Bellator 84, Season 7 Tournament Finales: Main Card Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 6:06 PM  Bellator  No Responses »
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)

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.

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Bellator 83, Season 7 Featherweight Tournament Finale: Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 8:18 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 

The aggression and relentless pace of Jessica Eye (pink shorts) may prove problematic for Bellator’s 115lbs. women’s champ Zoila Gurgel in their non-title affair. (Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)

Chicago-based MMA promotion Bellator Fighting Championships makes its second stop at the Caesars Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey Friday night for Bellator 83, featuring the finale of the Bellator Season 7 Featherweight Tournament. Rad Martinez (14-2) and “Sha” Shahbulat Shamhalaev (11-1) go to war for the big paycheck and the shot at the 145lbs. championship strap in the main event. A battle between two of Ohio’s most renowned female warriors takes place as Bellator’s Women’s Champion “Warrior Princess” Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-1) partakes in a non-title affair against the talented “Evil” Jessica Eye (8-1) in the Bellator 83 co-main event. Former Bellator Bantamweight Champion “Fun Size” Zach Makovsky (14-3) returns to the Bellator stage against fellow Bellator alum Anthony Leone (11-5). Heavyweights shake up the cage first as promotional veteran “The Juggernaut” Mike Wessel (12-5) and knockout specialist Alexei Kudin (14-4) kick things off on MTV2. Continue reading »

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Bellator 79: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 3:54 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Nov 032012
 

Season 5 welterweight tourney winner Douglas Lima (grey trunks) let his hands do the talking as he put on a striking clinic against Jacob Ortiz (not pictured) before finishing him in the third round. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator 79 featured a pair of semi-final match-ups in the Season 7 Heavyweight and Featherweight Tournaments as well as two welterweight fights to treat the crowd at the Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada to a night of toe-to-toe mixed martial arts action. Heavyweights “Rare Breed” Rich Hale (21-4) and “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (11-2) squared off in the marquee bout of the evening and the first of two Season 7 heavyweight semi-final tilts. “The Marine” Mike Richman (13-2) faced “Sha” Shahbulat Shamhalaev (11-1) in the co-main event for a spot in the 145lbs. tourney finals. Former MFC Welterweight Champion and Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (21-5) returned to action against Kobe Ortiz (13-4) at a catchweight of 180lbs. In the starting fight of the night, Canada native “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (19-4) faced tough Bellator newcomer “Alley Cat” Kyle Baker (12-7). Continue reading »

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Bellator 79 Video Highlights

 Posted by at 11:41 AM  Bellator  No Responses »
Nov 032012
 

 (Video courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)

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Bellator 79, Season 7 Heavyweight and Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals Results

 Posted by at 8:33 PM  Bellator  1 Response »
Nov 022012
 

(Photo courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships)

—MAIN CARD (on MTV 2 @ 8:00pm ET)—

Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Finals Fight
Rich Hale vs. Thiago Santos: Hale via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 3:31

Season 7 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals Fight
Shahbulat Shamhalaev vs. Mike Richman: Shamhalaev via TKO (Punches), Round 1, 1:45

Catchweight (180lbs.) Feature Fight
Douglas Lima vs. Kobe Ortiz: Lima via TKO (Head Kick and Knee), Round 3, 4:50

Welterweight Feature Fight
Ryan Ford vs. Kyle Baker: Ford via Unanimous Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Continue reading »

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Bellator 79, Season 7 Heavyweight and Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals: Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 6:02 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 312012
 

Former 205er RIch Hale (white trunks) brings his speed and KO power to the heavyweight tournament semi-finals against Brazilian “Big Monster” Thiago Santos at Bellator 79. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator makes its second stop in Canada in the Season 7 tournament, dropping in at the Casino Rama of Orillia, Ontario. A Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final match-up is designated for Friday’s Bellator 79 main event slot preceded by a second semi-final bout, in the featherweight tourney, as well as a pair of welterweight affairs featuring two well-known faces to the Rama native fans. Former MFC star “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (18-4) returns to home soil to face “Alley Cat” Kyle Baker (12-6) with both 170lbs. contenders hoping to seal his place in the next tournament with a victory. Season 5 welterweight tourney winner and former MFC champ ”The Phenom” Douglas Lima (21-5) steps back onto his old stomping grounds against well-rounded Kobe Ortiz (13-3), who is looking for the biggest win of his career against Lima. Bellator vet ”The Marine” Mike Richman (13-1) and Russian-born Shahbulat Shamhalaev (10-1-1) battle it out in the featherweight tournament semi-finals. Finally, Brazilian heavyweight ”Big Monster” Thiago Santos (11-1) will face former 205er and KO artist “The Rare Breed” Rich Hale (20-4) in a don’t-blink style of fight. Continue reading »

