Tag Archives: Satoshi Ishii

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DENISE KIELHOLTZ-GLORIA PERITORE SET TO FACE OFF IN FLYWEIGHT CONTEST AT ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’

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KICKBOXING VETERAN KEVIN ROSS RETURNS TO ACTION FOR BELLATOR KICKBOXING AGAINST JUSTIN HOUGHTON

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (June 10, 2016) – The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis is now complete, with the addition of a women’s flyweight kickboxing bout pitting Denise Kielholtz (44-2) against Gloria Peritore(10-1-1) and a featherweight feature fight between Kevin Ross (31-9) and Justin Houghton(7-2).

 

The fights join a main event that features a heavyweight clash between “Rampage” Jackson(36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1), while a lightweight title fight pitting Michael Chandler(14-3) against Patricky “Pitbull” (16-7) will serve as the evening’s co-main event. In addition, former NFL player Matt Mitrione (9-5) and Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6) will trade blows in their heavyweight showdown, while a flyweight contest between undefeated Ilima Macfarlane (3-0) and Rebecca Ruth (6-1) wraps up a mouthwatering main card.

 

The event 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. Doors for “Bellator: Dynamite 2”open at 5:00 pm CT, with the first streamed fight taking place at 5:30 pm CT.

 

Tickets for the event start at just $30 and are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center.

 

Hailing from Amsterdam, Dutch flyweight Kieholtz will be making her second appearance under the direction of Bellator Kickboxing after earning a win in her promotional debut at the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing event in Torino, Italy earlier this year. With over 40 career fights (one MMA bout) under her belt, the 27-year-old Kielholtz will be searching for her 45th professional victory when she prepares to take on Gloria Peritore on June 24 in St. Louis. Kielholtz now directs her attention to “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” where both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will be featured just like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event last year. If you think you can handle “5 Rounds” with her, click here.

 

The 27-year-old Peritore has a total of 12 professional fights over her two-year career, earning victories in all of them, including a third round knockout of Li Mingrui in her Bellator Kickboxing debut earlier this year. A native of Sicily, Italy, Peritore had the unique opportunity to fight in front of her hometown fans when Bellator invaded Torino, Italy in April of 2016. As an amateur fighter, she posted a 9-3 record and won titles such as the ISKA & WTKA Amateur World Kickboxing Champion and IASKA Amateur World K-1 Champion.

 

At 35 years old, Ross has put together an impressive kickboxing and muay Thai career, highlighted by accruing some of the most highly sought-after championships in the game. During his 53-fight career, he has collected the WBC Muay-Thai USA welterweight title, the WBC Muay-Thai International Super-lightweight title and the Lion Fight Super Lightweight Championship. Known also as “The Soul Assassin,” Ross is working on a transition into the sport of MMA and most recently made his promotional debut at the inaugural “Bellator 152”Kickboxing event in Torino, Italy where he defeated Matteo Taccini via unanimous decision.

 

Houghton, who hails from Michigan, has competed previously for Bellator, but on the mixed martial arts side of things. “J-Ho” most recently laced up the kickboxing gloves against Alfredo Corona, at a regional event in Denver, defeating his opponent via lopsided unanimous decision. Now, the Grudge Training Center standout sets his sights on Ross, arguably one of the most successful kickboxers in American history.

 

Complete “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (14-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

Bellator Kickboxing Featherweight Feature Bout: Kevin Ross (31-9) vs. Justin Houghton (7-2)

Bellator Kickboxing Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (44-2) vs. Gloria Peritore (10-1-1)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (3-0) vs. Rebecca Ruth (6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Lawrence (8-3) vs. Isao Kobayashi (18-3)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (7-3) vs. Jordan Dowdy (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Tyler Claussen (2-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Mann (11-4) vs. Mike Estus (7-4)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Rashard Lovelace (3-0) vs. Garret Mueller (2-1)

Bellator MMA Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Nikki Smith (1-0) vs. Ashley Cummins (3-3)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

TALENTED FEATHERWEIGHTS JUSTIN LAWRENCE AND ISAO KOBAYASHI SQUARE OFF IN FEATURED PRELIM OF ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’ ON JUNE 24

