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Bellator 52 from L’Auberge Du Lac Loaded with Undercard Talent

Plus the highly-anticipated MMA debut of Muay Thai champion Cosmo Alexander

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 21, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships makes its return to Louisiana on Saturday, October 1st as the promotion hosts Bellator 52 from L’Auberge Du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles. The action begins at 7 p.m. ET with a stacked undercard streaming LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the event will feature the quarterfinals of Bellator’s Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament and will begin at 9 p.m. ET LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.

Lightweight sensation Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexander will make his MMA debut against Lake Charles native Josh Quayhagen, who will also be making his professional debut. Alexander enters Bellator with an incredible resume in Muay Thai, as the 29-year-old striker has over 50 professional kickboxing fights under his belt, along with several of the sport’s most notable championship titles. The Miami resident is one of the most highly-coveted prospects in all of MMA and looks to put on a show for Bellator fans. To see video of Cosmo’s devastating striking in competition, please click HERE.

Bellator featherweights collide as Genair da Silva takes on Bellator veteran Bryan Goldsby. For Silva, the Brazilian striker is looking to get back into the win column after suffering a close split-decision loss at the hands of fellow Brazilian Marlon Sandro in Bellator’s Summer Series Featherweight Tournament.

Undefeated light-heavyweight Matt Van Buren joins Bellator looking for victory over Alexandria, La. resident Nick Nichols. At 25 years old, the Virginia based Van Buren will look to impress Bellator brass with a dominating win.
There are also two intriguing heavyweight fights on the ledger as Josh Burns battles former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Zak Jensen, and Liron Wilson takes on the undefeated Justin Frazier, who will put his 4-0 record on the line.

The Season 5 heavyweight tournament will feature an eight-man field that boasts a dominating 73-15-2 record along with 41 combined knockouts. Undefeated Ron Sparks takes on Oklahoma native Mark Holata, Season 3 finalist Neil Grove faces 15-win veteran Mike “300” Hayes; and in other quarterfinal action, Thiago “Big Monster” Santos looks to be the first man to put a blemish on Blagoi Ivanov’s 4-0 record and Army veteran Eric Prindle will test Abe Wagner, the man who beat former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in the first round earlier this year.

“L’Auberge Du Lac has been an incredible venue partner for us, and we should have a great night of fights on October 1st LIVE on MTV2 and EPIX, as well as on Spike.com,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “There are some first-time Bellator fighters on this card that I can’t wait to watch and see what they can do in the cage.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Eddie Alvarez injured, out of Bellator 54 Title Bout
By Brian Lopez-Benchimol

Bellator officials announced earlier today that reigning lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez will be out of action for some time.

The Philadelphia native has since suffered an undisclosed injury in preparation for his bout with Michael Chandler, the season-four tournament winner.

Both Chandler and Alvarez were expected to clash at Bellator 54, which takes place on October 15 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“Eddie suffered an injury that will keep him out of our Oct. 15 show at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City,” stated Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney in the official release.

“Eddie Alvarez has a huge heart, and if there was any way for him to fight on the 15th, I know he would. Ed’s in spectacular condition, so both of us are hopeful that this fight can potentially still occur later this fall.”
Alvarez remains undefeated in the organization, becoming the inaugural titleholder with his season-one tourney run. “The Silent Assassin” holds notable victories over the likes of UFC veterans Josh Neer and Roger Huerta under the Bellator banner. In his last outing, Alvarez made the first defense of his title when he defeated two-time tourney winner Pat Curran over the course of a tough five-round battle, ultimately taking the decision win.

Chandler, a Strikeforce veteran, will remain on the wings waiting for Alvarez. Michael is undefeated in his professional career as a mixed martial artist, holding a perfect 8-0 record, compiled in just under two years’ time.
Stay tuned for more as the story develops.

Canton’s Bellator 51 Prelims Live on Spike.com Loaded with Ohio’s Best

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 13, 2011) — In a city that is known for celebrating world-class athletes, Bellator Fighting Championships brings the greatest local talent to Canton, home of the National Football League Hall of Fame, on Saturday, September 24th from the Canton Civic Center for Bellator 51. The night will feature the quarterfinals of the Season 5 bantamweight tournament LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX at 9 p.m. ET. As an added bonus the six preliminary fights, which are packed with the best talent Bellator and The North American Allied Fight Series has to offer, will air free on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Doors for this highly-anticipated event will open at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the September 24th event can be purchased on Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and at The Canton Civic Center box office.

