Tag Archives: Scott Cleve

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

WEIGH IN RESULTS FROM ‘BELLATOR 164: KORESHKOV VS. LIMA’ – GROUNDBREAKING EVENT FROM ISRAEL AIRS TOMORROW NIGHT ON SPIKE AT 9 P.M. ET/8 P.M CT

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL. (Nov. 10, 2016) – All fighters successfully made weight for Israel’s first major mixed martial arts event “Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima” which takes place inside of Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. The historic event airs FREE on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

The stacked main card is headlined by a must-see welterweight world title main event pitting current champion Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) against Douglas Lima (27-6). In addition, a pair of featherweight matchups pitting hometown favorite Noad Lahat (9-2) against Scott Cleve (15-5) and Georgi Karakhanyan (25-6-1) against Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1) will also be featured on the Spike-televised main card. Lastly, Ukrainian sensation Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4) returns in a  female flyweight contest with Karla Benitez (13-9-1).

 

Scott Coker on the groundbreaking Bellator event in Israel: “This event started about 18 months ago when we came over here to say hello to our international partners Annaney Communications and EGO TOTAL. We sat down with them and they said ‘Hey, there are a lot of great martial artists here. Why don’t we go meet with some of the gyms?’ So, we went to some of the gyms across Tel Aviv where they hosted a nice tryout. We had about 60-70 athletes participate and Royce (Gracie) would say ‘I think this guy could be good. I think this girl could be good. I think that these are some of the talented fighters that you could bring into Bellator.’ From there we started talking about the venues, and talking about the infrastructure of how we could pull of an event of this magnitude here in this city. We have put together an amazing team of people out here that have done a great job helping make this possible. I’ve been in the fight business for 31 years now, promoting fights all over the world, but this is one that is really a big feather in our cap. I’m really, really excited to be here in Israel promoting our inaugural event, and we already have a date set for next year. We will be back, and we’d like to make this an annual stop for the company.

 

Main Card: (Free on SPIKE – 9 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT)

 

Welterweight World Title Fight: Andrey Koreshkov (169.8 lbs.) vs. Douglas Lima (170 lbs.)

 

Featherweight Co-Main Event: Noad Lahat (145.8 lbs.) vs. Scott Cleve (145.8 lbs.)

 

150 lb, catchweight Feature Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (149.5 lbs.) vs. Kirill Medvedovsky (151 lbs.)

 

Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (123.5 lbs.) vs. Karla Benitez (124.5 lbs.)

 

Preliminary Card

 

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Joaquin Buckley (170.5 lbs.) vs. Jackie Gosh (170.8 lbs.)

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Fight: Chen Shhori (205 lbs.) vs. Kfir Eittan (205 lbs.)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Haitham Kiuof (170.3 lbs.) vs. Moshe Rand (173 lbs.)

Lightweight Preliminary Fight: Rob Becker (155.5 lbs.) vs. Ejargew Tariku (155.2 lbs.)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Sol Renato (170.5 lbs.) vs. Alex Trofimov (170.3 lbs.)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Almog Shay (136 lbs.) vs. Vitaly Khmeinytsky (136 lbs.)

Lightweight Preliminary Fight: Olga Rubin (145.8 lbs.) vs. Laurita Cibirite (140.5 lbs.)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Raz Bring (134.8 lbs.) vs. Maor Kazalkopy (135.5 lbs.)

Middleweight Preliminary Fight: Alexander Nikulin (183.8 lbs.) vs. Avi Baron (182.8 lbs.)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Onor Keles (137.5 lbs.) vs. Omri Barel (135 lbs.)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Zane Clerk (170.8 lbs.) vs. Haim Gozali (170 lbs.)

Featherweight Preliminary Fight: Igor Postnikov (144.5 lbs.) vs. Itai Gayer (143 lbs.)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

WELTERWEIGHT GOLD ON THE LINE FRIDAY NIGHT AT ‘BELLATOR 164’ INSIDE MENORA MIVTACHIM ARENA IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL. (November 8, 2016) – Bellator MMA has invaded the “Holy Land” for the first time in the history of the promotion and is ready to deliver a plethora of great matchups, including a welterweight world title fight pitting Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) against Douglas Lima(27-6).

 

With “Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima” only a few days away, Bellator’s digital team has put together a collection of exclusive new content to preview the stacked event at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Join us as we dive into a behind-the-scenes look at the competitors’ journey to Fridaynight’s big show. For more in-depth footage of our enticing contests coming your way, look no further than Bellator’s amazing YouTube page.

