Tag Archives: Chris Honeycutt

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” adds another welterweight blockbuster as Paul “Semtex” Daley faces Dennis Olson

June 3, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

B140_olson_daley_announce

Easy Tweet: “Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley faces Dennis Olson at #Bellator140 @mohegansun live and free on @spike!”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 2, 2015) – Dynamic British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) makes his highly anticipated return to the Bellator MMA cage when he meets two-fight Bellator veteran Dennis Olson (14-8).

The 170-pound clash completes the all-welterweight Spike-broadcast main card of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov.”

Featuring Bellator MMA World Champion Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (26-5) putting his title on the line against Russian knockout artist Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (17-1), “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” takes place Friday, July 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Additional featured contests include undefeated welterweight prospect Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) vs. former All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6), as well as the incomparable Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) vs. 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13) and “Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin “War Horse” Sterritt (6-1).

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

“Once we nailed down our return to Mohegan Sun, we knew that we had to put together an amazing night of fights that would wow the fans,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “I really feel that we’ve succeeded in doing so by showcasing this wealth of welterweight talent. There are several bonafide stars in the division and we are excited to see several of them fighting on July 16.”

A 12-year veteran of the sport who has competed around the globe, the 32-year-old Daley will make his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner after previously picking up wins over Andre Santos andRudy Bears. Known as “Semtex” for his explosive striking style, the Nottingham, England native boasts an incredible 26 career knockout victories.

Olson returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since 2010, riding a wave of momentum that he has accrued on the regional scene. With experience against the likes of David Branch, Rick Hawn and John Howard, the New Hampshire representative will not be unaccustomed to fighting a competitor with the track record of Daley. It’s safe to say that Olson meets the criteria to be referred to as a “submission specialist,” having racked up nine of his 14 professional wins by making his opponents tap.

Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” – Friday, July 16, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. (click for press release)

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Champ Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin Sterritt (6-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Welterweight Duel Pitting Brennan “The Irish Bad Boy” Ward Against Gavin “War Horse” Sterritt Added to “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov”

May 27, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Easy Tweet: “‘Irish Bad Boy’ @SwaggleBerryFin returns against the British “War Horse” @GavinSterritt at #Bellator140, live and free on @spike!”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 27, 2015) – 26-year-old Connecticut native Brennan Ward (10-3) continues his run at 170-pounds when he meets Gavin Sterritt (6-1) on Friday, July 17 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The contest serves as the fourth Spike TV-broadcast main card matchup of the blockbuster fight card. Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

The July 17 event is shaping up to be a tremendous showcase of welterweight talent, already featuring previously announced bouts between Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), as well as Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears (16-13).

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

After winning the Bellator Season Nine middleweight tournament, Ward fell short in a bid for the championship against Alexander Shlemenko, who held the title at the time. This past February, Ward would bounce back on short notice in his debut as a welterweight with a first-round rear-naked choke submission victory over Curtis Millender at Bellator MMA: “British Invasion.”

The Waterford, Conn. native has an affinity for the finish, as he has ended nine of his ten professional tilts before reaching the judges’ scorecards. With his hometown a mere 10 miles away from the venue, “The Irish Bad Boy” is sure to have a strong home cage advantage over his opponent.

Nine years Ward’s senior at 35, Sterritt is a submission specialist fighting out of Liverpool, England who has held titles for multiple regional promotions. “War Horse” has competed twice under the Bellator MMA banner already, earning victories at Bellator 99 and Bellator 114.

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” – Friday, July 17, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin Sterritt (6-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts

Welterweight clash pitting undefeated Michael “Venom” Page against Rudy “Bad News” Bears added to “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov”

April 25, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

TICKETS ON SALE TODAY!

Easy Tweet: “BAD NEWS! British superstar @Michaelpage247 returns against Rudy “Bad News” Bears at #Bellator140, live and free on @Spike!”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 24, 2015) – Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will look to keep his unbeaten streak alive when he meets 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13) in a welterweight tilt at “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which takes place Friday, July 17, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The July 17 event is shaping up to be a tremendous showcase of welterweight talent, already featuring previously announced bouts between Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (26-5) and Russian knockout artist Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (17-1), as well as Chris Honeycutt (6-0), who takes on Paul Bradley (22-6).

The two 170-pounders meet on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

Page is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising stars in all of mixed martial arts. Showcasing blazing speed and pinpoint accuracy, “Venom’s” unorthodox striking style has been built over a lifetime of study in a variety of standup disciplines. The 28-year-old already owns three Bellator MMA victories, including a decision win over Nah-Shon Burrell this past October, as well as knockout wins over Ricky Rainey and Ryan Sanders. Six of Page’s seven career wins have come via first-round finish.

A 36-year-old Missouri native, Bears began his combat sports training in high school. Fighting professionally since 2007, Bears has appeared seven times previously under the Bellator MMA banner and now returns to the promotion after racking up back-to-back victories on the regional stage. Bears has competed against MMA notables the likes of Zak Cummings, Paul Daley, Jason High, Ryan Jensen, Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Tyron Woodley, amongst others.

Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” – Friday, July 17, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Champ Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” gets another clash between welterweight standouts as Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt meets Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley

April 23, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Easy Tweet: .@ChrisTheCutt and @PaulBradley184 set for welterweight war at #Bellator140 live & free on @spike”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 22, 2015) – Undefeated welterweight prospect Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) gets the toughest test of his career, as he meets fellow former All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6).

The two decorated grapplers meet on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, April 24^th at 10 a.m. ET, and are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com. Bellator Nation presale is currently taking place. Join the Bellator Newsletter list or follow us on social media (Twitter / Facebook) to gain access to the presale code and details.

The 26-year-old Honeycutt is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Edinboro University. Following his collegiate wrestling career, which ended with a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Honeycutt enlisted the help of fellow Edinboro wrestler Josh Koscheck and now trains at the longtime MMA veteran’s Dethrone Base Camp in Fresno, Calif.

Honeycutt made his Bellator MMA debut in September 2014, scoring a TKO victory over Aaron Wilkinson. He picked up his second win for the promotion in February, scoring a TKO win over Clayton MacFarlane.

The 31-year-old Bradley is an Iowa native who also earned a pair of NCAA Division I All-American honors while competing at the famed University of Iowa. Bradley turned to MMA in 2006 and earned 11 consecutive victories to open his career, picking up the Ring of Combat middleweight title along the way.

Bradley made his way to the Bellator MMA cage in 2013, and in three appearances to date, he has picked up decision victories over Josh Neer and Karl Amoussou. While Bradley’s base is firmly entrenched in wrestling, he’s developed into a complete martial artist during his time in the sport and now owns seven of his career wins by knockout with another seven coming by way of submission.

Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” – Friday, July 17, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Champ Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

STORM WARNING IN THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

February 15, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Alexander Shlemenko Defeats Melvin Manhoef in Spectacular Fashion on Spike TV at “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko”

Credit: Esther Lin / MMAFIGHTING.COM

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCORECARDS

FRESNO, Calif (Feb. 13, 2015)- Former Bellator Middleweight Champion Alexander “The Storm” Shlemenko (52-9) made quick work of his opponent with a dominating second-round knockout over Dutch striking ace Melvin Manhoef (29-13-1) in front of a near-capacity crowd at Save Mart Center at tonight’s “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event which aired LIVE and FREE on SPIKE TV.

With Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, and often-successful spinning backfist utilizer Emanuel Newton in the crowd, Shlemenko borrowed a page from his playbook and attempted several spinning fist and kick attacks throughout the first frame.

When the second round started, Shlemenko stuck to that same game plan, and connected his spinning forearm flush with the jaw of Manhoef, sending him tumbling to the canvas. The hungry Russian native left nothing to chance and landed another strike before “Big” John McCarthy pushed him off declaring him the winner at 1:25 of round 2.

“I hope Bellator heard me and will let me correct the mistake I made in the past and will give me the opportunity to fight for the Bellator Middleweight World Championship against Brandon Halsey.”

Former Featherweight Champion Pat Curran‘s road back to the top of the talented division hit a road block against Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Weichel of Germany. The two fighters wasted no time teeing off with crisp punches and accurate kicks, keeping the fight standing for a majority of the first frame. Weichel swept the leg of the former champ, who quickly bounced back to his feet and got right back into the mix. Both fighters finished the final seconds of round one with a flurry of punches that drew loud applause from the Fresno crowd.

Curran began the second round with a visible cut over his left eye. After spending most of the round on their feet, Curran rushed Weichel and scored a takedown, where he imposed his will on Weichel for the final minute, likely winning him the round.

The third round featured a continuation of the exciting slugfest with Curran attempting to score another takedown in the third, but the German fighter stuffed the attempt, briefly tried to work on a choke and then disengaged to finish the fight on his feet. At the end of 15 minutes, Weichel emerged victorious by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).

“Curran has achieved so much in Bellator and it was quite an honor to fight him. Tonight I proved that I belong here. I told the world that I am coming for the title shot and to claim the belt.”

Julia Budd (7-2) and Gabrielle Holloway (4-2) marked the first Bellator Women’s fight of the year. Budd, the Canadian Muay Thai specialist showed a well-rounded skill-set throughout the fight overpowering Holloway, who took the fight on short notice. Budd worked well from the clinch, utilized several knee strikes and connected with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of round one. Holloway showed great poise throughout, and worked Budd with a takedown to open the third round, however Budd was able to transition into an armbar attempt, and ultimately worked her way to Holloways’ back and grinded out a dominant unanimous decision scored 30-26, 30-25 and 30-24.

“I’m really disappointed I didn’t get the knockout,” said Budd. “I was hoping to get on my feet and keep it standing or finish it on the ground, but she controlled my wrists and I couldn’t get my hands free to finish it.

