לאס אנדזשעלעס— BELLATOR MMA has announced that its fifth participant for the New Year’s Eve spectacle against RIZIN Fighting Federation opponents will be No. 10-ranked lightweight, גאַדזשי ראַבאַדאַנאָוו(18-4-2), taking on 27-year-old Japanese standoutKoji Takeda(15-3) in a compelling matchup between two competitors riding high on the strength of consecutive victories.
A first-of-its-kind blockbuster co-promotion, BELLATOR MMA vs. סיבהtakes place inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday, דעצעמבער 31, and can be seen in the United States on SHOWTIME at 8 פּ.ם. ET/PT on New Year’s Eve.
Rabadanov versus Takeda will join a star-studded five-fightBELLATOR MMA vs. סיבההויפּט קאָרט, which is stacked from top to bottom with current and former champions competing in the four-sided ring under RIZIN’s unique rules. Headlining the event will be a dream matchup between RIZIN lightweight championRoberto “Satoshi” de Souza(14-1) against No. 3 BELLATOR pound-for-pound talentAJ “Mercenary” McKee(19-1), with BELLATOR and RIZIN featherweight championsפּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל(34-5) אוןKleber Koike(31-5-1) co-headlining the must-see event.
Former BELLATOR championsJuan “The Spaniard” Archuleta(26-4) אוןKyoji Horiguchi(30-5) will round out the unparalleled main card, facing off with RIZIN’sSoo Chul Kim(18-6-1) אוןHiromasa Ougikubo(25-6-2), ריספּעקטיוולי.
גאַדזשי ראַבאַדאַנאָוו, 29, signed with BELLATOR in 2021 after capturing the Eagle FC lightweight title, and has made an immediate impact on the promotion’s remarkably deep lightweight division. He announced his arrival in thunderous fashion atBELLATOR 263with an emphatic viral knockout of Daniel Carey, which he followed up with back-to-back dominant unanimous decision victories over Jay Jay Wilson and Bobby King in 2022. The product of the renowned Club Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s School in Dagestan and the prestigious American Kickboxing Academy, Rabadanov’s pedigree is world-class. On New Year’s Eve, Rabadanov will look to continue building upon his momentum with an impressive performance against Koji Takeda.
“It is a childhood dream come true to fight in Japan at the legendary Saitama Super Arena,” said Rabadanov. “I’m very excited and I know I have a tough opponent, who always leaves everything in the ring. Expect a masterpiece from me, it will be a memorable fight.”
A former DEEP lightweight champion, Japan’sKoji Takedahas been an active fighter since his 2017 פאַכמאַן דעבוט. Takeda boasts a compelling case for inclusion on this historic fight card, winning seven of his last ten and three of his last four outings under the RIZIN and DEEP banners. Takeda is also familiar with BELLATOR foes; he has previously fought Spike Carlyle and submitted Zach Zane by armbar, both of whom fought recently for the Scott Coker-led promotion. Takeda will look to add a third straight win to his resume against the highly-touted Rabadanov in his hometown of Saitama, דזשאַפּאַן, אויף דעצעמבער 31.
BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN MAIN CARD:
שאָוטיים
שבת, דעצעמבער 31 — 8 PM ET/PT
Lightweight Non-Title Main Event: AJ McKee(19-1) vs.Roberto de Souza(14-1)
Featherweight Non-Title Main Event: פּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל(34-5) vs.Kleber Koike(31-5-1)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Juan Archuleta(26-4) vs.Soo Chul Kim(18-6-1)
UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPIONאַ.דזש. 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, אפריל 15, בייַ 10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. פּטLIVE ON SHOWTIME INSIDE THE SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE, קאַליף.
TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY
לאס אנדזשעלעס (פעברואר. 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 Titleholderאַ.דזש. מאַקי (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 championפּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, אַפּריל 15, בייַ10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. פּט לעבן אויף שאָוטיים.
In the co-feature ofבעללאַטאָר 277: McKee vs. פּיטבולל 2 אין די זאַפט צענטער אין סאַן דזשאָסע, קאַליף., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World Championוואַדים נעמקאָוו (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-ראַנגקט קאַנטענדערCorey Anderson(16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.
טיקקעץ פֿאַרBELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. פּיטבולל 2go on sale this Friday, פעברואר. 18 at bothTicketmaster.com אוןBellator.comwith a special presale starting the day prior.
