Los Angeles— BELLATOR MMA har annonsert at den femte deltakeren til nyttårsaften mot motstandere av RIZIN Fighting Federation vil være nr.. 10-rangert som lett, Gadzhi Rabadanov(18-4-2), tar på seg en 27 år gammel japansk fremståendeKoji Takeda(15-3) i en overbevisende matchup mellom to konkurrenter som sykler høyt på styrken av påfølgende seire.
En første i sitt slag storfilm-samkampanje, BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZIN finner sted inne i Saitama Super Arena i Japan lørdag, Desember 31, og kan sees i USA på SHOWTIME kl 8 pm. ET/PT på nyttårsaften.
Rabadanov mot Takeda vil bli med i en stjernespekket femkampBELLATOR MMA vs. RIZINhovedkortet, som er stablet fra topp til bunn med nåværende og tidligere mestere som konkurrerer i den firesidige ringen under RIZINs unike regler. Hovedrollen på arrangementet vil være en drømmekamp mellom RIZIN lettvektsmesterRoberto "Satoshi" de Souza(14-1) mot nr. 3 BELLATOR pund-for-pund talentAJ "Leiesoldat" McKee(19-1), med BELLATOR og RIZIN fjærvektsmesterePatricio Pitbull(34-5) ogLim Koike(31-5-1) co-headlining på må-se-arrangementet.
Tidligere BELLATOR-mestereJuan «spanjolen» Archuleta(26-4) ogKyoji Horiguchi(30-5) vil runde ut hovedkortet uten sidestykke, møte med RIZINSoo Chul Kim(18-6-1) ogHiromasa Ougikubo(25-6-2), henholdsvis.
Gadzhi Rabadanov, 29, signert med BELLATOR inn 2021 etter å ha tatt Eagle FC lettvektstittelen, og har gjort en umiddelbar innvirkning på kampanjens bemerkelsesverdig dype lettvektsdivisjon. Han meldte sin ankomst på dundrende vis klBELLATOR 263med en ettertrykkelig viral knockout av Daniel Carey, som han fulgte opp med rygg-mot-rygg dominerende enstemmige seirer over Jay Jay Wilson og Bobby King i 2022. Produktet fra den anerkjente Club Abdulmanap Nurmagomedovs skole i Dagestan og det prestisjetunge American Kickboxing Academy, Rabadanovs stamtavle er i verdensklasse. På nyttårsaften, Rabadanov vil se etter å fortsette å bygge på momentumet sitt med en imponerende prestasjon mot Koji Takeda.
«Det er en barndomsdrøm som går i oppfyllelse å kjempe i Japan på den legendariske Saitama Super Arena," sa Rabadanov. – Jeg er veldig spent og vet at jeg har en tøff motstander, som alltid lar alt ligge i ringen. Forvent et mesterverk fra meg, det vil bli en minneverdig kamp."
En tidligere DEEP lettvektsmester, JapansKoji Takedahar vært en aktiv fighter siden hans 2017 profesjonelle debut. Takeda kan skryte av en overbevisende sak for inkludering på dette historiske kampkortet, vinne syv av sine ti siste og tre av sine fire siste utflukter under RIZIN- og DEEP-bannerne. Takeda er også kjent med BELLATOR-fiender; han har tidligere kjempet mot Spike Carlyle og sendt inn Zach Zane med armbar, begge kjempet nylig for Scott Coker-ledede opprykk. Takeda vil se etter å legge til en tredje seier på rad til CV-en hans mot den høyt ansette Rabadanov i hjembyen Saitama, Japan, desember 31.
BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN HOVEDKORT:
SHOWTIME
Lørdag, Desember 31 — 20.00 ET/PT
Lett hovedbegivenhet uten tittel: AJ McKee(19-1) vs.Roberto de Souza(14-1)
Fjærvekt hovedbegivenhet uten tittel: Patricio Pitbull(34-5) vs.Lim Koike(31-5-1)
Bantamvekt-funksjonskamp: Juan Archuleta(26-4) vs.Soo Chul Kim(18-6-1)
UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPIONA.J. MCKEETO DEFEND BELLATOR MMA 145-POUND WORLD TITLE IN REMATCH AGAINST FORMER NUMBER ONE POUND-FOR-POUND & TWO-DIVISION CHAMPIONPATRICIO PITBULL
205-POUND CHAMPIONVADIM NEMKOVTO BATTLE TOP-RANKEDCOREY ANDERSONFOR $1 MILLION PRIZE IN BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX FINAL
BELLATOR 277SET FOR FRIDAY, April 15, AT 10 Pm. ET / 7 pm. PTLIVE ON SHOWTIME INSIDE THE SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.
TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY
LOS ANGELES (Februar. 16, 2022) -Two outstanding world-championship showdowns. Four of BELLATOR MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighters. One highly anticipated rematch. The promotion’s all-time greatest athlete striving to avenge a highlight-reel loss to the company’s homegrown superstar. A tournament final awarding a seven-figure jackpot to the victor.
BELLATOR’s fourth phenomenal fight card of 2022 promises to be one for the ages.
Fresh off a 117-second destruction of his upcoming opponent and claiming the $1 million bounty at the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, unbeaten BELLATOR Featherweight World TitleholderA.J. McKee (18-0) hopes to take the next step toward becoming the sport’s greatest fighter as he battles former top pound-for-pound and two-division championPatricio Pitbull (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, April 15, ved10 pm. ET / 7 pm. PT leve på SHOWTIME.
In the co-feature ofBellator 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 på SAP Center i San Jose, Calif., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World ChampionVadim Nemkov (15-2) will defend his title for the third time and aims to take home the $1 million prize three days before U.S. Tax Day when he squares off against the surging No. 1-rankertCorey Anderson(16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.
Billetter tilBELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2go on sale this Friday, Februar. 18 at bothTicketmaster.com ogBellator.comwith a special presale starting the day prior.
Dess, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-rangertTim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-rangertTyrell Fortune(11-2, 1 NC) in a rematch fromBellator 239.Their first fight ended with Johnson securing a win that earned great consideration for the 2020 KO of the Year. The preliminary bouts will stream live three hours earlier at7 pm. ET / 4 pm. PTon the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza atBELLATOR MMA 263juli 31, 2021. The champion then continued the onslaught by unleashing a series of brutal unanswered head shots that floored the Brazilian legend.
Moments later as McKee prematurely raised his arms in celebration, Pitbull rose from the depths of defeat only to be greeted by a fighter hell bent on stealing his crown and claiming the $1 million prize. With the 25-time BELLATOR MMA veteran backed up against the fence, MMA’s brightest young brawler locked in a guillotine choke. With Pitbull seeming to lose consciousness, referee Mike Beltran halted matters at 1:57 av åpningsrammen.
“Hosting the world’s best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter and I’m happy to continue that with our card on April 15,” BELLATOR President Scott Coker said. “The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson are two fights that could headline any event on their own, but we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years.”
A native of Long Beach, Calif., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20th bursdag. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, som vil slå 27 eight days before his rematch against Pitbull, has shown a knack for securing lightning-fast finishes with 10 coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every fighter who has opposed him, including former World Champions Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted with a rare-modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” The winner of the 2020 Submission of the Year Award for his 71-second annihilation of Caldwell has fought a total of 33 rounds across 18 career contests (1.8 rounds per bout), while logging less than 41 total minutes in the BELLATOR cage since turning pro in August 2012.
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he currently sits at No. 3 in the BELLATOR MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable 32-5 record with wins over elite competition, including the likes of former World Champions Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, and Daniel Straus (to ganger). I 2019, the 34-year-old Brazilian captured the BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship from Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. Med 23 finishes in 37 profesjonelle kamper, Pitbull has shown repeatedly that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
Currently BELLATOR MMA’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Nemkov captured the BELLATOR MMA light heavyweight crown by defeating Ryan Bader via second-round TKO atBELLATOR MMA 244in August 2020. Riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to June 2016, the ferocious 29-year-old sports seven first-round knockouts, with two in the initial minute of action. After successfully defending his light heavyweight belt by earning a tough unanimous decision over Phil Davis, the pride of Belgorod, Russia and Fedor Emelianenko protégé scored a fourth-round submission of late replacement Julius Anglickas in the semifinals of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix during his last outing on Oct. 16, 2021.
Anderson, of Robbinsville, N.J., has ascended to the top of the BELLATOR 205-pound rankings by vanquishing seven of his past eight opponents, including a third-round stoppage of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov atBELLATOR MMA 257 på April 16, 2021. Exactly six months later atBELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, Ill., native walked into the cage to the spellbinding sounds of The Doors’ “Five to One,” and took the song title literally by knocking out Arizona State University wrestling legend Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in front of Bader’s hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. In his first promotional appearance, “Overtime” registered a second-round TKO over Dutch kickboxing legend Melvin Manhoef atBELLATOR MMA 251 i november 2020. Prior to joining BELLATOR, Anderson tallied a 10-5 record with a rival promotion, winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19” tournament in 2014, and boasting impressive wins over Glover Teixeira, Jan Błachowicz and Johnny Walker, bl.a..
Andre kamper vil bli annonsert snart.
