WINNER TO BE CROWNED NEW BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

LOS ANGELES – Bellator has announced plans to host a year-long grand prix heavyweight tournament in 2018 featuring eight of the roster’s biggest stars with the winner becoming the new Bellator world heavyweight champion. The Bellator MMA World Grand Prix 2018 Heavyweight Tournament will air on the soon-to-launch Paramount Network.

 

The star-studded list of participants includes newly signed 昆頓“橫衝直撞”傑克遜 (37-12), 羅伊·尼爾森 (23-14), Chael Sonnen的 (30-15-1),弗蘭克·米爾 (18-11), “King Mo” (21-6, 1 NC), 費多爾艾米連科 (36-5, 1 NC), 馬特·米特里恩 (12-5) and Bellator light heavyweight champion 瑞安貝德 (24-5).

 

Spanning multiple events and locations throughout 2018, the three-round tournament allows for matchups never before thought possible and will ultimately crown a new Bellator heavyweight champion. 早先, Bellator President Scott Coker orchestrated the most recent successful heavyweight tournament in mixed martial arts with the STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Grand Prix that spanned from 2011-12.

 

Matchups, dates and locations for the single-elimination grand prix will be determined shortly, 以及因任何不可預見的情況而可以填補的錦標賽候補人員.

 

A five-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, “Rampage’s” legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport, 生成的球迷忠誠的軍隊前進的道路上. 前PRIDE和UFC冠軍是許多史詩集錦抨擊驕傲的主人和擊倒，他已經累積了在他的史詩戰役與查利德爾的喜歡, 丹·亨德森, “King Mo,” Kevin Randleman and, 也許最顯著, his trilogy with fellow Bellator athlete 萬德雷·席爾瓦.

 

戰鬥在外面拉斯維加斯, Roy Nelson made his Bellator debut earlier this year with a hard-fought victory over Javy阿亞拉 following an eight-year, 19-fight run with UFC that saw him earn wins over Mirko Cro Cop, 安東尼奧·羅德里戈·諾蓋拉, “Bigfoot” Silva and Cheick Kongo. “Big Country” also memorably defeated the late Kimbo切片 and later went on to win season 10 的 終極戰士. 同 19 他 22 事業勝利所擊倒或提交的方式來, the long-time fan-favorite looks to add a championship to his impressive resume.

 

Chael Sonnen spent a majority of his 44-fight career with the UFC and WEC, a run that saw him defeat former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, and compete against the likes of Jon Jones, 安德森·席爾瓦 (兩次), 拉沙德·埃文斯（Rashad Evans）, “ Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia and Brian Stann. In addition to his in-ring action, the West Linn, Ore. native has mastered the art of being in front of the camera, having done broadcast work for both ESPN and Fox Sports. Following a three-year hiatus from active MMA competition, Sonnen returned to the cage against 蒂托·奧爾蒂斯 在 Bellator 170 in January and then went on to defeat Wanderlei Silva in the main event of Bellator: 紐約市.

 

弗蘭克米爾今年早些時候加入Bellator以下 15 years under in the UFC where he became a two-time world champion, 集 16 victories and defeated the who’s who of heavyweight contenders, 包括布羅克Lesnar, “大腳”席爾瓦, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Roy Nelson. 戰鬥在外面拉斯維加斯, 米爾創下了無數的記錄，而與他的前推廣競爭, 由最突出的戰鬥 (27), 勝利 (16), 和提交 (8) 在重量級的歷史. 同 14 他 18 事業勝利所擊倒或提交的方式來, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt will now try his hand in Bellator’s heavyweight division.

 

“King Mo” will again fight at heavyweight and look to build off his success within the division following recent wins against Satoshi Ishii and Cheick Kongo. A winner in nine out of his last 11 打架, the 36-year-old will look to claim heavyweight gold in 2018 and add to his championship collection that already includes a STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight title. The “Moneyweight” fighter owns additional wins over 林頓瓦塞爾, Gegard Mousasi, Roger Gracie and has split a pair of bouts with “Rampage” Jackson with their series tied at one win each.

 

一位前PRIDE冠軍, “末代皇帝”，是最受尊敬和推崇的重量級戰士運動已經看到了一個. 石坎和安靜, 艾米連科自詡最令人印象深刻的不敗條紋之一MMA歷史, 沒有失去之間的較量 2001 和 2009. 多世界冠軍在MMA和三寶, 費多爾最近回到這項運動短暫的沉寂, accumulating two decisive wins since his return to action and competing against Matt Mitrione in an instant classic at Bellator: 紐約市.

 

Matt Mitrione remains poised to make an impact in the Bellator heavyweight division following three knockout wins since signing with Bellator in 2016, including a first-round KO of Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator NYC this June. The Illinois native and standout defensive end at Purdue University earned All-Big Ten honors in 2000 and subsequently earned his way into the NFL where he played six seasons as a member of the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Mitrione ultimately found his way into MMA where he became a high-level competitor, defeating the likes of the late Kimbo Slice, Derrick Lewis and Gabriel Gonzaga.

 

Bader will make his third appearance for Bellator and first since defending his light heavyweight championship at Bellator 186. Fighting out of Tempe, 亞利桑那州。, Bader began his professional career on an impressive run, steamrolling the competition en route to a 12-fight winning streak and winning one of the most competitive seasons of 終極戰士 in franchise history on Spike in 2008. “Darth” continued his path of dominance by collecting 15 over some of the 105-pound division’s top talent, including victories over former world champions Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, 拉沙德·埃文斯（Rashad Evans）, as well as two wins over 菲爾·戴維斯. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak with victories in nine of his past ten bouts, the former two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler from Arizona State University will look to become a current two-division champion in Bellator MMA.

 

Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Participants:

Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion 瑞安貝德 (24-5)

費多爾艾米連科 (36-5, 1 NC)

昆頓“橫衝直撞”傑克遜 (37-12)

“King Mo” 拉瓦爾 (21-6, 1 NC)

弗蘭克·米爾 (18-11)

馬特·米特里恩 (12-5)

羅伊·尼爾森 (23-14)

Chael Sonnen的 (30-15-1)

 

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