Category Archives: MMA

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: Miesha’s FU to Dana White, GSP and the Giant Fighters Union, Conor Being Conor and Ward vs. Kovalev recap

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show we discuss a fantastic month of November as far as fighting goes. We only had two shows last month, so we kick off this week in catch up mode. We discuss Ward vs. Kovalev at length, go off on a few tangents and then get to Tony’s review of “Bleed For This.”  We then go back to MMA for Rich’s commentary on Miesha Tate telling Dana White, “FU, you’re not my boss..” after his request that she go to the hospital after her fight with Raquel Pennington. Tate retired earlier in the evening after a stellar career. Rich also gets going about the fighter union front and some new developments with Georges St. Pierre, Ex-Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Cain Velasquez, T.J. Dillashaw and other UFC notables breaking new ground in the niche with the founding of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association.  We also manage to preview the upcoming weekend’s boxing schedule before the end of the broadcast tonight.

Part One:

 

Part Two:

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH PITTING GOITI YAMAUCHI AGAINST VALERIU MIRCEA ADDED TO “BELLATOR 168: CARVALHO VS. MANHOEF 2” IN FLORENCE

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ALSO: PHILIPE LINS NOW MEETS KLEBER RAIMUNDO SILVA

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 30, 2016) – A lightweight bout pitting Goiti Yamauchi (20-3) against Valeriu Mircea (12-3) completes the MMA portion of “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2,” on a night which will feature both Bellator MMA and Bellator Kickboxing brands inside the Mandela Forum in Florence.

In addition, due to an injury suffered by Pietro Cappelli, Philipe Lins (10-1) will now meet Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7) in light heavyweight action on Dec. 10.

The mixed martial arts portion of action on Dec. 10 is headlined by a middleweight world title fight featuring a rematch between Rafael Carvalho (13-1) and Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC), while Italy’s own Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) will take on Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) at 205-pounds, and John Salter (12-3) meets Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4) in a middleweight bout. “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 4pm ET/PT.

The Bellator Kickboxing card features a female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz (45-3) and Gloria Peritore (11-1-1), but this time, a world title will be on the line. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” will also feature a lightweight clash between Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) and British kickboxing champion Jordan Watson (48-11-2), a middleweight matchup pitting Joe Schilling (19-9) against Victorio Lermano(30-7), a welterweight contest pairing Luca Novello (22-4-2) with Karim Ghajji (96-13-1), and Kevin Ross(31-9) will meet Alessio Arduini (26-14-2) in a lightweight fight. “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” airs Friday, Dec. 16 at 11:15 pm ET, immediately following “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”

An 8-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Yamauchi enters the cage in search of his 21st career win and seventh under the Scott Coker-led promotion. You would be hard-pressed to find a fighter with more promise than the 23-year-old top prospect, who has already taken down proven veterans the likes of Martin Stapleton, Isao Kobayashi, and most recently Ryan Couture. The former featherweight returned to the lightweight division to face the aforementioned Couture earlier in the year at “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove,” a fight in which Yamauchi dominated from the get-go, earning yet another first round submission victory. Yamauchi has finished his opponent in 17 of his 20 career wins, including 14 in the opening round of action. The Japanese-Brazilian submission specialist continues to make great strides in the sport, consistently displaying the flawless Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique that has given opponents many nightmares year after year.

Challenging Yamauchi will be Valeriu Mircea, a Moldova-born competitor that has also seen a great deal of success early on in his MMA career. The 23-year-old knockout artist will be making his Bellator MMA debut following three consecutive victories, including a pair of first round knockouts. Dating back to 2015, Mircea has collected wins in nine of his last 10 bouts and has already tallied six victories over his 2016 campaign. With three of his last four wins coming by way of first round knockout, you can expect an early array of attack in this pairing of two top prospects.

Taking on Lins will now be Raimundo Silva, a 28-year-old striker who will be making both his 2016 and Bellator MMA debut. Dating back to 2011, “Orgulho” has won seven of his last 11 contests, highlighted by his most recent knockout victory over Claudio Rocha, which came just 3:25 into the first round.

