Tag Archives: Torino

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

MATT MITRIONE AND SEAN GRANDE NAMED SPIKE’S ANNOUNCING TEAM FOR BELLATOR KICKBOXING: TORINO

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New York, NY, April 7, 2016 – Matt Mitrione, a former NFL defensive lineman and current Bellator MMA heavyweight will join Bellator MMA play-by-play announcer and The Voice of the Boston Celtics, Sean Grande as the broadcast duo for Bellator’s inaugural kickboxing event, “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” on Saturday, April 16 from the historic Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy. The announcement was jointly made today by Bellator President Scott Coker and Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike TV.
Mitrione joined Bellator MMA in early March after a stellar start to his career in the UFC. His 14-bout stint with that promotion began in 2009 on “The Ultimate Fighter,” airing on Spike. His list of formidable opponents included: Kimbo Slice, Gabriel Gonzaga, Ben Rothwell, Derrick Lewis, Brendan Schaub, Roy Nelson, Shawn Jordan, and Travis Browne among others.
Prior to competing in MMA, Mitrione earned a scholarship to play defensive tackle for the Purdue Boilermakers, not far from where he grew up in Springfield, Ill. After college, he played in the NFL for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings until 2005.
Sean Grande has served as Bellator’s play-by-play announcer since July of 2015. Completing his 18th season in the NBA and 15th as the voice of the Boston Celtics, Grande’s epic account of the two-month run to the 2008 World Championship cemented his status as one of the nation’s elite play-callers.  He is joined by analyst Cedric Maxwell for all Boston Celtics games. Since shortly after their 2001 pairing, “Grande and Max” have become one of Boston’s most popular and iconic on-air combinations.
On May 20, 2013, Grande made his Major League Baseball debut, after being named the alternate play-by-play voice of the World Champion Boston Red Sox.  It completed his cycle of broadcasting major pro sports (NBA, NFL, NHL, WNBA and MLS). 
“Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” will be televised Friday, April 22 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” on Spike.
Complete “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” Fight Card:
 
Bellator Kickboxing Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (37-12) vs. Alexandru Negrea (8-2)
Bellator Kickboxing 165-Pound Feature Bout: Mustapha Haida (37-3-3) vs. Karim Ghajji (95-12)
Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels (10-3) vs. Francesco Moricca (15-2-1)
Bellator Kickboxing Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (43-2) vs. Veronica Vernocchi (31-6-1)
Bellator Kickboxing Bantamweight Feature Bout: Kevin Ross (30-9) vs. Matteo Taccini (24-3-1)
 

 

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

BELLATOR KICKBOXING’S WEIGHT CLASSES & RULE SET REVEALED

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SANTA MONICA, CA. (March 15, 2016) – Bellator Kickboxing is set to make its world premiere in just over a month on Friday, April 16 with “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino.” The event will be broadcast in America on April 22 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the“Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” event on SPIKE. Today the promotion is pleased to announce its official weight classes and rule set.

 

The Pala Alpitour, which has been the home to several amazing events including the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, will host the inaugural “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” card.  The groundbreaking evening of fights will be headlined by one of the most accomplished knockout artists in combat sports, Melvin Manhoef (49-12), who takes on Alexandru Negrea (8-2). The co-main event features Mustapha Haida (37-3-3) taking on Karim Ghajji (95-12) for the 165-pound ISKA title. Kickboxing sensations Raymond Daniels (10-3), Denise Kielholtz (43-2) and Kevin Ross (30-9) will round out the card of the initial event against yet to be announced opponents.

 

Traditionally, kickboxing has never had a set amount of weight classes, with the number differing by promotion. In Bellator Kickboxing, the weight classes will be identical to those utilized in mixed martial arts, starting with heavyweight and ending with flyweight. Generally, there is a one-pound allowance for non-title fights, although that allowance may vary depending on the regulatory body sanctioning the event.

