Tag Archives: Patricky Pitbull
BELLATOR MMA™ CONFIRMS FULL FIGHT CARD FOR BELLATOR 258 ON SHOWTIME® THIS FRIDAY, MAY 7 AT 9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT
LATE CHANGE SHIFTS BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX – JOSE ‘GUGU’ AUGUSTO NOW FACES ANTHONY “RUMBLE” JOHNSON IN QUARTERFINAL
LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has today confirmed the full slate of fights for this Friday’s BELLATOR MMA 258: Archuleta vs Pettis card inside the Mohegan Sun Arena. The event is the first of two being held in May, and kicks off an exciting month of fights on SHOWTIME with the action set to begin live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
In the main event of the evening, Juan “The Spaniard” Archuleta (25-2) puts his BELLATOR Bantamweight World Title on the line for the first time against No. 1 ranked 135-pounder Sergio “SP” Pettis (20-5). In addition to the headliner, three other main card bouts are confirmed, with the co-main event featuring a Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal bout with Team Pitbull product Jose “Gugu” Augusto (7-2, 1 NC) stepping up on a week’s notice to fight a debuting Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (22-6).
Rounding out main card action is a lightweight grudge match pitting the No. 2 ranked Patricky Pitbull (23-9) against the resilient Irishman, Peter Queally (12-5-1), and a must-watch bout between the No. 2 ranked welterweight Michael “Venom” Page (18-1) and No. 6 ranked welterweight Derek Anderson (17-3-1), a fight that has been booked twice previously, but was derailed due to injuries.
The preliminary card consists of eight fights and is stacked throughout, featuring former 185-pound champion Rafael Carvalho (16-5) stepping in on less than a week’s notice to welcome Lorenz Larkin (22-7) to the BELLATOR middleweight division. Also, No. 5 ranked welterweight Logan Storley (11-1) returns against Omar Hussein (8-2).
Fans will also see the promotion’s bantamweight depth on display, seeing No. 4 ranked Raufeon Stots (15-1) face No. 7 ranked Josh Hill (20-3), as well as appearances from former title challenger and No 2. ranked bantamweight “Patchy” Mix (13-1), Erik “Goyito” Perez (19-8), and the always-game Henry Corrales (18-5), who moves to bantamweight for the first time in his BELLATOR career.
All BELLATOR MMA 258: Archuleta vs Pettis prelims will stream live at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.
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 at SHO.com/BellatorMMA. Subscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 and beyond, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.
Full bout listings are below:
BELLATOR MMA 258: Archuleta vs. Pettis Main Card:
Friday, May 7 – live on SHOWTIME
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Bantamweight Title Bout: c-Juan Archuleta (25-2) vs. #1-Sergio Pettis (20-5)
Light Heavyweight WGP Quarterfinal Bout: Anthony Johnson (22-6) vs. Jose “Gugu” Augusto (7-2, 1 NC)
Lightweight Bout: #2-Patricky Pitbull (23-9) vs. Peter Queally (12-5-1)
175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: #2-Michael Page (18-1) vs. #6-Derek Anderson (17-3, 1 NC)
Preliminary Card:
BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV
5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT
Bantamweight Bout: #7-Josh Hill (20-3) vs. #4-Raufeon Stots (15-1)
Middleweight Bout: Lorenz Larkin (22-7, 1 NC) vs. Rafael Carvalho (16-5)
Bantamweight Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (13-1) vs. Albert Morales (10-6-1)
Welterweight Bout: #5-Logan Storley (11-1) vs. Omar Hussein (8-2)
Middleweight Bout: #6-Johnny Eblen (7-0) vs. Daniel Madrid (18-6)
Bantamweight Bout: Henry Corrales (18-5) vs. Johnny Campbell (20-13, 1 NC)
Featherweight Bout: Weber Almeida (5-0) vs. Johnny Soto (3-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Erik Perez (19-8) vs. Blaine Shutt (8-4)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.