A popular name amongst most Ohio fight fans, Cleveland native and Bellator veteran Frank “The Tank” Caraballo will be looking for victory against the well-rounded Dustin Kempf, who calls Carrollton, Ohio home.

Fan favorite and rising star Jessica Eye will be in action, taking on 3-1 fighter Casey Noland. Eye trains with Team Strongstyle in Cleveland, which is the home to Bellator tournament competitors Chris Lozano and Brian Rogers.
Two explosive strikers meet when Canton’s own John Hawk takes on Allan Weickert in light heavyweight action. Originally a middleweight, Weickert is making the move up to light heavyweight and is ready to put on a show for the fans of Canton and the ones watching live on Spike.com.

Dan Spohn looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he meets Dane Bonnigson in another light heavyweight battle. Spohn has started his career with a spotless 5-0 record, including a dominating TKO victory over UFC veteran Josh Hendricks. For Bonnigson, the Bowling Green resident has an impressive wrestling background and when he’s not in the cage, he teaches math at a local junior high.

Newly signed Farkhad Sharipov will be in action against a yet to be determined opponent. The 13-3 bantamweight hails from Kyrgyzstan and is riding a six fight win streak, including a win at Bellator 24. Back with Bellator, Sharipov wants to make the most of this opportunity.

“I wanted to fight for Bellator because I’ve seen how they build a fighter from the ground up,” said Sharipov. “I remember training with Joe Warren years ago before he ever fought for Bellator and I’ve watched as he’s become a world champion. That was a big factor in why I signed with Bellator.”

The night rounds out with 2-0 fighter Clint Musser taking on Joey Holt, who will be making his professional debut. During his high school days in Ohio, Musser was a wrestling state champion and parlayed that success to become a member of the Penn State University wrestling team. Musser will look to use those skills and keep his record unblemished against Holt.
“I know the fans in Canton love great, explosive action, and that’s exactly what Bellator is going to bring on September 24th,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This is a city of champions and Bellator is bringing a champion of the present in Joe Warren and possible future champions in all the great local talent on display.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

South Jersey’s Pellegrino returns to A.C. for Bellator debut VS. Patricky Pitbull at Bellator 59 from Caesars on November 26th

New York’s Nover faces Held in highly-anticipated feature fight

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (September 10, 2011) — In one of the biggest moments of the night at Bellator 49, former UFC fighter and Point Pleasant, New Jersey native Kurt Pellegrino returned to Atlantic City – the birthplace of his mixed martial arts career – and made the news known that he will be joining Bellator to fight Patricky “Pitbull” in the main event at Bellator 59 on November 26 in Caesar’s Atlantic City. The fight will be seen LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.

“I had a choice to fight at Boardwalk Hall or fight in the Ballroom at Caesars and I chose Caesars,” Pellegrino said. “I want Patricky to feel suffocated. I want to suffocate him before I ever take his back and choke him out. I’m going to put a thousand of my family and friends in this Ballroom and I want him to feel the pressure. This is going to be the biggest fight of his life.”

The 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holds a 16-6 professional record and has beaten some notable names, including Josh Neer, Thiago Tavares, Mac Danzig, Fabricio Camoes and Junior Assuncao. The exciting veteran has been away from the cage for six months and took time off to be with his wife and two young children. Now the perpetual contender realizes how important fighting was in his life as well.

“It was like Rocky II when Adrian awoke from the coma and told Rocky to ‘win’,” Pellegrino said. “I was retired, sitting home watching videos with my son, but I was also training at that time and was in great shape when my wife walked up to me and said ‘If you want to do it again, go for it’. Before that, I felt bad for being away training and missing my daughter’s first words, changing diapers, etc. I was so happy that I was able to be there for my son’s big moments – but the fact that my family supports me returning to fight means everything to me.”

After two straight losses on one badly injured knee, Pellegrino says he’s 100-percent healthy and ready to put on a great show for his hometown fans.

“I retired from fighting and didn’t think I was going to do this anymore. I feel like this is the right show for me to do everything I want to do and to go where I want to go. I get to finish the vision quest my way and this is why I chose Bellator. My family comes before anything and Bellator understands that. I wanted to wait until I was able to fight in Atlantic City and Bellator is giving me that opportunity – so I couldn’t be happier.”

The always dangerous “Pitbull” has won five of his last six fights with four finishes, but Pellegrino feels this is his house and his time.

“If he can come into my state, the birthplace of me fighting, the place Arturo Gatti made famous – this is me resurrecting Arturo Gatti,” an excited Pellegrino said. “I’m going to rock Atlantic City just like Arturo did.”
The night will also feature the return of Polish prodigy Marcin Held, who enters the Bellator cage looking for victory against former UFC lightweight Phillipe “The Filipino Assassin” Nover. Only 19, Held already holds an impressive 11-2 record with victories over opponents nearly twice his age. With a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a continued desire to push the pace in any fight he enters, Held will provide a unique challenge to Nover.

A New York native and former finalist on The Ultimate Fighter, Nover will make his promotional debut at Bellator 59. Fighting out of Brooklyn, “The Filipino Assassin” will be looking to impress Bellator brass and the Atlantic City faithful with a dominating win.

“I’ve been a Kurt Pellegrino fan for many years,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Kurt is a world class lightweight, and his fight against Patricky Pitbull should be spectacular on November 26th from Caesars Atlantic City.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Lozano, Saunders, Santos and Lima Advance to Welterweight Semifinals at Bellator 49 from Caesars Atlantic City from Caesars Atlantic City.

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 10, 2011) — Returning to the boardwalk to open Bellator’s highly-anticipated fifth season, the promotion hosted an explosive night of fights as the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament kicked off inside a packed house at Caesars. The first leg of the eight-man tournament aired LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX as Chris Lozano, Ben Saunders, Luis Santos and Douglas Lima all punched their tickets to the Welterweight Semifinals. The next round will feature Lima vs. Lozano and Saunders vs. Santos.

In the night’s main event, Lozano and Weedman went right at each other from the start, but it was Weedman who knocked down Lozano during the first exchange. Weedman earned a knockdown and a slam in the first round, but Lozano owned the next ten minutes with heavy-handed combinations and a solid ground game. Lozano took over the fight and never looked back, winning by unanimous decision, 29-28, on all three judges’ scorecards.

“That was a war,” said Lozano after defeating Weedman. “I was ready for a war, and Brent brought it, so I have to thank him for the toughest fight of my life.”
Ben “Killa-B” Saunders made quite a statement in his Bellator debut against Matt Lee, but his TKO win at Bellator 49 sent a bigger statement to opposing welterweights as it moved him one step closer to a tournament championship and a world title shot.
Saunders dominated his battle with Chris Cisneros, advancing on his feet as well as the ground. He gained full mount on his opponent early in their fight and never stopped moving forward, nearly ending the match in the first round with a triangle choke. However, once he applied a Muay Thai clinch to Cisneros in the third and final round, it took just 29 seconds and three-to-four hard knees to the head and body to force an end to their fight by TKO.
“I didn’t get to watch the other fights because I was too busy getting in the zone,” Saunders said. “But I’m looking forward to getting through the next round and on to the finals so I can bring back one of my best weapons,” Saunders said while he waived his elbow at the crowd.

Fan favorite Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle entered his third Bellator Welterweight Tournament and while he may have made it to the finals opposite Ben Askren his first time around, the last two seasons he hasn’t made it out of the quarterfinals. This time it was Luis Santos standing in his way and while Hornbuckle may be a great striker and an excellent submission specialist, Santos had his number. He out-struck Hornbuckle on his feet while setting up plenty of kicks with an offensive barrage. Santos also took “The Handler” to the mat more than once to earn a unanimous decision and his 50th career victory. Santos looks to pose big problems for the remaining welterweights in this eight-man tournament.

Douglas Lima was victorious in his Bellator debut as he defeated Steve Carl by unanimous decision in the quarterfinals. Carl was in it until the very end, attempting a triangle in the first round and finishing the third on top, but Lima dictated the pace of the fight. He out-struck Carl and took him down often spending the majority of each round on top and in dominant position.

The final four in this Tournament are hugely talented fighters and any one of the four could win this whole thing,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The Lozano-Weedman fight was really spectacular and Saunders looked great as well. I can’t wait to see these guys back in the cage on October 8th.”
Bellator also announced a highly anticipated fight between long time UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino and Patricky Pitbull, which will take at Bellator 59 back at Caesars on November 26th.

Bellator Fighting Championships will also return to New Jersey on Oct. 15 for Bellator 54 as Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez takes on the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament winner Michael Chandler inside of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

BELLATOR UNDERCARD FIGHTS TO BE STREAMED LIVE ON SPIKE.COM BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 10

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 6, 2011) — Spike.com, a leading destination for men on the web, will stream LIVE undercard fights throughout the 12-week season of Bellator Fighting Championship that begins Saturday, September 10. It was jointly announced today by Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney and Erik Flannigan, Executive Vice President, Digital Entertainment, MTV Networks Entertainment Group. This marks the first time Spike.com has streamed live mixed martial events.

Spike.com will stream Bellator’s live undercard fights each week from 7:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT, leading into MTV2’s live coverage of the 5th season of Bellator Fighting Championships at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For the first time ever, Bellator will be simulcast in HD on EPIX.

“Fight fans have been coming to our site for years for great mixed martial arts clips and information,” said Flannigan. “Now we are thrilled to provide them with action-packed live fighting each week.”
“We are thrilled to join forces with Spike.com,” said Rebney. “The Spike brand is synonymous with mixed martial arts worldwide and is another member of the MTV family, who does an incredible job in resonating with the hard-to-reach 18-to-34-year-old male audience.”

Bellator’s 5th season premieres with Bellator 49 from Caesar’s in Atlantic City, N.J., featuring four highly-anticipated quarterfinal welterweight tournament fights. Bellator showcases a unique format of world-class fighting with 12-week, eight-man tournaments featuring some of the most dynamic fighters in the world, including Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez, Middleweight champion Hector Lombard, Featherweight champion Joe Warren, Welterweight champion Ben Askren, Bantamweight champion Zack Makovsky, Light Heavyweight champion Christian M’Pumbu, Heavyweight champion Cole Konrad and Women’s 115-pound champion Zoila Frausto.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Heavyweight Tournament Heads to Louisiana’s L’Auberge Du Lac Casino Resort October 1st for Bellator 52

CHICAGO, Ill. (August 31, 2011) — When Bellator kicks off its Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament, the eight man field will bring a dominating 73-15-2 record into the cage that includes 41 combined knockouts. The eight heavyweights are set to square off at Bellator 52 as the promotion will determine who will earn a title shot against reigning undefeated Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole “The Polar Bear” Konrad. The four quarterfinal fights will air LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX October 1st from the L’Auberge Du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Tickets for the event can be purchased on Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.com.

“We’ve consistently seen dramatic, explosive performances from our heavyweights and that’s exactly what I expect in our Season 5 Heavyweight tournament,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Neil, Ron, Eric, Mark, Big Monster all look to knock you out from the moment the first bell rings, so don’t blink when this tournament starts Oct. 1 LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX.”

Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament finalist Neil Grove is back and will take on Bellator veteran Mike “300” Hayes in what should be a stand-up war. Grove is coming off a riveting win against former “The Ultimate Fighter” competitor Zak Jensen at Bellator 47 and is eager to get back into the Bellator cage.

“This tournament is stacked with strikers this year, which will provide a stronger line-up and even more exciting fights than last year,” said Grove. “I’m sure Cole is just as busy as the rest of us, preparing for battle against one of us, and I’m just excited to compete for another shot at the title, especially for a promotion such as Bellator.”

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Thiago “Big Monster” Santos will enter his first Bellator Heavyweight Tournament against undefeated Bulgarian heavyweight and world-class Sambo competitor Blagoi Ivanov. While Ivanov has already collected a victory with Bellator, Santos has yet to compete inside the Bellator cage and already has title aspirations.

“I’m extremely excited to be fighting on national television in the United States for the first time on MTV2,” said Santos. “This is a huge opportunity for my young career, and I feel like this fight is going to be the first on my way to the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.”

Another monster joins the tournament as Ron “The Monster” Sparks looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he takes on Oklahoma native Mark Holata. The 11-2 fighter rides an eight-fight win streak into the bout, and will be looking to punch his ticket into the semifinals with a victory.

Army veteran Eric Prindle looks to build off his Bellator 40 victory with a long tournament run. His first test will be against Bellator newcomer and former college football standout Abe Wagner. The impressive heavyweight took down former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia earlier this year and is ready make a run in this season’s tournament.

Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament – Quarterfinals (September 10, 2011 – Lake Charles, La.)

Ron Sparks (7-0) vs. Mark Holata (11-2)
Neil Grove (11-3-1) vs. Mike “300” Hayes (15-4-1)

Thiago “Big Monster” Santos (8-1) vs. Blagoi Ivanov (4-0)

Eric Prindle (7-1) vs. Abe Wagner (10-4)

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Joe Warren aims to become first in Bellator history to collect two belts as Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament heads to Canton, OH
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 24, 2011) — The home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio is known for having tough guys well inside its city limits – September 24th will be no different.

Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren looks to become the first man in history to hold two Bellator belts at the same time as Bellator brings its single elimination tournament action to the Canton Memorial Civic Center to kick off the Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament at Bellator 51. Locally, Bellator will be working with Ohio’s top Mixed Martial Arts promotion, The North American Allied Fight Series (NAAFS).
Ticket information for this nationally and internationally televised event will be announced shortly. The four-fight bracket can be seen live on MTV2, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

“Canton is a city that truly appreciates champions,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Growing up a football fan and playing my college football in the great state of Ohio, I can definitely appreciate a football city. It’s an honor to bring the fastest rising sport and world-class fighters to a great city such as Canton.”

In possibly Warren’s toughest test to date, the self proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is riding a five-fight win streak since joining Bellator and takes on world-class freestyle wrestler and Olympic Bronze medalist Alexis Vila, who is 9-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career.

A 2004 Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Wilson Reis steps in for what may be the toughest fight of his career and looks to stop the world’s No. 1 ranked Bantamweight prospect in Nova Uniao member Eduardo Dantas. The 22-year-old rising star trains with Season 4 Featherweight Tournament finalist Marlon Sandro and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and is looking to make plenty of noise in this season’s bantamweight bracket.

Coming off a memorable fight against Warren, Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcos Galvao takes on former WEC champion Chase Beebe in a match that could turn into a memorable display of ground fighting and submission attempts.

In the fourth quarterfinal, Ed West, the lone returning fighter from Bellator’s Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament looks to make it back to the tournament finals once again but he must first take on 11-1 Brazilian phenom Luis Nogueira before he realizes that dream.
Established in 2005, The NAAFS has produced nearly 100 live events in the region, and has featured a number of Bellator fighters, including Chris Lozano, Brian Rogers, Daniel Straus and Jessica Eye.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

CHICAGO, Ill. (August 20, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships confirmed today that Chris “The Maverick” Cisneros will replace an injured Rick Hawn in Bellator’s upcoming Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. Hawn suffered a knee injury during a training session, and will be unable to compete in the September 10th Welterweight Quarterfinals airing LIVE on MTV2. Cisneros will replace Hawn, and face UFC veteran Ben Saunders in opening round action.

Cisneros joins Bellator with an impressive 11-3 record, including a current five fight win streak. A former kickboxer and skilled striker, “The Maverick” has had a tremendous amount of success within the Hawaiian MMA circuit and is looking forward to showing off his skills under the Bellator banner.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I’m looking to make some noise in this tournament,” Cisneros said. “It’s always a tough thing to see another fighter go down because of injury, but it happened, and now I have a chance to fight for an unbelievable promotion like Bellator.”

“Rick had a tremendous run for us in our Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, and was really looking forward to seeing him back in this tournament,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Unfortunately Rick suffered an injury that will keep him out for a few months, and I expect him back with Bellator in short order. I know Chris is going to come into this tournament hungry, and his fight with Ben should be a great one on September 10th LIVE on MTV2.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Bellator Heavyweight World Champion Konrad victorious; Petruzelli claims first Bellator win
Uncasville, Conn. (August 20, 2011) — In front of a raucous crowd inside the Mohegan Sun Arena, Pat Curran (fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) delivered a crushing knockout to Marlon Sandro to claim the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament Championship LIVE on MTV2. This is the second tournament win for Curran, who previously won the Bellator Season 2 Lightweight Tournament. Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad was also victorious, earning a victory over Paul Buentello in a non-title super fight.

In the night’s main event, Bellator veteran Pat Curran was up against imposing Brazilian Marlon Sandro. Both fighters were hungry for victory, as the winner would earn a guaranteed title shot for the Bellator Featherweight World Championship. Sandro came out looking to push the pace, and seemed to control Round 1. Round 2 began with both competitors much more aggressive, and late into the round Curran connected with a devastating, highlight-reel roundhouse kick to the head of Sandro that left the Brazilian on his back. Curran finished with hammerfists, and in the process earned a $100,000 payday and a future title shot for the Bellator Featherweight title.

Bellator Heavyweight World Champion Cole Konrad took on long time MMA veteran Paul Buentello in a heavyweight non-title super fight. Konrad, a polished wrestling product out of the University of Minnesota, surprised most by deciding to stay on his feet with the powerful Buentello. With the conflicting styles both competitors featured, both fighters were passive in their attacks. After three rounds of trading stand-up shots, the judges awarded Konrad the unanimous decision victory, keeping his perfect record intact and moving the phenom to 8-0.
Seth “The Kimbo Killer” Petruzelli faced former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez in a catchweight bout that was full of fireworks. No one anticipated this fight lasting very long, and the two giants kept their word. Petruzelli connected on two consecutive wheel kicks to the upper body of Rodriguez, and followed it up with a stiff right hook that dropped the stunned veteran. Petruzelli pounced with hammerfists, ending the fight before it could get to the second round.

The undefeated Rene “Brazilian Bomber” Nazare took on Costa Rican born Juan Barrantes in a lightweight feature fight. Nazare lived up to this name from the opening bell, delivering a consistent barrage of devastating combinations that Barrantes could only take for so long. After two rounds completed, the ringside physician advises referee Keith Peterson to stop the fight as Barrentes’ left eye had been cut and began to close shut. Nazare was awarded the convincing win, and moved his record to a perfect 10-0.

“What an unbelievable night to close out our Summer Series tournament,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Pat has been incredibly impressive during his run with Bellator, and he continued his unbelievable journey of becoming one of the best featherweights in the world tonight. Cole showed tonight why he is a champion, Seth and Ricco put on a terrific show, and Nazare was an absolute beast in the cage tonight. September 10th can’t get here soon enough to kick off our fifth season LIVE on MTV2.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Inspirational Rad Martinez Signs With Bellator

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 7, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of fast-rising Rad Martinez, adding to its growing list of impressive competitors. A former NCAA Division I All American wrestler, Martinez was recently featured on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” where his incredibly moving story of being the primary caretaker for his seriously injured father was told. (Watch Here: http://es.pn/iOZTCP).

At the age of 12, Rad’s father Richard was involved in a devastating car accident that left him with traumatic brain damage. Having already lost his mother years earlier, Rad and his brother Levi began living with their grandparents, who became primary caregivers to Richard. Needing an escape to take his mind off of what was happening at home, Rad began his wrestling career at the age of 14 and eventually progressed to become a Division I All-American at Clarion University, where he wrestled alongside good friend and current UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. It was Edgar who turned Martinez onto MMA, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“Frankie Edgar is definitely the one that talked me into giving MMA a shot,” Martinez said. “Every day he was always telling me how good I would be at MMA and how much I would love it, and eventually he just ended up talking me into it.
“When I first decided I wanted to pursue a career in MMA, there were several different gyms in my area that only offered night classes, and that wasn’t going to work with my obligations to my dad. However, The Pit Elevated ended up putting a class together in the afternoon just for me. They really bent over backwards to help me out down there, and if they hadn’t done that, I probably wouldn’t be competing today.”

Even with the support from his fight team, Rad’s daily schedule is grueling. Taking care of his father is a full time job that includes hours of daily physical therapy, which is usually administered by Rad himself. With an enormous responsibility always waiting at home for Martinez, stepping into the cage has become a release for the fighter.

“When I step in that cage, and even when I get to go to practice, that’s when the shackles come off,” said Martinez. “That’s when I’m free to be me – to think about me and what I have to do right now.”

Currently holding a 9-2 professional record that includes an impressive TKO victory over UFC veteran Joe Brammer, Rad is eager to join an already stacked featherweight division with Patricio Pitbull, Pat Curran, Ronnie Mann, Marlon Sandro and current Bellator Featherweight World Champion Joe Warren.

“I’ve always had confidence in my ability and felt like I could compete with anybody in the world, but when you’re talking about guys like Joe Warren, Patricio Pitbull and Marlon Sandro in the Bellator featherweight division, you’re talking about three of the absolute best featherweights in the world,” said Martinez. “I’m just really looking forward to being able to test myself against that elite level of competition.”

“Rad not only has an incredibly uplifting, powerful story, but he’s also a fierce competitor who will be a great addition to the Bellator family,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We’re proud to have Rad under the Bellator banner, and expect big things from him inside the Bellator cage.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 5, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the addition of lightweight striker Thiago Michel Pereira Silva. The dangerous Brazilian is simply explosive in the cage, with all eight of his victories coming by way of some form of knockout.

“I’ve always dreamt of being part of a great promotion like Bellator,” said the 27 year old who is known simply as Thiago Michel. “Now that I have this opportunity, I need to grab onto it with everything that I have.”

“Our stacked lightweight division with Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, Rene Nazare, Patricky Pitbull and many others just got stronger with another tremendously talented fighter in Thiago Michel,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “I’m very happy to have added Thiago to our organization and his style will fit perfectly in this electrifying division.”

Known for his kicks and elite level striking, Michel turned pro in 2006 and is a World Kickboxing Champion and WBC Muay Thai Champion. His talent is only matched by his drive and desire to succeed in MMA. “I am inspired to give a better life to my son and my family,” said Michel. “Now I just need to do my job and show my style. I promise that I will always put on good fights for all the fans watching in attendance and LIVE on MTV2.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament Fights Set and Loaded With Talent

CHICAGO, Ill. (June 28, 2011) — Bellator’s Season 5 will feature a talent-stacked tournament at 135 lbs., as eight of the world’s top bantamweights are set to battle it out for the right to challenge current champion Zack Makovsky for the Bellator Bantamweight World Title. Season five kicks off LIVE on MTV2 on September 10th, and the Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Quarterfinals are scheduled to get underway on September 24th. Headlined by current Bellator Featherweight World Champion and “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren, who is dropping down a weight class in an attempt to simultaneously hold two World Titles. The bantamweight field also includes the spectacular talents of former Bellator Featherweight World Champion Joe Soto, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Marcos Galvao and hard-hitting Olympic Medalist wrestling phenom Alexis Vila. Rounding out the group is the world’s top bantamweight prospect Eduardo Dantas, Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Finalist Ed West, Brazilian Wrestling Champion Luis Nogueira and former WEC Champion Chase Beebe.

All four bantamweight quarterfinal fights will be televised LIVE on MTV2 on September 24th, with the undefeated and extremely dangerous Vila battling Warren. Vila, a Cuban Olympic bronze medalist known as “The Exorcist,” comes in with a 9-0 record, with six of those eight wins coming by way of some form of knockout. His unblemished professional career will most certainly be tested by Warren, who will be coming off a featherweight title defense against Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 47 from Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada (also LIVE on MTV2).

“To say our Season Five Bantamweight tournament is stacked is a gross understatement,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Warren-Vila is going to be absolutely explosive for as long as it lasts, and the inclusion of Dantas, Nogueira, Chase, Soto, Ed and Luis makes every single fight in this tournament a pick’em adventure. This should be an unbelievable tournament for our fans watching live on MTV2.”

In what is sure to be one of the night’s most compelling fights, World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion Galvao, nicknamed “Loro,” faces off against fellow submission specialist Chase Beebe. If there ever was a Bellator fighter who made his name in defeat, it was Galvao, who lost by decision in a much talked about and hotly contested all out war with Warren. Being at most two victories from a potential rematch with Warren will surely motivate the supremely talented Galvao.

In other quarterfinal action, former world Champion and worlds #6 ranked Joe Soto takes his impressive 9-1 mark against the Nova Uniao-trained “Dudu” Dantas, who at 10-2 and only 22 years old is one of the sport’s true up and comers. Also, Ed West returns to the Bellator Bantamweight Tournament to face off with Nogueira in the cage, as each fighter looks to punch their ticket to the semifinals.

The Season 5 Tournament in full is listed below:

Joe Warren vs. Alexis Vila
Eduardo Dantas vs. Joe Soto
Ed West vs. Luiz Nogueira
Marcos Galvao vs. Chase Beebe

Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator To Hold Open Tryouts July 16th From Daddis Fight Camps In Cherry Hill, New Jersey
CHICAGO, Ill. (June 29, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that it will host an open tryout on July 16th that will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an undiscovered professional fighter to earn a spot in one of the organization’s upcoming area events.

The tryout will take place at Daddis Fight Camps in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Saturday, July 16th, with registration starting at 1 p.m. EST and tryouts beginning promptly at 2 p.m. EST. Only fighters from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware will be eligible to win a spot on the undercard of a future Bellator event in New Jersey. Fighters who are traveling from different states are encouraged to tryout and will be scouted for other potential future roster openings. Tryouts are completely open to media.

