Santa MONICA, Calif. (April 9, 2015) – A talent-laden preliminary card for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” event is starting to take shape with the addition of welterweights Hehe Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky “Ko te kaipupuhi” Rainey (10-3), bantamweights Joe “The Juggernaut” Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Anthony “Tigre” Duarte (18-5) me te mā whitu Horano “Boy ātaahua” Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Hiha “Morceguinho” Neves Jr. (30-0).
The new additions complement the four-bout main card for “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove,” which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) ki tiketike scrapper Hawaiian Kendall “Ko te Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “Ko te Marine” Richman (18-5), heavyweights te marama Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. “Heu” Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) me welterweights Fernando “Ko te Menifee rewera” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1).
“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” e wahi i runga i Rāmere, Kia 15, i Pechanga Resort & Casino i roto i te Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. AND (6 p.m. PT wā rohe), i te awa pāngia tuatahi i runga i Spike.com.
Tikiti hoki “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” e tīmata i tika $50, E tēnei wā i runga i te hoko i Pechanga.com me te Pechanga Resort & Casino tari pouaka.
Doors hoki “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” tuwhera i 3:30 p.m. PT wā rohe, me te whakataetae tuatahi e wahi 30 meneti i muri. Kia ka kauwhautia pāngia tahi atu mau tata.
Juarez, o Torrance, Calif., is a seven-time Bellator MMA veteran whose days with the company date back to the promotion’s second show. The 33-year-old has been fighting professionally since 2006 but is currently enjoying one of the best runs of his career at 5-1 in his past six appearances, a run that includes Bellator MMA wins over Ron Keslar, Joe Williams and Jordan Smith.
Rainey, of Gastonia, N.C., fights for the fourth time under the Bellator MMA banner. All three of Rainey’s Bellator MMA fights have ended in the first round, as he’s bracketed TKO wins over Johnny Cisneros and Andy Murad around a loss to top contender Michael “Venom” Whārangi. Seven of Rainey’s 10 career wins have come by finish, including six by knockout.
A five-time Bellator MMA veteran, Taimanglo has quickly established himself as one of Guam’s top fighting exports. A scrappy 30-year-old, Taimanglo never fails to entertain. He fought most recently in September, scoring a decision win over Michael Parker.
Fighting professionally since 2006, Duarte hails from Tijuana, Mexico. He makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of back-to-back submission wins over Marco Beristain and Ed West. Fifteen of Duarte’s 18 career wins come by way of stoppage, whai wāhi 11 by tapout.
The 24-year-old Parsons, of Fargo, N.D., is a member of California’s famed Alliance MMA. Fighting professionally, Parsons has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world after winning 10 o tona tuatahi 11 whawhai ngaio, including three by knockout and two by submission. Parsons made his Bellator MMA debut in April 2014, scoring a knockout win over Tim Bazer just four seconds into the second round.
Brazil’s Neves Jr. has compiled an incredible career mark of 30-0 despite being just 20 tau. Whakataetae ngaiotanga mai 2011, i te tika ia ia 17 tau, Neves Jr. already owns a pair of Bellator MMA victories by TKO, as he downed Poppies Martinez in the first round of a September 2014 matchup and finished Josh Arocho in the second round of an April 2014 whakataetae.
“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” - Rāmere, Kia 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.
Kāri Main (9 p.m. AND)
Whawhai Bellator whitu Taitara: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Ngā Bellator whā Whawhai: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Ngā Whawhai Light Heavyweight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Ngā Whawhai Welterweight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Kāri hukihuki (7 p.m. AND)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Whawhai: Hehe Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)
Bellator whā Prelim Whawhai: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator mā whitu Prelim Whawhai: Horano Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
