Tag Archives: Vitaly Minakov

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

FULL CARD SET FOR BELLATOR’S DEBUT IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT ON SATURDAY, YIM HLI NTUJ 24 AT WEBSTER BANK ARENA

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Bellator 225: MITRIONE VS. KHARITONOV 2 AIRS ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK AND DAZN AT 9 P.M. ET / 8 P.M. I

LOS ANGELES - Bellator will hold the first-ever MMA event at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. nyob rau hnub Saturday, Lub yim hli ntuj 24 when the always-exciting Matt Mitrione (13-6, 1 NC) once again squares off against Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2 NC) in a heavyweight headliner.


The remainder of the main card features four other must-see bouts, including two additional heavyweight slugfests, as former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov (21-1) ntsej muag Javy Ayala (11-7) nyob rau hauv lub co-ntsiab kev tshwm sim, while undefeated heavyweight prospects Tyrell Fortune (6-0) thiab Rudy Schaffroth (6-0, 1 NC), who both originally hail from Portland, Teev., collide in the main card opener.



Rounding out the five-fight card on Paramount Network – the man with the most appearances inside the Bellator Cage in history, David Rickels (21-5, 2 NC), takes on the undefeated Ukrainian Yaroslav Amosov (21-0) in a 175-pound catchweight bout, and former flyweight title contender Alejandra Lara (7-3) raws liTaylor Turner (4-5) ntawm bantamweight, who returns after recently upsetting Heather Hardy at Madison Square Garden earlier this summer.



The main card can be seen live on paramount Network thiab DAZN ntawm 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. I, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com, DAZN and globally on the Bellator Mobile App pib thaum 5:45 pm EST/2:45 pm PST.



Daim pib rau Bellator 225: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov 2 yog on muag tam sim no, and are available in-person at the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Webster Bank Arena, as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.



Earlier in the evening, Connecticut tus kheej "Hais tsis zoo" Nick Newell (15-2) will lace up the Bellator gloves for the first time in his career and make the short drive from his home in Milford, Conn. to Webster Bank Arena, thaum nws muaj raws li Corey Browning (5-2), a man who has already defeated “Baby Slice” and Aaron Chalmers. Also representing the “The Constitution State,” the surging Mike “The Savage” Kimbel (3-1) will be looking to impress the partisan crowd againstChris Disonell (3-3).



Preliminary action is highlighted by appearances from top Bellator prospects, including Royce Gracie’s eldest son Khonry Gracie (1-1), Israel’s Aviv Gozali (2-0) and the promotional debut of light heavyweight Grant “The Truth” Neal (1-0). Ntau, long-time UFC and TUF veteran Sabah Homasi (12-8) returns to the Bellator Cage for the first time since Bellator 124.



Tsis tas li ntawd nyob rau hauv daim ntawv, unbeaten Austin “The Gentleman” Vanderford (7-0) will make his middleweight debut against Georgia’s Joseph Creer (6-0-1), New Jersey’s Ricky Bandejas (11-3) will return to action for the first time since relocating to American Top Team in Florida, when he competes at bantamweight against Virginia’s Ahmet Kayretli (8-3, 1 NC) and the always-exciting Tim Johnson (12-5) will make his sophomore Bellator appearance against recently signedAzunna Anyanwu (15-5) of Philadelphia in a heavyweight matchup.



Complete Bellator 225: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov 2 Fight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Matt Mitrione (13-6, 1 NC) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2 NC)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Vitaly Minakov (21-1) vs. Javy Ayala (11-7)

Bantamweight Feature Bout: Alejandra Lara (7-3) vs. Taylor Turner (4-5)

175-Pound Catchweight Feature Bout: David Rickels (21-5, 2 NC) vs. Yaroslav Amosov (21-0)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Tyrell Fortune (6-0) vs. Rudy Schaffroth (6-0, 1 NC)



Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Khonry Gracie (1-1) vs. Oscar Vera (0-1)

165-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Aviv Gozali (2-0) vs. Eduard Muravitskiy (9-8)
Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Grant Neal (1-0) vs. Alpha Toure (Pro Debut)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Sabah Homasi (12-8) vs. Micah Terrill (14-7, 1 NC)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Austin Vanderford (7-0) vs. Joseph Creer (6-0-1)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tim Johnson (12-5) vs. Azunna Anyanwu (15-5)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Bandejas (11-3) vs. Ahmet Kayretli (8-3, 1 NC)

140-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Kimbel (3-1) vs. Chris Disonell (3-3)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nick Newell (15-2) vs. Corey Browning (5-2)

165-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Kastriot Xhema (3-3, 1 NC) vs. Connor Dixon (Pro Debut)

175-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Jon Manley (11-6) vs. Thiago Rela (10-7)



*Card subject to change.