“The Tri-State area is a true MMA hotbed and rich in talent, so I’m expecting big things to come out of our July 16th tryout” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Earlier this year, Ailton Barbosa realized a dream when he won Bellator’s open tryouts in Florida. Barbosa will fight in an upcoming Bellator event in Florida. Plus, Sam “The Rebel” Jones, also a participant in the Florida tryouts, took advantage of his big break when he was asked to compete in an undercard fight at Bellator 46 in Hollywood, Florida. Jones stepped in and fought only seven days after trying out.

Daddis Fight Camps is located at 3 Larwin Road, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034. Fighters must bring MMA gloves, boxing gloves, an athletic protector, and a mouthpiece. There will be no live striking, but there will be live grappling. The tryouts are only open to professional fighters and they must be prepared to present their MixedMartialArts.com ID. Fighters must also be unrestricted free agents and cannot have any contractual obligations to another mixed martial arts promotion.
Bellator’s open tryouts have produced a number of fighters that have appeared at Bellator events, including Kenny Foster, Tyler Stinson, Anthony Lapsley, Anthony Leone, Jose Vega, John Orr and Jared Downing.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Sandro, Mann, Curran and Malegarie Move On to Bellator Featherweight Summer Series Semifinals With Impressive Victories

CHICAGO, Ill. (June 25, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships kicked off its Featherweight Summer Series Tournament with a bang, as Ronnie Mann, Pat Curran, Marlon Sandro and Nazareno Malegarie all moved on to the Bellator Featherweight Summer Series Semifinals, which take place on July 23rd LIVE on MTV2 from Casino Rama.

Ronnie “Kid Ninja” Mann kicked off the night with a first round knockout of Air Force veteran Adam Schindler. After trading blows to open up the fight, Mann took control and delivered a crushing left hook that dropped Schindler. A killer barrage of ground and pound strikes followed, and just like that Mann had punched his ticket to the Featherweight Semifinals, which will take place at Bellator 47 from Rama, Ontario.

Argentinian finisher Nazareno Malegarie was up next, taking on Arizona native Jacob Devree, who entered the fight riding a seven-fight win streak. It was clear early on that Malegarie was set on making up for his only career loss and Devree would be his victim. The first two rounds were controlled by Malegarie, but he failed to put away the tough Devree. The third round was a different story, as Malegarie was determined to finish the fight and did just that with a guillotine submission that earned him a spot in next month’s Featherweight Semifinals.

Former Sengoku Champion Marlon Sandro then took on fellow Brazilian Genair da Silva in one of the more intriguing fights of the night. Sandro administered a mix of leg kicks and combinations throughout the fight, putting da Silva on the defensive for most of the fight. As the fight moved into the later stages, both fighters wanted a finish and left it all in the cage by exchanging devastating punches. The fight ended up going the distance, and Sandro was awarded the split decision and a ticket to the Featherweight Semifinals.

The final fight of the night saw former Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Champion Pat Curran take on long time Bellator veteran Luis Palomino. The two fighters came out attacking, but the real excitement came when the capacity crowd at Seminole Hard Rock and the viewers watching LIVE on MTV2 saw one of the more thrilling and rare submissions in MMA when Curran ended it in round one with a Peruvian necktie to earn a coveted spot in the Featherweight Semifinals.

“Tonight our featherweights put on just an incredible display for our fans, and I couldn’t be happier with what we saw here tonight from the Seminole Hard Rock,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Pat, Marlon, Ronnie, and Nazareno are four very deserving semifinalists, and I can’t wait for Bellator 47 in July.”

It was announced after the fight Ronnie “Kid Ninja” Mann will take on Pat Curran in the first Featherweight Semifinal fight, with Marlon Sandro taking on Nazareno Malegarie in the other semifinal fight at Bellator 48 from Casino Rama on July 23rd.

MAIN CARD

Pat Curran def. Luis Palomino via submission (Peruvian necktie) – Round 1, 3:49
Marlon Sandro def. Genair da Silva via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Nazareno Malegarie def. Jacob Devree via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 1:25
Ronnie Mann def. Adam Schindler via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:14

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jessica Aguilar def. Carla Esparza via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Tony Johnson Jr. def. Derrick Lewis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Alexandre Bezerra def. Sam Jones via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:27
Dan Cramer def. Josh Samman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)