Complete Event Photos Here / Full Event Highlights Here

 

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Nov. 4, 2016) – It’s a wonderful life for Phil Davis (17-3), who dethroned Liam McGeary (11-1) on Friday hmo nyob rau ntawm “Bellator 163,” taking home the light heavyweight championship.

As has been the case plenty of times throughout Davis’ illustrious career, his wrestling pedigree was the deciding factor, nullifying the world-class jiu-jitsu of the Renzo Gracie-trained former champion. For nearly 25-minutes, “Mr. Wonderful” maintained top pressure on the New York-native, frustrating McGeary and putting him into desperation mode in the fifth and final round. McGeary fought valiantly to both stop and submit the longtime Alliance MMA-product, tab sis nyob rau hauv lub kawg, Davis took home the unanimous decision with scorecards of 50-43, 50-45, 50-44.

McGeary, who suffered the first loss of his young career, was humble in defeat, admitting that while Davis was the better man throughout their main event fight, he will be back to reclaim what he feels is rightfully his.

Returning home to Southern California with a new belt in tow, Davis now sets his sights on his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth to his second son rau hnub Monday.

Brennan Ward & Saad Awad Provide 90 Seconds of Pure Violence

In an absolute barnburner, Brennan Ward thiab Koj Awad went toe-to-toe for the 86 seconds they shared the Bellator MMA cage together, doing their best imitation of Rock Em’ Sock Em’ Robots until “Irish” caught “Neeg tua neeg” with an uppercut that sent the Palestinian face first into the canvas. With the knockout, Ward moves into sixth place on the all-time list of KO’s under the promotion’s banner, and now sets his sights on a future matchup against the elite at 170-pounds.

Neiman Gracie Tells the MMA World, ‘Gracie Jiu-Jitsu’ is Back

After finding out they would be competing live on SPIKE less than 24 hours before entering the Bellator MMA cage, Neiman Gracie (5-0) ua ceev ua hauj lwm ntawm Rudy Bears (16-15), latching on to an arm bar 4:39 into the opening frame and forcing the tap from “Bad News.” Gracie was able to add to his impressive submission record, which has now been stretched to three victories in three Bellator MMA appearances, including a pair of first-round submissions. The 27-year-old was also able to please Royce Gracie, who was cornering his bout for the evening.

Javy Ayala Spoils Return of Sergei Kharitonov in 16 vib nas this

In what many people thought would be a triumphant return to the sport of MMA for Sergei Kharitonov (23-6), Javy Ayala (10-5) spoiled that, sending the Russian heavyweight to the canvas in a heap following an overhand right 16 seconds into the matchup. Nrog lub yeej, “Eye Candy” immediately inserted himself into further big-time match-ups, namedropping both Bobby Lashley thiab Matt Mitrione during his post-fight interview. In his last two outings, the Northern California-native has finished his foe in the opening round via stoppage.

Preliminary Card tau:

Thiab Ruth (1-0) yeej Dustin Collins-Miles (0-1) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 3:19 ntawm puag ncig ib

Tyrell Fortune (1-0) yeej Cody Miskell (0-1) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 2:22 ntawm puag ncig ib

Tim Caron (6-0) yeej Steve Skrzat (8-9) via TKO at 1:22 ntawm puag ncig ib

Hannah Regina (1-0) yeej Sarah Them (1-4) ntawm cuav (arm bar) ntawm 4:51 ntawm puag ncig ib

Tim Caron (6-0) yeej Steve Skrzat (8-9) via TKO at 1:22 ntawm round ob

Blair Tugman (9-6) yeej Walter Smith-Cotito (4-5, 1 NC) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28)

Christopher Foster (10-4) yeej Thomas English (6-7) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Tyler King (12-4) yeej Josh Diekmann (15-8, 1 NC) ntawm cuav (rear-liab qab caj pas) ntawm 1:39 ntawm round ob

Carlos Corriea (2-0) yeej Ilya Kotau (1-2) ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Vinicius De Jesus (5-1) yeej James Boran (6-1) ntawm cuav (rear-liab qab caj pas) ntawm 1:55 ntawm puag ncig 2

Raug Monica, California. (Oct. 25, 2016) - Hey America! As we near the 2016 Presidential Election, Bellator MMA is headed to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn on Friday, Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 4 with one of the most intriguing cards of the year. Headlining the event, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis is on the campaign trail as he prepares for one of the biggest fights of his career vs current Light Heavyweight Champion, Liam McGeary.

 

In advance of the card’s main event, Bellator’s digital team collaborated with Davis and stand-up comedian, Adam Hunter, to produce a collection of six original digital campaign videos with a clear message that there is a better choice! Complementing the digital shorts, fans can actually vote for Davis at the touch of a button at www.VoteForPhilDavis.com up until fight night on Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 4. In the meantime, watch these “wonderful” clips below and see why Davis’ stance outside the cage will make MMA great again!

 

One of the more outspoken athletes in MMA, Davis comes in having won three consecutive contests and seven of his last nine. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, the 31-year-old has finished his opponent in half of his 16 career wins, including five submission victories. Davis earned his shot at McGeary and the highly coveted 205-pound belt with a key win over “King Mo” ntawm "Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” nyuam qhuav pib lub xyoo. A 13-fight veteran of the UFC, Davis will likely not be fazed by the bright lights of the Mohegan Sun Arena, in what is possibly the biggest challenge of his illustrious career. Look for the former NCAA National Champion wrestler to take this contest to the canvas and display his impeccable ground game in front of a packed Connecticut crowd.