אַדדיטיאָנאַללי, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-ראַנגקטTim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-ראַנגקטTyrell Fortune(11-2, 1 נק) in a rematch fromבעללאַטאָר 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 פּ.ם. עט / 4 פּ.ם. פּטon the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, קאַליף., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza atBELLATOR MMA 263אויף יולי 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 פון די עפענונג ראַם.
“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, קאַליף., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20טה געבוירנ-טאָג. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, וואס וועט קער 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, פּאַט קורראַן, 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 קאַריערע קאַנטעס (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 (צוויי מאָל). אין 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. מיט 23 finishes in 37 פאַכמאַן פיגהץ, 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, נ.דזש., 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 אויף אפריל 16, 2021. Exactly six months later atBELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, קראַנק., 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 אין נאוועמבער 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, צווישן אנדערע.
נאָך באָוץ וועט זיין מודיע באַלד.
בעללאַטאָר 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2הויפּט קאָרט:
פרייַטיק, אַפּריל 15 – live onשאָוטיים
10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. פּט
Featherweight World Championship: C–אַ.דזש. מאַקי (18-0) vs. No. 1-פּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל (15-5)
Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-וואַדים נעמקאָוו (15-2) ווס. צי ניט. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)
DUBLIN –It was announced today that former two-division championPatricio “Pitbull”has made the decision to relinquish his BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship. ווי אַ רעזולטאַט, BELLATOR MMA Presidentסקאַט קאָקערconfirmed that the hotly anticipated rematch between Waterford, ירעלאַנד ס Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1) און Patricky “Pitbull” (23-10) will be elevated to the main event ofבעללאַטאָר 270with the newly vacated 155-pound world title on the line.
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. פּיטבולל 2 takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, ירעלאַנד, on Friday November 5טה.
אין די פאַרייניקטע שטאַטן, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 פּ.ם. ET/2 p.m. פּט. 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 פּ.ם. 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 ראַנגקט James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 ראַנגקט Patchy Mix(14-1).
טיקקעץ פֿאַר בעללאַטאָר 270: Queally vs. פּיטבולל 2are on sale now and can be purchased online fromTicketmaster.ie און Bellator.com.
Also announced today – heavyweight hostilities featuringGokhan Saricam (5-1) און Rob Beech (5-2) has been added to the preliminary card. Please find an updated bout listing below:
BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. פּיטבולל 2 MainCard: שאָוטיים (US) / BBC iPlayer (וק) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND) פרייַטיק, אָקטאָבער 1 - 9 פּ.ם. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. פּט
ביטע באַזוכן Bellator.com פֿאַר נאך אינפֿאָרמאַציע. Updated schedule of BELLATOR events Sat. אקטאבער. 16 // בעללאַטאָר 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals// Footprint Center // פיניקס, די Sat. אקטאבער. 23 // בעללאַטאָר 269: פעדער ווס. זשאנסאן // VTB Arena // מאָסקווע, רוסלאַנד פּאָטער. נאוועמבער. 5 // בעללאַטאָר 270: Gallagher vs. Mix// 3אַרענאַ // דובלין, ירעלאַנד פּאָטער. נאוועמבער. 12 // בעללאַטאָר 271: Cyborg vs. Kavanagh // Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & קאַסינאָ // האָליוואוד, פל
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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. אונטער דער ריכטונג פון וועטעראַן קעמפן פאַרשפּרייטער סקאַט קאָקער, 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. אין די פאַרייניקטע שטאַטן, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, לעבן געשעעניש אָרקאַסטריישאַן, פייטער אַנטוויקלונג / באַציונגען, וועניו ייַנשאַפונג, שותפות שאַפונג / אַנטוויקלונג, אינטערנאַציאָנאַלער ליסענסינג, אָפּזעצערייַ, גאַנצע, פּירסעם און קאָמיסיע באַציונגען. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, קאַליף. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, היים צו די וועלט 'ס פּרעמיער פאַרווייַלונג בראַנדז אַז פאַרבינדן מיט אַדיאַנסאַז דורך קאַמפּעלינג צופרידן אַריבער טעלעוויזיע, באַוועגונג בילד, אָנליין און רירעוודיק פּלאַטפאָרמס.
LOS ANGELES – הייַנט, BELLATOR officials confirmed a must-see main event pitting hard-hitting heavyweightsטשעיקק קאָנגאָ (30-11-2) און סערגעי כאַריטאָנאָוו (32-8) against one another topsBELLATOR MMA 265 אויף פרייטאג, ויגוסט 20 from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. and airs live on SHOWTIME at 9 פּ.ם. עט / 6 פּ.ם. פּט.
The card has also confirmed top featherweights No. 3 Adam Borics (17-1) און ניט קיין. 4 Jay-Jay Wilson(8-0) will meet for the right to face the winner of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix Final betweenPatricio “Pitbull”(32-4) און AJ McKee (17-0), which takes place on Saturday, יולי 31.
Tickets for the event go on sale this Thursday at 10 אַ.ם. CT and are available at Sanford Pentagon Box Office & טיקקעטמאַסטער.
The preliminary portion ofBELLATOR MMA 265: קאָנגאָ ווס. כאַריטאָנאָוו currentlyfeatures a flyweight bout pitting No.5-rankedAlejandra Lara (9-4) קעגן DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1) and willbegin at 6:00 פּ.ם. און / 3:00 פּ.ם. 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.
Holding an impressive MMA record of 30-11-2, 1 נק, צי ניט. 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 overוויטאַלי מינאַקאָוו, 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, אַנדריי אַרלאָווסקי, פּעדראָ ריזזאָ, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, מאַט מיטריאָנע, and Alistair Overeem. איצט, 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 פון 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.
LOS ANGELES – June 17, 2021– BELLATOR MMA’s Featherweight and Lightweight World Championפּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל (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, און 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.
בעללאַטאָר 263: פּיטבולל ווס. מאַקי will emanate from the Forum in Inglewood, קאַליף., and will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. פּט. Tickets for the event go on sale tomorrow, פרייַטיק, יוני 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what the fighters and their coaches had to say Wednesday:
פּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל, 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. מיט אַז זייַענדיק האט, 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, צי ניט. 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. אין די סוף פון די טאָג, 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. אָבער, 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. אַמאָל ווידער, 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)
סקאַט קאָקער, 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. איצט, 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. דעמאָלט, 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, פּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל. 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. אָבער, 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, מוזיק, and jewelry. I did it all to pay for his school tuition.” (14:36)
בעללאַטאָר 263TAKES PLACE AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY, יולי 31 – לעבן אויף שאָוטיים®
TICKETS FOR THIS MASSIVE EVENT GO ON SALE TOMORROW ATBELLATOR.COM
לאס אנדזשעלעס— 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 promotionפּאַטריסיאָ פּיטבולל (32-4) and the company’s best-ever homegrown fighter in No. 1 ראַנגקטAJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, יולי 31 בייַ די פאָרום אין ינגלעוואָאָד, קאַליף., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
בעללאַטאָר 263: פּיטבולל ווס. מאַקיairs live on SHOWTIME at 10 פּ.ם. עט / 7 פּ.ם. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, יוני 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 ofפּאַט קורראַן, Juan Archuleta, דניאל וועיטשעל (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. אַדדיטיאָנאַללי, 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. מיט 23 finishes in 36 פאַכמאַן פיגהץ, 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, געאָרגי קאַראַכאַניאַן, 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 פּ.ם. עט / 4 פּ.ם. 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 ראַנגקטעממאַנועל סאַנטשעז(20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 ראַנגקטMads Burnell(15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 ראַנגקטMagomed “Tiger” Magomedov(18-1) און ניט קיין. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots(16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeatedUsman Nurmagomedov (12-0) קעגןManny Muro(12-6).
Chris Gonzalez (6-0) דיפיטידRoger Huerta (24-13-1) דורך סאַבמישאַן (סטרייקס) בייַ 3:01 פון קייַלעכיק דרייַ
Jose Augusto (17-1) דיפיטידיונתן ווילסאָן (9-3) דורך סאַבמישאַן (head and arm choke) בייַ 4:58 פון קייַלעכיק איינער
Roman Faraldo (5-0) דיפיטידTrevor Gudde (2-2) דורך טקאָ 1:30 פון קייַלעכיק איינער
Jordan Newman (3-0) דיפיטידBranko Busick (2-2) דורך טקאָ (סטרייקס) בייַ 2:30 פון קייַלעכיק צוויי
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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. פֿאַר מיר, 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. אויף שפּיץ פון אַז, 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, היגהליגהץ, 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: פּיטבולל ווס. סאַנטשעז 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, אַפּריל 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 featuringPatricio “Pitbull”, עממאַנועל סאַנטשעז, AJ McKee, וואַדים נעמקאָוו, רייאַן באַדער און מער.
דערצו, 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: פּיטבולל ווס. סאַנטשעז 2will debut on Monday, March 22 whileROAD TO BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prixwill premiere one week later on Monday, מאַרץ 29 אויף דישאָוטיים ספורט אוןBELLATOR 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.
אויף שבת, מאַרץ 27, a replay ofBELLATOR MMA 253: Caldwell vs. מאַקיwill air on SHOWTIME at 8 פּ.ם. עט / פּט.The four-fight card, includingMcKee’s iconic “McKee-otine” finish over former BELLATOR Bantamweight World Championדאַרריאָן קאָלדוועלthat propelled the young star into the Featherweight World Grand Prix Final, will also replay onSHOWTIME on Sunday, מאַרץ 28 בייַ 12 Midnight ET/PT, and again on Thursday, אַפּריל 1 בייַ 9 פּ.ם. עט / פּט.
בעללאַטאָר 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 פּ.ם. 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: פּיטבולל ווס. קאַרוואַלהאָ- (Original air date 11/12/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 251: מאַנהאָעף ווס. Anderson- (Original air date 11/05/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 245: דייוויס ווס. Machida 2- (Original air date 09/11/2020)
·BELLATOR MMA 244: Bader vs. נעמקאָוו- (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: פעדער ווס. Bader- (Original air date 01/26/2019)
·BELLATOR MMA 186: Bader vs. וואַססעלל- (Original air date 11/03/2017)
·מער, two individual bouts from BELLATOR MMA 209: - (Original air date 11/16/2018)
BELLATOR MMA: Davis vs Nemkov
BELLATOR MMA: פּיטבולל ווס. סאַנטשעז
פֿאַר מער אינפֿאָרמאַציע וויזיטwww.bellator.com אָדערwww.SHO.com, follow on Twitter @BellatorMMA and @ShowtimeSports, on Instagram @BellatorMMA and @ShoSports, אָדער ווערן אַ פאָכער אויף Facebook בייwww.Facebook.com/BellatorMMA.
CHAMP PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ DEFENDS HIS TITLE IN QUARTERFINAL MATCHUP AGAINST PEDRO CARVALHO, WHILE DANIEL WEICHEL FACES EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
מער, DARRION CALDWELL MEETS UNDEFEATED AJ MCKEE IN SEMIFINALS ON NOV. 19
לאס אנדזשעלעס — The Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix resumes Thursday, נאוועמבער. 12 with two quarterfinal matchups set to take place, as champPatricio “Pitbull” (30-14) defends his title againstPedro Carvalho (11-3), ווייַלע דניאל וועיטשעל (40-11) און עממאַנועל סאַנטשעז (19-4) square off in a battle of former title contenders. אַדדיטיאָנאַללי, the first semifinal bout is set for Thursday, נאוועמבער. 19, when former titleholderדאַרריאָן קאָלדוועל(15-3) squares off with undefeatedAJ McKee(16-0) for a spot in the tournament finals. All the action airs LIVE onקבס ספורט נעטוואָרק בייַ 7 פּ.ם. עט / 4 פּ.ם. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, קאַן.
אין די הויפּט געשעעניש פון בעללאַטאָר 252 אויף נאוועמבער. 12, fans will see a featherweight world title bout with two-division Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” defending his 145-pound crown against SBG Ireland’s Carvalho. In addition to the five-round championship headliner, a second Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal will go down, as two former title challengers in Weichel and Sanchez meet again following a razor-thin split decision-victory for Weichel in 2016. The winners of these two bouts can expect to see each other in the next semifinal matchup.
די בעללאַטאָר 253 headliner on Nov. 19 sees former bantamweight world champion Caldwell go toe-to-toe with rising prospect McKee on the other side of the bracket in the first semifinal. The winner earns a guaranteed spot in the finals and a shot at the Bellator world title and a chance to take home one million dollars.
All three Featherweight World Grand Prix bouts were initially slated to take place at the postponedבעללאַטאָר 241 און בעללאַטאָר 244 events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic effectively putting the yearlong tournament on hiatus.
קבס ספורט נעטוואָרק וועט לופט בעללאַטאָר 252: פּיטבולל ווס. קאַרוואַלהאָ און בעללאַטאָר 253: Caldwell vs. מאַקי LIVE in all U.S. markets at 7 פּ.ם. עט / 4 פּ.ם. פּט, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Hailing from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, two-time featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” will enter the Bellator cage for a promotional record 23rd time on Nov. 12. With impressive wins to his credit over Michael Chandler, דניאל סטראַוס (קס 3), דניאל וועיטשעל (x2) און פּאַט קורראַן, the 33-year old continues on in the Featherweight World Grand Prix not far removed from his lightweight championship victory in May of last year. Having earned a finish in 21 פון זיין 30 ווינס ווי אַ פאַכמאַן, the simultaneous two-division champion most recently bested current bantamweight championJuan Archuletaon the scorecards in an exciting opening round World Grand Prix matchup and fans can certainly expect more fireworks when he finally sets his sights on Carvalho.
Portuguese submission specialist Pedro Carvalho will be entering the Bellator cage for just the fifth time in his eight-year professional career, looking for his seventh consecutive victory and his first world title victory. With victories in nine of his last 11 קאַנטעס, including against DerekCampos, דניאלCrawfordand a face crank-submission over Sam Sicilia in the opening round, the 25-year-old SBG Ireland-product is on the cusp of greatness – and winning the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix would be the perfect way to solidify it.
מיט איבער 50 professional fights to his name, Germany’s Daniel Weichel is ready to make his 2020 debut in a highly anticipated World Grand Prix quarterfinal bout with Sanchez, a fighter Weichel got the better of four years ago atבעללאַטאָר 159. Following his Bellator debut in 2014, “Drake” has enjoyed an impressive promotional mark of 9-3, including pivotal victories over Sanchez, פּאַט קורראַן, געאָרגי קאַראַכאַניאַן און Saul Rogers.
On the heels of yet another masterful performance that ended in a submission victory overTywan Claxtonin the opening round of the World Grand Prix, “El Matador” is ready for another title run as he prepares for the 50-fight veteran and the man who beat him once before, דניאל וועיטשעל. Since joining forces with Bellator in 2014, the Milwaukee, Wisc.-resident has collected 11 victories over a 14-fight stint, including key wins over the likes of Claxton, דניאל סטראַוס, Marcos Galvao and Georgi Karakhanyan (2רענטגענ).
Having needed just one round to put away his last opponent via submission in the quarterfinals of the World Grand Prix, Darrion Caldwell is on a mission to regain Bellator gold. “The Wolf,” a former North Carolina State University NCAA National Champion wrestler, has looked unstoppable since moving up to the featherweight division, having defeatedAdam Borics, ווי געזונט ווי הענרי קאָרראַלעס in the opening round of the tournament. איצט, the former bantamweight champ sits only two victories away from holding a title in his second division – a feat very few athletes can claim.
Touted byעספּןas the best fighter in MMA under the age of 25, AJ McKeelooks to back up the lofty expectations often held by the public for second generations-athletes. Undefeated in his career, “The Mercenary” has made himself known to the world through his flashy persona and trash talk, אָבער רובֿ ימפּאָרטאַנטלי, his work inside the Bellator cage. With every one of his pro bouts taking place with Bellator, the Long Beach-native can achieve what he set out to do beginning atבעללאַטאָר 146 אין 2015 and become world champion with just two more wins.
Also announced forבעללאַטאָר 252…is a third main card bout featuring the always-excitingאהרן פּיקאָ (6-3) of Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, נ.מ., who returns for his second appearance inside Bellator’s “FightSphere, having previously defeated Solo Hatley Jr. in impressive fashion atבעללאַטאָר 242. He will take on Pittsburgh’sJohn de Jesus (13-8), who was most recently victorious atבעללאַטאָר 244 against Vladyslav Parubchenko, in what promises to an explosive featherweight contest.
For further information, ביטע באַזוכן Bellator.com.
דערהייַנטיקט בעללאַטאָר 252: פּיטבולל ווס. קאַרוואַלהאָ Fight Card: קבס ספורט נעטוואָרק | DAZN 7 פּ.ם. און Featherweight World Title Bout/FWGP Quarterfinal:Patricio “Pitbull”פריר (30-4) ווס. Pedro Carvalho (11-3) Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal: דניאל וועיטשעל (40-11) ווס. עממאַנועל סאַנטשעז (19-4) Featherweight Main Card Bout: אהרן פּיקאָ (6-3) ווס. John de Jesus (13-8)
דערהייַנטיקט בעללאַטאָר 253: Caldwell vs. מאַקי Fight Card: קבס ספורט נעטוואָרק | DAZN 7 פּ.ם. און Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinal:דאַרריאָן קאָלדוועל (15-3) ווס. AJ McKee (16-0)
