Los Angeles— BELLATOR MMA has announced that its fifth participant for the New Year’s Eve spectacle against RIZIN Fighting Federation opponents will be No. 10-ranked lightweight, Gadzhi Rabadanov(18-4-2), taking on 27-year-old Japanese standoutKoji Takeda(15-3) in a compelling matchup between two competitors riding high on the strength of consecutive victories.
A first-of-its-kind blockbuster co-promotion, BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZINtakes place inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday, Diċembru 31, and can be seen in the United States on SHOWTIME at 8 p.m. ET/PT on New Year’s Eve.
Rabadanov versus Takeda will join a star-studded five-fightBELLATOR MMA vs. RIZINkarta prinċipali, which is stacked from top to bottom with current and former champions competing in the four-sided ring under RIZIN’s unique rules. Headlining the event will be a dream matchup between RIZIN lightweight championRoberto “Satoshi” de Souza(14-1) against No. 3 BELLATOR pound-for-pound talentAJ “Mercenary” McKee(19-1), with BELLATOR and RIZIN featherweight championsPatricio Pitbull(34-5) uKleber Koike(31-5-1) co-headlining the must-see event.
Former BELLATOR championsJuan “The Spaniard” Archuleta(26-4) uKyoji Horiguchi(30-5) will round out the unparalleled main card, facing off with RIZIN’sSoo Chul Kim(18-6-1) uHiromasa Ougikubo(25-6-2), rispettivament.
Gadzhi Rabadanov, 29, signed with BELLATOR in 2021 after capturing the Eagle FC lightweight title, and has made an immediate impact on the promotion’s remarkably deep lightweight division. He announced his arrival in thunderous fashion atBELLATOR 263with an emphatic viral knockout of Daniel Carey, which he followed up with back-to-back dominant unanimous decision victories over Jay Jay Wilson and Bobby King in 2022. The product of the renowned Club Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s School in Dagestan and the prestigious American Kickboxing Academy, Rabadanov’s pedigree is world-class. On New Year’s Eve, Rabadanov will look to continue building upon his momentum with an impressive performance against Koji Takeda.
“It is a childhood dream come true to fight in Japan at the legendary Saitama Super Arena,” said Rabadanov. “I’m very excited and I know I have a tough opponent, who always leaves everything in the ring. Expect a masterpiece from me, it will be a memorable fight.”
A former DEEP lightweight champion, Japan’sKoji Takedahas been an active fighter since his 2017 debutt professjonali. Takeda boasts a compelling case for inclusion on this historic fight card, winning seven of his last ten and three of his last four outings under the RIZIN and DEEP banners. Takeda is also familiar with BELLATOR foes; he has previously fought Spike Carlyle and submitted Zach Zane by armbar, both of whom fought recently for the Scott Coker-led promotion. Takeda will look to add a third straight win to his resume against the highly-touted Rabadanov in his hometown of Saitama, Ġappun, fuq Diċembru 31.
BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN MAIN CARD:
SHOWTIME
IS-SIBT, Diċembru 31 — 8 PM ET/PT
Lightweight Non-Title Main Event: AJ McKee(19-1) vs.Roberto de Souza(14-1)
Featherweight Non-Title Main Event: Patricio Pitbull(34-5) vs.Kleber Koike(31-5-1)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Juan Archuleta(26-4) vs.Soo Chul Kim(18-6-1)
UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPIONA.J. MCKEETO DEFEND BELLATOR MMA 145-POUND WORLD TITLE IN REMATCH AGAINST FORMER NUMBER ONE POUND-FOR-POUND & TWO-DIVISION CHAMPIONPATRICIO PITBULL
205-POUND CHAMPIONVADIM NEMKOVTO BATTLE TOP-RANKEDCOREY ANDERSONFOR $1 MILLION PRIZE IN BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX FINAL
BELLATOR 277SET FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 15, AT 10 P.M. ET / 7 p.m. PTLIVE ON SHOWTIME INSIDE THE SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.
TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY
LOS ANGELES (Frar. 16, 2022) -Two outstanding world-championship showdowns. Four of BELLATOR MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighters. One highly anticipated rematch. The promotion’s all-time greatest athlete striving to avenge a highlight-reel loss to the company’s homegrown superstar. A tournament final awarding a seven-figure jackpot to the victor.
BELLATOR’s fourth phenomenal fight card of 2022 promises to be one for the ages.
Fresh off a 117-second destruction of his upcoming opponent and claiming the $1 million bounty at the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, unbeaten BELLATOR Featherweight World TitleholderA.J. McKee (18-0) hopes to take the next step toward becoming the sport’s greatest fighter as he battles former top pound-for-pound and two-division championPatricio Pitbull (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, April 15, fi10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT jgħixu fuq Showtime.
In the co-feature ofBellator 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 fil-Center SAP f'San Jose, Calif., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World ChampionVadim Nemkov (15-2) will defend his title for the third time and aims to take home the $1 million prize three days before U.S. Tax Day when he squares off against the surging No. 1-konkorrent kklassifikatiCorey Anderson(16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.
Biljetti għallBELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2go on sale this Friday, Frar. 18 at bothTicketmaster.com uBellator.comwith a special presale starting the day prior.
Barra minn hekk, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-iggradataTim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-iggradataTyrell Fortune(11-2, 1 NC) in a rematch fromBellator 239.Their first fight ended with Johnson securing a win that earned great consideration for the 2020 KO of the Year. The preliminary bouts will stream live three hours earlier at7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PTon the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza atBELLATOR MMA 263fuq Lulju 31, 2021. The champion then continued the onslaught by unleashing a series of brutal unanswered head shots that floored the Brazilian legend.
Moments later as McKee prematurely raised his arms in celebration, Pitbull rose from the depths of defeat only to be greeted by a fighter hell bent on stealing his crown and claiming the $1 million prize. With the 25-time BELLATOR MMA veteran backed up against the fence, MMA’s brightest young brawler locked in a guillotine choke. With Pitbull seeming to lose consciousness, referee Mike Beltran halted matters at 1:57 tal-qafas ftuħ.
“Hosting the world’s best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter and I’m happy to continue that with our card on April 15,” BELLATOR President Scott Coker said. “The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson are two fights that could headline any event on their own, but we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years.”
A native of Long Beach, Calif., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20th birthday. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, li ser idur 27 eight days before his rematch against Pitbull, has shown a knack for securing lightning-fast finishes with 10 coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every fighter who has opposed him, including former World Champions Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted with a rare-modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” The winner of the 2020 Submission of the Year Award for his 71-second annihilation of Caldwell has fought a total of 33 rounds across 18 career contests (1.8 rounds per bout), while logging less than 41 total minutes in the BELLATOR cage since turning pro in August 2012.
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he currently sits at No. 3 in the BELLATOR MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable 32-5 record with wins over elite competition, including the likes of former World Champions Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, and Daniel Straus (darbtejn). Fl 2019, the 34-year-old Brazilian captured the BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship from Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. Bil 23 finishes in 37 tissielet professjonali, Pitbull has shown repeatedly that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
Currently BELLATOR MMA’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Nemkov captured the BELLATOR MMA light heavyweight crown by defeating Ryan Bader via second-round TKO atBELLATOR MMA 244in August 2020. Riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to June 2016, the ferocious 29-year-old sports seven first-round knockouts, with two in the initial minute of action. After successfully defending his light heavyweight belt by earning a tough unanimous decision over Phil Davis, the pride of Belgorod, Russia and Fedor Emelianenko protégé scored a fourth-round submission of late replacement Julius Anglickas in the semifinals of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix during his last outing on Oct. 16, 2021.
