Tag Archives: Rampage Jackson

Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR HEADS TO JAPAN WITH LEGENDRY CLASH BETWEEN FEDOR EMELIANENKO AND ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON

Leave a comment
SAITAMA SUPER ARENA TO HOST BELLATOR JAPAN SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 – LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

TICKETS ON SALE NOVEMBER 3

 

LOS ANGELES – For the first time in the organization’s history, Bellator travels to Japan and the iconic Saitama Super Arena for an historic event, as Fedor Emelianenko (38-6, 1 NC) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (38-13) square off in a long-awaited heavyweight showdown. Bellator Japan: Fedor vs. Rampage, powered by RIZIN, takes place Sunday, December 29 and will air LIVE on Paramount Network.

 

Tickets for Bellator Japan: Fedor vs. Rampage go on sale November 3. Additional bouts are expected to be announced in the coming days.

 

“For Bellator’s debut in Japan, we wanted to bring a massive event and fighters that the Japanese fans really connect with,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Given the vast history of martial arts and MMA in Japan, and especially at Saitama Super Arena, this will be a very special show that no one will want to miss.This will, unquestionably, be a monumental event for Bellator and I am looking forward to the moment that Fedor and ‘Rampage’ walk out to a crowd that has known them since their careers began. I would also like to thank RIZIN for their help in making this event a possibility and we look forward to working together in the near future to showcase the best talent each organization has to offer.”

 

Fighting out of Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Fedor Emelianenko returns to Japan following a successful run in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix earlier this year, where he earned consecutive first-round knockouts over Chael Sonnen and Frank Mir. A former PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion and PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight World Grand Prix Champion, “The Last Emperor” returns to where his career started. Often referred to as “The GOAT” by fans around the world, his career resume stands as one of the most impressive in the history of the sport with victories over Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Mark Coleman and Andrei Arlovski, to name a few. With 29 career victories ending via finish, the punching power and world-class Sambo of the stoic Russian could result in yet another defining moment in his illustrious career.

 

An eight-fight veteran of Bellator, “Rampage” Jackson’s legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport, generating a loyal army of fans along the way. The former PRIDE and UFC champion is the proud owner of many epic highlight reel slams and knockouts that he has racked up throughout his epic battles with the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, “King Mo” Lawal, Kevin Randleman and, perhaps most-notably, his four-fight series with Wanderlei Silva. The Memphis, Tennessee-native has long been seen as an icon to MMA fans around the globe and has openly voiced a desire to face Fedor in front of a Japanese crowd before his career comes to an end. Now, the two legends will finally meet inside the Bellator cage on December 29 at the famed Saitama Super Arena.

 

Updated Bellator Japan: Fedor vs. Rampage Fight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (38-6, 1 NC) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (38-13)

 

*Card subject to change.

 

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

 
Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA

BELLATOR 206: MOUSASI vs. MACDONALD RESULTS & PHOTOS

Leave a comment

 

 

Complete Fight Night Photos

  

Bellator 206: Mousasi vs. MacDonald Main Card Results:

Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) defeated Rory MacDonald (20-5) via TKO (punches) at 3:23 of round two

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (38-13) defeated Wanderlei Silva (35-14) via TKO (punches) at 4:32 of round two

Douglas Lima (30-7) defeated Andrey Koreshkov (21-3) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:04 of round five

Aaron Pico (4-1) defeated Leandro Higo (18-5) via KO (punches) at 3:19 of round one

Keri Taylor-Melendez (3-0) defeated Dakota Zimmerman (0-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Gaston Bolanos (4-1) defeated Ysidro Gutierrez (4-3) via knockout (punches) at 1:37 of round two

 

Preliminary Card Results:

Adam Piccolotti (11-2) defeated James Terry (20-10) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Jeremiah Labiano (12-6) defeated Justin Smitley (10-8-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:28 of round one

