Bellator 63, Season 6 Welterweight Tournament Quarter-Finals: Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 2:06 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 292012
 

"The Beast" Bryan Baker (black trunks) has the wrestling abilities to completely control his Bellator 63 bout if he so chooses. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

It’s back to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut Friday night for another Bellator tournament bracket to get underway, this time with eight explosive welterweights hitting the cage for Bellator 63. Featuring a returning cast of warriors that have literally rocked the Bellator cage with their previous performances, the tourney also includes several newcomers more than willing to step up and engage in the firefights Bellator’s tournaments have become known for, all in the hopes of getting a shot at championship gold. Brazilian journeyman with nearly 45 fights to his credit “Indio” Carlos Alexandre Pereira (33-9) makes his Bellator debut against former WEC and Bellator 185lbs. contender turned oversized welterweight, “The Beast” Bryan Baker (16-3). Submission specialist and Bellator veteran “The Caveman” David Rickels (9-0) meets well-rounded promotion newcomer “Mata Ele” Jordan Smith (17-2), who steps in as a late replacement for UFC veteran Brian Foster (18-5). Season 5 Welterweight Tournament finalist “Killa B” Ben Saunders (12-4) is slated to pit his lethal striking and BJJ credentials against undefeated finishing machine “Smash Mode” Raul Amaya (9-0). The main event features original MMA Gospel Young Gun and heavy-handed Bellator 170lbs. tournament vet “The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano (9-2) teeing off against former 185lbs. French wrecking machine “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (13-4), in a fight that has had both men chomping at the bit for weeks. As in previous seasons, the Bellator welterweight tourney match-ups are sure to add a few more clips to the promotion’s highlight reels. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Young Gun: Torres Submission Ace Jake Nauracy

 Posted by at 7:01 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 022012
 

Jake Nauracy built an impressive 10-0 amateur record that made other major Chicagoland MMA camps wary of putting their fighters in the cage with him. (Photo courtesy of Cut Throat MMA)

The search for aspiring young professional fighters with the skill and grit to be the next big thing continues as MMA Gospel scours the country in search of the next MMA Gospel Young Gun. The “Young Gun” is a fighter yet unnoticed by the MMA world at large who has the training, skill, and athleticism to be the next big name in the sport. This time, MMA Gospel’s search led to a young amateur fighter in northern Indiana. Torres Martial Arts fighter Jake Nauracy (0-0) has yet to make his jump into the professional ranks, but he has already made a splash on the Chicago MMA scene. The Cut Throat MMA Bantamweight Champion is 10-0 as an amateur and has submitted all but one of his opponents, defeating nine within the first three minutes of the very first round. That lone foe who escaped submission, he knocked out in just 11 seconds. Nauracy’s reputation and skill caught the eyes of the crew over at Bellator Fighting Championships, allowing Jake to skip the little leagues and make his debut as a pro with one of the three major players in North American MMA. MMA Gospel CEO and staff writer Dan Griffin caught up with Jake on Tuesday and here is what the tough young submission artist had to say.

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Chris Lozano Discusses Move to Jackson’s MMA, Berth in Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament

 Posted by at 4:27 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Feb 112012
 

"The Cleveland Assassin" Chris Lozano (left) will make his third run at the Bellator 170lbs. tournament starting in March, this time under the tutelage of Greg Jackson and team. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

“The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano’s (9-2) name is back on the Bellator welterweight tournament roster with the Ohio native looking to the make the third time a charm. The now 29-year-old Lozano made his Bellator debut in September 2010 with an impressive TKO victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-6). Six months later at Bellator 35, a three-round battle in favor of former Bellator champion “Cyborg” Lyman Good (11-2) ended Lozano’s hopes of advancing in the Season 4 welterweight tourney. Lozano followed up his first professional loss with a pair of first-round stoppage victories in the regional promotion North American Allied Fight Series (NAAFS) before being asked to return to the Bellator cage. The Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Quarter-Finals in September 2011 saw the “Assassin” shut down a seasoned veteran and top prospect in Brent Weedman (18-7) and move on to the semi-finals with the hopes of winning it all; heavy-handed eventual tournament champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (19-4) had something different in mind, however, and handed Lozano his first and only knockout loss to date. Continue reading »
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Bellator 53: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 4:02 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 092011
 

Nearly locking in several Omoplata shoulder locks, "Killa B" Ben Saunders (right) shocked the fans by giving Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luis Santos (left) all he could handle from the bottom before finishing the fight with an Americana submission in the third. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

In the race to the tournament finals, it was the welterweights to reach the mountain top first, as four men entered the Bellator cage to fight for their claim towards the $100,000 payday and title shot against the winner of the upcoming bout between welterweight champion Ben Askren (8-0) and “The Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (19-4). “Killa B” Ben Saunders (12-3) met Brazilian bomber Luiz Santos (48-7) in a Muay Thai slug fest that ended in an unforeseen fashion and MMA Gospel Young Gun “The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano (9-2) stood across the cage from former MFC Welterweight Champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (18-4) to determine the final two 170-pounders of the season. Featherweights “The Tooth Fairy” Kenny Foster (9-4) and “Kid Ninja” Ronne Mann (21-3) battled it out in a bout to determine who would take the first spot in the Bellator Season 6 145lbs. tournament and late addition heavyweight bout Josh Burns (5-3) and “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (5-1) started off the night with hopes of being a fill in for the heavyweight tournament on the line. Continue reading »

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Bellator 49: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 5:20 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 112011
 

Chris Lozano (white trunks) won a hard fought three-round war against Brent Weedman (black trunks) to advance to the Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Semi-Finals. (Photo courtesy of Keith Mills and Sherdog)

It was another night of success for Bellator Fighting Championships as the welterweight tournament began the promotion’s fifth season. The action took place at Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City, New Jersey as eight welterweights stepped into the Bellator cage but only four would continue on to the semi-final rounds. Opening the tournament was Bellator veteran and former US Army member Steve Carl (14-3) and former MFC Welterweight Champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (17-4). The return of fan favorite “The Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (18-5) was soured by the strength of “Sapo” Luis Santos (48-6). UFC veteran and American Top Team stand-out “Killa B” Ben Saunders (11-3) did what he does best and laid down a beating against Chris Cisneros (11-5). In the main event “The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano (9-1) and Brent Weedman (18-7) gave the fans what they wanted for three rounds, a hard fought war. Continue reading »

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Bellator 49 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Quarter-Finals

 Posted by at 7:48 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 092011
 

Douglas Lima (black trunks) will bring his explosive striking to the Bellator cage as one of eight talented welterweights in the organization's Season 5 tournament. (Photo courtesy of the AP)

The welterweight division of Bellator is not one of its most talent-rich divisions but it is one of the most exciting, and with the new crop of tournament competitors, depth won’t be an issue for long. Bellator Fighting Championships starts off Season 5 tomorrow night with the 170lbs. tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey with a stacked bracket of eight men who look to earn their shot at Bellator gold. Former MFC Welterweight Champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (16-4) is coming off a quick first-round knockout victory over “Dangerous” Terry Martin (21-9) at MFC 29 and will take on Bellator veteran Steven Carl (14-2) who has a submission game that has earned more than half of his victories. A very familiar face, “The Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (18-4), will look to get back to the form that saw him steamroll the Season 2 field until he came up short to the stagnant wrestling of Ben Askren (8-0) when he battles with the well versed Brazilian fighter “Sapo” Luis Santos (47-6). Santos may not be known by mainstream MMA fans but when he steps into the cage and starts to throw hands they will see why those who do know him, fear him. UFC veteran and Muay Thai wrecking machine “Killa B” Ben Saunders (10-3) earned his way into the tournament with a one-sided beatdown over journeyman Matt Lee (12-9), but can he blast through X-1 MMA veteran Chris Cisneros (11-4)? Cisneros is riding a strong five-fight win streak with four finishes, and a win over Saunders will certainly improve his stock in the Bellator welterweight division. The main event features MMA Gospel’s first Young Gun “The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano (8-1) and the owner of one of the previous season’s biggest upset victories, Brent Weedman (18-6). Weedman upset Hornbuckle but came up short against tournament winner “The Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (19-4), but with another shot at glory only one win away, Weedman is coming in ready for a battle against Lozano. “The Cleveland Assassin” looks to erase the memory of his fight against former champ “Cyborg” Lyman Good (11-2) and what better way than a knockout win over Weedman? Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Exclusive: Chris Lozano Reloads, Prepares for Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament

 Posted by at 4:39 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Aug 282011
 

“The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano returns to the Bellator cage September 10 to take on Brent Weedman in the promotion’s Season 5 Welterweight Tournament quarter-finals. (Photo courtesy of Keith Mills)

