“Big Monster” Thiago Santos Replaces Injured Mike Hayes in Bellator Heavyweight Tourney

 Posted by at 6:10 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 102011
 

Thiago Santos (white trunks) battered Josh Burns (black trunks) in their Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament alternate bout, earning his place as a replacement for the injured Mike Hayes. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

It’s a tough pill to swallow for Bellator heavyweight “300″ Mike Hayes (14-4) who fought his way to the Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament semi-finals by a three-round battle with “Goliath” Neil Grove (11-4) only to now be forced to withdraw from the competition. Hayes sustained a fractured orbital bone in his Bellator 52 brawl with Hayes and was put on a 60-day medical suspension by the Louisiana State Commission, thus preventing him from participating in the tournament semi-finals just two weeks away.

“Big Monster” Thiago Santos (5-1) earned his placed as tournament alternate last Saturday at Bellator 53, defeating Josh Burns (5-3) via first-round Rear Naked Choke, and will now step in for Mike Hayes to face the contender that he himself was originally scheduled to face in the Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Finals, 2008 Sambo champion Blagoi Ivanov (5-0), but was unable to do so at the time due to visa issues in his native Brazil. Last weekend the Bulgarian Ivanov defeated Zak Jensen (10-8) via Guillotine Choke in Round 2. Continue reading »

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Bellator 52: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 2:45 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 032011
 

It was a familiar scene at Bellator 52 when the referee had to pull Ron Sparks (top) off his foe just 84 seconds into the match. (Photo courtesy of Keith Mills and Sherdog)

It was a rumble in the bayou as the heavyweight tournament fighters clashed in the Bellator cage in Lake Charles, Louisiana on Saturday night. Supported by an undercard stacked with talent, Bellator 52 was perhaps the organization’s most high octane night thus far of its fifth season. Starting off the night, “The Monster” Ron Sparks (5-0) opened up the tournament against Mark Holata (7-3) and ended the bout in routine fashion. “The Hurricane” Abe Wagner (10-4) and “The American Soldier” Eric Prindle (7-1) went toe-to-toe for the win and for the fans. Then 2008 Sambo Champion and Xtreme Couture fighter Blagoi Ivanov (5-0) took on tournament alternate Zak Jensen (10-8). In the main event South African powerhouse “Goliath” Neil Grove (11-4) and tournament dark horse “300″ Mike Hayes (14-4) slugged it out in tit for tat style for three rounds. All in all it was a stellar night of heavyweight action that showcased the deepening talent pool of Bellator Fighting Championships. Continue reading »

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Bellator 52, Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Finals Live Results

 Posted by at 4:10 PM  Bellator  No Responses »
Oct 012011
 

(Photo courtesy of Bellator)

—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—

Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Neil Grove vs. Mike Hayes: Hayes via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29), Round 3, 5:00

Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Blagoi Ivanov vs. Zak Jensen: Ivanov via Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 2, 2:35

Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Eric Prindle vs. Abe Wagner: Prindle via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00

Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Mark Holata vs. Ron Sparks: Sparks via KO (Punches), Round 1, 1:24 Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: RETURNS!

 Posted by at 5:48 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  2 Responses »
Aug 012011
 

Did you miss me? Well, dry your tears icemigos. I have returned. There was a rough few weeks with no MMA events – at least none that I was able to see. And now… now… I have three events to draw from. Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III, and Bellator 47.

Let’s start from the top. What’s up with Fedor? Sure, anyone can get knocked out by Dan Henderson but before that Fedor was swinging wildly.  Yes, Fedor is known to try and finish a fight when he has someone hurt but there was an almost desperate recklessness in Fedor’s attempt to finish – not the precision timing that KO’d Andrei Arlovski in mid-air. Continue reading »

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Bellator 47: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 2:34 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Jul 242011
 

Pat Curran (white trunks) went the distance with Sengoku and Shark Fights veteran "Kid Ninja" Ronnie Mann (black shorts) to stamp his ticket to the Bellator Featherweight Tournament finals. (Photo courtesy of Al Quintero and Sherdog)

Featherweight firepower lit up the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario last night with both tournament semi-finals of the stacked Summer Series 145lbs. bracket. Former Bellator lightweight title challenger Pat Curran (14-4) took on British top featherweight “Kid Ninja” Ronnie Mann (20-3) in the main event supported by the action packed co-main event between former Sengoku Featherweight Champion “Monster of Rio” Marlon Sandro (19-2) and young gun Jiu-Jitsu fighter “Naza” Nazareno Malegarie (18-2). Along side the semi-finals were two feature fights in the heavyweight and lightweight divisions. WEC and IFL veteran and London, Ontario’s own “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (18-3) took on “The So Cal Kid” Chris Saunders (9-2). Beginning the main card on MTV2 was returning heavyweight striker “Goliath” Neil Grove (11-3) against the high octane finisher Zak Jensen (10-7). Continue reading »

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Bellator 47, Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals Live Results

 Posted by at 6:12 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Jul 232011
 

(Photo courtesy of Bellator)

 

—MAIN CARD—

Bellator Season 5 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Pat Curran vs. Ronnie Mann: Curran via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00

Bellator Season 5 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Marlon Sandro vs. Nazareno Malegarie: Sandro via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Heavyweight Feature Fight
Neil Grove vs. Zak Jensen: Grove via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 2:00

Lightweight Feature Fight
Chris Horodecki vs. Chris Saunders: Horodecki via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Continue reading »

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Bellator 47, Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals Pre-Fight Breakdown

 Posted by at 2:36 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Jul 222011
 

Chris Horodecki (left) looks to prove to the world that Zuffa made a huge mistake in choosing not to sign him as he makes his Bellator debut on the promotion's 47th card. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Canada will be getting another dose of high octane MMA from its third American promotion this Saturday, July 23 as Bellator 47 drops anchor in Rama, Ontario at the Casino Rama. The event still promises not to disappoint despite having taken a hit in early July; formerly headlining the event was the somewhat heated rematch between Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren (7-1) and Brazilian powerhouse “Pitbull” Patricio Freire (9-1). Freire, however, suffered an injury that will force him to sit out and Warren bowed out to wait for Freire. Now headlining the event is former Bellator lightweight title challenger Pat Curran (13-4), who looked better than ever with his improved ground game when he moved to featherweight, as he takes on the young and talented British featherweight Ronnie Mann (20-2). This fight has fireworks written all over it – both men are game to stand their ground wherever the fight goes. “Naza” Nazareno Malegarie (18-1) is a man with a never-give-up attitude when it comes to his submissions, as he showed in his return fight against Jacob Devree (10-2) with a fight-ending choke in the third round. Malegarie will put his impressive record against the former Sengoku champion “Monster of Rio” Marlon Sandro (18-2). The heavy-handed Sandro’s Bellator debut was far from what the world wanted to see, but he will look to bring the cold serving of a knockout when he steps in the cage against Malegarie. Supporting the main and co-main events is a heavyweight tilt highlighting the return of the human wrecking ball “Goliath” Neil Grove (10-3) against Zak Jensen (10-6). These two were slated to meet several months ago but an injury to Jensen caused the fight to be put on hold. Now the men will be looking to get a invitation into the upcoming season’s heavyweight tournament. Kicking off the Bellator 47 main card is a special attraction fight between WEC veteran “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (17-3) and “The So Cal Kid” Chris Saunders (9-1). Continue reading »

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