Final Card Set For Bellator MMA Wednesday, June 19th From WinStar World Casino Live on Spike

Special Early Start Time at 7pm EST/6pm CST on Spike

Newport Beach, CA. (June 14, 2013) –The night is now set for Bellator MMA as the promotion returns to Spike TV June 19^th live from WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The night will feature the start of the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Summer Series Tournaments, as well as the return of War Machine.

The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 7 p.m. CST and feature two hours of action on Spike TV. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 5:00 p.m. CST. Following the event, Spike will air the premier of Fight Master: Bellator MMA, which features 32 of the best welterweight fighters on the planet as they compete for a spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament and a $100,000 prize.  

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the WinStar World Casino Box Office, with tickets starting at just $45 dollars.

Bellator MMA Main Card:

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: King Mo Lawal (9-2) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-7)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: Renato “Babalu” Sobral (37-10) vs. Jacob Noe (11-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament: Vinicius “Spartan” Queiroz (6-3) vs. Rich Hale (21-5)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament: Vitaly Minakov (10-0) vs. Ron Sparks (8-1)

Welterweight Feature Fight: War Machine (12-4) vs. Blas Avena (8-6)

Bellator MMA Preliminary Card:

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Justin McNally (1-1) vs. Steven Artoff (5-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Brandon Girtz (8-2) vs. Derek Campos (10-3)

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Brandon Halsey (3-0) vs. Joe Yaeger (5-1)

Heavyweight Feature Fight: Jeremiah O’Neal vs. Raphael Butler (5-0)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Keith Miner (5-4) vs. Damon Jackson (4-0)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Mike Maldonado (4-0) vs. Chavous Smith (2-3)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Keith Berry (14-10) vs. Cortez Coleman (9-3)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Jarrod Card (13-6) vs. Chas Skelly (10-0)

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

Summer Series Heavyweight Tournament Begins June 19th From WinStar World Casino Live on Spike

 

Special Early Start Time at 7pm EST/6pm CST on Spike

 

Newport Beach, CA. (May 15, 2013) –As Bellator prepares for its long awaited Summer Series return, the full fight card has been completed as Bellator MMA returns to WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma Wednesday, June 19^th live on Spike TV. The night will feature a Lightweight World Championship fight between reigning Bellator Champion Michael Chandler, as he defends his belt against Dave Jansen. The night will also feature the start of the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Summer Series Tournaments, as well as the return of the always controversial War Machine.

 

The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 6 p.m. CST and feature three hours of action on Spike TV. 

 

The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 5:00 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, with tickets starting at just $45 dollars.

 

Minakov enters the tournament undefeated at a perfect 10-0, including seven straight stoppage victories. Possessing a dominate ground game thanks to his extensive Sambo background and a developing striking arsenal, Minakov enters the tournament as one of the favorites and has his sights set on a Bellator World Title.

 

“I want everyone to know that I’m not here just to ‘take part’ in a Bellator Tournament, but to win it all and become a Bellator Champion.”

 

Minakov will have no easy test in the Semifinals of the Light Heavyweight Tournament as “The Monster” Ron Sparks returns to Bellator looking to punch his ticket to the Finals with a victory June 19^th from WinStar World Casino. Sparks isn’t looking to play head games coming into this fight, and knows Minakov will be well aware of what the Louisville native is bringing to the table.  

 

“Everyone knows I’m looking stand in that cage and throw bombs, no questions asked,” Sparks said. “I think the heavyweight tournament is going to be awesome. I am looking forward to it being a four-man tournament. It will give the fighters more opportunities to fight and I want my shot at the title.”

 

The other side of the bracket will feature fan-favorite and Bellator veteran Rich Hale as the Arizona 

native battles the imposing Brazilian Vinicius “Spartan” Queiroz. Hale burst onto the scene with inverted triangle win over Nick Fekete in 2011 and his continued his assent up the heavyweight ranks.

“I am really looking forward to the heavyweight tournament and my training has been going great,” Hale said. “I’ve been working hard and making adjustments to the game plan to come in and get the heavyweight belt.”

 

“This event is insanely stacked, and it’s the reason we are making this a jam packed three hour show,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “With a Lightweight Title fight, Mo, Babalu, War Machine and the start of our heavyweight tournament, this is going to be an amazing show start to finish on Spike.”

 

Following the event, Spike will air the premier of Fight Master: Bellator MMA, which features 32 of the best welterweight fighters on the planet as they compete for a spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament and a $100,000 prize.  

 

Bellator MMA Main Card:

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Michael Chandler (11-0) vs. Dave Jansen (19-2)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: King Mo Lawal (9-2) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-7)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: Renato “Babalu” Sobral (37-10) vs. Jacob Noe (11-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament: Vinicius “Spartan” Queiroz (6-3) vs. Rich Hale (21-5)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament: Vitaly Minakov (10-0) vs. Ron Sparks (8-1)

Welterweight Feature Fight: War Machine (12-4) vs. Blas Avena (8-6)

 

Bellator MMA Preliminary Card:

 

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Brandon Halsey (3-0) vs. Mike Brown (3-1)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Justin McNally (1-1) vs. Steven Artoff (5-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Keith Miner (5-4) vs. Damon Jackson (4-0)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Mike Maldonado (4-0) vs. Jason Sampson (10-1)

Catchweight Feature Fight: Brandon Girtz (8-2) vs. TBA (0-0)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Keith Berry (14-10) vs. Cortez Coleman (9-3)

 

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 Returns to WinStar World Casino June 19th Live on Spike: Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler Defends Title Against Dave Jansen

Four-Man Light Heavyweight Tournament Begins as King Mo, Babalu Return; War Machine Premieres

Newport Beach, CA. (May 1^st, 2013) – After delivering a dramatic and dominating submission victory in his first title defense, top ranked Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler will once again put his title on the line as Bellator MMA returns to WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma Wednesday, June 19^th for the start of the Bellator MMA Summer Series live on Spike TV.