Anderson, of Robbinsville, N.J., has ascended to the top of the BELLATOR 205-pound rankings by vanquishing seven of his past eight opponents, including a third-round stoppage of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov atBELLATOR MMA 257 dwar April 16, 2021. Exactly six months later atBELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, Morda., native walked into the cage to the spellbinding sounds of The Doors’ “Five to One,” and took the song title literally by knocking out Arizona State University wrestling legend Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in front of Bader’s hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. In his first promotional appearance, “Overtime” registered a second-round TKO over Dutch kickboxing legend Melvin Manhoef atBELLATOR MMA 251 f'Novembru 2020. Prior to joining BELLATOR, Anderson tallied a 10-5 record with a rival promotion, winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19” tournament in 2014, and boasting impressive wins over Glover Teixeira, Jan Błachowicz and Johnny Walker, fost oħrajn.
Bouts addizzjonali se jitħabbru dalwaqt.
Bellator 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2CARD MAIN:
Il-ġimgħa, April 15 – live onSHOWTIME
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Featherweight World Championship: C–A.J. McKee (18-0) vs. No. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)
Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. Do Mhux. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)
DUBLIN –It was announced today that former two-division championPatrick "Pitbull"has made the decision to relinquish his BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship. Bħala riżultat, BELLATOR MMA PresidentScott cokerconfirmed that the hotly anticipated rematch between Waterford, Tal-Irlanda Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1) u 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, Irlanda, on Friday November 5th.
Fl-Istati Uniti, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. 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 channel and 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 iggradata James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 iggradata Patchy Mix(14-1).
Biljetti għall Bellator 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2are on sale now and can be purchased online fromTicketmaster.ie u Bellator.com.
Also announced today – heavyweight hostilities featuringGokhan Saricam (5-1) u 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 (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) Il-ġimgħa, Ottubru 1 - 9 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. 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) Middleweight Bout: #6-Charlie Ward (9-4) vs. #9-Nobert NovenyiJr. (5-0) Featherweight Bout: #6-Daniel Weichel (41-6) vs. #7-Pedro Carvalho (11-5)
Card preliminari: BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US) BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) 6 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Featherweight Bout:Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1) Featherweight Bout:Ilias Bulaid(2-0) vs. Georges Sasu(5-2) Welterweight Bout: Ashley Reece(8-2) vs. Luca Poclit (6-1) Ħfief Bout: Daniele Scatizzi (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-8, 1 NC) Dawl Heavyweight Bout: Lee Chadwick(26-15-1) vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus(15-4) Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saricam(5-1) vs. Rob Beech(5-2) Welterweight Bout:Nicolò Solli (3-1) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0) Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan(4-0) vs.Audrey Kerouche(7-5, 2 NC) Featherweight Bout:Junior Morgan(3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly(Pro Début) Welterweight Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Début) vs. Joe Nazokatov(Pro Début)
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*Karta soġġetta għal bidla.
Jekk jogħġbok żur Bellator.com għal informazzjoni addizzjonali. Updated schedule of BELLATOR events Sib. Ottubru. 16 // Bellator 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals// Footprint Center // Phoenix, IL Sib. Ottubru. 23 // Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moska, Russja Free. Novembru. 5 // Bellator 270: Gallagher vs. Mix// 3Arena // Dublin, Irlanda Free. Novembru. 12 // Bellator 271: Cyborg vs. Kavanagh // Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino // Hollywood, FL
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About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Taħt id-direzzjoni ta 'promotur ġlieda veteran Scott coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. Fl-Istati Uniti, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, orkestrazzjoni avveniment ħajjin, żvilupp ġellied / Relazzjonijiet, akkwist post, ħolqien sponsorship / iżvilupp, liċenzjar internazzjonali, marketing, reklamar, pubbliċità u relazzjonijiet ta ’kummissjoni. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, dar għall-marki fid-dinja ta 'divertiment premier li jgħaqqdu ma' udjenzi permezz tal-kontenut konvinċenti madwar televiżjoni, stampa mozzjoni, pjattaformi mobbli u online.