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Bellator 75, Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Finals Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 7:12 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 042012
 

Brett Rogers’ (white trunks) big power and motivation to rebuild his fighting career should be enough for him to spoil the Bellator debut of Russian fighter Alexander Volkov. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

October 5 in Hammond, Indiana Bellator will shake the Venue at Horseshoe Casino with the quarter-finals of the Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament. Four pairs of combatants will meet in the Bellator cage, including among others a man looking to redeem himself after bad luck, a lightning quick 205er adding on a few pounds to take on giants, and a fading star that has found new life, all of whom hope to secure the title of Bellator Heavyweight Champion recently vacated by “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (10-0). C3 Fights veteran and four-time Bellator vet Mark Holata (12-3) welcomes a knockout out artist from Brazil, “Spartan” Vinicius Kappke de Queiroz (5-2), to Bellator. Former Bellator light heavyweight “Rare Breed” Richard Hale (19-4) missed out on the previous 205lbs. tournament due to injury and jumped at the chance to enter the heavyweight ranks, taking on “The Juggernaut” Mike Wessel (12-4) who is coming off a successful promotional debut at Bellator 73.  Former Strikeforce fighter “The Grim” Brett Rogers (12-4) has emerged from his recent dark period and looks to build off his first win since 2011 at the expense of Bellator debutee Alexander Volkov (16-3), a 23-year-old 6’7″ Russian with 13 knockout wins. The main event features the rematch between “The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (7-2) who is coming off his loss to Konrad for the title against his arch rival “Big Monster” Thiago Santos (10-1). At long last the two will face off and finally decided who is the best between them.

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Bellator 71: Main Card Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 8:32 AM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Jun 222012
 

Four-time Bellator veteran and submission savvy Tim Carpenter (gray trunks) steps in as a last-minute replacement to welcome Beau Tribolet to the Bellator cage. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

Bellator launches its second Summer Series tonight at the Mountaineer Casino and Resort in Chester, West Virgina. The division in the limelight this go-around is the eventful light heavyweight class and its contenders seeking Bellator championship gold. IFC and Shark Fight veteran Roy Boughton (8-2) makes his Bellator debut against another newcomer to the promotion – MFC and Shark Fight veteran “The Hardcore Kid” Emanuel Newton (17-6). Bellator veteran “Rare Breed” Rich Hale (19-4) was set to return to the tournament but illness has prevented him from competing so a late replacement in Tim Carpenter (8-1) will welcome submission handy Beau Tribolet (7-1) to the cage. One of the sport’s most experienced fighters, “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (66-14), is on a quest for the 205lbs. title but in his way is former Marine and knockout artist “The Professional” Chris Davis (10-3) who has finished all ten of his opponents before the final bell. Former Bellator middleweight “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (11-6) makes his light heavyweight debut against KSW veteran “Pumukli” Attila Vegh (25-4). Vegh has finished 19 of his 25 opponents, by both strikes and submissions. In addition to the Bellator Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Finals, Strikeforce veteran “Da Grim” Brett Rogers (11-4) takes on Brutaal fight journeyman “Concrete” Kevin Asplund (15-1). Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: GOSH!

 Posted by at 5:13 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  3 Responses »
Apr 252011
 

I’ll tell ya what, Icemigos… So far, I’m not feeling this season of The Ultimate Fighter. I mean, I’ll keep watching it but how I miss people getting KOS’d. Plunger fights. A Male Nurse. Jean-Charles: The French kickboxing badass who liked to get drunk before sparring. Cody McKenzie and his “McKenzietine”. Those were the days! When the most entertaining thing that happens is Ramsey Nijem whipping his junk around and Brock Lesnar saying “chickenshit” again, you start to curse fate for not letting Chael Sonnen be one of the coaches this season. Seriously, Dana, you owe us one. Next season better have Chael and Michael Bisping as the coaches. Or “Mayhem” Miller and Nick Diaz. Here’s what I’ve learned thus far from this season of TUF: Continue reading »

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