ACB 57 Payback – Magomedov vs Yan 2 – Live and FREE Saturday 4/15 10:00AM ET – From Moscow
ACB 57 Payback features the rematch of the highly contested first meeting between current ACB Bantamweight Champion Magomed Magomedov (13-1 MMA) and Petr Yan (6-1 MMA) as well as a co-main event of Alexander Sarnavskiy (35-5 MMA) vs Eduard Vartanyan (15-3 MMA).
RIZIN 2017 Sakura PPV $14.99 – Kawajiri vs Birchak – Sunday2AM ET Live from Yokohama Arena, Japan
RIZIN returns with the pageantry and non-stop action that has defined Japanese MMA! In the main event Japanese MMA legend Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri (35-11-2 MMA) vs Anthony Birchak (12-3 MMA) from the U.S. and a co-main event that features wrestling powerhouse Amir Aliakbari (5-1 MMA) against the powerful and experienced Brazilian Gerônimo Dos Santos (39-17). The card also features MMA superstars Kyoji Horiguchi, Heath Herring, Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii, UFC veteran Daron Cruickshank and more!
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.
DUBLIN, IRELAND. (Dec. 15, 2016) – The official weigh-ins for both “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” and “BAMMA 27” took place this afternoon at the 1878 club inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow at 3Arena, with the event airing on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quite the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s own James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight co-main clash.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for the division gold.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” takes place inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, and will air free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Card: (SPIKE TV – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)
Heavyweight Main Event: Satoshi Ishii (236.6 lbs.) vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (213 lbs.)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: Anthony Taylor (145.8 lbs.) vs. James Gallagher (145.6 lbs.)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Brian Moore (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145.6 lbs.)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Elina Kallionidou (135.8 lbs.) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (135.2 lbs.)
DUBLIN (December 14, 2016) – Two of the top MMA promotions in the world, Bellator and BAMMA have joined forces to deliver an early Christmas gift for MMA fans everywhere with a unique doubleheader event at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland this Friday, Dec. 16.
Despite the cold and rainy weather in Dublin, the main and co-main event fighters turned up the heat at the Official Fight Week Press Conference for the co-promoted event inside the Gibson Hotel. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker took center stage alongside BAMMA CEO David Green, and the two were flanked by “Bellator 169” combatants King Mo(19-5, 1 NC) and Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1) along with James Gallagher (4-0), and Anthony Taylor (14-2), as well as BAMMA main eventers Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8), a Chris Fields (11-7-1), who takes on Andrew Clamp (8-1, 1 NC).
Below are several transcribed quotes from the press conference.
King Mo:
“The cold weather (in Ireland) gets me, you know what I’m saying. But it’s gonna be hot in the venue, because I’m gonna bring the heat.” It’s gonna be action packed. I’m ready to scrap.”
“I’m shocked (by the support from the Irish fans). I came here to do PR last time and everyone was cool, but this time around its been even better. I went to Nandos (chicken restaurant) and got hooked up with like $70 worth of food. If y’all haven’t eaten at Nandos yet I suggest you try it out because that place is good.”
(To Ishii)
“Don’t run around the cage. Fight me square, entertain the fans, and put on a good show.”
“All the people out there, ya’ll better tune in and watch me kick and beat Ishii’s a** out the cage.”
Satoshi Ishii:
“It’s an honor to fight in Dublin. I’m looking forward to the fight, I’m excited, and I will do my best.”
James Gallagher:
“At the end of the day I can say whatever I want and he can say whatever he wants, but, you step in there and none of that means jack s***. It’s a fight between me and him, and that’s all that matters, and I’ll come out the winner.
“I literally do not care about him. I just care about me and what I’m going to do. I’m just going to go in there and smash his face in and that’s that. Simple answer.”
“Everything he is saying is a load of old bullsh**. Tune in on Friday night and you’ll see who’s going to the hospital after.”
“It’s amazing to fight in your own country and right here in the 3Arena. Walking out into that crowd, that feeling of pride is something you will always remember for the rest of your life.”
