LAS VEGAS (August 16, 2021) – Undefeated 122-pound world champions are set to square off as WBC champion Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa and WBO champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton Jr. will meet in a title unification on Saturday, September 18 live on SHOWTIME in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas.
Tickets for the live event go on sale today at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions.
Figueroa vs. Fulton has been a much-discussed potential showdown for several years prior to the two unbeaten fighters joining the world championship ranks with career-best performances in 2021. Fulton struck first, dominating then-unbeaten Angelo Leo to capture the WBO title in January, while Figueroa made his own statement in stopping two-division champion Luis Nery to capture the WBC strap in May.
LOS ANGELES – A pair of elite mixed martial artists will meet in the main event of BELLATOR MMA 266 on Saturday, Sept. 18 inside the SAP Center at San Jose when former 205-pound champion and No. 3 ranked Phil Davis (22-6) welcomes MMA superstar Yoel Romero (13-5) to the promotion.
In addition, a women’s flyweight contest between former title challenger #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) and DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) that was originally slated for next week’s BELLATOR MMA 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov event in South Dakota has been re-booked for Sept. 18.
A pair of preliminary bouts have also been announced for BELLATOR’s return to San Jose, highlighted by the Bay Area’s own No. 10 ranked lightweight Adam Piccolotti (12-4) welcoming the hard-hitting Englishman Saul Rogers (14-4) back to the division after competing at featherweight his past four outings. Also, undefeated light heavyweight Grant Neal (6-0) returns to action against former LFA light heavyweight champion Alex Polizzi (7-1).
BELLATOR 266 will be the second half of a special combat sports doubleheader on SHOWTIME. The night will begin with SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT featuring a super bantamweight world championship unification bout between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton Jr. The two unbeaten 122-pound titlists will meet in Las Vegas immediately before the live BELLATOR 266 telecast begins in San Jose.
The preliminary portion of the docket will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
An exclusive online presale for this event takes place starting Wednesday, August 18 with tickets going on sale to the general public Thursday, August 19 at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Hailing from Harrisburg, Penn., “Mr. Wonderful” will step into the BELLATOR cage for the 14th time in his career, searching for his 10th promotional victory. The former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Champion is looking to make another run at the 205-pound strap, following victories in three of his past four bouts, including a pair of knockouts over Liam McGeary and Karl Albrektsson. A four-time NCAA Division-I All-American wrestler at Penn State University, Davis has proven time and time again that there are few fighters that can hold their own once he gets them to the ground.
Fighting out of Miami, Romero will be making his highly anticipated BELLATOR debut on Sept. 18. Following a seven-year stint under the direction of the UFC, the American Top Team-product became one of the most sought-after free agents prior to signing with the Scott Coker-led promotion in December 2020. With 11 of his 13 career victories coming by way of knockout, including four of the first-round variety, “Soldier of God” possesses the type of knockout power that can force any opponent into early retirement. A three-time World Cup Freestyle Wrestling Champion, five-time Pan-American Freestyle Wrestling Champion, and 2000 Olympics Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist, the Cuban-born Romero has continuously showcased his elite talents at the highest level of competition. The only missing trophy to a near-flawless legacy is a BELLATOR world title.
Updated schedule of BELLATOR events
Fri. Aug. 13 // BELLATOR 264: Mousasi vs. Salter // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, CT
Fri. Aug. 20 // BELLATOR 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov //Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD
Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA
Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England
Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ
Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia
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BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero Main Card:
SHOWTIME
Light Heavyweight Main Event: #3-Phil Davis (22-6) vs. Yoel Romero (13-5)
Flyweight Bout: #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) and DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1)
Lightweight Bout: #10–Adam Piccolotti (12-4) vs. Saul Rogers (14-4)
Light Heavyweight Bout: #7-Grant Neal (6-0) vs. Alex Polizzi (7-1)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
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About BELLATOR
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Milford, New Hampshire (August 13, 2021) – New England Fights (NEF) returns with its next event, “NEF 44: Back in Black,” on August 21, 2021, at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, New Hampshire. The show will feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and kickboxing fights. Earlier today, NEF announced the full fight card for the event which will be the promotion’s first since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and its first foray into the Granite State.
