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 127 Set From Southern California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino As Gonzalez Replaces Zaromskis, Duran Set To Face Bunch

Newport Beach, Calif. (September 23, 2014) – Bellator 127 is now set as the promotion will return to Southern California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino on Friday, October 3^rd as Daniel Straus will battle Justin Wilcox in the main event live on Spike TV. The night will also feature a former Bellator heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu’s debut at middleweight against Hawaiian native Kendal Grove and a full preliminary card of California’s top talent. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available at the Pechanga Box Office, Pechanga.com or Bellator.com.

Karo Parisyan was originally scheduled to face Marius Zaromskis in a welterweight affair, but Zaromskis has received a new opponent for a fight that will take place at a later date. With the switch, Parisyan will now face Fernando Gonzalez, who recently collected one of the biggest victories of his career with a win over Karl Amoussou at Bellator 122.

The full fight card for Bellator 127 can be found below:

MAIN CARD:Featherweight  Feature Fight: Daniel Straus (22-5) vs. Justin Wilcox (14-6)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (21-12) vs. Karo Parisyan (24-10-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Rafael Silva (21-4) vs. Rob Emerson (16-10-1)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Christian M'Pumbu (18-6-1) vs. Kendall Grove (19-14-1)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Thierry Sokoudjou (15-12) vs. Malik Merad (19-11)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Justin Baesman (14-5) vs. Johnny Mercurio (6-6)
Catchweight Feature Fight (177lbs): Johnny Cisneros (8-3) vs. Ricky Rainey (8-3)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Sergio Rios (8-0) vs. Saad Awad (15-6)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Nick Moghaddam (6-7) vs. Ray Sloan (7-0) 
Middleweight Feature Fight: Keith Berry (15-13) vs. Joe Pacheco (7-2)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Shawn Bunch (2-1) vs. David Duran (2-2)

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

Bellator 127 Full Card Finalized from Southern California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino Friday, October 3rd

Newport Beach, Calif. (September 15, 2014) – Bellator 127 is now set as the promotion will return to Southern California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino on Friday, October 3^rd as Daniel Straus will battle Justin Wilcox in the main event live on Spike TV. The night will also feature a former Bellator heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu’s debut at middleweight against Hawaiian native Kendal Grove and a full preliminary card of California’s top talent. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available at the Pechanga Box Office, Pechanga.com or Bellator.com.

After recording a first round submission win in his Bellator debut, Sokoudjou returns to the bright lights to face Malik Merad. Merad enters the Bellator cage for the first time riding a six-fight win streak with 11 of his 19 professional victories coming by submission. Ready to put on an exciting fight for his home state fans, Sokoudjou has posted nine KO victories with eight coming in the first round and is looking for the finish against Merad on October 3^rd.

Coming off of a first round TKO win over Joe Duarte at Bellator 122, Saad Awad will meet Sergio Rios in a lightweight bout. Looking to maintain his undefeated 8-0 professional record, Rios has recorded five wins by submission, but will put his skills to the test against Awad.  A former tournament finalist, Awad is known for his ability to finish fights and has won 14 of his 15 professional victories by KO or submission, 13 coming in the first round.

Closing out the preliminary card will be a middleweight matchup between California’s own Keith Berry and Joe Pacheco, along with fellow southern California native Johnny Cisneros facing Ricky Rainey.

A Season 10 Welterweight Tournament Semifinalist, Justin Baesman will fight California native Fernando Gonzales and Ray Sloan will look to keep his undefeated record intact in a light heavyweight battle against Nick Moghaddam.

The full fight card is listed below.

MAIN CARD:Featherweight  Feature Fight: Daniel Straus (22-5) vs. Justin Wilcox (14-6)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Marius Zaromskis (20-8) vs. Karo Parisyan (24-10-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Rafael Silva (21-4) vs. Rob Emerson (16-10-1)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Christian M'Pumbu (18-6-1) vs. Kendall Grove (19-14-1)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Thierry Sokoudjou (15-12) vs. Malik Merad (19-11)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Justin Baesman (14-5) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (21-12)
Catchweight Feature Fight (177lbs): Johnny Cisneros (8-3) vs. Ricky Rainey (8-3)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Sergio Rios (8-0) vs. Saad Awad (15-6)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Nick Moghaddam (6-7) vs. Ray Sloan (7-0) 
Middleweight Feature Fight: Keith Berry (15-13) vs. Joe Pacheco (7-2)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Shawn Bunch (2-1) vs. TBA 

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.

Bellator 121 From WinStar World Casino Friday, June 6th, Features “Colossus” and Sokoudjou Debuts, Plus Stacked Light Heavy Tournament

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 22, 2014) – The Bellator Summer Series kicks off with Bellator’s return to WinStar World Casino on Friday, June 6^th live on Spike TV.  The event features the last three fights in the opening round of the light heavyweight tournament, the debut of James “Colossus” Thompson and Sokoudjou, as well as a full card of local talent. 

The event will broadcast live at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST on Spike TV. The preliminary card will be streamed live and free on Spike.com beginning at 7 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. CST. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the WinStar World Casino Box Office.

“Friday June 6^th live on Spike is going to be a blast,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Colossus comes in angry and hungry to prove himself to fans and media on the big stage. I watched him battle in Pride years ago and to have him here now is great, while Sokoudjou finds himself in a similar situation. They both have great names and great heritage in our game and fans love to watch these two scrap. It was a shame to lose a fight like Curran vs. Pitbull, but with these two, our Light Heavyweight Tournament and a great prelim card, this is going to be a great night of fights.”

Combining for 46 professional fights, James “The Colossus” Thompson will make his Bellator debut as he takes “The American Soldier” Eric Prindle in a heavyweight feature fight. Thompson enters the fight riding a winning streak that includes victories over Bob Sapp, Bobby Lashley and Colin Robinson and is looking to take the first step in making his case for a spot in the next Bellator Heavyweight Tournament. 

Having made his name in Pride, Thompson believes he can make a run at a title and a victory over Prindle is the first step in that journey. Having been the main event on one of the most watched MMA events in history, “The Colossus” is ready to once again fight on the big stage.

“I’m back!” Thompson exclaimed. “I’ve been training harder than ever to get back to the big show, and I’m finally here. I’m going to smash Prindle on June 6^th, make my way into a tournament, and get that belt. No questions asked. Bellator needs some new blood, and trust me, there will be blood.”

Prindle has recorded five wins by KO, but will need to hold of Thompson who enters the cage on a five -fight win streak and is looking to make his mark under the Bellator banner.

With his sights set on making an impact in the light heavyweight division, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou steps into the Bellator cage for the first time against Terry Davinney.  In a fight of fast finishers, Davinney has won four of his last five victories and will put his skills to the test against Sokoudjou who has nine victories by KO, eight in the first round.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Bellator family,” Sokoudjou said. “They have some of the best fighters in the world fighting in their cage and it’s something I want to be a part of. Bellator always has exciting fights for the fans, and it’s something I’m going to continue for Bellator in every one of my fights.”

At 8-0 Phillipe Lins will battle submission ace Austen Heidlage in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Opening Round. Looking to maintain his perfect record, Lins will need to get past Heidlage who has won all six of his victories by submission, four via choke.

Coming off of a 48 second KO victory, Egidijus Valavicius will face Carlos Eduardo in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Opening Round. With 36 professional fights under his belt, Valavicius plans on using his veteran experience against Eduardo, who has only three professional losses.

After defeating Volkan Oezdemir by submission in his Bellator debut in April, Kelly Anundson will face Rodney Wallace in the light heavyweight opening round. Anundson is riding a four-fight win streak, with three first round wins and is looking for the finish against Wallace.

Competing under the bright lights of Bellator for the first time, Bubba McDaniels will battle Matt Jones. A Texas native, McDaniels has won seven of his previous nine fights, with 20 of his 21 victories by way of knockout or submission and plans on putting on an exciting fight for the WinStar fans.

Opening the Spike.com portion of the night will be a fight between Oklahoma’s own Cortez Coleman and Joe Vedepo. A former middleweight tournament contender, Vedepo has recorded 13 wins by KO or submission and is looking for the quick finish against Coleman.

After winning by first round submission in his Bellator debut in March, Stephen Banaszak will face Treston Thomison for the second time.  Thomison holds a 7-2 professional record and is looking for redemption against Banaszak in front of his home state crowd.

Known for his heavy hands, Steve Garcia returns to the Bellator cage to face Cody Walker. With all three of his victories coming by knockout, Garcia will rely on his strong striking against Walker and is looking for another KO on June 6^th.

Both making their Bellator debut, submission ace Ray Sloan will battle Jamelle Jones. Looking to maintain his undefeated professional record, Sloan has won five fights by submission and plans on using his ground game to take down Jones.

Guillermo Martinez Ayme and William Florentino will round out the Spike.com card in a welterweight bout. With an undefeated record, Ayme has won five of his six wins by knockout and plans on ending this fight with Florentino the same way.

The full fight card is listed below.

MAIN CARD:Heavyweight Feature Fight: James Thompson (19-14) vs. Eric Prindle (8-5)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (14-12) vs. Terry Davinney (10-6)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Opening Round: Austen Heidlage (6-1) vs. Philipe Lins (8-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Opening Round: Egidijus Valavicius (26-10) vs. Carlos Eduardo (11-3)

PRELIMINARY CARD:Featherweight Feature Fight: Stephen Banaszak (3-1) vs. Treston Thomison (7-2)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Rodney Wallace (20-8) vs. Cortez Coleman (10-5)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Opening Round: Rodney Wallace (20-8) vs. Kelly Anundson (7-2)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Jamelle Jones (2-1) vs. Ray Sloan (6-0)
Catchweight Feature Fight (190lbs): Bubba McDaniels (21-8) vs. Matt Jones (4-7)
Catchweight Feature Fight (140lbs): Steve Garcia (3-0) vs. Cody Walker (3-1)
Welterweight Feature Fight: William Florentino (4-3) vs. Guillermo Martinez Ayme (6-0)

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   

Bellator’s Roster Expansion Continues with Multiple Signings Including DeBlass, Sosnovskiy, Garcia & Sokoudjou

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 22, 2014) – As Bellator prepares to embark on its 2014 Summer Series and Season 11 this fall,  the promotion continues to add to the roster with a collection of new signings to bolster an already impressive collection of talent. With the latest additions, Bellator now boasts a lineup of over 180 fighters from around the world.

With the likes of Rampage Jackson, King Mo, Emanuel Newton, Tito Ortiz and Liam McGeary, the Bellator Light Heavyweight division has seen a dramatic makeover in the last year and the additions continue with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou joining an already impressive division. “The African Assassin” will make his Bellator debut on June 6^th and wants to make his mark on the Bellator Light Heavyweight division quickly.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Bellator family,” Sokoudjou said. “They have some of the best fighters in the world fighting in their cage and it’s something I want to be a part of. Bellator always has exciting fights for the fans, and it’s something I’m going to continue for Bellator in every one of my fights.”

New Jersey native Tom DeBlass is also joining the Bellator Light Heavyweight ranks after two TKO victories inside the Bellator cage in 2013. The Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu product has signed a long term extension with Bellator, and is looking to take the next step in his career with a memorable 2014.

“I really feel at home here at Bellator and I appreciate what the promotion is doing,” DeBlass said. “I love fighting, and I have never felt better during my career. I have a great relationship with Bellator, they take care of me, and now with this new deal, it’s time for me to show them I’m one of the best fighters on the roster.”

Currently riding a six-fight win streak that includes four submission finishes and two knockouts, the French born Malik Merad joins Bellator looking to build on an already impressive career. The submission ace boasts 17 finishes in his 19 victories and will look to continue that trend inside the Bellator cage.

Undefeated Russian heavyweight Dmitry Sosnovskiy has joined Bellator fresh off a first round knockout victory over Aleksander Emelianenko. Sosnovskiy joins a division currently featuring Russian heavyweights Vitaly Minakov and Alexander Volkov, and looks to continue in their footsteps.

When New Mexcio’s own Steve Garcia was matched up against Shawn Bunch at Bellator 105, most assumed Bunch and his All-American wrestling credentials would be too much for Garcia. No one told that to the man they call “The Mean Machine”, and Garcia delivered a stunning third round knockout to Bunch that shook up the bantamweight division. The victory earned Garcia a long term contract with Bellator, and the undefeated knockout artist is set to prove his undefeated record isn’t a fluke.

“I’ve said it before, our Scouting and Talent Development team is the best in the business and with another great season in the books, they are back 100% focused on signing exciting, explosive fighters from every corner of the globe,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “I’m very excited about a rash of our recent signings and we’ll be making many more announcements over the summer months”

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