Arlene Blencowe (11-7) defeated Amber Leibrock (3-2) via TKO (slam, punches) at 1:23 of round three

Josh San Diego (8-4) defeated Joe Neal (6-4) via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Chuck Campbell (1-0) defeated Joseph Ramirez (1-2) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Anthony Figueroa Jr. (1-0) defeated Samuel Romero (0-2) via unanimous decision (29-27, 28-26, 29-26)

Cass Bell (2-0) defeated Ty Costa (3-4) via verbal submission (armbar) 3:06 of round two

Isaiah Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Khai Wu (2-1)

Jacob Ycaro (1-0) vs. Ignacio Ortiz (1-0)

Laird Anderson (0-0) vs. Ahmed Abdelaziz (0-0)

 

Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA

BELLATOR 206: MOUSASI vs. MACDONALD WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

Leave a comment

 

  

EVENT AIRS EXCLUSIVELY ON DAZN TOMORROW AT 9 P.M. ET / 6 P.M. PT

 

 

WEIGH-IN PHOTOS | WEIGH-IN VIDEO HERE

  

Complete Bellator 206 Weigh-in Results:

Middleweight World Title Main Event: Gegard Mousasi (184.4) vs. Rory MacDonald (184.9)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (254.4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (226.9)

Welterweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout: Douglas Lima (170) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (169.3)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Aaron Pico (145.7) vs. Leandro Higo (145.1)

Women’s Strawweight Main Card Bout: Keri Taylor-Melendez (116) vs. Dakota Zimmerman (115.6)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Gaston Bolanos (145.2) vs. Ysidro Gutierrez (145.3)

 

Preliminary Card:

160-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Adam Piccolotti (159.1) vs. James Terry (160)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Jeremiah Labiano (144.9) vs. Justin Smitley (144.2)

Women’s Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Amber Leibrock (145.4) vs. Arlene Blencowe (145.3)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Josh San Diego (139.2) vs. Joe Neal (139.9)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Cass Bell (136) vs. Ty Costa (136)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Isaiah Gonzalez (135.8) vs. Khai Wu (136)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Jacob Ycaro (145.3) vs. Ignacio Ortiz (144.9)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Laird Anderson (145.8) vs. Ahmed Abdelaziz (147.3)*

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Chuck Campbell (205.6) vs. Joseph Ramirez (202.4)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Anthony Figueroa Jr. (156) vs. Samuel Romero (156)

 

*Missed weight

Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR & DAZN SIGN NINE-FIGURE, MULTI-YEAR DISTRIBUTION DEAL

Leave a comment

 

cid:image001.png@01D40D30.2FA15300cid:image002.png@01D40D30.2FA15300

 

LIVE SPORTS STREAMING PLATFORM TO DELIVER SEVEN EXCLUSIVE STAR-STUDDED BELLATOR MMA EVENTS PER YEAR

cid:image003.png@01D40D28.0B7B7440

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION – GEGARD MOUSASI-RORY MACDONALD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT, PLUS ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON-WANDERLEI SILVA IV HIGHLIGHT FIRST EVENT ON SEPT. 29 FROM SAP CENTER AT SAN JOSE

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator, a leading global combat sports franchise owned by Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands, and DAZN, the world’s largest dedicated live sports streaming service and part of Perform Group, today announced a multi-year landmark distribution agreement.

 

 

 

The nine-figure deal will feature seven exclusive stacked fight cards per year on DAZN and another 15 that are simulcast across Paramount Network and DAZN. All fights will stream in any country where DAZN is available. As part of the platform’s global expansion, DAZN will launch in the U.S. and Italy in 2018, with the service already live in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

 

 

 

“The exciting new partnership with DAZN is a game-changer for Bellator,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “The investment will enable us to continue expanding our roster with free agents that make sense, so we can put on PPV-worthy fight cards that fans want to see. Plus, on DAZN’s worldwide platform, our fights will be seen live for the first time to new audiences around the globe.”