LOS ANGELES – Illum, BELLATOR officials confirmed a must-see main event pitting hard-hitting heavyweightsCheick Kongo (30-11-2) u Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) against one another topsBELLATOR MMA 265 nhar il-Ġimgħa, Awissu 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) u Nru. 4 Jay-Jay Wilson(8-0) will meet for the right to face the winner of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix Final betweenPatrick "Pitbull" (32-4) u AJ McKee (17-0), which takes place on Saturday, Lulju 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) kontra DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) and willbegin at 6:00 p.m. U / 3:00 p.m. PT and stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced in the near future.
Holding an impressive MMA record of 30-11-2, 1 NC, Do Mhux. 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) and wins (12) in BELLATOR heavyweight history. 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. Issa, 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 ta 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 Main Card: SHOWTIME Il-ġimgħa, Awissu 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, u 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, Il-ġimgħa, Ġunju 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. Ma 'dak being said, 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 Mhux. 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. Like I said, 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. Fl-aħħar tal-ġurnata, 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. Iżda, 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. Għal darb'oħra, 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. Issa, 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. Imbagħad, 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. Iżda, 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, mużika, 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, Lulju 31 – LIVE FUQ 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 iggradataAJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, Lulju 31 fil Il-Forum fil Inglewood, Calif., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKeeairs live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, Ġunju 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.”
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of 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, Juan Archuleta, Daniel Weichel (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. Barra minn hekk, he was able to capture the Lightweight World Championship in a 2019 contest opposite Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. Bil 23 finishes in 36 tissielet professjonali, 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, and 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 channel, as well as Pluto TV and features former featherweight title challenger and No. 2 iggradataEmmanuel Sanchez(20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 iggradataMads Burnell(15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 iggradataMagomed “Tiger” Magomedov(18-1) u Nru. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots(16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeatedUsman Nurmagomedov (12-0) kontraĦajt Manny(12-6).
Chris Gonzalez (6-0) defeatedRoger Huerta (24-13-1) permezz sottomissjoni (strajkijiet) fi 3:01 tal round tliet
Jose Augusto (17-1) defeatedJonathan Wilson (9-3) permezz sottomissjoni (head and arm choke) fi 4:58 ta round wieħed
Roman Faraldo (5-0) defeatedTrevor Gudde (2-2) permezz TKO 1:30 ta round wieħed
Jordan Newman (3-0) defeatedBranko Busick (2-2) permezz TKO (strajkijiet) fi 2:30 ta 'round tnejn
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THE FINALS OF THE BELLATOR MMA FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX – CHAMPION PATRICIO “PITBULL” VS. #1-RANKED AJ MCKEE
Quotes:
Patrick “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. Għalija, 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. Fit-quċċata ta 'dik, he’s underrated. He’s an outstanding champ. His accolades, his credentials, his record is phenomenal. Iżda fl-aħħar tal-ġurnata, 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.”
Jekk jogħġbok żurBellator.com għal informazzjoni addizzjonali.
Kontenut ta ’Ġlieda Esklussiva Jinkludi Avvenimenti tal-Passat, Jenfasizza, U Analiżi fil-Fond tal-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Featherweight U Light Heavyweight
NEW YORK - MARZU 19, 2021 - BELLATOR MMAis tnedija fuq SHOWTIME nhar il-Ġimgħa, 2 ta 'April biBELLATOR MMA 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 segwit minn żewġ iljieli konsekuttivi tal-Ġimgħa ta 'azzjoni ta' ġlieda MMA tal-kampjonat ħaj. Fl-antiċipazzjoni tat-tnedija, SHOWTIME se jxandar ġabra ta 'speċjali ta' BELLATOR u jiġġieled mill-ġdid fuq il-pjattaformi ta 'distribuzzjoni tiegħu biex iħejji t-triq għal April 2 avveniment live li fih il -Semifinali tal-BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix, kif ukoll il-bidu ta 'dak antiċipat ħafnaBELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix mistenni jibda nhar il-Ġimgħa, 9 ta 'April u l-Ġimgħa, April 16.
