Tag Archives: Josh Neer

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS, PHOTOS AND INFORMATION FROM ‘BELLATOR 140: LIMA VS. KORESHKOV’

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Uncasville, CT. (July 16, 2015) – The official weigh-ins for “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov” concluded today from The Mohegan Sun Arena, with both Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and his opponent Andrey Koreshkov (17-1) hitting their 170-pound marks.

 

In addition to the aforementioned headliner, Bellator 140, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features four additional must-see welterweight attractions.

 

In the co-main event, the explosive Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13) looks to put an end to the present winning streak of Dennis Olson(14-8). Daley looks to impress once again when he competes in Connecticut, following up on his victory at “British Invasion” in February.

Hometown favorite “Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) looks to remain undefeated in 2015 when he meets Roger Carroll (16-11), who replaced Gavin Sterritt on short notice. “Irish” has not been involved in a fight that reached the judges’ scorecards since 2012.

Undefeated Edinboro University of Pennsylvania wrestling standout Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) receives the toughest test of his career, when he meets fellow All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6).

In the opening televised bout of the evening, Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will attempt to return to his impressive trend of finishing fights when he faces 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13). “MVP” was originally slated to compete in February, but during the lead-up to the bout, sustained a cut that has kept him out of action since last year.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

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Douglas Lima (170 lbs.) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (170 lbs.)

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Paul Daley (171 lbs.) vs. Dennis Olson (173 lbs.)

*Olson fined for missing weight

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Brennan Ward (171 lbs.) vs. Roger Carroll (171 lbs.)

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Chris Honeycutt (171 lbs.) vs. Paul Bradley (171 lbs.)

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Michael Page (171 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (170.75 lbs.)

 

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET) 

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Kaline Medeiros (124.25 lbs.) vs. Sarah Payant (128.5 lbs.)

*Payant fined for missing weight

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Dean Hancock (155.75 lbs.) vs. Alex Dunworth (155.25 lbs.)

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Ryan Quinn (159.75 lbs.) vs. Waylon Lowe (160 lbs.)

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Billy Giovanella (125.75 lbs.) vs. Remo Cardarelli (123 lbs.)

Blair Tugman (136 lbs.) vs. Kin Moy (138.25 lbs.)

*Moy fined for missing weight

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Parker Porter (260.25 lbs.) vs. Eric Bedard (257 lbs.)

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Ilya Kotau (170.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (171 lbs.)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

ROGER ‘THE LEPRECHAUN’ CARROLL STEPS UP ON SHORT NOTICE TO FACE ‘IRISH’ BRENNAN WARD AT BELLATOR 140 THIS FRIDAY

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 13, 2015) – Connecticut’s own“Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) will compete against a new opponent at “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which takes place thisFriday, July 17 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.  Roger “The Leprechaun” Carroll (16-11) has agreed to face the dangerous welterweight on seven days’ notice,  in the place of Gavin Sterritt, who withdrew from the contest and was subsequently cut from the promotional roster.

 

“Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov” features five world-class 170-pound bouts including world champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears (16-13), and knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) challenging Dennis Olson (14-8).

 

The main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the announced preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Limited tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, remain on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

 

Having won Bellator’s Season 9 Middleweight tournament, Ward decided to test himself in the welterweight division, and shined in his 170-pound debut with a first-round rear-naked choke submission victory over Curtis Millender at “Bellator: The British Invasion” this past February.

 

The Waterford, Conn. native has an affinity for the finish, having ended nine of his ten professional tilts before reaching the judges’ scorecards. With his hometown a mere ten miles away from the venue, “Irish” is sure to have a strong home cage advantage over his short notice opponent.

 

Carroll rides into Connecticut in the midst of a three-fight winning streak. The Claremont, N.C. resident has spent most of his seven year mixed martial arts career competing at 185-pounds, but will make the move to welterweight for his Bellator MMA debut.

 

“The Leprechaun” fits the description of a “submission specialist,” with 15 of his 16 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent quit. One half of Carroll Brothers BJJ, Roger also doubles as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor alongside his brother Joseph at Superior Martial Arts Academy in North Carolina.

 

Main Card (9 P.M. EST)

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Roger Carroll (16-11)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)

 

Preliminary Card (7 P.M. EST)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Blair Tugman (7-5) vs. Kin Moy (6-2)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Ilya Kotau (debut) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (1-0)

Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Parker Porter (5-4) vs. Eric Bedard (6-5)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Billy Giovanella (8-3) vs. Remo Cardarelli (4-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Dean Hancock (1-0) vs. Alex Dunworth (2-1, 1 NC)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Kaline Medeiros (4-4) vs. Sarah Payant (1-0)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Waylon Lowe (15-6, 1 NC) vs. Ryan Quinn (10-5, 1 NC)

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 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 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

BELLATOR MMA AND SPIKE TV NAME SEAN GRANDE PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER FOR ITS LIVE FIGHT COVERAGE

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Grande

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 13, 2015) – Bellator MMA and Spike have named veteran sports announcer and the current voice of the Boston Celtics, Sean Grande, as its new play-by-play announcer. Grande will team up with color analyst Jimmy Smith beginning this Friday, July 17 for “Bellator 140” at Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

Fans can tune in to hear Grande and Smith call the action for the first time at “Bellator 140,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. The event features five action-packed welterweight fights, headlined by Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima, who defends his belt against Andrey Koreshkov, plus the return of hometown favorite Brennan Ward.

 

“Sean Grande is an incredibly talented and well-accomplished sports announcer with a passion for mixed martial arts,” said Scott Coker, President, Bellator MMA. “He has been behind the microphone for many championship events and we look forward to him bringing his enthusiasm and energy to Bellator as our league continues to grow.”

 

“I’m proud to have called games for some amazing organizations, ABC Sports, CBS, the Celtics, the Red Sox, Westwood One,” said Grande. “But I’ve simply been blown away by the people at Spike TV and Bellator, and the product they want to present.  I’m legitimately honored to join both of these teams, and make some great sports television.

“I absolutely love what Scott (Coker) has done for Bellator and l’m thrilled to start calling the fights alongside Jimmy Smith Friday night on Spike. I’m going to have the best seat in the house, watching Douglas Lima and some of the best welterweights in the world.  Hard to imagine a better way to kick things off, and it’s all taking place just a short drive from Boston.

 

“I understand why I’m a story today.  But what I’m really excited about, is being able to tell the stories of amazing champions like Patricio Pitbull, Will Brooks, Douglas Lima and Liam McGeary as they rise to the top of the sport.”

 

More on Grande (@SeanGrandePBP):

Recently completing his 18th season in the NBA and 15th as the voice of the Boston Celtics, Grande’s epic account of the two-month run to the 2008 World Championship cemented his status as one of the nation’s elite play-callers.  He’s joined by analyst Cedric Maxwell for all Boston Celtics games.  Since shortly after their 2001 pairing, “Grande and Max” have become one of Boston’s most popular and iconic on-air combinations, and the soundtrack of the Celtics “New Big Three Era”.

 

On May 20, 2013, Grande made his Major League Baseball debut, after being named the alternate play-by-play voice of the World Champion Boston Red Sox.  It completed his cycle of broadcasting major pro sports (NBA, NFL, NHL, WNBA and MLS).  In January, he returned to his television roots, calling college basketball on CBS Sports Network.

 

Grande’s reached several milestones over the last few years.  Only the legendary Johnny Most and current television voice Mike Gorman have now called more Celtics games.  In 2009, he called his 1000th NBA Game, joining Marv Albert and Ian Eagle as the only three to reach that plateau before the age of 40.  Grande and Max were honored pre-game at TD Garden for their 1000th game together on February 3, 2012.
Voted by the readers of Boston Sports Media Watch as the best play-by-play announcer in Boston, Sean was recruited back to town in 2001 after serving three years as the television voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves.  When he signed in 1998, he was the youngest announcer in the NBA.  The versatile Grande’s play-by-play credits also include two seasons as part of ABC Sports College Football broadcast team, joining the likes of Keith Jackson and Brent Musburger.

Grande’s first stint in Boston began at Boston University where he spent seven seasons calling Terrier hockey, football and basketball on both television and radio.  On the television side, Grande was the original voice of the Hockey East Game of the Week on Fox Sports Net.  His college hockey work for Fox and the NCAA Tournament garnered him three New England Emmy nominations including the 1999 Emmy for best Play-by-Play.  He’s served six years as the television voice of the NCAA East Regional.  And this past April in Philadelphia, his twelfth year as “Voice of the Frozen Four” on CBS Radio, Grande called his record fifteenth NCAA Championship Game.
His broadcast career included a seven-year stint at WEEI (1991-1998), the final three as Sports Director.  His wide-ranging play-by-play career has seen him call NFL Football for Westwood One, WNBA basketball for the Minnesota Lynx (1999-2001) and Connecticut Sun (2006-2007), MFS Pro Tennis, Providence Bruins hockey, Harvard basketball and even Major League Soccer.  He served three years as host of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on NHL radio and co-hosted the NCAA Hockey Selection show on ESPN2.

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Plethora of Northeastern Talent Completes “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov” Undercard

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 1, 2015) – Four preliminary bouts featuring prime east coast fighters have been added to complete the full card of “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which takes place July 17 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

 

The additional bouts include a featherweight faceoff between Waylon Lowe (15-6, 1 NC) and Ryan Quinn (10-5,1 NC), Billy “Wolverine” Giovanella (8-3), who faces Rodrigo “The Young Lion” Almeida (12-2) at bantamweight, Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros (4-4), who fights Sarah “Soulja” Payant (1-0) in a women’s strawweight scrap, and lightweights Dean “The Hammer” Hancock (1-0) versus Alex Dunworth (2-1,1 NC).

 

Bellator 140 features five world-class welterweight bouts including World Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears(16-13), Brennan “The Irish Bad Boy” Ward (10-3) scrapping with Gavin “War Horse” Sterritt (6-1), and knockout artistPaul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) challenging Dennis Olson (14-8). The event also boasts several additional previously announced preliminary contests featuring more top prospects from the Northeastern United States.

 

The main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the announced preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

 

Bellingham, MA’s Billy Giovanella is 4-1 in his last five fights heading into his bantamweight bout. His last four victories include three submissions and a knockout en route to his Uncasville bout. Giovanella’s challenger Remo Cardarelli of Framingham, MA will look to rely on his record-proven submission talent to win. Expect both fighters to relentlessly compete to break from recent losses on their record.

 

Danbury, CT’s Dean Hancock wowed fans with a first round submission victory at Bellator’s “British Invasion” event. Hancock will look to repeat his entertaining performance by defeating challenger Dunworth of Bridgewater, MA, who makes his Bellator debut riding a two-fight winning streak.

 

Another Danbury, CT fighter Ryan Quinn, who trains with American Top Team in Connecticut has found great success in the Bellator cage, emerging perfect in all six of his appearances. He now faces an established veteran of the sport in Philadelphia’s Waylon Lowe, who fights under the Bellator promotion for the first time since 2009, when he scored a win in his promotional debut.

 

Kaline Medeiros of Fall River, MA, has taken three unanimous decision victories in her last four bouts, and scored an impressive knockout just seven seconds into a fight. She takes on Sarah Payant from West Springfield, MA, who makes her Bellator debut following up her first professional bout this past March, where she scored a triangle choke submission victory.

 

Main Card (9 P.M. EST)

 

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin Sterritt (6-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)

 

Preliminary Card (7 P.M. EST)

 

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Josh Neer (36-14) vs. Matt Secor (6-2)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Blair Tugman (7-5) vs. Rodrigo Almeida (12-2)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Ilya Kotau (debut) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (1-0)

Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Parker Porter (5-4) vs. Eric Bedard (6-5)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Billy Giovanella (8-3) vs. Remo Cardarelli (4-2)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Dean Hancock (1-0) vs. Alex Dunworth (2-1,1 NC)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Kaline Medeiros (4-4) vs. Sarah Payant (1-0)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Waylon Lowe (15-6, 1 NC) vs. Ryan Quinn (10-5, 1 NC)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

’Bout Time: Four Preliminary Scraps Confirmed for Bellator 140 in Uncasville, Connecticut 

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 22, 2015) – Four fresh preliminary bouts will support the welterweight main card showcase of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov.” Veteran striker Josh “The Dentist” Neer (36-14) faces submission artist Matt Secor (6-2) at welterweight, Blair “The Bull Shark” Tugman (7-5) battles Rodrigo “The Young Lion” Almeida (12-2) at 135 lbs., Ilya Kotau makes his professional debut opposite Nicolas Sergiacom(1-0) at 170 lbs., and Parker Porter (5-4) faces Eric “Lucky Strikes” Bedard (6-5) in the heavyweight division.

 

Bellator 140 features five world-class welterweight bouts including World Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears (16-13), Brennan “The Irish Bad Boy” Ward (10-3) scrapping with Gavin “War Horse” Sterritt (6-1), and knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) challenging Dennis Olson (14-8).

 

The main card airs live and free on July 17th on Spike at 9 P.M. EST while the announced preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 P.M. EST.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office orTicketmaster.com.

 

Veteran striker Josh Neer returns to Bellator MMA after going 3-1 in his last four fights. Neer has over 50 fights of experience to his credit and a combined 32 wins by knockout and submission. Neer dropped a unanimous decision loss to Paul Bradley at Bellator 129 and seeks to come back from the loss with a commanding victory over Secor.

Matt Secor challenges Neer riding a two-fight winning streak. Secor is a talented grappler who has earned six wins by submission ahead of Bellator 140. He will need to display his best ground game tactics to submit the established MMA veteran and to impress in his Bellator debut.

 

Blair Tugman will be competing in his home state of Connecticut and will aim to string together his third consecutive Bellator victory. The bantamweight fighter last competed in February’s “British Invasion” event and earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Marvin Maldonado. Tugman’s bantamweight competitor, Rodrigo Almeida makes his promotional debut on the heels of seven straight victories. Almeida demonstrated dominating striking power in his most recent fight and earned a 15-second technical knockout win.

 

Ilya Kotau makes his professional debut at 170 lbs. opposite Nicolas Sergiacomi in a showcase of prospective East Coast talent.

 

Hartford’s Parker Porter takes his second heavyweight fight in Bellator MMA and will be looking to redeem himself from a Bellator 98 debut loss. Standing opposite Porter is Eric Bedard, who has finished all six of his professional victories and seeks to continue the streak in his promotional debut.

 

Main Card (9 P.M. EST)

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Gavin Sterritt (6-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)

 

Preliminary Card (7 P.M. EST)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Josh Neer (36-14) vs. Matt Secor (6-2)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Blair Tugman (7-5) vs. Rodrigo Almeida (12-2)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Ilya Kotau (debut) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (1-0)

Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Parker Porter (5-4) vs. Eric Bedard (6-5)