Anthony Taylor:
“Oh man, everything is going my way. The fact that I’ve got him, one-on-one, with the pretty one, it’s going tremendously fine. The atmosphere in Ireland is so beautiful. The weather, the women…oh my gosh the women! This is cuddling season
and I’m on Tinder just swiping right.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to showcase my skills. Everyone is looking at me as the underdog and saying this is a test. This ain’t no test, this is finals, and guess what? He’s going to fail.”
“I’m going to shock the world on Friday, and let them know who the hell is Anthony Pretty Boy Taylor, the most electrifying man in Bellator MMA. That’s what’s up, and I’m going to put on a show for all the people out there.”
“I get a lot of criticism, but I’ve also got a lot of Irish fans, just as much as he’s got, so it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have the pressure, it’s on him. I’m coming here to do my thing. If I lose, I suck it up like a man. But if I win, I’m gonna be a superstar. I already know I’m going to win, he can’t stop me.”
Scott Coker
“We’ve been on the road quite a bit this year with 25 fights, 28 if you include kickboxing. This is something that David and I started talking about a year ago. It’s been seamless and a lot of fun. David’s been a great partner to work with, BAMMA’s been great.”
“We’ve been following this league for a couple years now. We know that they’re the powerhouse here in the UK and were happy to team up with them and bring our top fighters.”
“This is going to be a great show that is going to be televised all over the world. It will be on SPIKE UK, which airs here in Ireland as well on Saturday at 11 p.m. local time, as well as on SPIKE in the United States at 9 p.m. ET. It will also air in 140 countries around the world, so this is an event that brings worldwide recognition to this event here in Ireland, and we’re very proud to be here.”
(Is this somewhat of a scouting mission for you on Friday?)
“The mission statement of the company is to bring the best fighters in the world to Bellator. So we’re going to be watching very closely I know there is some great talent here, and I’m excited to watch it and see what the future holds.”
(On the event coming together)
“David (Green) and I became friends a little more than a year ago, and has a big television producing background, and he’s done stuff for Spike and Viacom in the past. He’s a very big producer here in the United Kingdom. But as far as coming together, if you look at the background of Strikeforce or even before that in kickboxing, we were never opposed to having fighters in one organization against fighters in another organization. In the earliest parts of the Strikeforce career in MMA, we sent Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson (among others) to Pride against some of the Japanese fighters and they sent over (Shinya) Aoki, (Tatsuya) Kawajiri and some of the best fighters they had. To me, this is what martial arts is all about. We should have more events like this where top guys from different leagues compete against each other to find out who the best is. We’re not going to be opposed to that. That’s always been our philosophy
(On doing it again)
“That’s something David and I will talk about once this is over. We both individually have a big schedule for next year. We (Bellator) are going to go to more international events and more cities across the world. We are going to go to Latin America next year with shows on Mexico and Brazil.
“So we are going to have an exciting schedule to announce soon. This (Dublin event) is something that has worked out fantastic. The schedule and the timing was perfect. The door is always going to be open, these guys are a great partner and have been fantastic to work with and we look forward to doing more events.”
EVENT INFO
BAMMA and Bellator MMA will hold a unique doubleheader event in Dublin, Ireland this Friday, Dec. 16, which will feature multiple BAMMA world title bouts and an incredible Bellator MMA heavyweight main event rematch pitting “King Mo” against Satoshi Ishii. But before our ‘Bellator 169’ and ‘BAMMA 27’ competitors meet inside the cage, join us for an afternoon of verbal submissions at the official press conference inside The Gibson Hotel in Dublin.
Also on Friday night, Anthony Taylor enters enemy territory with a featherweight bout against Northern Ireland’s own James Gallagher. Also hailing from Ireland, Brian Moore will look to take advantage of the home crowd when he faces off against Daniel Weichel. The BAMMA bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy challenges Alan Philpott for the division gold. Lastly, the stacked event features a featherweight world title fight pitting former Bellator competitors Ronnie Mann against Martin Stapleton.
NEW WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT ADDED TO THE LAST EVENT OF THE YEAR
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 12, 2016) – After an incredible year that saw Bellator MMA host events in international territories all around the globe, it is only fitting that the promotion’s year-ending event, “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii,” takes place this Friday, December 16 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
Shortly after her fight against Helen Harper (4-1) was announced, Bruna Vargas (2-1) has withdrawn from the bout due to injury. Harper will be paid her show money and a new women’s featherweight bout has been added to the SPIKE-televised card between undefeated fighters Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) and Elina Kallionidou (5-0).