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (June 3, 2016) – A featherweight bout pitting Justin Lawrence (8-3) against Isao Kobayashi (18-3) will anchor the preliminary portion of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

 

The bout joins a main event that features a heavyweight bout between “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) in “Rampage’s” first fight for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2014. The evening’s co-main event will feature a lightweight world championship fight between former titlist Michael Chandler (14-3) and Patricky “Pitbull” (16-7). Also the main card, former NFL player Matt Mitrione (9-5) makes his debut for Bellator MMA against Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6). Rounding out the main card action, undefeated Ilima Macfarlane (3-0) will face Rebecca Ruth (6-1) in a flyweight contest.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2” start at just $30 and are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center. Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first bout is scheduled to take place one hour after.

 

“Bellator: Dynamite 2” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.comand The Bellator Mobile App. Doors for the event open at 5:00 pm CT, with the first streamed fight taking place at 5:30 pm CT.

 

Exactly like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event this past September in San Jose, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will cover the floor at Scottrade Center, giving fans in attendance the opportunity to see both iterations of combat sports on the same night. A portion of the preliminary action on June 24 will take place simultaneously, allowing those in attendance to witness MMA and kickboxing with a simple swivel of the head.

 

A native of Missouri, Justin “The American Kid” Lawrence will put his 8-3 career mark on the line when he challenges Isao Kobayashi in front of his hometown fans at “Bellator: Dynamite 2.” The 25-year-old budding star has won four of his last five bouts, including a first round knockout in his Bellator MMA debut against Sean Wilson at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business.” Lawrence began his professional career under the Strikeforce umbrella, before a brief stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show and now has his eyes set on truly making a splash in the always-competitive Bellator MMA featherweight division.

 

After going undefeated through his first eight fights as a professional, Kobayashi has put together an impressive resume with an overall record of 18-3, and eight wins coming by way of knockout. Following seven with the Pancrase promotion, the 27-year-old will enter the cage for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner and first time since October of last year. The Japanese featherweight has been known to extend fights and outlast opponents with his phenomenal endurance. Each of his last eight fights have made their way to the third round, with six of those eight going the distance. After recording a streak of 12 consecutive fights without a loss over a four-year period (2010-14), Kobayashi will look to kick off yet another long string of success when he takes on Justin Lawrence on June 24.

 

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (14-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfalane (3-0) vs. Rebecca Ruth (6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Lawrence (8-3) vs. Isao Kobayashi (18-3)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (7-3) vs. Jordan Dowdy (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Tyler Claussen (2-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Mann (11-4) vs. Mike Estus (7-4)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Rashard Lovelace (3-0) vs. Garret Mueller (2-1)

Bellator MMA Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Nikki Smith (1-0) vs. Ashley Cummins (3-3)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ILIMA MACFARLANE SET TO FACE REBECCA RUTH DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’

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IN ADDITION, GUILHERME ‘BOMBA’ MAKES PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST JORDAN DOWDY DURING STACKED PRELIMINARY CARD

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (May, 20) – A women’s flyweight showdown between Ilima Macfarlane (3-0) and Rebecca Ruth (6-1) has been added to the main card of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The bout joins a main event that features a heavyweight bout between “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1), in “Rampage’s” first fight for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2014. The evening’s co-main event will feature a lightweight title fight between former titlist Michael Chandler (14-3) and Patricky “Pitbull” (16-7). Also the main card, former NFL playerMatt Mitrione (9-5) makes his debut for Bellator MMA agaisnt Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6).

MMA coach to stars the likes of entertainer Demi Lovato and New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett, Guilherme “Bomba” (7-3) makes his promotional debut when he takes on Shamrock FC standout Jordan Dowdy (3-1) on the Bellator.com-streamed prelims.

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2” are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center. Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.

“Bellator: Dynamite 2” 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.

Exactly like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event this past September in San Jose, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will cover the floor at Scottrade Center, in St. Louis, giving fans in attendance the opportunity to see both iterations of combat sports on the same night.

Macfarlane enters this bout on a high note, earning victories in her first three professional fights. “The Ilimanator” has taken care of business since joining Bellator MMA, winning her first two fights with the promotion, including a first round armbar submission against Amber Tackett at “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” in January. The 26-year-old San Diego native hopes to keep her winning streak alive against the more experienced Rebecca Ruth.

