Tag Archives: mma

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima meets Russian knockout artist Andrey Koreshkov on July 17 at Mohegan Sun Arena

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 20, 2015) – Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (26-5), one of the most talented and well-rounded 170-pound fighters on the planet today, puts his title on the line against Russian knockout artist Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (17-1) on Friday, July 16, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

 

“Douglas Lima is an incredible champion who is in for one of the toughest fights of his life against Koreshkov,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “When the rest of this card is announced, we’ll have put together one of the greatest showcases of welterweight talent ever assembled on one night.”

 

The two elite combatants headline the newly announced “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” event, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, April 24th at 10 a.m. ET, and are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com. Bellator Nation presale begins this Tuesday.  Join the Bellator Newsletter list or follow us on social media (Twitter / Facebook) to gain access to the presale code and details.

 

Additional information, including ticketing details and the night’s full lineup of world-class MMA action, will be announced shortly.

 

The 27-year-old Lima is a Brazilian-born athlete who now makes his home in Atlanta. Fighting under the Bellator MMA banner since 2011, Lima is an impressive 8-1 in the promotion and an incredible 14-1 in his past 15 overall appearances. Lima earned his way to the Bellator MMA Welterweight World Title with an eight-man tournament victory that included knockout wins over Ben Saunders, Bryan Baker and Michail Tsarev. Lima then claimed the title with an April 2014 knockout win over Rick Hawn. Overall, Lima boasts five consecutive knockout victories and now looks to defend his belt for the first time.

 

Koreshkov is also fresh off an eight-man tournament win, claiming a decision victory over Adam McDonough after previously registering knockouts of Justin Baesman and Nah-Shon Burrell. The 24-year-old Koreshkov is a Russian national medalist in both pankration and hand-to-hand combat and has lost just once in 18 professional MMA appearances.  He owns 10 wins by knockouts and three by submission and also owns a 2012 victory over former Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Lyman Good.

 

Expect fireworks when Lima and Koreshkov collide.

 

Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13 HAS A HISTORY

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Lewiston, Maine (April 20, 2015) – When Crowsneck Boutin (0-0) makes his professional debut on June 13, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, it will be just days shy of the three-year anniversary of his amateur debut in the very same building.  On that warm, late-spring evening in 2012, a crowd of more than 3,000 had assembled to witness the Maine debut of former UFC World Heavyweight Champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (31-10) at New England Fights’ (NEF) third mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier that night, on the amateur portion card, Boutin was in action against Brent “Frosty” Dillingham (1-1).  Dillingham won via technical knockout (TKO) in the first round.  That was not the end of the action, however, as Boutin and Dillingham exchanged in a heated post-fight confrontation, having to be separated by officials.

 

The bad blood has continued over the course of the past three years, with occasional barbs being hurled by both sides on social media.  Boutin’s opponent on June 13 will be none other than Dillingham’s coach at MMA Athletix, “The Junkyard Dog” Ryan Cowette (2-2).  When he met Dillingham, Boutin was an independent fighter with no formal training in the martial arts.  In the months that followed, Boutin would join the Choi Institute of Portland, Maine and transform himself into a prolific striker. Boutin is clear that the fighter who will step in the cage on June 13 opposite Cowette is not the same undisciplined street fighter who lost to Dillingham three years ago.

 

“As an amateur with zero days in a gym, I debuted against MMA Athletix,” recalled Boutin of his amateur debut.  “Fast forward three years later, three years straight at the Choi Institute. Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan.”

 

Not only is Cowette the head of MMA Athletix, but he is also the founder and pastor of Victory Church in Bath, Maine.  Having suffered a major disappointment when his opponent backed out of their scheduled bout during fight week of “NEF XVII” earlier this month, Cowette is optimistic in regards to the June 13 fight with Boutin.

 

“This should be a great fight for the fans,” said Cowette.  “We both show up to fight and put on a show.  I’m looking to push forward in the 185-pound division.  Crowsneck will be a good test.  I’m thankful for the opportunities NEF gives me.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVIII: Made in America” will originate from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on June 13, 2015.  Tickets for “NEF XVIII” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at207.783.2009 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.

mixed martial arts, UFC

Mendon Twin Drive-In to show UFC 186 this Saturday night

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MENDON, Mass. (April 20, 2015) – The newly renovated Mendon Twin Drive-In will be a closed circuit site for this Saturday night’s UFC 186 from historic Bell Centre in Montreal. Mendon Twin Drive-In (www.mendondrivein.com) is located at 35 Milford St. in Mendon, MA.

 

Tickets may be purchased at the Mendon Twin Drive-In gate the day of the event only (gates open at 6 p.m. ET), or in advance by going on line at www.aceticket.com. Regular admission is $25.00 per car (maximum of six per vehicle) with a $50.00 VIP ticket per car available that includes priority parking and a weekday drive-in pass. People may watch the UFC 186 action from their car or sit at Pop’s Beer Garden.

 

 

FREE ADMISSION

To the first 100 cars from the Blackstone Valley area (driver’s ID required)

 

 

“I’m excited to show some of the best conditioned and skilled athletes in the world live on one of the biggest screens in New England,” Mendon Twin Drive-In co-owner Dave Andelman said.

 

Preliminary bouts start at 6:30 p.m. ET with the main card fights commencing at10 p.m. ET. World Flyweight Champion Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (21-2-1), No. 3 in the UFC pound-for-pound ratings, headlines the main card in a title defense against No. 8 contender Kyoji Horiguchi (15-1-0).

 

Also fighting on the main card is middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping(26-7-0) vs. CB “The Doberman” Dollaway (16-7-0), light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado (22-7-0) vs. Steve Bosse (10-1-0), John “The Bull” Makdessi(12-3-0) vs. Shane Campbell (11-2-0) at a 160-pound catch-weight, and bantamweight Yves “Tiger” Jabouin (20-9-0) vs. Thomas “Thominhas” Almeida (18-0-0).

Follow on Twitter @Mendondrivein.

 
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” finalizes action-packed 13-fight lineup with additions of A.J. Jenkins vs. Arlene Blencowe, Shawn Bunch vs. Rolando Perez and John Yoo vs. Albert Morales

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 16, 2015) – A thrilling 13-bout lineup for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” is now complete with the addition of women’s featherweights A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe (5-4), bantamweights Shawn “Bunch the Great” Bunch (3-1) vs.Rolando Perez (7-4) and John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert “The Warrior” Morales (1-0) to the evening’s preliminary card.

 

The three new additions finalize a nine-fight preliminary card scheduled in support of “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” four main card contests.

 

The night’s featured matchups include undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1) and bantamweightsDarrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” takes place on Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

 

Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place 45 minutes later.

 

Jenkins, of Oceanside, Calif., is one of the most experienced competitors in women’s MMA. Fighting professionally since 2004, Jenkins now makes her Bellator MMA debut. The 33-year-old boasts past tussles with MMA notables Shayna Baszler, Tonya Evinger, Jan Finney, Kelly Kobold and Sarah Schneider, among others.

 

An Australian native, Blencowe is a world-class athlete and former Women’s International Boxing Association World light welterweight champion. After turning her attention to MMA in 2013, Blencowe initially garnered only mixed results as she adjusted to life in the sport. However, she has racked up three-consecutive stoppage wins as of late, and that run earned her a call from Bellator MMA.

 

Bunch is one of MMA’s most elite-level wrestlers as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and two-time U.S. Olympic Team alternate. He now trains with the famed American Kickboxing Academy banner and has spent his entire professional MMA career under the Bellator MMA banner.

 

Meanwhile, Alliance MMA product Perez is a 10-year veteran of the sport who made his Bellator MMA in November and fought to a rarely-seen split draw. Still, Perez is unbeaten in his past four contests and now looks to get his first win in the promotion.

 

Yoo, of Irvine, Calif., makes his professional debut. He meets Morales, of Carson, Calif., who picked up a submission victory in the Bellator cage in his first professional contest.

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)

Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

 

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

 

Dark Fights (approx. 11 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert Morales (1-0)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Shawn Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene Blencowe (5-4)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” adds top bantamweights Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva to evening’s Spike-televised main card

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EASY TWEET: #BellatorMMA adds @morcego_mma and @thewolf_mma to the May 15 Event headlined by @BrandBullHalsey & @kendallgrovemma

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 15, 2015) – A four-fight Spike-broadcast main card for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” has received another thrilling contest, as undefeated bantamweight prospect Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) takes on Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

 

The new addition finalizes the four-bout main card for “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove,” which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapperKendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), and welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs.“Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1).

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” takes place on Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

 

Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place 45 minutes later.

 

Two new bouts have also been added to the night’s preliminary card, with middleweights A.J. “The Mercenary” Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben “The Hunter” Reiter (15-0) and lightweights Steve “Thunderbeast” Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1).

 

Additionally, a light heavyweight matchup of Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. “Razor” Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) that was initially announced as a main-card matchup will now be featured on the night’s preliminary card, instead.

 

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

 

A New Jersey native now fighting out of Arizona, Caldwell was a Division I wrestler at North Carolina State. Caldwell made his MMA debut in 2012 and has kept his record perfect through the first six fights of his career, including Bellator MMA wins over Anthony Dizy, Joe Pingitore and Lance Surma. Previously competing as a featherweight, the 27-year-old Caldwell now moves down to the bantamweight division.

 

He now faces “Morcego” Silva, a battle-tested 30-year-old fighter with championship-level experience in the Bellator MMA cage. With nearly a decade of professional fights to his name, Silva is an incredible 14-1 in his past 15 overall appearances. His only loss during that run was a 25-minute decision against former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Joe Warren. Seventeen of Silva’s 22 career wins have come by stoppage, including eight knockouts and nine submissions.

 

A former cast member on Bellator MMA’s “Fight Master” series, Matthews fought most recently in November, earning a decision win over Kyle Bolt. He now meets undefeated prospect Reiter, an intriguing individual who left Wall Street to pursue a career in MMA and now fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after spending much of his early career in Peru.

 

Kozola, of San Diego, Calif., fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after debuting with a knockout victory over Jonathan Rivera in January. He now meets Butler, who returns to the promotion after a November Bellator MMA debut that saw him suffer a submission loss to Joao Paulo Faria.

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)

Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

 

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

 

Dark Bouts (approx. 11 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Bellator MMA continues to strengthen its roster with addition of Brazilian featherweight Gleristone “Toninho Furia” Santos

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 14, 2015) – Bellator MMA officials are proud to announce the addition of exciting Brazilian featherweight prospect Gleristone “Toninho Furia” Santos (27-4), who has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal.

 

Santos’s debut date and opponent will be announced in the near future.

 

Long considered one of Brazil’s top prospects, the 26-year-old Santos debuted in 2005, when he was just 16 years old and earned victories in his first nine professional bouts. Born in Campina Grande, Paraiba, Santos currently boasts a nine-fight winning streak and is an incredible 16-1 in his past 17 appearances. “

 

Toninho” joins several other talented Brazilian fighters on the Bellator roster including Featherweight World Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima, Bantamweight World Champion Marcos Galvao, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas, Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, Rafael Carvalho, Neiman Gracie, Goiti Yamauchi amongst others.

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)

 

Fight Network, kickboxing, martial arts, mixed martial arts, wrestling

FIGHT NETWORK MMA & KICKBOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Apr. 13-19, 2015)

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Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

 

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, Apr. 13

5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

6:00 – p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.

6:30 p.m. ET – Judo Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix 2014 – Highlights from Judo Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix from July 4-6, 2014 in Mongolia.

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ET – GFC 4– Featuring Badr Hari vs. Arnold Oborotov on a stacked MMA/kickboxing card from Oct. 16, 2014 in Dubai.

Tuesday, Apr. 14

1:00 a.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Rashad Evans – Sit-down interview with former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

1:30 a.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.

2:30 am. ET – XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S pro and amateur MMA.

7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.

8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

8:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ET – DEEP: DREAM Impact 2014 – Featuring Satotu Kitaoka vs. Yoshiyuki from Dec. 31, 2014 in Saitama, Japan.

Wednesday, Apr. 15

12:00 a.m. ET – BAMMA USA: Badbeat 10 – Featuring Jesse Newell vs. Chris Culley, Jesse Juarez vs.

3:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.

6:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.

7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA – Compilations of international MMA fights from O  NE FC, UCMMA, KSW, WFC, FFC, BAMMA, EFC Africa and others.

8:30 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 71 – Featuring Jack Hermansson vs. Deyan Topalski from Aug. 23, 2014 in Amman, Jordan.

11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.

11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

Thursday, Apr. 16

12:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 3: Unstoppable – Featuring Brad Pickett vs. Dino Gambatesa from Mar. 28, 2009 in London.

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.

7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level.

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

8:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 56 – Featuring Tyacheslav Vasilvesky vs. Ramasan Emeev for the M-1 Challenge middle title from Apr. 10, 2015 in Moscow.

Friday, Apr. 17

12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.

1:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.

5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA league, Jewels.

11:00 a.m. ET – GFC 5: Saki vs. Ciobanu – LIVE professional kickboxing from Dubai featuring Gokhan Saki vs. Sebastian Ciobanu, plus Steve McKinnon vs. Zabit Samedoiv and Jafar Ahmadi vs. Danyo Illunga.

4:00 p.m. ET – UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold Weigin-Ins – LIVE coverage of the official weigh-ins for UFC on FOIX: Machica vs. Rockhold from Newwark, NJ.

6:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international starts.

7:00 p.m. ET — Fight News Now. MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

7:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Luke Rockhold – Sit-down interview with current UFC star and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.

8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.

9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 13 – Featuring Mamed Khalidov vs. Ryuta Sakurai, Mariusz Pudzianowski vs. Yusuke Kawaguchi, plus Jan Blachowicz, Daniel Tabera, Konstan Gluhov and Attila Vegh from May 7, 2010 in Warsaw, Poland.

Saturday, Apr. 18

1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: New Heroes Almere 2014 – Featuring Errol Konning vs. Mohammed El Boulahiati and Kenneth Susanna vs. Yakupa Kaya from Sept. 27, 2014 in Almere, Netherlands.

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Brian Gassaway vs. Jose “Pele” Landi-Jones from TKO 32.

7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Jake Shields vs. Jeremy Jackson from Gladiator Challenge 6.

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest, hosted by UFC veterans Matt LIndland and Chael Sonnen. This episode features Dennis Hallman, Sean Sherk, Josh Burkman, Chris Leben and Benji Radach in action.

1:30 p.m. ET – UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold Pre-Show – LIVE pre-fight coverage of UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold in Newark, NJ.

4:00 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold Pre-Show – LIVE pre-fight coverage of UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold in Newark, NJ.

4:30 p.m. ET – Enfusion LIVE #27: Souwer vs. Risco – LIVE professional kickboxing from Tenerife, Spain, featuring Andy Souwer vs. Jonay Risco and Mohamed Boubkari vs. Moises Baute for the -95kg world title.

6:30 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.

7:00 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

7:30 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold Pre-Show – LIVE pre-fight coverage of UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold in Newark, NJ.

8:00 p.m. ET – GFC 5: Saki vs. Ciobanu – Pro kickboxing from Dubai, featuring Gokhan Saki vs. Sebastian Ciobanu, plus Steve McKinnon vs. Zabit Samedov and Jafar Ahmadi vs. Danyo Ilunga fromApr. 17, 2015 in Dubaia.

11:00 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold Post-Fight Press Conference – LIVE coverage of the official post-fight press conference for UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold in Newark, NJ.

Sunday, Apr. 19

6:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC – Featuring compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.

11:00 a.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters takingon the renowned Thai National team.

6:30 p.m. ET – Judo Tyumen Grand Slam 2014 – Highlights from the Judo Tyumen Grand Slam from July 12-13, 2014 in Russia.

11:00 p.m. ET – King of Kings: World Grand Prix 2014 Gdansk – Featuring Arrtur Kyshenko vs. Radoslaw Paczuski, plus a one-night, single-elimination-93kg tournament from Oct. 17, 2014 in Gdansk, Polan
 

Information:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

 
ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK:  Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

WILL BROOKS RETAINS TITLE IN A STATEMENT 5-ROUND VICTORY

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DSC_1699Bellator / Eric Coleman – Select Fight Photos / Scorecards

 

IRVINE, Calif. (April 10, 2015) – An energetic Southern Californian crowd was on hand tonight at the Bren Event Center enjoying a spectacular night of fights at Bellator 136.

 

With celebrities and MMA legends the likes of Tommy Lasorda, Charlie Hough, Jermaine Dye, Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Don Frye and Frank Shamrock cageside, the Scott Coker-led promotion emphatically returned to the arena for the first time since its debut on Spike at Bellator 85.

 

In addition to a lightweight title fight in the main event, 12 other exciting contests helped continue the trend of exciting cards on Spike TV thus far in 2015.

 

It took the full five rounds, but Will Brooks (16-1) made the first defense of his Bellator Lightweight strap, defeating Dave Jansen (20-3) via unanimous decision [49-46, 49-46, 49-46]. After a clear cut opening frame that saw “The Fugitive” surprise “Ill Will” with his explosive kicking and punching, Brooks slowly turned the tide in his favor, slowing the pace and using his world renown grappling to remain the 155-pound kingpin.

 

“Dave Jansen is exactly what people consider him to be,” said Brooks.  “He’s got that warrior spirit and he’s really intelligent. He fought hard, I just fought harder.  I’m still young in this sport, and there were definitely a lot of things that I wanted to do in the fight that he neutralized.  I’m looking to stay busy and get back to putting on exciting fights for the fans.”

 

After 15 minutes of co-main event action, Rafael Carvalho improved to 11-1, earning a split decision win [28-29, 30-27, 29-28] against Joe Schilling (2-4). The young Brazilian slowed the fight down throughout, nullifying the striking of “Stitch Em’ Up.” One judge did see the fight in favor of the world champion kickboxer, but it wasn’t enough as Schilling drops to .500 inside the Bellator cage.

 

In a battle of submission specialists, Marcin Held (21-3) finished Tiger Sarnavskiy (30-3) via verbal submission caused by a knee bar at 1:11 of round three. With the win, Held has now won 12 of his 21 professional fights via submission.

 

The first televised scrap of the evening featured heavyweights Tony Johnson (8-2) and Alexander Volkov (6-1). After three grueling rounds, “The Hulk” remained undefeated in the Bellator cage. Johnson was awarded a [29-28, 28-29, 29-28] split decision. Overall it was the wrestling of Johnson that earned him the victory. Now, Johnson returns home to his two daughters and fiancée, where he doubles as a self-proclaimed “Mr. Mom.”

 

Joey Beltran (16-11) bounced back from a lackluster opening round to take rounds two and three, ultimately defeating Brian Rogers (11-8) via majority decision [28-28, 29-28, 29-27]. “The Mexicutioner” impressed in his Bellator MMA middleweight debut, while “The Predator” has dropped four of five scraps.

Saad Awad (18-6) handed Rob Sinclair (12-3) the third loss of his career, earning a unanimous decision [30-27, 30-27, 30-37]. With the win, Awad moves even closer to a trilogy fight with lightweight champion Will Brooks.

 

In the opening bout of the evening, John Teixeira (18-1-2) defeated Fabricio Guerreiro (20-4) via split decision [29-28, 28-29, 29-28]. Guerreiro has now dropped two of his last three bouts, while “Macapa” has won three straight.

 

AJ McKee (1-0) made a successful professional debut on Friday night, finishing Marcos Bonilla (1-2) with a deep rear-naked choke at 2:08 round one. The contingent that remained after the main card was heavily in favor of the Long Beach, Calif., native.

 

Chad George (16-8) finished Mark Vorgeas (5-3-1) with a head and arm choke at 3:37 of the first round. There was no tap or verbal submission, as George had to inform the referee that his opponent had gone unconscious. The Los Angeles native now has nine submission wins in his young career.

 

Laguna Hills, Calif., Justin Governale (4-2) submitted hometown boy Jay Bogan (6-5) via rear-naked choke at 2:09 of round two. It was an exciting end to a fight that was nearly finished by Governale with strikes.
Steve Ramirez (1-1) finished Jon Santa Maria (3-1) with a toehold at 3:29 of round one.

 

Cleber Luciano (11-5) finished Aaron Miller (14-10) with an arm bar at 4:36 of round two.

 

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 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.