 

 

 

“It’s simple; fans want to see great fighters in competitive fights so we’ve handed the keys to Scott Coker and his venerable team to go out and recruit even more top-level talent to further stack Bellator fight cards and build on their success,” said DAZN CEO James Rushton.  “With the combination of this investment and our recent announcement to bring more than 30 nights of boxing to the platform annually, DAZN will be a must-have for fight fans in the U.S.”

 

 

 

“The DAZN partnership speaks to the incredible growth of Bellator into a global sports powerhouse and high-valued franchise in the Viacom portfolio,” said Kevin Kay, President, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.

 

 

 

The deal begins with an epic event on Saturday, Sept. 29 from SAP Center at San Jose. The card features a highly anticipated middleweight title fight pitting Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) against Rory MacDonald (20-4), who is moving up a weight class for a title shot against the 185-pound champ, along with the fourth fight in the legendary rivalry between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) and Wanderlei Silva(35-13).

 

 

 

Also included on Sept. 29, will be the opening fight of Bellator’s first-ever Welterweight World Grand Prix, which will feature eight of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. The Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix will be a major component of the first year of the multi-year agreement between Bellator and DAZN.

 

 

 

An exclusive online presale for this event takes place tomorrow, June 27 through Thursday, June 28, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets start at just $30 and will be available at the ThreatMetrix Ticket Office at SAP Center at San Jose, as well as Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.

 

 

 

The event will air live on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.  DAZN, which now streams 15,000 live events and 100 million hours of sports content globally each year, will be available in the U.S. this September with exact pricing and dates being announced this summer.

 

 

 

Mousasi vs. MacDonald:

 

 

 

Gegard Mousasi impressed in his promotional debut over former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko, a win that earned him a shot at Rafael Carvalho, where 185-pound gold was on the line. Now, after a decisive victory against Carvalho at Bellator 200, Mousasi will defend his crown against Rory MacDonald, entering the bout with his current unbeaten streak at seven fights. “The Dreamcatcher,” who trains out of The Netherlands, holds one of the most impressive resumes in all of the sport, at one time winning the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight title, as well as the DREAM light heavyweight and middleweight titles.

 

 

 

Over the last several years, “The Red King” Rory MacDonald has become the most popular Canadian mixed martial artist due to his classic stand-up wars and wins over some of MMA’s best in Paul Daley, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, B.J. Penn and Demian Maia. Bellator’s welterweight champion joined the Viacom-owned promotion in 2016 and went on to defeat Douglas Lima for the welterweight title at Bellator 192. Now, the Tristar Gym-trained fighter sets his sights on winning gold in not one, but two separate weight classes.

 

 

 

“Rampage” vs. Silva:

 

 

A six-fight veteran of Bellator, “Rampage” Jackson’s legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport, generating a loyal army of fans along the way. The former PRIDE and UFC champion is the proud owner of many epic highlight reel slams and knockouts that he has racked up throughout his epic battles with the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, “King Mo,” Kevin Randleman and, perhaps most-notably, his trilogy with fellow Bellator athlete Wanderlei Silva, who he now meets at heavyweight on Sept. 29.

 

 

Wanderlei Silva’s wars with “Rampage,” Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell and Michael Bisping remain some of the more memorable bouts in MMA history. “The Axe Murderer” is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career, returning to action against a man he has already competed against three times before. In addition to the PRIDE middleweight title, Silva’s trophy case includes awards for “Fight of the Year” (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008) and multiple “Fight of the Night” awards. Most recently, the Brazilian native made his Bellator debut against Chael Sonnen in the main event of Bellator: NYC.