 

– Heavyweight: 265 pounds

– Light Heavyweight: 205 pounds

– Middleweight: 185 pounds

– Welterweight: 170 pounds

– Lightweight: 155 pounds

– Featherweight: 145 pounds

– Bantamweight: 135 pounds

– Flyweight: 125 pounds

 

In addition, below is an overview of Bellator Kickboxing’s rule set, which will make for the most explosive kickboxing action on the planet.

 

– The competitors will attack and defend using punches (including spinning backfists), kicks and knee strikes.

 

– Each non-title fight is scheduled for three, three-minute rounds with the potential for an extra sudden victory round if the bout is scored a draw. Title fights will be scheduled for five, three-minute rounds.

 

– Prohibited techniques include: elbow strikes, throws, takedowns, and submission attempts or striking a downed fighter. Fighters may only clinch if they immediately attack with a knee strike.

 

– Three judges will score Bellator Kickboxing using the “10-Point-Must” system applying a prioritized criterion that values knockdowns, impact on the opponent and clean scoring strikes.

 

Updated “Bellator Kickboxing: Torino” Fight Card:

Bellator Kickboxing Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (49-12) vs. Alexandru Negrea (8-2)

Bellator Kickboxing 165-Pound Feature Bout: Mustapha Haida (37-3-3) vs. Karim Ghajji (95-12)

Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels (10-3) vs. TBA

Bellator Kickboxing Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (43-2) vs. TBA

Bellator Kickboxing Bantamweight Feature Bout: Kevin Ross (30-9) vs. TBA

 

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 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA ANNOUNCES FIRST OVERSEAS EVENT TO TAKE PLACE AT PALA ALPITOUR IN TORINO, ITALY ON APRIL 16, 2016

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Coker and Di Blasi

Above: Scott Coker and Carlo Di Blasi

 

PARIS (Nov. 27, 2015) – Not even an entire month after announcing plans to host multiple international events in 2016, Bellator MMA has come out with a date and location for its first foray across the pond. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker joined Oktagon Kickboxing President Carlo Di Blasi in Paris this afternoon to announce a co-promoted event set to take place on April 16 at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy.

The event will feature both Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing bouts, with the Bellator MMA portion airing in the United States on SPIKE. Exact broadcast information and fight card will be announced in the near future.  Tickets for the event will be available at www.oktagon.it beginning December 14th 2015.

“We are very excited to be working side by side with my friend Carlo Di Blasi and his team,” said Coker. “Carlo is a great ally, and someone who I admire for all of the amazing work he has done in combat sports throughout Europe over the past twenty years.  We look forward to putting on an amazing show for the Italian people, and fans tuning in from around the world when we combine our efforts on April 16 in Torino”

“Oktagon has had incredible success building a loyal and committed fanbase throughout Europe over the past twenty years,” said Di Blasi. “I know that these fans are going to really enjoy the exciting brand of MMA that Bellator offers when we partner with them on April 16.”

In conjunction with the fight announcement, Bellator MMA has signed one of Italy’s most notable mixed martial artists, Alessio Sakara (17-11, 2 NC MMA / 8-1 Boxing), who is expected to fight at the event. Sakara has competed as a middleweight, but recently returned to light heavyweight, scoring a TKO victory just 1:32 into his last outing this past September.  The tattooed striker has always performed well in front of his countrymen, going 6-0 in MMA and 6-1 in boxing when fighting in Italy, and looks to add onto that success next April.

Bellator has had a record-shattering year in 2015 with Coker at the helm, powered by several major events including “Bellator: Kimbo vs. Shamrock,” which generated 2.9 million viewers and “Bellator: Dynamite 1,” which set company records for attendance and gate. The event in Torino marks Bellator’s first-ever event overseas, but it won’t be the last. In addition to the Torino event, Bellator MMA has announced plans for additional international events in London and Israel slated for 2016.

Oktagon Kickboxing has been a mainstay in combat sports for 20 years now, officially founded in 1996.  Under the watchful eye of Di Blasi, the promotion has put on some memorable matchups throughout the years with top fighters including Bellator welterweight Paul Daley as well as The Petrosyan brothers (Giorgio and Armen), Robin Van Roosmalen, Valentijn Overeem, Rico Verhoeven and Artem Levin.