Tag Archives: Saad Awad

FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 232: MACDONALD VS. LIMA 2

COMPLETE FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS HERE

 

Bellator 232 Main Card:

Douglas Lima (32-7) defeated Rory MacDonald (21-6-1) via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

Paul Daley (42-17-2) defeated Saad Awad (23-13) via TKO (punches) at 1:30 of round two

Patrick Mix (12-0) defeated Isaiah Chapman (9-4) via submission (kneebar) at 3:49 of round one

Manny Muro (11-6) defeated Nick Newell (16-3) via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)

Baby Slice (4-2) defeated Craig Campbell (3-4) via TKO (elbows) at 0:38 of round one

 

Preliminary Card:

Ryan Hardy Evans (1-1) defeated Demetrios Plaza (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:03 of round three

Lance Gibson Jr. (3-0) defeated Dominic Jones (2-2) via KO (punches) at 1:58 of round one

Devin Powell (10-4) defeated Marcus Surin (6-2) via technical submission (mounted guillotine) at 5:00 of round two

Johnny Lopez (12-4) defeated Dan Cormier (8-10) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Jornel Lugo (3-0) defeated John Douma (4-2) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Zarrukh Adashev (3-1) defeated Tevin Dyce (3-2) via TKO (strikes) at 1:39 of round two

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

 

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COMPLETE FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 226: BADER vs. KONGO

COMPLETE FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS

 

Bellator 226: Bader vs. Kongo Main Card:

Ryan Bader (27-5, 1 NC) and Cheick Kongo (30-10-2, 1 NC) was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke

Derek Campos (20-9) defeated Daniel Straus (26-9) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)

Adam Borics (14-0) defeated Pat Curran (23-9) via TKO (punches) at 4:59 of round one

Pedro Carvalho (11-3) defeated Sam Sicilia (17-10) via submission (face-crank) at 1:56 of round two

Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) defeated Tywan Claxton (5-1) via submission (triangle choke) at 4:11 of round two

Daniel Carey (7-3) defeated Gaston Bolanos (5-2) via technical submission (guillotine) at 4:19 of round one

 

Preliminary Card:

Ivan Batinich (4-1) defeated Daniel Compton (2-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) a 4:33 of round two

Tyson Miller (1-0) defeated Albert Gonzales (1-2) via TKO at 1:18 of round one

Alan Benson (1-1) defeated Favian Gutierrez (2-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Peter Ishiguro (2-1) defeated Elias Anderson (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Daniel Gonzalez (3-2) defeated Jon Adams (0-1-1) via TKO (strikes) at 4:56 of round two

Cornelius Savage (1-0) defeated Evan Gubera (0-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

John Macapa (23-4-2) defeated Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-11-1) via TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of round two

Adam Piccolotti (12-3) defeated Jake Smith (7-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:34 of round two

Jessica Borga (3-2) defeated Amber Leibrock (3-4) via submission (armbar) at 4:45 of round one

Cass Bell (4-0) defeated Isaiah Rocha (1-1) via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:21 of round one

Batsumberel Dagvadorj (6-0) defeated James Terry (20-11) via submission (bulldog choke) at 2:43 of round one

Renato Valente Alves (6-4) defeated Abraham Vaesau (5-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:36 of round three

Hyder Amil (4-0) defeated Ignacio Ortiz (2-1-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Chris Gonzalez (3-0) defeated Luis Vargas (2-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

 

***

BELLATOR 208: FEDOR VS. SONNEN RESULTS & PHOTOS

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Full Fight Photos Here | Video Highlights Here

 

Complete Bellator 208 Main Card:

               Fedor Emelianenko (38-5, 1 NC) defeated Chael Sonnen (30-16-1) via TKO (punches) at 4:46 of round one

Benson Henderson (26-8) defeated Saad Awad (23-10) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Cheick Kongo (29-10-2) defeated Timothy Johnson (12-5) via KO (punches) at 1:08 of round one

Anatoly Tokov (27-2) defeated Alexander Shlemenko (56-12, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Henry Corrales (16-3 defeated Andy Main (12-4-1, 1 NC) via KO (punches) at 2:08 of round three

 

Preliminary Card:

Jeremy Puglia (1-1) defeated Eric Olsen (0-2) via TKO (punches) at 3:16 of round one

Dennis Buzukja (1-0) defeated Ryan Castro (0-2) via KO (punches) at 2:53 of round one

Andrews Rodriguez (1-0) defeated Mike Diorio (1-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 20-27, 30-27)