 

 

Updated Bellator Fight Card:

 

Middleweight World Title Bout: Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) vs. Rory MacDonald (20-4)

 

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) vs. Wanderlei Silva (35-13)

 

Welterweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout

 

 

*Card subject to change.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

OFFICIAL BELLATOR 199: BADER vs. KING MO RESULTS & PHOTOS

Leave a comment

 

 

Ryan Bader (25-5) defeated “King Mo” Lawal (21-7, 1 NC) via knockout (punch) at :15 of round one

 

Photos: https://tinyurl.com/ycysrnua

 

Jon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC) defeated Paul Daley (40-16-2) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-26, 29-26)

 

Photos: https://tinyurl.com/y98s82hr

 

Aaron Pico (3-1) defeated Lee Morrison (19-9) via TKO (punch to body) at 1:10 of round one

 

Photos: https://tinyurl.com/ycdhxdko

 

Cheick Kongo (28-10-2) defeated Javy Ayala (10-7) via knockout (punches) at 2:29 of round one

 

Photos: https://tinyurl.com/yalv99d6

 

Adam Piccolotti (10-2) defeated Carrington Banks (7-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:41 of round three

 

Photos: https://tinyurl.com/y9bo2tea

 

Hyder Amil (2-0) defeated Elias Anderson (0-1) via TKO at 3:01 of round two

Ignacio Ortiz (1-0) defeated Matt Aragoni (1-1) via TKO at 2:57 of round three

Mark Climaco (2-0) defeated Daniel Oseguera (0-1) via TKO at 2:21 of round one

J.J. Okanovich (6-1) defeated Hugo Lujan (3-3) via unanimous decision

Tom Ponce de Leon (2-0) defeated Dominic Sumner (1-2) via TKO at 2:48 of round two

Nohelin Hernandez (7-2) defeated Josh San Diego (7-4) via unanimous decision

Josh Paiva (10-2) defeated Adam Antolin (13-4) via KO at :32 of round one

Cass Bell (1-0) defeated Khai Wu (1-1) via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:27 of round two

Jordan Williams (7-2) defeated Brandon Hester (4-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:11 of round two

Amber Leibrock (3-1) defeated Janay Harding (3-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

James Terry (20-9) defeated Danasabe Mohammed (5-2) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Gaston Bolanos (3-1) defeated Malcom Hill (3-5) via TKO (leg kicks) at 2:54 of round one

Justin Tenedora (2-1) defeated David Rivera (0-3) via submission (triangle-choke) at 4:27 of round one

Deron Winn (4-0) defeated Ahmed White (0-1) via knockout (punches) at 2:32 of round one

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR 199: BADER vs. KING MO WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

Leave a comment

EVENT AIRS ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK AT 9 P.M. ET / 8 P.M. CT

 

WEIGH-IN PHOTOS HERE | RE-WATCH WEIGH-INS HERE

 

Bellator 199: Bader vs. King Mo takes place tomorrow at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.

 

Complete Bellator 199: Bader vs. King Mo Weigh-in Results:

Heavyweight Grand Prix Main Event: Ryan Bader (225.1) vs. “King Mo” Lawal (217.4)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (170.3) vs. Jon Fitch (171)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Lee Morrison (144) vs. Aaron Pico (145.7)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Cheick Kongo (241.7) vs. Javy Ayala (265.5)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Carrington Banks (155.6) vs. Adam Piccolotti (155.3)

140-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Elias Anderson (139.8) vs. Hyder Amil (137.9)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Aragoni (144.9) vs. Ignacio Ortiz (145)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Mark Climaco (125) vs. Daniel Oseguera (124.7)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Hugo Lujan (154.7) vs. J.J. Okanovich (155.4)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Tom Ponce de Leon (169.7) vs. Dominic Sumner (170.9)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Nohelin Hernandez (135.9) vs. Josh San Diego (135.5)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Paiva (125.7) vs. Adam Antolin (124.8)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Cass Bell (135.8) vs. Khai Wu (136)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Williams (184.1) vs. Brandon Hester (185.4)

Women’s Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Janay Harding (145.8) vs. Amber Leibrock (145)

165-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (164) vs. James Terry (164.7)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Malcom Hill (144.4) vs. Gaston Bolanos (145.6)

137-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Tenedora (135.8) vs. David Rivera (135.1)

190-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Deron Winn (192.1*) vs. Ahmed White (188.4)

 

*Missed weight

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR 198: FEDOR vs. MIR OFFICIAL RESULTS & PHOTOS

Leave a comment

 

cid:image002.jpg@01D3DF43.DF465E10

 

FULL EVENT PHOTOS | FULL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

 

Bellator 198: Fedor vs. Mir Results:

Fedor Emelianenko (37-5, 1 NC) defeated Frank Mir (18-12) via TKO (punches) at :48 of round one

Emmanuel Sanchez (17-3) defeated Sam Sicilia (16-9) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:52 of round one

Rafael Lovato Jr. (8-0) defeated Gerald Harris (25-6) via submission (armbar) at 1:11 of round one

Neiman Gracie (8-0) defeated Javier Torres (10-4, 1 NC) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:18 of round two

Dillon Danis (1-0) defeated Kyle Walker (2-5) via submission (toe hold) at 1:38 of round one

 

Preliminary Card:

R’Mandel Cameron (6-3) defeated P.J. Cajigas (6-7) via unanimous decisión (29-28 x3)

Mark Stoddard (16-9) defeated Dan Stittgen (12-6) via submission (triangle choke) at 4:43 of round one

Eric Wisely (29-9-1) defeated Morgan Sickinger (20-11) via submission (armbar) at 1:12 of round one

Joey Diehl (12-9) defeated Nate Williams (27-18) via submission (triangle choke) at 54 seconds of round one

Asef Askar (1-0-1) and Andrew Johnson (0-0-1) fought to a majority draw (28-27, 28-28, 28-28)

Adil Benjilany (4-1, 1 NC) defeated Corey Jackson (3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Sultan Umar (6-2) defeated Tom Angeloff (7-6, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Robert Morrow (24-21-1) defeated Adam Maciejewski (13-7-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR’S HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX CONTINUES WITH DREAM MATCHUP BETWEEN FEDOR EMELIANENKO AND FRANK MIR AT ALLSTATE ARENA ON APRIL 28

Leave a comment

 

 

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – The third opening round matchup in 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix will feature the greatest heavyweight of all time Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) taking on former world champion Frank Mir (18-11) in Bellator’s return to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on Saturday, April 28.

 

 

 

An exclusive online presale for this event takes place Wednesday January 24 and Thursday January 25, with tickets going on-sale to the general public on Friday January 26 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just $30 and are available at the Allstate Arena box office and Ticketmaster.

 

 

 

The event, presented by Miller Lite, will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.

 

 

 

A former PRIDE champion, “The Last Emperor” is one of the most revered and respected heavyweight fighters the sport has seen. Stone-faced and quiet, Emelianenko boasted one of the most impressive unbeaten streaks in the history of MMA, not losing a bout between 2001 and 2009. A multi-time world champion in MMA and Sambo, Fedor recently returned to the sport after a brief hiatus, accumulating two decisive wins since his return to action and taking on Matt Mitrione in an instant classic at Bellator NYC.

 

 

 

Frank Mir joined Bellator earlier this year following 15 years in the UFC where he became a two-time world champion, collected 16 victories and defeated a who’s who of heavyweight contenders, including Brock Lesnar, “Bigfoot” Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop. Fighting out of Las Vegas, Mir set numerous records while competing with his former promotion, highlighted by the most fights (27), victories (16), and submissions (8) in heavyweight history. With 14 of his 18 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will now try his hand in Bellator’s heavyweight division.