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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, paramount Network

Bellator 215: MITRIONE vs. KHARITONOV RESULTS & DUAB

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FULL PHOTOS HERE



Complete Bellator 215 Tau:

Matt Mitrione (13-6, 1 NC) thiab Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2 NC) ended in a no contest

Logan Storley (10-0) yeej Ion Pascu (18-9) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (30-27 30-26, 30-26)

Eduardo Dantas (21-6) yeej Toby Misech (11-7) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

John Douma (4-1) yeej Mike Kimbel (2-1) ntawm cuav (daim duab peb sab caj pas) ntawm 2:51 ntawm puag ncig ib

Austin Vanderford (7-0) yeej Cody Jones (6-3) ntawm cuav (caj npab-daim duab peb sab caj pas) ntawm 4:49 ntawm puag ncig ib



Preliminary Card:

Steve Mowry (6-0) yeej Darion Abbey (0-1) ntawm cuav (kimura) ntawm 1:27 ntawm puag ncig ib

Amanda Bell (6-5) yeej Amber Leibrock (3-3) ntawm KO (punches) ntawm 3:52 ntawm puag ncig ib

Pat McCrohan (4-2) yeej Jason Markland (0-1) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 1:11 ntawm puag ncig ib

Lindsey VanZandt (5-1) yeej Tabatha Watkins (3-1) ntawm TKO (punches) ntawm 3:25 ntawm round ob

Pete Rogers (4-4) yeej Jason Rine (1-5) ntawm TKO (ntaus) ntawm :50 ntawm round ob

Matt Probin (4-0) yeej Ali Zebian (1-1) ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Zarrukh Adashev (2-1) yeej Ronie Arana (0-3) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28. 30-27, 30-27)

Billy Goff (2-0) yeej Ryan Hardy (0-1) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)



Thov mus saib Bellator.com yog xav paub ntxiv.




Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, paramount Network

FULL FIGHT CARDS FOR BELLATOR 215: MITRIONE VS. KHARITONOV THIS FRIDAY & Bellator 216: MVP VS. DALEY THIS SATURDAY

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FULL PHOTOS HERE



LOS ANGELES – The full slate of bouts for Bellator’s doubleheader return to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. rau FEB. 15 and Feb. 16 has been completed with two stacked five-fight main cards and exciting preliminary matchups.



The main event of Friday’s card on Paramount Network, and simulcast on DAZN, will feature a heavyweight headliner, where former Bellator Grand Prix Semifinalist Matt Mitrione (13-6) faces Russian knockout artist Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC). Rounding out the stacked main card will see undefeated Logan Storley (9-0) meet SBG Dublin’s Ion Pascu (18-9) ntawm welterweight, former Bellator bantamweight champ Eduardo Dantas (20-6) return from injury to meet Hawaii’s Toby Misech (12-6) at 135-pounds, and the electric Mike Kimbel (2-0) making his main card debut against Rhode Island’s John Douma (3-1). The opener of Bellator 215 will be the promotional debut of Austin Vanderford (6-0), who looks to remain undefeated against Cody Jones (6-2), a winner of four consecutive fights.




The prelims for Bellator 215: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be highlighted by a women’s featherweight contest featuring Amber Leibrock (3-2) tiv thaiv Amanda Bell (5-5), as well as top heavyweight prospect Steve Mowry (5-0) kev noj nyob Darion Abbey (Pro Debut).



A mere 24-hours later, Bellator 216 will take place exclusively on DAZN and will be headlined by one of the most intense grudge matches in MMA history. Nyob rau hnub Saturday, Feb. 16, undefeated Michael "lom" Nplooj ntawv (13-0) will enter the Bellator cage against 58-fight professional Paul "Semtex" Daley (40-16-2) in a first-round fight of Bellator’s Welterweight World Grand Prix. The co-main event is a rematch between two heavyweights who undoubtedly will go down in the sport’s history books, thaum Mirko Cro Cop (37-11-2, 1 NC) makes his Bellator debut against Roy “Big Country” Nelson (23-16).



Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, a No. 1 contender’s bout to determine who will face newly crowned heavyweight kingpin Ryan Bader will pit Cheick Kongo (29-10-2) tiv thaiv undefeated, longtime former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov (21-0). An intriguing welterweight encounter between Yaroslav Amosov (20-0) and the always-excitingErick Silva (20-9, 1 NC) is also official, as is the professional debut of multi-time taekwondo champion Valerie Loureda, when she meets Oklahoma’s Colby Fletcher (1-2) in the main card opener.



As if that wasn’t enough top-flight action, Tyrell Fortune (5-0), one of Bellator’s top homegrown prospects returns to the Bellator cage against Ryan Pokryfky (6-5) in the featured preliminary bout of Bellator 216: MVP vs. Daley.



Bellator: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be broadcast Friday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 15 on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT and will stream LIVE on DAZN. Bellator: MVP vs. Daley will stream exclusively on DAZN on Saturday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 16 ntawm 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Preliminary action for both events will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.



Tickets for both events are available now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Fans can save when they purchase tickets to both events through the “Back-to-Back Pack!” Please visit Ticketmaster.com for more details.




Complete Bellator 215: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event Bout: Matt Mitrione (13-6) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Logan Storley (9-0) vs. Ion Pascu (18-9)

Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Eduardo Dantas (20-6) vs. Toby Misech (12-6)

Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Mike Kimbel (2-0) vs. John Douma (3-1)

175-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: Austin Vanderford (6-0) vs. Cody Jones (6-2)



Preliminary Card:

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Mowry (5-0) vs. Darion Abbey (Pro Debut)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Amber Leibrock (3-2) vs. Amanda Bell (5-5)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Pat McCrohan (3-2) vs. Jason Markland (Debut)

Atomweight Preliminary Bout: Tabatha Watkins (3-0) vs. Lindsey VanZandt (4-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Pete Rogers (3-4) vs. Jason Rine (1-4)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Probin (3-0) vs. Ali Zebian (1-0)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Zarrukh Adashev (1-1) vs. Ronie Arana (0-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Billy Goff (1-0) vs. Ryan Hardy (Pro Debut)



Complete Bellator 216: MVP vs. Daley Main Card:

Welterweight World Grand Prix Matchup: Michael Page (13-0) vs. Paul Daley (40-16-2)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Mirko Cro Cop (37-11-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (23-16)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Cheick Kongo (29-10-2) vs. Vitaly Minakov (21-0)

Welterweight Main Card Bout: Yaroslav Amosov (20-0) vs. Erick Silva (20-9, 1 NC)

Flyweight Main Card Bout: Valerie Loureda (Pro Debut) vs. Colby Fletcher (1-2)



Preliminary Card:

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune (5-0) vs. Ryan Pokryfky (6-5)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Patrick Casey (4-0) vs. Nekruz Mirkhojaev (3-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Vinicius De Jesus (6-2) vs. Rodolpho Barcellos (1-0)

165-Pound Catchweight Bout: Kastriot Xhema (2-2, 1 NC) vs. Kemran Lachinov (7-2)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Reginaldo Felix (5-2) vs. Justin Sumter (6-2)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jesse Kosakowski (2-0) vs. Rodolfo Rocha (1-1)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Demetrius Plaza (Pro Debut) vs. Andrews Rodriguez (1-0)



*Card subject to change



Thov mus saib Bellator.com yog xav paub ntxiv.



Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, paramount Network

BELLATOR RETURNS TO MOHEGAN SUN ARENA FOR MASSIVE DOUBLEHEADER ON FEBRUARY 15 & 16

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FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINED BY MATT MITRIONE VS. SERGEI KHARITONOV IN HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH

SATURDAY’S CARD TO FEATURE ‘MVP’ VS. PAUL DALEY IN WELTERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX GRUDGE MATCH & A HEAVYWEIGHT NO. 1 CONTENDER’S BOUT PITTING CHEICK KONGO AGAINST VITALY MINAKOV

LOS ANGELES - Rau Lub ob hlis ntuj 15 thiab 16, Bellator returns to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. for two back-to-back nights of exciting MMA action.

