"World Series of Fight Canada: Ford vs. Powell" debuts Friday on NBCSN

  

  

Two-hour broadcast features Ryan Ford vs. Joel Powell, Steve Mocco vs. Smealinho Rama, Ryan Dickson vs. Michael Hill and more

LAS VEGAS - World Series of Fighting Canada's first fight card of 2014 airs this Friday, Feb. 28, at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT on NBCSN.

The two-hour broadcast features six action-packed contests from "World Series of Fight Canada: Ford vs. Powell," including Ryan Ford vs. Joel Powell for the World Series of Fighting Canada welterweight title, Steve Mocco vs. Smealinho Rama, Michael Hill vs. Ryan Dickson, Adam Lorenz vs. Josh Machan, Brandt Dewsbery vs. Mark Drummond and Will Romero vs. Lenny Wheeler.

"Our team at World Series of Fighting Canada are truly fantastic at what they do, and they assembled an incredible set of matchups for this event," World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. "I think fans are going to love the action that unfolds on this two-hour broadcast. We've got some real superstars-in-the-making in our Canadian division, and you're going to be able to see them perform on NBCSN."

"World Series of Fight Canada: Ford vs. Powell" took place Feb. 21 at Alberta's Edmonton Expo Centre. The action was recorded live and now debuts on NBCSN this Friday night.

World Series of Fighting returns to action on March 29 at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for "World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares."

Featuring World Series of Fighting welterweight champ Steve Carl defending his belt against Brazilian submission wizard Rousimar Palhares and bantamweights Marlon Moraes and Josh Rettinghouse competing for the promotion's inaugural 135-pound title, World Series of Fighting 9 airs live on NBCSN.

"World Series of Fighting Canada: Ford vs. Powell" set for Feb. 21 at Edmonton Expo Centre

  

Featuring Ryan Ford vs. Joel Powell for World Series of Fighting Canada's welterweight title, card airs on NBCSN

  

EDMONTON (Feb. 6, 2014) - World Series of Fighting Canada will crown its first Canadian welterweight champion, as one of Canada's best, Edmonton, Alberta's own Ryan "The Real Deal" Ford (21-4) takes on the KO artist Joel Powell (7-3) of Hamilton, Ontario. 

The bout headlines "World Series of Fighting Canada: Ford vs. Powell," which takes place Friday, Feb. 21 at Alberta's Edmonton Expo Centre. Tickets for the event, which start at just $60 and include cageside seats for just $180, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are already almost sold out!

"World Series of Fighting Canada: Ford vs. Powell," which will feature a full lineup of top Canadian talent airs on NBCSN on Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. ET.

"Ford and Powell have been on a collision course this past year, as both guys have just been steamrolling their opponents," World Series of Fighting Canada COO Darren Owen said. "This fight was supposed to happen in July, but injury forced Powell out of the matchup, and Ford went on to claim the Aggression Fighting Championship welterweight title against Michael Hill. In that fight, Ford broke his arm early in the first round but went on to submit Hill late in the fifth round with the broken arm. Both fighters are now healthy and injury free and will put on what a lot of people think will be a fight-of-the-year type performance."

MMA fans know Ford for his aggressive fighting style and remember his wins over MMA notables Luis "Sapo" Santos, Karo Parisyan and Pete Spratt, among others. Ford has won nine out of his past 10 fights and has 19 finishes in his 21 career victories.

 Powell has been on a tear as of late, winning 6 out of his last 7 bouts since 2008, while boasting an undefeated record while competing as a welterweight. With wins over Brandt Dewsbery, Advin Omic, George Lockhart and Michael Hill.

The winner of this main event will be crowned the inaugural World Series of Fighting Canadian welterweight champion.

In the night's co-main event, top heavyweight prospects collide as the heavy-handed Smealinho "The Prince" Rama (6-1) meets (4-0) Steve Mocco a U.S. Olympic wrestler who is widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers in US history. Mocco is also regarded as one of the top Heavyweight prospects in all of MMA who owns 5 wrestling victories over UFC Champion Cain Velasquez. 

