Tag Archives: Yamauchi li

EXPLOSIVE WELTERWEIGHT BOUT PITTING PAUL DALEY AGAINST LORENZ LARKIN ADDED TO BELLATOR 183 RAU HNUB SATURDAY, CUAJ HLI 23 Hauv San Jose

 

LIGHTWEIGHT MATCHUP PITTING UNDEFEATED ADAM PICCOLOTTI AGAINST GOITI YAMAUCHI ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD

LOS ANGELES – An exciting welterweight contest between British slugger Paul Daley (39-15-2) thiab california Lorenz Larkin (18-6, 1 NC), as well as a compelling lightweight bout pitting Adas Piccolot (9-0) tiv thaiv Yamauchi li (21-3) have been added to Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull nyob rau hnub Saturday, Cuaj hlis 23 ntawm cov kua ntoo Center nyob rau hauv San Jose, California.

That evening, SAP Center in San Jose will also play host to Bellator Kickboxing 7, which features a welterweight world title main event with current champ Karim Ghajji (97-13-1) set to defend his title against Raymond Daniels (11-3).

Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. I, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Bellator Kickboxing 7: Ghajji vs. Daniels will air on SPIKE immediately following Bellator 184: Dantas vs. Caldwell on Lub kaum hli ntuj 6. Tickets for the event are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.

Ib tug qub tub rog ntawm 56 kev sib ntaus, Paul “Semtex” Daley will look to once again showcase his explosive and dangerous power against Lorenz Larkin. With nine of his last 10 yeej los ntawm txoj kev ntawm knockout, including an emphatic flying knee KO against Brennan Ward ntawm Bellator 170 nyob rau hauv Lub ib hlis ntuj, Daley will look to re-establish himself as a top contender in Bellator’s stacked welterweight division with a win on September 23.

 

Larkin enters the bout against Daley with an equally impressive arsenal of strikes and power. Nrog 11 ntawm 18 yeej los ntawm txoj kev ntawm knockout, tus dej, California. native comes into the event following a must-see title bout against Douglas Lima ntawm Bellator NYC nyob rau hauv Lub rau hli ntuj, a fight that marked “The Monsoon’s” promotional debut. With marquee wins over Robbie Lawler, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Jorge Masvidal and Neil Magny to his name, Larkin will look to add Paul Daley to his long list of defeats on his way to reaffirming his status as the division’s top contender.

 

Fighting out of Half Moon Bay, California., Piccolotti will enter the cage for the first time in 2017 following his unanimous decision victory over Brandon Girtz last November at Bellator 165. The 28-year-old lightweight began his professional career on the regional MMA scene where he collected four consecutive victories, including a trio of finishes before joining forces with the Viacom-owned promotion. “AP” has continued his success with Bellator MMA, earning five straight wins over competitors in the stacked lightweight division, including three submission finishes.

 

Coming off a win against Valeriu Mircea at Bellator 168, the 24-year-old Yamauchi, who trains out of Anjo, Nyiv, will continue his run in the lightweight division after making the jump to 155-pounds in 2016. In his career, the Yamauchi has an incredible 17 submission victories among his 21 career victories and holds wins against Ryan Couture, Isao Kobayashi and Mike Richman.

Tshiab Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull Fight Card

Lightweight Main Event: Benson Henderson (24-7) vs. Patricky "Pitbull" Freire (17-8)

Hnyav Hnyav Co-Main Hem: Roy Nelson (23-14) vs. Javy Ayala (10-5)

Welterweight Main Card Bout: Paul Daley (39-15-2) vs. Lorenz Larkin (18-6, 1 NC)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Adas Piccolot (9-0) vs. Yamauchi li (21-3)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Aaron Pico (0-1) vs. TBA

Tshiab Bellator Kickboxing 7: Ghajji vs. Daniels Fight Card

Welterweight Kickboxing World Title Main Event: Karim Ghajji (97-13-1) vs. Raymond Daniels (11-3)

 

