Tag Archives: James Thompson

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Injury to James Thompson derails ‘Bellator: Unfinished Business’ heavyweight rematch, Dan Charles steps up against Bobby ‘The Dominator’ Lashley on short notice

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 11, 2015) – While Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock are prepared to take care their “Unfinished Business” on June 19, Bobby Lashley and James Thompson’s score will need to be settled somewhere down the line.

 

Thompson has been forced off the main card due to an undisclosed injury suffered during training and as a result, Dan Charles(9-2) has agreed to fill-in on short notice against “The Dominator.” The fight will still take place on the main portion of the Spike-televised card.

 

Charles, will be making his fourth appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion, last competing in the main event of 2014’s “Monster Energy Cup.” After dropping two fights, “The Man” has bounced back to with two straight wins to earn a shot against a heavyweight title contender the likes of Lashley. The 29-year-old Phoenix, Ariz. Native has ended seven of his nine victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

A 6-foot-3 wrestling standout, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (12-2) started training in the grappling arts at age 12 and would go on to win several titles including three National Championships at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA National Championship, a CISM World Championship Silver Medal and two Armed Forces Wrestling Championships during his time in the U.S. Army. In addition to a professional wrestling career with stints in the WWE, ECW and TNA, Lashley began his MMA career in 2008, and he’s built an impressive career mark that includes Bellator MMA submission wins over Karl Etherington and Josh Burns.

 

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)

Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)

Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)

Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)

Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)

Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” lineup complete with 14 fights, including the addition of hard-hitting veterans Justin Lawrence, Adam Cella

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 11, 2015) – June’s blockbuster “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” event now has a complete lineup of 14 action-packed contests with the addition of Spike.com-streamed matchups of featherweights Justin “The American Kid” Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean “P-Town” Wilson (34-25), lightweights Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2) and bantamweights A.J. “Let’s Go” Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0), as well as a pair of dark preliminary contests with welterweights Adam “El Natural” Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0) and lightweights Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris “Stump” Heatherly (8-3),

 

Featuring one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport with Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19, at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com

 

The night’s first contest takes place at 6 p.m. CT local time, while the Spike-televised main card starts two hours later.

 

Lawrence, of Pacific, Mo., is a former national boxing and kickboxing champion and RFA featherweight champion who now makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. He faces Wilson, of Omaha, who has incredibly fought to a judges’ decision just once in 59 career contests.

 

Irvin, of Pilot Knob, Mo., boasts a four-fight winning streak and is 6-1 in his past seven appearances. He now fights for Bellator MMA for the first time and meets fellow Missouri native Pulley, who hopes to snap a two-fight losing streak.

 

Cella is a five-time Shamrock FC veteran and “TUF” former cast member who now faces the undefeated Kurtz – a Missouri fighter who already boasts three career victories despite just turning pro in January.

 

In a battle of Illinois-based fighters, Gross has won four of his past five outings and has gone to a judges’ decision just once in nine professional appearances. His opponent, Heatherly, is a big show veteran who hopes to snap a disappointing two-fight losing streak, the first consecutive losses of his career.

 

Siscoe and Mueller each make their Bellator MMA debuts.

 

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)

Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)

Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)

Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)

Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Former Bellator MMA World Featherweight Champion Daniel Straus looks to work his way back to the belt at “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” against undefeated challenger Henry Corrales

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 5, 2015) – Former Bellator MMA World Featherweight Champion Daniel Straus (23-6) begins his trek back to a world title when he meets undefeated promotional newcomer and former King of the Cage titlist Henry Corrales (12-0) at June’s blockbuster “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” event.

 

The contest serves as the fifth and final Spike TV-broadcast main card matchup of the star-studded fight card.

 

Featuring one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in the history of the sport with Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19, at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike TV.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

 

With the night’s featured bouts now complete, additional preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

A consensus pick as one the best 145-pounders on the planet, Straus is anxious to rebound from a disappointing January loss to current Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. A member of American Top Team, Straus was ahead early in the fight and appeared to be on his way to reclaiming the belt he lost in 2014 before suffering a knee injury that limited his capabilities and eventually led to his late submission with 11 seconds left in the fourth round.

 

Now fully recovered, Straus plans on working his way back to a title bout as quickly as possible, and a victory on a high-profile card like “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” would certainly help him stake his claim as the division’s No. 1 contender.

 

Fighting professionally since 2011, Corrales began his career primarily as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist, as witnessed by his five consecutive submission wins to begin his career. However, he’s since worked diligently to improve his striking game, and of his past six victories, four have come by way of knockout. Corrales boasts an unblemished professional mark through the first 12 contests of his MMA tenure, including recent wins over big-show veterans Jerod Spoon and Seth Dikun.

 

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Main Card

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)

Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (23-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)

Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Justin Guthrie (17-8) vs. Steven Mann (10-1)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Miles McDonald (0-1) vs. Dan O’Connor (5-4)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Injury forces Georgi Karakhanyan out of featherweight title fight – Champion Patricio Pitbull now faces Daniel Weichel at “Bellator: Unfinished Business”

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Easy Tweet: “NEW FIGHT: @danielweichel to face @PatricioPitbull for #Bellator featherweight championship on June 19 #UnfinishedBusiness”

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 28, 2015) – Due to a knee injury sustained by title challenger Georgi Karakhanyan, Bellator MMA Featherweight World Champion Patricio Pitbull (23-2) will now face German submission ace Daniel “The Weasel” Weichel (35-8) in the co-main event of “Bellator: Unfinished Business,” which takes place Friday, June 19 at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center.

 

Featuring one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport with Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, “Bellator: Unfinished Business” also features Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14) and Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4), with a fifth and final featured bout to be announced shortly.

 

The 27-year-old “Pitbull,” of Natal, Brazil, is a 13-time veteran of the promotion who captured the Bellator MMA Featherweight World Title with a September win over then-champion Pat Curran. “Pitbull” then defended his belt in January with a thrilling submission win over former champion Daniel Straus. In 24 career appearances, “Pitbull” has only lost two fights, and both were the result of razor-thin, split-decisions.

 

“Pitbull” now meets Germany’s Weichel, who at just 30 years of age already boasts more than 35 professional wins. In his last fight, Weichel earned a hard-fought victory over former champion Pat Curran bringing his record to 12-1 in his past 13 outings. Weichel is a Bellator MMA tournament winner, racking up victories over Desmond Green, Matt Bessette and Scott Cleve in the process. Of those 35 wins, an incredible 21 of them have come by way of submission.

 

The 5-fight televised card airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, with preliminary fights streaming on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

 

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, May June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

Main Card

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)

Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Preliminary Card

 

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Justin Guthrie (17-8) vs. Steven Mann (10-1)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Miles McDonald (0-1) vs. Dan O’Connor (5-4)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” gets touch of local flavor with Malcolm Smith vs. Luke Nelson and Kain Royer vs. Enrique Watson

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 27, 2015) – June’s blockbuster “Bellator: Unfinished Business” event is getting a little local flavor, as two new preliminary contests feature fighters from “The Show Me State.”

 

The new all-Missouri contests include lightweights Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1) and middleweights Kain Royer(1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0).

 

Featuring one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport with Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, “Bellator: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19, at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com

 

Additional contests will be announced shortly.

 

A five-time Shamrock FC veteran, Smith makes his Bellator MMA debut as he looks to rebound from a split-decision loss to Cory Hunter in March. Prior to the disappointing result, Smith was 4-1 in his previous five fights – a run that included two TKO victories and one submission.

 

Smith now meets three-time Shamrock FC fighter Nelson, who turned pro in December 2013 and also competes under the Bellator MMA banner for the first time. Nelson has earned both of his career wins to date via first-round stoppage, while his lone career loss went the distance, when he came up just short via split decision.

 

Royer and Watson have also spent the early stages of their professional careers competing exclusively under the Shamrock FC banner.

 

A submission specialist, Royer built an impressive amateur record fighting on Missouri’s regional scene before turning professional in 2013. An action-first fighter, both of his pro contests have ended in the first round.  Royer now meets Watson, who made his professional debut this past June with a first-round TKO victory.

 

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, May June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

Main Card

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-4-1)

Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Preliminary Card

 

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Justin Guthrie (17-8) vs. Steven Mann (10-1)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Miles McDonald (0-1) vs. Dan O’Connor (5-4)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Two new fights featuring St. Louis scrappers added to “Bellator: Unfinished Business” at the Scottrade Center on June 19

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 13, 2015) – On the heels of this morning’s announcement of the Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson rematch, “Bellator: Unfinished Business” adds a pinch of local flavor with the addition of welterweights Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8) and strawweights Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1).  The two fights will are the first announced fights of the preliminary card, which can be viewed on Spike.com starting at 4 p.m. PT.

 

The main card is headlined by a long overdue matchup between street-fighting legend and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Ken Shamrock, which kicks off Live and Free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Unfinished Business” start at $30 and go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 27, at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Scottrade Center Box Office. Online presales begin on Wednesday, March 25.

 

Iowa’s Mann is an intriguing welterweight prospect who has never fought past the opening round in 11 career contests. Eight of his 10 career wins have come by way of submission, including five by rear-naked choke. Mann makes his Bellator MMA debut on this major stage.

 

“The Pain Train” Guthrie, a Colorado Fight Factory product, also fights under the Bellator MMA banner for the first time. Fighting professionally since 2007, Guthrie boasts past clashes with MMA notables Jesse Forbes, Jorge Santiago, Lumumba Sayers, Gilbert Smith and Bobby Voelker. Guthrie has shown a well-rounded approach in previous contest, earning five victories by knockout, six by submission and six by decision, including two 25-minute contests.

 

In strawweight action, both “Johnny Irish” O’Connor and McDonald make their Bellator MMA debuts. Interestingly, St. Louis’ O’Connor owns four of his five career victories by submission but has also been tapped out in three of his four defeats to date. Meanwhile, McDonald suffered an armbar loss in his May 2014 professional debut and now looks to rebound in his return to the cage.

 

 

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

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

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15)

Bellator Featherweight Championship: Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-4)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Preliminary Card on Spike.com (7 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator welterweight prelim fight: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)

Bellator strawweight prelim fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” gets a monster rematch with heavyweights James “The Colossus” Thompson vs. Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 13, 2015) – The most-watched MMA fight of all time was between Kimbo Slice and James Thompson, and on June 19, both men will be competing against different opponents at “Bellator: Unfinished Business” at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

 

Former WWE superstar Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley looks to avenge a 2012 split decision loss to James “The Colossus” Thompson (20-14).  The unfinished business between the two giant heavyweights was originally scheduled to be settled at “Bellator: The British Invasion,” but an injury sustained by Lashley caused the fight to be rescheduled to June 19.

 

Thompson, a 6-foot-5 striking specialist, hails from England and has been fighting professionally since 2003. A former rugby player and bodybuilder, Thompson found his true calling in MMA and has been competing around the globe ever since. Fighting some of the best heavyweights in the sport, including Slice, Alexander Emelianenko, Don Frye, Alistair Overeem, Mariusz Pudzianowki, Brett Rogers, Bob Sapp, Dan Severn and Hidehiko Yoshida, among others, “The Colossus” has racked up 11 wins by knockout and seven by submission.

 

A 6-foot-3 wrestling standout, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (12-2) started training in the grappling arts at age 12 and would go on to win several titles including three National Championships at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA National Championship, a CISM World Championship Silver Medal and two Armed Forces Wrestling Championships during his time in the U.S. Army. In addition to a professional wrestling career with stints in the WWE, ECW and TNA, Lashley began his MMA career in 2008, and he’s built an impressive career mark that includes Bellator MMA submission wins over Karl Etherington and Josh Burns.

 

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15)

Bellator Featherweight Championship: Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-4)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts

Bellator’s British Invasion Has A New King

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 “King Mo” Lawal vs. Cheick Kongo replaces Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson and Andre Santos steps in for Douglas Lima to battle Paul Daley at “Bellator: The British Invasion” 
 
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 21, 2015) – Injury has forced the delay of a heavily anticipated matchup between Bobby Lashley (12-2) and James Thompson (20-14) but Bellator MMA officials have announced a blockbuster fight to replace it in Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (14-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (22-9-2).  Also Andre Santos (37-9) has stepped in for the injured welterweight champion Douglas Lima (26-5), and will now face the always-dangerous Paul Daley (35-13).

 

The new contest is scheduled for the televised portion of “Bellator: British Invasion,” which takes place on Friday, February 27, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: British Invasion,” which start at just $25, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.

 

“We’re disappointed we had to delay these fights between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson, and Douglas Lima and Paul Daley, but I have no doubt that these matchups will be fantastic once they eventually come to fruition,” Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker said. “Fortunately, we’re able to replace the bouts with equally entertaining contests for our fans.”

 

“King Mo” Lawal fights for the 10th time for Bellator MMA and has established himself as one of the most recognizable superstars in the sport. A standout wrestler who normally competes at light heavyweight, the former NCAA Division I All-American and Pan American gold medalist has earned 11 of his 14 career MMA wins by knockout, including recent striking stoppages of Joe Vedepo and Dustin Jacoby. The former Bellator MMA tournament winner and Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion now moves up to heavyweight for the first time since 2009 to challenge himself against Kongo.

 

Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a former professional kickboxer who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo.  A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA banner. Training at Wolfslair MMA Academy in London, Kongo most recently flashed his well-rounded game by scoring a first-round submission over fellow striker Lavar Johnson in a September matchup. Kongo’s lone Bellator loss came in a five-round contest for the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Championship, in which he went five full rounds with Vitaly Minakov but came up short in a decision result.

 

Paul Daley is a highly feared and respected veteran with dynamite in both fists, which earned him the nickname “Semtex”. The 31-year-old from Nottingham, England has won an impressive 74% of his 35 victories by way of knockout. Having fought for Scott Coker under the Strikeforce banner, rejoining him at Bellator was a no brainer.  Daley took to the internet to share his feelings on the injury to Lima, stating: “Nervous, Scared??…..I understand, preparing to fight me…. I would be. It’s ok…. guess you get to have a few more photo shoots with the belt…. My focus has shifted, same date, new opponent…. British Invasion at Bellator 134.”

 

The new opponent his focus has shifted to is Andre “Chatuba” Santos. A veteran of the sport in his own right, the Rio De Janeiro fighter has two more wins than Daley in four less fights.  Santos defeated James Terry at Bellator 129, in what was his first fight on American soil.  He now has his sights set on Daley, with hopes to win his seventh straight fight.
 

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.