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, a pair of anticipated featherweight scraps will see Anthony Taylor (1-1) look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) and, Ireland’s Brian Moore(9-4) take on the always-game Daniel Weichel (37-9).
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, and will be immediately followed by “Bellator Kickboxing: Florence.”
Fighting out of Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin, “KO” Kavanagh has fought all three of her professional bouts with BAMMA, and has earned her nickname bye scoring two knockouts in her first three fights. Kavanagh fought in BAMMA’s first-ever women’s fight, and ended her opponent’s night in just 17 seconds. Originally slated to compete in a bantamweight fight against Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2) on the BAMMA portion of this co-promoted night of fights, Kavanagh now moves up in weight to face Kallionidou under the Bellator banner.
At only 18 years of age, Kallionidou has already made a name for herself in her home country Greece, where she holds the Cage Survivor women’s featherweight title. Incredibly, “Gunner” started her professional career off with a bang, scoring a first-round TKO just a month after her 16th birthday. Since then, the Greek fighter has gone 5-0, with three knockouts. The fight this Friday night, will be her first fight outside of Greece.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for the division gold. Lastly, the stacked event features a featherweight world title fight pitting former Bellator competitors Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) against Martin Stapleton (18-4).
Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Elina Kallionidou (5-0)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Main Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Featherweight World Title Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Martin Stapleton (18-4)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Brian Moore (9-4) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)
BANTAMWEIGHT FEATURE FIGHT PITTING SHAY WALSH AGAINST LUIZ TOSTA ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD ON DEC. 16
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 5, 2016) – Injuries to both Paul Redmond and Bruna Ellen have led to new opponents for Daniel Weichel (37-9) and Helen Harper (4-1) on December 16. Weichel will now face Ireland native Brian Moore (9-4) in a featherweight bout, while Harper will be challenged by Bruna Vargas (2-1) in a flyweight fight at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Finally, a bantamweight bout pitting Shay Walsh (14-4) against Luiz Tosta (9-2) puts a stamp on the main card of “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight clash.
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott(16-8) prepare to duke it out for division gold.
Fighting out of Lancaster, England, Walsh will be making his Bellator MMA debut and against the savvy veteran Tosta. Dating back to 2014, Walsh has accrued four victories over his past five contests, including a brutal knockout of Gaz Pilot at “BAMMA 21: DeVent vs. Kone.” Of his 14 career wins, nine have come by way of knockout or submission, making it easy to picture another explosive attack out of the gates by Walsh. After competing in the 145-pound division for the first 15 fights of his professional career, Walsh made the move down to the bantamweight division, where he has strung together wins in two of his first three appearances.
The 36-year-old Tosta enters the bout riding a recent string of success that includes victories in seven of his last eight contests with one draw. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tosta will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, after recording the aforementioned draw in his promotional debut earlier this year at “Bellator 158.” With each of his nine career victories coming by way of submission, seven of which occurred in the first round, it’s clear that Tosta will once again look for the early takedown and finish his opponent.
Filling in for the injured Redmond is Brian Moore, as he enters the cage riding a current two-fight winning streak and a blossoming career that is ready to take off. The 29-year-old Moore has won five of his last seven contests, including a trio of first round victories, highlighted by a vicious knockout that came just 2:30 into his bout earlier in the year. Of his nine career wins, Moore has finished seven of his victims, making him a tall task for the wily veteran Weichel. A native of Wexford, Ireland, “The Pikeman” will not have to travel far for his upcoming showdown with one of Bellator MMA’s most proven veterans, as “The Weasel” will enter hostile territory for this face-off.
Replacing Ellen is the always dangerous Bruna Vargas, who will square off with Harper in search of her first win under the direction of Bellator MMA. The 27-year-old Vargas has recorded two wins over three contests, since making her professional debut in 2013. Hailing from Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Team Nogueira prospect hopes to redeem herself with a promising performance against another stiff opponent in Harper.
Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Bruna Vargas (2-1) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Chris Fields (11-7-1) vs. Andy Clamp (8-1)
Featherweight Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)
Featherweight Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
Lightweight Bout: Rhys McKee (4-0) vs. Jai Hebert (4-0)
Welterweight Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)
Bantamweight Bout: Ian Cleary (Debut) vs. Andrew Lofthouse (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Terry Brazier (6-1) vs. Niklas Stolze (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2)
Bantamweight Bout: Richie Smullen (2-0) vs. Conor Dillon (5-8)
Bantamweight Bout: Blaine O’Driscoll (2-1) vs. Neil Ward (2-2)
Welterweight Bout: Keith McCabe (1-1) vs. Richard Kiely (Debut)
Welterweight Bout:Will Fleury (1-0) vs. Kyle Mclurkin (Debut)
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (October 14, 2016) – Bellator MMA has added a brand new fight to its debut event in Ireland, seeing former featherweight title-challengerDaniel Weichel (37-9) take on Dublin’s own Paul Redmond (11-6) at “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii,” which emanates from the state-of-the-art 3Arena on Dec. 16.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii,” will be headlined by a heavyweight fight pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). Ireland will also have one of its brightest prospects on the card as well, as the pride of Strabane, James Gallagher (4-0) returns home against a yet-to-be-announced foe.
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” start at 35€ and go on sale TODAY atBellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also get to experience a complete fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. “BAMMA 27” will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight pitting Tom Duquesnoy(13-1, 1 NC) against Alan Philpott (16-8), as well as a featherweight title fight featuring former Bellator competitors Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) against Martin Stapleton(18-4).
A winner in nine of his last 10 bouts, dating back to 2012, Weichel seems to be hitting his stride under the direction of Bellator MMA. “The Weasel” will enter the cage for the 47th time as a professional, a 14-year career that has seen him emerge victorious 37 times, including an M-1 Global Lightweight Championship. Weichel has finished 26 of his 37 victims over his career, including 21 by way of submission, making him one of the most feared featherweights on the ground. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014, the German submission specialist has collected wins in six of his seven bouts, including consecutive victories over the likes of Georgi Karakhanyan and most recently Emmanuel Sanchez. The durable 31-year-old hopes to build off of his key win over the aforementioned Sanchez at “Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo,”as he prepares to take on Ireland’s own Paul Redmond inside 3Arena on Dec. 16.
After beginning his professional career as a lightweight, Redmond made the transition to the featherweight division in 2015 and will immediately face a stiff test against one of Bellator MMA’s best in Weichel. The 29-year-old Dublin, Ireland native will be making his Bellator MMA debut after spending his 2015 campaign competing for the UFC. Redmond has recorded 11 career victories, including nine finishes including five knockouts. “Redser” will look to build off of his most recent victory at “BAMMA 26,”a unanimous decision win over Chris Stringer. With each of Redmond’s nine finishes coming in the second round, we can be sure to see the hometown favorite attempt to wear down Weichel and add to his impressive total.
Updated “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. TBA
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Paul Redmond (11-6)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Main Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Featherweight World Title Bouut: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Martin Stapleton (18-4)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
KING MO RETURNS TO MONEYWEIGHT TO MEET SATOSHI ISHII IN MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR MMA’S DEBUT IN ‘THE EMERALD ISLE’
NORTHERN IRELAND’S OWN JAMES ‘THE STRABANIMAL’ GALLAGHER ALSO SET TO RETURN TO ACTION
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (October 12, 2016) – Check Ireland off the list of countries Bellator MMA has yet to hold an event in, with the announcement that the Scott Coker-led promotion is set for action at the heart of Dublin’s docklands on Dec. 16.
“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” emanates from the state-of-the-art 3Arena, and will be headlined by a heavyweight fight pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). Ireland will also have one of its brightest prospects on the card as well, as the pride of Strabane, James Gallagher (4-0) returns home against a yet-to-be-announced foe.
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” start at 35€ and go on sale at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office on Friday, October 14, with a special presale on the 12 & 13. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion BAMMA will be holding “BAMMA 27,” alongside “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” in an effort to showcase some of the world’s leading MMA athletes from both organizations. “BAMMA 27” will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight pitting Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) against Alan Philpott (16-8), as well as a featherweight title fight featuring Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) against former Bellator MMA competitor Martin Stapleton (18-4).
“When thinking of a country that respects, understands and yearns for quality mixed martial arts action, Ireland immediately comes to mind,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “I’m very excited for this event, with ‘King Mo’ versus Ishii in the main event, and I cannot wait to be inside the 3Arena when ‘The Strabanimal,’ James Gallagher takes center stage, it’s going to be a madhouse. With that being said, I’m pleased to be bringing this action to Dublin alongside a promotion like BAMMA and David Green, who has been a good friend for years.”
BAMMA CEO David Green added: “It’s going to be the biggest and boldest MMA show in Ireland this year, as fans get the chance to get up close and personal with MMA superstars from both promotions.
“King Mo” returns to the cage for the second time in 2016, and first time at heavyweight since his Rizin Grand Prix heavyweight tournament victory. A winner in seven out of his last eight fights, Mo yearns for an opportunity to meet the winner of Liam McGeary versus Phil Davis at “Bellator 163,” onNov. 4, but instead of remaining inactive, the 35-year-old now looks to test himself against Ishii. A former Strikeforce champion, Mo has his sights set on adding Bellator gold to his mantel.
Ishii is a 29-year-old powerhouse Judoka who earned Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing after defeating the best the world had to offer in the +100 kg division. Now fully focused on mixed martial arts, the Japanese star has competed in his home country almost exclusively throughout his 21-fight professional career and will be fighting three days ahead of his Dec. 19 birthday when he meets Lawal on Dec. 16 in Ireland. With half of his victories coming before judges’ scorecards, it’s worth noting that four of Ishii’s defeats have come at the hands of some of greatest the sport has to offer such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mirko Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko.
Perfect through his first four professional fights, the 19-year-old Gallagher is one of the brightest stars in all of “The Emerald Island.” Hailing from nearby Straban in Northern Ireland, “The Strabanimal” moved away from home at age 15 to join coach John Kavanagh at Straight Blast Gym (SBG), where he now trains alongside the best fighters in the country including Connor McGregor. Having made his Bellator debut in London this past July when he beat Mike Cutting in London, Gallagher will look to make it five straight to start his career in front of a raucous home crowd. Please note: Gallagher was scheduled to appear at Bellator 164 in Tel Aviv Israel on Nov. 10, and will no longer be competing on that card. A replacement for him will be named shortly.
Updated “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. TBA
Updated “BAMMA 27” Main Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Featherweight World Title Bouut: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Martin Stapleton (18-4)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
ST. LOUIS —(June 24, 2016) – In a highly-competitive heavyweight main event at“Bellator: Dynamite 2,” “Rampage” Jackson (37-11) edged out Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1) with a split decision victory (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) on Friday night inside Scottrade Center during an event that aired LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.
With the win, “Rampage” extends his current winning streak to five, proving once again why he is one of the most dangerous athletes on Bellator MMA’s roster. Jackson also improves his promotional mark to an undefeated 4-0, with multiple wins coming via first round knockout.
After the fight, “Rampage” made it clear he intends on returning to action sooner, rather than later. “I’m going to go home to Orange County, take a little vacation, then come back bigger and better than ever,” Rampage said.
Michael Chandler Claims Bellator MMA Lightweight Belt With Explosive Knockout win Over Patricky ‘Pitbull’
Missouri’s own “Iron” Michael Chandler (15-3) gave his hometown fans exactly what they came for, reclaiming the vacant lightweight belt with a ferocious first-round knockout punch. The new 155-pound kingpin finished Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-8) just 2:14 into the evening’s co-main event, giving him six total knockouts during his seven-year professional career. The loss is the eighth of “Pitbull’s” illustrious career and puts an abrupt end to his recent string of two consecutive victories. After the win, Chandler stuck a backflip in the center of the cage as St. Louis Cardinal’s legend Ozzie Smith looked on, emulating the famous celebration Smith made famous during his MLB career.
Kevin Ross Earns Unanimous Decision Victory Over Justin Houghton
In a featherweight kickboxing bout, Kevin Ross (32-9) took care of business with a unanimous decision victory (29-27, 29-27, 30-26) over Justin Houghton (7-3). Nicknamed “The Soul Assassin,” Ross was able to land 86% of his shots over the course of the fight, thoroughly dominating Houghton and tacking on another victory to an already historic 11-year career.Ross now remains undefeated under the Bellator Kickboxing banner, building upon his victory at “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino.”
MacFarlane Displays Phenomenal Ground Game En Route to Submission win Over Ruth
In the second MMA battle of the evening, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (4-0) was able to continue her rapid ascension to the top of the women’s flyweight division and remain undefeated with an impressive rear-naked choke submission over Rebecca Ruth (6-2). MacFarlane’s remarkable ground game and jiu-jitsu skill set was on full display tonight, forcing the veteran Ruth to tap out three minutes into the second round. For Ruth, the loss is just the second of her career and first since 2014. The win is “The Ilimanator’s” third since joining the promotion and is her first submission victory of the rear-naked choke variety.
Gloria Peritore Takes Split Decision Victory From Denise Kielholtz
In the opening kickboxing bout of “Bellator: Dynamite 2,”Gloria Peritore (11-1-1) was able to edge out Denise Kielholtz (44-3), taking home a split decision victory. It was an even battle from start to finish, but in the end it was the judges’ scorecards that read 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in favor of the Italian. The loss is just the third of Kielholtz’s career and left the Dutch powerhouse completely speechless in the center of the ring. For the 27-year-old Peritore, the win gives her 11 since making her professional debut only two years ago.
Matt Mitrione Ignites Full House in Opening Bout of “Bellator: Dynamite 2”
Matt Mitrione (10-5) was able to absorb an early blow from Carl Seumanutafa (10-7) just 20 seconds into round one and answered with a flash of brilliance 3:22 into the opening frame. The come-from-behind knockout victory is the ninth of that variety and tenth of Mitrione’s career. “Meathead” proved his ability to outlast yet another opponent in what will surely go down as one of the greatest Bellator MMA debuts of all time. Now, Mitrione sets his sights on returning to the cage as quickly as possible, with the goal of winning Bellator gold on his mind.
Preliminary Card Results:
Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) defeated Jordan Dowdy (3-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one
Justin Lawrence (9-3) defeated Isao Kobayashi (18-4-4) via knockout at 2:11 of round two
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
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.
About Scottrade Center:
Scottrade Center is a contemporary, 12-story glass and concrete structure located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The home of the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, Scottrade Center also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. Scottrade Center is consistently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as one of the top grossing arenas in the country.
LOUIS —(June 23, 2016) –The official weigh-ins for “Bellator: Dynamite 2”and “Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis” took place this afternoon in front of a packed house at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. All competitors are now ready for action tomorrow with both events starting LIVE and FREE on SPIKE starting at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
A heavyweight slugfest pitting “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) against Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) will headline the “Bellator: Dynamite 2” portion, which will feature both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring inside Scottrade Center. In the evening’s co-main event, Michael Chandler (14-3) will face Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7) with the Lightweight World Title on the line. In addition, Carl Seumanutafa (10-6) challenges former NFL player Matt Mitrione (9-5) in heavyweight slugfest, while Ilima Macfalane (3-0) and Rebecca Ruth (6-1) round out the electric mixed martial arts portion of the main card.
In the kickboxing portion of “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” Kevin Ross (31-9) will meet Justin Houghton (7-2) at featherweight, while the woman with Dynamite in her nickname, Denise Kielholtz (44-2) will go to war with Gloria Peritore (10-1-1) at flyweight.
Immediately following the conclusion of “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” Joe Schilling (27-8) and Hisaki Kato (6-2 MMA) will kick-off “Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis” in a rematch of sorts, while World Combat Leagueveteran Raymond Daniels (11-3) takes on Italian knockout specialist Stefano Bruno (23-2-1). Finally, Sarah Howell will make her professional debut in a flyweight feature bout with Keri Melendez(3-1).
All of the action goes down at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and airs LIVE and FREE on Spike beginning at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
“Dynamite 2” Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 8 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: “Rampage” Jackson (225) vs. Satoshi Ishii (222.8)
Bellator MMA Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (154.7) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (155)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Matt Mitrione (255.9) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (254.7)
Bellator Kickboxing Lightweight Feature Bout: Kevin Ross (145) vs. Justin Houghton (145.6)