Main Card:

170lbs- Ryan Ford (21-4) vs. Joel Powell (7-3)

**Canadian Welterweight Title Fight**

265lbs- Steve Mocco (4-0) vs. Smealinho Rama (6-1)

170lbs- Michael Hill (6-2) vs. Ryan Dickson (6-1)

145lbs- Josh Machan (11-4) vs. Adam Lorenz (7-3)

170lbs- Brandt Dewsbery (10-3-1) vs. Mark Drummond (5-1)

Preliminary Card:

145lbs- Lenny Wheeler (6-3) vs. Will Romero (9-4)

200lbs- Matt Baker (9-5) vs. Mike Kent (9-4)

265lbs- Tim Hague (15-8) vs. Lee Mein (6-12)

135lbs- Owen Carr (4-2-1) vs. Maged Hammo (5-3)

145lbs- Behrang Yousefi (5-3) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (0-0)

155lbs- Roger Alves (1-1) vs. Jemark Brady (2-2)

170lbs- Justin Evans (0-0) vs. Stuart Fontaine (0-0)

Bellator Brings Explosive Night of Fights to Casino Rama November 2nd

Tickets Now On-Sale for Bellator 79; Dantas, Daley and Ford Headline

Newport Beach, Cali. (August 21, 2012) — After hosting a collection of the most memorable and jaw dropping moments in Bellator history, Bellator Fighting Championships is returning to Casino Rama on November 2 for Bellator 79 LIVE on MTV2, The Score in Canada and in commercial free HD on EPIX beginning at 8 p.m. EST. Doors open at 6pm EST, with the event also being broadcast on mun2 in Spanish language, as well as streamed on Spike.com.

Tickets are on sale now and are available at Ticketmaster.com, Bellator.com and in-person at the Casino Rama Box Office. Tickets are priced from $25-$175.

“From Michael Chandler’s vicious knockout of MMA legend Akihiro Gono to Douglas Lima’s brutal finish over Ben Saunders, we’ve seen some tremendous fights at Casino Rama, and I expect the same on November 2,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Our fans in Ontario have always been top notch, and they are for another great night with names like Eduardo Dantas, Paul Daley and Ryan ‘The Real Deal’ Ford.”

Known as one of the greatest bantamweights in MMA, Eduardo Dantas burst onto the MMA scene in 2011 with three impressive victories to capture the Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament crown, and guarantee his shot against then Bellator Champion Zach Makovsky. With momentum clearly on his side, Dantas was in complete control and eventually secured a second round submission victory over Makovsky to become Bellator’s youngest champion. Only 23, Dantas is ready to defend his title at Bellator 79 on November 2.

After making quick work of Rudy “Bad News” Bears at Bellator 72, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley will return to the Bellator cage in welterweight action. Known across the MMA landscape as one of the hardest hitters in the sport, “Semtex” will be eyeing another victory as he prepares for his first Welterweight Tournament appearance in early 2013 on Spike.

With one of the largest fan bases in all of Canada, Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford is ready to collect another Bellator win as he re-enters the Bellator cage at Casino Rama. Ford made his Bellator debut at Casino Rama earlier in 2012, defeating 53-8 Luis Santos in dominating fashion. Ford had the Ontario faithful on its feet, and the Tristar Gym product will be looking for the same November 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/Bellator

Lightweight World Champ Chandler TKOs Gono, Baker moves to Welterweight Final & Ford KO’s Santos at Bellator 67 from Casino Rama

 Orillia, Ontario. (May 4, 2012) — Reigning Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler proved once again how dangerous he is in the cage – and this time he needed only 56 seconds to make his point as the undefeated mixed martial artist crushed proven MMA veteran Akihiro Gono with a big right hand and pounced the seasoned Japanese fighter for the first-round TKO victory Friday night in front of a packed house at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX. Bryan Baker had a big night as well as the red-hot welterweight now moves onto the finals of the Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament with a win against Ben “Killa B” Saunders. Ryan Ford was able to score a huge comeback victory over Bellator veteran Luis “Sapo” Santos, and Damian Grabowski picked up a dominant victory in the night’s other televised bout.

“It was another spectacular night here at Casino Rama,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “The Canadian fans never disappoint and neither does Michael Chandler. With the Fight of the Year submission victory over Eddie Alvarez and now to put away a veteran such as Akihiro Gono in less than one minute, we’re witnessing something truly special. I also can’t say enough about Bryan Baker and Ryan Ford’s performances.”

For undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler, Friday night was an opportunity to build off his epic fight of the year bout with Eddie Alvarez last season and solidify himself as one of the greatest lightweight fighters in the world. In order to do that, he had to take out 18-year MMA veteran, Akihiro Gono (32-18). Almost immediately, Chandler began to stalk Gono, forcing the Japanese fighter to back pedal. As he pushed forward, Chandler landed a brutal straight right hand that put Gono on the mat. Chandler quickly jumped on top of Gono and unleashed vicious strikes that forced the referee stoppage at 56 seconds into the first round.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do, by no means am I complacent,” said Chandler. “I promise you I’m going to be the best lightweight in the world.”