Nibdew din il-ġimgħa, kemm l-abbonati ta 'SHOWTIME kif ukoll dawk mhux abbonati għandhom aċċess għal ġabra esklussiva ta' ġlied li wittew it-triq għall-konfronti li jmiss konvinċenti f'kull wieħed minn dawn il-kampjonati mħallta tal-arti marzjali premier li fihomPatrick "Pitbull", Emmanuel Sanchez, AJ McKee, Vadim Nemkov, Ryan Bader u aktar.
B'żieda, SHOWTIME Sports se jippreżenta par ta 'speċjali mmexxija mill-punti ewlenin ospitati minnMorning Kombat’sBrian Campbell u Luke Thomas biex jipprevedu l-Pitbull vs.. Semifinali Sanchez featherweight u l-bidu tat-turnament tal-Grand Prix Dinji Lightweightweight ta ’tmien persuni. IntitolatTRIQ LILL-BELLATOR MMA, iż-żewġ programmi speċjali se jikkonsistu minn punti ewlenin, analiżi, u jiġġieldu t-tbassir, hekk kif id-duo tal-isports tal-ġlied dinamiku ta ’SHOWTIME Sports jipprepara lit-telespettaturi għad-debutt dirett ta’ BELLATOR MMA fuq SHOWTIME.
TRIQ LILL-BELLATOR MMA: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 se jiddebutta nhar it-Tnejn, 22 ta 'Marzu waqtTRIQ LILL-BELLATOR MMA: Grand Prix Dinji tal-Heavyweightse tkun premiere ġimgħa wara nhar it-Tnejn, Marzu 29 fuq il-Showtime Sports uBELLATOR MMA Kanali tal-YouTube.Iż-żewġ programmi se jkunu wkolldisponibbli għall-abbonati fuq il-pjattaformi kollha SHOWTIME On Demand, fuq SHOWTIME EXTREME, kif ukoll lid-distributuri SHOWTIME għall-portali onlajn u bla ħlas fuq talba tagħhom.
Nhar is-Sibt, Marzu 27, ripetizzjoni ta 'BELLATOR MMA 253: Caldwell vs.. McKeese jixxandar fuq SHOWTIME fi 8 p.m. ET / PT. Il-karta ta ’erba’ ġlied, inkluż il-finitura emblematika ta 'McKee "McKee-otine" fuq l-ex Champion tad-Dinja Bantamweight BELLATORDarrion Caldwell li mexxa lill-istilla żagħżugħa fil-Finali tal-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Featherweight, nirrepetu wkoll fuq SHOWTIME nhar il-Ħadd, Marzu 28 fi 12 Nofsillejl ET / PT, u għal darb'oħra nhar il-Ħamis, April 1 fi 9 p.m. ET / PT.
Bellator 253, flimkien ma 'bosta avvenimenti tal-passat li dehru lill-ġellieda ta' klassi dinjija fil-kampjonati li ġejjin, se jkun skedat fi SHOWTIME EXTREME fil-ġimgħa fil-ġimgħa 10 p.m. ET / PT u issa huma disponibbli fuq pjattaformi SHOWTIME On Demand. Avvenimenti magħżula jkunu disponibbli b’xejn għal dawk li mhumiex abbonati permezz tal-pjattaformi tad-distributuri SHOWTIME u fuq il-programmi SHOWTIME Selects u BELLATOR MMA ta ’Pluto TV..
Bħala parti mit-tnedija ta 'BELLATOR MMA fuq SHOWTIME, in-netwerk qed joffri lit-telespettaturi li huma ġodda għas-servizz ta 'streaming SHOWTIME prova ta' 30 jum b'xejn, segwit minn miżata skontata ta 'abbonament ta' kull xahar ta '$ 4.99 / xahar għas-sitt xhur li ġejjin. It-telespettaturi jistgħu jiffirmaw fuqSHO.com/BellatorMMA.