Hailing from Robertsville, Missouri, the elusive Rebecca Ruth went undefeated in 2015, winning all three of her matchups by technical knockout under the Shamrock Fighting Championships banner. Now, after emerging victorious in her 2016 and Bellator MMA debut, “Ruthless” enters the cage with a 6-1 career record and four-fight winning streak. Of her six career wins, five have come by way of knockout, with three of those knockouts delivered by Ruth in the first round. The 37-year-old flyweight will have her hands full when the much younger Ilima Macfarlane joins her in the cage on June 24.

 

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (14-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfalane (3-0) vs. Rebecca Ruth (6-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (7-3) vs. Jordan Dowdy (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Tyler Claussen (2-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Mann (11-4) vs. Mike Estus (7-4)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Rashard Lovelace (3-0) vs. Garret Mueller (2-1)

Bellator MMA Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Nikki Smith (1-0) vs. Ashley Cummins (3-3)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MICHAEL CHANDLER-PATRICKY ‘PITBULL’ SET TO COLLIDE FOR VACANT LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE IN CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (May 14, 2016) – The Bellator MMA Lightweight Championship will be up for grabs “Iron” Michael Chandler (14-3) meet Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7) in the co-main event of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” inside the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on June 24.

 

The title fight joins a main event that features a 215-pound heavyweight matchup between“Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1), as well as a heavyweight showdown pitting Matt Mitrione (9-5) against Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6). Much like the first iteration of Scott Coker’s “Dynamite” series, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will be featured on the arena floor.

 

The contests make up part of the televised portion of “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” which airs live 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. Additional contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2” start at just $30 and are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center. Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first bout is scheduled to take place one hour after.

 

Chandler will look to replicate the success that he had during his first meeting with Freire at“Bellator 44” in 2011, when he went toe-to-toe with “Pitbull” before walking away with the unanimous decision victory. A 14-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, the 30-year-old lightweight has put together an impressive resume within the promotion, posting an 11-3 record and earning key wins over the likes of: Eddie Alvarez, Dave Rickels (2x), Derek Campos, and Marcin Held. The Missouri native will be making his 2016 debut with the hopes of adding to his current two-fight winning streak.

“Pitbull” has quickly strung together an impressive start to his 2016 campaign, with back-to-back wins over Ryan Couture and Kevin Souza. “Pitbull” most recently headlined the mixed martial arts portion of Bellator MMA’s inaugural event overseas, “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza” in Torino, Italy, defeating Souza via unanimous decision. The elder “Pitbull” brother will be making his 16th appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, a promotion that he has been loyal to since 2011. The Brazilian slugger eyes a third straight victory when he enters the cage with the hometown boy at Scottrade Center in St. Louis on June 24.

 

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (14-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA 180-pound Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Tyler Claussen (2-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Mann (11-4) vs. Mike Estus (7-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Rashard Lovelace (3-0) vs. Garret Mueller (2-1)

Bellator MMA Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Nikki Smith (1-0) vs. Ashley Cummins (3-3)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MATT MITRIONE SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST CARL SEUMANUTAFA AT ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (April 22, 2016) – A heavyweight showdown between Bellator MMA’s high profile free agent acquisition Matt Mitrione (9-5) and Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa (10-6) will serve as the co-main event of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The bout joins a main card that features a catchweight main event between “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) in Jackson’s first fight for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2014. Additional MMA and kickboxing contests will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” which start at just $30, are onsale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center. Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.

“Bellator: Dynamite 2” 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.

Exactly like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event this past September in San Jose, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will cover the floor at Scottrade Center, giving fans in attendance the opportunity to see both iterations of combat sports on the same night.

Matt Mitrione originally took his talents to the football gridiron, signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2002. After brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, Mitrione entered the MMA cage and hasn’t looked back since. The 14-time UFC veteran began his professional career with victories in his first five fights, four of which came by way of knockout. Known as one of the top finishers in the sport, the 37-year-old Indianapolis native recently finished his run with his former employer, making the decision to test free agency. Mitrione will now look to duplicate the success that he found throughout his career, when he makes his much-anticipated Bellator MMA debut against Seumanutafa on June 24.

