Curran vs. Strauss Featherweight World Title Fight Headlines Bellator MMA Debut at Revel Thursday, April 4th

Northeast favorites, Lyman Good, Tom DeBlass Featured

Newport Beach, CA. (February 6, 2013) – After nearly five years in the making, Bellator MMA made its long awaited debut on Spike TV in January as  Bellator Featherweight Champion Pat Curran opened the night with a dominant win over star Brazilian striker Patricio Pitbull, reaching over 1.2 million viewers in the process. On April 4^th, Bellator will close out its eighth season from Ovation Hall at Revel in Atlantic City, NJ as Curran once again puts his Bellator Featherweight Title on the line against relentless Daniel Straus live on Spike TV. The night will also feature the return of Tiger Schulmann products Lyman Good and Munah Holland, as well as the Bellator debut of New Jersey fan favorite Tom DeBlass.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 8th at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000. The Main Card will broadcast LIVE starting at 10 p.m. EST on Spike, as well as in Spanish language on mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com, with doors to event opening at 6:30pm EST.

Widely regarded as one of the top two  featherweights in the world, Curran brings a dominating 18-4 record into his latest title defense, including victories over Marlon Sandro, Roger Huerta, Mike Ricci, and Straus himself, as Curran collected a knock out win over Straus early in both of their careers. Even with the victory over Straus in his back pocket, Curran is well aware both fighters have grown tremendously over the last four years.

“This may end up being the most challenging fight I’ve faced up this point,” Curran said. “Daniel is going to make for a very tough challenge, but I know what I’m capable of. I feel like I’m always growing as a fighter, and the sky is really the limit for me. I’ve got the belt, and I’m not letting anyone take it away from me.”

Currently riding a five fight win streak into his April 4^th showdown, Straus brings a suffocating fight style into the cage that always presents a unique challenge to his opponents. While that fact won’t change at Revel Resort & Casino, Straus is cognizant of the magnitude this title fight brings.

"Fighting for the Bellator Featherweight Title against Pat just signifies how my career has come full circle,” Straus said. “It was my loss to Pat that motivated me to become a better fighter. Now I get to see how much better I've actually gotten. Getting a chance to show my skills on Spike TV is a huge opportunity for me.  The stage keeps getting bigger and the viewers and eyes are growing.  I welcome the challenge to perform well in front of millions against one of the world's best featherweights.  I feel I have a lot to provide in this fight and I intend on doing so."

“We’re incredibly excited to be able to bring Bellator MMA to a world class venue like Revel,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This fight card is going to be a great way to close out our first season on Spike TV and I couldn’t think of a better place to host it than a classic fight town like Atlantic City.”

The night will also feature the return of New York native and former Bellator Welterweight World Champion as Lyman Good battles Renzo Gracie product and fellow New Yorker Dante Rivera. Both have strong followings in the Tri-State area and should have a strong show of support inside Revel.    

Currently ranked as the world’s top ranked 125 pound female fighter, Jessica “Evil” Eye returns to the Bellator cage when she takes on Tiger Schulmann’s own Munah Holland on April 4^th live on Spike TV. Eye is coming off the biggest win of her young career with a dominating performance over Zoila Gurgel and is looking to keep the momentum with another victory.

“As a woman in this sport you’re given very little, so that’s why when I fight we always need to deliver,” Eye said. “I think Munah is a great fighter and have always admired her striking ability, but I won’t let my admiration stand in front of my determination. This is my golden year, and this fight is just the beginning.”

The preliminary card will be highlighted with a middleweight showdown between New Jersey star Tom DeBlass and New York native Carlos Brooks as the two look to collect their first Bellator victory. After announcing his retirement in 2012, DeBlass has returned to the cage and will make his highly anticipated return April 4^th inside Revel.

“I'm very excited to be fighting for Bellator right in my backyard,” DeBlass said. “All of my friends, family, students, and many fans will get to see me live. I'm coming back and making a statement, you can count on that.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Bellator Makes Michigan Debut at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort on November 30th for Bellator 82

Lyman Good vs. Andrey Koreshkov Headline; Michael Page, Shawn Bunch Debut

Newport Beach, CA. (November 1st, 2012) – After a pair of devastating knockout victories inside the Bellator cage, the Season 7 Welterweight Tournament Finals are set as Lyman “Cyborg” Good is ready to lock horns with the always dangerous Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 82 on November 30^th from The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available at StarTickets.com, Bellator.com and The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Box Office. Tickets are priced from $25-$60.

