World HeavyweightBKB Champion Bobby Gunn To Be Inducted Into BKB Hall of Fame Thursday, Presented Title Belt

This Thursday in Belfast, NY, World Heavyweight Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) Champion Bobby Gunn will be acknowledged for his accomplishments and achievements and be inducted into the BKB Hall of Fame, as well as presented the World Championship Belt, last held by legendary BKB fighter John L., Sullivan in 1889.

Scott Burt, coordinator and founder of the BKB Hall of Fame will be presenting Gunn with the belt.  Gunn solidified his world championship title with a win over Richard Stewart in 2011, the first sanctioned and legit BKB bout since 1889.  

 

A pioneer of what the sport of bare knuckle boxing has become as of recent, Gunn is the face of BKB, staying active and working diligently with his team BKF—the only legitimized and sanctioned BKB body currently out there, to make the sport mainstream.

 

“To say it is an honor to be inducted, and to be presented this illustrious belt is an understatement,” said Gunn.  When any athlete—especially fighters—first begin training, they dream of not only becoming world champion, but to make it to the Hall of Fame.  It is beyond humbling, and I cannot express enough gratitude to Scott Burt for making this a reality.  It is one thing to win belts, which I accomplished within the squared circle, but it is another to be recognized and acknowledged by my peers as being the world champion.  Knowing that I have solidified my legacy within the BKB Hall of Fame is one of the top achievements of my fight history.”

 

In recent months Gunn has receiving his share of affirmations for what he has accomplished as the BKB world champion, having Showtime 60 Minutes Sports feature his accomplishments.  Most recently Ring Magazine—the Boxing Bible-acknowledged Gunn as the true and legitimate champion of the world.  

 

Gunn and his team want to make BKB as mainstream as MMA and gloved boxing, and continue to persist forward with their efforts to bring it all to fruition.  

 

World Heavyweight BKB Champion Bobby Gunn will be honored at 1 p.m. at the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame at 5 West Hughes Street in Belfast, NY.  

 

“I’d like to thank my savior Jesus, all of my fans for the ongoing support, and my team for working so hard to make BKB what it has become.  Thursday’sinduction ceremony will be a true testament to how fast we have come with BKB, and legitimize what I have accomplished and all of the hard work we have put forward.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to watch the BKB Heavyweight Champion of the World presented the belt and inducted this Thursday, November 6 at 1 p.m. in Belfast NY. 

BELLATOR’S MEMORABLE PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT “RAMPAGE vs. KING MO” TO AIR ON SPIKE TV FRIDAY, JULY 18 at 9:00pm ET/PT

Newport Beach, Calif. (June 25, 2014) – Spike TV will telecast an encore presentation of one of MMA’s most memorable events of 2014, “BELLATOR MMA: RAMPAGE vs KING MO” on Friday, July 18 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

For the first time on free television, fans that missed Bellator’s first-ever pay-per-view event can witness the highly-anticipated grudge match between Rampage Jackson and King Mo plus epic upset victories for Will Brooks and Tito Ortiz.

Fans can also decide for themselves whether the judges had it right in the controversial decision victories that went to Rampage and Brooks. Also featured will be the Russian heavyweight clash between Alexander Volkov and Blagoi Ivanov and an exciting and entertaining performance from rising star Michael Page.

Bellator MMA will continue its summer season the following week with Bellator 122 on Friday, July 25 at 9:00pm ET/PT on Spike. Emanating from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., Bellator 122 will include two exciting co-features, Andrey Koreshkov vs Adam McDonough and Brett Cooper vs. Brandon Halsey.

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 the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 140 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom.  In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 180 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula.  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.

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.

Bellator Weight-In Results from the Landers Center

Memphis, Tenn. (May 16,2014) – The Bellator MMA weigh-ins have been completed from the Landers Center in preparation for Bellator MMA’s May 17^th event, which will showcase the Bellator Light Heavyweight Final and the Bellator Interim Lightweight World Title live on pay-per-view.

Bellator MMA will take place from the Landers Center on Saturday, May 17^th with the first fight taking place at 5pm CST and streaming live on Spike.com. The Spike TV portion of the night begins at 7pm CST, transitioning to pay-per-view at 9pm CST with five fights on pay-per-view.

Bellator Pay-Per-View Fight Card:
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Rampage Jackson (205.9) vs. King Mo (205.6)
Bellator Interim Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (154.9) vs. Will Brooks (154.2)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Alexander Shlemenko (201.9) vs. Tito Ortiz (205.5)
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Blagoi Ivanov (249.5) vs. Alexander Volkov (236.1)
Bellator Welterweight Fight: Rickey Rainey (170.1) vs. Michael Page (170.5)

Bellator Spike TV Fight Card: 

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Cheick Kongo (235) vs. Eric Smith (253.8)
Bellator Catchweight (158lbs) Fight: Nate Jolly (158) vs. Marcin Held (158)
Bellator Catchweight (148 lbs) Fight: Shahbulat Shamhalaev (145.1) vs. Fabricio Guerreiro (147.9)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (145.5) vs. Mike Richman (145.5)

Bellator Spike.com Fight Card:

Bellator Catchweight Feature Fight (153lbs): Zach Underwood (152.3) vs. Austin Lyons (152.4)

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Justin Frazier (264.5) vs. Mike Wessel (257.9)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Ben Brewer (170.2) vs. Andy Uhrich (170.5)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Anthony Lemon (170) vs. Codie Shuffield (170)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Cortez Phelia (125.6) vs. Brain Hall (125.6)

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

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 140 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom.  In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 175 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula.  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.

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.

Bellator Pay-Per-View A Knockout With Sponsors

Memphis, Tenn. (May 15. 2014) – Even before the first punch is thrown, Bellator’s first pay-per-view on Saturday, May 17 is a knockout in terms of sponsorship.  The Bellator pay-per-view card, including a stacked prelim bout lineup airing LIVE on Spike TV, is sold out with an array of blue-chip sponsors. 

“Rampage vs. King Mo is HUGE, the biggest MMA card of the year, so you know we'll show it in every Dave & Buster's across the country. That's what we do with the big sporting events," said Sean Gleason, CMO Dave & Buster's, "Bellator and Spike deliver great events and they're just getting bigger. They've been a great partner, and we couldn't be more excited to be a part of this historic fight."

““We’re thrilled to have some of the biggest and best brands in the world integrated into this must see Pay-Per-View Saturday night. With one of the biggest most talked about cards of 2014, our sponsors support for Rampage vs. King Mo this Saturday on Pay-Per-View has been spectacular,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said.

“We are excited to be a part of this big event,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft. “It should be a great night for fans, because they’ll see a preview of one of the most highly anticipated video games of the year, Watch Dogs, and check out some of the best MMA fights of the year.”

“Victory Motorcycles and Bellator are a perfect match, both brands deliver exhilaration. Whether in the cage or on the road, only one-thing matters to both companies, performance.  We could not be more excited to be part of the promotions inaugural Pay-Per-View,” said Reid Wilson, Victory Motorcycles Marketing Director.

“Bjorn and the great folks at Bellator have really outdone themselves putting this PPV card together! With so many stellar fighters under one roof, we can’t wait to see some epic battles and unforgettable action come Saturday night,” said Bamboo Nutra Executive Vice President Leighton Dean.

 The lineup includes the following:

•           Miller Lite

•           Dave & Busters

•           Ubisoft® – Watch Dogs™ Video Game

•           Monster Energy

•           Everlast

•           AutoZone

•           Victory Motorcycles

•           Bamboo Nutra

•           Attack Poker

The Bellator 120 card includes the following fights:

Bellator Pay-Per-View Fight Card:

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Rampage Jackson (34-11) vs. King Mo (12-3)

Bellator Interim Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (12-1) vs. Will Brooks (13-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Alexander Shlemenko (50-7) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-11-1)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Blagoi Ivanov (11-0) vs. Alexander Volkov (20-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Rickey Rainey (7-2) vs. Michael Page (5-0)

Bellator Spike TV Fight Card:

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Cheick Kongo (20-9) vs. Eric Smith (6-1-1)

Bellator Catchweight (158lbs) Fight: Nate Jolly (13-5) vs. Marcin Held (18-3)

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-2) vs. Fabricio Guerreiro (19-3)

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (16-2) vs. Mike Richman (16-4)

Bellator Spike.com Fight Card:

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Zach Underwood (12-5) vs. Austin Lyons (10-3)

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Justin Frazier (6-1) vs. Mike Wessel (13-7)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Ben Brewer (6-1) vs. Andy Uhrich (8-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Anthony Lemon (2-3) vs. Codie Shuffield (4-0)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Cortez Phelia (2-0) vs. Brain Hall (7-2)

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/BellatorMMA   

Submission Ace Marcin Held Returns Against Nate Jolly Live on Spike TV Pay-Per-View Prelim Show Saturday, May 17th

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 13, 2014) – Polish phenom Marcin Held is stepping back in the Bellator cage on Saturday, May 17^th as the submission ace will battle Nate Jolly from the Landers Center live on Spike TV. The night is headlined by the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final between MMA icon Rampage Jackson and King Mo, along with Michael Chandler facing Will Brooks for the Bellator Interim Lightweight Title, while Tito Ortiz squares off with Middleweight World Champion Alexander Shlemenko, all on Pay-Per-View.  

Previous scheduled to face Will Brooks; Jolly will now fight Held in a 158 lbs. catchweight fight live on Spike TV. Making his Bellator debut, Jolly holds a 13-5 professional record and has record five victories by KO or submission. Known for his ability to grind, Jolly looks to make his mark in the Bellator cage on May 17^th.

Held earned his spot in the Season 10 Lightweight Tournament final with dominate submission victories over Derek Anderson and Rodrigo Cavalheiro and is scheduled to face Patricky Pitbull in the Bellator Tournament Final in Fall 2014 live on Spike TV.  The Polish phenom has won eight of his previous nine fights and has recorded 10 of his 18 professional victories by submission. Only 22 years old, Held is looking for another quick finish from The Landers Center on May 17th  

The full fight card can be found below.

Bellator Pay-Per-View Fight Card:

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Rampage Jackson (34-11) vs. King Mo (12-3)

Bellator Interim Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (12-1) vs. Will Brooks (13-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Alexander Shlemenko (50-7) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-11-1)
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Blagoi Ivanov (11-0) vs. Alexander Volkov (20-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Rickey Rainey (7-2) vs. Michael Page (5-0)

Bellator Spike TV Fight Card:

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Cheick Kongo (20-9) vs. Eric Smith (6-1-1)
Bellator Catchweight (158lbs) Fight: Nate Jolly (13-5) vs. Marcin Held (18-3)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-2) vs. Fabricio Guerreiro (19-3)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (16-2) vs. Mike Richman (16-4)

Bellator Spike.com Fight Card:

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Zach Underwood (12-5) vs. Austin Lyons (10-3)

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Justin Frazier (6-1) vs. Mike Wessel (13-7)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Ben Brewer (6-1) vs. Andy Uhrich (8-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Anthony Lemon (2-3) vs. Codie Shuffield (4-0)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Cortez Phelia (2-0) vs. Brain Hall (7-2)

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/BellatorMMA   

After Suffering Injury, Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez Removed From Bellator Pay-Per-View

Pay-Per-View Now Features Rampage vs. King Mo In Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals & Interim Lightweight Title Fight Between Michael Chandler vs. Will Brooks

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 10, 2014) – Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez has suffered a head injury before his scheduled May 17^th Lightweight Title fight with Michael Chandler and has been removed from the fight card. In his place, Lightweight Tournament winner Will Brooks will now face Chandler for the Interim Lightweight World Title. The nights headlined by the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final between MMA icon Rampage Jackson and King Mo, along with Tito Ortiz battling Middleweight World Champion Alexander Shlemenko, all on Pay-Per-View.

“Injuries are part of MMA, but so are great opportunities, as we move forward with an incredible, must see night of fights this Saturday on Pay-Per-View,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “This is a great card for MMA fans with huge value highlighted as Rampage Jackson is finally getting the opportunity to battle King Mo for a shot at the World Title, one of the most exciting young phenoms in MMA, Will Brooks getting a title shot against Michael Chandler, and of course Tito Ortiz in a crazy fight against Alexander Shlemenko. I can’t wait for this night of fights on May 17^th.”

“This has been a crazy few days with a wide range of emotion, but with Will now in the picture, I know we are going to have fireworks on May 17^th,” Chandler said. “I wish Eddie the best, and I’m looking forward to finishing our trilogy, but now I’m focused on the task at hand.”

“I’ve always said I’m ready to fight anyone with hesitation, and now this is my chance to back that up,” Brooks said. “I want that belt around my waist more than anyone, and I’m ready. This is just a great opportunity that I’m ready for. I’m ready to jump into the fire.”

The full fight card for the Bellator Pay-Per-View on May 17^th is below:

Bellator Pay-Per-View Fight Card:

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Rampage Jackson (34-11) vs. King Mo (12-3)

Bellator Interim Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (12-1) vs. Will Brooks (13-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Alexander Shlemenko (50-7) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-11-1)
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Blagoi Ivanov (11-0) vs. Alexander Volkov (20-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Rickey Rainey (7-2) vs. Michael Page (5-0)

Bellator Spike TV Fight Card:

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Cheick Kongo (20-9) vs. Eric Smith (6-1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-2) vs. Fabricio Guerreiro (19-3)
Bellator Featherweight Fight: Goiti Yamauchi (16-2) vs. Mike Richman (16-4)

Bellator Spike.com Fight Card:

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Zach Underwood (12-5) vs. Austin Lyons (10-3)

Bellator Heavyweight Fight: Justin Frazier (6-1) vs. Mike Wessel (13-7)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Ben Brewer (6-1) vs. Andy Uhrich (8-4)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Anthony Lemon (2-3) vs. Codie Shuffield (4-0)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Cortez Phelia (2-0) vs. Brain Hall (7-2)

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/BellatorMMA