 

Complete “Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” Card:

Middleweight World Title Bout: Rafael Carvalho (13-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Philipe Lins (10-1) vs. Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7)

Middleweight Feature Fight: John Salter (12-3) vs. Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (31-9) vs. Valeriu Mircea (12-3)

Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Jordan Watson (48-11-2)

Flyweight World Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Gloria Peritore (11-1-1)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (19-9) vs. Victorio Lermano (30-7)

Welterweight Feature Fight: Luca Novello (22-4-2) vs. Karim Ghajji (96-13-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Kevin Ross (31-9) vs. Alessio Arduini (26-14-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO KANSAS WITH LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH FEATURING DAVID ‘THE CAVEMAN’ RICKELS AND AARON DERROW INSIDE KANSAS STAR ARENA ON JANUARY 27

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PAIR OF UNDEFEATED PROSPECTS CHRIS HARRIS AND JORDAN YOUNG ALSO SLATED FOR MAIN CARD ACTION

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 28, 2016) – A lightweight bout pitting Kansas’ most popular MMA fighter David Rickels (17-4, 2 NC) against Aaron Derrow (14-8) and a middleweight bout featuring undefeated phenom Chris Harris (7-0) versus Jordan Young (5-0) are the first two fights announced for “Bellator 171” which will take place inside Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on January 27.

“Bellator 171,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, is expected to have a main event announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the event starting at just $24, go on sale Saturday, Dec. 3 with an exclusive two-day Bellator Nation pre-sale beginning November 30, and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or KansasStarEventCenter.com. The event takes place one week after the extremely anticipated “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” in Inglewood, Calif.

“The King of Kansas” will once again compete on the Spike-televised main card of Bellator MMA’s return to Kansas Star Arena. A 17-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Rickels will return to action for the first time since competing against Melvin Guillard this past summer. “The Caveman” has strung together an impressive career, totaling 11 wins over his seven years with the promotion, including four of his five career knockouts. A native of Derby, Kansas, Rickles recently delivered a brutal first round knockout in his co-main clash with Bobby Cooper at “Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Spartan.” The 27-year-old Rickels now prepares for Aaron Derrow, who enters the bout undefeated since joining Bellator MMA in 2014.

A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Derrow has made an immediate impact on the promotion, collecting victories in each of his first two fights under the Bellator MMA umbrella. Following his hot start, “Daddy Long Legs” will now be tasked with one of the lightweight divisions  most proven veterans in David Rickels. Of his 14 career wins, Derrow has finished his opponent in 12 of them, including 10 of the submission variety. The 29-year-old Derrow has scored two knockouts, each of which came in the first twenty seconds of action. Derrow will have his hands full with Rickels and the raucous hometown crowd that follows him when the two enter the cage on January 27.

With an unblemished mark of 7-0, Harris enters the cage riding an impressive string of success to begin his professional career. Fighting out of Wichita, Kansas, Harris will have the luxury of competing in front of his home crowd as he prepares to make his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. Harris has a knack for finishing his opponents early and often, recording six wins by way of knockout or submission, including four in the first round. The 26-year-old knockout artist will look to build off of a commendable 2016 campaign that saw him emerge victorious in each of his three contests, including a pair of wins with the Scott Coker-led promotion.

Also boasting an undefeated record through five career bouts, the 22-year-old Young will make his promotional debut against the equally impressive Harris. Of his five career wins, four have come by way of submission, with each of the four finishes occurring in the opening round of action. Prior to making his professional debut in 2014, the submission specialist had similar success on the amateur circuit, where he collected four submission victories over a five-fight span. Fighting out of Urbandale, Iowa, the 6’4’’ Young will also hold a significant height advantage over the 5’11’’ Harris as he prepares to challenge one of the most aggressive opponents of his career.

Updated “Bellator 171” Main Card:

Lightweight Feature Bout:  Dave Rickels (17-4, 2 NC) vs. Aaron Derrow (14-8)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (7-0) vs. Jordan Young (5-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

RALEK GRACIE SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST HISAKI KATO AT ‘BELLATOR 170: ORTIZ VS. SONNEN’ ON JAN. 21 FROM THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES

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TICKETS FOR THE EVENT ON SALE NOW

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (November 22, 2016) – The second main card fight announced for “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” at The Forum on January 21, 2017 features the Bellator MMA debut of Los Angeleno Ralek Gracie (3-0), who will meet Hisaki Kato (7-2) in a middleweight bout.

 

The fight joins a card that already features a contest that many mixed martial arts fans thought they’d never see, when Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1) return to action. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.

 

Tickets for this massive event start at $36 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announcing in the coming weeks.

 

At only 22, Ralek made his MMA debut in Japan, where he defeated his opponent, Kastuyori Shibata with a devastating armbar. Nearly a year later, Ralek returned to Japan for his second MMA fight and again was victorious, this time defeating Gahdzhiev Alavutdin with an armbar from the mount. These two bouts led to a highly anticipated matchup with Kazushi Sakuraba, where again the Los Angeles native left “The Land of the Rising Sun” with the victory. That was the last time Ralek would fight under MMA rules, until now. Ralek is the third son of Rorion, the nephew of Royce, Rickson, and Royler Gracie and received his black belt from Grand Master Helio Gracie. The Gracie Family is famous for putting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the map around the globe.

 

Since joining the Bellator MMA roster, you would be hard-pressed to find a fighter who has been involved in more exciting matchups than Hisaki Kato. Nicknamed “The Japanese Mouseketeer,” the 34-year-old French-Japanese competitor has finished Joe Schilling on two separate occasions, and was involved in what many called a “Round of the Year” candidate during his lone Bellator MMA loss against Melvin Manhoef in 2015. Now, Kato sets his sights on Gracie, looking to nullify the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of his Jan. 21 foe.

 

Updated “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

2016 World MMA Championships November 26-27 in Macau

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (November 22, 2016)- The best amateur mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world will compete Nov. 26-27 at the World MMA Championships in Studio City, Macau, China.
Close to 100 fighters have registered to compete.  The 2016 European (Russia) and Asian (Kazakhstan) team champions head a list that includes Spain, Australia, Belgian, China, Colombia, France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Germany, Hungary, Macao, Nepal, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.
We’re looking forward to the World MMA Championship in Macau on November 26-27,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “We expect spectacular, competitive fights.”
The WMMAA Congress will also be held to discuss MMA issues relative to children and women, as well as countries being decided to host the 2017 European, Asian and World MMA Championships. A judicial committee will also be created and seminars held for coaches, judges and medical specialists in each country.”
INFORMATION:
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
ABOUT WMMAA:  The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts.  A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary.  More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.
amateur mixed martial arts, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

BLOOD REIGNS SUPREME ON FINAL LEWISTON FIGHT CARD OF 2016

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (November 19, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) held its latest mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 26: SUPREMACY” on Saturday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The promotion presented a total of 14 MMA bouts before a robust crowd of fight fans.

 

Blood flowed early and it continued to flow liberally throughout the night.

 

In the main event of the evening, Ryan Sanders (12-8) defeated Jon Lemke (5-7) via unanimous technical decision.  The fight was stopped in the third round when Lemke suffered a deep cut on his head.  With the fight being in the third round, under the Unified Rules of MMA the judges’ scorecards were called upon for a verdict.  Sanders won 20-18 on all three judges’ scorecards, having scored only the first two rounds.

 

The co-main event saw Josh Parker (5-8) submit Derek Shorey (4-8) in the first-round of a highly-anticipated “coach vs. coach” battle.

 

Rounding out the professional portion of the card, Aaron Lacey (4-0) remained undefeated with a verbal submission win over veteran Taylor Trahan (6-7).

 

Nick Gulliver (4-0) of Farmington, Maine captured the NEF Amateur Heavyweight Title with a victory over Yorgan DeCastro (2-3) as the headliner of the amateur card.

 

The results from Lewiston, Maine:

 

PROFESSIONAL MMA

 

Ryan Sanders def. Jon Lemke via unanimous technical decision

Josh Parker def. Derek Shorey via guillotine, round 1

Aaron Lacey def. Taylor Trahan via verbal submission, round 1

 

AMATEUR MMA

 

Nick Gulliver def. Yorgan DeCastro via TKO, round 3

Chris Smith def. Nash Roy via guillotine, round 1

Angelo Rizzitello def. Ken Dunn via TKO, round 1

Fred Lear def. Robby Fraser via standing guillotine, round 2

Mike Williams def. Mike Swan via TKO, round 2

Ras Hylton def. Kevin Smith via TKO, round 2

Tom Burgess def. Darren Ducharme via TKO, round 1

Fernanda Araujo def. Hannah Sparrell via armbar, round 2

Shawn Lunghi def. Alex Clark via rear-naked choke, round 2

Jessica Borga def. Brianne Genschel via unanimous decision

Chad Pierce def. Lyman Curtis via unanimous decision

 

NEF’s next event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE” takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.  Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

Undefeated M-1 Challenge Welterweight Champion Alexey Kuchenko decisions Murad Abdulaev in rematch 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
M-1 CHALLENGE 72 RESULTS
MOSCOW (November 19, 2016) – In his first title defense, M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kuchenko(15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0) won a five-round decision over challenger Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (15-5-0, M-1: 3-3-0) last night in a rematch to headline M-1 Challenge 72 in Mowcow.
Kunchenko, fighting out of Tyumen, Russia, defeated defending champion Abdulaev, of Russia, last April at M-1 Challenge 65 when he was unable to continue in round four.
Rising Russian middleweight star Artem Frolov (8-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0) also remained unbeaten, stopping veteran American fighter Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti (26-15-0, M-1: 4-4-0), a former M-1 Challenge middleweight title challenger, on punches in the opening round.
Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Artiom Damkovsky (22-10-0, M-1: 12-7-0), of Belarus, may have positioned himself for another title shot by defeating Russian Alexey “Ataman” Makhno (13-5-0, 3-2-0), whose corner stopped the fight in the third round.
Kazak lightweight Damir Ismagulov (9-2-0, M-1: 5-1-0), fighting out of Russia, won a three-round unanimous decision over Brazilian Rubenilton “Rubinho” Pereira (16-4-0, M-1: 0-2-0), while Croatian middleweight Kristijan “Pacman” Perak (9-3-2 (M-1: 0-2-2) and Talekh “The Azerbaijan Terminator” Nadzhafzade (4-1-1, M-1: 2-0-1) fought to a three-round draw.
In preliminary card action, Russian featherweight Timor Nagibin (8-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0) knocked out Russian Kurbanali Abdusalamov (6-3-0), M-1: 4-1-1) ibn the third round, French bantamweight Moktar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci (12-6-0, M-1: 2-1-0) punched out Ukrainian Alexey Naumov (13-4-0, M-1: 1-3-0) in three rounds, Russian welterweight Danila Prikaza (5-1-1, M-1: 3-1-0) won a hard fought three-round decision over Croatian veteran Ivica “Terror” Truscek (31-28-0, M-1: 0-4-0), Ukrainian bantamweight Alexsandr Lunga (9-8-0, M-1: 1-0-0) took a three-round split decision from Russian Bair Shtepin (3-2-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Russian light heavyweight Artur Tyulparov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his pro debut by way of an opening round submission by way of a guillotine choke over Czech Michal Kotalik (2-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0), and Russian welterweight Adam Bakaev (1-1-0, M-1: 1-0–0) submitted Maksim “Mad Max” Melnik (2-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0).
 
Results and photo gallery below:
 
 
 
MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT — M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexey Kuchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0), Russia
WDEC5
Murad Abdulaev (15-5-0, M-1: 3-3-0), Russia
(Kuchenko retained M-1 Challenge welterweight title)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Artem Frolov (8-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0), Russia
WTKO1 (Punches – 2:11)
Luigi Fioravanti (26-15-0, M-1: 4-4-0) USA
Kristijan Perak (9-3-2, M-1: 0-2-2, Croatia
D3
Talekh Nadzhafzade (4-1-1, M-1: 2-0-1), Azerbaijan
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Artiom Damkovsky (22-10-0, M-1: 12-7-0), Belarus
WTKO3 (Corner Stoppage – 1:01)
Alexey Makhno (13-5-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia
Damir Ismagulov (9-2-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan
WDEC3
Rubenilton Pereira (16-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil
PRELIMINARY CARD
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Artur Tyulparov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Guillotine Choke – 0:47)
Michal Kotalik (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Czech Republic
WELTERWEIGHTS
Danila Prikaza (5-1-1, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Ivica Truscek (31-28-0, M-1: 0-4-0), Croatia
Adam Bakaev (1-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WSUB (Choke)
Maksim Melnik (2-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukfaine
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Timor Nagibin (8-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia
WTKO3 (Punches – 4:03)
Kurbanali Abdusalamov (6-3-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia
BANTAMWEIGHTS
Alexey Naumov (13-4-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine
WTKO3 (Punches – 4:08)
Moktar Benkaci (11-7-0, M-1: 1-2-0), France
Alexsandr Lunga (9-8-0, M-1: 1-0-0) Ukraine
WDEC3WDEC3DEC3
Bair Shtepin (3-2-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Russia
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT SHOW: Dec. 17, M-1 Challenge 73, Igushetia, Russia
INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘BELLATOR 165: CHANDLER VS. HENDERSON’ OFFICIAL CONFERENCE CALL STREAM AND TRANSCRIBED QUOTES FROM MICHAEL CHANDLER, BENSON HENDERSON, MICHAEL ‘VENOM’ PAGE AND FERNANDO GONZALEZ

