Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ANDREY KORESHKOV RETAINS WELTERWEIGHT CROWN IN EMPHATIC FASHION, DEFEATING BENSON HENDERSON BY UNANIMOUS DECISION

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Complete Fight Photos Here

UNCASVILLE, CONN. (April 22, 2016) — While many will be surprised by the news that Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) defeated Benson Henderson (23-6) in the main event of “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson,” the Russian champion made it clear following the bout that he intended to win each and every round inside the cage at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night, and according to the judges scoring the bout at cage side, he did exactly that (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).

Over the course of 25 minutes, Henderson, a longtime lightweight competitor, had difficulty closing the distance of the larger “Spartan,” and sustaining damage in the process. “Smooth” was unable to secure takedowns and was upset with his performance, making it clear that he hopes for a quick return to the Bellator MMA cage; whether it’s at 170 or 155-pounds.

“Spartan” makes his first successful defense of the title he took from Douglas Lima in this very arena last year, and has his sights set on fighting one of the main contenders that the Scott Coker-led currently promotion has on its welterweight roster. In addition to the victory, Koreshkov also takes home the newly designed Bellator championship belt.

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire’s Showcases Nasty Guillotine in Co-Main Event

 

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3) went all-in with a beautiful guillotine choke 4:09 into the second round of his co-main event fight, forcing Henry Corrales (12-3) to tap out. Since making his Bellator MMA debut back in April of 2010, “Pitbull” has now collected 13 victories with the promotion, including wins in eight of his last nine bouts. It has been a great week for the “Pitbull” brothers, after older brother Patricky “Pitbull” came out victorious in the main event of “Bellator 152: Freire vs. Souza” last Saturday in Torino, Italy. The loss is only Corrales’ third of his career, two of which have now come via guillotine choke.

“Cyborg” Santos Spoils Ward’s Hometown Reunion With First Round Win

 

In his Bellator MMA debut, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (21-16) defeated New London’s own Brennan Ward (13-4) with an ankle lock submission just 30 seconds into the opening round. The victory is Santos’ fourth career win in 30 seconds or less and 16th first round finish. The former Strikeforce competitor has now strung together back-to-back wins and has left an impressive first impression for Bellator fans, aside from the ones in attendance at Mohegan Sun Arena. For Ward, the loss puts an end to a promising streak of four consecutive wins, all of which came in his dominant 2015 campaign.

 

Primus Squeaks Past “Toninho Furia” In Catchweight Marathon

 

Brent Primus (7-0) remained undefeated with a split decision victory over “Toninho Furia” (27-6) on Friday taking home scores of (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). The Portland, Oregon native connected on several heavy blows and two pivotal takedowns leading him to his seventh career win. The three-round thriller was just Primus’ second fight that went past the first round and was left to the judges’ discretion.

“MVP” Makes Quick Work Of Holloway In Explosive Opening Bout

 

During the opening contest at “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson,” Michael “Venom” Page (10-0) finished Jeremie Holloway (7-2) with multiple hammerfists and an impressive toe hold submission at 2:15 in the opening round of action. The 28-year-old British phenom, “MVP,” remains undefeated after recording his tenth career win and sixth victory under the Bellator MMA banner. “Venom” now directs his attention to a return home when he meets Fernando Gonzalez on July 16 at “Bellator 158: London.”

Preliminary Card Results:

 

Djamil Chan (12-2) defeated Richard Patishnock (6-4) via knockout (punches) at 3:09 of round one

Chris Honeycutt (7-1) defeated Matt Secor (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27 x2)

Mike Zichelle (8-4) defeated Joe Cronin (2-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:25 of round one

Matt Bessette (18-7) defeated Keith Richardson (14-7) via TKO (cut) at 3:14 of round two

Chris Foster (9-4) defeated Vovka Clay (3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28 3x)

Sam Watford (2-0) defeated Dean Hancock (2-1) via submission (armbar) at 1:24 of round one

Tim Caron (4-0) defeated Justin Sumter (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:38 of round two

Blair Tugman (8-6) defeated Jay Perrin (2-2) via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MATT MITRIONE SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST CARL SEUMANUTAFA AT ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (April 22, 2016) – A heavyweight showdown between Bellator MMA’s high profile free agent acquisition Matt Mitrione (9-5) and Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6) will serve as the co-main event of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The bout joins a main card that features a catchweight main event between “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) in Jackson’s first fight for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2014. Additional MMA and kickboxing contests will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” which start at just $30, are onsale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center. Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.