Zarrukh Adashev (1-1) defeated Christian Medina (0-2) via TKO (strikes) at 1:08 of round one

Jennifer Chieng (1-0) defeated Jessica Ruiz (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:22 of round one

David Meshkhoradze (1-0) defeated Shaquan Moore (0-1) via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)

Tommy Espinosa (6-1) defeated Sukhrob Aydarbekov (5-4) via submission (armbar) at 1:27 of round one

Nick Fiore (3-3) defeated Jerome Mickle (3-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bellator 186: Bader vs. Vassell Results & Photos  

 

Ryan Bader (24-5) defeated Linton Vassell (18-6, 1 NC) via TKO (punches) at 3:58 of round two

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hx0r62nfbc8y2ql/AABxoV96f8xO-PA6cKykGLCxa?dl=0

 

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0) defeated Emily Ducote (6-3) via verbal submission (arm bar) at 3:42 of round five

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s7b7l5wfa27nvi8/AAA4YdcUjaoAJcMGyzNCb8jba?dl=0

 

Phil Davis (18-4, 1 NC) defeated Leo Leite (10-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/76ipvbxw3r1v660/AABQ-Tg_EQpxsW0F7FiGsoT1a?dl=0

 

Ed Ruth (4-0) defeated Chris Dempsey (11-6) via KO (punch) at :27 of round two

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/185k0c5hl9wh7m2/AACIEShWpmwRdgFOW8jAWqmOa?dl=0

 

Saad Awad (21-9) defeated Zach Freeman (9-3) via TKO (punches) at 1:07 of round one

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/h8r8f5gixl91luv/AACa8tdrvMVwwUHt2EFYd-8ra?dl=0

 

Preliminary Card Results:

Tywan Claxton (1-0) defeated Johnny Bonilla-Bowman (1-1) via knockout (flying-knee) at 1:29 of round one

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wbn0zv5dxry7n8q/AACBqdJ3F7GdInsklCwGrFLta?dl=0

 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VirSoFoCUYE

 

Logan Storley (7-0) defeated Matt Secor (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6y7cftw9kn32g1v/AAD1sI8H4qzSkzGGwFr9DbYsa?dl=0

 

Mike Wilkins (8-4) defeated Brett Martinez (6-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:09 of round two

Frank Buenafuente (8-4) defeated Francis Healy (7-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Dominic Mazzotta (13-2) defeated Matt Lozano (8-6) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 2:37 of round one

Michael Trizano (5-0) defeated Mike Otwell (3-2) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 2:07 of round two

Scott Clymer (1-0) defeated Mike Putnam (1-2) via TKO (punches) at

Andrew Salas (4-1) defeated Ethan Goss (3-4) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Josh Fremd (2-0) defeated Ryan Parker (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:25 of round two

FIRST 5,000 FANS TO RECEIVE FREE LIMITED-EDITIONRANDY COUTURE BOBBLEHEAD AT BELLATOR 186 ONFRIDAY, NOV. 3 AT BRYCE JORDAN CENTER

 

 

EXCLUSIVE RANDY COUTURE MEET AND GREET TO BE HELD FOR BELLATOR 186 TICKETHOLDERS ON FIGHT NIGHT

 

WHAT:           Limited-Edition Randy Couture Bobblehead Giveaway and Meet & Greet

 

Bellator MMA will be giving away a free limited-edition Randy Couture bobblehead on Friday, Nov. 3 to the first 5,000 fans in attendance at Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University for Bellator 186: Bader vs. Vassell. The bobblehead giveaway is limited to one per person and will only be available to ticketholders upon entry into the arena.

 

Additionally, Bellator MMA fans are invited to attend a unique opportunity to meet the MMA and wrestling great prior to Bellator 186: Bader vs. Vassell. The meet and greet will take place on the concourse of Bryce Jordan Center on Friday, Nov. 3, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET. Space is limited and fans are encouraged to arrive early to reserve their place in line.

 

***Bobblehead giveaway and meet and greet are exclusively for Bellator 186 ticketholders***

***Bobbleheads distributed at venue points of entry, only while supplies last at each entry***

 

WHERE:         Bryce Jordan Center

127 Bryce Jordan Center

University Park, Pa. 16802

 

WHEN:           Meet & Greet

Friday, November 3 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET

 

WHO:             Randy Couture

 

Randy Couture (19-11)

Randy “The Natural” Couture made his mark in the sport of wrestling and later MMA, where he was a multiple-time world champion at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. Over his 14-year career, Couture compiled 19 victories, while also competing in 15 title fights. Prior to his professional career in mixed martial arts, the retired United States Army Sergeant made an impact on the high school and collegiate wrestling community by earning a state championship while attending Lynnwood High School in Washington state and a historic collegiate career that saw him become a three-time NCAA DI All-American at Oklahoma State University. Couture also serves as a coach for his son, Ryan Couture, who currently competes in Bellator MMA’s welterweight division.