BELLATOR SIGNS ‘PITBULL’ BROTHERS TO MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT EXTENSIONS
OFFICIAL BELLATOR 205: MCKEE VS. MACAPA RESULTS & PHOTOS
Bellator 205 Main Card Results:
A.J. McKee (12-0) def. John Macapa (21-4-2) via KO (punch) at 1:09 of round one
Rafael Lovato Jr. (9-0) def. John Salter (15-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of round three
Veta Arteaga (5-2) def. Denise Kielholtz (2-2) via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:24 of round two
Patricky Pitbull (20-8) def. Roger Huerta (24-11-1, 1 NC) via KO (punches) at 0:43 of round two
Preliminary Card Results:
Adam Borics (8-0) def. Josenaldo Silva (25-7) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:46 of round three
Steve Mowry (5-0) def. Ben Moa (4-1) via submission (Americana) at 2:40 of round one
Jarod Trice (4-0) def. Sean Powers (9-7) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Emilio Trevino (3-0) def. Sua Tuani (2-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:55 of round two
Vince Morales (8-2) def. Justin Hugo (3-5) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 29-27)
Johnny Nunez (7-1) def. Josh Wick (9-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Andrew Cruz (4-3) def. Nathan Stolen (8-4) via submission (arm bar) at 3:41 of round one
Kyle Frost (3-0) def. David Rangel (0-2) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:29 of round one
Bryce Edminister (2-1) def. Leon Taylor (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:34 of round two
Stephen Stirewalt (2-0) def. Joe Aguirre (2-1) via submission at 2:13 round one
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Bellator 183 Results and Photos
‘SMOOTH’ BENSON HENDERSON RETURNS TO FACE PATRICKY ‘PITBULL’ AT BELLATOR 183 ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 IN SAN JOSE
PLUS, THE DEBUT OF ROY ‘BIG COUNTRY’ NELSON VS. JAVY AYALA IN HEAVYWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
ALSO, BELLATOR KICKBOXING 7 HEADLINED BY WELTERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT BETWEEN CHAMP KARIM GHAJJI AND
RAYMOND DANIELS
LOS ANGELES – Bellator returns home to SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, September 23 for Bellator 183 and Bellator Kickboxing 7, which features the return of former world champ “Smooth” Benson Henderson (24-7) taking on the always-dangerous Patricky “Pitbull” (17-8), while current Bellator welterweight kickboxing champ Karim Ghajji (97-13-1) defends his title against the flashy Raymond Daniels (11-3).
In addition, Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull will also feature the promotional debut of Roy “Big Country” Nelson (23-14) who meets California’s own Javy “Eye Candy” Ayala (10-5) in an explosive heavyweight showdown. Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event go on sale Thursday, June 29 at 10:00 a.m. PST and are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Following what many considered to be 2016’s “Fight of the Year” against Michael Chandler, Henderson took time off to deal with nagging injuries. Now, the 33-year-old is back to 100-percent and ready to take on the other “Pitbull” brother, following a victory against Bellator’s current featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull”at Bellator 160 in August of last year. With wins against Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Frankie Edgar, Gilbert Melendez and Jorge Masvidal already in his nearly 11 years as a professional, “Smooth” is healthy again and looking for another championship run in his already-impressive career.
Patricky “Pitbull” comes into this bout seeking revenge against Henderson following his TKO win over younger brother, Patricio. The Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil product steps inside the Bellator cage for the18th time in his professional career and will be looking to build on an impressive start to his 2017 campaign. Having won seven of his last 10 bouts, including a second-round finish of Josh Thomson at Bellator 172 in February, the 31-year-old has seen 11 of his 12 career finishes come by way of knockout.
The inaugural Bellator welterweight kickboxing champion, Ghajji, traded victories with Zoltan Laszak on his road to meeting Daniels on September 23. The 36-year-old, known to many by the nickname “Gadjetboy,” will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator Kickboxing umbrella, and will look to successfully defend his title for the first time since reclaiming the belt in April at Bellator Kickboxing 6 in Hungary.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Daniels will bring his aggressive, one-of-a-kind karate style to Northern California for the first time since debuting with Bellator last year. Undefeated with the promotion — earning three stoppages in four outings — “The Real Deal” will look to punish the body of Ghajji when Daniels competes to claim his first world kickboxing title.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nelson makes his Bellator debut following an eight-year, 19-fight run with UFC that saw him earn wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, “Bigfoot” Silva and Cheick Kongo. With 19 of his 22 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, “Big Country” is ready to make his return to Spike, where he memorably defeated the late Kimbo Slice and later went on to win season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Ayala will enter the Bellator cage against Nelson looking for another shocking upset following his last outing against Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 163, where Ayala stole the show against Kharitonov by stopping the Russian heavyweight with a powerful punch a mere 16-seconds into the first round. Now, given the opportunity to formally welcome Nelson to the Bellator fray, “Eye Candy” is looking to stun the crowd once again and firmly establish himself as a threat to the entire heavyweight division. With all five of Ayala’s wins in Bellator coming by way of stoppage, the matchup with Nelson is sure to produce fireworks.