“Bellator: Dynamite 2” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Exactly like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event this past September in San Jose, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will cover the floor at Scottrade Center, giving fans in attendance the opportunity to see both iterations of combat sports on the same night.

Matt Mitrione originally took his talents to the football gridiron, signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2002. After brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, Mitrione entered the MMA cage and hasn’t looked back since. The 14-time UFC veteran began his professional career with victories in his first five fights, four of which came by way of knockout. Known as one of the top finishers in the sport, the 37-year-old Indianapolis native recently finished his run with his former employer, making the decision to test free agency. Mitrione will now look to duplicate the success that he found throughout his career, when he makes his much-anticipated Bellator MMA debut against Seumanutafa on June 24.

At only 26 years of age, Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa will face the stiffest test of his career when he takes take center stage at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Similar to Mitrione, all but one of his wins has come by way of knockout, including five first-round finishes. Looking to continue building momentum in the heavyweight division, the former Strikeforce competitor was victorious in his Bellator debut, when he finished Javy Ayala with a vicious second round TKO at “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich.” A native of San Francisco, Seumanutafa has been competing professionally since 2007, making his pro debut at only 18-years-old.

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA 215 lb. Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA 180-pound Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Clay Mitchell (1-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘MVP’ LOOKING TO SQUASH BEEF WITH FERNANDO GONZALEZ AT THE O2 IN LONDON ON JULY 16

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT BETWEEN LINTON ‘THE SWARM’ VASSELL AND FRANCIS ‘LIMITLESS’ CARMONT ALSO OFFICIAL

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 22, 2016) – The recently announced international tentpole event, “Bellator 158: London,” now features two additional mouth-watering matchups during the event’s main card, with today’s addition of Michael “Venom” Page (10-0) versus Fernando Gonzalez (25-13) in a welterweight bout at The O2 in London. “MVP” is fresh off a first-round submission during the main card of “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” tonight and now sets his sights on impressing in his home country.

In addition, the stacked main card now also features a light heavyweight pairing between Linton “The Swarm” Vassell (16-5) and Francis “Limitless” Carmont (24-11). The two new contests join an event that already features Kimbo Slice (6-2) taking on James Thompson (20-16) and Josh Koscheck (17-10) against Paul “Semtex” Daley (38-13-2). Additional contests will be announced shortly.

In the United Kingdom, the event will be broadcast free on SPIKE UK and Channel 5, while in America the card will air FREE on SPIKE. Exact broadcast details for “Bellator 158: London” will be revealed in the near future. Tickets for the event are on sale now and start at only ￡40.00. They are available at TheO2.co.uk or The O2 Box Office.

As was showcased tonight at “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson,” mixed martial arts fans and pundits alike would be hard-pressed to find a striker — or submission specialist — as dynamic as Page. Other than his win against Jeremie Holloway, look no further than his previous outings against Charlie Ontiveros, or his 65-second knockout of Rudy Bears for explosive examples. But, now “Venom” looks to strike against Gonzalez, who is no stranger to being the underdog when he enters the Bellator MMA fray. A proud son of London, England, the 29-year-old Page has only reached the judges’ scorecards once in his nine professional outings. “MVP” will enter the cage at The O2 in London with an unblemished record, hometown support and momentum, all on his side.

Gonzalez, a 32-year-old Menifee, Calif. is looking to build upon his split decision victory over Gilbert Smith at “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” and add to his impressive five-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 and was originally slated to fight “MVP” in March, but the fight fell through when the Englishman withdrew due to injury. Now, Gonzalez looks to solidify himself as the No. 1 contender to the crown at 170-pounds and prove that he truly is the stiffest test Page has faced in his 10-fight career.

Vassell is fresh off of a victory over Bellator’s Emanuel Newton in a bout that went the distance at the record-shattering event that was“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Vassell has now won 11 of his last 13 fights and will be chomping at the bit to get back in the cage in front of his hometown fans. Vassell joins Thompson, Daley and Page on a card that features a strong contingent of British talent as the card continues to grow.

