af runde én Manny Muro (12-6) besejret Devin Powell (10-5) via enstemmig afgørelse (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Avis Lugo (5-0) besejret Schyler Sootho (4-1) via enstemmig afgørelse (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Lucas Brennan (4-0) besejret Andrew Salas (6-5) via enstemmig afgørelse (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) roman faraldo (4-0) besejret Pat Casey (6-4) via (WHO) punches at 2:30 af runde to Trevor Gudde (2-1) besejret Khonry Gracie (2-2) via TKO (knæ) på 3:28 af runde tre
CHAMP PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ DEFENDS HIS TITLE IN QUARTERFINAL MATCHUP AGAINST PEDRO CARVALHO, WHILE DANIEL WEICHEL FACES EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
MERE, DARRION CALDWELL MEETS UNDEFEATED AJ MCKEE IN SEMIFINALS ON NOV. 19
LOS ANGELES — The Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix resumes Thursday, November. 12 with two quarterfinal matchups set to take place, as champPatricio “Pitbull” (30-14) defends his title againstPedro Carvalho (11-3), mens Daniel Weichel (40-11) og Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) square off in a battle of former title contenders. Derudover, the first semifinal bout is set for Thursday, November. 19, when former titleholderDarrion Caldwell(15-3) squares off with undefeatedAJ McKee(16-0) for a spot in the tournament finals. All the action airs LIVE onCBS Sports Network på 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
I de vigtigste tilfælde af Bellator 252 den nov. 12, fans will see a featherweight world title bout with two-division Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” defending his 145-pound crown against SBG Ireland’s Carvalho. In addition to the five-round championship headliner, a second Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal will go down, as two former title challengers in Weichel and Sanchez meet again following a razor-thin split decision-victory for Weichel in 2016. The winners of these two bouts can expect to see each other in the next semifinal matchup.
Den Bellator 253 headliner on Nov. 19 sees former bantamweight world champion Caldwell go toe-to-toe with rising prospect McKee on the other side of the bracket in the first semifinal. The winner earns a guaranteed spot in the finals and a shot at the Bellator world title and a chance to take home one million dollars.
All three Featherweight World Grand Prix bouts were initially slated to take place at the postponedBellator 241 og Bellator 244 events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic effectively putting the yearlong tournament on hiatus.
CBS Sports Network vil luft Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho og Bellator 253: Caldwell vs. McKee LIVE in all U.S. markets at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Hailing from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasilien, two-time featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” will enter the Bellator cage for a promotional record 23rd time on Nov. 12. With impressive wins to his credit over Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus (x3), Daniel Weichel (x2) og Pat Curran, the 33-year old continues on in the Featherweight World Grand Prix not far removed from his lightweight championship victory in May of last year. Having earned a finish in 21 sin 30 vinder som en professionel, the simultaneous two-division champion most recently bested current bantamweight championJohn Archuletaon the scorecards in an exciting opening round World Grand Prix matchup and fans can certainly expect more fireworks when he finally sets his sights on Carvalho.
Portuguese submission specialist Pedro Carvalho will be entering the Bellator cage for just the fifth time in his eight-year professional career, looking for his seventh consecutive victory and his first world title victory. With victories in nine of his last 11 konkurrencer, including against DerekCampos, DanielCrawfordand a face crank-submission over Sam Sicilia in the opening round, the 25-year-old SBG Ireland-product is on the cusp of greatness – and winning the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix would be the perfect way to solidify it.
Med over 50 professional fights to his name, Germany’s Daniel Weichel is ready to make his 2020 debut in a highly anticipated World Grand Prix quarterfinal bout with Sanchez, a fighter Weichel got the better of four years ago atBellator 159. Following his Bellator debut in 2014, “Drake” has enjoyed an impressive promotional mark of 9-3, including pivotal victories over Sanchez, Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan og Saul Rogers.
On the heels of yet another masterful performance that ended in a submission victory overTywan Claxtonin the opening round of the World Grand Prix, “El Matador” is ready for another title run as he prepares for the 50-fight veteran and the man who beat him once before, Daniel Weichel. Since joining forces with Bellator in 2014, the Milwaukee, Wisc.-resident has collected 11 victories over a 14-fight stint, including key wins over the likes of Claxton, Daniel Straus, Marcos Galvao and Georgi Karakhanyan (2x).
Having needed just one round to put away his last opponent via submission in the quarterfinals of the World Grand Prix, Darrion Caldwell is on a mission to regain Bellator gold. “The Wolf,” a former North Carolina State University NCAA National Champion wrestler, has looked unstoppable since moving up to the featherweight division, having defeatedAdam Borics, samt Henry Corrales in the opening round of the tournament. Nu, the former bantamweight champ sits only two victories away from holding a title in his second division – a feat very few athletes can claim.
Touted byESPNas the best fighter in MMA under the age of 25, AJ McKee looks to back up the lofty expectations often held by the public for second generations-athletes. Undefeated in his career, “The Mercenary” has made himself known to the world through his flashy persona and trash talk, men vigtigst, his work inside the Bellator cage. With every one of his pro bouts taking place with Bellator, the Long Beach-native can achieve what he set out to do beginning atBellator 146 i 2015 and become world champion with just two more wins.
Also announced forBellator 252…is a third main card bout featuring the always-excitingAaron Pico (6-3) of Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., who returns for his second appearance inside Bellator’s “FightSphere, having previously defeated Solo Hatley Jr. in impressive fashion atBellator 242. He will take on Pittsburgh’sJohannes af Jesus (13-8), who was most recently victorious atBellator 244 against Vladyslav Parubchenko, in what promises to an explosive featherweight contest.
For further information, kan du besøge Bellator.com.
Opdateret Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Kampkort: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. OG Featherweight World Title Bout/FWGP Quarterfinal:Patricio “Pitbull”Freire (30-4) vs. Pedro Carvalho (11-3) Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal: Daniel Weichel (40-11) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) Featherweight Main Card Bout: Aaron Pico (6-3) vs. Johannes af Jesus (13-8)
Opdateret Bellator 253: Caldwell vs. McKee Kampkort: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. OG Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal:Darrion Caldwell (15-3) vs. AJ McKee (16-0)