On the professional portion of the card, Glory Watson (0-1) and Rebecca Bryggman (0-1) will both seek their respective first pro victories in a women’s strawweight contest. Watson, a former NEF amateur flyweight champion, lost her pro debut earlier this year in Florida. Likewise, Bryggman came up short in her professional debut at Bellator 231 in the fall of 2019.
Caleb Hall (3-0) and Shaun Ray (2-0) will put their respective unblemished pro records on the line in a lightweight bout, as will Jacob Deppmeyer (1-0) and Aaron Hughes (1-0) who are scheduled to meet in the 145-pound featherweight division.
Also in action on the professional portion of the card will be NEF fan-favorite Josh Harvey (7-1-1). Harvey will look to bounce back after suffering the first loss of his pro career to veteran Jesse Erickson (10-8) last year.
Two title fights top the amateur portion of the card as Mike Bezanson (5-0) challenges longtime NEF Amateur Welterweight Champion Duncan Smith (6-3) for his strap and Nathaniel Grimard (3-0) and Brandon Maillet-Fevens (3-1) contest for the vacant NEF Amateur Featherweight Title.
Also featured on the amateur card will be a long-awaited rematch between Caleb Austin (4-0) and James Ploss (1-2) in the 125-pound flyweight division. Their first bout, won by Austin in April 2017 at “NEF 28,” was mired in controversy and received national attention on social media.
Additionally, NEF announced today that it had partnered with Combat Sports Now to provide a pay-per-view stream of “NEF 44: Back in Black.” The event will stream live in its entirety at https://combatsportsnow.com/event/new-england-fights-44 for $29.99.
The full “NEF 44” fight card:
PROFESSIONAL
155 Caleb Hall (Syndicate) vs Shaun Ray (Independent)
145 Josh Harvey (Vision Quest) vs Ian Beatease (KOV Gym)
145 Jacob Deppmeyer (First Class MMA) vs Aaron Hughes (Regiment)
115 Rebecca Bryggman (Kai MMA) vs Glory Watson (Young’s MMA)
AMATEUR
205 Henry Jeffs (Independent) vs Brandon Oldenburg (Vision Quest)
170*TITLE Duncan Smith (Evolution Athletix) vs Mike Bezanson (Kaze)
170 Curtis Ouellette (CMBJJ) vs Zach Faulkner (Recon)
170 Austin Hamilton (Independent) vs Jon Assam (CMBJJ)
155 Ryan Savage (First Class MMA) vs Kyle Pufahl (Nostos)
155 Lucas Donald (Independent) vs Evan Piette (Kaze)
155 Kaleb Kenney (Team Nitemare) vs Isaac Piette (Kaze)
145*TITLE Nathaniel Grimard (Nostos) vs Branon Maillet-Fevens (CMBJJ)
145 Cody Kilton (First Class MMA) vs Cam Hoyt (Kaze)
140 Mike Caron (SSSF) vs Key Baltazar (Nostos)
135 Teddy Politis (Evolution Athletix) vs Tyler Parent (CMBJJ)
130 Hannon Sanford (CMBJJ) vs Richard Martell (Young’s MMA)
125 Caleb Austin (CMBJJ) vs James Ploss (Kaze)
125 Tim Murray (Vision Quest) vs Guiliano Rossi(Kaze)
115 Matt Miles (Independent) vs Juan Quinom (UFC Gym)
130 KICKBOXING Dustin Veinott (CMBJJ) vs Geraldo Reyes (Team Link)
Tickets for “NEF 44: Back in Black” are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets/. The MMA and kickboxing event will take place at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, New Hampshire on Saturday, August 21, 2021, with a bell-time of 7 pm.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.