Bellator 82 will air LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial free HD on EPIX, as well in Spanish language on mun2. As always, the preliminary card will stream exclusively on Spike.com.

The night will also feature a welterweight clash between Bellator veterans David “The Caveman” Rickels and Michigan’s own Jason “The Finisher” Fischer. For the former University of Central Michigan star, Fischer knows this is the biggest opportunity of his young career.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky to collect two huge victories with Bellator, so to get this opportunity to fight David Rickels in front of all my friends and family, it really is a dream come true,” said Fischer. “The University of Central Michigan is like a second home to me, so I’m counting the days until November 30^th.”

Two long-awaited Bellator debuts will also be featured at Bellator 82, as English Kickboxing Champion and internet sensation Michael Page will be in action, along with former U.S. Olympic wrestling qualifier Shawn Bunch, who is making his professional debut inside the Bellator cage.

“I’ve had my sights set on Bellator for a long time,” Bunch said. “While I’ve been training in MMA for over four years, I’ve never been able to fully focus on the sport with my wrestling obligations. After watching guys like Ben Askren and King Mo, guys I really look up to in this sport have success, I knew the time was right to make the move to Bellator.”   

More information regarding Bellator 82 will be made available shortly.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Bellator 74 Weigh-In Results

Atantic City, New Jersey. – The Bellator 74 weigh-ins have been completed from Atlantic City, New Jersey in preparation for Bellator’s Friday night event at Caesars, which features the Season 7 Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinals.

Bellator 74 will be broadcast LIVE on Friday, September 28^th at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. The preliminary card will begin at 6:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm CT and streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com.

The full results from the Bellator 74 weigh-in are below:

MAIN CARD:

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal Fight: Jim Wallhead (169.8) vs. Lyman Good (170.2)

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal Fight: Nordine Taleb (170.8) vs. Marius Zaromskis (170.8)

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal Fight: Andrey Koreshkov (170.8) vs. Jordan Smith (169.8)

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal Fight: Tim Welch (170.4) vs. Michail Tsarev (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Claudio Ledesma (134.8) vs. Kenny Foster (135.8)

Featherweight Feature Fight:  Casey Johnson (145.6) vs. Will Martinez (144.6)

Women’s Feature Fight: Munah Holland (125.8) vs. Michelle Ould (123.8)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Brylan Van Artsdalen (145.4) vs. Jay Haas (145.6)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Derrick Kennington (154.2) vs. Phillipe Nover (156)

Wright State’s Nutter Center Hosts Bellator 78, Friday, October 26th Featuring Welterweight Tournament Semifinals, Rogers and Gurgel

Newport Beach, Cali. (August 28, 2012) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today the promotion will return to Dayton, Ohio for Bellator 78 LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial free HD on EPIX from Wright State's Nutter Center on Friday, October 26. The night will feature the Bellator Season 7 Welterweight Semifinals, as well as the long awaited return of Bellator Women’s Champion Zoila Gurgel.

Tickets for the event will be available this Wednesday, August 29 and are available at the WSU Nutter Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000.

“From Bellator 5 in Dayton to Bellator 66 in Cleveland, the state of Ohio has been great to Bellator, so we’re excited to return to Ohio and visit the Nutter Center with Ohio favorites like  Brian Rogers and Zoila Gurgel,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The night will feature the semifinals of the $100,000 Bellator Season 7 Welterweight Tournament, which begins September 28 from Caesars Atlantic City. Headlined by Lyman Good, Jim Wallhead, Marius Zaromskis and Russian phenom Andrey Koreshkov, the tournament is loaded with world class Welterweights eager to earn their guaranteed title shot against reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren.

For Brian Rogers, “The Predator” is eager to get back into the Bellator cage and showcase his skills in front of the Ohio faithful. While an opponent has not been finalized, Rogers is intensely focused on getting back into the win column and re-entering a future Bellator Middleweight Tournament.

“Last time I was in Ohio it was the biggest fight of my career and I embarrassed myself and let tons of buckeye friends and family down that spent their time and money to see me fight,” said Rogers. “It's rare that a fighter at my level gets to fight near home often. Fortunately I get that opportunity again in Dayton. I owe the state of Ohio a better performance and on October 26 when bright lights come on I'm going to show up and put on a great show.”