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TOP PROSPECT ED RUTH JOINS THIS FRIDAY’S ‘BELLATOR 168’ CARD IN FLORENCE FOR HIS SECOND FIGHT IN AS MANY MONTHS

 

Raug Monica, California (Dec. 6, 2016) – It was announced today that one of MMA’s hottest prospects, Thiab Ruth (1-0), will waste no time continuing to build his resume, as he fights Emanuele Palombi (5-2) for his second fight in as many months. The bout takes place no hnub Friday ntawm "Bellator 168: Sakara vs. Beltran," rau Dec. 10 from the Mandela Forum in Florence and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 4pm ET/PT.

 

Tsuas 26 xyoo, Ruth is looking to pave the way for the other members of “The New Breed," a group of highly accomplished wrestlers who have all signed to fight under the Bellator MMA banner including: Joey Davis (1-0), Tyrell hmoov (1-0), Jarod Trice (1-0) raws li zoo raws li Aaron Pico thiab Romero Cotton – the last of which have yet to make their highly anticipated professional debuts. Before he was a three-time National Champion and four-time All-American wrestler at Penn State University, Ruth attended the world-renown Blair Academy in Susquehanna Township, PA, where he was the top-ranked recruit in the nation for his weight class. Having achieved great success at every stage of competition throughout his life, Ruth aspires to have the Bellator middleweight gold around his waist before long. After making the move across the country to Fresno, California., where he now trains at Dethrone Basecamp with other Bellator MMA fighters like Josh Koscheck thiab Chris Honeycutt, Ruth made his professional MMA debut just last month on Nov. 4, when he finished Dustin Collins-Miles with strikes at 3:19 mus rau hauv tus thawj puag ncig.

 

Ruth now faces Rome’s Palombi, a seven-fight veteran with five victories including three KO’s and one submission. Ruth, who is taking the fight on less than a week’s notice, must quickly learn how to tune out a hometown crowd, who will certainly be heavily in favor of the Italian fighter.

 

The evening is highlighted by a main event featuring Italy’s most renowned mixed martial artist Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC), who will duke it out with Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) in a light heavyweight main event. Other Bellator MMA competitors will also be in action, kuj muaj John Salter (12-3), Yamauchi li (31-9) thiab Philipe Lins(10-1).

 

The Bellator Kickboxing brand will also be on display in Italy with a card that features a female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz (45-3) thiab Hwjchim ci ntsa iab rau cov neeg (11-1-1), but this time, a world title will be on the line. "Bellator kickboxing: Florence” will also include a lightweight clash between Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) and British kickboxing champion Jordan Watson (48-11-2), a middleweight matchup pitting Joe Schilling (19-9) tiv thaiv Victorio Lermano (30-7), a welterweight contest pairing Luca Novello (22-4-2) nrog Karim Ghajji (96-13-1), thiab Kevin Ross(31-9) yuav ua tau raws li Alessio Arduini (26-14-2) nyob rau hauv ib tug sib sib ntaus. "Bellator kickboxing: Florence” airs Friday, Dec. 16 ntawm 11:15 pm ET, immediately following "Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 168: Sakara vs. Beltran” Card:

Teeb Heavyweight Feature sib ntaus: Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)

Teeb Heavyweight Feature sib ntaus: Philipe Lins (10-1) vs. Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7)

Middleweight Feature Fight: John Salter (12-3) vs. Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Yamauchi li (31-9) vs. Mircea Valeriu (12-3)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Thiab Ruth (1-0) vs. Emanuele Palombi (5-2)

Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Jordan Watson (48-11-2)

Flyweight World Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Hwjchim ci ntsa iab rau cov neeg (11-1-1)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (19-9) vs. Victorio Lermano (30-7)

Welterweight Feature sib ntaus: Luca Novello (22-4-2) vs. Karim Ghajji (96-13-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Kevin Ross (31-9) vs. Alessio Arduini (26-14-2)

LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH PITTING GOITI YAMAUCHI AGAINST VALERIU MIRCEA ADDED TO “BELLATOR 168: CARVALHO VS. MANHOEF 2” IN FLORENCE

 

TSEEM: PHILIPE LINS NOW MEETS KLEBER RAIMUNDO SILVA

Raug Monica, California. (Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 30, 2016) - Ib tug sib bout Pitting Yamauchi li (20-3) tiv thaiv Mircea Valeriu (12-3) completes the MMA portion of "Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2,” on a night which will feature both Bellator MMA and Bellator Kickboxing brands inside the Mandela Forum in Florence.

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, due to an injury suffered by Pietro Cappelli, Philipe Lins (10-1) tam sim no yuav ntsib Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7) in light heavyweight action on Dec. 10.

The mixed martial arts portion of action on Dec. 10 is headlined by a middleweight world title fight featuring a rematch between Rafael Carvalho (13-1) thiab Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC), while Italy’s own Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauv Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC) at 205-pounds, thiab John Salter (12-3) raws li Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4) nyob rau hauv ib tug Middleweight sib ntau sib tw. "Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 4pm ET/PT.

The Bellator Kickboxing card features a female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz (45-3) thiab Hwjchim ci ntsa iab rau cov neeg (11-1-1), but this time, a world title will be on the line. "Bellator kickboxing: Florence” will also feature a lightweight clash between Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) and British kickboxing champion Jordan Watson (48-11-2), a middleweight matchup pitting Joe Schilling (19-9) tiv thaiv Victorio Lermano(30-7), a welterweight contest pairing Luca Novello (22-4-2) nrog Karim Ghajji (96-13-1), thiab Kevin Ross(31-9) yuav ua tau raws li Alessio Arduini (26-14-2) nyob rau hauv ib tug sib sib ntaus. "Bellator kickboxing: Florence” airs Friday, Dec. 16 ntawm 11:15 pm ET, immediately following "Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”

An 8-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Yamauchi enters the cage in search of his 21st career win and seventh under the Scott Coker-led promotion. You would be hard-pressed to find a fighter with more promise than the 23-year-old top prospect, who has already taken down proven veterans the likes of Martin Stapleton, Isao Kobayashi, thiab nyuam qhuav Ryan Couture. The former featherweight returned to the lightweight division to face the aforementioned Couture earlier in the year at "Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove," a fight in which Yamauchi dominated from the get-go, earning yet another first round submission victory. Yamauchi has finished his opponent in 17 ntawm nws 20 career wins, kuj muaj 14 in the opening round of action. The Japanese-Brazilian submission specialist continues to make great strides in the sport, consistently displaying the flawless Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique that has given opponents many nightmares year after year.

Challenging Yamauchi will be Valeriu Mircea, a Moldova-born competitor that has also seen a great deal of success early on in his MMA career. The 23-year-old knockout artist will be making his Bellator MMA debut following three consecutive victories, including a pair of first round knockouts. Dating back to 2015, Mircea has collected wins in nine of his last 10 bouts and has already tallied six victories over his 2016 phiaj los nqis tes. With three of his last four wins coming by way of first round knockout, you can expect an early array of attack in this pairing of two top prospects.

Taking on Lins will now be Raimundo Silva, a 28-year-old striker who will be making both his 2016 and Bellator MMA debut. Dating back to 2011, “Orgulho” has won seven of his last 11 kev sib tw, highlighted by his most recent knockout victory over Claudio Rocha, which came just 3:25 mus rau hauv tus thawj puag ncig.