“The Cleveland Assassin” Chris Lozano (8-1) is taking no prisoners in his quest for glory. In just over two years as a professional mixed martial artist, Lozano has already made quite a name for himself, knocking out seven of his nine opponents and not only competing in Bellator’s Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, but also in serving as the headliner of the first fight card in history to be aired on MTV2, Bellator 35. That bout saw Lozano take on the promotion’s most recent former 170lbs. champion, “Cyborg” Lyman Good (11-2), in a hard fought three-round battle that rendered “The Cleveland Assassin” on the losing end for the first time in his career. Lozano then followed up his stint in Bellator with a pair of consecutive victories in the North American Allied Fight Series promotion, after which he was invited to return to the Bellator cage for the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. Come September 10, “The Cleveland Assassin” will step into the national spotlight yet again, this time facing off with fellow knockout artist Brent Weedman (18-6) in the Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament quarter-finals. MMA Gospel Editor-in-Chief Mallory Mejia got the opportunity to sit down with the rising star Lozano and discuss his evolving fight game, his mindset going into one of the most important match-ups of his career thus far, and what he plans on doing differently this time around. Continue reading »

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Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Finalized

 Posted by at 6:50 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Jul 132011
 

Dangerous striker and UFC veteran Ben Saunders (black trunks) makes his Bellator debut against seasoned Judoka Rick Hawn in the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel and Sherdog)

The stacked division of Bellator’s 170lb. gladiators are ready to return to the cage. On September 10, another tournament begins and the right for the title shot looms overhead. With several returning faces including fan favorites, true warriors, and even a world champion, Bellator fans are in for a treat this fall.

Submission specialist and Bellator veteran Steve Carl (14-2) has the chance to deal with some unfinished business in this season’s tournament but first he has to get past a young and hungry champ. MFC Welterweight Champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (16-4) is coming off his first-round knockout over the dangerous “Dangerous” Terry Martin (20-9) at MFC 29. Lima is riding a strong six-fight win streak with four finishes to his credit; in the Bellator tournament he will be tested and will have a chance at another world title if he can make it through the tournament flawlessly. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Radio Hosts BJJ Ace Chaun Sims, NAAFS Fighters Chris Lozano and Stipe Miocic

 Posted by at 12:40 AM  MMA Gospel Radio, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Apr 142011
 

Check out the latest installment of MMA Gospel Radio, with hosts Gary Friedman and uber celebrity (at least on Twitter) Spilled Bag of Ice! This week Gary and SBoI caught up with middleweight prospect Chaun Sims (4-1) as well as undefeated heavyweight Stipe Miocic (4-0) and MMA Gospel Young Gun and Bellator veteran “The Assassin” Chris Lozano (6-1).

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Bellator 38 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Light Heavyweight Tournament

 Posted by at 2:19 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 262011
 

Chris Davis will put his high octane finishing style to the test in his Bellator debut as the second MMA Gospel Young Gun to be featured in a Bellator Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Chris Davis)

Tonight, Bellator Fighting Championships debuts its inaugural Light Heavyweight Tournament in the state of Mississippi in Tunica at the Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino. Starting off the night is MMA Gospel Young Gun “The Professional” Chris Davis (10-2), who brings his destructive power into the Bellator cage against French import Christian M’Pumbu (1-1, 15-3 NSF). Rage In The Cage veteran Richard Hale (10-3-1) goes against Nik Fekete (3-0) who owns a victory over Strikeforce rising force Ovince St. Preux (9-4). Bellator veteran Raphael Davis (10-1) will look to continue a nine-fight win streak as he goes against D.J. Linderman (8-1), a former heavyweight who dropped down to compete in the first ever 205lbs. tournament. Then in the main event, returning to MMA competition after five years, is a member of the legendary Gracie family and PRIDE and International Fight League (IFL) veteran, Daniel Gracie (4-2). The submission specialist will go against undefeated Bellator veteran Tim Carpenter (6-0) who sees this as a way to earn bragging rights by defeating a member of the Gracie family. Continue reading »

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Bellator 35 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Welterweight Bracket

 Posted by at 10:14 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 042011
 

MMA Gospel Young Gun Chris Lozano (red shorts) will be tested against fellow striker and former Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator Fighting Championships returns to the spotlight on MTV2 this Saturday with its Season Four Welterweight Tournament. Hosting the event is Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, home of the well regarded Tachi Palace Fights. The tournament brackets are stacked with talent, new and old, and hold a prized shot at Bellator’s welterweight gold currently held by Ben Askren (7-0) for the overall winner at the season’s end. The card will also host a preliminary card that features highly regarded female striker and Bellator champion “The Warrior Princess” Zoila Frausto (8-1) against Karina Hallinan in a rematch of the fight that started both women’s careers as well as a trio of bouts that focus on some of the area’s top local talent. The fights on everyone’s minds, however, are the four first round tournament bouts that will see one former Bellator champion, one UFC veteran, two undefeated rising stars, and four veterans of the regional MMA scene battle it out for their chance at Bellator glory. Continue reading »

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Knockout Artist “The Assassin” Chris Lozano Talks Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament with MMA Gospel

 Posted by at 5:17 PM  Bellator, Features, MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 032011
 

On Saturday night, "The Assassin" Chris Lozano (red shorts) challenges former Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament quarter-finals. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

For the mixed martial arts fans that don’t already know of “The Assassin” Chris Lozano (6-0), they will soon enough. MMA Gospel’s very first Young Gun has set the welterweight division ablaze in his only year-and-a-half long professional MMA career, racking up six consecutive wins – all via KO or TKO – and having yet to feel the sting of defeat. The 28-year-old Cleveland, Ohio native began his foray in the world of martial arts when he took up wrestling at age five; after many dedicated years in the sport, Lozano parlayed his natural athleticism and new-found combat prowess into successful studies in Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for which he is a red belt and blue belt, respectively. Then, MMA called his name.

The Cleveland “Assassin” made his professional MMA debut with the North American Allied Fight Series (NAAFS) in June 2009, knocking out fellow newcomer Marcus Kruck (0-1) in just 37 seconds. His sophomore effort two months later resulted in a 47 second knockout with Lozano again on the winning side, prompting the organization to offer Lozano, now only two fights into his pro career, a shot at their middleweight title then held by WEC veteran Allan Weickert (6-8). Just six months after his debut, Chris fought for the NAAFS Middleweight Championship and won, dethroning the champ via first round knockout. He followed up his victory over Weickert with another knockout, this time in the Freestyle Cagefighting Fighting (FCF) promotion, then returned to NAAFS to successfully defend his title by TKO’ing UFC veteran “Dynamite” Jason Dent (21-11). “The Assassin” clearly was making his name in the local circuits and quickly rising to superstar status. Continue reading »

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Bellator Kicks Off Season 4 Welterweight Tournament This Saturday at Bellator 35

 Posted by at 9:01 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Feb 282011
 

(Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator Fighting Championships returns to the spotlight with its Season 4 Welterweight Tournament this Saturday night at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino. The fight card also plays host to several Local Feature Fights and will mark the promotion’s debut on its new home television network, MTV2. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Young Gun Chris Davis Rumored to Join Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Roster

 Posted by at 8:36 PM  Bellator, Features, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  1 Response »
Feb 162011
 

MMA Gospel Young Gun "The Professional" Chris Davis is rumored to have been added to the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament roster, which is slated to kick off at the end of March on MTV2. (Photo courtesy of Chris Davis)

It has been rumored* from sources close to “The Professional” Chris Davis (10-2) that the MMA Gospel Young Gun has been signed to compete in the upcoming Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament on MTV2 this Spring. Davis has posted an impressive resume in his two-year-old MMA career with five submission and five TKO/KO victories, all but two of which came in the first round, and he is expected to maintain this quality of performance against the other hungry blue chip prospects that Bellator has assembled to compete for a shot at Bellator light heavyweight gold. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Young Gun: Southern Finishing Machine Chris Davis

 Posted by at 7:41 PM  MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 252010
 

MMA Gospel was built on the principle of bringing MMA fans an insight into the MMA world they couldn’t find elsewhere. Continuing in that tradition, MMA Gospel began to search the country for aspiring professional fighters who were looking for that “one big break”.  These men would represent the diamond in the rough, the truly talented warriors who have yet to be noticed by the mainstream mixed martial arts media. Today, MMA Gospel welcomes only the second man to be added to the ranks of the MMA Gospel Young Guns, “The Professional” Chris Davis (10-2).

Chris is a former U.S. Marine who grew up in Gadsden, Alabama. He stumbled upon mixed martial arts while selling phonebook ads in Anniston, Alabama and just one year later had amassed an impressive 9-0 amateur MMA record and decided to turn pro and never look back. Chris is the Rumble at the Raxx Light Heavyweight Champion and trains out of the Headhunter Combatives Crossfit and MMA Training Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama under Mike Taylor. He is set to face TUF alum and UFC veteran Eliot Marshall (9-2) at Nemesis Fighting: MMA Global Invasion in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on November 13. MMA Gospel CEO and staff writer Dan Griffin sat down with Chris Davis and this is what “The Professional” had to say: Continue reading »

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