Tag Archives: Cheick Kongo

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PRELIMINARY ACTION FEATURING PROMOTIONAL DEBUT OF KENYA MIRANDA ADDED TO ‘BELLATOR 161’

August 31, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

MARK DICKMAN-DANIEL PINEDA SET FOR FEATHERWEIGHT CLASH & MIDDLEWEIGHTS GREGORY BABENE-‘KIKO’ FRANCE READY FOR BATTLE ON SEPTEMBER 16

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (August 30, 2016) – A female flyweight bout pitting Kenya Miranda (2-2) against Emily Ducote (3-1) has been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” which takes place on September 16 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas.

In addition, featherweights Mark Dickman (11-2) and Daniel Pineda (21-12) have agreed to slug it out while Gregory Babene (17-11-1) and Francisco “Kiko” France (13-4-1) square off in a middleweight bout that will also be featured on the Bellator.com-streamed preliminary card.

The fights join a heavyweight main event pitting Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) against Tony Johnson (10-2) and a bantamweight showdown pitting Joe Warren (13-5) against Sirwan Kakai (12-4). In addition, a lightweight feature fight featuring Derek Campos (16-6) against Djamil Chan (12-2) and a female flyweight battle between Anastasia Yankova (3-0) and Veta Arteaga (2-0) will also highlight an electric main card.

“Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just $25 and can be purchased at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, or the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Box Office.

At 28, Miranda will be making her Bellator MMA debut when she steps into the cage on September 16. Since begining her professional career in 2014, Miranda has recorded a pair of wins, both of which came at the expense of opponent Natalia Cristina Silva. In her first career victory, the Brazilian prospect finished her challenger with a second round knockout and followed up the impressive performance with an equally splendid first round rear-naked choke submission. A native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Miranda will look to prove she belongs with the world’s best when she meets her “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” opponent.

Ducote burst onto the Bellator MMA scene following a second-round rear-naked choke finish of Bruna Vargas at “Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo.” The win earned the the 23-year-old Oklahoma native an exclusive contract with the Scott Coker-led promotion, and was her third straight win in 2016 since dropping the opening bout of her young mixed martial arts career. Training out of American Top Team’s affiliate in OKC, “Gordinha” will look to keep the momentum going when she takes on another top Brazilian prospect on September 16.

At 32-years-old, Dickman has quietly climbed the ranks as one of MMA’s most consistent featherweights. After beginning his professional career 5-0, the Las Vegas native continued his hot start, emerging victorious in nine of his first 10 bouts. The knockout artist will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, after defeating Thomas Diagnevia brutal third round knockout at “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo.” Of his 11 professional victories, seven have come by way of KO, punctuated by three first round finishes. “Tricky” enters this fight having won six of his last seven bouts and his last two, as he tries to add to his career total and remain unbeaten since joining the Bellator MMA circuit.

Best known as a submission specialist, the 30-year-old Pineda has spent time with multiple local promotions as well as the UFC during his 33-fight career. Nicknamed “The Pit,” Pineda enters the cage having won three of his last four bouts and the opportunity to earn his first victory since joining the Bellator MMA fray. Hailing from Houston, Pineda will have the hometown edge over his opponent as the Scott Coker-led promotion will take its talented roster to Cedar Park and the H-E-B Center for the first time. Dating back to 2012, each of his last six wins has come by way of submission, with five of them occurring in the opening round of action. It’s worth noting that all 21 of Pineda’s wins have come by way of knockout or submission.

Hailing from Paris, France, 29-fight veteran Babene will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. The 32-year-old “Blade” emerged victorious in his promotional debut earlier this year, when he defeated Brandon Farran with a first round rear-naked choke submission at “Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Spartan.” The French middleweight has amassed 17 career wins thus far, 14 of which have come by way of knockout or submission. Babene will face one of the stiffest tests of his career, as he prepares to face rising middleweight “Kiko” France.

France will be fighting for the third time under the direction of Bellator MMA, after earning a victory over Ben Reiter in his Bellator debut at “Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef.” The 33-year-old nicknamed “Kiko” will also be making his 19th overall appearance in the cage, where he has accrued 13 professional wins; 12 of which have come by way of submission. The Gilbert, Arizona native is currently riding a hot streak, claiming victories in six of his last eight fights (including one draw). The veteran submission specialist will have his hands full, as he prepares to enter enemy territory and challenge Babene in his home state of Texas on September 16th.

