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Tag Archives: Spike TV
PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS RETURNS TO SPIKE TV ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24 AT UIC PAVILION IN CHICAGO
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ANDRE BERTO STOPS JOSESITO LOPEZ IN DEBUT PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON SPIKE TV SHOW IN FRONT OF A BOISTEROUS CROWD AT CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA IN ONTARIO, CALIF.
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Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon Halsey meets Kendall Grove at California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino – Friday, May 15 on Spike TV
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 3, 2015) – Undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) looks to defend his belt for the first time when he takes on towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14).
The contest serves as the headlining bout of “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which takes place onFriday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike TV, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.
Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are already on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.
Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour later. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
“We’re really looking forward to bringing another exciting world championship fight to a great sell-out crowd at Pechanga Resort & Casino this May,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Our middleweight champion Brandon Halsey has been extremely impressive through his first 8 fights, and I’m looking forward to watching him defend his belt for the first time against Kendall Grove.”
Halsey, from Huntington Beach, Calif., is a former Division I wrestler at Cal-State Bakersfield who turned his attention to mixed martial arts in 2012 and has kept his professional record unblemished through the first eight matchups of his career. At just 28 years old, Halsey already owns six victories under the Bellator MMA banner, including a four-man tournament victory to earn a shot at the belt and a stunning, 35-second stoppage of then-champ Alexander Shlemenko to claim the Bellator MMA World Middleweight Championship.
Three of Halsey’s past four wins have come by way of first-round stoppage.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Grove has been fighting professionally for nearly 12 years. The Hawaiian-born Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is a former winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” who has earned 15 of his 21 career victories by stoppage, include 10 wins by submission.
The 6-foot-6 Grove signed with Bellator MMA in 2013 and earned his shot at the belt with an October submission win over former Bellator MMA World Light Heavyweight Champion Christian M’Pumbu.
“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.
Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
HEAVYWEIGHT STAR CHRIS ARREOLA SET TO MAKE RETURN ONMARCH 13 FROM THE CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA IN ONTARIO, CALIF.
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ANTONIO TARVER AND JIMMY SMITH NAMED COLOR ANALYSTS FOR “PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS” SERIES ON SPIKE TV
New York, NY, February 19, 2015 – Spike TV has added some serious punch to their “Premier Boxing Champions” series announce-team. Five-time, two-division world champion boxer Antonio Tarver and popular Bellator announcer and former professional MMA fighter, Jimmy Smith, will serve as color analysts for Spike TV’s inaugural season of “Premier Boxing Champions.”
Spike TV’s first “Premier Boxing Champions” event will take place on Friday, March 13 at 9:00pm ET/PT from the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. The event will showcase two marquee match-ups including Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez and Shawn Porter vs. Robert Garcia. Spike will announce the color commentator shortly.
Tarver and Smith complete Spike’s “Premier Boxing Champions” announce team which includes Dana Jacobson as host and Scott Hansen as blow-by-blow announcer.
“We are thrilled to add two dynamic and knowledgeable voices who each possess their own unique perspectives of combat sports,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Branded Entertainment. “Antonio delivers a huge personality with a championship pedigree and Jimmy will bring his incredible insight and energy that he has for MMA to boxing.”
Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver, from Tampa Fla, had one of the sport’s most-decorated amateur careers. In 1995, he became the only fighter to have won the Pan American, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships in the same year. After winning the bronze medal in 1996 Olympics, he turned pro and ascended the ranks of light heavyweight division. In 2003, Tarver defeated Montell Griffith in the biggest win in his career up to that point to claim the IBF and WBC title belts. After a tough 12-round decision loss to Roy Jones Jr, Tarver avenged that bitter defeat with an incredible 2nd round knockout of Jones Jr., shocking and amazing boxing fans worldwide. After splitting two fights with Glen Johnson, Tarver topped Jones Jr. with a 12-round decision victory in the third fight of their memorable trilogy. The 46-year-old Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs) is on a mission to become the oldest heavyweight champion of the world. He is currently world-rated in the heavyweight division at No. 5 by the IBO and No. 9 by the WBA. His last fight (Dec. 11, 2014) resulted in an impressive seventh-round knockout of 29-2-1 Johnathon Banks. He has also served as a color commentator for Showtime Championship Boxing and starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the feature film “Rocky Balboa” as the character “Mason Dixon.”
Jimmy Smith is currently the color analyst for Bellator MMA on Spike TV. Smith began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in in 2000 while at UCLA and became a professional MMA fighter in 2003. Smith compiled a 5-1 record before retiring in 2006 to focus on a television career. Smith starred in the Discovery Channel show, “Fight Quest,” where he traveled the world learning different fight disciplines. He joined Bellator in 2010 and has served as its lead color analyst ever since, partnering with blow-by-blow announcer, Sean Wheelock.
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About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.
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STORM WARNING IN THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
Alexander Shlemenko Defeats Melvin Manhoef in Spectacular Fashion on Spike TV at “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko”
Credit: Esther Lin / MMAFIGHTING.COM
CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCORECARDS
FRESNO, Calif (Feb. 13, 2015)- Former Bellator Middleweight Champion Alexander “The Storm” Shlemenko (52-9) made quick work of his opponent with a dominating second-round knockout over Dutch striking ace Melvin Manhoef (29-13-1) in front of a near-capacity crowd at Save Mart Center at tonight’s “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event which aired LIVE and FREE on SPIKE TV.
With Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, and often-successful spinning backfist utilizer Emanuel Newton in the crowd, Shlemenko borrowed a page from his playbook and attempted several spinning fist and kick attacks throughout the first frame.
When the second round started, Shlemenko stuck to that same game plan, and connected his spinning forearm flush with the jaw of Manhoef, sending him tumbling to the canvas. The hungry Russian native left nothing to chance and landed another strike before “Big” John McCarthy pushed him off declaring him the winner at 1:25 of round 2.
“I hope Bellator heard me and will let me correct the mistake I made in the past and will give me the opportunity to fight for the Bellator Middleweight World Championship against Brandon Halsey.”
Former Featherweight Champion Pat Curran‘s road back to the top of the talented division hit a road block against Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Weichel of Germany. The two fighters wasted no time teeing off with crisp punches and accurate kicks, keeping the fight standing for a majority of the first frame. Weichel swept the leg of the former champ, who quickly bounced back to his feet and got right back into the mix. Both fighters finished the final seconds of round one with a flurry of punches that drew loud applause from the Fresno crowd.
Curran began the second round with a visible cut over his left eye. After spending most of the round on their feet, Curran rushed Weichel and scored a takedown, where he imposed his will on Weichel for the final minute, likely winning him the round.
The third round featured a continuation of the exciting slugfest with Curran attempting to score another takedown in the third, but the German fighter stuffed the attempt, briefly tried to work on a choke and then disengaged to finish the fight on his feet. At the end of 15 minutes, Weichel emerged victorious by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
“Curran has achieved so much in Bellator and it was quite an honor to fight him. Tonight I proved that I belong here. I told the world that I am coming for the title shot and to claim the belt.”
Julia Budd (7-2) and Gabrielle Holloway (4-2) marked the first Bellator Women’s fight of the year. Budd, the Canadian Muay Thai specialist showed a well-rounded skill-set throughout the fight overpowering Holloway, who took the fight on short notice. Budd worked well from the clinch, utilized several knee strikes and connected with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of round one. Holloway showed great poise throughout, and worked Budd with a takedown to open the third round, however Budd was able to transition into an armbar attempt, and ultimately worked her way to Holloways’ back and grinded out a dominant unanimous decision scored 30-26, 30-25 and 30-24.
“I’m really disappointed I didn’t get the knockout,” said Budd. “I was hoping to get on my feet and keep it standing or finish it on the ground, but she controlled my wrists and I couldn’t get my hands free to finish it.
“She turtled the entire time so I couldn’t elbow and posture up and strike like I wanted to, but it’s definitely something I’m goinvg to work on for the next fight.”
In the nights opening fight, it was a battle of two highly accomplished wrestlers in Chris Honeycutt, a two-time D1 All-American and Clayton MacFarlane, a D2 National Champion. With the vocal hometown crown behind him, Honeycutt came out of the gates strong and utilized masterful ground control and precision striking throughout the first two rounds. The highly regarded welterweight prospect Honeycutt exhibited great strength at points, tossing MacFarlane to the ground. MacFarlane opened the third frame with a takedown, but Honeycutt regained control, took his opponents back and rained down strikes to MacFarlane’s body. MacFarlane, now 4-1, was unable to protect himself from the body blows, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 4:16 of the third round.
“BELLATOR: MANHOEF VS. SHLEMENKO” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS HAVE ALL FIGHTERS MAKING WEIGHT PRIOR TO FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE TV
FRESNO, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Fighters took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, the site of tomorrow’s highly anticipated “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event, which airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.
“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” is headlined by an epic middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1). The event also features a sure-to-be-thrilling featherweight co-main event between former championPat Curran (20-6) and tournament winner Daniel Weichel (34-8).
Melvin Manhoef (186 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (186 lbs.)
Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145 lbs.)
Julia Budd (145 lbs.) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (145.5 lbs.)
Chris Honeycutt (170.5 lbs.) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (170.5 lbs.)
Art Arciniega (146 lbs.) vs. Emilio Chavez (146 lbs.)
Blake Watkins (185.5 lbs.) vs. George Zuniga (185 lbs.)
Paul Ruiz (135.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sperling (133 lbs.)
Nick Bustamante (156 lbs.) vs. Luis Jauregui (154 lbs.)
John Paul Elias (205 lbs.) vs. Cody Sons (205 lbs.)
Jonathan Contrestano (155 lbs.) vs. Ryan Tobar (155 lbs.)
Andrew Ramm (160.5 lbs.) vs. Adam Piccolotti (160 lbs.)
Mason Fowler (169 lbs.) vs. Marko Damiani (170 lbs.)
PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:
Alexander Shlemenko:
“Melvin [Manhoef] is a fast and strong fighter. He’s the best kickboxer in all of MMA.
“I’m ready for this fight because I think I have great striking and grappling ability. In this training camp I sparred a lot with muay thai guys back home in Omsk, Russia and i also changed my diet to gain more muscle mass to feel much better and stronger.
“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.”
Melvin Manhoef:
“I’m going to fight Alexander [Shlemenko] hard and aggressively. The accuracy of my punches is what will make me win this fight.
“I’m not looking for the knockout, I want to do three rounds of five minutes of hard fighting. If the knockout comes, then it will come.
“He [Shlemenko] has a lot of speed and back-kicks. He has very good agility and is very well-rounded, but so am I. I think my striking, speed and kicking is better than his.
“I don’t mind if he is too confident going into this fight. He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.”
Pat Curran:
“A fights a fight. Everything can go out the window with one punch.
“I’m looking to getting back to being my old self. I am humbled and hungry, you are going to see the old Pat Curran in there with a couple new tricks up his sleeve.
“I’m always looking for the knockout or submission, but i’m ready to go three rounds. I’m prepared for any finish in any situation.
“He [Daniel Weichel] is very hungry right now. He’s a submission specialist and I have a feeling he’s going to come out hard and quick. I’m ready for anything and no matter what it’s going to be an exciting fight, I can’t wait to get back in there.
“I feel him out and bring him into my game. If he comes out strong I’m ready for that and we will match fire with fire.”
Daniel Weichel:
“This fight means a lot to me, like every fight here in Bellator. I will make a statement tomorrow night and will make everyone remember my name.
“I’m well-rounded and my biggest strength is that I can put the pressure for all 15 minutes.”
Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
BELLATOR ROLLS OUT SERIES OF “FOUNDATIONS” DIGITAL PIECES FEATURING MELVIN MANHOEF, ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO, PAT CURRAN & DANIEL WEICHEL
Fans have been clamoring about the new “Foundations” video series that Bellator MMA has rolled out, offering an inside look at the lives of the four men who will top the fight card of “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” tomorrow night.
Featuring a thrilling middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1), “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” takes place Feb. 13 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. and airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran
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Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel
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Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS DEBUTS ON SPIKE TV ON FRIDAY, MARCH 13 AT CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA IN ONTARIO, CALIF.
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