After collecting victories over Rosi Sextton, Jessica Aguilar and Megumi Fujii, Bellator Women’s Champion Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel is ready to re-introduce herself to MMA fans after spending over a year on the sidelines dealing with a string of injuries. Now calling Ohio home, Gurgel will have a huge following on October 26 from The Nutter Center in Dayton. 

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Good vs. Wallhead headlines Welterweight Tournament At Bellator 74 from Caesars Atlantic City September 28th

Spike.com pre-show Loaded With Talent, including Bezerra, Holland & Nover

Newport Beach, Cali. (August 14, 2012) — With the tournament field now complete, Bellator Fighting Championships is ready for another season of incredible knockouts and dynamic finishes as the promotion kicks off Season 7 with a loaded Welterweight Tournament headlined by former Bellator Welterweight World Champion Lyman Good battling the UK’s “Judo” Jim Wallhead. Tickets for Bellator 74 are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the Caesars Box Office. Tickets are priced from $52-$165.

The event will broadcast LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX starting at 8 p.m. EST. The preliminary card, featuring some of the area’s top local talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com, with doors opening for the event at 6pm EST.

“Each quarterfinal pairing in our Season 7 Welterweight Tournament is basically a pick’em fight, with Lyman and Jim headlining what should be a fantastic night of fights,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Atlantic City is a classic fight town and New Jersey is a hotbed for mixed martial arts, so our fans are in for a great night on September 28.”

Lyman Good returns to Bellator following a dominant, 13 second destruction of LeVon Maynard at Bellator 65 in April. After compiling an impressive 10-fight winning streak to begin his professional career, “Cyborg” hopes that a return to the tournament will yield the same results that saw him become the first ever Bellator Welterweight Champion as he battles Bellator veteran “Judo” Jim Wallhead in quarterfinal action. After a decision defeat at the hands of future Bellator Tournament Champion Rick Hawn, Wallhead has collected impressive victories over long time MMA veterans Frank Trigg and Joey Villasenor and will have momentum on his side September 28^th from Caesars Atlantic City.

Montreal native and Tristar Gym disciple Nordine Taleb will get his first taste of Bellator tournament action when he meets Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis at Bellator 74. Known as one of the most explosive welterweights in the sport, Zaromskis is fresh from his unanimous decision victory against longtime rival Waachiim Spiritwolf and has his sights set on a Bellator Tournament Championship.

Jordan Smith will try his hand at another Bellator tournament as the Black House MMA product returns after suffering a flash knockout early in the first round at the hands of David “The Caveman” Rickles in the Season 6 Welterweight Tournament. Smith will have his hands full as he takes on undefeated Russian phenom Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov in a quarterfinal showdown. With finishes in each of his 10 victories, “Spartan” is looking to make a big impression in his first Bellator Tournament.

An intriguing matchup between two Bellator newcomers will be on display as Tim Welch takes on Russian import and submission ace Michail Tsarev. Training with Team Dogpound, Welch hopes to follow in his teammate Lloyd Woodard’s footsteps and create a collection of highlight reel victories on his way to a Bellator Tournament Championship. For Tsarev, the 23-2 fighter joins Bellator riding a 10 fight win streak and is finally coming stateside to capture a Bellator Tournament Championship.    

As one of the fastest rising stars in women’s MMA, Munah Holland is ready to make her mark inside the Bellator cage. Holland is currently riding a four fight win streak including knockout victories over Marianna Kheyfets and Carina Damm. An opponent will be announced shortly.    

Fan favorite and Bellator veteran Popo Bezerra is back in action and ready to lock horns with Pennsylvania native and Blackman MMA product Jeff Smith, who brings an impressive 10-1 record into the Bellator cage. Originally from Brazil, Bezerra now is the head Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor at Daddis Fight Camps, and is well on his way to a future Featherweight Tournament appearance.                          

Training under the tutelage of former Bellator lightweight Kurt Pellegrino, Derrick Kennington will enter the Bellator cage looking for a big victory when he battles Filipino sensation Phillipe Nover in lightweight action. With both fighters calling the Tri-State area home, the Atlantic City crowd should be on their feet for these dynamic lightweights.

Submission ace Brylan Van Artsdalen is back and looking for victory when he takes on Pennsylvania resident Jay Haas in front of the raucous New Jersey crowd.

Undefeated middleweight Kelvin Tiller isn’t wasting any time getting back inside the Bellator cage after a big submission victory over Jeremiah Riggs at Bellator 70 as he battles New Jersey’s own Plinio Cruz.

Quickly climbing up the bantamweight rankings, rising prospect Claudio Ledesma will lock horns with Team Bombsquad member Kenny Foster, who is making his debut at Bantamweight after previously competing at featherweight.

Bellator 74:

Main Card(MTV2)

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:  Andrey Koreshkov vs. Jordan Smith

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:  Tim Welch vs. Michail Tsarev

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:  Nordine Taleb vs. Marius Zaromskis              

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:  Lyman Good vs. Jim Wallhead

Preliminary Card(Spike.com)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Popo Bezerra vs. Jeff Smith

Lightweight Feature Fight: Derrick Kennington vs. Phillipe Nover

Featherweight Feature Fight: Brylan Van Artsdalen vs. Jay Haas

Women’s Feature Fight: Munah Holland vs. TBD

Middleweight Feature Fight: Kelvin Tiller vs. Plinio Cruz

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Claudio Ledesma vs. Kenny Foster

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

Philadelphia’s Zach Makovsky defends his World Title vs. Eduardo Dantas at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City April 13th

Lyman Good Makes His Return to Bellator for Tournament Qualifier

CHICAGO, Ill. (February 10, 2012) — After a spectacular run through the Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (@Dudantas22) has earned his world title shot. With victories over Wilson Reis, Ed West and the explosive Olympian Alexis Vila, Dantas is just a win away from becoming a World Champion when he battles reigning Bellator Bantamweight world Champion  Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky (@ZachFunSize) on Friday, April 13 from Atlantic City’s historic Boardwalk Hall.

Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at (609) 348-7000 and at the Boardwalk Hall box office. Tickets are priced from $50-$150. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. EST, with the first fight scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top local talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. EST.

“Our bantamweight division has been electrifying and has provided some of the best Bellator moments,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Zach and Eduardo are two of the greatest bantamweights in MMA today so this should be a really spectacular fight. We always have a packed house whenever we head out to Atlantic City, and I expect nothing less on April 13.”

Widely regarded as the top bantamweight prospect in the world, Dantas stormed through the Season 5 tournament on his way to a title shot with Makovsky. Only 23 years old, the Nova Uniao product brings an incredibly well-rounded attack to Boardwalk Hall, and only has one thing on his mind.

“I’m here at Bellator to win the Bantamweight Championship,” Dantas said. “I plan to not only win the title, but to keep it for many years to come.”

Makovsky enters the cage riding an impressive eight fight win streak, and will look to keep the momentum going in his first career title defense. “Fun Size” currently trains alongside former Bellator Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at the Philadelphia Fight Factory and plans on using his wrestling prowess to dominate Dantas.

“I want to dominate everyone I compete against, but at the same time, I don’t feel like I have to make any kind of statement,” Makovsky said. “I just want to continue getting better and do the best I can every time I enter the cage. I don’t pay attention to the rankings because I feel like that's going to put extra pressure on me. I just look forward to defending my belt on April 13.”

The night will also see the return of Lyman Good (@thegoodcyborg), who rejoins Bellator after nearly a year away from the cage. Good will battle LeVon Maynard, and has his sights set on regaining the form that made him Bellator’s first Welterweight Champion.

“Nothing makes me feel more alive than getting back into that cage,” Good said. “I’ve got a lot of momentum behind me for this fight, and looking forward to getting back to doing what I love. I’ve put in a ton of preparation for this, and just want to reintroduce the MMA world to what I can bring to the table.”

Bellator 65 will also host the semifinals of the promotion’s Season 6 Middleweight Tournament. Maiquel Falcao (@falcaomma), Brian Rogers (@Brogthepredator), Giva Santana (@Givasantana) and Vitor Vianna (@Vitorvianna) headline the stacked tournament and should provide fireworks.

The Boardwalk Hall event will be loaded with local talent, including Pennsylvania native and fan favorite Duane Bastress taking on Pino Cruz, as well as Bellator veteran and Philadelphia resident Tim Carpenter battling Ricardo Romero.  

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator