Lossis Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

FORMER CHAMPION ANDREY KORESHKOV MEETS LORENZ LARKIN IN BELLATOR MAIN EVENT AT PECHANGA RESORT CASINO ON MARCH 29



ALSO, TICKETS FOR BELLATOR: KORESHKOV VS. LARKIN ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14

LOS ANGELES – Bellator returns to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. on Friday, Lub peb hlis ntuj 29 with an exciting welterweight clash, as former 170-pound world championAndrey Koreshkov (21-3) squares off against Southern California nativeLorenz Larkin (20-7, 1 NC) in the headliner.

Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, Hlis ntuj nqeg 14 and will be available at the Pechanga box office, as well as Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and Pechanga.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and simulcast on DAZN.com, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hailing from Omsk, Zog ntawm Guj kuj, 28-year-old Andrey Koreshkov will enter this bout on the heels of a 23-minute marathon withDouglas Lima in the opening round of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix only a few months ago. “Spartan” will be making his 16th career appearance for Bellator and his first of his 2019 campaign. Since joining Bellator, Koreshkov has tallied a dozen victories over his six-year stint, emphasized by a welterweight world title win over former division kingDouglas Lima tomBellator 140. Training alongside another former Bellator champion inAlexander Shlemenko, Koreshkov has earned 21 career wins over 24 bouts, including 15 finishes since making his professional debut in 2010. Of his 15 finishes, 12 have come by way of knockout and 10 via first-round KO, making the Russian knockout artist one of the toughest tests Larkin has ever faced. Koreshkov will look to add to an already impressive professional resume when he returns to action at Pechanga Resort Casino on March 29.

Larkin enters a pivotal main event matchup following a pair of victories overFernando Gonzalez tomBellator 193thiabIon Pascu tomBellator 207. The official alternate in Bellator’s Welterweight World Grand Prix, “Da Monsoon” has held his own against the promotion’s elite, also competing againstDouglas Lima thiabPaul Daley. Proudly hailing from Riverside, Calif., Pechanga Resort Casino provides an ideal site for the Millenia MMA-product to extend his current winning streak and put on a show for a raucous partisan crowd. Nrog 11 of his 20 career victories coming via knockout, the 32-year-old striker hopes to add yet another former champion to his list of victims when he takes on Koreshkov in Temecula.

UpdatedBellator: Koreshkov vs. LarkinFight Card:

Welterweight Main EventAndrey Koreshkov (21-3) vs.Lorenz Larkin (20-7, 1 NC)

*Card subject to change

Please visitBellator.com for more information.

BELLATOR RETURNS TO MOHEGAN SUN ARENA FOR MASSIVE DOUBLEHEADER ON FEBRUARY 15 & 16


FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINED BY MATT MITRIONE VS. SERGEI KHARITONOV IN HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH

SATURDAY’S CARD TO FEATURE ‘MVP’ VS. PAUL DALEY IN WELTERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX GRUDGE MATCH & A HEAVYWEIGHT NO. 1 CONTENDER’S BOUT PITTING CHEICK KONGO AGAINST VITALY MINAKOV

LOS ANGELES  On February 15 thiab 16, Bellator returns to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. for two back-to-back nights of exciting MMA action.

Txog rau hnub Friday, the event will be anchored by a heavyweight battle betweenMatt Mitrione (13-6) thiabSergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC), while Saturday’s show will see the long-awaited matchup betweenMichael “Venom” Page (13-0) thiabPaul Daley (40-16-2) headline in a Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix opening round pairing. tsis tas li ntawd, the card will also see a heavyweight No. 1 contender’s bout betweenCheick Kongo (29-10-2) and undefeated former Bellator heavyweight championVitaly Minakov (21-0).

Tickets for both events are available early through an exclusive Bellator Nation pre-sale beginning Wednesday, Dec. 5 tom 10 a.m. LI. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, Dec. 7 tom 10 a.m. LI. Tickets can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Fans can save when they purchase tickets to both events through the “Back-to-Back Pack!” Please visit Ticketmaster.com for more details.

