Spike TV lineup for "Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus" Finalized With Addition of Virgil Zwicker vs. Houston Alexander, Fernando Gonzales vs. Marius Zaromskis

Virgil Zwicker / Bellator MMA	Houston Alexander / Bellator MMA
Fernando Gonzalez / Bellator MMA	Marius Zaromskis / Bellator MMA

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 9, 2014) - The Spike TV-televised main card for Bellator MMA's first event of 2015, "Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus," is now complete with the addition of a rematch between light heavyweight sluggers Virgil "Rezdog" Zwicker (12-4-1) and Houston "The Assassin" Alexander (16-10-1), as well as a welterweight showdown between Fernando "The Menifee Maniac" Gonzalez (22-13) and Marius "The Whitemare" Zaromskis (20-8).

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker announced the new contests on Tuesday's edition of MMAjunkie Radio.

The two new contests join the previously announced headliner of Bellator MMA Featherweight World Champion Patricio Pitbull vs. former champion Daniel Straus, and co-main event between Bubba Jenkins and Georgi Karakhanyan on the Spike TV-broadcast portion of "Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus," which takes place Jan. 16 at Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, Calif.

Tickets for "Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus," which start at just $50, are currently on sale at the Pechanga Casino Resort box office or Pechanga.com.

"Our first event of 2015 should be absolutely incredible," Coker said. "We already had two fantastic fights on the lineup, including a world title fight, and now we've added a rematch between Virgil Zwicker and Houston Alexander that features some real intrigue after the incidents from their first meeting, as well as Fernando Gonzalez looking to beat his third-straight high-profile veteran in Marius Zaromskis, who is still one of the most devastating and creative strikers in the sport."

Zwicker and Alexander first met this past October, battling toe-to-toe for 15 grueling minutes. While Alexander's devastating ground-and-pound attack saw him earn both the first and third rounds on the judges' cards, the veteran also landed a pair of clearly illegal headbutts during the course of the fight and was docked a point for the infractions, leading to a majority draw result. Now the two will clash again and look for a clear resolution.

With Zwicker earning nine of his 12 victories with strikes and Alexander boasting 11 knockouts in his 16 career wins, the second meeting between the two veterans could look very different than the first.

An 11-year MMA veteran, the 31-year-old Gonzalez has fought extensively in his native California, including past appearances for Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage. Gonzalez has made an immediate impact on Bellator MMA's welterweight division since coming to the promotion earlier this year, earning victories over noted veterans Karo Parisyan and Karl Amoussou. Gonzalez now looks to put another well-known name on his list of victims.

Zaromskis is a Lithuanian fighter who began his martial arts career by training in Kyokushin karate and muay Thai kickboxing and launched his MMA career in 2000. With notable career wins over the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, Jason High, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Nordine Taleb, Zaromskis is a former DREAM welterweight champion who once challenged for the Strikeforce welterweight title, as well. True to his striking roots, Zaromskis has earned 13 of his 20 career wins by knockout.

Additional bouts and details for "Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus " will be announced shortly.

"Bellator Pitbull vs. Straus": Friday, Jan. 16, Pechanga Casino Resort, Temecula, Calif..

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (22-2) vs. Daniel Straus (23-5)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-1) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (23-4-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Virgil Zwicker (12-4-1) vs. Houston Alexander (16-10-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (22-13) vs. Marius Zaromskis (20-8) 

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 Santa Monica, California and owned by 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.

 

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Bellator Announces First Quarter Fight Schedule As Four Title Fights Will Be Featured In January, February & March

Pitbull vs. Straus, Daley vs. Lima, Newton vs. McGeary and Warren vs. Galvao All Featured

Newport Beach, Calif. (November 15, 2014) – Bellator is primed to kick off 2015 with a bang as the promotion has announced the first three events of 2015. Bellator 132 will take place on January 16 from Southern California’s Pechanga Resort and Casino and will be headlined by Patricio Pitbull, who defends his Bellator Featherweight World Title against Daniel Straus.

Bellator 133 will take place on February 27 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut as the night will feature a full “British Invasion” as Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima puts his title on the line against Paul Daley, while Emanuel Newton will defend his strap against rising light heavyweight star Liam McGeary. Bobby Lashley will face his toughest test to date in the Bellator cage when he meets “The Colossus” James Thompson, while Sokoudjou will battle England’s own Linton Vassell in a light heavyweight affair.