Hailing from Paris, France, the 34-year-old Carmont will enter the cage for the first time in 2016 and fourth under the Bellator MMA umbrella. In his most recent appearance, at the tournament-style “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1,” Carmont replaced an injured Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, who was forced to drop out after suffering a rib injury earlier in the event. After winning his first bout of the evening, “Limitless” surrendered a loss to Phil Davis in the final round of the tournament-style contest. Now, “Limitless” looks to upset the hometown faithful during the main card of “Bellator 158: London.”

Updated “Bellator 158: London” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice 6-2) vs. James Thompson (20-16)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Paul Daley (38-13-2)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Bout: Michael Page (10-0) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (25-13)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Bout: Linton Vassell (16-5) vs. Francis Carmont (24-11)

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

MATT GLOVER FINDS FUTURE IN FIGHTING AFTER FOOTBALL

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Lewiston, Maine (April 22, 2016) – During the years 2003-2006, Matt Glover (1-0) was the player from Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine that you did not want to end up facing from the other side of the pigskin. Standing over six feet tall and weighing 250-pounds, the nightmarish middle linebacker helped to build Mountain Valley (MV) into a modern day football dynasty by punishing ball carriers for four decorated years and leading MV to two state championships in the process. He bench pressed over 400 pounds in the weight room and was hell on wheels on the field making him a powerful two-way double-threat player on both offense and defense. His reputation is legendary in the River Valley area of Western Maine as a feared and respected athlete.

 

After graduating from Mountain Valley in 2007, Glover left football behind to go to work. He married his longtime girlfriend, Lindsey, and had a son. They bought a home together. Throughout the summer and fall seasons, he traveled the agricultural fair circuit in Maine with his pulling horses, a family tradition he had been brought up in from an early age.

 

“My family has been competing in horse pulling since I was a kid,” Glover explained. “It takes up a lot of time and it keeps my dad young. I get up early every morning to exercise my horse teams before I go into work at night. Between my dad, my wife and I, we have 11 draft horses. We bale our own hay for all of them. I love backing them up to the drag and watching them dig.”

 

But despite the fullness of his life, the call of competition still beckoned to him and left him with a sense of longing. “I would have killed to have had that same feeling again,” Glover recalled. “And then I stepped into the cage.”

 

In early 2015, Matt’s younger brother, Ryan—another Mountain Valley football standout—made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at “NEF 16.” Ryan swarmed his opponent in his first fight and stopped him in a blistering 12 seconds. Matt was in attendance that night and found his curiosity piqued at the prospect of competing in a different kind of contact sport.

 

Later in 2015, Ryan competed for the inaugural NEF Amateur Heavyweight Championship. He dropped a decision that night to current title holder, Billy “Bigfoot” Leahy (3-1). After the win, the trash talk quickly escalated between Leahy and members of Berserkers MMA, based out of Rumford and led by head coaches Gary Dolloff and Mike Hansen (3-3).  “When Billy Leahy called out all of the guys at Berserkers after he beat my brother, then it was game-on,” recalled Matt.

 

Matt began training closely with members of the Berserkers coaching staff, including Hansen and others, who he credits for his accelerated learning curve in the sport. Additionally, Matt sparred extensively with brother Ryan, who was preparing for a fight of his own on the same night that Matt was scheduled to make his MMA debut. “My brother and I are not like other brothers,” Matt explained. “We go into the gym and beat the hell out of each other and then ride home in the same truck—that’s just how we have always been. Push, push, push—everything is competition with us. From the first one to get to the next hay bale in the hay field to the first one to get to the supper table—it’s just how we operate.”

 

“Matt’s a real competitive person,” his wife, Lindsey, confirmed. “Everything is a competition with him. I knew that cagefighting would feed that competitive hunger that he feels all the time when he’s not pulling his horses.”

 

Matt officially made his MMA debut back in February at “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” against durable veteran Gravin Guillen (2-5). Matt exceeded debut expectations by finishing Guillen in just 1:30 of the first round by technical knockout (TKO). When the ref cleared the scene, Guillen’s face showed the effects of Glover’s record-breaking exploits in the weight room. Glover’s Rumford fans that were in attendance in heavy numbers that night, voiced their approval in thunderous applause. “At first, I had butterflies,” Glover remembered, “but once I heard all the people cheering, all it did was pump me up. I was ready to fight. Win or lose, I knew they had my back and more.”