Ir-replays tal-ġlieda li ġejjin huma skedati għall-ġimgħat li ġejjin hekk kif il-partitarji jippreparaw għat-tnedija ta 'BELLATOR MMA fuq SHOWTIME:
·BELLATOR MMA 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 11/12/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 11/05/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 245: Davis vs. Machida 2- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 09/11/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 244: Bader vs.. Nemkov- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 08/21/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 222: MacDonald vs.. Gracie- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 06/14/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 220: MacDonald vs.. Fitch- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 04/27/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 214: Fedor vs. Aktar ħażin- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 01/26/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 186: Bader vs.. Vassell- (Data oriġinali tal-arja 11/03/2017)
·Aktar, żewġ bouts individwali minn BELLATOR MMA 209: - (Data oriġinali tal-arja 11/16/2018)
Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Main Card: Patrick "Pitbull" (31-4) defeated Pedro Carvalho (11-4) permezz KO (punch) fi 2:10 ta round wieħed Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) defeated Logan Storley (11-1) permezz deċiżjoni maqsuma (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) defeated Daniel Weichel (40-12) via deċiżjoni unanima (48-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Card preliminari: Aaron Pico (7-3) defeated John de Jesus (13-9) permezz KO (punch) fi 4:12 ta 'round tnejn Keri Taylor Melendez (5-0) defeated Emilee King (4-4) permezz sottomissjoni (ċowk wara-naked) fi 3:02 ta round wieħed Ħajt Manny (12-6) defeated Devin Powell (10-5) via deċiżjoni unanima (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Jornel Lugo (5-0) defeated Schyler Sootho (4-1) via deċiżjoni unanima (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Lucas Brennan (4-0) defeated Andrew Salas (6-5) via deċiżjoni unanima (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) Roman Faraldo (4-0) defeated Pat Casey (6-4) permezz (WHO) puntelli fi 2:30 ta 'round tnejn Trevor Gudde (2-1) defeated Khonry Gracie (2-2) permezz TKO (irkoppa) fi 3:28 tal round tliet
Jekk jogħġbok żur Bellator.com għal informazzjoni addizzjonali.
CHAMP PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ JIDDEFENDI T-TITOLU TIEGĦU FIL-MATCHUP KWARTERFINALI KONTRA PEDRO CARVALHO, WAQT LI DANIEL WEICHEL JIFFAĊĊJA LIL EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
AKTAR, DARRION CALDWELL TILTAQA 'AJ MCKEE MHUX MIRSIEF FIS-SEMIFINALI FUQ NOV. 19
LOS ANGELES — Il-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Bellator Featherweight jerġa ’jibda nhar il-Ħamis, Novembru. 12 b’żewġ logħbiet tal-kwarti tal-finali li se jsiru, bħala champ Patrick "Pitbull" (30-14) jiddefendi t-titlu tiegħu kontra Pedro Carvalho (11-3), filwaqt Daniel Weichel (40-11) u Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) kwadru fil-battalja ta 'ex kontendenti titolu. Barra minn hekk, l-ewwel bout tas-semifinali huwa stabbilit għal nhar il-Ħamis, Novembru. 19, meta kien detentur tat-titlu Darrion Caldwell(15-3) kwadri off ma 'megħluba AJ McKee(16-0) għal post fil-finali tat-turnament. L-azzjoni kollha tixxandar LIVE fuq CBS Sports Network fi 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT minn Mohegan Sun Arena f'Uncasville, Conn.
Fil-każ prinċipali ta ' Bellator 252 fuq Novembru. 12, il-partitarji se jaraw battalja tat-titlu dinji bir-rix biċ-ċampjin tal-Bellator b'żewġ diviżjonijiet Patricio "Pitbull" jiddefendu l-kuruna ta '145 lira tiegħu kontra Carvalho ta' SBG Ireland. Minbarra l-headliner tal-kampjonat ta ’ħames rawnds, it-tieni kwarti tal-finali tal-Grand Prix tad-Dinja tal-Bellator Featherweight se tinżel, hekk kif żewġ eks sfidanti tat-titlu f'Weichel u Sanchez jerġgħu jiltaqgħu wara rebħa ta 'deċiżjoni maqsuma tal-leħja għal Weichel fi 2016. Ir-rebbieħa ta 'dawn iż-żewġ bouts jistgħu jistennew li jaraw lil xulxin fil-konfront tas-semifinali li jmiss.