Updated “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) vs. Tony Johnson (10-2)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Joe Warren (13-5) vs. Sirwan Kakai (12-4)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Anastasia Yankova (3-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (2-0)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Derek Campos (16-6) vs. Djamil Chan (12-2)

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Kenya Miranda (2-2) vs. Emily Ducote (3-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Mark Dickman (11-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-12)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Gregory Babene (17-11-1) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA 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 Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spikeis available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BANTAMWEIGHT STANDOUTS JOE WARREN AND SIRWAN KAKAI SET FOR BATTLE DURING CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 161’

August 12, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (August 10, 2016) – A bantamweight showdown pitting Joe Warren (13-5) against Sirwan Kakai (12-4) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” which takes place on September 16 inside the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas, and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.

The bantamweight contest joins a heavyweight main event featuring Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) taking on Tony Johnson (10-2), and the U.S. debut of Anastasia Yankova (3-0), who meets Veta Arteaga (2-0). Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” start at only $25 can be purchased at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, or the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Box Office. The event will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT.

A 15-fight veteran of Bellator MMA and champion in not one but two different weight classes, Warren enters the cage with an 11-4 mark under the Scott Coker-led promotion, including multiple streaks of five consecutive wins. Dating back to 2015, the 2006 Pan American and World Champion wrestler has made three consecutive appearances in Bellator’s main event, including an impressive unanimous decision victory over L.C. Davis at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis.” Hailing from Denver, Colorado, the “Baddest Man on the Planet” will look to become the first-ever fighter to knock out Kakai when the two meet in main card action on SPIKE.

Nicknamed “Zohan,” Kakai comes into the fight in search of his first career win under the Bellator MMA banner. At just 26 years of age, the Swedish submission specialist hopes to make a splash against the former two-division champion in Warren. Since making his professional debut in 2008, Kakai has recorded 12 wins as a pro, with half coming by way of submission. Prior to joining the Bellator MMA fray, Kakai made a splash fighting under the direction of the UFC, recording a unanimous decision victory over Danny Martinez in his promotional debut. Kakai now faces one of the most challenging opponents Bellator MMA’s stacked bantamweight division has to offer when he enters the cage on September 16 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

Updated “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) vs. Tony Johnson (10-2)

Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Joe Warren (13-5) vs. Sirwan Kakai (12-4)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Anastasia Yankova (3-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (2-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ANASTASIA YANKOVA PUTS UNDEFEATED RECORD ON THE LINE AGAINST VETA ARTEAGA ON SEPTEMBER 16AT ‘BELLATOR 161’

August 5, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (August 4, 2016) – A flyweight bout pitting Anastasia Yankova (3-0) against Veta Arteaga (2-0) has been added to the SPIKE-televised portion of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” which takes place on September 16 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas.

The fight joins a main card that features a heavyweight main event pitting French phenom Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) against the streaking Tony Johnson (10-2). Additional main and preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

Doors for the event open at 7:45 p.m. CT local time and the first preliminary bout – which streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App — begins at 8:00 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just $25 and can be purchased now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, or the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Box Office.

The 25-year-old Yankova will make her second appearance of the year, after garnering the attention of the MMA world with an impressive promotional debut in Italy at “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza.” The Russian submission specialist began her professional career 2-0, before earning her first victory under the direction of Bellator MMA with an impressive first round armbar victory. An avid artist outside of the cage, Yankova hopes to carve out her next masterpiece when she returns to action on Sept. 16.

Since making her professional debut earlier this year, Arteaga has strung together back-to-back wins, including a unanimous decision victory over Jackie Vandenburgh in her promotional debut at “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef.” Thus far, each of Arteaga’s first two wins have gone to the judges’ table, leaving the 28-year-old Boise, Idaho native itching for her first career stoppage win.

Updated “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” Main Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) vs. Tony Johnson (10-2)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Anastasia Yankova (3-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (2-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN TEXAS: HEAVYWEIGHTS CHEICK KONGO AND TONY JOHNSON HEADLINE ‘BELLATOR 161’

July 23, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

NEWLY ANNOUNCED EVENT TAKES PLACE SEPTEMBER 16 AT H-E-B CENTER AT CEDAR PARK, TEXAS

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (July, 22) – Bellator MMA is heading back to the “Lone Star State,” where a heavyweight bout pitting Cheick Kongo(24-10-2) against Tony Johnson (10-2) will serve as the main event of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” which takes place on September 16 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas, and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.

The Scott Coker-led promotion will be holding its first-ever event at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, which is just a short drive from Austin. Tickets for “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” starting at $25 can be purchased at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, or the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Box Office starting next Friday, July 29 with an exclusive Bellator Nation pre-sale running the Wednesday and Thursday prior. Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hailing from Paris, Kongo will enter the cage for the ninth time under the direction of Bellator MMA and make his third consecutive appearance in a card’s main event. An 18-fight veteran of the UFC, Kongo hopes to add to his current two-fight winning streak and 6-2 mark since joining the Viacom-owned promotion back in 2013. Standing 6 foot 4, Kongo will have a noticeable height advantage over his shorter opponent. With half of his 24 career wins coming by way of knockout, Kongo will also attempt to finish Johnson for the first time of his professional career.