 

This weekend, Glover is poised to make his second appearance in the NEF cage when he takes on 6’6” Ras Hylton (1-0) from rival gym, First Class MMA. Hylton made his debut on the same night as Glover and, like his challenger this weekend, made quick work of his opponent by earning a TKO victory at 1:21 of the first round.

 

Berserkers MMA Founder and Head Coach, Mike Hansen, predicts a dominant night for Glover. “Matt happens to be much stronger than he even appears, which is incredible if you have ever seen him,” Hansen stated. “A guy of his size normally struggles with agility, but Matt doesn’t. He is a super athlete and easy to coach. Matt improves daily and will be a juggernaut in the heavyweight amateur division.

 

“Ras is used to being the bigger guy in all of his fights. That will not be the case on Saturday night. Matt will put his hands on Hylton in a way he’s never been touched before. I don’t see Ras walking away from this fight with his hand held high. He should consider it a win if he can walk away at all when Matt’s done with him.”

 

Going into Saturday night, Glover feels well prepared to continue building on his success in the sport of MMA that he started to create back in February. If his athletic history is any indicator, he should be confident in the future. “I’m ready for this fight,” Glover stated. “In this fight, I’m more relaxed because my brother’s not fighting and I can just focus on my fight… After that first win, I knew I was hooked because there’s no better feeling.”

 

“When people first started speaking to Matt about competing in MMA, I was completely against it 110%,” Lindsey stated. “But after watching him train so hard with the guys in the gym and seeing that he has the same passion for that as he does for his horse pulling, I felt more at ease and decided that if this was something he wanted to pursue, I would support him in any way that I possibly could.

 

“The Glover brothers fighting in MMA is a big thing for Rumford,” Lindsey stated in closing. “Every time it’s getting close to fight night, this town comes alive. No matter where he goes within the sport, this town and his family support him.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE,” takes place this Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ANDREY KORESHKOV LOOKS TO SPOIL HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED BELLATOR MMA DEBUT OF BENSON HENDERSON AT ‘BELLATOR 153’ ON SPIKE TOMORROW

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Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

 

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 21, 2016) – Following weigh-ins for “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” competitors on Thursday, all fights are set to take place inside the cage at the Mohegan Sun Arena tomorrow on Spike.

Headlined by a welterweight world title bout between Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (18-1) and Benson “Smooth” Henderson (23-5), the main card is primed to entertain. The card is loaded with young talent, including 28-year-old welterweight star Michael “Venom” Page (9-0), who will put his unblemished record on the line against Jeremie Holloway (7-1).

In addition, “Bellator 153: Henderson vs. Koreshkov” also features Brennan Ward (13-3) going to battle against “Cyborg” Santos (20-16), Patricio “Pitbull” Friere (24-3) versus Henry Corrales (12-2) and Brent Primus (6-0) meeting “Toninho Furia” (27-5).

“Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” takes place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and airs live and free on Spike at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. In addition, stay tuned immediately following the event, the debut of “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” takes place at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for the event start at just $30 and remain on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

BAMFORD & GULLIVER: A FIRST CLASS FRIENDSHIP FORGED THROUGH FIRE

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Lewiston, Maine (April 21, 2016) – Bryce Bamford (1-0) and Nick Gulliver (2-0) share a bond that was built by spilling blood and sweat together in Brazilian Jit Jitsu gyms across Maine and New England. When they enter the NEF cage together on Saturday night in Lewiston at “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE,” it will be the culmination of a combat sports friendship that goes back almost a decade.

 

“Let’s just call him ‘The Hulk,’ since he is a machine on the ground and strong as an ox,” Gulliver, a police officer by trade, joked when asked about his gym partner and confidant, Bamford. “’The Hulk’ and I have been training together for a long time… He is a one of a kind training partner. If I look at him and say that I need help with something, he will help me in any way that he can. He has everything you want in a training partner and a friend. He is a great guy and I’m so happy I can train with someone like Bryce.”

 

Bamford and Gulliver first met several years ago at Fitness Styles, originally located in Livermore Falls, Maine. “It was more just ‘go and punch each other’ and it was a little wild,” Gulliver recalled. Soon after, Bamford moved his training over to The Foundry in Farmington, Maine where he began focusing on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in earnest. Before long, Bamford recruited Gulliver to join him at The Foundry where the two have remained loyal training partners. “Best thing I could have done,’ Gulliver stated. “I’ve been training with Bryce ever since.”