With the TKO win, reigning Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler improved his record to 10-0 and will meet the winner of the Rick Hawn vs. Brent Weedman finals match that will take place later this year.

Ben Saunders and Bryan Baker have both been vocal about their disappointment with their previous performances in the quarterfinal round of the Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament. 

Both men were looking to come out and redeem themselves by putting on a dominant performance in front of the fans at Casino Rama. Through three rounds of back-and-forth action, both fighters displayed the crafty skills that have made them fan favorites when competing in the Bellator cage. Saunders, attempted multiple submissions in the first round, nearly finishing a deep triangle, and Baker stifled Saunders’ famous Muay Thai attack on the feet and implemented his devastating ground and pound through the final two rounds. When the final bell sounded, all three judges scored the fight unanimously for Bryan Baker.   

“Each fight I’m building more and more,” Baker said. “I’m going to do my homework and be even more ready next time.”

With the unanimous decision victory, Bryan Baker earned the 18th win of his career and will now move to the final round of the Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament against the winner of the Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels matchup later this season. Ben Saunders drops to 13-5-2.   

There is no doubt that near-perfect Polish Heavyweight Damian Grabowski was looking to erase the memory of his last performance under the Bellator banner, a decision loss in the Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament semifinals to eventual champion, Cole Konrad. With a combined 21 first round finishes between him and his opponent, Dave Huckaba, many in attendance weren’t expecting a long fight. Instead, both fighters put on a back-and-forth affair that was highlighted by takedowns from Grabowski and counter-strikes from Huckaba. After three rounds, both fighters had to settle for a decision. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor for Damian Grabowski. With the unanimous decision victory, Damian Grabowski moves to 16-1 as a professional while Dave Huckaba, in a losing effort, drops to 17-5 in his Bellator debut.  

In a fight that had all the ingredients of being an explosive display of excitement, Bellator newcomer Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford and opponent Luis “Sapo” Santos were expected to bring fireworks when they squared off in front of an electric Canadian crowd. With a combined 52 finishes in 79 fights, both fighters are known for leaving nothing in the hands of the judges. Living up to its billing, the first round featured a head kick by Santos that put Ford on his back, struggling to get to his feet. Though obviously hurt, Ford was able to hang on until the end of the round. In the second, the tables turned. After landing a vicious knee to the head of Santos, Ford was able to drop the Brazilian and finish him off with strikes until the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 1:24 of the second round.

“I knew in the second round I was going to put it on him more,” said Ford. “The first round I was trying to feel him out, but in the second I wanted to put him away.”          

With the TKO victory, Ryan Ford improves his record to 18-4 while Luis Santos falls to a respectable 50-8 in his professional career.

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

Casino Rama hosts loaded Bellator 67 card on May 4

CHICAGO, Ill. (April 25, 2012) — Bellator Fighting Championships  heads back to Canada, as the promotion  returns to Casino Rama in Orilla, Ontario for Bellator 67. The night will feature Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler squaring off against 32-win MMA veteran and Japanese sensation Akihiro Gono. Also, a Season 6 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal bout between Ben Saunders and Bryan Baker will take place in addition to the return of Polish Heavyweight sensation Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski and the Bellator debut of Canada’s own Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford. Kicking off the night will be a stacked undercard full of the area’s top talent. Tickets for the event are on sale and are available through Ticketmaster.com or at the Casino Rama Box Office. Tickets are priced from $25-$175.   

The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 6 p.m. EST, with the first fight scheduled for 7:00 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 starting at 7 p.m. EST.

Rising welterweight prospect Nordine Taleb will enter the Bellator cage for the second time. Taleb, who is on a six-fight win streak, looks to pick up where he left off with a hard fought decision win over Matt Secor at Bellator 64.

A pair of Ontario natives will clash as Will Romero and Matt Veal meet in a featherweight contest in front of an electric Ontario crowd. Romero, a two-time Bellator veteran with 10 professional fights, meets Veal, an exciting competitor that has only gone to a decision once in 16 bouts.    