Bellator: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be broadcast Friday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 15 on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and will stream LIVE on DAZN.

Bellator: MVP vs. Daleywill stream exclusively on DAZN on Saturday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 16 tom 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Preliminary action for both events will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.

Fresh off an impressive semi-final run in Bellator’s Heavyweight World Grand Prix, Matt Mitrione returns to action on February 15 against a true veteran in Sergei Kharitonov. The former Purdue football defensive lineman splits his training between Indianapolis and Combat Club in South Florida, and is in the best shape of his fighting career. Recently, Mitrione has defeatedRoy Nelson thiabFedor Emelianenko, adding to an already-impressive list of career victories.The man dubbed “The Paratrooper,” Kharitonov is the owner of an equally notable MMA resume, with the 38-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most marquee names, including an incredible performance against Roy Nelson, as well as Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Alistair Overeem.

One of the most unorthodox strikers to ever compete for Bellator, “MVP” has steadily worked his way up the welterweight ranks since signing with the organization in 2013. Known for his antics both inside the cage and out, every Michael Page fight is must-see entertainment. With an undefeated record of 13-0, thiab 11 of those victories coming by stoppage, the 31-year-old out of London Shootfighters finally meets up with fellow Brit and longtime rival, Paul Daley. A veteran of Strikeforce, UFC and BAMMA, Nottingham’s Daley has competed professionally since 2003. Throughout his career, “Semtex” has been one half of some of the most memorable bouts in MMA history, including aknockout of the year over Brennan Ward in 2017.

A rematch ofBellator 115, Cheick Kongo will look for redemption against Bellator’s longest reigning heavyweight champion, when Vitaly Minakov returns for his first fight with the promotion since 2014. A winner of seven straight, including two consecutive first-round knockouts overTimothy JohnsonthiabJavy Ayala, Kongo has earned the opportunity to compete in a No. 1 contender’s bout. Undefeated as a professional, Minakov earned a victory against Alexander Volkov, as well as a previous win against Kongo, in his previous Bellator stint, and later continued his winning ways in Russia against “Bigfoot” Silva and Tony Johnson. The two now meet to determine who will go on to face the winner of Fedor Emelianenko andRyan Bader.

Updated Bellator: Mitrione vs. KharitonovFight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event Bout: Matt Mitrione (13-6) vs.Sergei Kharitonov(29-7, 1 NC)

Updated Bellator: MVP vs. DaleyFight Card:

Welterweight World Grand Prix Matchup: Michael Page (13-0) vs.Paul Daley(40-16-2)

Heavyweight Main Card BoutCheick Kongo(29-10-2) vs.Vitaly Minakov (21-0)

*Card subject to change

Please visitBellator.com for more information.

ICB SIGNS VANES MARTIROSYAN; CONTENDER TO MAKE CAGE BOXING DEBUT IN 2019



SUPER WELTERWEIGHT FIRST OF SEVERAL
BOXING, MMA STANDOUTS
TO JOIN NEW COMBAT SPORT,
SAYS PROMOTER FULTON


Former super welterweight world contender Vanes Martirosyan of Glendale, Calif., is the first standout to join International Championship Boxing, promoter of the revolutionary and exciting new combat sport that features boxing in a cage.


Vanes is not just the first to sign a multi-bout, multi-year agreement with ICB, but he’s also the first of several,” says Jack Fulton, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia-based ICB.


We are in discussions with many boxers, mixed martial artists and kickboxers, and some of the names definitely would surprise,” says Fulton. “It’s more than interest, it’s enthusiasm to box in ‘The Fight Zone.We’ve struck a chord with boxers and MMA fighters, and it’s resonating.


The 32-year-old Martirosyan, originally from Armenia, has a record of 36-4-1 nrog 21 knockouts.