“She turtled the entire time so I couldn’t elbow and posture up and strike like I wanted to, but it’s definitely something I’m goinvg to work on for the next fight.”

In the nights opening fight, it was a battle of two highly accomplished wrestlers in Chris Honeycutt, a two-time D1 All-American and Clayton MacFarlane, a D2 National Champion. With the vocal hometown crown behind him, Honeycutt came out of the gates strong and utilized masterful ground control and precision striking throughout the first two rounds. The highly regarded welterweight prospect Honeycutt exhibited great strength at points, tossing MacFarlane to the ground. MacFarlane opened the third frame with a takedown, but Honeycutt regained control, took his opponents back and rained down strikes to MacFarlane’s body. MacFarlane, now 4-1, was unable to protect himself from the body blows, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 4:16 of the third round.

“I got the Victory, but would’ve liked to have received the TKO in an earlier round,” said Honeycutt, who improves his record to 6-0 with the TKO victory.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“BELLATOR: MANHOEF VS. SHLEMENKO” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS HAVE ALL FIGHTERS MAKING WEIGHT PRIOR TO FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE TV

February 13, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.” – Alexander Shlemenko

“He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.” – Melvin Manhoef

FRESNO, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Fighters took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, the site of tomorrow’s highly anticipated “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event, which airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” is headlined by an epic middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1). The event also features a sure-to-be-thrilling featherweight co-main event between former championPat Curran (20-6) and tournament winner Daniel Weichel (34-8).

Melvin Manhoef (186 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (186 lbs.)

Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145 lbs.)

Julia Budd (145 lbs.) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (145.5 lbs.)

Chris Honeycutt (170.5 lbs.) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (170.5 lbs.)

Art Arciniega (146 lbs.) vs. Emilio Chavez (146 lbs.)

Blake Watkins (185.5 lbs.) vs. George Zuniga (185 lbs.)

Paul Ruiz (135.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sperling (133 lbs.)

Nick Bustamante (156 lbs.) vs. Luis Jauregui (154 lbs.)

John Paul Elias (205 lbs.) vs. Cody Sons (205 lbs.)

Jonathan Contrestano (155 lbs.) vs. Ryan Tobar (155 lbs.)

Andrew Ramm (160.5 lbs.) vs. Adam Piccolotti (160 lbs.)

Mason Fowler (169 lbs.) vs. Marko Damiani (170 lbs.)

PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:

Alexander Shlemenko:

“Melvin [Manhoef] is a fast and strong fighter. He’s the best kickboxer in all of MMA.

“I’m ready for this fight because I think I have great striking and grappling ability. In this training camp I sparred a lot with muay thai guys back home in Omsk, Russia and i also changed my diet to gain more muscle mass to feel much better and stronger.

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.”

Melvin Manhoef:

“I’m going to fight Alexander [Shlemenko] hard and aggressively. The accuracy of my punches is what will make me win this fight.

“I’m not looking for the knockout, I want to do three rounds of five minutes of hard fighting. If the knockout comes, then it will come.

“He [Shlemenko] has a lot of speed and back-kicks. He has very good agility and is very well-rounded, but so am I. I think my striking, speed and kicking is better than his.

“I don’t mind if he is too confident going into this fight. He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.”

Pat Curran:

“A fights a fight. Everything can go out the window with one punch.

“I’m looking to getting back to being my old self. I am humbled and hungry, you are going to see the old Pat Curran in there with a couple new tricks up his sleeve.

“I’m always looking for the knockout or submission, but i’m ready to go three rounds. I’m prepared for any finish in any situation.

“He [Daniel Weichel] is very hungry right now. He’s a submission specialist and I have a feeling he’s going to come out hard and quick. I’m ready for anything and no matter what it’s going to be an exciting fight, I can’t wait to get back in there.

“I feel him out and bring him into my game. If he comes out strong I’m ready for that and we will match fire with fire.”

Daniel Weichel:

“This fight means a lot to me, like every fight here in Bellator. I will make a statement tomorrow night and will make everyone remember my name.

“I’m well-rounded and my biggest strength is that I can put the pressure for all 15 minutes.”

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

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 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, 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 TV:

Spike TV is 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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, Spike TV

BELLATOR ROLLS OUT SERIES OF “FOUNDATIONS” DIGITAL PIECES FEATURING MELVIN MANHOEF, ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO, PAT CURRAN & DANIEL WEICHEL

February 13, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

WATCH: MUST SEE TV RETURNS TO THURSDAY

Fans have been clamoring about the new “Foundations” video series that Bellator MMA has rolled out, offering an inside look at the lives of the four men who will top the fight card of “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” tomorrow night.

Featuring a thrilling middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1), “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” takes place Feb. 13 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. and airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

In a sure-to-be-amazing co-main event, former featherweight champion Pat Curran (20-6) looks to start the journey to reclaim his belt against tournament winner and submission specialist Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Tickets for the event, which start at just $28, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com,SaveMartCenter.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office.

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Melvin Manhoef

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Shlemenko

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel