(Video courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
Mar 222013
(Video courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
(Video courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
Mar 212013
(Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
—MAIN CARD (on Spike TV)—
Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Final Fight
Marcin Held vs. Dave Jansen: Jansen via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Heavyweight Feature Fight
Ryan Martinez vs. Travis Wiuff: Martinez via KO (Punches), Round 1, 0:18
Welterweight Feature Fight
Waachiim Spiritwolf vs. Marcus Davis: No Contest (Inadvertent Groin Strike) Continue reading »
Dec 132012
Richard Hale (white trunks) will need to use his size and power to take control in the pocket if he wishes to wear Bellator gold. (Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
On December 14 Bellator will conclude its Season 7 tournaments with a four-fight card, three of which are tournament finales. The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana marks the spot where the cage will be locked, two men will be awarded title shots at 145 and 155lbs., respectively, and the heavyweight division will have a new champion to crown. XFC veteran “Lil’ Bulldog” Felice Herrig (7-4) and “Little” Patricia Vidonic (7-3) will start the night off in a rematch that will also mark their Bellator debuts. Featherweights Rad Martinez (14-2) and “Sha” Shahbulat Shamhalaev (11-1-1) will go down after a one-week delay due to Shamhalaev coming down with food poisoning prior to Bellator 83. The lightweight tourney finale will feature two submission specialists as Marcin Held (15-2) and “The Fugitive” Dave Jensen (18-2) look to cap off successful Season 7 runs. The main event will feature “Rare Breed” Richard Hale (21-4) and “Drago” Alexander Volkov (18-3) going to war for the Bellator heavyweight belt that was left without an owner in September.
Nov 172012
Nov 162012
(Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—
Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Semi-Final Fight
Marcin Held vs. Rich Clementi: Held via Submission (Toe Hold), Round 2, 3:04
Lightweight Tournament Semi-Finals Fight
Dave Jansen vs. Ricardo Tirloni: Jansen via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Featherweight Feature Fight
Dustin Neace vs. Marlon Sandro: Sandro via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1, 2:05
Middleweight Feature Fight
Perry Filkins vs. Jonas Billstein: Filkins via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00 Continue reading »
Oct 222012
Oct 202012
Alexander Sarnavskiy (left) put his undefeated 20-0 record against seasoned veteran Rich Clementi (right). After a hard-fought battle, Clementi’s experience trumped the skills of the young Russian, as “No Love” took the decision win. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
The Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Finals went down October 19 in Reading, Pennsylvania with the Bellator cage dropping anchor at the Sovereign Center. Eight fighters gathered under the Bellator banner to challenge for the 155lbs. championship held by Michael Chandler (10-0) who will defend his title against Season 6 lightweight tourney winner Rich Hawn (14-1). Bellator veterans Ricardo Tirloni (15-2) and “The Brazilian Bomber” Rene Nazare (10-3) started off the main card in a toe-to-toe war. Twenty-year-old Polishman Marcin Held (13-2) battled Russian fighting phenom “Strangler” Murad Machaev (9-1). M-1 Global, WEC, and Bellator veteran “The Fugitive” Dave Jansen (17-2) welcomed hard knocked warrior “The Rock” Magomed Saadulaev (14-2) to Bellator. The main event featured long-time MMA veteran and UFC alum “No Love” Rich Clementi (44-21) against the undefeated “Tiger” Alexander Sarnavskiy (20-1). Eight men entered the Bellator cage, but only four had their tickets stamped to the tournament semi-finals. Continue reading »
Oct 192012
(Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—
Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Rich Clementi vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy: Clementi via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Dave Jansen vs. Magomed Saadulaev: Jansen via Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 3, 0:41
Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Marcin Held vs. Murad Machaev: Held via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Ricardo Tirloni vs. Rene Nazare: Tirloni via Submission (D’Arce Choke), Round 2, 1:14 Continue reading »
Oct 182012
Seasoned veteran Rich Clementi (bottom) brings a storied 65-fight career including 27 submission victories and nine (T)KOs to the Bellator Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
Friday night Bellator launches its Season 7 lightweight tournament brackets at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Starting off the four-fight main card on MTV2 is M-1 Global, WEC, and Bellator veteran “The Fugitive” Dave Jansen (16-2) against the Bellator debutee and journeyman Magomed Saadulaev (14-1). The rising young star and familiar face Marcin Held (12-2) is back in the tournament against Russian import “Strangler” Murad Machaev (9-0). Brazilian fighting circuit and Bellator veteran Ricardo Tirloni (14-2) looks to bounce back from his knockout loss to Rick Hawn (14-1) when he faces “The Brazilian Bomber” Rene Nazare (10-2). Long-time MMA fighter and UFC veteran “No Love” Rich Clementi (43-21) looks to have one last possible run at gold when he welcomes undefeated Russian “Tiger” Alexander Sarnavskiy (20-0) to the USA and Bellator Fighting Championships. Continue reading »
Nov 272011
- Marcin Held (red gloves) came out ahead of Phillipe Nover (blue gloves) in a controversial Split Decision at Bellator 59. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)
It was the conclusion to yet another successful and entertaining season for Bellator Fighting Championships, last night docking in Caesars Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the bantamweight and heavyweight tournament finals and the return of UFC veteran and hometown fighter “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (16-7) against heavy-handed Brazilian “Pitbull” Patricky Freire (4-1). ”The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (6-1) faced “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (6-1) for the Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament title and a shot against champion “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (8-0). Bantamweights “The Executioner” Alexis Vila (10-1) and Eduardo Dantas (9-2) faced off in the youth versus experience, speed versus power match-up. A late addition to the main card in TUF Season 8 runner-up “The Filipino Assassin” Phillipe Nover (5-4) and Polish prospect Marcin Held (12-2) started off the night with a three-round battle between the young fighters looking to steal the spotlight of the organization’s 155lbs. division. Controversial decisions and stoppages aside, the evening closed out Bellator’s fifth season with the bang that is sure to leave fans clamoring for the start of Season 6.
Nov 272011
Nov 262011
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2 and EPIX HD)—
Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Finals Fight
Thiago Santos vs. Eric Prindle: Fight is ruled a No Contest due to Santos’ inadvertent groin strike
Lightweight Feature Fight
Patricky Freire vs. Kurt Pellegrino: Freire via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 0:50
Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament Finals Fight
Alexis Vila vs. Eduardo Dantas: Dantas via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Lightweight Feature Fight
Marcin Held vs. Phillipe Nover: Held via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00 Continue reading »
Nov 252011
- “TUF” alum Phillipe Nover (right) is seeking a career rebirth as a Bellator lightweight and will use his superior striking to achieve it against Marcin Held (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
The last of the Bellator Season 5 tournament finals are under way this Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey with the heavyweights and bantamweights taking to the cage determined to earn a bonus check to the tune of $100,000 as well as a shot at his division’s respective champion. Forty-year-old knockout artist and bantamweight underdog “The Exorcist” Alexis Vila (10-0) will face the young and wild Brazilian Eduardo Dantas (7-2) for the 135lbs. title shot against “Fun Size” Zach Makovsky (14-2). Boxing stand-out ”The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (6-1) will face the giant from Brazil in “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (6-1) for a shot at Bellator Heavyweight Champion “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (7-0). A treat for the locals will be the return to the cage and Bellator debut of UFC veteran and New Jersey native “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (16-6); welcoming him to the cage is heavy handed “Pitbull” Patricky Freire (3-1). A 170lbs. bout was scheduled between former Bellator Welterweight Champion “Cyborg” Lyman Good (11-2) and Michael Costa (10-5), however a last-minute injury forced the bout off the card. Now a lightweight showdown between UFC veteran and TUF Season 8 runner up ”The Filipino Assassin” Phillipe Nover (5-3) and returning one-time Bellator veteran and Polish prodigy Marcin Held (11-2) will take the honors of opening up the Bellator 59 main card on MTV2. Continue reading »
Sep 022011
Bellator and CFC Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard (right) looks to add the inaugural Australian Fighting Championships middleweight title to his resume at the expense of his opponent Jesse Taylor. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel)
Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Center will act as host for the second showing of the Australian Fighting Championship (AFC), The Land Down Under’s fast rising new MMA promotion. On September 3 in Melbourne, Australia there will be a stacked card of fighters from all around the world as well as hometown heroes defending the pride of their nation and a newly minted crown fresh off the forging irons will be up for grabs in the middleweight division. The two men fighting in the main event title bout are none other than perhaps the most powerful middleweight in the world, the Bellator and CFC Middleweight Champion “Shango” Hector Lombard (27-2) and UFC, Strikeforce, MFC, and Battlefield tested strongman “JT Money” Jesse Taylor (14-5). Lombard is looking to further cement his place in history by extending his win streak to 17 fights. Taylor, fresh off a first-round submission over PRIDE veteran Denis Kang (35-13), looks to add another titan to his list of victims. A heavyweight bout will serve as the co-main event for the night as Australian born fighter and veteran of Shooto Australia “Ferocious” Soa Palelei (6-2) takes on New Zealand native Hiriwa Te Rangi (0-2). Aussie middleweight “The Bandit” Ross Dallow (3-4) and New Zealand’s CFC veteran middleweight “The Villain” Dylan Andrews (8-3) will meet; neither man has seen the judges, making the intensity of the match that much more explosive. Polish star Marcin Held (10-1) returns to the fighting game after his loss to Michael Chandler (8-0) by Arm Triangle at Bellator 36. He will meet CFC and Shooto Australia veteran Jai Bradney (4-1) who is known for his heavy hands. A battle in the welterweight division will set things off for the main card as “Banjo” Nick Patterson (1-2) looks for win number two against Dave Weston (1-0). Both Patterson and Weston are coming off their first career wins by submission and look to start their climb up the AFC 170lbs. ranks with a win against the other. Continue reading »
Apr 092011
Nick Thompson (white shorts) will represent the first fighter beyond the journeyman level that Ben Askren has faced and likely the first person to have the experience to handle his one-dimensional wrestling game. (Photo courtesy of Rob King and Sherdog)
Oklahoma gets a second dose of Bellator Fighting Championships when the organization returns to the Sooner State for Bellator 40 tonight with a main event superfight between welterweight champion Ben Askren (7-0) and UFC, bodogFIGHT, Strikeforce, Sengoku, and Elite XC veteran “The Goat” Nick Thompson (38-12). Askren will have his hands full with this seasoned fighter, and Thompson is coming to fight for the 15 minutes that three of Askren’s four Bellator bouts have lasted. Opening the night for the champ will be the second pair of semi-final tournament bouts. Welterweight semi-finalists step in first as Brent Weedman (18-5) takes on former UFC and Strikeforce fighter and former IFL Welterweight Champion “The Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (17-4) with the winner moving on to face undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn (11-0) in the tournament finals. Then former semi-pro boxer and heavy handed striker Lloyd Woodard (11-0) takes on Strikeforce veteran and quick finisher Michael Chandler (6-0) in the lightweight semi-finals with the winner slated against ”Pitbull” Patricky Freire (3-0). Overall the night should promise another evening of excellent Bellator action for the fans. Continue reading »