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” Card:

Middleweight World Title Bout: Rafael Carvalho (13-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC)

Teeb Heavyweight Feature sib ntaus: Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)

Teeb Heavyweight Feature sib ntaus: Philipe Lins (10-1) vs. Kleber Raimundo Silva (12-7)

Middleweight Feature Fight: John Salter (12-3) vs. Claudio Annicchiarico (1-4)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Yamauchi li (31-9) vs. Mircea Valeriu (12-3)

Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Jordan Watson (48-11-2)

Flyweight World Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Hwjchim ci ntsa iab rau cov neeg (11-1-1)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (19-9) vs. Victorio Lermano (30-7)

Welterweight Feature sib ntaus: Luca Novello (22-4-2) vs. Karim Ghajji (96-13-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Kevin Ross (31-9) vs. Alessio Arduini (26-14-2)

ALEXANDER ‘STORM’ SHLEMENKO IS BACK IN BUSINESS AFTER TKO VICTORY AT ‘BELLATOR 162’ IN MEMPHIS

10 Kendall Grove V Alexander Shlemenko_0051

FULL FIGHT PHOTOS / VIDEO NQE

Alexander Shlemenko returns with a patented livershot TKO over Kendall Grove

 

Memphis (Oct. 21, 2016) – The most decorated middleweight in Bellator history, Alexander Shlemenko (54-9, 1NC) returned to the cagehmo no in a big way against Kendall Grove (23-16). The first round saw aggressive back and forth action with each fighter getting rocked. Shlemenko successfully utilized powerful spinning backfists and heelkicks to close the distance on the 6’6 Hawaiian. “The Storm” stalked Grove throughout the cage before ultimately connecting with a nasty combo that saw a left hand to the liver, followed by a right hand to the chin, sending his towering opponent to the mat. Shlemenko followed up with a barrage of strikes to “Da Spyda” before “Big John” McCarthy waved the fight off at 1:43 ntawm ob thav duab.

 

 

Lashley sinks in a rear-naked choke to end Appelt’s night in round two

 

Bobby Lashley (15-2) continued to live up to his nickname of “The Dominator” as he tossed his opponent, Josh Appelt (12-6) to the mat at will. Throughout the first round, Lashley jockeyed for position as he rained down punches while trying to lock in a submission in front of his friend from his days as a WWE Superstar, Jerry “The King” Lawler, who watched from his cage side seat. Appelt landed a couple strikes to start the second frame before being slammed to the mat and ultimately submitted with a one-armed rear-naked choke at 1:43 of Round 2.

 

 

 

Yamauchi finishes Couture with armbar submission just one minute into bout

The 23-year-old submission specialist Yamauchi li (20-3) yeej Ryan Couture (10-5) via arm bar submission just 1:01 mus rau hauv lub qhib puag ncig. Making his lightweight debut, Yamauchi becomes the first opponent to submit Couture over his 15-fight career. The win gives the Brazilian-Japanese prospect 20 total over his career, including five since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion back in 2013. The slick arm bar marks the 16th submission victory for Yamauchi, 13 of which have come in the first frame.

 

 

Kato scores TKO victory over Matthews

 

The first televised fight of the evening featured two highly gifted strikers in A.J. Matthews (8-6), a muay-Thai practitioner and Hisaki Kato(7-2), who holds a black belt in Kyokushin Karate. Both fighters exchanged great combinations throughout the entirety of the first round, with Matthews even wobbling Kato halfway through the frame. but was unable to capitalize, allowing Kato to regain his composure. A break in the action because of an accidental eye poke to Matthews allowed Kato to completely recover, and when the fight continued, Kato utilized his right kick to the body-left hand to the dome combination to send Matthews to the canvas, pouncing with a flurry of punches forcing the referee to call a stop to the action at 4:58 ntawm cov thawj ncej.

 

 

Complete Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

 

Bantamweight preliminary bout: Steve Garcia (7-1) def. Ronnie Lawrence (1-1) via UD

Welterweight preliminary bout: Ricky Rainey (12-4) def. Gilbert Smith (12-6) via UD

Featherweight preliminary bout: Julia Budd (9-2) def. Arlene Blencowe (7-6) via MD

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Virgil Zwicker (15-5-1) def. Dan Charles (10-4-1) via TKO at 4:31of Round 2

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Chase Gormley (14-5, 1 NC) def. Bobby Brents (17-6) via SD

Welterweight preliminary bout: Wade Johnson (11-1) def. Tyler Hill (6-1) via SUB (rear-liab qab caj pas) ntawm 3:35 of Round 3

Me Me Kev Sib Tw: James Wallace (2-0) def. Jonathan Burdine (4-5) via SUB (rear-liab qab caj pas) ntawm 3:33 of Round 2

Nruab Nrab Ntshai Sib Tw: Eryk Anders (5-0) def. Brian White (5-5) via TKO at 0:23 of Round 1

Catchweight (160 lb.) Kev Sib Tw Ua Ntej: Jaleel Willis (7-0) vs. Omar Johnson (4-1) via UD

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Grady Hurley (10-1) def. Chad Cook (10-11) ntawm 2:29 of Round1

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Mike Wessell (15-8) vs. Frank Tate (4-2) via UD

PROFESSIONAL DEBUT OF ‘BABY SLICE’ SET TO ANCHOR PRELIMINARY PORTION OF ‘BELLATOR 162’ IN MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21

 

CHASE GORMLEY, JULIA BUDD, DAN CHARLES, & VIRGIL ZWICKER ALSO BACK IN ACTION

COMPLETE ‘BELLATOR 162’ CARD BELOW

Raug Monica, California. (Cuaj hlis 26, 2016) – The preliminary portion of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Oct. 21 is official and amongst the 12 new additions, there is plenty of action to be consumed during the Bellator.com-streamed card.

Notably, the professional mixed martial arts debut of “Baby Slice” will finally take place, when the 24-year-old returns from injury to meet Rick Bing, who also will be lacing up the gloves for the first time as a pro. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Steve Garcia (6-1) yuav fim Ronnie Lawrence (1-0), Julia Budd (8-2) also returns from injury to face Arlene Blencowe (7-5), heavyweights Chase Gormley (13-5) thiab Bobby Brents (17-5) collide, thiab 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide National Champion Eryk Anders (4-0) yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauv Brian White (5-4).

The completed preliminary portion joins a stacked main card highlighted by a middleweight main event pitting former middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) tiv thaiv Kendall Grove (23-15). Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, former WWE competitor Bobby Lashley (14-2) thiab Josh Appelt (12-5) prepare to square off in a heavyweight co-main event, while a middleweight tilt between Hisaki Kato (6-2) thiab A.J. Matthews (8-5) is also set for the SPIKE-televised main card. Kawg, Yamauchi li (19-3) thiab Ryan Couture (10-4) will face-off in a lightweight feature fight.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.

See below for the complete listing of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” tilts, which amounts to 16 action packed bouts.

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Hnyav Hnyav Co-Main Hem: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Nruab nrab ntawm kev sib tw: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)

Kev sib yuav ntawm kev sib tw: Yamauchi li (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)

 

Complete Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

Welterweight preliminary bout: Tus mos ab (Debut) vs. Rick Bing (Debut)

Welterweight preliminary bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)

Bantamweight preliminary bout: Steve Garcia (6-1) vs. Ronnie Lawrence (1-0)

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Chase Gormley (13-5, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Brents (17-5)

Featherweight preliminary bout: Julia Budd (8-2) vs. Arlene Blencowe (7-5)

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Dan Charles (10-3-1) vs. Virgil Zwicker (14-5-1)

Welterweight preliminary bout: Tyler Hill (6-0) vs. Wade Johnson (10-1)

Me Me Kev Sib Tw: Jonathan Burdine (4-4) vs. James Wallace (1-0)

Nruab Nrab Ntshai Sib Tw: Eryk Anders (4-0) vs. Brian White (5-4)

Catchweight (160 lb.) Kev Sib Tw Ua Ntej: Jaleel Willis (6-0) vs. Omar Johnson (4-0)

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Chad Cook (10-10) vs. Grady Hurley (9-1)

Hnyav hau kev sib tw ua ntej: Mike Wessell (14-8) vs. Frank Tate (4-1)

HISAKI KATO TAKES ON A.J. MATTHEWS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASH AS BELLATOR MMA INVADES MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21

 

GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD

Raug Monica, California. (Cuaj hlis 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting Hisaki Kato (6-2) tiv thaiv A.J. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Lub kaum hli ntuj 21.