Il Bellator 253 headliner fuq Nov.. 19 jara l-eks champion tad-dinja bantamweight Caldwell imur toe-to-toe to prospek dejjem jiżdied McKee fuq in-naħa l-oħra tal-parentesi fl-ewwel semifinali. Ir-rebbieħ jaqla ’post garantit fil-finali u tir fuq it-titlu dinji ta’ Bellator u ċ-ċans li jieħu d-dar miljun dollaru.
It-tliet laqgħat tal-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Featherweight inizjalment kellhom iseħħu fil-postponat Bellator 241 u Bellator 244 avvenimenti qabel il-pandemija COVID-19 li effettivament ipoġġu l-kampjonat ta ’sena kollha fuq il-waqfien.
CBS Sports Network se arja Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho u Bellator 253: Caldwell vs.. McKee JGĦIXU fl-Istati Uniti kollha. swieq fi 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, filwaqt li t-tlaqqigħ preliminari jixxandar fuq CBSSports.com u l-kanal YouTube ta ’Bellator MMA. Attakki addizzjonali jitħabbru f'data aktar tard.
Ġej minn Natal, xmara kbira tat-tramuntana, Brażil, Patricio "Pitbull", ċampjin darbtejn bil-piż tar-rix se jidħol fil-gaġġa Bellator għal rekord promozzjonali fit-23 darba f'Novembru. 12. B'rebħiet impressjonanti għall-kreditu tiegħu fuq Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus (x3), Daniel Weichel (x2) u Pat Curran, il-plejer ta '33 sena jkompli fil-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Featherweight mhux' il bogħod mir-rebħa tal-kampjonat ħafif tiegħu f'Mejju tas-sena li għaddiet. Wara li qala 'finitura fl 21 ta 'dmirijietu 30 jirbaħ bħala professjonali, iċ-ċampjin simultanju taż-żewġ diviżjonijiet reċentement rebaħ iċ-ċampjin attwali tal-piż bantam Juan Archuleta fuq l-iskorecards f’tundizzjoni eċċitanti tal-ftuħ tal-Grand Prix Dinji u l-partitarji jistgħu ċertament jistennew aktar logħob tan-nar meta finalment iħares lejn Carvalho.
L-ispeċjalista Portugiż fis-sottomissjoni Pedro Carvalho se jkun qed jidħol fil-gaġġa Bellator għall-ħames darba biss fil-karriera professjonali tiegħu ta ’tmien snin, tfittex is-seba 'rebħa konsekuttiva u l-ewwel rebħa tat-titlu dinji. B’rebħiet f’disa ’mill-aħħar tiegħu 11 kompetizzjonijiet, inkluż kontra DerekOqsma, DanielCrawford u wiċċ krank-sottomissjoni fuq Sam Sicilia fir-rawnd tal-ftuħ, il-prodott SBG Ireland ta ’25 sena jinsab fuq il-quċċata tal-kobor - u li tirbaħ il-Grand Prix Dinji tal-Bellator Featherweight ikun il-mod perfett biex tissolidifikah.
B'aktar minn 50 ġlied professjonali għal ismu, Il-Ġermaniż Daniel Weichel huwa lest li jagħmel tiegħu 2020 iddebutta f’taqbila kwartifinali tal-Grand Prix tad-Dinja mistennija ħafna ma ’Sanchez, ġellied Weichel ħa l-aħjar minn erba 'snin ilu Bellator 159. Wara d-debutt tiegħu ta 'Bellator fl-2006 2014, "Drake" gawdiet marka promozzjonali impressjonanti ta ' 9-3, inklużi rebħiet kruċjali fuq Sanchez, Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan u Saul Rogers.