 

FIGHT INFO: Bellator 186: Bader vs. Vassell will be broadcast LIVE and FREE on SPIKE, Friday, Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com, as well as the Bryce Jordan Center box office and Ticketmaster.

 

Complete Bellator 186: Bader vs. Vassell Fight Card:

Light Heavyweight World Title Bout: Ryan Bader (23-5) vs. Linton Vassell (18-5, 1 NC)

Women’s Flyweight World Title Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (6-0) vs. Emily Ducote (6-2)

Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Phil Davis (17-4, 1 NC) vs. Leo Leite (10-0)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Ed Ruth (3-0) vs. Chris Dempsey (11-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (20-9) vs. Zach Freeman (9-2)

 

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Logan Storley (6-0) vs. Matt Secor (9-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Tywan Claxton (Pro Debut) vs. Johnny Bonilla-Bowman (1-0)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Dominic Mazzotta (12-2) vs. Matt Lozano (8-5)

160 lb. Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Brett Martinez (6-4) vs. Mike Wilkins (7-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Frank Buenafuente (7-4) vs. Francis Healy (7-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Michael Trizano (4-0) vs. Mike Otwell (3-1)

150 lb. Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Scott Clymer (Pro Debut) vs. Mike Putnam (1-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Andrew Salas (3-1) vs. Ethan Goss (3-3)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Fremd (1-0) vs. Mike Diorio (1-0)

Bellator 178 Recap, Results and Fighter Quotes

MAIN CARD BOUTS:

Patricio ‘Pitbull’ (26-4) defeated Daniel Straus (24-7) at :37 of round two to capture the Bellator MMA Featherweight World Title.
 
Quote from Patricio Pitbull:
 
“It’s a dream come true to win back this title and this belt is for my son. It’s a gift for him,” Pitbull said. “I want him to be proud of his Dad and know that I overcame a lot to bring this title back home to Brazil.”
 
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (6-0) defeated Jessica Middleton (2-1) via submission (arm bar) at 2:15 of round one
 
Quote from Ilima-Lei Macfarlane:
 

“I went in there and did everything that I wanted to do. I did everything that I needed to do and as I said in the cage, I really wanted to make a statement that this is my division,” Macfarlane said. “If they’re going to crown a champion, I want to be number one up there.”

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dj72akdy8jofbuo/AAA9qJSRDe8Y8do_Fz3q57VLa?dl=0

Saad Awad (20-9) defeated Ryan Quinn (13-7-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
 
Quote from Saad Awad:
 

“It was a really tough fight and I knew he was a great wrestler. I saw a lot of that coming, he was in my face the whole time,” Awad said. “I thought i could take him out in that first round but he kept coming back. It was a tough fight, glad i came out on top.”

 

 

PRELIMINARY BOUTS:

Tyrell Fortune (3-0) defeated Branko Busick (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
 
Quote from Tyrell Fortune:
 

“I thought it was great for me to go out and get three rounds in,” Fortune said following his Bellator 178 win. “I felt like I utilized my jab and my knees really well. Obviously I m still pretty too, no bumps and no cuts. I dominated the fight.”

 
Ed Ruth (3-0) defeated David Mundell (6-3) via technical knockout at 3:13 of round 2
 
Quote from Ed Ruth:
 

“I thought it was a good fight and a solid win for me. There were definitely some areas where I could’ve been faster and I could’ve been sharper,” Ruth said after moving to 3-0 in Bellator. “I felt like I missed a lot of openings, but I’ll go back to work and train some more and be ready to go again soon.”

 
Jordan Young (7-0) defeated Tim Caron (7-1) via submission (Brabo Choke) at 3:55 of round one
 
Quote from Jordan Young:
 

“That was light work, easy money. I respect him, but I am here to eat. I need somebody to call me tomorrow, next week, whenever, but I have to eat man,” Young said after remaining undefeated. “I go hard 24/7, so somebody call me because I always stay ready.”

Kas Xhema (1-0) defeated Nick Alley (1-1) via knockout at 3:19 of round one

Quote from Kas Xhema:

“The fight was great. I have the best team and the best coaches, I am very lucky guy,” Xhema said. “Over here at American Top Team Connecticut, I truly feel like we are the best team around.”