At only 26 years of age, Carl “Badwater” Seumanutafa will face the stiffest test of his career when he takes take center stage at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Similar to Mitrione, all but one of his wins has come by way of knockout, including five first-round finishes. Looking to continue building momentum in the heavyweight division, the former Strikeforce competitor was victorious in his Bellator debut, when he finished Javy Ayala with a vicious second round TKO at “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich.” A native of San Francisco, Seumanutafa has been competing professionally since 2007, making his pro debut at only 18-years-old.

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA 215 lb. Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Matt Mitrione (9-5) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6)

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Engel (5-0) vs. Chel Erwin-Davis (3-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jordan Howard (9-3) vs Justin Robbins (14-17-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joaquin Buckley (5-0) vs Chris Heatherly (9-3-1)

Bellator MMA 130-pound Preliminary Bout: Michelle Royer (1-0) vs Katy Collins (3-1)

Bellator MMA 180-pound Preliminary Bout: Brad Jones (5-4) vs Clay Mitchell (1-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Christeson (1-0) vs Jarrod Thomas (0-0)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Lee Burns (2-0) vs. Byron Stevens (0-0)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Elmir Kulosman (3-0) vs. Darryl Cobb (2-1)

Bellator Kickboxing Preliminary Bout: Tara Walker (4-3-1) vs. Mimi Kutzin (3-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON TO MAIN EVENT ‘BELLATOR: DYNAMITE 2’ IN ST. LOUIS ON JUNE 24 AGAINST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SATOSHI ISHII

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 6, 2016) – For the first time since 2014, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) will return to action for Bellator MMA when he faces Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) in the main event of “Bellator: Dynamite 2” on June 24, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

While “Rampage” has competed at 205-pounds for a vast majority of his nearly 17-year career, this main event contest against Ishii will take place at an agreed upon catchweight of 215 pounds.

Tickets for “Bellator: Dynamite 2,” which start at just $30, go on sale this Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m. CT on Ticketmaster.com and the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center, with a special Bellator Nation presale available from 10 a.m. CT to 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 7 for fans using the code: “BELLATOR.” Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.

“Bellator: Dynamite 2” 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.

Exactly like the groundbreaking inaugural “Dynamite” event this past September in San Jose, both a mixed martial arts cage and kickboxing ring will cover the floor at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, giving fans in attendance the opportunity to see both iterations of combat sports on the same night.

A three-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, “Rampage” signed with the organization in 2013 and is riding a four-fight winning streak. His legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport across multiple organizations including PRIDE and the UFC, generating a loyal army of fans along the way. Jackson is the proud owner of many epic highlight reel slams and knockouts that he’s racked up throughout his battles with guys like: Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Kevin Randleman, Ricardo Arona, Marvin Eastman, and perhaps most-notably his trilogy with fellow Bellator warrior Wanderlei Silva.

When he’s not beating people up in his MMA fights, Jackson’s larger than life personality has earned him multiple film roles, where he’s been able to beat people up on the big screen. Now, the 37-year-old returns to action for the fourth time under the Bellator MMA banner, where he looks to improve upon his unblemished mark within the promotion. With 19 of his fights taking place in Japan, the large contingent of Japanese MMA fans will have a hard time determining who to cheer for when “Rampage” takes on Ishii in June.

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 20-fight professional career and will be making his stateside debut on June 24 against “Rampage.” With half of his victories coming before reaching the judges’ scorecards, it’s worth noting that three of Ishii’s defeats have come at the hands of some of greatest the sport has to offer, such as Mirko Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko. Most recently, the judoka competed at light heavyweight for Rizin FF, during the promotion’s inaugural card on New Year’s Eve Weekend.

Updated “Bellator: Dynamite 2” Fight Card

Bellator MMA (215 lb.) Main Event: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1)

mixed martial arts

RIZIN FF Announces Tournament Brackets, Matchups for Eight-Man Heavyweight Tournament on December 29 and 31 

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Fighters comment on the highly-anticipated tournament that will award its winner a $300,000 grand prize

TOKYO, JAPAN (Nov. 30, 2015) –A drawing to determine the tournament brackets and first stage matchups for the RIZIN FIGHTING GRAND-PRIX 2015 eight-man, heavyweight tournament that will take place over the course of two days – December 29 and December 31 – and will award its winner a grand prize of $300,000, was held today in Tokyo.

BAMMA Heavyweight Champion Mark Godbeer, who had been scheduled to compete in the tournament, was forced to withdraw due to a neck injury sustained in training. BAMMA will announce a replacement fighter for the tournament soon.

Prior to the drawing, Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara stated, “This tournament will be the highlight of RIZIN. Fighters from around the world who are proud to represent their promotion and country, and are eager to use this platform to boost their career to make a name for themselves have gathered in the tournament. The majority of the media who gathered today may not know much about these athletes, but when K-1 first kicked off in 1993, nobody knew about Branko Cikatić or Mike Bernardo. The fighters who open up the new doors are those who exceed their expectations.”

The seven contestants slated for tournament action appeared at the press conference.  Each drew an envelope  numbered one through seven, and those who drew numbers one through four received the opportunity to choose their respective places in the tournament draw.

The first stage tournament matchups will be as follows:

Bout # 1: Lawal vs BAMMA fighter
Bout # 2: Aukstuolis vs Cappelozza,
Bout # 3  Ishii vs Prochazka,
Bout # 4: Reljic vs Nemkov.

A tournament reserve bout between Valentine Moldovsky and Yuta Uchida was also announced during the press conference.

Fighter Quotes:

– 1st Pick = “King Mo” Lawal – selected Slot A

“I am honored to fight for RIZIN. I am excited to showcase my skills in front of the Japanese fans and get the job done. I’m happy to be able to pick number one. I’m always number one. I’m in a position where others will pick me, my job is to crush whoever stands next to me.”

““I currently don’t have an opponent, but I’m sure that BAMMA will send a good fighter for me. But unfortunately whoever comes will get smashed so he better be prepared. I think Ishii made a smart choice by avoiding me and my bracket. Good for him.”

“That’s a lot of money! I’d buy a bunch of ice cream, some nice clothes, and go to Disney World and see a bunch of movies. I’d go to Vegas and party, and buy tons of gold accessories.”
– 2nd Pick = Teodoras Aukstuolis (BUSHIDO Europe Champion) – selected Slot C

“I am grateful to be given such an opportunity. At this level of competition, you have to be ready to fight anybody so I don’t care who my opponent will be. I believe in myself and am ready to fight anybody.”

“For me, becoming the champion in more important than the money. Money will follow as a result of being a true champion. My mind is set to win the tournament.”

“The reason why I am here is because I believe in myself. I will fight to represent my small country. My opponent has wild striking but there is no reason why I would lose. I will put on a show and come out victorious.”

– 3rd Pick =  Goran Reljic (Former KSW Light Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot G

“I don’t care who fights me. My dream since I was a kid was to fight in Japan, and I am living the dream right now, my goal is to show my best performance on New Years Eve.”

“I like the matchup. I’ve been training with Sambo world champion Blagoi Ivanov and am familiar with the Sambo fight style. I know he comes from a great team, but I will be ready to take anything he has to offer so it will be a good fight.”

“I am living a childhood dream. I am more focused on continuing my journey on my dream to become a champion in Japan. I will think of what to do with the money once I achieve my goal.”

–  4th Pick = Satoshi Ishii (Beijing Olympics Judo Gold medalist) – selected Slot E

“Preparation is good. I will not feel that a fight is a fight, the battle on NYE has just begun.”

“My plan is to invest half of the prize money in gambling and will donate the rest.”

“This was a good offer that I could not turn down. An MMA tournament, Good opponents, good prize money. I don’t want to focus too much on winning the tournament because that will affect my mental game, so I will focus on one fight at a time.”

– 5th Pick = Bruno Cappelozza (Jungle Fight 100kg Champion) – selected Slot D

“I really don’t know any of the fighters here today, so I will choose my opponent and hope I’m lucky.”

“That type of big money will change my life and my family’s life. And also becoming a champion. Those two aspects will be huge accomplishments for me.”

“It has been my dream to fight in Japan. I do not know too much about my opponent, but I’m sure we will both be prepared for an exciting fight. I think this will be an excellent fight.”

