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 »
Mar 242012
Brent Weedman (top) made a successful 155lbs. debut and is one of four fighters moving on in the Bellator lightweight tourney. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)
Friday night the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Finals went down at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. Eight men entered the cage for the Bellator 62 main card on MTV2, just half of which left as victors and with a ticket to the semi-finals in hand. The 155lbs. tourney boasted several familiar faces as well as new faces teeing off in a quartet of bouts that had the crowd on their feet and the commentators flabbergasted. ”Cupcake” Lloyd Woodard (12-1) took on the elder of the “Pitbull” brothers in Patricky Freire (10-3). Former 170lbs. tournament finalist and Judo Olympian Rick Hawn (12-1) made his debut at lightweight against Brazilian force Ricardo Tirloni (14-2). Another former welterweight tournament contender, Brent Weedman (19-7), made his 155lbs. debut against JJ Ambrose (17-4). “The Brazilian Bomber” Rene Nazare (10-2) and Thiago Michel Pereira Silva (10-2) kicked off the tournament as the opening match. Though the intended Bellator 62 main event – a twice-rescheduled rematch between ”Big Monster” Thiago Santos (10-1) and “The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (7-1) to determine the Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Champion – was scratched due to Santos missing weight by nearly 13lbs, the lightweights brought the heat for the third event of Bellator’s sixth season. Continue reading »
Mar 242012
Mar 222012
- Rene Nazare (black shorts) will face one of his toughest Bellator tests to date against deadly striker Thiago Michel Pereira Silva. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
The Lone Star State will host the third event of Bellator’s sixth season in Laredo, Texas at the Laredo Energy Arena. A restocked tournament of eight lightweight warriors are ready to go to battle for a shot at newly minted champion Mike Chandler (9-0), and the third-time’s-the-charm scheduled meeting of heavyweights “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (10-1) and “The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (7-1) is set for the main event. Bellator veteran “The Brazilian Bomber” Rene Nazare (10-1) faces knockout artist Thiago Michel Pereira Silva (9-2). Former welterweight tough man Brent Weedman (18-7) drops down to a new weight of 155lbs. to welcome newcomer and rising star JJ Ambrose (17-3). Olympic Judo powerhouse Rick Hawn (11-1) moves down to a more natural weight for his frame and looks to hand Brazilian Ricardo Tirloni (14-1) his first loss since 2008. The co-main event features two power punchers with a knack for nasty battles as “Pitbull” Patricky Freire (10-2) faces fellow iron chinned striker “Cupcake” Lloyd Woodard (11-1). Tomorrow night only four competitors will move onward in the lightweight tournament, and either Prindle or Santos will rise to challenge “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (9-0) for the heavyweight crown. Undoubtedly all ten fighters on the Bellator 62 main card will put everything on the line to join those ranks. Continue reading »
Oct 162011
Alexander Shlemenko (blue gloves) bested Brian Rogers (red gloves) in an ultra fast-paced, technical fire fight at Bellator 54 and punched his ticket to the tournament finals. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
The Bellator Season 5 Middleweight Tournament semi-finals went off with a bang in Atlantic City, New Jersey as Bellator 54 anchored ship last night at the Boardwalk Hall. “The Beast” Bryan Baker (13-3) took on Vitor Vianna (12-1) and “The Storm” Alexander Shlemenko (32-4) slugged it out with “The Predator” Brian Rogers (8-3) for a chance to advance to the finals and a shot at Bellator gold. Bellator Bantamweight Champion “Fun Size” Zach Makovsky (14-2) stepped back into the cage for another non-title fight against the powerhouse Ryan Roberts (16-11). The main card featured on MTV2 was started off in the lightweight division with a bout featuring Bellator veteran “The Brazilian Bomber” Rene Nazare (8-1) and the Bellator first-timer “The Hunter” Jacob Kirwan (9-3). Continue reading »
Oct 152011
Rene Nazare (black trunks) will look to continue his trend of brutally taking his opponents out in the first round as he fights in the opening bout at Bellator 54. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
It’s back to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the Bellator Season 5 Middleweight Tournament semi-finals and a superfight featuring Bellator Bantamweight Champion “Fun Size” Zach Makovksy (13-2). Makovsky will take on the big 135lbs. fighter Ryan Roberts (16-10), who is making his return to the Bellator cage after losing to “Fire” Eric Marriott (20-5) a year ago. Season 2 tournament champion “The Storm” Alexander Shelmenko (31-4) will meet his fast paced fellow Season 5 185lbs. tournament competitor “The Predator” Brian Rogers (8-2) in a semi-final bout that will likely showcase a stand-up war. Middleweight giant “The Beast” Bryan Baker (13-2) will take on world renowned Jiu-Jitsu champion Vitor Vianna (11-1) in the second semi-final pairing of the evening, where Baker the striker and Vianna the submission artist shall play the chess match of style versus style to determine the winner of their meeting. The four semi-finalists have fought their way this far but only two can move on to the finals. A battle in the lightweight division will open the card as submission expert and Ring of Combat veteran Jacob Kirwan (8-3) will face undefeated Rene Nazare (8-0), who looks to make his Bellator record 3-0 with three TKO finishes.
Aug 202011
Tonight at Bellator 48, either Pat Curran (left) or Marlon Sandro (right) will walk out of the cage as champion of the inaugural Summer Series and will take on reigning featherweight champ Joe Warren for a chance to win Bellator gold. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel)
—MAIN CARD—
Featherweight Tournament Final
Marlon Sandro vs. Pat Curran: Curran via KO (Head Kick), Round 2, 4:00
Heavyweight Feature Fight
Paul Buentello vs. Cole Konrad: Konrad via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00
Heavyweight Feature Fight
Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricco Rodriguez: Petruzelli via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 4:21
Lightweight Televised Feature
Juan Barrantes vs. Rene Nazare: Nazare via TKO (Doctors Stoppage), Round 2, 5:00 Continue reading »
May 212011
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD—
Bellator Season 4 Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals/Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship
Richard Hale vs. Christian M’Pumbu: M’Pumbu via TKO (strikes), Round 3, 4:19
Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament Finals
Daniel Straus vs. Patricio Freire: Freire via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00
Bellator Season 5 Middleweight Tournament Qualifier
Sam Alvey vs. Karl Amoussou: Alvey via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00 Continue reading »
May 212011
Richard Hale (blue trunks) will face a much smaller man in Christian M'Pumbu for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight belt. (Photo courtesy of Keith Mills and Sherdog)
Tomorrow night Lake Charles, Louisiana will have the honor of hosting the final event of the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 4 tournaments. Not only will there be tournament finals taking place in two weight classes, but one of those finals will crown a new champion in the light heavyweight division. Opening up the main card, middleweight Sam Alvey (13-2) meets M-1 veteran “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (12-2). Gritty featherweight Daniel Straus (16-2) will meet the young Brazilian phenom “Pitbull” Patricio Freire (8-1) in a scheduled three-round war to determine the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament winner as well as who will face the vocal champion Joe Warren (7-1) for his title. Finally, the lightning fast and iron forged giant Richard Hale (12-3) will take on lean and mean French knockout artist Christian M’Pumbu (3-1) with the winner being minted as Bellator’s inaugural 205lbs. champion. Derek Lewis (4-1) was slated to meet Brazilian giant “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (4-1) but an injury has caused Santos to pull out of the fight, thus cancelling the heavyweight tilt. Bellator’s final effort of its fourth season promises fireworks; here, MMA Gospel takes a look at how the evening may play out. Continue reading »
Apr 022011
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—
Main event – World Lightweight Title Fight
Eddie Alvarez vs. Pat Curran: Alvarez via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45), Round 5, 5:00
Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Semi-Final Fight
Rick Hawn vs. Lyman Good: Hawn via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00
Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Semi-Final Fight
Toby Imada vs. Patricky Freire: Freire via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 2:53
Welterweight Fight:
Ben Saunders vs. Matt Lee: Saunders via TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage), Round 3. 1:24 Continue reading »