Santa Monica, Calif. (April 16, 2015) – A thrilling 13-bout lineup for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” is now complete with the addition of women’s featherweights A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe (5-4), bantamweights Shawn “Bunch the Great” Bunch (3-1) vs.Rolando Perez (7-4) futhi John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert “The Warrior” Morales (1-0) to the evening’s preliminary card.
The three new additions finalize a nine-fight preliminary card scheduled in support of “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” four main card contests.
The night’s featured matchups include undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) ngokumelene emide scrapper Hawaiian Kendall “The Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1) futhi bantamweightsDarrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).
“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” ithatha indawo Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Ikhasino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. KANYE (6 p.m. PT isikhathi sendawo), kanti iziqubu zokukwazi usakaze on Spike.com.
Amathikithi for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” okuyinto ukuqala at nje $50, Okwamanje ukudayisa mhlaka Pechanga.com kanye Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.
Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” evulekile at 4 p.m. PT Isikhathi sendawo, futhi emncintiswaneni lokuqala luthatha 45 Ngemva kwemizuzu.
Jenkins, of Oceanside, Calif., is one of the most experienced competitors in women’s MMA. Ukulwa ngokomsebenzi kusukela 2004, Jenkins now makes her Bellator MMA debut. The 33-year-old boasts past tussles with MMA notables Shayna Baszler, Tonya Evinger, Jan Finney, Kelly Kobold and Sarah Schneider, phakathi kwabanye.
An Australian native, Blencowe is a world-class athlete and former Women’s International Boxing Association World light welterweight champion. After turning her attention to MMA in 2013, Blencowe initially garnered only mixed results as she adjusted to life in the sport. Nokho, she has racked up three-consecutive stoppage wins as of late, and that run earned her a call from Bellator MMA.
Bunch is one of MMA’s most elite-level wrestlers as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and two-time U.S. Olympic Team alternate. He now trains with the famed American Kickboxing Academy banner and has spent his entire professional MMA career under the Bellator MMA banner.
Khonamanjalo, Alliance MMA product Perez is a 10-year veteran of the sport who made his Bellator MMA in November and fought to a rarely-seen split draw. Still, Perez is unbeaten in his past four contests and now looks to get his first win in the promotion.
Yoo, of Irvine, Calif., makes his professional debut. He meets Morales, of Carson, Calif., who picked up a submission victory in the Bellator cage in his first professional contest.
“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” - Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.
IKhadi Main (9 p.m. KANYE)
Bellator middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Bellator Okufakiwe Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Okufakiwe Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Bellator Okufakiwe Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)
IKhadi Preliminary (7:45 p.m. KANYE)
Bellator middleweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)
Bellator Light wesibhakela Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)
Dark Fights (ngu. 11 p.m. KANYE)
Bellator Esilula Dark Prelim: John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert Morales (1-0)
Bellator Esilula Dark Prelim: Shawn Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4)
Bellator Esilula Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)
Bellator Esilula Dark Prelim: A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene Blencowe (5-4)