Following an amicable agreement to settle the litigation between the two parties, the always entertaining and exciting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is returning to Bellator.
Bellator MMA is thrilled to have “Rampage,” one of the most recognizable fighters in the history of the sport, joining a very competitive light heavyweight division featuring champion Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, King Mo, Tito Ortiz, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell among others.
SANTA MONICA (February 6, 2015) – Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. The former World Extreme Cagefighting Middleweight World Champion has fought professionally since 2002, and holds the record for most fights in the UFC at 185-pounds (22).
Since taking a break from the sport in 2014, Leben has resided in San Diego, Calif. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Fitness. Known for his tendency to put on an exciting show each and every time he enters the cage, Leben was a member of the inaugural cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” alongside fellow Bellator MMA competitors Stephan Bonnar and Josh Koscheck. The 35-year-old has fought elite talent throughout his mixed martial arts tenure, against names the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Mark Munoz, and Bellator MMA’s own Alessio Sakara.
“If I were to draw up the prototypical Bellator MMA competitor, there would be parts of Chris [Leben] in there,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “The guy has never had a boring fight and as I’ve said from day one, we’re going to continue to grow from the ground up and buy from the top down. I know that Chris still has a lot of fight left in him and I’m excited to see him fight We are hoping to see his Bellator debut this Spring.”
“Focusing on just coaching at Victory MMA has been amazing, but recently, I started to get the itch to compete again,” Leben said. “So I extended an olive branch to the people at Bellator and here I am. I’m in great shape, I love the possible matchups this roster has to offer and I’m ready to show the world why they call me ‘The Crippler.’”
Leben joins a budding roster of Bellator MMA talent, with recent signings that include: Benson Henderson, Anastasia Yankova, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Sergei Kharitonov.
It has yet to be determined what weight class Leben will compete at, but when asked what division he hopes to settle in, Leben made it clear: “I’ll go wherever the big fights are.”
Kevin MacDonald is one of the most knowledgeable and professional referees in Mixed Martial Arts. Just last Sunday he was the third man in the cage for three fights on the UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz card. Our interview covers a wide range of topics, from rule and weight class changes on the horizon to a few behind-the-scenes glimpses into the UFC’s operations. Psychic Tom Padgett and Rabble Rousin’ Rich Bergeron also recap the past week’s combat sports events (including Szpilka vs. Wilder and Cruz vs. Dillashaw) and preview the next UFC event headlined by Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 12, 2016) – Ryan Couture (10-3) will face Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (14-7) during the main card of “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
Bellator officials previously announced two welterweight attractions featuring a main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) and a rematch featuring Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) against Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC), which will serve as the co-main event. Rounding out the Spike-televised main card will be heavyweights Raphael Butler (9-1) and Tony Johnson (9-2).
In addition, the preliminary portion of the card has been completed, with the news that Matt Perez (1-1) will meet Eugene Cancino, Nick Bustamante (3-0) takes on Salvador Becerra (4-2), Jermaine McDermott (1-0) fights Eric Huggins (1-0) and John Paul Elias (3-0) will also be in action.
“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” 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 at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale now at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Couture will look to start off 2016 on the right foot. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission. Couture was slated to compete at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” but his opponent missed weight by more than 16 pounds.
Standing opposite of Couture will be the elder “Pitbull” brother, who agreed to the fight on short notice after Derek Anderson was forced to withdraw due to injury. Freire competed during the last event of 2015 and will now make his 14th appearance for Bellator MMA during the first event of 2016. It’s worth noting that 10 of Freire’s wins have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.
Complete “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (14-7)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. TBA
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Matt Perez (1-1) vs. Eugene Cancino (Debut)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Nick Bustamante (3-0) vs. Salvador Becerra (4-2)
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: John Paul Elias (3-0) vs. TBA
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Jermaine McDermott (1-0) vs. Eric Huggins (1-0)
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TORONTO (December 9, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, is the destination for live UFC fight week pre and post-fight coverage, including the live main card for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant and the live prelims for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, both airing exclusively in Canada. Fight Network is currently available in free preview on most carriers across Canada for the month of December.
It all kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. ET with a live presentation of the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor pre-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
On Thursday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, as headliners Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes tip the scales ahead of their pivotal featherweight showdown.
Later at 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant, leading into the live main card at 10 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. In the main event, No. 3-ranked women’s strawweight contender Rose Namajunas (4-2) battles surging superstar and No. 7-ranked Paige VanZant. (6-1). In the co-feature, No. 14-ranked lightweight veteran Jim Miller(25-6, 1NC) looks to continue his ascent up the rankings against The Ultimate Fighter Live winnerMichael Chiesa (12-2). Rounding out the card, highly touted lightweight youngster Sage Northcutt(6-0) tries to keep his perfect record intact against Cody Pfister (12-4-1), while Canada’s undefeatedUltimate Fighter Nations middleweight winner Elias Theodorou (11-0) faces his toughest test to date against Brazilian Thiago “Marreta” Santos (11-3). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
On Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. ET, the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor weigh-ins will be televised live from Las Vegas with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor going face-to-face one final time ahead ofSaturday’s blockbuster clash for the undisputed UFC featherweight championship.