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, a lightweight faceoff pitting Yamauchi li (19-3) tiv thaiv Ryan Couture (10-4) completes the SPIKE-televised main card. The first of what will be a stacked preliminary card is also official, with the news that Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-4) yuav tua Gilbert “Chocolate Thunder” Smith (12-5). Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.

Since signing with Bellator MMA, the calm and subdued Kato has been in nothing but absolute barn burners once the cage door shuts. The exciting fights have even transcended combat sport iterations, when at "Bellator MMA: Dynamite 2 " Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped Joe Schilling in his tracks, the second finish in as many tries for “The Japanese Musketeer” against “Stitch Em’ Up.” Currently situated in France, the 33-year-old has had one MMA contest thus far in 2016, stopping Yuta Watanabe in April.

When he’s not traveling the world in an effort to learn everything there is to know about the different martial arts disciplines, Matthews is putting his skills to the test under the Bellator MMA umbrella. A veteran of Strikeforce, “The Mercenary” has laced up the gloves seven times previously for the Viacom-owned promotion, stopping his opponent in all but one of his victories. Primarily training at Alliance MMA throughout his career, Matthews has spent much of his time as of late in Thailand, even taking a Muay Thai bout before meeting Ben Reiter ntawm "Bellator 156: Galvao vs.. Dantas 2.”

Thaum cia li 23-xyoo-laus, Yamauchi is one of the premiere young talents in the sport of MMA today. Prior to joining Bellator MMA, the Japanese submission specialist amassed an unfathomable 14-1 cov ntaub ntawv nrog 11 submissions and one knockout. Since merging with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Yamauchi has strung together a promising mark of 5-2 with three rear-naked choke submissions. Of his 19 career wins, 15 tau tuaj los ntawm txoj kev ntawm kev mloog lus, while no opponent has yet been able to finish the elusive fighter. Yamauchi will now jump up in weight class and join the lightweight division for a clash with one of the most legendary last names in MMA, Couture.

Known to many as the son of former world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has made 14 professional appearances over his career, all of which took place under the bright lights of a national promotion like Strikeforce or Bellator MMA. Residing in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old submission specialist enters the cage having won four of his past five contests, with each of his victories coming by way of rear-naked choke submission. Although there is a noticeable age difference between his opponent, Yamauchi made his professional debut a mere two months after Couture, in October of 2010. Tune in to SPIKE on Lub kaum hli ntuj 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Hnyav Hnyav Co-Main Hem: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Nruab nrab ntawm kev sib tw: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)

Kev sib yuav ntawm kev sib tw: Yamauchi li (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)

 

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight preliminary bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)

DARRION CALDWELL SUPLEXES, CHOKES HIS WAY TO MAIN EVENT VICTORY AT ‘BELLATOR 151’ RAU ntev

 

Complete Event Photos Here

 

THACKERVILLE, OK. (Lub peb hlis ntuj 4, 2016) – It’s safe to say Darrion Caldwell (9-0) asserted himself as a legitimate title contender with his victory over Joe Warren (13-5) nyob rau hauv lub ntsiab kev tshwm sim ntawm “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” on Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd at WinStar Resort and Casino.

As many expected, the fight quickly made it to the mat, nrog “The Wolf” taking down the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” and initiating a sequence of ground-and-pound offense. After Warren made it back to his feet, the former NC State wrestler suplexed Warren and sunk in a rear-naked choke — that Warren refused to tap to — forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to wave off the bout at 3:23 ntawm puag ncig ib.

Following the technical submission victory, Caldwell made good use of his time on the microphone with color commentator Jimmy Smith, calling out current bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao, simply saying: “F*ck you [Marcos] Galvao, you’re a p*ssy.That’s nine straight victories for the former NCAA Champion to begin his mixed martial arts career, three wins since making the transition from featherweight to bantamweight. Meanwhile, Warren has now dropped two out of three and will not get a shot at the winner of Galvao and Eduardo Dantas when they do finally meet.

 

In the co-main event of the evening, Fernando Gonzalez (25-13) extended his winning streak to five at the expense of Gilbert Smith (12-5), taking home a split decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). The takedowns were likely the difference on the judges’ scorecards, but both fighters had their moments over the course of 15 feeb. Gonzalez now moves even closer to a shot at the 170-pound title, or a matchup with Michael Page, who was originally slated to face “Lub Menifee cov neeg vwm Flash” before withdrawing. The future of the division will be much clearer following “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” Plaub Hlis Ntuj 22, thaum Benson Henderson challenges Andrey Koreshkov for the welterweight belt.

 

Yamauchi li (19-3) came into his fight against Bubba Jenkins (11-2) riding a wave of momentum after three-straight wins, but the Arizona State wrestling standout used his world-class grappling to neutralize the striking and jiu-jitsu prowess of Yamauchi. The 23-year-old Japanese competitor took the back of Jenkins for the duration of round one and nearly secured an arm bar late in the final round, tab sis “The Highlight Kid’s” effective grappling was the difference, earning the unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-27). Jenkins now has won three consecutive fights since his January 2015 tsis rau Georgi Karakhanyan.

During the opening main card contest at “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell,” Sirwan Kakai (12-4) dropped his first fight under the Bellator MMA banner to Joe Taimanglo (22-6-1) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). It looked as though “Baby Joe” was going to finish the contest early — sinking in an Anaconda Choke before transitioning to a deep guillotine — but “Zohan” weathered the storm and hung around for the final ten minutes, even creating some bright spots of his own in the third and final round. Nyob rau hauv lub kawg, lub tsev hais plaub’ cage side awarded the Guam-native his third consecutive victory and sent Kakai back to the drawing board.

 

Preliminary Card tau:

Treston Thomison (9-4) yeej Aaron Roberson (5-4) ntawm raws (Guillotine) R2, 2:20

Jermayne Barnes (1-1) yeej Derek Palmer (0-1) ntawm raws (Punches) R2, 1:17

Neiman Gracie (4-0) yeej Roger Carroll (16-14) via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Ricky Turcios (6-0) yeej Steve Garcia (6-1) via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Justin Patterson (7-1) yeej Chance Rencountre (8-2) via Split Decision (29-28. 28-29. 29-28)

Ray Ntoo (6-1) yeej Chris Jones (10-4) ntawm TKO (Punches) R1, 3:10

WEIGH-IN RESULTS FOR “BELLATOR 151: Warren VS. CARDWELL’ – AIRING TOMORROW ON SPIKE AT 9 PM ET/8PM CT

Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

THACKERVILLE, OK (Lub peb hlis ntuj 3, 2016) – For the third consecutive Friday, Bellator MMA returns to Spike, this time around with "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell.” Nyob rau hauv lub ntsiab kev tshwm sim, Joe Warren (13-4) looks to live up to his self-proclaimed label as the “Baddest Man on the Planet” against one of Bellator MMA’s brightest young stars in the undefeated Darrion Caldwell (8-0).

 

"Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, thaum ua ntej bouts yuav kwj nyob rau Bellator.com thiabLub Bellator Mobile App.

Nyob rau hauv lub co-ntsiab kev tshwm sim, Gilbert Smith (12-4) will try to put an end to Fernando Gonzalez’s (24-13) four-fight winning streak when the two go toe-to-toe. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Yamauchi li (19-2) comes into the fight riding a wave of momentum after three-straight wins, but Arizona State wrestling standout Bubba Jenkins (10-2) will look put an end to that win streak. In bantamweight action, Sirwan Kakai (12-3) will make his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak as he prepares for Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1).

 

Daim pib rau "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Qhov rooj rau cov kev tshwm sim qhib 5:00 p.m. I hauv zos lub sij hawm, with the first contest taking place 45 feeb tom qab.