Martirosyan’s most recent bout was against Gennady Golovkin on May 5 forGGG’sWorld Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council middleweight championships, a fight he took on three-week notice.


Martirosyan had two previous title bouts, one for the WBA super welterweight crown and another for the World Boxing Organization super welterweight championship.


Martirosyan’s first bout in the ICB cage will be during the first quarter of 2019.
I was surprised when I heard about boxing in a cage, but at the same time I was real happy,” says Martirosyan. “The idea is just amazing. Fans are going to love it.


I’m going to be a nightmare in the cage,” says Martirosyan. “It’s easier to cut off the cage in a dog fight, and I’m an action fighter; I do bring the action.


I challenge all fighters in the world, boxing or MMA, to come into the cage with me, and I’ll show them what real fighting is all about,” says Martirosyan.


Vanes and his team are excited to be part of this new and unique concept for boxing,” says his manager, Vince Carthron.


It’s a format just made for Vanes, and we are delighted to be there at the beginning and helping to build it,” says Carthron. “It’s good for boxing fans, and it’s good for Vanes.


It took Fulton almost two years to get the cage designed, built, patented and approved by boxing and athletic commissions within the United States, including the state of Nevada.


An 18 year veteran promoter of the sport, through the years Fulton began to realize the sport needed something new, something fresh. And in 2016 he did something about it.


The sport of boxing needed something revolutionary, and this is it,” says Fulton.


The ICB cage better assures toe-to-toe, non-stop action, something that’s appealing to both boxing and mixed martial arts fans, and to the new hybrid athlete that’s proficient in more than one combat sport


We have no doubt ICB boxing in the cage will engage all ring sports fans,” says Fulton. “‘This is boxing for a new generation, a generation that has grown up watching combat sport in a cage. And that’s the main reason we conceived, created and now launched the ICB. It will re-energize boxing fans and bring MMA fans who prefer stand-up striking.


Vanes gets it; he sees the future and the opportunity,” says Fulton. “The ICB cage doesn’t force a boxer or an MMA fighter to make a choice; it offers them flexibility.

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT BRACKETS AND TWO LINEUP CHANGES FOR “COPA COMBATE” ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN, $100,000 GRAND PRIZE SHOWDOWN

LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

JOEY RUQUET REPLACES GASTON REYNO, DANIEL REQUEIJO TO REPRESENT SPAIN IN PLACE OF ZEBENZUI RUIZ

FRESNO – December 3, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced two changes to the lineup for its much-anticipated, biggest event of the yearthe “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) featherweight (145 pounds) showdown – as well as the tournament brackets for the event that takes place at Save Mart Center on Friday, Dec. 7.

 

The second annual “COPA COMBATE” extravaganza airs live in its entirety in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

Originally slated for action in a previously announced tournament alternate bout, 26-year-old Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (6-1), fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., USA and representing Puerto Rico, has been entered into the main draw of the eight-man tournament where he will replace Uruguay’s Gaston “Tonga” Reyno(7-2, 2 NC), who has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to staph infection.

 

tsis tas li ntawd, Daniel “El Gallego” Requeijo (14-6) will represent Spain in place of previously announced Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2), after Ruiz was unable to secure a visa to enter the U.S.

 

The 34-year-old Requeijo, who hails from Spain’s Las Palmas, Canary Islands, boasts a near-93 percent finish rate, earning 13 of his 14 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission.

 

Also announced today were the official tournament brackets for the “COPA COMBATE” tournament affair.

 

On one side of the draw, or “Group A,” Requeijo will square off with Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile, thaum lub Alejandro “Gallito” Flores(13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico will battle undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia.

 

On the other side of the draw, or “Group B,” Ruquet will collide with Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina, thaum lub Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA will face fellow prolific star Marlon “Deriko Siete” Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

 

The winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group A will meet in semifinal stage action, while the winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group B will do likewise.

 

The two semifinal stage fight winners will face off in the championship showdown with the $100,000 grand prize at stake.

 

Replacing Ruquet in one the two tournament alternate bouts will be Vicente “Chento” Enriquez Marquez (5-5) of Barcelona, Spain. Enriquez Marquez will take on Ruquet’s original, tournament alternate bout opponent “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Las Vegas via Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Announced today as an addition to the “COPA COMBATE” event preliminary bout card was a flyweight (125 pounds) tilt between Paul Elizondo (1-0) of Fresno and Nathan Napolitano (0-0) of Salinas, Calif. USA.

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “COPA COMBATE” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office.

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. PT on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

UPDATED “COPA COMBATE” UPDATED FIGHT CARD:

PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:

 

Flyweight: Paul Elizondo vs. Nathan Napolitano
Welterweight: Evan Solorio vs. Jimmy Molina
Middleweight: Albert Gonzales vs. James Porter

FEATURED FLYWEIGHT BOUT:

 

Corina Herrera vs. Maria Paula Buzaglo

“COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS:

 

Pablo Sabori vs. Michael Irizarry
Rudy Morales vs. Vicente Marquez Enriquez

“COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTERNAL STAGE BOUTS:

 

Group A:

 

Daniel Requeijo vs. Pablo Villaseca
Joey Ruquet vs. Bruno Cannetti

 

Group B

 

Alejandro Flores vs. John Bedoya
Andres Quintana vs. Marlon Gonzales

# # #

FULL FIGHT RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 211 & BELLATOR KICKBOXING 11

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Bellator 211 Photos Here

Bellator 211: Sakara vs. Kauppinen Results:

Kent Kauppinen (11-4) def. Alessio Sakara (23-13, 2 NC) via KO at 1:10 of round 1

Domingos Barros (6-0) def. Hesdy Gerges (0-1) via TKO at 2:53 of round 1

Pedro Carvalho (9-3) def. Luca Vitali (11-5) via sub. (guillotine) tom 0:43 of round 1

Alen Amedovski (8-0) def. Ibrahim Mane (7-2) via KO at 0:12 of round 1

Kiefer Crosbie (5-0) def. Orlando D’Ambrosio (7-4) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Giorgio Pietrini (15-4-1) def. Nemanja Milakovic (5-4) via KO at 0:20 of round 1

Andrea Fusi (7-4) def. Walter Pugliesi (4-1) via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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Bellator Kickboxing 11 Photos Here

 

Bellator Kickboxing 11: Varga vs. Cangelosi Results:

Gabriel Varga (17-6) def. Shan Cangelosi (34-10-1) via KO at 2:42 of round 1 to retain championship

Raymond Daniels (35-3) def. Zakaria Laaouatni (10-4) via majority decision (29-28 x2, 29-29)

Yuri Bessmertny (42-19-2) def. Karim Ghajji (99-16-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27 x2)

Gabriele Casella (20-2-1) def. Dani Traore (21-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Younes Rahmouni (14-4-1) def. Tiziano Campus (15-5-1) via majority decision (29-28 x2, 28-28)

Christian Zahe (58-24-7) def. Samuel Toscano (28-12-3) tom 2:20 of round 1

 

Bellator Kickboxing 11 Preliminary Card Results:

Sabir Temirkhnov (13-4) def. Matteo Costa (18-7-2) via TKO at 0:39 of round 2

Giacomo Licheri (6-0) def. Filippo Solheid (43-18-8) via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Matteo Di Luca (24-9-2) def. Giacomo D’Aquino (22-3-8) via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

 

FULL FIGHT RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 210: NJOKUANI vs. SALTER

 

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Full Event Photos Here

Bellator 210: Njokuani vs. Salter Main Card Results:

John Salter (16-4) defeated Chidi Njokuani (18-6, 1 NC) via submission (rear-naked choke) tom 4:32 of round one

David Rickels (20-5) defeated Guilherme Bomba (10-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Kristina Williams (3-1) defeated Bruna Ellen (4-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Juan Archuleta (21-1) defeated Jeremy Spoon (20-5) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)

 

Preliminary Card Results:

Costello Van Steenis (11-1) defeated Chris Honeycutt (11-3, 1 NC) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Jordan Young (10-0) defeated Anthony Ruiz (34-23) via submission (rear-naked choke) tom 3:48 of round one

Goiti Yamauchi (23-4) defeated Daniel Weichel (39-11) via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)

Joe Schilling (3-5) defeated Will Morris (4-1) via TKO (corner stoppage) tom 5:00 of round one

Shawn Bunch (8-3) defeated Joe Warren (15-8) via verbal submission (punches) tom 1:42 of round one

Mike Shipman (12-1) defeated Scott Futrell (8-5) via submission (anaconda choke) tom 2:58 of round one

Noad Lahat (13-4) defeated Brian Moore (11-7) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

Rudy Schaffroth (6-0, 1 NC) defeated Vernon Lewis (6-4) via KO (punch) tom 2:51 of round one

Adil Benjilany (5-1) defeated Daniel Carey (5-3) via TKO (punches) tom :43 of round two

Hracho Darpinyan (17-8-2) thiab Gerald Harris (25-7-1) fight to a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)

 

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

EMMANUEL SANCHEZ HEADLINES BELLATOR’S RETURN TO WINSTAR WORLD CASINO AND RESORT ON MARCH 22 AGAINST ASHLEIGH GRIMSHAW IN FEATHERWEIGHT CLASH

 

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LOS ANGELES Following his exciting back-and-forth championship bout at Bellator 209 earlier this month, Emmanuel Sanchez (17-4) quickly returns to featherweight action on Friday, Lub peb hlis ntuj 22 at WinStar World Casino and Resort against one of Bellator’s newest European signings, Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-10-1, 3 NC).

 

 

 

The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. I, as well as DAZN.com, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Daim pib are on sale now and can be purchased at the WinStar World Casino and Resort box office, as well as through Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

 

 

The 28-year-old, nicknamed “El Matador,” will serve as Bellator’s headliner for the second consecutive time in his 13th fight with the promotion. A homegrown fighter from the famed Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee has defeated a who’s who of 145-pounders including former champions Daniel Straus and Marcos Galvao, as well as standouts Sam Sicilia, Justin Lawrence and Georgi Karakhanyan. Now, Sanchez looks to immediately put himself back into contender status with a tough test on March 22.

 

 

 

Based out of London, Ashleigh “The White Wolf” Grimshaw has competed professionally since 2003, amassing more than 30 professional bouts across the European MMA scene. Unbeaten in his last four contests, Grimshaw has finished his opponent 18 times in his 20 victories. Now, set for his promotional debut with Bellator, the 36-year-old will be looking to make noise in a division currently championed by Patricio "Pitbull" Freire.

 

Updated Bellator: Sanchez vs. Grimshaw Fight Card:

Featherweight Main Event Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (17-4) vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-10-1, 3 NC)

 

 

 

*Card subject to change

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

 

****

BELLATOR SENDS BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION DARRION CALDWELL TO JAPAN ON NEW YEAR’S EVE TO CHALLENGE KYOJI HORIGUCHI FOR INAUGURAL RIZIN FF 135-POUND TITLE

 

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LOS ANGELES Bellator is pleased to announce that the organization’s current bantamweight titleholder Darrion Caldwell (13-1) will represent the promotion in an exciting matchup against 2017 Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix winner Kyoji Horiguchi (25-2). The two will compete for the inaugural Rizin bantamweight championship at Rizin 14 on Monday, Dec. 31 from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

 

 

 

In the three-round (15-minute) Rizin FF world championship bout – which will be held in a ring under Rizin’s unique rule set – the victor of Caldwell vs. Horiguchi will leave Japan’s historic combat sports venue a Rizin FF champion. Caldwell’s Bellator bantamweight title will not be on the line in the contest.

 

 

 

The latest agreement between Bellator and Rizin FF furthers a collaboration between the two companies which has seen multiple athletes, including Fedor Emelianenko, King Mo Lawal thiab Hisaki Kato amongst others, compete interpromotionally, but never before has a title from either promotion been on the line.

 

 

 

“Working for the Japanese fight company K-1 was a magical time during my promotional career and I have always felt strongly that MMA in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ would rise again. It truly is amazing to see what Nobuyuki Sakakibara has been able to do thus far with Rizin FF, so when he reached out to me about putting Darrion Caldwell against Kyoji Horiguchi for Rizin’s belt, we spoke to Darrion and he jumped at the opportunity,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “Bellator wants to support Rizin, and by sending our bantamweight champion to compete during their New Year’s Eve event, we look forward to this leading towards more collaboration between the two promotions in 2019. I want to wish Darrion luck in his quest to prove he is the best 135-pound fighter on the planet.”

 

 

 

“I am very grateful and honored that Bellator and Scott Coker would send us their unarguable bantamweight champion to fight for Rizin’s first-ever world title fight. This title fight will be a true champion vs. champion to determine the world’s best bantamweight fighter,” Rizin FF President Nobuyuki Sakakibara said. “We hope this kind gesture will kick off of a series of exciting matchups between both promotions in 2019. My dream would be that eventually we can co-promote a mega event in both countries with a ‘Champion Carnival’ taking place where stories and rivalries can be built and told.”

 

 

 

Caldwell, a 30-year-old Rahway, N.J. native and the current Bellator bantamweight champion, most recently moved up a weight class to challenge himself, successfully finishing veteran Noad Lahat. Fighting out of San Diego, Calif., “The Wolf” has emerged as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the world, collecting 10 victories since signing with Bellator in 2013. Tus 2009 NCAA D-1 National Champion wrestler from NC State boasts a resume that includes five first-round finishes, a 25-minute war against Eduardo Dantas to claim the world title and a textbook guillotine choke submission victory over Leandro Higo in his first career title defense earlier this year. Caldwell will look for fifth consecutive win and a second world title belt when he enters the ring against Kyoji Horiguchi on New Year’s Eve in Japan.

 

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

M-1 Challenge featherweight champion NateThe TrainLandwehr To make first title defense vs. Andrey Lezhnev

M-1 Challenge Battle in Atyrau, Dec. 15, in Kazakhstan
Nate Landwehr is excited to make his first title defense
SAINT PETERSBURG, Zog ntawm Guj kuj (November 28, 2018) — M-1 Challenge featherweight champion NateThe TrainLandwehr will make his first title defense December 15, headlining M-1 Global’s final event of the yearM-1 Challenge Battle in Atyrauversus challenger AndreyIronLezhnev, in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.
M-1 Challenge Battle in Atyrau will be live-streamed from Kazakhstan in high definition onwww.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 the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets. M 1 sib tw 97 will also be is available onwww.FITE.TV(preliminary card is free, $7.99 for the main card).
This will mark the first M-1 Global show in Kazakhstan in three years, since M 1 sib tw 59: Battle of the Nomads 5 in Astana, in which Russian star Sergei Kharitonov knocked out American Kenny Garner in the first round.
The 30-year-old Landwehr (11-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), fighting out of the Nashville suburb of Clarksville, Tennessee, captured the coveted M-1 Challenge featherweight title belt this past June at M 1 sib tw 95 in Nazran, Ingushetia, Zog ntawm Guj kuj. The entertaining American fighter stopped defending champion Khamzat Dalgiev on punches in the second round. Dalgiev was making his first title defense, after he shocked the MMA world by knocking out longtime M-1 champion Ivan Buchinger in the opening round.
The Trainkeeps rollin
In two other M-1 fights that set-up his title shot, Landwehr won a split decision over Viktor Kolesnik tom M 1 sib tw 85, preceded by a third-round stoppage of Mikhail Korobkovvia punches at M 1 sib tw 83.
Make no mistake,” Lanwehr said, “I want to put an ass whooping on everyone in the division. Lezhnev is just the next in line. Don’t think of me as just the champion, think of me as the baddest S.O.B that can make 145 pounds. I will be coming at him as if I am still a hungry challenger trying to make a statement to become a champion.
I would love to have a tournament with all the contenders. We’d all fight multiple times on one night against everyone and the last man standing is crowned King. But, for now, I will fight who M-1 feels is the next contender. If you have a problem with that, then it means you are not as impressive as a fighter as you think. Because I convinced them in two fights that I was the one for the job and I got the job done in my third (M-1) fight.
Fighting out of Ukraine, Lezhnev (18-7-0, M-1; 6-3-0) earned this title shot by winning nine of his last 10 fights, including the last three in a row. His victims include another U.S., LeeAmerican BulldogMorrison, who lost a unanimous decision to Lezhnev at M 1 sib tw 69 nyob rau hauv 2016.
Andrey Lezhnev has earned his title shot against Lanwehr
Landwehr is a typical brawler with nice cardio,” Lezhnev commented. “Everybody who plays by his rules loses. He is also very provocative, he loves creating the hype around him. For a long time, he tried to avoid this fight, challenging guys who passed their prime, because he understood he had no chances against me. But now the time has come to beat that hype out of him.
All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional M-1 Challenge Battle in Atyraufights will soon be announced.
INFORMATION:

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COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES “COPA COMBATE” TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS FOR ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN $100,000 GRAND PRIZE SHOWDOWN AT SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

COMBATE AMERICAS’ BIGGEST MMA EVENT OF 2018
“COPA COMBATE”
MARKS FIRST ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT IN CALIFORNIA, AIRS LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

ALSO:
FEATURED WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT CONTEST PITS
MARIA BUZAGLO VS. CORINA HERRERA

TICKETS FOR “COPA COMBATE” ON SALE NOW

NEW YORK – November 27, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced a pair of “alternate” bouts for its much-anticipated, biggest event of the year – the “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament that will award its featherweight (145 pounds) winner of three consecutive bouts a $100,000 grand prize at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 7.

 

The second annual “COPA COMBATE” tournament airs live in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), and marks the first time in history that California State will sanction a one-night, eight-man MMA tournament.

 

In one of two tournament alternate bouts announced today, Michael Irizarry (9-2) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will take on Pablo “El Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-5) of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, and in the second alternate bout, Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (6-1) of Las Vegas, Nev., USA will face off with” Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Las Vegas via Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Should any of the winners of the four quarterfinal stage tournament bouts be unable to re-enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, for his semifinal stage bout due to injury sustained in quarterfinal stage action, one of the two tournament alternate bout winners will replace the injured competitor in the semifinal stage of the tournament.

 

Also announced today was a featured women’s strawweight (115 pounds) contest between unbeaten Maria Buzaglo (1-0) of Lima, Peru and relentless battler Corina Herrera (3-4-1) of Porterville, Calif., USA.

 

The “COPA COMBATE” tournament field features eight previously announced fighters, representing eight different countries: Andres “The Bullet” Quintana(15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA; Alejandro “Gallito” Flores (13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (8-2, 2 NC) of Montevideo, Uruguay; thiab Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2) of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain; Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Latin American MMA pioneer Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile; undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia; and powerhouse Marlon “Deriko Siete” Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

 

The tournament brackets and quarterfinal stage tournament matchups will be announced this week.

 

In “COPA COMBATE” preliminary bout action announced today, local police officer Evan “Pitbull” Solorio (3-2) of Fresno will face off with Jimmy “Mamba” Molina (0-0) ntawm Spokane, Wash., USA in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

 

In a battle of two professional debut competitors, Albert Gonzales (0-0) of Fresno will collide with James Porter (0-0) of Fresno.

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “COPA COMBATE” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office.

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. PT on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

 

 

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