 

BELLATOR MMA WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE BOUT

Over a year ago, current division champ Andrey Koreshkov defeated Douglas Lima for the welterweight world title. Now, the two meet again and it’s Lima who will be seeking revenge. Don’t miss this incredible Bellator MMA title fight in Tel Aviv, Israel, this Friday night!

 

What to Watch: Lima vs. Koreshkov

Let’s take a look at some of Jimmy Smith’s keys to victory in a welterweight world title rematch between Lima and Koreshkov.

 Champions: Andrey Koreshkov

Koreshkov is about as dominating of an opponent as you can find in the world of MMA today. Join us as we take a closer look at what makes this welterweight supreme.

 

Sitdown with Georgi Karakhanyan

Georgi Karakhanyan’s specialty in the cage? Guillotine. What about outside of the cage? We sit down with the featherweight superstar and discuss the mental preparation behind mixed martial arts competition.

 5 Rounds: Lena Ovchynnikova

Ukrainian powerhouse Lena Ovchynnikova gives us an inside look on her life outside of the cage as she prepares to make her promotional debut.

 

Event Info

A welterweight world title main event will headline the first ever Bellator MMA event in Israel, as current division champion Andrey Koreshkov(19-1) will attempt to protect his belt against the man who he took it from over a year ago, Douglas Lima (27-6). In addition, Noad Lahat (9-2) will challenge Scott Cleve (15-5) in the evening’s featherweight co-main event and Georgi Karakhanyan (25-6-1) will replace James Gallagher to face Israel’s own Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1) in a featherweight feature fight. Finally, a female flyweight bout pitting Ukrainian star Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4) against Karla Benitez (13-9-1) rounds out the SPIKE-televised main card action.

 

The preliminary portion of the event features a welterweight clash between Joaquin Buckley (6-0) and hometown favorite Jackie Gosh (6-0). In addition, over a dozen local competitors will be making their professional debut on the preliminary card of the Scott Coker-led promotion’s first event in the Middle East.

 

“Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. LIma” takes place at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel, and will air in America on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. Bellator has partnered with Ananey Communications, an Israeli television conglomerate boasting 14 channels, several of which showcase Viacom content including the EGO and EGO TOTAL channels which have broadcast Bellator in Israel since 2012.

 

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com or Eventim.co.il/mma.

 

“Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima” Fight Card

Welterweight World Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) vs. Douglas Lima (27-6)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Noad Lahat (9-2) vs. Scott Cleve (15-5)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (25-6-1) vs. Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-4) vs. Karla Benitez (13-9-1)

 

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Joaquin Buckley (6-0) vs. Jackie Gosh (6-0)

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Fight: Chen Shhori (Debut) vs. Kfir Eittan (2-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Haitham Kiuof (Debut) vs. Moshe Rand (3-2)

Lightweight Preliminary Fight: Rob Becker (Debut) vs. Ejargew Tariku (1-0)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Sol Renato (Debut) vs. Alex Trofimov (Debut)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Almog Shay (Debut) vs. Vitaly Khmeinytsky (Debut)

Lightweight Preliminary Fight: Olga Rubin (Debut) vs. Laurita Cibirite (Debut)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Raz Bring (Debut) vs. Maor Kazalkopy (Debut)

Middleweight Preliminary Fight: Alexander Nikulin (Debut) vs. Avi Baron (Debut)

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight: Onor Keles (Debut) vs. Omri Barel (Debut)

Welterweight Preliminary Fight: Zane Clerk (Debut) vs. Haim Gozali (6-3)

Welterweight Kickboxing Fight: Igor Postnikov (Debut) vs. Itai Gayer (Debut)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JAMES ‘THE STRABANIMAL’ GALLAGHER-KIRILL MEDVEDOVSKY BOUT ADDED TO BELLATOR MMA EVENT IN ISRAEL ON NOVEMBER 10

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF (Sept. 12, 2016) – A featherweight contest between budding Irish star James Gallagher (4-0) and Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1) has been added to the main card of the promotion’s first ever card at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on November 10.

The fights join a main event that features a Welterweight World Title bout between current title holder Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) and the man who he took it from over a year ago, Douglas Lima (27-6). In addition, one of the newest members of the Bellator MMA family, Noad Lahat (9-2), will challenge fellow featherweight Scott Cleve (15-5) in the evening’s co-main event. Additional fights will be announced in coming weeks.

The event will air in America on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. Bellator has partnered with Ananey Communications, an Israeli television conglomerate boasting 14 channels, several of which showcase Viacom content including the EGO and EGO TOTAL channels which have broadcast Bellator in Israel since 2012.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com or Eventim.co.il/mma.