 

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 p.m. THIAB/8:00 p.m. I)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (135.2) vs. Darrion Caldwell (135.6)

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (170.4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (171)

 

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Yamauchi li (146) vs. Bubba Jenkins (146)

 

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (135.6) vs. Joe Taimanglo (135.4)

 

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com - 6:45 p.m. THIAB/5:45 p.m. I)

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Fight: Roger Carroll (169.8) vs. Neiman Gracie (170.6)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (135.4) vs. Ricky Turcios (135)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Fight: Justin Patterson (170.2) vs. Chance Rencountre (169.2)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature sib ntaus: Chris Jones (152.4) vs. Ray Ntoo (145.4)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature sib ntaus: Derek Palmer (194) vs. Jermayne Barnes (202.4)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature sib ntaus: Treston Thomison (145.6) vs. Aaron Roberson (146)

'BELLATOR 151: Warren VS. CALDWELL’ FIGHT CARD UPDATE – THIS FRIDAY ON SPIKE

 

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Click below for “What to Watch: Warren vs. Caldwell”

Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 29, 2016) – This Friday, Bellator MMA returns to Spike for the third consecutive Friday with "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell.” The event takes place from the WinStar World Casino & Resort nyob rau hauv Thackerville, OK, and features a main event between highly touted undefeated bantamweight Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).

Daim pib rau "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Qhov rooj rau cov kev tshwm sim qhib 5:00 p.m. I hauv zos lub sij hawm, with the first contest taking place 45 feeb tom qab.

"Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, thaum ua ntej bouts yuav kwj nyob rau Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)

Warren has just about done it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six-year promotional tenure. Tam sim no, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Marcos Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling.

 

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. The next stop on the road to championship gold goes through Warren, a man who has held Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Rev via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

 

Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-4)

Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking "Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1 " event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul "Semtex" Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

 

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. "Ib tag hmo Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

 

Yamauchi li (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)

Yamauchi comes into the fight riding a wave of momentum he’s caught after wins against Mike Richman, Martin Stapleton, thiab Isao Kobayashi. The 23-year-old Japanese fighter has only lost once in six appearances under the Bellator MMA banner and has notched 15 ntawm nws 19 wins as a professional by way of submission.

 

It’s hard to ignore Jenkins inside or outside the Bellator MMA cage, being that “The Highlight Kid” also doubles as a podcast host during his free time. The Arizona State alum notched two straight wins to cap off 2015, tsis ntev los no, an impressive offensive display against a promising prospect in Jordan Parsons.

 

Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

 

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan," 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

 

Sau kom tiav "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Yamauchi li (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Ntoo (5-1)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Steven Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen Banaszak (5-5)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

 

GILBERT SMITH REPLACES MICHAEL PAGE, FACES FERNANDO GONZALEZ IN ‘BELLATOR 151’ CO-MAIN EVENT

SIRWAN KAKAI MAKES PROFESSIONAL DEBUT AGAINST JOE TAIMANGLO

Raug Monica, California. (Lub ob hlis ntuj 10, 2015) – The main card of "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” rauLub peb hlis ntuj 4 is complete with today’s announcement that Gilbert Smith (12-4) will replace Michael Page and now face Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) in the evening’s co-main event.

 

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, Sirwan Kakai (12-3) yuav ua kom nws debut promotional tiv thaiv Joe Taimanglo (21-6) in the fourth and final main card contest. Seven preliminary scraps have also been confirmed and can be found below.

Daim pib rau "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Qhov rooj rau cov kev tshwm sim qhib 5:00 p.m. I hauv zos lub sij hawm, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

"Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs nyob thiab dawb nyob rau ntawm cov ntsia hlau loj ntawm 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, while preliminary boutswill stream live on Bellator.com thiab Lub Bellator Mobile App.

 

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. "Ib tag hmo Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

 

Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking "Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1 " event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul "Semtex" Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

 

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan," 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

 

Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

 

Tshiab "Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Yamauchi li (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Ntoo (5-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Yam ua ntej Bout: Shane Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen Banaszak (5-5)