 

Last year, Gulliver, who currently holds the rank of purple belt in BJJ, began cross-training at John Raio’s First Class MMA in Topsham and returned the favor to Bamford by pulling him over to Raio’s gym where the two began supplementing their BJJ studies with rigorous mixed martial arts (MMA) training. Immediately finding that the sport was a fit for both of them, Gulliver was the first to test his MMA skills in the NEF cage. He made his debut last June at “NEF 18: MADE IN AMERICA” and finished Ora Spratt (0-2) via submission in the first round.

 

“One of the most memorable moments that I have of Bryce was after my first MMA fight,” Gulliver recalled. “Bryce came down to speak with me and he congratulated me on my first win. I looked at him and thanked him for all the help that he has given me over the past few years. Then I said to him: ‘Now it’s your turn.’ He looked at me and shook his head. I could tell he was hooked at that moment. But he said, ‘My mom came and watched you and loved it, but I don’t think she can handle watching me fight.’ I laughed because I knew that it wouldn’t be long before he would be in the cage fighting next to me.”

 

Gulliver was right.

 

Bamford, 40, a dedicated father and family man, runs a slasher at Palletone in Livermore Falls during his day job. The soft spoken, yet charismatic heavyweight currently holds the rank of Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As complimentary as Gulliver is of him, Bamford equally values Gulliver’s work ethic and the deep bond that the two share. “When Nick sets a goal, he doesn’t stop until he gets there,” Bamford stated. “He is relentless.”

 

After witnessing Gulliver’s stellar debut in the NEF hexagon, Bamford felt the itch to follow his friend’s lead and challenge himself in the ultimate proving ground. “I blame Nick for the fact that I am stepping into the cage and not sitting up in the stands drinking cold beer with everyone else,” laughed Bamford.

 

Bamford made his NEF debut in November 2015 at “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.” He needed only 19 seconds to stop his opponent that night.

 

“Bryce is 40 years old, but that number means nothing—just ask anyone who has grabbed ahold of him,” Gulliver stated. “If he would have got involved in this sport 20 years ago, no one would have touched him if he was training the way he trains today. He’s the first guy in the gym and the last guy out. That is why his age means nothing. He has heart and a lot of it. I respect a guy with the outlook on life like Bryce Bamford has. He can teach us all something.”

 

This weekend, Bamford and Gulliver are set to take to the cage again. Bamford is scheduled to face a man ten years younger than him in Joe Krech (0-1) and Gulliver is set to take on his biggest challenge to date when he faces former multiple-time state champion wrestler Dave Smith (2-1) from Beserkers MMA in Rumford, Maine.

 

“’All Roads Lead Here’ is a title so fitting for a story like the one between Bryce and I,” Gulliver stated. “Every day we have been training—every time we make each other bleed or sweat or tired—it all leads up to April 23rd. This is why we push each other—for opportunities like this.”

 

Leading into this weekend’s blockbuster event, there are strong rumors that this could be Bamford’s last MMA fight. At 40-years old and with a loving wife and child at home, there are other interests that the camping and motorcyclist enthusiast is passionate to pursue. If NEF 22 is in fact the last time that the two storied training partners take to the cage together, they intend to capitalize on the opportunity to solidify their martial arts history with a pair of wins on Saturday.

 

“In 20 years from now, I can see Bryce and I talking about this fight, drinking a beer,” Gulliver stated in closing. “We won’t talk about how much work we put into the fight, or how many hours we trained, or how many times we kicked each other’s asses—but we will talk about the fun time we had in that moment. Some things in life, you don’t forget. Times like this upcoming weekend are one of those moments. I’m glad I can share that with Bryce.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE,” takes place this Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

 

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov to defend title vs. Rashid Yusupov  

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Stephan Puetz returns vs. Andrey Seledtspv
 
M-1 Challenge 66, May 27 in Orenburg City, Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (April 19, 2016) – M-1 Challenge light heavyweight championViktor Nemkov will defend his title May 27against challenger Rashid Yusupov, headlining M-1 Challenge 66, in Orenburg City, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 66 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV.Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
M-1 Global also announced that former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan “T-800” Puetz will also return to action against M-1 Global-debuting Andrey Seledtsov.
 