Fuq l-għarqbejn ta 'eżekuzzjoni oħra kaptan li spiċċat f'rebħa ta' sottomissjoni fuq Tywan Claxton fir-rawnd tal-ftuħ tal-Grand Prix Dinji, "El Matador" lest għal ġirja oħra ta 'titlu hekk kif jipprepara għall-veteran ta' 50 ġlieda u r-raġel li rebaħlu darba qabel, Daniel Weichel. Minn meta ngħaqad ma 'Bellator fi 2014, il-Milwaukee, Wisc.-resident ġabar 11 rebħiet fuq stint ta ’14-il ġlieda, inklużi rebħiet ewlenin fuq it-tipi ta 'Claxton, Daniel Straus, Marcos Galvao u Georgi Karakhanyan (2x).
Wara li kellu bżonn rawnd wieħed biss biex iwarrab l-aħħar avversarju tiegħu permezz tas-sottomissjoni fil-kwarti tal-finali tal-Grand Prix Dinji, Darrion Caldwell jinsab fuq missjoni biex jerġa 'jikseb id-deheb ta' Bellator. “Il-Lupu,”Ex wrestler Champion Nazzjonali ta’ l-NCAA ta ’l-Università ta’ North Carolina State, deher bla waqfien minn meta tela 'għad-diviżjoni tal-piż tar-rix, wara li għelbet Adam Borics, kif ukoll Henry Corrales fir-rawnd tal-ftuħ tal-kampjonat. Issa, l-eks champion bantamweight joqgħod biss żewġ rebħiet 'il bogħod milli jkollu titlu fit-tieni diviżjoni tiegħu - proeza li ftit atleti jistgħu jitolbu.
Magħmul minn ESPN bħala l-aqwa ġellied fl-MMA taħt l-età ta ' 25, AJ McKee jidher li jappoġġja l-aspettattivi għoljin li spiss ikollhom il-pubbliku għat-tieni ġenerazzjonijiet-atleti. Mhux megħlub fil-karriera tiegħu, "Il-Mercenarju" għamel lilu nnifsu magħruf mad-dinja permezz tal-flashy persona u trash talk tiegħu, iżda aktar importanti, ix-xogħol tiegħu ġewwa l-gaġġa Bellator. Ma 'kull wieħed mill-pro bouts tiegħu li qed iseħħ ma' Bellator, l-indiġen ta ’Long Beach jista’ jikseb dak li huwa beda jagħmel biex jibda minnu Bellator 146 fil 2015 u ssir champion tad-dinja b’żewġ rebħiet oħra biss.
Tħabbar ukoll għal Bellator 252... huwa t-tielet bout tal-karta ewlenija li fih dak dejjem eċċitanti Aaron Pico (6-3) ta 'Jackson-Wink MMA Academy f'Albuquerque, N.M., li jirritorna għat-tieni dehra tiegħu ġewwa “FightSphere ta’ Bellator, wara li qabel għeleb lil Solo Hatley Jr.. b'mod impressjonanti fi Bellator 242. Huwa se jieħu Pittsburgh’s John de Jesus (13-8), li reċentement rebaħ fi Bellator 244 kontra Vladyslav Parubchenko, f’dak li jwiegħed għal konkors splussiv tal-piż tar-rix.
Għal aktar informazzjoni, jekk jogħġbok żur Bellator.com.
Aġġornat Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Karta tal-Ġlieda: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. U Featherweight World Title Bout / FWGP Quarterfinal:Patrick "Pitbull"Freire (30-4) vs. Pedro Carvalho (11-3) Kwarti tal-Finali tal-Grand Prix Dinji Featherweight: Daniel Weichel (40-11) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) Bout tal-Karta Prinċipali Featherweight: Aaron Pico (6-3) vs. John de Jesus (13-8)
Aġġornat Bellator 253: Caldwell vs.. McKee Karta tal-Ġlieda: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 p.m. U Semifinali tal-Grand Prix Dinji Featherweight:Darrion Caldwell (15-3) vs. AJ McKee (16-0)
