CHRIS HONEYCUTT-KENDALL GROVE SET FOR 2017 DEBUTS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
Hollywood, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 3, 2017) – A welterweight fight pitting Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) tiv thaiv Fernando Gonzalez (25-14) and a middleweight bout featuring Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) tiv thaiv Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC) tau ntxiv rau lub ntsiab card ntawm Bellator 174: Corenen vs. Kev pab on Lub peb hlis ntuj 3 at WinStar World Casino & Resort nyob rau hauv Thackerville, OK.
The bouts will join a card that is headlined by the first-ever Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight World Title fight pitting Marloes Coenen (23-7) tiv thaiv Julia Budd (9-2). One additional main card contest will be announced shortly.
Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Kev pab will be broadcast 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. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.
Hailing from Omsk, Russia, the 26-year-old Koreshkov will enter the cage for the 22nd time in his professional career and 13th under the Bellator MMA banner. “Spartan” began his career with 13 sib law liag victories, including his first five wins under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Koreshkov continued to see success as his name began to grow in the mixed martial arts world, collecting six wins over his last seven fights, including a welterweight world title victory over current champion Douglas Lima and a successful title defense over Benson Henderson. Nrog 10 ntawm nws 19 career wins coming by way of knockout, the Russian phenom possesses the type of power that can put an emphatic end to any opponent’s night when he is in the cage.
A 39-fight veteran of mixed martial arts, Gonzalez will be making his seventh appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the promotion in 2014, “The Menifee Maniac” has tallied five victories, including a brutal knockout of Karo Parisyan just 1:43 into the bout. In his most recent contest, Gonzalez nearly edged the undefeated Michael Page, becoming just the second opponent to take him the distance in a controversial split decision. Nrog 16 ntawm nws 25 hauj lwm yeej los ntawm txoj kev ntawm knockout los yog kev mloog lus, the 33-year-old Gonzalez continues to be one of the most feared strikers in Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight division.
The 28-year-old Honeycutt will make his 2017 debut, following an impressive 2016 campaign that saw him emerge victorious in each of his three bouts. A native of Fresno, California. “The Cutt” had a blazing start to his professional career, earning victories in each of his first six contests, including four knockouts and three first-round finishes. Honeycutt continued to see success under the Bellator MMA umbrella, collecting five wins over a three year stretch. Fireworks are all but guaranteed in this slugfest, as the equally fearless Grove hopes to give the Thackerville fan base exactly what they came for.
Hailing from Maui, Hawaii, Grove will be making his make his eighth appearance for Bellator MMA, as the veteran continues to climb the ranks in a competitive middleweight class. “Da Spyder” has finished 17 ntawm nws 23 career victims, including seven of his last eight, making him must-see television every time he competes on SPIKE. The 34-year-old striker also holds a significant height advantage over his opponent, standing at 6’6′ compared to Honeycutt’s 5’10′ frame. With each of his last six bouts ending in a stoppage, we can be sure to see more of the same aggressive style when he and Honeycutt go toe-to-toe inside WinStar World Casino & Resort on Lub peb hlis ntuj 3.
Tshiab Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Kev pab Main Card:
Women’s Featherweight World Title Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Julia Budd (9-2)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (25-14)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC)
Preliminary Card:
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Cody Pfister (12-6) vs. Jonathan Gary (12-7)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Witt (7-3) vs. Justin Patterson (8-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Emmanuel Rivera (5-0) vs. Treston Thomison (10-4)