– 6th Pick = Vadim Nemkov (MMA Union Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot H

“I will be representing Sambo. I would like to show the beauty of Sambo and the art of Sambo.”

– 7th Pick = Jiri Prochazka (GCF Czech Light Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot F“I am very excited to be able to show my skills in a country where the Samurai was born. I will not disappoint you.”

“Everybody here is tough. Since I will be fighting the hometown favorite, my fight will be gathering attention. I would like to use this opportunity and this challenge to become the next big thing.”

“It is so much money I do not know where to start. I believe that the money will come later. So as of now, my focus is to give it all I have to make RIZIN proud that they chose me for a participant.”

General Manager Nobuhiko Takada took the microphone after the drawing, “I am feeling a familiar, comfortable yet tense atmosphere right now. I am just excited to witness the birth of future stars. I hope Ishii can perform in a way where he will make us Japanese fans proud. Ishii’s first accomplishment was winning the gold medal, but we have not seen any outstanding results from him in MMA. I really hope he can use this opportunity to achieve the biggest accomplishment of his career.”
boxing, mixed martial arts, Super Fight League

WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMIR KHAN ENTERS THE MMA BUSINESS AS NEW CO-OWNER OF SUPER FIGHT LEAGUE

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LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (August 10, 2015) – Decorated world boxing champion Amir Khan has stepped into the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) business as a new owner and promoter of world championship MMA sports franchise Super Fight League.

Khan, a former, two-time world champion, will join a new, blue-chip ownership and management team dedicated to expanding the former India-based Super Fight League’s footprint in The U.S., beginning with a television distribution agreement that the company expects to announce soon.

“I am extremely excited about this new venture and chapter in my career that will allow me to utilize my experience and relationships in the fight world to further the mission of, what I believe, is a company that has tremendous growth potential in the MMA and sports entertainment space,” said Khan, who will also continue his career in boxing where he has won his last five bouts, and holds an outstanding career record of 31-3, with 19 of his victories having come by way of (T)KO.

“Under the management of our new team of veterans from both the MMA and media industries,” continued Khan, “Super Fight League will unveil a new platform as well as an unprecedented new format for MMA competition in 2016 and, in doing so, will provide a potentially career-changing opportunity to hundreds of professional athletes in this great sport.”

Joining Khan at the helm of the franchise is new Super Fight League CEO and business tycoon Bill Dosanjh; digital media executive George Chung, whose expertise lies in international (Europe, Asia, Latin America, India and The Middle East) content aggregation and monetization; and Brian Halquist a Seattle, Wash.-based veteran promoter of over 140 live combat sports events who, among other feats, was a partner in the “STRIKEFORCE at the Dome” fight card that set a new record for live gate receipts for a combat sports event in the state of Washington on Feb. 23, 2008.

Super Fight League was founded in 2012 and has since produced 41 live events, including 5 in the U.S, and generated dozens of millions of views of its video content through a strategic, digital partnership with YouTube.

The promotion has been a home to a number of MMA champions and other superstars, including Olympic Judo medalist Satoshi Ishii, Trevor Prangley, Todd Duffee, Jeff Monson and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.  The next Super Fight League live event in the U.S. will be announced soon.

About Super Fight League
Super Fight League (www.superfightleague) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise that was founded in 2012, and has since produced 41 live events in India, Dubai and the U.S., and showcased its product to tens of millions of fans through content partnerships with YouTube and STAR Sports Network in Asia.  The company is dedicated to placing competitors from around the world in fiercely competitive matchups held inside its circular cage.

About Amir Khan
Amir Khan is an athlete, businessman and humanitarian. A former two-time world champion, having won the WBA and WBC and IBF Light Welterweight titles. He currently holds the WBC Silver Welterweight title and has fought at three weight classes lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight.

Khan is the youngest British Olympic boxing medalist winner silver at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games at the age of 17. He is also one of the youngest British World champions of all time winning the WBA Light Welterweight title at age 22.  His professional record stands at 31-3 with 19 wins coming by way of knock out.