Bellator 67 will feature the return of Brazilian Muay Thai champion kickboxer turned mixed martial artist Cosmo Alexander as he faces undefeated Lorwant-T Nelson in a lightweight matchup. “Good Boy” will be looking to build off the momentum of his first round knockout victory over Avery McPhatter at Bellator 58 when he steps in the Bellator cage against the 4-0 Nelson, who has stopped each of his opponents inside the allotted three rounds.  

Also, Minnesota bantamweight fighter Nick “The Big Hurt” Kirk will look to keep his perfect record intact when he meets Detroit’s David “Bo” Harris in a bantamweight tilt. Harris, a winner of three of his past four fights, will try to score the biggest victory of his career against Kirk at Casino Rama.        

The card will be rounded out as Ontario native Nathan Gunn will have the hometown support in the Bellator cage when he takes on fellow welterweight Dom O’Grady in a 170-pound affair. Both men are building impressive win streaks and will look to stay on the right path when they meet up at Bellator 67. 

You can find the full Bellator 67 Fight Card on Bellator.com: http://www.bellator.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205409198&DB_OEM_ID=23600

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

About Casino Rama

Operating since July 31, 1996, Casino Rama is Ontario's only First Nations commercial casino. The Casino offers a complete entertainment experience with over 2,500 slot machines, more than 110 gaming tables, 10 unique restaurants, a world-class 5,000 seat Entertainment Centre, and a 300-room all-suite, full-service hotel, featuring spa and health club facilities.  Casino Rama is operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world’s leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator’s Founder, Chairman & 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.

RYAN FORD PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT HE’S “THE REAL DEAL” AT AMMA 9

Sold-out event featured all knockouts and submissions

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): It was a night filled with finishes at Aggression MMA’s fight event in Edmonton this past Saturday, February, 11^th, as the AMMA fighters did what they do best: entertain. Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (17-4) secured his fifth victory in his last six fights, while Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki (17-8) ended a three-fight skid with his first win since 2009. In addition, top prospects “Big Bad” Stephen Beaumont (5-0), Sheldon Westcott (6-1-1), and Luke Harris (7-1-0-1) all grabbed big submission victories. The standing room-only crowd witnessed incredible fight action, and in the end, it set the tone for a big 2012 for Aggression MMA.

“What an awesome night of fights! From Ryan Ford to Victor Valimaki to Luke Harris…all our guys really laid it on the line for the fans,” said Aggression MMA Co-Owner Harvey Panesar. “The standard has been set for 2012, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we raise it at every event.”

“The fight went well,” said Luke Harris. “I planned to stand and bang a bit more, but it’s hard to pass up a submission opportunity when it comes up. Next, I plan to fight again as soon as possible. After that, it’s the BJJ Pan-Ams. I’m planning on a very active year.”

Here are some of the highlights of AMMA 9:

-         Victor Valimaki earned a shot at the Aggression light heavyweight belt with his TKO win.

-         Matt Bagshaw showed his grappling skills with his brutal heel-hook submission of Greg Welsh in the unofficial “Submission of the Night.”

-         After his rear-naked choke submission victory over Nick Heynen, Stephen Beaumont asked Aggression MMA officials for a shot at the AMMA lightweight title. His request was granted.

“We are very proud of our fighters,” stated Aggression MMA Co-Owner Moin Mirza. “Every fight had a decisive finish, and I can’t really think of a better way to send fight fans home happy. If this past weekend’s event was any indication, it’s going to be a big year for Aggression MMA.

“But it’s time for certain Aggression fighters to step up their level of competition. Stephen Beaumont showed he's ready for the next step and I'm hoping other guys will follow suit.”

Here are the full results of the night’s fights:

Co-Main Events

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford defeated Ricky Goodall via TKO (elbows) at 3:37 of the 1^stround

Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki defeated Tim Chemelli via TKO (punches) at 1:21 of the 2^nd round

Main Card

Stephan Beaumont defeated Nick Heynan via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:57 of the 1^st round

Sheldon Westcott defeated Jay Jensen via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:26 of the 1^stround

Matt Bagshaw defeated Greg Welsh via submission (heel-hook) at 0:38 of the 1^st round

Jarod McComb defeated Chase Dagenhardt via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 0:45 of the 3^rdround

Luke Harris defeated Elliot Duff via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:52 of the 1^stround

Undercard

Paulo Azambuja defeated Adrian Cardinal via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:17 of the 1^st round

KB Bhullar defeated Simon Shirt via TKO (punches) at 4:28 of the 1^st round

Stay tuned for more details on the next exciting Aggression MMA fight event! For more information, please visit our website at http://www.aggressionmma.com/