A native of North Platte, Nebraska, Johnson has strung together an impressive streak of three straight victories, including two in a row since re-joining the Bellator MMA fray. After making his professional debut in 2008, the 30-year-old made his Bellator MMA debut with a unanimous decision win over Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis at “Bellator 46.” Since challenging current UFC Champion Daniel Cormier in 2010, Johnson has gone 6-1 with three knockout finishes, including noteworthy victories over Alexander Volkov and most recently Raphael Butler, during“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” earlier this year.

Updated “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” Main Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) vs. Tony Johnson (10-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

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

March 15, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA (March 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 Slice, Gabriel Gonzaga, Ben Rothwell, Derrick Lewis, Brendan Schaub, Roy Nelson, Shawn Jordan and Travis Brown amongst others.

Prior to competing in MMA, Mitrione earned a scholarship to play defensive tackle for the Purdue Boilermakers football team, not far from where he grew up in Springfield, Ill. After college, 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, against Joey Beltran and Cheick Kongo, both of whom currently fight for Bellator MMA. His entertaining fighting style has earned him recognition with “Performance of the Night” (twice) and “Fight of the Night” 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, as 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 and Augusto Sakai.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO INCHES PAST VINICIUS SPARTAN IN ‘BELLATOR 150’ MAIN EVENT ON SPIKE

February 28, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

COMPLETE BELLATOR 150 PHOTOS HERE

MULVANE, Kan. (February 26, 2015) – A week removed from the most watched Bellator MMA event in company history, the Scott Coker-led promotion returned to action on SPIKE with “Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Queiroz,” an event that delivered five spectacular main card fights.

In the evening’s main event, Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) intelligently managed the distance between he and Vinicius Spartan (8-4), kicking and jabbing his way to a split decision victory (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).

Spartan did have his moments during the heavyweight encounter, securing takedowns in rounds two and three, followed by a knockdown late. But in the end, Kongo received the benefit of the doubt from the Kansas-appointed judges. The Frenchman has now won two straight, and improved to 6-2 overall under the Bellator MMA banner.

It only took David Rickels (17-4) three minutes and 49 seconds to finish Bobby Cooper (12-6) in front of a sellout crowd at Kansas Star Arena on Friday. Both men had their moments during the action, but after a knee to the body dropped Cooper to his knees, “The Caveman” pummelled his foe with hammerfists until referee John McCarthy called a stop to the action.

Kendall Grove (23-15) stopped Francisco France (13-4-1) with a vicious punch 35 seconds into the second round, winning by knockout. The victory was an emotional one for “Da Spyder,” who recently lost his brother and made it clear his performance was dedicated to his late sibling. Grove has now won three of his last four tilts, all via finish.

Chuka Willis (7-2) handed Gaston Reyno (5-1) the first defeat of his mixed martial arts career on Friday, winning via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27). The scrap went back-and-forth over the course of 15 minutes, with multiple submission attempts and knockdowns by both men. But in the end – much to the delight of the partisan crowd – Willis earned the nod.

Former Shamrock FC Flyweight Champion Rebecca Ruth (6-1) defeated Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in the opening main card fight at “Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Queiroz.” For “Ruthless” the win is the first of her career via the judges’ scorecards and extended her current winning streak to four straight.

Preliminary Card Results:

Kyle Noblitt (2-0) defeated David Hammons (1-2) via TKO (punches)

Rome Lindsay (5-5) defeated Marcio Navarro (14-12) via TKO (punches) 2:30, R1

Chris Harris (5-0) defeated Julian Marquez (2-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Andre Fialho (6-0) defeated Manny Meraz (7-2) via knockout (punches) :29, R1

Gregory Babene (17-11) defeated Brandon Farran (12-11) via submission (rear-naked choke) 3:37, R1

Thai Clark (6-0) defeated Deron Carlis (4-2) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ILLNESS REMOVES MARCOS GALVAO FROM CARD, CHEICK KONGO VERSUS VINICIUS QUEIROZ PROMOTED TO MAIN EVENT SLOT

February 26, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

MULVANE, Kan. (February 25, 2015) – Over the course of fight week, Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) has been battling an illness. After consulting physicians, Bellator officials have decided to to pull him from his Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title defense against former champion Eduardo Dantas (17-4).

After making weight inside Kansas Star Arena at 10 a.m. CT, Dantas was paid his show money. The fight will be rescheduled in the near future.