Immediately following the live weigh-ins, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber at 7 p.m. ET, which serves as a lead-in to thelive prelims at 8 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. The main card will air at 10 p.m. ET on TSN1 and TSN5. Featured prelims include heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (16-10) vs. Konstantin Erokhin (9-2), featherweights Tatsuya Kawajiri (34-8-2) vs. Jason Knight (16-1) and flyweights Joby Sanchez(7-1) vs. Geane Herrera (8-1). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
The action-packed fight week comes to a climax on Saturday, Dec. 12. At 2 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents an encore of UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor from July 2015, which featured Conor McGregor‘s memorable performance against Chad Mendes to capture the interim UFC featherweight title, plus a top candidate for “Fight of the Year” between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald for the UFC welterweight title. The event is widely regarded as one of the best in promotional history.
At 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, as well as on-the-scene reports from Las Vegas. Immediately following the pay-per-view broadcast, Fight Network presents a live post-showat approximately 1 a.m. ET, including highlights, reactions and the live post-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
All pre and post-fight shows will include exclusive interviews from Fight Network analysts JohnRamdeen and Robin Black on-site in Las Vegas, plus reports and analysis from Fight Network studios in Toronto. Canadian mixed martial arts pioneer and longtime UFC veteran Sam Stout will be in-studio for the live UFC 194 pre and post-fight shows.
Airing throughout the week, catch the one-hour UFC Embedded: Aldo vs. McGregor special, an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at the lives and training camps of four elite fighters leading up to the massive UFC 194 event in Las Vegas. Additional reports and features air daily in Fight News Now. All airings are listed at www.fightnetwork.com.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfortfrom February 2011 in Las Vegas, which featured a highly anticipated middleweight title showdown between then-torchbearer Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort, plus Forrest Griffinvs. Rich Franklin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader.
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
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TORONTO (November 26, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive coverage of UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal this Saturday, November 28 from Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea.
Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal main card exclusively in Canada at 8 a.m. ET. Encores will air in primetime at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. PT for viewers on the West Coast.
In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (22-5) seeks his second straight win at 170 pounds opposite battle-tested veteran Jorge Masvidal (29-9). Local welterweight superstar Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) competes in the co-feature against late replacement Dominic Waters (9-3). Rounding out the main card, Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) returns to South Korea for the first time since 2007 for a welterweight matchup with undefeated grappling ace Alberto Mina (11-0), while explosive South Korean knockout artist Doo Ho Choi (12-1) looks to build on an impressive promotional debut last November when he faces off with fellow featherweight Sam Sicilia (15-5), who carries a two-fight winning streak into the bout.
On Thursday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network premieres a one-hour UFC® Fight Night Seoul Pre-Show, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, and also serves as a lead-in to the live prelims.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez from October 2010 in Anaheim, Calif., headlined by a showdown between champion Brock Lesnar and challenger Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship, plus Jake Shields makes his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez collides with Paulo Thiago, pioneer Tito Ortiz clashes with former pupil Matt Hamill,and Brendan Schaub battles Gabriel Gonzaga in heavyweight action.
The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal includes:
Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 a.m. ET):
-Benson Henderson (22-5) vs. Jorge Masvidal (29-9) -Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) vs. Dominic Waters (9-3) -Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) vs. Alberto Mina (11-0) -Doo Ho Choi (12-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (15-5) Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 5 a.m. ET):
-Dongi Yang (12-3) vs. Jake Collier (9-2) -Yui Chul Nam (18-5-1) vs. Mike De La Torre (13-5, 1NC) -Tae Hyun Bang (17-9) vs. Leo Kuntz (17-2-1) -Seohee Ham (15-6) vs. Cortney Casey (4-2) -Yao Zhikui (2-3) vs. Fredy Serrano (2-0) -Ning Guangyou (6-2-1) vs. Marco Beltran (6-4) -Dominique Steele (13-6) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (13-6) For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
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Lewiston, Maine (November 18, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE” this Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The event will feature a first for Maine – mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts and professional boxing bouts on the same event with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side. The fight promotion announced earlier today that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (18-9) would be the guest of honor at the event. It was further announced that Boetsch will be available to meet fans in attendance and sign autographs from 6:00 to 7:00 pmprior to the first fight.
Boetsch is a native of Lincolnville, Maine. He is a lifelong wrestler, having won four state championships while attending Camden Hills Regional High School. Boetsch was inducted into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. After high school, Boetsch would go on to compete for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
He is currently in his second stint with the UFC. Boetsch holds victories over many of the sport’s biggest names like Kendall Grove (22-15), Brad Tavares (13-4) and Yushin Okami (30-10) just to name a few. Most recently, he headlined “UFC Fight Night 68” in New Orleans, Louisiana against Dan Henderson (31-14). Boetsch is scheduled to face Ed Herman (23-11) at “UFC Fight Night 81” onJanuary 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is currently training with fellow UFC veteran Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis at Davis’ Team Irish facility in Brewer, Maine in preparation for the upcoming bout.
“Very excited to be supporting Maine MMA,” exclaimed Boetsch of his upcoming appearance at NEF XX. “Looking forward to watching a full card of great fights and meeting all the fans that come out to see an exciting show!”
“I’ve been watching Tim compete as a wrestler and mixed martial artist for almost 20 years,” stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “I watched him cement his legacy in Maine amateur wrestling by winning four high school state championships and cheered him on as he fought his way to becoming one of the baddest men on the planet in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Tim, along with Marcus Davis, Mike Brown and Tim Sylvia, makes up the Mount Rushmore of Maine MMA and it will be an honor to have him and Marcus both in attendance at the 20th installment of New England Fights on November 21st.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,” takes place this Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The event will mark the first time in Maine history a mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event and a professional boxing event have taken place together on the same show. Tickets for “NEF XX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
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