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CLICK HERE FOR CONFERENCE CALL AUDIO

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (November 15, 2016) – Before the cage door closes this Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, the main and co-main event fighters from “Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson”participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it here, or read a couple of the quotes below.

 

“Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson” features current champion Michael Chandler (15-3) against Benson Henderson (24-6) in the headlining role, while co-main event action will have undefeated British phenom Michael “Venom” Page (11-0) and California’s own Fernando Gonzalez (25-13) duke it out in a welterweight thriller. Bay Area’s own Keri Melendez makes her professional MMA debut, as does Kevin Ferguson Jr. better known as Kimbo Slice Jr.

 

The event airs LIVE and FREE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Spike and completes three consecutive weeks of championship fights on the Viacom-owned network. Tickets for the event remain on sale and can be purchased at Bellator.com, as well as SAP Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.

 

Q: For Benson…Is there any extra motivation to prove yourself in this fight after the way the last fight ended?

Benson Henderson: I would say that there’s not a whole lot of extra motivation this fight. I’m a pretty highly self-motivated individual. I want to win all of my fights. I don’t need any extra incentives. I want to have my hand raised in every single fight.

 

Q: This is your second title fight in Bellator. Is there anything you learned from the first go-around that you’re bringing into this fight?

 

Benson Henderson: I don’t know if there’s anything that I learned from the last title fight, just being more comfortable inside the Bellator cage and getting used to the walkout and finding my rhythm.

 

Q: You’re fighting for the title now. Do you think of yourself as a lightweight? Is this where you intend to stay or is another trip to welterweight a possibility in the future?

 

Benson Henderson: I wouldn’t say that I think of myself as a lightweight necessarily. For me, it’s 155 lbs. or 170 lbs., just wherever the more interesting and fun matchups are. But, first things first, I have to take care of business on Saturday night.

 

Q: You mentioned fun and interesting fights. Is the title something you think about as well? The story line of the week is a two-division champion in the other promotion. Is that a dream that you have for yourself in your career or do you just want to stay and be the most dominate lightweight champion that you can be?

 

Benson Henderson: I’m going to go get this belt at 155 lbs., but after that I wouldn’t say that belts offer a whole lot of extra incentive. Obviously belts are great and the meaning behind the belt is that you are the best in the planet and that means a lot to say that you are the best at that weight class, but I don’t fight necessarily just for the belt. You do want the belt, but right now all I’m concentrating on is four days from now and a man named Michael Chandler.

 

Q: For Michael…Have you ever thought about trying for another belt? I know it’s early in your title reign, but has that ever crossed your mind? And, if you did go for another belt, would it be for welterweight or featherweight?

 

Michael Chandler: I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. For me, I’m just looking for the biggest fight I can get. I know there’s no way I could make 145 lbs., since I walk around at about 190 lbs., between fights. So, I’m not interested in losing the muscle mass that I’ve worked so hard to build. If anything, I would jump up to 170 lbs., but right now I’m focused on my fight this Saturday night and I’m excited to get out there and perform.

 

Q: Why is Henderson an important opponent for your career?

 

Michael Chandler: Every opponent is important. Every single time we fight, we’re putting ourselves, our livelihood, our records, and our reputation on the line. It just so happens for me, I get an opportunity to fight a guy who’s been a champion and has done some great things in the sport. But luckily, it’s the right time for me and the wrong time for him. I’m extremely excited to go out there and make a statement with this fight on Saturday night. He’s definitely a great, willing opponent, but I’m excited to go out there and get the finish.

 

Q: For MVP…Obviously, it’s been a fantastic year for you in Bellator, especially your performance in London. Have you got your finger on the pulse of pop culture right now and is there something out there that you’re drawing inspiration from that you’re looking to utilize in some entertainment factor on fight night?

 

MVP: Yeah, I’m always socially aware, but I have to get the job done first and that’s the most important thing.

 

Q: At the moment, fighting at multiple weight classes and fighting in multiple divisions seems to be the rage right now and I know in the past you’ve mentioned the possibility of dropping down to 155 lbs., is that something that you’re still interested in?

 

MVP: At the moment, no. Right now, I’m just focused on fighting in the welterweight division.

 

Q: If you can record a win over Fernando Gonzalez, how many more fights and how many more wins do you think before you are in that title picture and fighting for a title shot?

 

MVP: That’s not really my main concern. I just go out there and entertain and I’ll keep doing that until I end up in the position I’m supposed to be in.

 

Q: For Michael Chandler…With you watching Benson from a far for a long time, what did you think of him as his career progressed?

 

Michael Chandler: Benson’s had a phenomenal career. Back in the day, he was the UFC champion and I was the Bellator champion. He was ranked number one and I was ranked number three in the world and it was always that “what if” matchup. What if these two guys could fight…and now we finally get to see. He’s continued to impress. He’s continued to win. Great careers and great legacies can’t be had without great opponents. I look at Benson Henderson as exactly that, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to step into that cage on Saturday night and lose this belt. I’ve trained my tail off, I’ve gone through some of the toughest hardships that anyone can go through in this sport…losing three fights in a row, coming back, and believing that no matter what, my next big breakthrough is right around the corner. I never once thought about quitting, where I think a lot of people in that situation would. Where I’ve been and where I am now, I’m confident and I’m excited to just go out there and put it all on the line against one of the best in the world and one of the biggest names in the sport. This is a great opportunity on Spike TV, live and free.

 

Q: For Fernando…question regarding the video packages that Michael Page has produced and released this year, most recently during Halloween. Did you watch them and what was your reaction to the video packages?

 

Fernando Gonzalez: I watched both of the videos and thought it was kind of funny, especially the last one. Bad choice of food products I guess. He’s basically eating balls and drinking milk, while cupping and savoring the taste. So, I don’t know if I should take that as a call out, but I think the victory alone will be enough for me.

 

Q: With Michael (Page) on the line right now, does Fernando have any sort of message for him leading up to the fight?

 

Fernando Gonzalez: It’s the same message that I gave before. Just show up. I respect the fighter, but after this he’ll congratulate me and thank me for making him a better fighter. He’s tough, but he hasn’t been tested and I’m going to give him his first loss.

 

Q: Michael do you have a response to that?

 

MVP: I’m allergic to bullshit, so there’s no point in responding.

 

Q: For Benson Henderson…In the title eliminator fight in Anaheim, you had a calm and deliberate demeanor throughout that fight and before we could really see you explode, Pitbull was taken away with an injury. Are you going to look to set a faster pace with Chandler, or are we going to see a more measured response?

 

Benson Henderson: We’ll see how it plays out. It’s hard to dictate and say exactly what I’m going to do. If I was an NFL coach, I would not be one of those coaches that has the first 15 plays of the game scripted out and no matter what happens, we’re sticking to these 15 plays. For me, I have to feel it out and go with the flow. But, for me I don’t think this is going to be a slow pace fight. I’m expecting this to be one of the most high paced, action-packed fights you’ve seen in the Bellator cage.

 

Complete “Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson” Main Card:

Lightweight World Title Main Event: Michael Chandler (15-3) vs. Benson Henderson (24-6)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Michael Page (11-0) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (25-13)

Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Linton Vassell (16-5) vs. Francis Carmont (25-11)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Adam Piccolotti (8-0) vs. Brandon Girtz (14-4)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez (Debut) vs. Sheila Padilla (2-0)

 

Complete Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Ferguson Jr. (Debut) vs. Aaron Hamilton (0-2)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Carrington Banks (5-0) vs. Jake Roberts (7-0)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Diego Herzog (3-2) vs. Nick Pica (5-0)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jeremiah Labiano (9-5) vs. Vince Murdock (8-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Terry (17-9) vs. Justin Baesman (19-10-1)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Alvin Cacdac (16-12) vs. Steve Ramirez (5-1)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: J.J. Okanovich (2-1) vs. Luis Vargas (Debut)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Victor Jones (0-2) vs. Beau Hamilton (1-7)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Hugo Lujan (0-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (Debut)

Welterweight “VOW” Preliminary Bout: Dominic Sumner (Debut) vs. Justin Roswell (1-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-0) vs. Dwight Grant (6-1)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah D’Alelio (10-6) vs. Jaimelene Nievera (4-1)

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC 205 & Bellator 164 Previews, Trump’s Win, Jones Suspended and Stripped of Title, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Rematch Talks

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Tom, Rich and Tony break down the week’s combat sports news, recap last week’s fight cards and look forward to the huge events happening this weekend. UFC 205 features three world title fights while Bellator makes a historic debut in Israel on Friday. Danny Garcia will also take on Samuel Vargas to headline one of Premier Boxing Championships’ final blockbuster cards of 2016. We start off the broadcast with some political discourse about the election of Donald Trump as the 45th United States President.

 

 

Fight Network, mixed martial arts, MMA, One Championship, UFC

Fight Network Presents ONE: Defending Honor, Legacy FC 62 & UFC 205 Pre & Post-Fight Coverage Live

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For Immediate Release – November 10, 2016

 

 

 

Toronto, Canada – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated tocomplete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of action-packed live mixed martial arts events this Friday, Nov. 11, with ONE Championship: Defending Honor from Singapore at 7:30 a.m. ET and Legacy FC 62: Lovato vs. Coleman from Oklahoma at 10 p.m. ET.

Fight Network will also deliver comprehensive live news coverage for the historic UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor from New York, including the live UFC 205 Weigh-ins on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. ET, a special live two-hour UFC 205 Pre-Show on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. ET, plus a live UFC 205 Post-Show at approximately 1 a.m. ET, including the live post-fight press conference from Madison Square Garden.

Fight Network’s live presentation of ONE Championship: Defending Honor at 7:30 a.m. ET features two world title fights as ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (39-6) defends his title against Eduard Folayang (16-5) of the Philippines, while ONE featherweight champion Marat Gafurov (14-0) battles former titleholder Narantungalag Jadambaa (12-4) of Mongolia in a highly anticipated rematch. In other featured bouts, featherweights Timofey Nastyukhin (10-2) and Kotetsu Boku (24-11-2) will collide, popular Brazilian prospect Michelle Nicolini (2-1) meets Egypt’s Mona Samir (1-1) in a women’s strawweight bout, Singaporean Tiffany Teo (3-0) makes her ONE Championship debut against Egyptian Walaa Abas (2-3) in a flyweight matchup, plus former UFC star Roger Huerta (22-9-1, 1NC) attempts to right his ship opposite promotional veteran Adrian Pang (22-9-2).

Later, at 10 p.m. ET, Legacy FC 62: Lovato vs. Coleman will be headlined by a clash for the Legacy middleweight championship, as undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu guru Rafael Lovato Jr. (3-0) faces his toughest career test against big show veteran Cortez Coleman (13-6). Rounding out the card, Mike Maldonado (5-0) takes on Justin Rader (4-2) in a featherweight bout, Derrick Adkins(8-2) faces Manny Muro (5-2) in a lightweight encounter, Teagan Dooley (4-0) tries to stay perfect against fellow welterweight Braden Smith (5-1), plus undefeated prospects will cross paths when Chris Mullins (3-0) and Emmanuel Rivera (4-0) square off in a featherweight tilt.

Fight Network’s live UFC 205 coverage includes:

– Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. ET – UFC 205 Weigh-ins

– Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. ET – UFC 205 Pre-Show
– Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1 a.m. ET – UFC 205 Post-Show

In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insiderand classic UFC PPV events.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, followus on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.