Updated Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull Fight Card
Lightweight Main Event: Benson Henderson (24-7) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (17-8)
Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Roy Nelson (23-14) vs. Javy Ayala (10-5)
Updated Bellator Kickboxing 7: Ghajji vs. Daniels Fight Card
Welterweight Kickboxing World Title Main Event: Karim Ghajji (97-13-1) vs. Raymond Daniels (11-3)
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About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 1 billion people worldwide in over 160 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on SPIKE, the combat sports television leader. Bellator 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 Hollywood, Calif. 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:
Spike 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’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’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.
BELLATOR 172 COMPETITORS TAKE US BEHIND THE SCENES PRIOR TO SATURDAY NIGHT’S SHOWDOWN AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Feb. 16, 2017) – We are just days away from one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight battles in Bellator MMA history, as Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) and Matt Mitrione (11-5) headline a massive main card at Bellator 172. Once again, Bellator’s digital team has put together a collection of exclusive new content in preparation of Saturday’s festivities at SAP Center. If you’re searching for a deeper look inside these competitors’ road to the main event, join us as we explore some fantastic behind-the-scenes footage available now on Bellator’s dynamic YouTube page.
The Legend of Fedor’s Sweater
Fedor’s monumental career goes hand-in-hand with his “Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory.” Adam Carolla and others chime in on the Russian slugger’s mysterious attire. |
What to Watch: Fedor vs. Mitrione
Bellator 172 features a must-watch heavyweight main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione, but before the two meet inside the cage Jimmy Smith covers what’s at stake. |
Backstage With Fedor Emelianenko
Let’s go backstage with one of the game’s greatest and take a closer look at the initial signing that took place at the promotion’s last event in San Jose at Bellator 165. |
Sit Down With Matt Mitrione
Heavyweight superstar Matt Mitrione sits down with us to discuss his upcoming main event showdown with the legendary Fedor. |
In Focus: Josh Thomson
We take a closer look at Josh Thomson’s story and close relationship with Bellator MMA President Scott Coker in the latest edition of In Focus. |
FIGHT INFO: The evening’s main event features a highly anticipated heavyweight slugfest pitting the legendary Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) against Matt Mitrione (11-5).
San Jose’s own Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) returns to the Bellator MMA cage to take on veteran knockout artistPatricky “Pitbull” (16-8) in a lightweight co-main clash. Fans can also experience a heavyweight feature fight pittingCheick Kongo (25-10-2) against British phenom Oli Thompson (17-9) and a female flyweight fight pairing Veta Arteaga (2-1) against Brooke Mayo (Debut). Lastly, a welterweight showdown pitting Josh Koscheck (17-10) againstMauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC) rounds out the Spike-televised main card action.
Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Very few tickets remain and they can be purchased at the SAP Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Complete Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione SPIKE-Televised Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)
Flyweight Feature Fight: Veta Arteaga (2-1) vs. Brooke Mayo (Debut)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Mauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Anatoly Tokov (24-2) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. J.C. Llamas (8-5)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: Dominic Sumner (1-0) vs. Abraham Vaesau (1-0)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Zach Andrews (5-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Abner Perez (Debut) vs. Gaston Bolanos (Debut)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)
Middleweight Prelim Bout: Martin Sano (4-2) vs. Diego Herzog (4-2)
JOSH KOSCHECK RETURNS TO THE CAGE AGAINST MAURICIO ALONSO AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE ON FEB. 18
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT FEATURING ANATOLY TOKOV AGAINST FRANCISCO FRANCE ADDED TO THE PRELIMINARY CARD
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (January 31, 2017) – A welterweight bout pitting Josh Koscheck (17-10) against Mauricio Alonso(12-7, 1 NC) has been added to the Spike-televised main card of Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on February 18, 2017.
In addition, recently signed Russian star Anatoly Tokov (24-2) is set to square off against Francisco France (13-4-1) in a middleweight clash that will be featured on the Bellator.com-streamed undercard, while a previously announced main card bout between Adam Piccolotti and Brent Primus has been cancelled after Piccolotti has been forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now at the SAP Center Box Office as well as Ticketmaster.com.
Koscheck will be making his highly anticipated Bellator MMA debut after signing with the Viacom-owned promotion in 2015. Prior to the signing, “Kos” competed under the UFC banner for nearly a decade, compiling 15 wins and nine finishes. Now, the 39-year-old Dethrone Base Camp product hopes to soar to the top of Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight class and add to his impressive resume of 17 career victories. Never one to mince words, Koscheck has made it clear that he hopes to once again meet Paul Daley inside the cage, but first, the Fresno, Calif. native must get through Alonso on Feb. 18 when he returns to action on Spike.
Hailing from Parana, Brazil, Alonso will be making his second appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA and first in the welterweight division since 2014. The 36-year-old enters the bout riding a recent string of success, earning victories in each of his last two contests and seven of his last 10 dating back to 2010. Of his 12 career wins, Alonso has finished his opponent five times, including four knockouts. Alonso will look to build off of an undefeated 2016 campaign when he competes on Feb 18.
Under the tutelage of the legendary Fedor Emilianenko, Tokov has strung together an impressive resume of his own, where from 2012 to 2016, the prospect was riding a streak of 17 consecutive wins. The 26-year-old Russian is known to end fights early and often, finishing his opponent in 19 of his 24 career wins, including nine first round finishes. If Tokov is going to continue to blossom on the Bellator roster, he will have to defeat his opponent on Feb. 18 first.
Hailing from Gilbert, Arizona, 18-fight veteran France enters the bout having won six of his last eight contests, including one draw and five finishes. The 33-year-old submission specialist will be making his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first in nearly a year at Bellator 172. “Kiko” brings with him one of the most dynamic ground games in the division, finishing 12 of his 13 victims via submission; displaying a wide array of devastating techniques, including rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes, arm bars, and kimuras.
Updated Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)
Welterweight Feature Bout: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Mauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC)
Preliminary Bouts:
Middleweight Preliminary Fight: Anatoly Tokov (24-2) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)
JOSH THOMSON RETURNS TO THE BELLATOR MMA CAGE AGAINST PATRICKY PITBULL FOR LIGHTWEIGHT FACEOFF AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE ON FEB. 18
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (January 27, 2017) – A lightweight feature bout pitting Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) against Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8) will serve as the co-main event of Bellator 172 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Feb. 18.
The contest joins a stacked main card that includes a pair of heavyweight competitors featuring Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) against Matt Mitrione(11-5) in the main event and Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) against Oli Thompson (17-9) in main card action. In addition, undefeated lightweights Adam Piccolotti (9-0) and Brent Primus (7-0) round out the Spike-televised main card. Additional contests will be announced shortly.
Bellator 172 will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now at the SAP Center Box Office as well as Ticketmaster.com.
After earning victories in each of his first seven professional contests, the 38-year-old Thomson joined forces with the UFC and Strikeforce, stringing together an impressive resume that included notable wins over Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. Now under the direction of Bellator MMA, “The Punk” has recorded back-to-back finishes in his first two bouts with the Scott Coker-led promotion. With 16 of his 22 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, Thomson is always a threat to end his opponent’s night early. Hailing from San Jose, Calif., Thomson hopes to put on a show in front of his hometown faithful and move one step closer to finally meeting Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.
The 31-year-old “Pitbull” enters the cage for the 17th time under the Bellator MMA umbrella, second most in the promotion’s history behind only David Rickels. The Brazilian knockout artist continues to be at the forefront of Bellator MMA’s lightweight division and has tallied six wins over his past nine bouts, including a trio of knockouts over proven veterans Rickels, Derek Campos, and Ryan Couture. Hailing from Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil, Freire has notched 10 knockouts over his professional career, with five of the finishes coming in the opening round of action. “Pitbull” will once again look to play the role of spoiler when he tries to take down San Jose’s own Thomson on Feb. 18.
Complete Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull (16-8)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Adam Piccolotti (9-0) vs. Brent Primus (7-0)
Preliminary Bouts:
Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)
‘KING MO’ DEFEATS SATOSHI ISHII WITH A SHUTOUT DECISION VICTORY AT ‘BELLATOR 169’
JAMES GALLAGHER & SINEAD KAVANAGH SCORE WINS FOR THEIR HOMETOWN FANS WHO PACKED THE 3ARENA IN DUBLIN
CLICK HERE FOR ALL FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS
DUBLIN, IRELAND. (Dec. 16, 2016) – In the evening’s main event, it was wrestler versus judo practitioner as Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (20-5, 1 NC) returned to moneyweight to face Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-7-1). King Mo avoided Ishii’s crafty throws as he scored a couple takedowns of his own throughout the fight. The contest finished with a shutout unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) for “King Mo.”
Now, after yet another impressive performance during the main event of “Bellator 169,” Lawal looks to end 2016 in style by repeating his domination over Rizin Fighting Federation opponents, when the 2015 eight-man Rizin heavyweight tournament winner returns to grand prix action during the Japanese-based promotion’s New Year’s Eve weekend of events.
Fresh off his victory in Dublin tonight, Lawal now sets his sights on the fellow contestants competing in the quarterfinals of the open-weight grand prix on Dec. 29 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan – the semifinals and finals are set for Dec. 31.
The 35-year-old former Strikeforce Champion defeated Brett McDermott, Teodoras Aukstuolis and Jiri Prochazka en route to winning the heavyweight tournament last year, now the “King” looks to retain his crown against the likes of: Shane Carwin, Amir Aliakbari, Mirko Filipovic, Kaido Hoovelson, Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Valentin Moldavsky, and Szymon Bajor.
With a second tournament victory in Japan, “King Mo” would cap off a stellar 2016 campaign, a 365-day run where in addition to Ishii, the American Top Team standout took current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Phil Davis to the limit during their “Bellator 154” tussle back in May
Gallagher Sinks in RNC During Third Frame of Co-Main Event
In what many considered “the people’s main event,” the highly touted SBG prospect James Gallagher (5-0) kept his composure through the first two hard fought rounds against Anthony Taylor (1-2). The American threw several powerful strikes, connecting on multiple occasions as Gallagher fought from safe range. Not long after the start of the final round the “Strabanimal” took the back of “Pretty Boy” Taylor with a body triangle actively looking to find a choke. It looked as though Taylor had it under control, walking across the cage toward his corner, pandering to the camera with a smile but seconds later, he was on his stomach, where he succumbed to a rear naked choke at 1:52 of round three. At the time of the stoppage, the judges were split with the cards reading 20-18, 18-20 and 19-19 after the first two rounds.
Kavanagh Gets the Irish Crowd Started with UD Victory
Sinead Kavanagh (4-0) was determined to put one on the board for the home team and that’s exactly what she did when she defeated Elina Kallionidou (5-1) by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27). Kavanagh stalked the Greek regional champion around the cage and scored on a great deal of combinations up against the fence. Kallionidou showed impressive resiliance, toughing out firestorm after firestorm of punches and bouncing back as though unfazed.
“Drake” Weichel Wants Another Shot at the Title
In the first televised fight of the evening, the crowd was loud, hoping to propel their Irishman Brian “Pikeman” Moore (9-5) to victory against Daniel Weichel (38-9). Moore looked sharp on his feet, throwing crisp jabs before getting taken to the canvas. From the ground, Moore fought off several rear-naked choke attempts before rolling into a triangle choke 4:44 into the first frame, making it 0-2 for the Irish-born fighters to start the card.
Who Else but Cameron Else to Spoil Hot Prospect Dylan Tukes Night
An electric Irish partisan crowd was on hand at the 3Arena in Dublin, but it didn’t take long for Great Britan’s Cameron Else (4-3) to silence them all with a jaw-dropping knockout victory over the highly-touted hometown fighter Dylan Tuke (3-1) only 20 seconds into round one.