Nyob rau hnub Friday, the event will be anchored by a heavyweight battle betweenMatt Mitrione (13-6) thiabSergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC), while Saturday’s show will see the long-awaited matchup betweenMichael "lom" Nplooj ntawv (13-0) thiabPaul Daley (40-16-2) headline in a Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix opening round pairing. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, the card will also see a heavyweight No. 1 contender’s bout betweenCheick Kongo (29-10-2) and undefeated former Bellator heavyweight championVitaly Minakov (21-0).

Tickets for both events are available early through an exclusive Bellator Nation pre-sale beginning Wednesday, Dec. 5 ntawm 10 a.m. THIAB. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, Dec. 7 ntawm 10 a.m. THIAB. Tickets can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Fans can save when they purchase tickets to both events through the “Back-to-Back Pack!” Please visit Ticketmaster.com for more details.

Bellator: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be broadcast Friday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 15 on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT and will stream LIVE on DAZN.

Bellator: MVP vs. Daleywill stream exclusively on DAZN on Saturday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 16 ntawm 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Preliminary action for both events will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Ntxiv bouts yuav muab tshaj tawm nyob rau hauv yuav los tom ntej lub lis piam.

Fresh off an impressive semi-final run in Bellator’s Heavyweight World Grand Prix, Matt Mitrione returns to action on February 15 against a true veteran in Sergei Kharitonov. The former Purdue football defensive lineman splits his training between Indianapolis and Combat Club in South Florida, and is in the best shape of his fighting career. Tsis ntev los no, Mitrione has defeatedRoy Nelson thiabFedor Emelianenko, adding to an already-impressive list of career victories.The man dubbed “The Paratrooper,” Kharitonov is the owner of an equally notable MMA resume, with the 38-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most marquee names, including an incredible performance against Roy Nelson, as well as Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Alistair Overeem.

One of the most unorthodox strikers to ever compete for Bellator, “MVP” has steadily worked his way up the welterweight ranks since signing with the organization in 2013. Known for his antics both inside the cage and out, every Michael Page fight is must-see entertainment. With an undefeated record of 13-0, thiab 11 of those victories coming by stoppage, the 31-year-old out of London Shootfighters finally meets up with fellow Brit and longtime rival, Paul Daley. A veteran of Strikeforce, UFC and BAMMA, Nottingham’s Daley has competed professionally since 2003. Throughout his career, “Semtex” has been one half of some of the most memorable bouts in MMA history, xws li ib tugknockout of the year over Brennan Ward in 2017.

A rematch ofBellator 115, Cheick Kongo will look for redemption against Bellator’s longest reigning heavyweight champion, when Vitaly Minakov returns for his first fight with the promotion since 2014. A winner of seven straight, including two consecutive first-round knockouts overTimothy JohnsonthiabJavy Ayala, Kongo has earned the opportunity to compete in a No. 1 contender’s bout. Undefeated as a professional, Minakov earned a victory against Alexander Volkov, as well as a previous win against Kongo, in his previous Bellator stint, and later continued his winning ways in Russia against “Bigfoot” Silva and Tony Johnson. The two now meet to determine who will go on to face the winner of Fedor Emelianenko andRyan Bader.

Updated Bellator: Mitrione vs. KharitonovFight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event Bout: Matt Mitrione (13-6) vs.Sergei Kharitonov(29-7, 1 NC)

Updated Bellator: MVP vs. DaleyFight Card:

Welterweight World Grand Prix Matchup: Michael Page (13-0) vs.Paul Daley(40-16-2)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Cheick Kongo(29-10-2) vs.Vitaly Minakov (21-0)

*Card subject to change

Thov mus saibBellator.com yog xav paub ntxiv.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Ntsia hlau loj TV

MATT MITRIONE CHOOSES BELLATOR MMA, SIGNING AN EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT WITH THE PROMOTION

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Raug Monica (Lub peb hlis ntuj 14, 2016) – Last week, top mixed martial art’s free agent Matt Mitrione (9-5) joined Ariel Helwani’s “MMA Hour” show and revealed that he had been fielding offers from multiple promotions, including a great bid he had received from Bellator MMA. In a very rare move, Helwani had Mitrione rejoin his popular talk show for a second straight week to announce that the paperwork has been finalized, making Mitrione the newest member of Bellator MMA’s heavyweight division.

 

“There comes a time in every athlete’s life, where the scenarios change and the landscape has eroded from what made you fall in love with it initially,” said Mitrione. “It has become that time for me. After a mutually beneficial free agency period, I’ve decided to move my career to Bellator. I’ve enjoyed almost every second of my career and unlike most that switch organizations due to being cut or no longer being able to perform at the sports highest levels, I am bringing a body and skillset that are only getting better and I cannot wait to test my abilities against the best Bellator has to offer.”

 

Lovingly referred to as “Meathead,” Mitrione is one of the few fighters to have started his professional career with the UFC without previously competing on the regional circuit. His 14-bout stint with that promotion began in 2009, where he faced formidable opponents the likes of: Kimbo Hlais, Gabriel Gonzaga, Ben Rothwell, Derrick Lewis, Brendan Schaub, Roy Nelson, Shawn Jordan and Travis Brown amongst others.

 

Ua ntej yuav sib tw nyob rau hauv MMA, Mitrione earned a scholarship to play defensive tackle for the Purdue Boilermakers football team, not far from where he grew up in Springfield, Mob. Tom qab kawm ntawv qib siab, he played in the NFL for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings until 2005.

 

At the conclusion of his professional football career, the Shotokan Karate Black Belt focused all of his attention on the sport of MMA. Mitrione spent time training with Duke Roufus and the highly-respected Roufusport team before landing with the famed Blackzilians camp in Boca Raton, Fla, where he trains today.

 

The extremely popular and well-spoken Mitrione has allowed the judges to determine the result of his fight only twice, tiv thaiv Joey Beltran thiab Cheick Kongo, both of whom currently fight for Bellator MMA. His entertaining fighting style has earned him recognition with “Performance of the Night” (ob zaug) thiab “Sib ntaus ntawm cov Hmo ntuj” accolades.

 

Prior to his last fight with his former promotion, Mitrione was forced to participate in a media session barefoot, as his shoes didn’t adhere to the strict company uniform policy. He will have no such problems at Bellator, where he is free to secure his own sponsors and keep his feet warm with the footwear of his choosing.

 

Bellator has been bolstering their heavyweight division as of late, and Mitrione becomes the second heavyweight free agent the promotion has signed in as many months, raws li Sergei Kharitonov joined the fray in February. The division is currently championed by Vitaly Minakov, and includes other top names like Slice, Bobby Lashley, Cheick Kongo, Vinicius “Spartan,” Tony Johnson, Justin Wren, Dan Charles thiab Augusto Sakai.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

BELLATOR MMA INKS SERGEI KHARITONOV TO AN EXCLUSIVE, NTAU Sib ntaus DAIM NTAWV COG LUS

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Raug Monica (Lub ob hlis ntuj 3, 2015) - Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) is the newest free agent by Bellator MMA, with the news that the Russian heavyweight has been signed to an exclusive multi-year, multi-sib ntaus daim ntawv cog lus. A veteran of both Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships, Kharitonov remains on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.

 

Doubling as a kickboxer at different points throughout his combat sports career, “The Paratrooper” has decided to parlay his recent five-fight winning streak and focus purely on mixed martial arts. Kharitonov’s resume is extensive, with the 35-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most notable names including UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Alistair Overeem.

 

“I have had the best seat in the house for some of Kharitonov’s heavyweight outings,"Bellator MMA Thawj Tswj Hwm Scott Coker hais tias, “and I know Sergei [Kharitonov] can come in and make an immediate impact on our heavyweight division. He is an extremely skilled and experienced fighter who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, and we look forward to having him do just that inside the Bellator cage. Ntau, he’s already competed at one ‘Dynamite’ event before, maybe he could do so again in the future!"

 

Kharitonov joins a division that is currently championed by fellow Russian fighter Vitaly Minakov, other top names include Bobby Lashley, Cheick Kongo, Vinicius Queiroz, Kimbo Hlais, Tony Johnson, Justin Wren, Dan Charles, thiab James Thompson.