Bellator 134 will emanate from Oklahoma’s Winstar World Casino and Resort and feature the return of “The Baddest Man On The Planet” as Joe Warren battles Marcos Galvao for the Bellator Bantamweight Title.

Tickets for all three events are on sale now and can be purchased on Bellator.com

More information on each fight card will be made available in the coming weeks.

Bellator 132: Friday, January 16, Pechanga Resort and Casino, Temecula, California

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Patricio Pitbull (22-2) vs. Daniel Straus (23-5)

Bellator 133: Friday, February 27, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Paul Daley (35-13)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Emanuel Newton (25-7) vs. Liam McGeary (9-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Sokoudjou (16-12) vs. Linton Vassell (14-4)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)

Bellator 134: Friday, March 27, Winstar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville, Oklahoma

Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight: Joe Warren (12-3) vs. Marcos Galvao (16-6)

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

Bellator Weigh-In Results from Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun

                                  
Uncasville, Conn. (September 4, 2014) – The Bellator weigh-ins have been completed from Mohegan Sun Arena in preparation for Bellator MMA’s September 5^th event, which will showcase  a Bellator Featherweight Title fight, the return of King Mo and the Bellator debut of Bobby Lashley.

Bellator MMA will take place from Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, September 5th with the first fight taking place at 6 p.m. EST and streaming LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the night will air LIVE on Spike TV at 8 p.m. EST.

MAIN CARD:Featherweight World Title Fight: Patricio Pitbull (145) vs. Pat Curran (144.75)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: King Mo Lawal (202.5) vs. Dustin Jacoby (203.75)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Tamdan McCrory (184) vs. Brennan Ward (186)
Heavyweight Feature Fight:  Lavar Johnson (249.75) vs. Cheick Kongo (238)

Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (262.75) vs. Bobby Lashley (248)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Bantamweight Feature Fight: Marvin Maldonado (134.25) vs. Rico Disciullo (135.5)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (135) vs. Kin Moy (135)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Wessel (253.75) v s. Josh Diekmann (242)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Perry Filkins (186) vs. Dan Cramer (185)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Mucitelli (204) vs. Mark Griffin (204)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Phillipe Martins (146) vs. Pete Rogers Jr. (144)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Brandon Fleming (136) vs. Blair Tugman (136)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Scott Cleve (145.5) vs. Matt Bessette (146)

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

Bellator Hosts Live Weigh-Ins Thursday, September 4th from Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun

Newport Beach, Calif. (September 1, 2014) – The weigh-in and pre-fight press conference for Bellator MMA will take place Thursday at 5 p.m. EST from Mohegan Sun Casino (1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Montville, CT 06382). Bellator MMA will take place from Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, September 5th with the first fight taking place at 6 p.m. EST and streaming LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the night will air LIVE on Spike TV at 8 p.m. EST.

All participants from Friday night’s event will be on hand, as well as Bellator President Scott Coker.

The event will be emceed by Bellator cage announcer Michael C. Williams and Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith.

As always the weigh-in is open to both the public and media.

MAIN CARD:Featherweight World Title Fight: Patricio Pitbull (21-2) vs. Pat Curran (20-5)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: King Mo Lawal (12-4) vs. Dustin Jacoby (10-3)
Heavyweight Feature Fight:  Lavar Johnson (18-9) vs. Cheick Kongo (21-9-2)

Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (8-7) vs. Bobby Lashley (10-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Bantamweight Feature Fight: Marvin Maldonado (1-1) vs. Rico Disciullo (2-0)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (4-0) vs. Kin Moy (4-0)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Wessel (14-7) v s. Josh Diekmann (14-5)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Tamdan McCrory (11-3) vs. Brennan Ward (9-2)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Perry Filkins (8-1) vs. Dan Cramer (10-4)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Mucitelli (6-1) vs. Mark Griffin (3-3-1)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Phillipe Martins (0-1) vs. Pete Rogers Jr. (1-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Brandon Fleming (3-2) vs. Blair Tugman (5-5)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Scott Cleve (14-4) vs. Matt Bessette (13-5)

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

SPIKE TV AND BELLATOR MMA PRESENTS NEW SPECIAL PROGRAMMING TO PROMOTE BELLATOR 123 FEATURING PAT CURRAN AND PATRICIO “PITBULL”

“Birth of A Rivalry: Curran Pitbull I” Premieres Friday, August 29 at 11pm

“Countdown to Curran-Pitbull II” Premieres Monday, September 1 at 11pm

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 15, 2014) – Spike TV and Bellator will present two compelling one-hour specials in promotion of the highly-anticipated Bellator 11 season premiere, Bellator 123, on Friday, September 5 at 8:00pm ET/PT headlined by a Featherweight Championship bout between Pat Curran and  Patricio “Pitbull” and co-feature fights showcasing King Mo, Cheick Kongo, and Bobby Lashley.

“Birth of A Rivalry: Curran Pitbull I” will debut on Spike on Friday, August 29 at 11pm ET/PT. The one-hour special will take fans back to the origin of the epic rivalry between Pat Curran and Patricio “Pitbull”. Viewers will relive every frame of their five-round, back-and-forth epic battle that featured Curran narrowly defending his world featherweight championship belt against the tenacious and relentless Pitbull via a controversial split decision.

“Countdown to Curran-Pitbull II” premieres Monday, September 1 at 11:00pm ET/PT. The one-hour special takes an inside look at one of Bellator’s biggest events this year showcasing the intense rivalry between Featherweight champ Pat Curran and his nemesis Patricio “Pitbull” and previews Cheick Kongo vs. Lavar Johnson, King Mo, and the Bellator MMA debut of Bobby Lashley.

The special delves into the psyche of both Curran and Pitbull as they prepare for their upcoming rematch. Since their memorable first fight, the rivalry has heated up through a war of words – setting up one of the sport’s most anticipated fights.  Will the mounting pressure and trash talk be too much for the reserved Curran or will Pitbull be able to back up his harsh words for his opponent? 

“Birth of A Rivalry: Curran Pitbull I” and “Countdown to Curran-Pitbull II” are jointly produced by Spike TV and Bellator MMA with Scott Fishman, Michael Sarnoski, Scott Coker, and Kevin Kay as Executive Producers.

Broadcast times:

Birth of a Rivalry: Curran/Pitbull 1

Friday, August 29 at 11pm       

Friday, September 5 at 6pm

Countdown to Curran/Pitbull II

Monday, September 1 at 11pm         

Thursday, September 4 at 11pm       

Friday, September 5 at 7pm     

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

Tom DeBlass Removed from Bellator 123 Fight Card Due to Injury; Marcus Sursa Will Face King Mo from Mohegan Sun on September 5th

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 13, 2014) – After suffering from a knee injury during training, Tom DeBlass has been removed from the Bellator 123 fight card and will be replaced by Marcus Sursa. Sursa will face King Mo in a light heavyweight battle from Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena live on Spike TV. A Bellator newcomer, Sursa enters the fight riding a two-fight win streak and has recorded 12 of his 13 professional victories by KO or submission. Looking for the finish, Sursa will put his skills to the test against King Mo on September 5^th.

The full fight card is listed below.

MAIN CARD:Featherweight World Title Fight: Patricio Pitbull (21-2) vs. Pat Curran (20-5)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: King Mo Lawal (12-4) vs. Marcus Sursa (13-8)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (8-7) vs. Bobby Lashley (10-2)
Heavyweight Feature Fight:  Lavar Johnson (18-9) vs. Cheick Kongo (21-9-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Bantamweight Feature Fight: Marvin Maldonado (1-1) vs. Rico Disciullo (2-0)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (4-0) vs. Kin Moy (4-0)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Wessel (14-7) v s. Josh Diekmann (14-5)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Tamdan McCrory (11-3) vs. Brennan Ward (9-2)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Perry Filkins (8-1) vs. Dan Cramer (10-4)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Mucitelli (6-1) vs. Mark Griffin (3-3-1)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Phillipe Martins (0-1) vs. Pete Rogers Jr. (1-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Brandon Fleming (3-2) vs. Blair Tugman (5-5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Lucas Cruz (7-2) vs. Andrew Calandrelli (6-4)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Scott Cleve (14-4) vs. Matt Bessette (13-5)

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

BELLATOR 123 WILL START AT 8:00pm ET/PT ON SPIKE TV ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Special Start Time For Season 11 Premiere

Newport Beach, Calif. (August 11, 2014) – Bellator will kick-off its 11^th season from Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino on Friday, September 5^th at a special start time of 8:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV.  Bellator 123 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT) will be headlined by the Featherweight Title fight as reigning Bellator Champion Pat Curran defends his belt against Brazilian striker Patricio Pitbull. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased via TicketMaster.com:Bellator 123: Curran vs. Pitbull      

The following week, Bellator will return to its 9:00-11:00pm ET/PT timeslot.

“MMA fans know that Friday nights are all about great Bellator action on Spike,” noted Scott Coker, President, Bellator. “We have a huge night planned for September 5^th, and wanted to give fans an opportunity to enjoy what should be a very fun night in Connecticut from Mohegan Sun Casino.”  

The night will also showcase Cheick Kongo, King Mo, the Bellator debut of Bobby Lashley and a full preliminary card.

Kicking off the Spike.com portion of the night will be a battle of heavy hands between Connecticut’s own Josh Diekmann and Mike Wesssel. Riding a two-fight win streak, Diekmann has recorded all 14 of his victories by finish, but will put his skills to the test against Wessel, who has recorded eight KO wins, six coming in the first round.

Season 9 Middleweight Tournament winner Brennan Ward is ready to face Tamdan McCrory in front of his home state crowd. The always exciting Ward grabbed his previous four victories with strong finishes and is anxious to step back into the cage and put on an explosive fight for the Mohegan Sun fans and end his fight with McCrory as fast as possible.

Entering the fight on a six-fight win streak, “Filthy” Perry Filkins will battle fan favorite Dan Cramer in a middleweight bout. Having not fought since March of 2013, Cramer is looking to make a statement with his return to the bright lights of Bellator but will have to hold off the powerful punching of Filkins who has won six of his eight victories by knockout.

After a pulling off an exhilarating upset win over Diego Nunes at Mohegan Sun last year, Season 10 Featherweight Semifinalist Matt Bessette returns to the Bellator cage to fight Scott Cleve. Besssette has amassed a 13-5 professional record, but will face a strong opponent in Cleve who has won six of his previous seven fights, five coming by finish.

Looking to make his mark in his Bellator debut, Kin Moy will face Steve Garcia on September 5^th. Both with perfect 4-0 records, Garcia is confident heading into the fight after grabbing a 39-second knockout victory in his last fight at Bellator 121. 

After a three-year hiatus from the cage, Mark Griffin will put his skills to the test against Mike Mucitelli in a light-heavyweight battle, while fellow Connecticut native Andrew Calandrelli will take on Lucas Cruz.

At only 23-years of age, Brandon Fleming will face Blair Tugman in a bantamweight battle, along with Pete Rogers Jr. vs. Phillipe Martins, and Marvin Maldonado vs. Rico Disciullo rounding out the preliminary card. 

The full fight card is listed below.

MAIN CARD: 

Featherweight World Title Fight: Patricio Pitbull (21-2) vs. Pat Curran (20-5)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: King Mo Lawal (12-4) vs. Tom DeBlass (9-2)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (8-7) vs. Bobby Lashley (10-2)
Heavyweight Feature Fight:  Lavar Johnson (18-9) vs. Cheick Kongo (21-9-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Marvin Maldonado (1-1) vs. Rico Disciullo (2-0)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (4-0) vs. Kin Moy (4-0)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Wessel (14-7) v s. Josh Diekmann (14-5)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Tamdan McCrory (11-3) vs. Brennan Ward (9-2)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Perry Filkins (8-1) vs. Dan Cramer (10-4)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Mike Mucitelli (6-1) vs. Mark Griffin (3-3-1)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Phillipe Martins (0-1) vs. Pete Rogers Jr. (1-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Brandon Fleming (3-2) vs. Blair Tugman (5-5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Lucas Cruz (7-2) vs. Andrew Calandrelli (6-4)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Scott Cleve (14-4) vs. Matt Bessette (13-5)

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