His charity worked has been noted by press and royalty with his contributions both monetary and personal time. Noted groups include NSPCC, Pakistan Earthquake Relief, BGC Charity Day, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Unicef and OxFam Aide.  The Amir Khan Foundation has built orphanages around the world, beginning with Gambia Africa.
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts

Denis Smoldarev vs. Maro Perak added to M-1 Challenge 55 card Feb 21 in Georgia

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Presents

M-1 CHALLENGE 55

Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show

Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015  *  Tbilisi, Georgia

 
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

 

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you byM-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Jan. 15, 2015) – A potentially explosive heavyweight match between past M-1 Challenge title challenger Denis Smoldarev and veteran Maro “Man Machine” Perak has been added to M-1 Global’s 2015 season-opening event, February 21, at M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show in Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

Former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner (14-8-0, 7 KO/TKO) versus Chechen prospect Aslambek “Titan” Musaev (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) was announced earlier this week.

 

M-1 Challenge 55, honoring the memory of the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili, will be streamed live in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

 

The 24-year-old Smoldarev (9-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) and dangerous Perak (23-4-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), ironically, are both coming off losses to reigning M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (12-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 7 SUB).

 

Smoldarev, fighting out of Estonia, was choked into a submission by Tybura in the opening round of their title fight last November at M-1 Challenge 53: Battle in the Celestial Empire in Beijing, China. Despite getting in a few early shots on Tybura, Smoldarev allowed the defending champion to fight on the ground, resulting in a rear naked choke that halted the action. 

The invaluable experience he gained in his last fight, though, should enable Smoldarev to grow as an overall MMA fighter, something he desperately will need fighting a battle-tested opponent such as Perak.

 

Perak, 32, is the lone fighter in M-1 Challenge competition to extend Tybura past the first round. The tough Croatian was stopped by Tybura’s punches in the third round of their fight this past April at M-1 Challenge 47: Battle in the Heart of the Continent in Orenburg, Russia. 

Perak also has revenge on his mind. Last year, Smoldarev defeated one of Perak’s students, Ante Delija, by second-round submission. The most impressive victory on the aggressive fighting Perak’s record, perhaps, is his stoppage of Bob Sapp in 2011.

 

All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional fights will soon be announced.

 

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 55 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, on Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

Information

www.M-1Global.com

www.mixfight.ru

www.WMMAA.org 

www.M1Global.TV

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global

@VadimFinkelchteinM1

 

@M1GlobalNews

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts

Kenny Garner vs. Aslambek Musaev Announced for M-1 Challenge 55

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Presents

M-1 CHALLENGE 55

Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show

Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015  *  Tbilisi, Georgia

 

Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show, Feb. 21 in Tbilisi, Georgia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Jan. 13, 2015) – Former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner will take on powerful Chechen prospect Aslambek “Titan” Musaev in the initial fight announced by M-1 Global for its 2015 season-opening event, M-1 Challenge 55, on Saturday night, February 21, in Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show will be streamed live in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Garner (14-8-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) fought an epic trilogy with Gugenishvili, the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion, with the American winning two of three fights. Garner holds the longest reign of the coveted M-1 Challenge heavyweight title, 1-½ years, from October 14, 2011 to April 9, 2013.

 

In his last fight this past November 25 at M-1 Challenge 53: Battle in the Celestial Empire in Beijing, China, as a late replacement for injured Satoshi Ishii, the hard-punching Floridian lost to the great Sergei Kharitonov(21-5-0), by way of a technical knockout when the doctor stopped the fight in the third round due to injury.

 

In 2013, Musaev (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) won the WAMMA tournament final, defeating Rasul Islamov. The powerful Chechen also holds the Guinness Book worldrecord for weight lifting with only one arm (right),making him a dual-threat as a dangerous striker as well as for applying strong holds. 

Musaev has displayed his physical strength at public events by lifting cars, heavy objects and even people. His only career loss as a professional MMA fighter was to former UFC champion Brett “The Grim” Rogers last October.

 

Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 55 on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, on Roku devices across North America, and also globally in more 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

Information

www.M-1Global.com

www.mixfight.ru

www.WMMAA.org 

www.M1Global.TV

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global

@VadimFinkelchteinM1

 

@M1GlobalNews

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

 

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you byM-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!