 

 

 

Updated Fight Card:

Heavyweight Grand Prix First Round: Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) vs. Frank Mir (18-11)

 

****

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show, Event Previews/Recaps and Celebrating Tony’s 10th Anniversary as a Host

Leave a comment

This episode we spend a lot of time reminiscing about Tony being part of the Fight News Unlimited team for 10 years. We also take a look back at UFC Fight Night 124 and look ahead to two huge events on Saturday: Bellator 192 headlined by Sonnen vs. Jackson and UFC 220 led by the heavyweight and light heavyweight championship fights between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou (HVY) and Daniel Cormier and Volkan Oezdemir (L.HVY). We even discuss some NFL football and some other sports. Of course we also take a look at the boxing scene. Listen to the show at the link below:

 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fjqsgzqeltnf31z/january18show2018.mp3?dl=0

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

‘BIG’ JOHN MCCARTHY TO JOIN BELLATOR BROADCAST TEAM

Leave a comment

WILL MAKE COLOR COMMENTARY DEBUT AT BELLATOR 192 ON JAN. 20 – LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

ALSO, CHAEL SONNEN SIGNS EXTENSION TO REMAIN IN BROADCAST BOOTH

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator is pleased to announce that it has come to an agreement with John McCarthy to serve as color commentator during broadcasts on the soon-to-launch Paramount Network, which kicks off with Bellator 192 on Saturday, January 20.

 

“With the addition of ‘Big’ John to our broadcast team, we have put together the premier group of MMA commentators ahead of our Jan. 20 debut on the Paramount Network,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “With John and Chael providing analysis, you’re getting two people who have spent more time in the cage than they have spent with a headset on, and that will translate to a positive viewing experience for Bellator fans.”

 

Over the past 20 years, “Big” John McCarthy has set the bar when it comes to officiating in MMA, a sport where he has overseen countless fights promoted by Bellator and other promotions all over the world, serving as the referee for some of the biggest bouts in the history of the sport. A former Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy, McCarthy is also the founder of “C.O.M.M.A.N.D.,” a program that trains and certifies hopeful MMA referees and judges. McCarthy’s regulatory work is equally as impressive, as he was a key figure in the writing of the sport’s Unified Rules, which are recognized by the ABC and athletic commissions all across North America.

 

Along with his broadcasting duties, the man behind the catchphrase “Let’s get it on!” will also provide a unique level of first-hand insight to the plethora of original content produced by Bellator’s digital team.

 

“I first want to say how grateful I am for the opportunity I have been given to work with the incredible team Bellator has assembled. It is always so hard to leave something you love, but I have always wanted to step away based on my terms rather than someone else’s. My goals are to work as hard as I can to meet the expectations everyone will have for me and to hopefully someday exceed them.” McCarthy said. “I cannot think of anyone I would rather be working with than Scott Coker. Scott has always been a person I admire because of his honesty, loyalty and love for the martial arts. I want to thank everyone from Bellator and Viacom for the trust you are bestowing upon me to keep the commentating of Bellator MMA at the highest levels of the sport.”

 

In addition, Chael Sonnen has signed an extension to remain a part of select Bellator broadcasts, breaking down all the action alongside Bellator announcers Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo.

 

Chael Sonnen spent a majority of his 44-fight career with the UFC and WEC, a run that saw him defeat former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, and compete against the likes of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva (twice), Rashad Evans, “Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia and Brian Stann. In addition to his in-ring action, the West Linn, Ore. native has mastered the art of being in front of the camera, having done broadcast work for both ESPN and Fox Sports. Following a three-year hiatus from active MMA competition, Sonnen returned to the cage against Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170 in January and then went on to defeat Wanderlei Silva during the main event of Bellator: NYC.

 

Bellator and the soon-to-launch Paramount Network open 2018 with a bang when Bellator 192: Lima vs. MacDonald emanates from The Forum in California on Jan. 20. Anchored by a welterweight world title fight featuring Douglas Lima defending his championship against Rory MacDonald, the blockbuster event also will see the aforementioned Chael Sonnen compete against “Rampage” Jackson in the opening contest of 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix.