Bellator Adds Italian Featherweight Annalisa Bucci To Expanding Women’s Division

#6 Ranked Featherweight Makes North American Debut This Year

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 27, 2014) – The roster additions continue for Bellator as the promotion has added the #6 ranked featherweight in the world as Annalisa Bucci (7-3) has joined Bellator and will compete in the United States for the first time in her career.

“I feel extremely honored, excited and thankful to be part of the first group of females, fighting for Scott Coker in the new Bellator MMA Women's Division,” Bucci said. “I cannot find the right words to truly express how I feel. This is more than a payoff for years of hard work, love and dedication to this sport. This is a dream come true!”

Known for her dangerous kickboxing and Muay Thai, Bucci has become synonymous for pushing the pace and keeping her opponents on their heels, and is simply known as “No Fear” within MMA circles.

With the signing, Bellator now has a collection of four of the best featherweights in the sport, as Bucci joins the #2 ranked Marloes Coenen, #3 ranked Julia Budd, and #8 ranked Talita Nogueira.  

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

Talita Nogueira Latest Addition To Bellator Women’s Division; 2013 Female Fighter Of The Year Winner Joins Bellator

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 21, 2014) – Just days after Bellator President Scott Coker reinstated the women’s division to Bellator by bringing in top featherweights Marloes Coenen and Julia Budd, Bellator has a new addition to the roster as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Talita Nogueira (6-0) has joined the promotion. Currently ranked in the Top 10 Featherweight rankings, the multiple-time jiu-jitsu champion will now call Bellator home and is excited about what the future has in store.

"Joining Bellator is like a dream come true,” Nogueira said. “Since I began my MMA career I wanted to compete in a promotion like Bellator so I want to thank Scott and Rich for bringing back women’s MMA to Bellator and I promise I will train harder than anyone to put on entertaining fights for Bellator.”

Beginning her MMA career in 2009, “Treta” was a spotless 4-0 before walking away from MMA to focus exclusively on jiu-jitsu. In 2013 Nogueira returned to MMA and collected two more first round submission victories, and now has the opportunity to compete inside the Bellator cage on Spike TV.

“We are always excited when we can bring in a talent like Talita to the organization,” Coker said. “This is just the beginning for women’s MMA here at Bellator. We want to make a very serious commitment to this division, and this is just the start.”

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

Bellator Re-Launches The Next Era In The Women’s Division

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 14, 2014) – Bellator MMA has reestablished the women’s division with two of MMA’s top featherweights leading the forefront. Finding previous success in the female MMA game, Bellator President Scott Coker has added Marloes Coenen and Julia Budd to the roster to start the next era of the Bellator women’s division.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring in two of the best athletes competing in our sport today,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “We are making a commitment to bring back the female division to Bellator, and feature some of the world’s best in the Bellator cage.”

A former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion and Remix World Cup Champion, Coenen has recorded a 21-6 professional record with 15 wins coming by submission and 12 in the first round. Ranked as the number two featherweight in the world, Coenen is ready to get back in the cage and put on an explosive performance for the fans in the first female fight under Coker’s reign. 

"After fighting professionally for over 15 years, I am honored to be invited into the Bellator cage,” Coenen said. “Fighting for Bellator brings my spirit back for fighting! It is great to be working together with Scott Coker again as we both have the same vision on fighting. My style is fighting with the objective to knock my opponent out or to submit her. That is exactly what I am planning to do the very first second I step into the Bellator cage.”

Budd joins Bellator riding a four-fight win streak and is currently ranked as the number three featherweight in the world. Having previously fought for Strikeforce and Invicta, the Canadian striker is known for her strong Muay Thai background and is looking for a strong finish in her return to the bright lights. 

“I’m ecstatic about the opportunity that Bellator is giving the 145 female division and I’m especially excited to be one of the first females to fight for Scott Coker under the Bellator banner,” Budd said. “This gives me the opportunity to showcase my skills as one of the best fighters in the world on one of the biggest stages in the world.”

Coenen and Budd are scheduled to square off later this year inside the Bellator cage live on Spike TV.