A native of Northern Ireland, the undefeated Gallagher will make his second appearance since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion earlier this year. In a unanimous decision victory, Gallagher discarded of opponent Mike Cutting at “Bellator 158: Daley vs. Lima,” paving the way for a potentially bright future for the 19-year-old featherweight prospect. The win was the fourth of his professional career and first to go past the opening frame, being that the previous three victories all came by way of first round submission. Fighting out of the highly-acclaimed gym SBG Ireland, Gallagher has begun his career training alongside well-known teammate Conor McGregor, as he continues to grow and learn from one of the game’s best.

Born on November 14, the recently signed 23-year-old Medvedovsky hopes to unwrap an early birthday present inside Menora Mivtachim Arena. The Netanya, Israel native enters his bout with a record of 6-1, with one knockout and a pair of submission finishes. Coming off of back-to-back first round victories, Medvedovsky hopes to make quick work of his younger opponent Gallagher and give his hometown fans exactly what they came to see.

“Bellator MMA in Tel Aviv” Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) vs. Douglas Lima (27-6)

Featherweight Feature Co-Main Event: Noad Lahat (9-2) vs. Scott Cleve (15-5)

Bantamweight Feature Bout: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Kirill Medvedovsky (6-1)

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Feature Bout: Joaquin Buckley (6-0) vs. Jackie Gosh (6-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR TO HOST THE FIRST MAJOR MMA EVENT IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL ON NOVEMBER 10

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WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION ANDREY KORESHKOV TO FACE DOUGLAS LIMA IN MAIN EVENT

 

ALSO: ISRAELI ARMY VETERAN NOAD LAHAT SET FOR BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST SCOTT CLEVE

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (Sept. 7, 2016) – Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) will make the second defense of his belt against the man he took it from more than a year ago, Douglas Lima (27-6), in the main event of the promotion’s historic debut at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on November 10.

 

In addition, the card will feature one of Israel’s own in the co-headliner, when newly signed Bellator MMA featherweight Noad Lahat (9-2) meets Scott Cleve (15-5). Additional main card and preliminary fights will be announced in coming weeks.

 

The Viacom-owned fight promotion’s historic event will air in America on SPIKE Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. Bellator has partnered with Ananey Communications, an Israeli television conglomerate boasting 14 channels, several of which showcase Viacom content including the EGO and EGO TOTAL channels which have broadcast Bellator in Israel since 2012.

 

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com or Eventim.co.il/mma.

 

Currently sitting atop Bellator MMA’s welterweight division, the 26-year-old champion Koreshkov most recently dismantled former world champion Benson Henderson for 25 minutes in his first-ever title defense. 19-1 as a professional, “Spartan” hasn’t tasted defeat since 2013 and has finished 13 of his opponents by either knockout or submission. It’s worth noting that Koreshkov trains under the leadership of former middleweight championAlexander Shlemenko.

 

Coming off of a dominant victory over top contender Paul Daley, “The Phenom” Lima has earned the right to challenge for the promotion’s 170-pound title, which he once held. The American Top Team standout has a knack for winning fights in spectacular fashion before reaching the judges’ scorecards, which he has accomplished in 23 of his 27 wins as a professional. Born in Brazil, the 28-year-old has secured victories over top competition since starting his career in 2006, tallying wins against Ben Saunders (2x), Ryan Ford, Steve Carl and Olympic competitor Rick Hawn. Now fully healthy, Lima looks to fight twice in a calendar year for the first time since 2013.

 

A black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Lahat made his professional debut in 2008, where he began an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. The 32-year-old “Neo” then decided to take his talents to the UFC, where he tacked on two more wins, rounding out his current professional record of 9-2. Hailing from Alfei Menashe, Samaria Israel, Lahat was also a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces before transitioning to his now promising MMA career. He will look to compete in a strong Bellator MMA Featherweight class that includes current titleholder Daniel Straus, Pat Curran, Patricio “Pitbull,” Daniel Weichel, and Georgi Karakhanyan.

 

At 34 years of age, Scott Cleve is set for his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, the Colorado native has a knack for ending fights early, stopping his opponent in 11 of his 15 victories. Notable victories on the “Pariah MMA” standouts resume include wins over UFC veteran Abel Trujillo, along with Bellator competitors Derek Campos and Matt Bessette.

 

“Bellator MMA in Tel Aviv” Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (19-1) vs. Douglas Lima (27-6)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Noad Lahat (9-2) vs. Scott Cleve (15-5)