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A.J. MCKEE PUTS UNDEFEATED MARK ON THE LINE AGAINST HENRY CORRALES AND BUBBA JENKINS LOOKS TO EVEN THE SCORE AGAINST GEORGI KARAKHANYAN
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (July 25, 2016) – Two high-profile featherweight attractions have been added to the main card of the recently announced “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” event on August 26 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The first pitting the undefeated A.J. McKee (4-0) against Henry Corrales (12-3), and the second newly-announced bout will see Bubba Jenkins(11-2) attempt to avenge a previous loss against Georgi Karakhanyan (24-6-1).
Tickets for “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” start at $30 and can be purchased now on Ticketmaster and at Honda Center Box Office. Doors for the event open at 4:45 p.m. PT local time and the first preliminary bout – which streams live on Bellator.com andThe Bellator Mobile App — begins at 5:00 p.m. PT. Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.
The main event of the evening features a marquee matchup at 155-pounds, when Benson Henderson (23-6) returns to the division that he reigned supreme over for the many years to face former featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” (25-3), who is moving up in weight for the bout. Both men will be vying for a shot at Michael Chandler’s championship belt when they meet on August 26 in Anaheim.
At 21 years of age, McKee is undoubtedly one of the of mixed martial arts top young prospects. After beginning his career 7-1 as an amateur, “Mercenary” has made a splash on the professional circuit, recording a perfect 4-0 mark through his first four bouts. McKee has fought under the Bellator MMA banner since day one of his professional career, finishing all of his contests in the opening frame, including three knockouts and a rear-naked choke submission. The Long Beach, Calif. native will bring his flashy skillset just down the 91 Freeway to Honda Center, where he will have the opportunity to put on a show in front of his hometown fans.
After beginning his professional career 12-0, Corrales will enter the cage for the second time this year in search of his first win under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion, Corrales has fought nothing short of elite talent, challenging current champion Daniel Straus, Emmanuel Sanchez, and Patricio “Pitbull” on short notice. Of his 12 career victories, the 29-year-old featherweight has earned four knockouts and six submissions; including a brutal knockout of Gustavo Limon just 20 seconds into round one. Fighting out of Whittier, Calif., Corrales will share the home floor with his opponent and fellow California native, A.J. McKee, in Anaheim during the main card of “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” on August 26.
A longtime veteran of Bellator MMA, Karakhanyan will look to get back on track after dropping two closely-contested decision losses against Jenkins, who he handily defeated nearly two years ago via guillotine submission. Known to many mixed martial arts fans and pundits as “Insane,” the 31-year-old has finished 18 of his 24 wins as a professional, winning titles in multiple regional promotions along the way. A product of Millenia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where he trains alongside close friend Saad Awad, the Russian fighter is finally healthy following multiple setbacks to his knee. Karakhanyan now looks to climb the 145-pound ladder, in a stacked division that he once sat atop as the No. 1 contender.
Just a few years ago, Bubba Jenkins was widely regarded as the top MMA prospect in all of the sport, though the title became tainted following the aforementioned loss to Karakhanyan at “Bellator 132.” The former NCAA National Champion wrestler with Arizona State University now has three consecutive wins under his belt, and is looking for redemption. Heading into his 11th fight under the Bellator MMA banner, the 28-year-old “Highlight Kid” looks to put on a stand-out performance in Bellator’s incredibly deep featherweight division.
Updated “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” Main Card:
Bellator MMA Lightweight No. 1 Contender Main Event: Benson Henderson (23-6) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (4-0) vs. Henry Corrales (12-3)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Bubba Jenkins (11-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-6-1)
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Houston, TX, (February 18, 2016) – Scott Coker, President of Bellator MMA and one of combat sport’s most accomplished promoters, will launch “Bellator Kickboxing” this April with his partners at Spike. The announcement was made today at a press conference ahead of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie,” which airs tomorrow night on Spike at 9e/8c.
Bellator Kickboxing will feature many of the world’s best kickboxers including Joe Schilling, Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross, Keri Melendez and Anastasia Yankova, who were in attendance at today’s press conference. The current Bellator MMA team based out of Santa Monica, CA will run the new league.
Coker has over 30 years of experience promoting combat sports, overseeing both K-1 and Strikeforce Kickboxing leagues during his illustrious career. “Kickboxing is a thrilling, non-stop action-packed sport that I believe will resonate with MMA fans,” said Coker. “Our first goal is to develop stars and showcase these incredible athletes on the #1 home for combat sports, Spike TV.”
The first event for Bellator Kickboxing will be a co-promoted show with Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing on April 16 at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy.
The Bellator Kickboxing event’s headliner will feature Melvin Manhoef vs. Alexandru Negrea as well as a 5-round title fight when current ISKA 72kg champion Mustapha Haida will move up in weight to challenge Karim Ghajii for his ISKA 75 KG belt. Other participants competing at the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing extravaganza include Ross, Daniels and Denise Kielholtz. Opponents for these participants will be announced in the near future.
The event will also include “Bellator 152,” a mixed martial arts card will feature Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Rogers, and also features Bellator MMA stars Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, Brent Primus, Anastasia Yankova and A.J. McKee.
Bellator Kickboxing’s debut event will air on Spike Saturday, April 16 at 9:00pm ET/PT on brief tape delay. Earlier that day, Spike will broadcast Bellator MMA’s first international show, “Bellator 152,” LIVE at 3:00pm ET.
Details on future events will be announced in the near future.
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