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

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California. Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

CHARMAINE TWEET REPLACES INJURED JULIA BUDD AGAINST EDIANE GOMES AT INVICTA FC 6

LIVE on Pay Per View - 9 PM / ET 6 PM / PT

WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MMA EVENT AT AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL KANSAS CITY       SATURDAY, JULY 13 NORMA CENTER TO STEP IN FOR INJURED SARAH SCHNEIDER OPPOSITE JOANNE CALDERWOOD MAIN CARD AIRS LIVE ON PPV                       Charmaine Tweet                                        Ediane Gomes  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 27, 2013) - Streaking submission specialist Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet (4-3) of Regina, Saskatchewan Canada will replace an injured Julia Budd in a featherweight (145 pounds) main card bout against powerhouse Ediane Gomes (10-2) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women's world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13, live on Pay-Per-View. Additionally, Norma Center (2-0) of Albuquerque, N.M. will square off in a strawweight (115 pounds) contest with fellow undefeated rising star Joanne Calderwood (6-0) of Glasgow, Scotland after Calderwood's original opponent, Sarah "White Tiger" Schneider of Raytown, Mo., was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a leg injury. "Invicta FC 6," presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET - 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV, Shaw PPV, SaskTel, TELUS, MTS and Viewer's Choice in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.  In addition, viewers worldwide can purchase the show at Ustream.TV. The 6-foot, 36-year-old Tweet is a winner of three straight fights, including her last start on June 1 when she submitted Amanda Bell in the first round (4:18) of their meeting with a rear-naked choke.  The 5-foot-6, 32-year-old Gomes, meanwhile, will enter the cage on a four-fight winning streak.  Her last two victories - a first round (4:19) submission (rear-naked choke) of Katalina Malungahu and a unanimous decision over JEWELS starHiroko Yamanaka occurred at Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4, respectively.  All 4 of Tweet's professional victories have come by way of submission while Gomes has claimed 7 of her 10 career wins by way of submission. Center is a 25-year-old protégé of master trainer Greg Jackson.  She made her pro debut on March 23, earning a unanimous decision over Rachael Cummins, after amassing a perfect 4-0 record as an amateur.  The 26-year-old Calderwood is a ferocious striker who has notched four of her six career victories by way of (T)KO.  In her Invicta FC debut last October 6, Calderwood decimated Ashley Cummins with a Tickets for Invicta FC 6, priced from $35, are on sale online at TicketFly.com. In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout. The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action. In the strawweight co-main event, a pair of undefeated stars in JEWELS championAyaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan and Claudia Gadelha (9-0) of Mossoro, Rio Grande Do Norte Brazil will put their untarnished records on the line against each other. In other action on the Invicta FC 6 main card, three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D'Alelio (7-3) of San Jose, Calif. will take on undefeated upstart Lauren Taylor (6-0) of Anchorage, Alaska at bantamweight (135 pounds). After her second Invicta FC "Fight of the Night" performance, prolific striker Leslie "The Peacemaker" Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will drop from bantamweight to flyweight and face off with Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.  Maia is coming off her second consecutive win, a unanimous decision over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel, at Invicta FC 5 on April 5. Former Invicta FC world atomweight (105 pounds) champion Jessica Penne (10-2) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will look to rebound from her hard-fought defeat at the hands of Michelle Waterson in the main event of Invicta FC 5 when she squares off with battle-tested road warrior Nicdali "The Night Queen" Riveral-Calanoc (8-6) of Tulsa, Okla.  Crowd-pleasing finisher "Rowdy" Bec Hyatt (5-2) of Brisbane, Queensland Australia will look to notch her second straight victory under the Invicta FC banner in a strawweight showdown with JEWELS star Mizuki Inoue (5-1) of Nagoya, Aichi Japan.  Inoue has won all five her professional stars to date by way of submission inside of two rounds of action. Hard-hitting Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif. will square off with Duda "Diamond" Yankovich (1-1) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in a bantamweight bout.  A four-bout preliminary card will be highlighted by a strawweight collision between unbeaten upstarts Rose Namajunas (2-0) of St. Paul, Minn. and Tecia "The Tiny Tornado" Torres (2-0) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Namajunas captured the attention of the entire MMA fight world when she scored a stunning, 12-second submission onKathina Catron at Invicta FC 5. Ashley "Smashley" Cummins (3-1) of St. Louis, Miss. will face Emily Kagan (2-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. at strawweight.  Power striker Veronica "The Heartbreaker" Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will collide with Mollie Estes (1-2) of Oceola, Miss. in a featherweight scrap. Cassie Robb (0-1) of Casper, Wyo. will meet Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1) of Vienna, Wien Austria in the event's opening strawweight bout.  Invicta FC 6 will also stream live in its entirety, including the four-bout preliminary card, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.  Doors at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City open at 5:00 p.m. CT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6:00 p.m.   About Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis.  Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women's MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. About Ameristar Kansas City Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues -- The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl's Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players' lounge.  Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema's Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel.  The property was awarded "Favorite Casino" for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association's 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram's Magazine "Best of Business Awards;" in the 2003, 2005, 2007 - 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine's "Best of Kansas City" readers' poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine's readers' poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine's "Best of Gaming" awards.