As a result, Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against Vinicius Queiroz (8-3) will now serve as the headliner and David Rickels (16-4) versus Bobby Cooper (12-5) is the new co-main event. Rounding out the SPIKE-televised card will be a middleweight attraction pitting Kendall Grove (22-15) against Kiko France (13-3-1), the Bellator MMA debut of Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), when she fights Rebecca Ruth (5-1) and Gaston Reyno (5-0) – fresh off his new exclusive multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA – will fight against Chuka Willis (6-2).

“Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Queiroz,” airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Complete “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Kendall Grove (22-15) vs. Francisco France (13-3-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Gaston Reyno (5-0) vs. Chuka Willis (6-2)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3) vs. Rebecca Ruth (5-1)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: David Hammons (1-1) vs. Kyle Noblitt (1-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Brandon Farran (12-10) vs. Gregory Babene (16-11)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (4-0) vs. Julian Marquez (2-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Marcio Navarro (14-11) vs. Henry Lindsay (4-5)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Thai Clark (5-0) vs. Deron Carlis (4-1)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’ THIS FRIDAY – UPDATED FIGHT CARD INFORMATION

February 23, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

Click above for “What to Watch: Gavao vs. Dantas”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 22, 2015) – This Friday, Bellator MMA brings a world championship matchup between two highly skilled mixed martial arts practitioners when bantamweight champion Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) defends his strap against former champion and former friend and training partner, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) at “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.

The event emanates from the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas this Friday, February 26, and airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

In addition to the title fight, a heavyweight co-main event of Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against Vinicius Queiroz (8-3) will anchor the number two spot. Also on the card, Kendall Grove (22-15) takes on Francisco “Kiko” France (13-3-1), hometown favorite David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against Bobby Cooper (12-5), plus the Bellator MMA debut of newly signed women’s flyweight Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), who takes on Rebecca Ruth (5-1).

“Loro,” who has fought for world-renowned promotions the likes of World Extreme Cagefighting and Shooto since 2003, will be competing for the 11^th time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 34-year-old is presently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight scraps. In his last outing, Galvao finished Joe Warren at “Bellator 135: Warren vs. Galvao” via submission to win his first-ever championship and fulfil a promise he made to his mother before her unfortunate passing.

Meanwhile, Dantas will be looking to duplicate the success he had against Galvao in their first meeting, which resulted in a second-round knockout at “Bellator 89.” Last May, the 27-year-old Nova Uniao product dispelled of Mike Richman via unanimous decision at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament winner is looking to become a two-time bantamweight champion come October 23.

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Parisian native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

After nearly two years out of action, Queiroz returned to the Bellator MMA cage against Ewerton Teixeira at “Bellator 139: Kongo vs. Volkov,” defeating his fellow Brazilian opponent via second round arm-triangle choke. “Spartan” hopes to plant the seeds for a busy 2016 with the matchup against Kongo, where a win can undoubtedly place him in the midst of the heavyweight title picture.

Grove capped off 2015 with an emphatic knockout of Joey Beltran at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” in September. The winner of“The Ultimate Fighter: 3,” has fought professionally since 2003 for promotions all around the world, notably ProElite and UFC. This will be “Da Spyder’s” sixth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner as he hopes to climb back towards a 185-pound title shot – he competed for the gold last year against Brandon Halsey.

A veteran of Strikeforce, “Kiko” France has strung together a five-fight winning streak as of late, most recently handing the formerly undefeated Ben Reiter the first loss of his young career at “Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef.” It’s safe to classify the 33-year-old Arizona native as a “submission specialist,” with 12 of his 13 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent tap.

A Bellator MMA event in Mulvane, Kansas just wouldn’t be the same without “The Caveman,” who will return to action for the first time since competing against Michael Chandler this past November. Rickels always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent. The 27-year-old will be making his 16^thappearance under the promotional banner.

The last time Bobby Cooper fought inside the Kansas Star Arena, he took home a closely contested split decision victory over“Bellator 147” co-headliner Pablo Villaseca. Now, “Super Duper” will look to move to 3-0 under the Bellator MMA banner when he faces Rickels in hostile territory. It’s worth noting that the Missouri native has only lost twice in his last eight MMA appearances.

Hailing from Ukraine, Ovchynnikova will enter the fray fresh off a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. “Hunter” has previously fought the likes of Joanne Calderwood and at only 28-years-old has already competed professionally since 2006. Now, Ovchynnikova looks to solidify herself as a top contender in the budding women’s flyweight division on February 26 against a tough foe in Ruth.

“Becky” Ruth was undefeated in 2015, winning all three of her matchups by technical knockout under the Shamrock Fighting Championships banner. The lone loss on the Missouri native’s record came against Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, via controversial split decision.

Complete “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)