Bellator Results from the Santa Ana Star Center

Albuquerque, N.M. (July 31, 2013) –  The final results are in for Bellator MMA’s event live from New Mexico’s Santa Ana Star Center. The event featured the Bellator Lightweight World Championship where reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler defeated David Rickels with an explosive knockout (punches) in the first minute of the first round. In a Bellator Welterweight World Title Fight, Ben Askren also defended his title with a knockout finish against Andrey Koreshkov. The night also showcased the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final with King Mo defeating Jacob Noe and Vitaly Minakov captured the Heavyweight Tournament Final with a win over Ryan Martinez.

Bellator also announced live inside the Bellator cage that two of the biggest names in MMA, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito “The People’s Champion” Ortiz will battle in a light heavyweight matchup live on PPV Saturday, November 2^nd at Southern California’s Long Beach Arena. Tickets for the event go on sale this Saturday, August 3^rd at 10 a.m. PST and can be purchased on Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Long Beach Arena Box Office.

Main Card

Lightweight World Championship: Michael Chandler defeats David Rickels via TKO (strikes) –Round 1, 0:44.

Welterweight World Championship: Ben Askren defeats Andrey Koreshkov via TKO (strikes) – Round 4, 2:59

Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: King Mo defeats Jacob Noe via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:51

Heavyweight Tournament Final: Vitaly Minakov defeats Ryan Martinez via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 4:02

Featherweight Feature Fight: Patricio Pitbull defeats Jared Downing via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 0:54

Preliminary Card

Catchweight Feature Fight (158 lbs.): Will Brooks def. Cris Leyva via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 2:20

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Rafael Silva def. Rodrigo Lima via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 2:03

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Anthony Leone def. Frank Baca via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 1:07

Lightweight Feature Fight: Bubba Jenkins defeats Mike Barreras via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:05

Catchweight Feature Fight (190 lbs): Jeremy Kimball defeats Keith Berry via KO (punches) – Round 2, 1:45

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Adrian Cruz defeats Felipe Chavez via TKO (strikes) –Round 2, 4:24

Bantamweight Catchweight Fight (150 lbs): Javier Palacios defeated Richard Jacques by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Shawn Bunch defeats Russell Wilson via split decision (29-28, 28-29,29-28)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Donald Sanchez defeats Cliff Wright Jr. via split decision (29-28, 28-29 , 29-28)

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 Jared Downing to Featherweight Ranks, Set to Face Patricio Pitbull July 31st Live on Spike

Downing Replaces Injured Rob Emerson

Newport Beach, CA. (July 12, 2013) – A labrum injury has forced Rob “The Saint” Emerson off of the July 31^st fight card, where he was originally scheduled to face longtime Bellator veteran Patricio Pitbull. That won’t stop Pitbull from stepping in the cage, as Jared Downing will now battle the explosive Brazilian striker live on Spike TV.  The night will also feature a Bellator Lightweight World Title fight as defending Bellator Champion Michael Chandler puts his title on the line against David “The Caveman” Rickels, while Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren will defend his title against Russian phenom Andrey Koreskov.

“This is a great opportunity for me, one I couldn’t pass up,” Downing said. “I’m happy to be back with Bellator and really start a new chapter. I thought Patricio won his last fight against Curran, so I know I’m going to be getting one of the best featherweights in the world, and that’s why I signed with Bellator. I want to get this win, make my way into a tournament and become a Bellator World Champion.”

Only 24, Downing joins Bellator at 9-2, including a 2010 Bellator victory over Danny Tims.

“It takes a ton of heart to accept a fight less than 20 days out, especially when you have to step in the cage with one of the most dangerous men in the world in Pitbull,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Jared is a guy we’ve had our eye on for a while and win or lose, he’ll make a great addition to our featherweight ranks.”

The full fight card for July 31^st is below:

MAIN CARD

Bellator Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (11-0) vs. David Rickels (14-1)

Bellator Welterweight World Title Fight: Ben Askren (11-0) vs. Andrey Koreschkov (13-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: King Mo (10-2) vs. Jacob Noe (12-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Ryan Martinez (10-2) vs. Vitaly Minakov (11-0)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Jared Downing (9-2) vs. Patricio Pitbull (17-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Cris Leyva (9-5) vs. Will Brooks (9-1)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Rafael Silva (19-3) vs. Rodrigo Lima (11-1)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Anthony Leone (12-5) vs. Frank Baca (16-2)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Mike Barreras (5-6) vs. Bubba Jenkins (3-0)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Javier Palacios (1-0) vs. Richard Jacques (1-0)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Jeremy Kimball (9-3) vs. Keith Berry (15-10)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Adrian Cruz (4-0) vs. Felipe Chavez (5-3)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (1-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (1-0)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Cliff Wright Jr. (7-4) vs. Donald Sanchez (28-13)

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          

Bellator Returns to Albuquerque as Two Title Fights Headline Loaded July 31stFight Card Live on Spike TV

Early TV Start at 5pm MST Live on Spike TV

Newport Beach, CA. (July 9, 2013) – Bellator MMA returns to Albuquerque, New Mexico Wednesday, July 31^st as the Santa Ana Star Center will play host to a Bellator Lightweight World Title fight as defending Bellator Champion Michael Chandler puts his title on the line against David “The Caveman” Rickels, while Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren will defend his title against Russian phenom Andrey Koreskov live on Spike, as well in Spanish language on mun2. The night will also feature the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final as King Mo faces the electric Jacob Noe, while Heavyweights collide as Vitaly Minakov battles Ryan Martinez in the Bellator Tournament Final. The Bantamweight Summer Series Tournament will also begin, as Rafael Silva will battle Rodrigo Lima, while Anthony Leone will take on Bellator newcomer Frank Baca.

The event has a special early start time and will broadcast LIVE starting at 5:00 p.m. MST on Spike. Tickets for the event are on salenow and can be purchased at ComcastTix.com or by visiting the Santa Ana Star Center Box Office with tickets starting at just $25 dollars.

The night will showcase a stacked preliminary card featured on Spike.com, as former NCAA wrestling champion Bubba Jenkins will make his Bellator debut and looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he battles Albuquerque’s own Mike Barreras. The night will also feature the return of U.S. Olympic Wrestling qualifier Shawn Bunch, who looks to continue his journey into MMA as he takes on Steve Garcia in a bantamweight affair.  

Fan favorite Will Brooks will also return to the big stage and battle New Mexico native Cris Leyva.  After suffering just the first loss of his professional career in the Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal to Saad Awad, Brooks is ready to get back under the bright lights.

Eight of New Mexico’s premiere athletes will be featured on the preliminary card and all of the preliminary card fights will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 4:00 p.m. MST.

The full fight card is listed below

MAIN CARD

Bellator Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (11-0) vs. David Rickels (14-1)

Bellator Welterweight World Title Fight: Ben Askren (11-0) vs. Andrey Koreschkov (13-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: King Mo (10-2) vs. Jacob Noe (12-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Ryan Martinez (10-2) vs. Vitaly Minakov (11-0)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Rob Emerson (12-10) vs. Patricio Pitbull (17-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Cris Leyva (9-5) vs. Will Brooks (9-1)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Rafael Silva (19-3) vs. Rodrigo Lima (11-1)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Anthony Leone (12-5) vs. Frank Baca (16-2)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Mike Barreras (5-6) vs. Bubba Jenkins (3-0)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Javier Palacios (1-0) vs. Richard Jacques (1-0)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Jeremy Kimball (9-3) vs. Keith Berry (15-10)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Adrian Cruz (4-0) vs. Felipe Chavez (5-3)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (1-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (1-0)

Featherweight Feature Fight: Cliff Wright Jr. (7-4) vs. Donald Sanchez (28-13)

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           

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 107 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 150 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.

About mun2

mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34.  From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform.  Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.   

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