Nemkov (23-5-0, M-1: 14-4-0) captured the coveted M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title this past December, taking a hard-fought 5-round decision from defending champion Puetz, who had won a 5-round split decision April, 2014 against Nemkov for the title.  Nemkov (pictured to left) is a two-time M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion having defeated Vasily Babich(WSUB3 – arm-lock) for the vacant title that he then lost in his first title defense to Puetz.
 
A native of Kazakhstan who fights out of Russia, Nemkov will be making his initial title defense of his second championship belt against Yusopov.
 
 
Nemkov (L) and Puetz (R)
The 23-year-old Yusupov (6-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0), fighting out of Sochi, Russia, has won four fights in a row to put himself into title contention.  A former Russian, European and World Amateur MMA champion, unlike many of his fellow countrymen from the North Caucasus, Yusupov (pictured below) is a dangerous striker whose signature moves are powerful kicks.  He is also a top-notch wrestler, evident by his M-1 Challenge victories against Charles Andrade and Martin Zawada.
Puetz (13-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0), fighting out of Munich, Germany, successfully defended his M-1 Challenge title twice, after beating Nemkov in their original championship match, against Luis Fernando Miranda (SUB2 – choke) August 15, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 50, and Valery Myasnikov (KO/TKO2 – punches) December 17, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 54. In a non-title fight this past May, Puetz stopped then M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura in the third round due to severely damaged broken nose.
The 28-year-old Seledtsov (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0) is a former Spetsnev solider who has a solid boxing, combat samba and MMA background.  The powerful Russian is the local White-Rex promotion champion.
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M-1 Challenge 65 Bonus Performances Announced

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M-1 Challenge 65 Fight of the Night:  Artem Frolov vs. Kristijan Perak
 
MOSCOW (April 19, 2016) – M-1 Global recently announced its M-1 Challenge 65 bonus performances, highlighted by the Fight of the Night award, along with Submission of the Night and KO of the Night.
 
The M-1 Challenge 65 Fight of the Night was between Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) against Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1), in which Frolov won by way of an opening-round submission by way of an arm-bar.
 
M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0) was awarded the Submission of the Night. The reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, who advanced to the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship versusAlexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0), used a choke hold on his Brazilian opponent, Maiquel “Big Rig” Facao (35-9-0, M-1: 0-1-0), midway through the first round to win the main event.
 
  M-1 Challenge 65 Submission of the Night:  Ramazan Emeev
 
Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Max Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0) captured KO of the Night honors with an impressive second-round stoppage (punches) of Robert “TQ” Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0).
 
M-1 Challenge 65 KO of the Night: Max Divnich
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BRANDON HALSEY & JOHN SALTER JOIN MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 156’ IN MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 19, 2016) – A middleweight matchup between Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-1) and John Salter (11-3) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” on June 17 inside Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

The fight joins a main card that features two of Bellator MMA’s top welterweights, in Chidi “Chidi Bang Bang” Njokuani (14-4) and Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (26-6), and a rematch between Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4), where the Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title will be on the line. In addition, eight preliminary contests have been added to the event.

“Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are currently on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Halsey will be making his ninth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, and be looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 7-1. The former Fresno State Bulldog began his professional career 9-0 before recently surrendering his first loss against the present Bellator MMA Middleweight titlistRafael Carvalho at “Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho.” The 29-year-old will look to start another long streak of victories when he challenges John Salter in main card action at “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” on June 17.

Salter comes into his bout with a professional record of 11-3 and is currently in the midst of a three-fight winning streak. In his Bellator MMA debut, Salter put an end to Dustin Jacoby’s night with a second-round, rear-naked choke submission at “Bellator 132.” A native of Tennessee, Salter has stopped his opponent in all 11 of his victories and has only lost once in his last seven fights as a professional. With five knockout victories coming in the opening frame, look for the 31-year-old to come out swinging inside Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Updated “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Bout: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Chidi Njokuani (14-4) vs. Douglas Lima (26-6)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Brandon Halsey (9-1) vs. John Salter (11-3)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Jermaine McDermott (2-0) vs. Blake Watkins (5-0)

Bellator MMA 140lb. Preliminary Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-4) vs. Chris Buron (5-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Javy Ayala (8-5) vs. Josue “J.R.” Lugo (7-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nick Bustamante (5-1) vs. Antoine Smith (3-5)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: C.J. Keith (8-3) vs. Carrington Banks (4-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Smitley (10-7) vs Chris Avila (4-2)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: John Paul Elias (3-0) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Lewis (0-0) vs. Ernest James (0-0)