Tag Archives: Emmanuel Sanchez

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PHOTOS FROM “BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE” OPEN WORKOUTS

February 18, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SELECTION OF PHOTOS

(CREDIT: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

The four combatants from the “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” double-main event took part in an open workout this afternoon at the beautiful, state-of-the-art O Athletik gym in Houston prior to their fights on Friday night.

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The event features Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) in action against Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) fights the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.”

Also fighting at “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) and Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to recreate their epic 2014 barnburner. In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will attempt to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Campos (15-6).

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Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $50 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free 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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MELVIN GUILLARD NOW FACES DEREK CAMPOS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

February 4, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

JUSTIN ‘THE BIG PYGMY’ WREN RETURNS TO ACTION IN EVENT’S FEATURED PRELIMINARY BOUT

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 2, 2015) –An injury to Mike Bronzoulis has shifted things during the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Now, the lightweight contest will pit Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Derek Campos (15-6).

In addition, Justin “The Big Pygmy Viking” Wren (11-2) returns to action in what will be his second appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, when he meets Juan Torres (4-4) in heavyweight fisticuffs.

The fights join a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000” (2-0). In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and former light heavyweight titlist Emanuel Newton (25-9) battles Linton Vassell (15-5).

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free 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.

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Texas native with plenty to prove. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

Known as “The Stallion” to those familiar with his mixed martial arts career, Campos will come into his meeting with Guillard riding a two-fight skid. During his eight-fight tenure with Bellator MMA, the 27-year-old Texan has faced a plethora of top lightweight talent, going up against names the likes of: Michael Chandler, Patricky Freire, Brandon Girtz (2x), and Estevan Payan.

You would be hard-pressed to find a better story in all of MMA than the one that Wren can tell. The two-time National High School Wrestling Champion generated massive amounts of media attention on the road to his promotional debut at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz,” where he defeated Josh Burns. His story begins several years earlier, in 2010, when Wren confronted an opponent tougher than any he could face in combat sports: addiction.

With an opportunity to continue fighting on the table, Wren left the sport and began his recovery process. A chance meeting with a friend led Wren on a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he came across and developed a deep connection with the Mbuti Pygmies, many of whom were enslaved, living on only the scraps the slave masters would pay them with. Wren found his calling there and wanted to do everything in his power to help the Pygmies. With multiple visits to the Congo, including a stint that lasted a year, Wren started a foundation called “Fight for the Forgotten.” Through his efforts, Wren and his staff of 17 have systematically bought the land of the slave owners, and have thus far legally given 2,740 acres of rainforest to the Pygmies, effectively freeing them from slavery.

Partnering with other groups like Shalom University and joining forces with Water4.org, Wren and his charity are responsible for drilling 26 water wells to help provide both the Pygmies and the former slave masters with clean water, and have plans to drill hundreds more. In addition, the team has begun a sustainable farming project to benefit and provide food to both the Pygmies and non-Pygmies of the community.

Take a look below at the complete 19-fight “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” card and be sure to tune into SPIKE on February 19 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT for an event that has something for every fight fan.

Completed “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Fight Card

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. “Dada 5000” (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Ruben Esparsa (1-0) vs. C.J. Hancock (Debut)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Adrian Yanez (3-1) vs. Daniel Santos (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Isaac Villanueva (9-7) vs. Richard Knepp (3-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Trinh (2-3) vs. Angel Zamora (2-2)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Langellier (2-0) vs. Anthony Ivy (1-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Manny Lozoya (Debut) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (1-5)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Amateur Bout: Leomana Martinez (2-0) vs. Casey Jones (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Chris Solis (2-0) vs. Alex Macedo (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Jonathan Davis (2-0) vs. Shawn Solis (1-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Amateur Bout: Hunter Scott-Gregg (1-0) vs. Ricardo Deluque (1-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH PITTING FORMER CHAMPION EMANUEL NEWTON AGAINST LINTON VASSELL COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

January 7, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 5, 2016) –The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is now complete, with the addition of a light heavyweight rematch featuring former Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) meeting Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC).

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free 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.

Both Newton and Vassell were participants in the four-man, light-heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.” Now, the pair of 205-pounders will look to re-establish themselves atop one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Bellator MMA.

A former champion, Newton will be making his 12^th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion and hopes to duplicate the success he experienced at the expense of Vassell during “Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell” back in 2014. Better known as “The Hardcore Kid,” the 31-year-old has been half of some of the most memorable contests in Bellator MMA history, namely, his spinning-backfist finish of “King Mo” and his back-and-forth war with current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary.

Undoubtedly one of the goals for Vassell in 2016 is finding his way onto the recently announced Bellator MMA debut in London later this year. For this to come to fruition, “The Swarm” surely needs to redeem himself from the fifth-round, rear-naked choke submission defeat he suffered at the hands of his“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” opponent. February 19 will mark the seventh time Vassell has competed under the Bellator MMA banner and “The Swarm” will be looking to add to his impressive finishing mark of 13 stoppages in 15 victories.

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

‘THE YOUNG ASSASSIN’ VS. ‘THE GREEK ASSASSIN’ MELVIN GUILLARD TAKES ON HOUSTON’S MIKE BRONZOULIS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

December 18, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 16, 2015) – A lightweight contest pitting Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Houston’s Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1) has been added to the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker announced the new addition on his Twitter account last night.

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free 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.

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Houston, Texas native. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

Bronzoulis returned to the Bellator MMA fray against a debuting Josh Thomson at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” this past September. “The Greek Assassin” has not shied away from tough opponents throughout his career, having competed against guys like Thomson, Joe Riggs, Gerald Harris and Jorge Patino during his 28-fight career. The Houston native hopes to have plenty of hometown support when he takes on Guillard inside the Bellator MMA cage on Feb. 19.

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

EMMANUEL SANCHEZ-DANIEL PINEDA ADDED TO MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149’

November 27, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (November 25) – A featherweight contest pitting Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) against Daniel Pineda (21-11) has been added to the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” onFeb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — MMA legends Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie meet for a third time and Kimbo Slice will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.”

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, Toyota Center Box Office, and Houston area Randall’s locations.

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Spike.com.

Sanchez has bounced back from a tough decision loss against former Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Pat Curran with two wins against young, top-flight 145-pound talent, distancing himself from the title of prospect and solidifying himself as a contender. “El Matador” now boasts a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA umbrella and will be fighting for the fifth time in a span of 329 days.

Standing opposite of the Roufusport fighter will be Pineda, a 30-year-old that already has amassed a 32-fight professional career. A veteran of Legacy Fighting Championship, “The Pit” has never seen a victory reach the judges’ scorecards, finishing 15 pairings via submission, the other six by knockout. This will be Pineda’s first appearance for Bellator MMA since 2010 at “Bellator 19.”

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

JOE WARREN-L.C. DAVIS PREPARED FOR MAIN EVENT CLASH AT ‘BELLATOR 143’ LIVE & FREE ON SPIKE

September 25, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE WEIGH-IN PHOTOS

HIDALGO, Texas (September 24, 2015) – Less than 24 hours separates Joe Warren (12-4) and L.C. Davis (23-6) from competing in the main event of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” at State Farm Arena, in what amounts to a crucial pairing in the bantamweight division.

“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the stacked preliminary portion of the event will stream live on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

Both men hit their required marks of 135-pounds, as did the remainder of the four-fight main card on Spike, which features a middleweight pairing between Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC) and Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC), a featherweight contest pitting Henry Corrales (12-1) against Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2), and a heavyweight tilt that with Vinicius Queiroz(7-3) welcoming promotional newcomer Ewerton Teixeira (3-0).

The Spike.com-streamed preliminary card also features several must-see fights, including the promotional debuts of Chase Gormley and Gleristone Santos and what promises to be a barnburner, when Darrion Caldwell and Shawn Bunch meet at 135-pounds. Ryan Couture was supposed to make his return to the Bellator MMA cage, but the fight was scrapped when his opponent Nick Gonzalez missed weight.

Below are the official weights and weigh-in photos for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

4 PRELIMINARY BOUTS ANCHORED BY RYAN COUTURE VERSUS NICK GONZALEZ COMPLETES ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25

September 5, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 24, 2015) – Four fights have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of Ryan Couture (10-3) versus Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez, (18-12) as well as three other preliminary scraps.

The remaining fights round out a stacked card that also includes: Abram Torres (3-3) taking on Daniel Cervantes (2-3), Saul Elizondo (6-5) returning to action against Amador Ramirez (4-4) and undefeated Steve Garcia (5-0) meeting Eduardo Bustillos (4-1).

The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after.

Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Ryan Couture will look to remain undefeated in 2015. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission.

Couture will go up against Gonzalez, who you can call a true Bellator MMA veteran. “The Ghost” competed at the promotion’s inaugural event back in 2009 and then again at Bellator 6. With 30-fights to his name, the Austin, Texas native will compete professionally for the first time in nearly two years.

In a battle of 170-pounders, Torres will look to end a two-fight losing when he faces Cervantes on September 25. Cervantes has won his only fight in 2015, a unanimous decision win on May 29.

Elizondo and Ramirez will square off in bantamweight action. Both men will be making their Bellator MMA debuts.

Finally, undefeated Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia will look to add to the impressive start to his pro career when he meets Eduardo Bustillos. The 23-year-old has already notched three wins under the Bellator MMA banner and has finished four out of five bouts. Bustillos is no slouch, having ended three of his four wins via submission.

“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card

Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Nick Gonzalez (18-12)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Abram Torres (3-3) vs. Daniel Cervantes (2-3)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Saul Elizondo (6-5) vs. Amador Ramirez (4-4)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (5-0) vs. Eduardo Bustillos (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 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 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:

Spike 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’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, Spike TV

UNDEFEATED DARRION ‘THE WOLF’ CALDWELL MEETS SHAWN ‘BUNCH THE GREAT’ BUNCH AT ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25

September 3, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

CHASE GORMLEY MAKES HIS BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST DAN CHARLES

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 2, 2015) – Not one, but two must-see bouts have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of undefeated Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0) versus Shawn Bunch (4-1) and heavyweight action seeing Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC) against Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3).

Caldwell remained undefeated with an impressive unanimous decision win over Rafael Silva at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The standout collegiate wrestler has made it clear that he hopes to have Bellator MMA championship gold on his mantle before the year is out. “The Wolf” plans to remain at bantamweight for the foreseeable future even though he was unbeaten at 145-pounds as well.

Standing opposite of Caldwell will be Bunch, a 32-year-old Ohio native who has seen all six of his professional fights take place in Bellator MMA. A member of American Kickboxing Academy in Northern California, “Bunch The Great” wants nothing more than to give Caldwell his first defeat as a pro.

In heavyweight action, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Chase Gormley will look to keep his five-fight winning streak intact when he competes on September 25. The Titan Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin won the regional promotion’s title in his last outing with a unanimous decision win over Jon Madsen in March.

Dan Charles will return to action for the first time since his matchup with Bobby Lashley at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” a bout that “The Man” took on short notice after James Thompson was forced out due to injury. The 29-year-old will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has earned victory via finish in seven out of nine wins.