 

 

 

HEAR HIS PLATFORM	DEBATES

EQUAL PAY	GAS
Qoj	GUNS

"Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Fight Card

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

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Koj Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) vs. Javy Ayala (9-5)

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

 

Preliminary Card

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Thiab Ruth (Debut) vs. Mark Mangiardi (Debut)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune (Debut) vs. Cody Miskell (Debut)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Neiman Gracie (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-14)

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

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

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

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

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

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Keenan Raymond (3-3) vs. Kastroit Xhema (Debut)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Boran (6-0) vs. Vinicius De Jesus (4-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Thomas English (6-6) vs. Christopher Foster (9-4)

UNDEFEATED NEIMAN GRACIE CHALLENGES 30-FIGHT VETERAN RUDY BEARS IN CATCHWEIGHT BOUT

Raug Monica, California (Lub kaum hli ntuj 6, 2016) –Two of Bellator’s highly touted wrestling prospects Thiab Ruth thiab Tyrell Fortune will make their eagerly anticipated mixed martial arts debuts against Mark Mangiardi (Debut) thiab Cody Miskell (Debut) during the stacked card of "Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis" rau Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 4 ntawm Mohegan Sun Arena nyob rau hauv Uncasville, Conn.

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Neiman Gracie (4-0) will look to remain undefeated to begin his professional career in a catchweight bout against Rudy Bears (16-14). All three of these contests will air on the Bellator.com-streamed preliminary card beginning at 7:50 p.m. THIAB/5:50 p.m. I.

 

The newly announced tilts complete a card headlined by a light heavyweight world title fight that pits champion Liam McGeary (11-0) tiv thaiv Phil Davis (16-3). Nyob rau hauv lub co-ntsiab kev tshwm sim, a welterweight showdown pitting Koj Awad (19-8) tiv thaiv Brennan Ward (13-4) will go down, while a heavyweight bout between Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) thiab Javy “Eye Candy” Ayala (9-5) will also be featured on the main card. Lastly, Paul Daley (38-14-2) and the always-exciting Derek Anderson (14-2) faceoff in a welterweight clash, while female featherweights Marloes Coenen (23-7) thiab Talita Nogueira (6-0) round out the live and free action on SPIKE.

 

Daim pib rau "Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis " are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. The event can be seen live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.

 

When looking up the word “prospect” in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Ed Ruth placed next to the definition. The three-time national champion joined a plethora of blue-chip amateur wrestling prospects on the Bellator MMA roster last year and now will make his long-awaited debut at 185-pounds on Nov. 4. An attendee of the world-renown Blair Academy in Susquehanna Township, PA, where he was the top-ranked recruit in the nation for his weight class, Ruth elected to stay local and attend wrestling powerhouse Penn State University where he went on to add three National Championships and four All-American accolades to his trophy room while wrestling with the Nittany Lions. Tam sim no, Ruth’s chase for mixed martial arts gold begins –

 

Fighting out of Pennsylvania, Mark Mangiardi will have his hands full when he makes his professional debut against Ruth. With four amateur bouts already under his belt, the 28-year-old has tasted competition on the MMA scene unlike his Nov. 4 tus nrog sib ntaus. With his first sanctioned bout taking place in 2012, this will be the first bout outside of his home state of Pennsylvania.

 

Another one of Scott Coker’s high profile wrestling signings, Fortune attended high school at Lakeridge in Oregon, where he won state championships in nearly every national age-group in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The accolades didn’t stop there, with Fortune accepting an offer to wrestle at Ohio State University, before ultimately settling in at the highly acclaimed Grand Canyon Universities program. Since graduating college, Fortune represented Team USA in Olympic style wrestling, where he also experienced success. Splitting time between wrestling training in Arizona alongside fellow “Bellator 163” competitor Ed Ruth and mixed martial arts training with the Blackzilians in Florida, Fortune has spent a great deal of time honing his striking talents and submission defense.

 

Miskell has competed in both heavyweight and super heavyweight contests during his seven-fight amateur stint, accruing ib cov ntaub ntawv ntawm 5-2. Tam sim no, the Kentucky native – who’s finished each of victories – looks to parlay his success into a run under the bright lights of Bellator MMA’s heavyweight division. It’s safe to say that Miskell’s wrestling pedigree will be challenged early and often when he meets Fortune during the Bellator.com-streamed prelims.

 

The Gracie name is synonymous with the sport of mixed martial arts, and once again another Gracie will now take center stage for Bellator MMA. This time it is Royce Gracie’s cousin Neiman, who will compete for the third time under the promotion’s banner. After beginning his career with back-to-back submission victories, Gracie made his Bellator MMA debut at “Bellator 134,” where he defeated Bobby Flynn with a first round submission. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt followed up the win with a win over Roger Carroll, and now looks to remain undefeated when he enters the Mohegan Sun Arena for the second time of his budding MMA career.

 

A 37-year-old Missouri native, Bears began his combat sports training in high school. Fighting professionally since 2007, Bears has appeared eight times previously under the Bellator MMA banner and now returns to the promotion after his appearance against Michael Page ntawm "Bellator 140: Koreshkov vs. Lima.” Nicknamed “Bad News,” Bears has competed against MMA notables the likes of Zak Cummings, Paul Daley, Jason High, Ryan Jensen, Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Tyron Woodley, and the aforementioned “MVP.”

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis” Main Card:

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

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Koj Awad (19-8) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) vs. Javy Ayala (9-5)

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

 

Complete Preliminary Card:

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Thiab Ruth (Debut) vs. Mark Mangiardi (Debut)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Forune (Debut) vs. Cody Miskell (Debut)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Neiman Gracie (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-14)

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

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

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

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

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

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Keenan Raymond (3-3) vs. Kastroit Xhema (Debut)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Thomas English (6-6) vs. Christopher Foster (9-4)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Boran (6-0) vs. Vinicius De Jesus (4-1)