Additional Results:

Blair Tugman (10-6) defeated Tom English (6-8) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:54 of round three

Chris Foster (11-5) defeated Shane Manley (3-3) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Billy Giovanetta (9-5) defeated Joshua Ricci (3-0) 

 

FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE WHEN DANIEL STRAUS MEETS PATRICIO PITBULL FOR THE FOURTH TIME TOMORROW NIGHT ON SPIKE

Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

UNCASVILLE, CONN. (April 20, 2017) –The official weigh-ins for Bellator 178: Straus vs. Pitbull 4 took place this afternoon at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow, with the event airing LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. See below for official weights and photos from tomorrow’s event.

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT)

Featherweight World Title Main Event: Daniel Straus (145) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (144)

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event:Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (126) vs. Jessica Middleton (126)

Catchweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (164.5) vs. Ryan Quinn (164.5)

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (146) vs. Dominic Mazzotta (146)

Preliminary Card: (Bellator.com – 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT)

 

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Ed Ruth (185.5) vs. David Mundell (184.25)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune (244.5) vs. Branko Busick (220)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Tim Caron (195)  vs. Jordan Young (195)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Nick Alley (167) vs. Kastroit Xhema (165)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Don Shainis (149.5) vs. Max Kelleher (149.75)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:Regivaldo Carvalho (139.5) vs. Jason Perrin (140)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Kemran Lachinov (164.5) vs. Sam Watford (164)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout:John Lopez (125.5) vs. Remo Cardarelli (124)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Chris Foster (145) vs. Shane Manley (146)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Thomas English (146) vs. Blair Tugman (146)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Billy Giovanella (124.75) vs. Joshua Ricci (126)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, PHIL DAVIS TAKES HOME BELLATOR MMA TITLE WITH DOMINATING FIVE-ROUND VICTORY

 

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 night at “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, but in the end, 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 on Monday.

Brennan Ward & Saad Awad Provide 90 Seconds of Pure Violence

In an absolute barnburner, Brennan Ward and Saad 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 “Assassin” 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) made quick work of 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 seconds

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. With the victory, “Eye Candy” immediately inserted himself into further big-time match-ups, namedropping both Bobby Lashley and 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 Results:

Ed Ruth (1-0) defeated Dustin Collins-Miles (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:19 of round one

Tyrell Fortune (1-0) defeated Cody Miskell (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 2:22 of round one

Tim Caron (6-0) defeated Steve Skrzat (8-9) via TKO at 1:22 of round one

Hannah Regina (1-0) defeated Sarah Payant (1-4) via submission (arm bar) at 4:51 of round one

Tim Caron (6-0) defeated Steve Skrzat (8-9) via TKO at 1:22 of round two

Blair Tugman (9-6) defeated Walter Smith-Cotito (4-5, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (29-28)

Christopher Foster (10-4) defeated Thomas English (6-7) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Tyler King (12-4) defeated Josh Diekmann (15-8, 1 NC) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:39 of round two

Carlos Corriea (2-0) defeated Ilya Kotau (1-2) via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Vinicius De Jesus (5-1) defeated James Boran (6-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:55 of round 2

VOTE FOR PHIL DAVIS 2016 – AMERICA’S WONDERFUL CHOICE

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (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, November 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 November 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. In addition, 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” at “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” earlier this year. 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

 

FITNESS

 

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: Saad 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: Ed 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 Payant (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)

 

BLUE CHIP PROSPECTS ED RUTH & TYRELL FORTUNE SET FOR BELLATOR MMA DEBUTS AS TRIO OF PRELIMINARY BOUTS COMPLETE STACKED ‘BELLATOR 163’ CARD

 

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

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (October 6, 2016) –Two of Bellator’s highly touted wrestling prospects Ed Ruth and Tyrell Fortune will make their eagerly anticipated mixed martial arts debuts against Mark Mangiardi (Debut) and Cody Miskell (Debut) during the stacked card of Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis on November 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

 

In addition, 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. ET/5:50 p.m. CT.

 

The newly announced tilts complete a card headlined by a light heavyweight world title fight that pits champion Liam McGeary (11-0) against Phil Davis (16-3). In the co-main event, a welterweight showdown pitting Saad Awad (19-8) against Brennan Ward (13-4) will go down, while a heavyweight bout between Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) and 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) and Talita Nogueira (6-0) round out the live and free action on SPIKE.

 

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

 

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. Now, 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 opponent. 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 a record of 5-2. Now, 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 at “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.”

 

Complete “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: Saad 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: Ed 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 Payant (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)