The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 6 p.m. CST on Spike. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 5:30 p.m. EST. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the WinStar World Casino Box Office, with tickets starting at just $45 dollars.

Only 27, Chandler holds impressive victories over Eddie Alvarez, Rick Hawn, Akihiro Gono and Patricky Pitbull while sporting a spotless 11-0 record that has catapulted the Alliance MMA product into Top 3 rankings across the MMA landscape.

“I’m excited to get back in the cage and defend the belt against a tough guy like Jansen,” Chandler said. “He’s proven to be a very tough and durable competitor. My plan is the same as every fight, which is to show up new and improved and collect another dominant finish for the fans.”

Jansen enters the fight riding a six fight win streak that includes a dominating Bellator Lightweight Tournament run with victories over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ricardo Tirloni, as well as a Finals win over Polish phenom Marcin Held. With the Oregon native owning an established submission pedigree and the resilience to have never been finished inside the cage, Jansen presents a unique set of challenges for Chandler on June 19^th.

“I really want this fight to be an absolute grind and make Mike as uncomfortable as possible inside that cage,” Jansen said. “I’ve been known in my career to really be able to weather the storm and I really feel like I get stronger inside the cage as the fight goes on, and I’m really looking forward to having that full 25 minutes to work with and take this fight in deep waters. This is just an incredible opportunity for me and would a huge validation on my career to become a Bellator World Champion.”

Know across MMA as one of the top light heavyweights in the world, King Mo returns and will begin his quest to claim the Bellator Light Heavyweight Title. No stranger to WinStar, Mo had the crowd on its feet last January as he delivered a vicious knockout in opening round action, and will be looking for a similar performance against Seth “The Silverback” Petruzelli. 

“Seth has been in this game for a long time and has beaten guys like Kimbo, Ricco Rodriguez and Dan Severn so this fight is going to be tough, but I’ve been working my ass off in the gym with Jeff Mayweather and my team and I’m ready to get another win under my belt,” Mo said. “Point blank, I’m looking to deliver a straight Mortal Kombat style fatality to Seth.”

Decorated MMA legend Renato “Babalu” Sobral will also make his return to the Bellator cage as the imposing Brazilian looks to punch his ticket to the Bellator Light Heavyweight Finals with a victory over Tennessee’s own Jacob Noe. After both men had their first taste of Bellator Tournament action last season, expectations have risen for both competitors.

"God has blessed me with the opportunity to fight again and consequently has cursed my opponents,” Babalu stated.

After nearly two years away from the cage, the always exciting and controversial War Machine will be back in action in front of a raucous WinStar crowd. Injuries and legal troubles have delayed the Bellator debut for War Machine but the highly skilled welterweight has finally put the past behind him and is ready to show the MMA world what it has been missing.

“It’s like I hit the rewind button,” War Machine said. “I pressed rewind and now I have a chance to get my life back on track. It feels great. Right now I’m just out to show the world that I do belong here fighting the best with Bellator.”

“This event is insanely stacked,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “With a Lightweight Title fight, Mo, Babalu, and War Machine, this is going to be an amazing show start to finish on Spike.”

Bellator MMA Main Card:

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Michael Chandler (11-0) vs. Dave Jansen (19-2)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: King Mo Lawal (9-2) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-7)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament: Renato “Babalu” Sobral (37-10) vs. Jacob Noe (11-2)

Welterweight Feature Fight: War Machine (12-4) vs. Blas Avena (8-6)

More information on Bellator MMA from WinStar World Casino will be made available in the coming weeks.

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 Adds Renato “Babalu” Sobral*

Explosive Brazilian Will Compete in Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament on Spike

Newport Beach, Cali. – Bellator Fighting Championships continues to bolster its already impressive roster as the promotion has announced the signing of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Renato “Babalu” Sobral to its Light Heavyweight roster. Still recovering from a hand injury suffered earlier this year, “Babalu” will make his Bellator debut in the Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament, which will air on Spike starting in January.

“Babalu is an awesome addition to the Bellator family,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s beaten some of the greatest fighters in the sport, and poses a tremendous threat to every fighter in our Light Heavyweight Division. From a fans perspective, he’s incredibly exciting to watch, and I’m expecting big things from Babalu in January on Spike.”

As the proud owner of an impressive 37-9 record, including submission victories over Chael Sonnen, Mauricio Rua and Travis Wiuff, “Babalu” has big things in mind when he steps inside the Bellator cage.

“I’m really happy to be a part of the Bellator family,” Sobral said. “This is my new home, and I can’t wait to get into the tournament. My only wish was that it could all be in one night, but I don’t think we can do that, so I’ll just put one more tournament under my belt, and I’m going to take this opportunity and get my shot at the Bellator World Title.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com; follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.