Bellator 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2Hovedkortet:
Fredag, April 15 – live onSHOWTIME
10 pm. ET / 7 pm. PT
Featherweight World Championship: C–A.J. McKee (18-0) vs. No. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)
Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. Do Not. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)
DUBLIN –It was announced today that former two-division championPatrick "Pitbull"has made the decision to relinquish his BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship. Som et resultat, BELLATOR MMA PresidentScott Cokerconfirmed that the hotly anticipated rematch between Waterford, Irlands Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1) og Patricky “Pitbull” (23-10) will be elevated to the main event ofBellator 270with the newly vacated 155-pound world title on the line.
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Irland, on Friday November 5th.
I USA, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 pm. ET/2 p.m. PT. BELLATOR fans in Ireland can watch the eagerly anticipated event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, whilst UK fight fans can watch the event live on BBC iPlayer.
The preliminary card will stream live beginning at 2 pm. ET/11 a.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
BELLATOR’s return to the Irish capital will be co-headlined by an explosive bantamweight fight between two grappling wizards in No. 6 rangert James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 rangert Patchy Mix(14-1).
Billetter til Bellator 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2are on sale now and can be purchased online fromTicketmaster.ie og Bellator.com.
Also announced today – heavyweight hostilities featuringGokhan Saricam (5-1) og Rob Beech (5-2) has been added to the preliminary card. Please find an updated bout listing below:
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 MainCard: SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) Fredag, Oktober 1 - 9 pm. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Lightweight World Title Main Event: #4-Peter Queally (13-5-1) vs. #1-Patricky “Pitbull”(23-10) Bantamweight Co-Main Event: #6-James Gallagher (11-1) vs. #2-Patrick Mix (14-1) Mellom Bout: #6-Charlie Ward (9-4) vs. #9-Nobert NovenyiJr. (5-0) Fjær Bout: #6-Daniel Weichel (41-6) vs. #7-Pedro Carvalho (11-5)
Foreløpige kort: BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US) BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) 6 pm. GMT/2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Fjær Bout:Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1) Fjær Bout:Ilias Bulaid (2-0) vs. Georges Sasu(5-2) Weltervekt Bout: Ashley Reece(8-2) vs. Luca Poclit (6-1) Lett Bout: Daniele Scatizzi (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-8, 1 NC) Lett tungvekt Bout: Lee Chadwick (26-15-1) vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus(15-4) Tungvekt Bout: Gokhan Saricam(5-1) vs. Rob Beech(5-2) Weltervekt Bout:Nicolò Solli (3-1) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0) Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan(4-0) vs.Audrey Kerouche(7-5, 2 NC) Fjær Bout:Junior Morgan(3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly(Pro Debut) Weltervekt Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Debut) vs. Joe Nazokatov(Pro Debut)
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*Kort kan endres.
Vennligst besøk Bellator.com for mer informasjon. Oppdatert tidsplan for BELLATOR-arrangementer Sat. Oktober. 16 // Bellator 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals// Footprint Center // Føniks, DEN Sat. Oktober. 23 // Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moskva, Russland Gratis. November. 5 // Bellator 270: Gallagher vs. Mix// 3Arena // Dublin, Irland Gratis. November. 12 // Bellator 271: Cyborg vs.. Kavanagh // Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino // Hollywood, FL
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About BELLATOR BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under ledelse av veteran kampen promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. I USA, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orkestre, fighter utvikling / relasjoner, spillested anskaffelser, sponsing skapelse / utvikling, internasjonal lisensiering, markedsføring, annonsering, publisitet og provisjons relasjoner. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, hjem til verdens fremste underholdnings merkevarer som kobler med publikum gjennom overbevisende innhold på TV, film, nett og mobile plattformer.
ENGLENE - I dag, BELLATOR officials confirmed a must-see main event pitting hard-hitting heavyweightsCheick Kongo (30-11-2) og Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) against one another topsBELLATOR MMA 265 på fredag, August 20 from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. and airs live on SHOWTIME at 9 pm. ET / 6 pm. PT.
The card has also confirmed top featherweights No. 3 Adam Borics (17-1) og Nei. 4 Jay-Jay Wilson(8-0) will meet for the right to face the winner of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix Final betweenPatrick "Pitbull" (32-4) og AJ McKee (17-0), which takes place on Saturday, Juli 31.
Tickets for the event go on sale this Thursday at 10 a.m. CT and are available at Sanford Pentagon Box Office & Ticket.
The preliminary portion ofBELLATOR MMA 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov currentlyfeatures a flyweight bout pitting No.5-rankedAlejandra Lara (9-4) mot DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) and willbegin at 6:00 pm. OG / 3:00 pm. PT and stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced in the near future.
Har en imponerende MMA-rekord av 30-11-2, 1 NC, Do Not. 3-ranked Cheick Kongo returns to action for the first time since headlining the first-ever major MMA event in his native France last October. The former kickboxer remains a force to be reckoned with and holds records for the most fights (16) and wins (12) in BELLATOR heavyweight history. With high-profile victories overVitaly Minakov, Mirko Cro Cop, Antoni Hardonk, and Matt Mitrione, the Parisian is keen to pad his current promotional records, set new ones, and earn his shot at BELLATOR gold.
The man nicknamed “The Paratrooper,” Kharitonov is the owner of an equally notable MMA resume, with the Russian scoring vicious wins against some of the sport’s marquee names, such as Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, Matt Mitrione, and Alistair Overeem. Nå, fresh off two championship victories on the regional circuit, Kharitonov returns to the BELLATOR cage with the intention of climbing the heavyweight rankings and asserting himself as a BELLATOR title contender.
28-year-old Hungarian Adam “The Kid” Borics has won 17 av 18 fights to begin his professional career, bouncing back from his only loss with three straight victories. Training out of South Florida’s Sanford MMA gym, Borics has firmly established himself as a true threat to anyone in the 145-pound division, where he is currently ranked third.
Undefeated in his first eight fights as a professional, New Zealand’s Wilson has won in style, accumulating six finishes in those eight wins. Following a split decision win against Tywan Claxton, Wilson scored a violent knockout of Sergio DeBari, then followed that victory up with an equally vicious spinning backfist stoppage over SBG’s Pedro Carvalho in April. The Kiwi fighter will be looking to secure a high-stakes victory over Borics with a world title shot awaiting the winner.
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BELLATOR MMA 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov Hovedkortet: SHOWTIME Fredag, August 20 - 9 pm. ET / 6 pm. PT
Tungvekt Main Event: #3-Cheick Kongo (30-11-2) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) Featherweight No. 1 Contender’s Bout: #3-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #4-Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0)
LOS ANGELES – June 17, 2021– BELLATOR MMA’s Featherweight and Lightweight World ChampionPatricio Pitbull (32-4) and undefeated top-ranked challengerAJ McKee (17-0) previewed their must-watch Featherweight World Grand Prix Final and 145-pound title fight during a virtual press conference Wednesday. Both fighters’ head coaches, Eric Albarracinof Team Pitbull Brothers, og Antonio McKeeof Team Bodyshop, also chimed in with a look at the final preparations both fight camps are taking as we approach the massive event.
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee will emanate from the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 pm. ET / 7 pm. PT. Tickets for the event go on sale tomorrow, Fredag, Juni 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what the fighters and their coaches had to say Wednesday:
Patricio Pitbull, BELLATOR Featherweight World Champion & BELLATOR Lightweight World Champion
“I’m a little bit older and faster than the rest of my division and I’m going to use this in my favor. (22:47)
“Of all the opponents I’ve faced, AJ is the most dangerous, and I know that. Med det blir sagt, I know that I’m going to win this fight and prove his father wrong. (26:18)
“At the beginning of his career, he faced very low-level guys. He has a few wins over tough opponents, but he’s never fought anyone like me. He claims that he is ready for me, but he isn’t, and he’ll learn that very quickly in front of his home crowd.” (38:48) AJ McKee, Do Not. 1 Ranked BELLATOR Featherweight & Featherweight World Grand Prix Finalist
“It’s been a great journey and this is something I’ve dreamed of my entire career. Like I said, I’ve been calling Pitbull’s name since I first stepped into that cage and he’s ignored me, pretending like he doesn’t know who I am. På slutten av dagen, there is nowhere else for him to run and he has to look me in my eyes. I’m looking forward to it. Everyone says I haven’t been tested and I agree. Men, when you do see me get tested, a whole different animal will come out. (23:22)
“After I beat Pitbull and become the face of BELLATOR, we can run it back for that second belt too. Becoming champ-champ is something that I said I was always going to do, and that I will do. I went through the trials and tribulations of not wanting to fight, to then having my passion for this come back and me seeing all my goals be within reach. It’s going to be fun, especially after the long break due to my knee surgery. I can’t wait to get in there again. The Mercenary does one thing: he signs the contract and then takes the person out. (24:22)
“I’ve been preparing for this fight for six years because Pitbull has been at the top for so long. Igjen, I have a foot longer reach on him, so he has to come to me. He says he is training with gold medal wrestlers, but I will do the same thing to him that I did to Pat Curran and Darrion Caldwell. I’m comfortable off my back. Just because he’s Brazilian, that doesn’t mean anything in terms of Jiu jitsu. I have that evolved Jiu jitsu and that’s what I get people with when they don’t see it coming.” (31:45)
Scott Coker, BELLATOR President “We’re excited to be back in California and we are excited to be back in the Forum, a place where we have had so many great fights. It’s going to be an amazing event. My staff is excited and the fighters are excited. When you think about live sports, it needs fans. We got a taste of it last week at the Mohegan Sun, which has been an amazing partner for us, but it’s time to travel and get back to what BELLATOR does best. That is putting on great fights touring from city-to-city, starting with this amazing fight on July 31. (4:10)
“This is the fight that everyone wanted to see. We have so many amazing athletes in this division that we went through the lottery system for matchups, which provided us with amazing fights. But at the beginning, I was wishing that the final would be McKee versus Pitbull. When we signed McKee, he had zero fights to his name. Nå, look at where he is today. Back then, Pitbull was our champion and obviously still is today, so this fight is the “OG” vs. the new guard and we’ll have to see what happens.” (5:13)
“Patricio’s had a bullseye on his back since he became the champ in 2014, when he beat Pat Curran and this run has gone exactly as we planned. We were the matchmakers, we sent Darrion Caldwell to the other side of the bracket to take out some of the young bucks and he did. Deretter, AJ took him out and here we are. I think this is the perfect matchup for the finals. We have a young, up-and-coming, undefeated fighter and the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, Patricio Pitbull. This is going to be the greatest fight in BELLATOR history. (7:20)
“Even at 17-0, AJ is still very young in the game. He’s very unpredictable. Men, at the end of the day it’s Pitbull who is the pound-for-pound best on the planet, it’s Pitbull who is the double champ, it’s Pitbull who has the best coaches in the game and they don’t know how to prepare for that.” (8:18)
“I lived a different life, one where it wasn’t all good. I was dealing with a lot of stuff that a lot of African American men deal with. No mother and no father, growing up in the streets of Los Angeles. It was what it was, but I made the right decisions and never got caught for anything that I did that could have put me away for the rest of my life and found my drive and motivation through my son. The things that AJ would say as a kid, like ‘Daddy if you die, can I die with you?’ I didn’t care about living and I didn’t have a problem with killing either. And then one day AJ says ‘Dad, whatever you do and wherever you go, I want to come with you.’ I was ready to clock out, but then I realized that I needed to be here for him. He had nothing but me, so that gave me the drive and the strength to find a better way out.
“I made it this far, did my thing as a wrestler and was the best in the world. I did what I was doing, but I didn’t have the right mindset, so I had to check my mental and learn how to be a respectable human being. Once I did that, things started to shift for me and now here we are. I did things to keep AJ in private school, not to buy cars, musikk, and jewelry. I did it all to pay for his school tuition.” (14:36)
Bellator 263TAKES PLACE AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY, Juli 31 – LIVE PÅ SHOWTIME®
TICKETS FOR THIS MASSIVE EVENT GO ON SALE TOMORROW ATBELLATOR.COM
LOS ANGELES— And then there were two…
What began with 16 featherweight athletes vying for a one-million-dollar grand prize and the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship has been narrowed to the greatest BELLATOR athlete in the history of the promotionPatricio Pitbull (32-4) and the company’s best-ever homegrown fighter in No. 1 rangertAJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, Juli 31 på The Forum i Inglewood, Calif., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKeeairs live on SHOWTIME at 10 pm. ET / 7 pm. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, Juni 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com with a pre-sale taking place on Thursday.
“This is without a doubt going to be the biggest BELLATOR fight of all time,” said BELLATOR President Scott Coker. “AJ McKee has been calling for a shot at Pitbull’s title since his very first professional victory inside our cage six years ago. Now he’s finally getting the opportunity to realize his dream of becoming a world champion against the winningest fighter in BELLATOR history. For Pitbull a win over McKee in this tournament final would be a statement piece to add to his long list of accolades and legacy as the best 145-pounder on the planet.”
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable record of 32-4 with wins over elite competition including the likes ofPat Curran, Juan Archuleta, Daniel Weichel (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. Dess, he was able to capture the Lightweight World Championship in a 2019 contest opposite Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. Med 23 finishes in 36 profesjonelle kamper, Pitbull has shown time and time again that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
With a perfect record of 17-0, AJ McKee has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut at the ripe age of 20-years-old. With an even six knockouts and six submissions, the now-26-year-old McKee has shown a knack for securing finishes—and fast—with nine coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every man who has opposed him including former champions Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted most-recently with a rare, modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” Finally, the Long Beach native will face the man he has called for since signing with BELLATOR, as he takes on Patricio Pitbull in the much-anticipated Featherweight World Grand Prix Final.
The preliminary portion of the event streams live at 7 pm. ET / 4 pm. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, as well as Pluto TV and features former featherweight title challenger and No. 2 rangertEmmanuel Sanchez(20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 rangertMads Burnell(15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 rangertMagomed “Tiger” Magomedov(18-1) og Nei. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots(16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeatedUsman Nurmagomedov (12-0) motManny vegg(12-6).
Chris Gonzalez (6-0) beseiretRoger Huerta (24-13-1) via innsending (streik) ved 3:01 av runde tre-
Jose Augusto (17-1) beseiretJonathan Wilson (9-3) via innsending (head and arm choke) ved 4:58 av runde ett
Roman Faraldo (5-0) beseiretTrevor Gudde (2-2) via TKO 1:30 av runde ett
Jordan Newman (3-0) beseiretBranko Busick (2-2) via TKO (streik) ved 2:30 av runde to
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THE FINALS OF THE BELLATOR MMA FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX – CHAMPION PATRICIO “PITBULL” VS. #1-RANKED AJ MCKEE
Quotes:
Patricio “Pitbull:"“I am ready to fight AJ McKee right now, please just tell SHOWTIME, I will get in the cage and we can take care of this tomorrow.”
“I want to be the first man to defeat McKee, he has been opening his mouth about me for a very long time, this will be the biggest fight in BELLATOR history.”
AJ McKee: “Patricio Pitbull has been the man. Nothing against him. He’s got great accolades. I already said I’m going to be the champ-champ. For meg, it’s the new era. He said my time is over. My time has just begun. We’ll see.
“It’s a fight the fans have wanted for the longest. På toppen av det, he’s underrated. He’s an outstanding champ. His accolades, his credentials, his record is phenomenal. But at the end of the day, nobody has a win over me. Nobody has a belt with my name on it and nobody is going to get a belt with my name on it.”
Exclusive Fight Content Includes Past Events, Høydepunkter, And In-Depth Analysis of Featherweight And Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix
NEW YORK – MARCH 19, 2021 – BELLATOR MMAis launching on SHOWTIME on Friday, April 2 withBELLATOR MMA 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2followed by two consecutive Friday nights of live championship MMA fight action. In anticipation of the launch, SHOWTIME will air a collection of BELLATOR specials and fight replays across its distribution platforms to set the stage for the April 2 live event featuring theBELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal, as well as the beginning of the highly anticipatedBELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prixset to begin on Friday, April 9 and Friday, April 16.
Starting this week, both SHOWTIME subscribers and non-subscribers have access to an exclusive collection of fights that have paved the way for the compelling upcoming matchups in each of these premier mixed martial arts tournaments featuringPatrick "Pitbull", Emmanuel Sanchez, AJ McKee, Vadim Nemkov, Ryan Bader og mer.
I tillegg, SHOWTIME Sports will present a pair of highlight-driven specials hosted byMorning Kombat’sBrian Campbell and Luke Thomas to preview the Pitbull vs. Sanchez featherweight semifinal and the start of the eight-man Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. TitledROAD TO BELLATOR MMA, bothspecial programs will consist of highlights, analysis, and fight predictions, as SHOWTIME Sports’ dynamic combat sports duo prepares viewers for the live debut of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME.
ROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2will debut on Monday, March 22 whileROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prixwill premiere one week later on Monday, Mars 29 påShowtime Sports ogBELLATOR MMAYouTube channels.Both programs also will beavailable to subscribers on all SHOWTIME On Demand platforms, on SHOWTIME EXTREME, as well as to SHOWTIME distributors for their free-on-demand and online portals.
På lørdag, Mars 27, a replay ofBELLATOR MMA 253: Caldwell vs.. McKeewill air on SHOWTIME at 8 pm. ET / PT.The four-fight card, includingMcKee’s iconic “McKee-otine” finish over former BELLATOR Bantamweight World ChampionDarrion Caldwellthat propelled the young star into the Featherweight World Grand Prix Final, will also replay onSHOWTIME on Sunday, Mars 28 ved 12 Midnight ET/PT, and again on Thursday, April 1 ved 9 pm. ET / PT.
Bellator 253, along with several past events which featured the world-class fighters in the upcoming tournaments, will be scheduled on SHOWTIME EXTREME weeknights at 10 pm. ET/PT and are now available on SHOWTIME On Demand platforms. Select events will be available for free to non-subscribers via SHOWTIME distributor platforms and on Pluto TV’s SHOWTIME Selects and BELLATOR MMA channels.
As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMA.
The following fight replays are scheduled for the weeks ahead as fans prepare for the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME:
·BELLATOR MMA 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho- (Original air date 11/12/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson- (Original air date 11/05/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 245: Davis vs. Machida 2- (Original air date 09/11/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 244: Bader vs. Nemkov- (Original air date 08/21/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 222: MacDonald vs. Gracie- (Original air date 06/14/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch- (Original air date 04/27/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 214: Fedor vs. Bader- (Original air date 01/26/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 186: Bader vs. Vassell- (Original air date 11/03/2017)
·Mer, two individual bouts from BELLATOR MMA 209: - (Original air date 11/16/2018)
Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Hovedkortet: Patrick "Pitbull" (31-4) beseiret Pedro Carvalho (11-4) via KO (punsj) ved 2:10 av runde ett Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) beseiret Logan Storley (11-1) via delt avgjørelse (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) beseiret Daniel Weichel (40-12) via enstemmig avgjørelse (48-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Foreløpige kort: Aaron Pico (7-3) beseiret John de Jesus (13-9) via KO (punsj) ved 4:12 av runde to Keri Taylor Melendez (5-0) beseiret Emilee King (4-4) via innsending (rear-naked choke) ved 3:02 av runde ett Manny vegg (12-6) beseiret Devin Powell (10-5) via enstemmig avgjørelse (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Jornel Lugo (5-0) beseiret Schyler Sootho (4-1) via enstemmig avgjørelse (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Lucas Brennan (4-0) beseiret Andrew Salas (6-5) via enstemmig avgjørelse (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) Roman Faraldo (4-0) beseiret Pat Casey (6-4) via (WHO) slag på 2:30 av runde to Trevor Gudde (2-1) beseiret Khonry gracie (2-2) via TKO (kne) ved 3:28 av runde tre-
CHAMP PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ FORVARER TITELEN I KVARTERFINAL MATCHUP MOT PEDRO CARVALHO, MENS DANIEL WEICHEL ANSIKTER EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
MER, DARRION CALDWELL MØTER UBEHANDLET AJ MCKEE I SEMIFINALER PÅ NOV. 19
LOS ANGELES — Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix gjenopptas torsdag, November. 12 med to kvartfinale matchups satt til å finne sted, som mester Patrick "Pitbull" (30-14) forsvarer tittelen mot Pedro Carvalho (11-3), mens Daniel Weichel (40-11) og Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) kvadrat i en kamp med tidligere tittelkandidater. Dess, den første semifinalen er satt til torsdag, November. 19, når tidligere tittelinnehaver Darrion Caldwell(15-3) firkanter av med ubeseiret AJ McKee(16-0) for en plass i turneringsfinalen. All handlingen sendes LIVE videre CBS Sports Network ved 7 pm. ET / 4 pm. PT fra Mohegan Sun Arena i Uncasville, Conn.
I hoved tilfelle Bellator 252 nov. 12, fans vil se en fjærvekt verdensmesterskamp med to-divisjon Bellator-mester Patricio “Pitbull” som forsvarer sin krone på 145 pund mot SBG Irlands Carvalho. I tillegg til fem-runde mesterskap headliner, en andre Bellator fjærvekt Grand Prix kvartfinalen går ned, som to tidligere tittelutfordrere i Weichel og Sanchez møtes igjen etter en knivtynn delt avgjørelsesseier for Weichel i 2016. Vinnerne av disse to kampene kan forvente å se hverandre i neste semifinalekamp.
Den Bellator 253 headliner nov. 19 ser tidligere bantamvekt verdensmester Caldwell gå tå-til-tå med stigende prospekt McKee på den andre siden av braketten i første semifinale. Vinneren tjener en garantert plass i finalen og et skudd på Bellator-verdensmesterskapet og en sjanse til å ta hjem en million dollar.
Alle de tre Grand Prix-kampene med fjærvekt ble opprinnelig planlagt å finne sted ved den utsatte Bellator 241 og Bellator 244 hendelser før COVID-19-pandemien satte effektivt den årlige turneringen på pause.
CBS Sports Network vil luften Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho og Bellator 253: Caldwell vs.. McKee LEVER i alle USA. markeder på 7 pm. ET / 4 pm. PT, mens foreløpige matchups vil streame på CBSSports.com og Bellator MMAs YouTube-kanal. Ytterligere anfall vil bli kunngjort på et senere tidspunkt.
Hilsen fra Natal, stor nordlig elv, Brasil, to-gangs fjærvektmester Patricio "Pitbull" kommer inn i Bellator-buret for en rekordrekord 23. gang den nov.. 12. Med imponerende gevinster til hans ære over Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus (x3), Daniel Weichel (x2) og Pat Curran, 33-åringen fortsetter i Featherweight World Grand Prix, ikke langt fra hans lettvektsmesterskapsseier i mai i fjor.. Etter å ha tjent en finish i 21 av hans 30 vinner som en profesjonell, den samtidige todivisjonsmesteren som nylig ble bestet nåværende bantamvektmester Juan Archuleta på poengkortene i en spennende åpningsrunde World Grand Prix matchup og fans kan absolutt forvente mer fyrverkeri når han endelig setter blikket mot Carvalho.
Den portugisiske innleveringsspesialisten Pedro Carvalho kommer inn i Bellator-buret for bare femte gang i sin åtte år lange profesjonelle karriere, på jakt etter sin syvende seier på rad og hans første seier i verdensmesterskapet. Med seire i ni av hans siste 11 konkurranser, inkludert mot DerekEnger, DanielCrawfordog en ansiktsveivsending over Sam Sicilia i åpningsrunden, det 25 år gamle SBG Ireland-produktet er på vei mot storhet - og å vinne Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix ville være den perfekte måten å styrke det.
Med over 50 profesjonell kjemper mot navnet hans, Tysklands Daniel Weichel er klar til å lage sitt 2020 debut i en etterlengtet World Grand Prix kvartfinalekamp med Sanchez, en jagerfly Weichel fikk det bedre for fire år siden kl Bellator 159. Etter sin Bellator-debut i 2014, "Drake" har hatt et imponerende salgsfremmende merke 9-3, inkludert sentrale seire over Sanchez, Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan og Saul Rogers.
På hælene til enda en mesterlig forestilling som endte med en innleveringsseier over Tywan Claxton i åpningsrunden til verdens Grand Prix, “El Matador” er klar for nok en tittelkjøring mens han forbereder seg på 50-kampsveteranen og mannen som slo ham en gang før, Daniel Weichel. Siden vi gikk sammen med Bellator i 2014, Milwaukee, Wisc.-bosatt har samlet 11 seire over en 14-kamp, inkludert viktige gevinster over slike som Claxton, Daniel Straus, Marcos Galvao og Georgi Karakhanyan (2x).
Etter å ha trengt bare en runde for å legge bort sin siste motstander via innlevering i kvartfinalen i verdens Grand Prix, Darrion Caldwell er på oppdrag for å gjenvinne Bellator-gull. "Ulven,”En tidligere North Carolina State University NCAA National Champion wrestler, har sett ustoppelig ut siden han flyttet opp til fjærvekt-divisjonen, etter å ha beseiret Adam Borics, samt Henry Corrales i åpningsrunden i turneringen. Nå, den tidligere bantamvektmesteren sitter bare to seire unna å ha en tittel i sin andre divisjon - en bragd svært få idrettsutøvere kan hevde.
Skrevet av ESPN som den beste fighteren i MMA under en alder av 25, AJ McKee ser ut til å støtte de høye forventningene som ofte holdes av publikum til andre generasjons idrettsutøvere. Ubeseiret i karrieren, "Mercenary" har gjort seg kjent for verden gjennom sin prangende persona og søppelprat, men viktigst, arbeidet sitt inne i Bellator-buret. Med alle hans proffs med Bellator, Long Beach-innfødte kan oppnå det han satte seg for å begynne på Bellator 146 i 2015 og bli verdensmester med bare to seire til.
Annonsert også for Bellator 252... er en tredje hovedkortskamp med det alltid spennende Aaron Pico (6-3) fra Jackson-Wink MMA Academy i Albuquerque, N.M., som kommer tilbake for sitt andre opptreden i Bellators “FightSphere, har tidligere beseiret Solo Hatley Jr.. på imponerende måte kl Bellator 242. Han vil ta imot Pittsburgh John de Jesus (13-8), som sist vant på Bellator 244 mot Vladyslav Parubchenko, i det som lover en eksplosiv fjærvektkonkurranse.
For mer informasjon, vennligst besøk Bellator.com.
Oppdatert Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho Kampkort: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 pm. OG Fjærvekt verdens tittel Bout / FWGP kvartfinale:Patrick "Pitbull"Freire (30-4) vs. Pedro Carvalho (11-3) Fjærvekt World Grand Prix kvartfinale: Daniel Weichel (40-11) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) Fjærvekt Hovedkortkamp: Aaron Pico (6-3) vs. John de Jesus (13-8)
Oppdatert Bellator 253: Caldwell vs.. McKee Kampkort: CBS Sports Network | DAZN 7 pm. OG Fjærvekt World Grand Prix Semifinal:Darrion Caldwell (15-3) vs. AJ McKee (16-0)
