Bellator Adds Explosive Brazilian Bantamweight Rafael Silva to Expanding Roster

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 31, 2012) — Bellator Fighting Championships has once again added a dynamic talent to its impressive roster with the addition of Brazilian finisher Rafael “Morcego” Silva. The 17-3 fighter joins a loaded Bantamweight division that includes reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas, Marcos Galvao, Zach Makovsky and fellow RFT teammate and Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament Finalist Luis Nogueira.

Currently riding a nine fight win streak that includes seven finishes (5 KO’s, 2 submissions), the Luta Livre brown belt, who trains under the legendary Marcelo Brigadeiro, has compiled a dominating resume within Brazil, and is ready to showcase his skills with Bellator.

“Signing with Bellator is by far the best thing that ever happened to me,” Silva said. “It’s a chance of showing the world what I can do inside the cage. My manager always tells me how great of an atmosphere Bellator has and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

As a member of the renowned Renovacao Fight Team, Silva currently trains with fellow Bellator fighters Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao, Ricardo Tirloni, Genair da Silva and the aforementioned Luis Nogueira.

“My goal is be the Bellator Bantamweight Champion and to serve as an example for all the poor children in the world so they can realize that they can have a great future in MMA.”

“Marcelo Brigadeiro’s RFT is developing a spectacular group of Brazilian fighters,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Rafael joins Big Rig, Ricardo, Genair and Luis who are all further establishing Luta Livre’s position in the MMA world.”

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

Hawn wins Season 6 Lightweight Tournament, Heavyweight Champ Konrad successful in first defense

Nogueira advances to Season6 Bantamweight finals, Local favorite Clementi victorious 

New Orleans, La. (May 25, 2012) — Bellator Fighting Championships returned to “The Crescent City” Friday night for the close of Bellator’s action packed sixth season. Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad made the first successful title defense of his career while Rick Hawn won the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament with a dynamic performance. Also, Luis Nogueira will move on to the finals of the Bellator Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament and Rich Clementi picked up an impressive victory at Bellator 70 from Harrah’s in New Orleans, Louisiana LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX.

“The performance Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman delivered was a fantastic way to close our sixth season,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Cole Konrad once again proved why he is one of the best heavyweights in the world, while Luis Nogueira advanced in dominating fashion. Harrah’s New Orleans provided us with a great venue, and our Summer Series is shaping up to be one for the ages.”

Heading into their fight in “The Big Easy,” Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament finalists Rick Hawn and 

Brent Weedman dominated their competition through the first two rounds of the tournament.  With an opportunity to face Bellator World Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler within reach, both men were eager to prove their status as the #1 contender. Throughout a fight engaged primarily on the feet, both fighters were able to land solid shots in front of an electric New Orleans crowd. However, it was the polished striking and the world-class takedowns of Hawn (14-1) that ultimately led him to victory. For three rounds, Hawn appeared to land the harder shots while Weedman (21-8-1) tried his best to deliver strikes of his own. However, it was not enough as all three judges awarded Rick Hawn a unanimous decision victory as he becomes the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament Champion             

“Chandler, I know you’re watching at home, I’m coming for you,” said Hawn.    

In his first title defense since defeating Neil Grove at Bellator 32, undefeated Bellator World Heavyweight Champion and two-time NCAA Wrestling Champion Cole Konrad looked to send a message to all the heavyweights on the Bellator roster, and he did just that against challenger Eric Prindle. Almost immediately, Prindle (7-2) came out throwing with ill intentions, however Konrad (9-0) secured a signature takedown and began working for a kimura. Prindle tried to fend off the Champion’s submission attempt, but was unable to gain a better position. Konrad twisted with increasing intensity until the “The American Soldier” was forced to submit 1:00 into the fight.              

“I think I have a pretty solid base with my wrestling,” said Konrad. “I’ve got to keep improving on my standup, my submission, and my wrestling, too.”

In the second Bellator Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament semifinal fight, four-fight Bellator veteran Luis Nogueira and Hiroshi Nakamura squared off with the winner meeting Marcos Galvao for the tournament championship. Throughout the bout, the reach advantage for Nogueira (14-2) was evident. While the first round was close, the second and third is where Nogueira found his rhythm. In the second, the Japanese star Nakamura (15-6-4) found himself on the receiving end of crisp striking and a big full body slam. In the third round, Nogueira came out just as aggressive as he was in the second. After an exchange on the feet, Nogueira was able to land a right hand that floored “Iron.” After a series of follow up punches, referee Jason Herzog stepped in to stop the fight at 1:58 of the third round.          

“Since the start of the fight, I knew he was feeling my punches,” said Nogueira. “I was looking for the right moment to finish the fight.”  

In the first fight of the evening, 56-fight MMA veteran and local fan favorite Rich Clementi looked to earn his first win under the Bellator umbrella when he met promotional newcomer, Derek Campos. Clementi (43-21-1) showed patience in the opening moments of action, letting Campos (9-3) dictate the pace of the fight. However, after a quick scramble to get back to his feet, Campos found himself in a guillotine choke that “No Love” did not abandon. With no way out, Campos was forced to tap at 4:18 of the first round.       

“As a competitor, the valleys are what makes me strong,” said Clementi. “I’m at my peak right now, I’m coming back, and ‘No Love’ is back.”   

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

*Bellator 70 Weigh-In Results*

Heavyweight Title Fight official for Harrah’s New Orleans

New Orleans, La. – The Bellator 70 weigh-ins have been completed from New Orleans, Louisiana in preparation for Bellator’s Friday night event at Harrah’s New Orleans, which features the Bellator Heavyweight Title Fight between Champion Cole Konrad and Eric Prindle. Also, a highly-anticipated Bellator Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal fight will take place as Luis Nogueira will square off against Hiroshi Nakamura while Rich Clementi will meet Derek Campos in a lightweight contest. Additionally, the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament will be decided as Rick Hawn takes on Brent Weedman. Both men showed the other vast amounts of respect ahead of their fight on Friday night.

“I’m looking forward to fireworks,” said Weedman. “This is the toughest opponent I’ve had in my career. We’re going to put on a show for the fans in New Orleans.”

The usually quiet Hawn echoed his opponent and responded: “It’s going to be a great fight. He’s an extremely tough opponent and I’m looking forward to putting on a show tomorrow night.”

Bellator 70 will be broadcast LIVE on Friday, May 25 at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. The undercard will begin at 7:00 pm ET/ 6:00 pm CT and will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com.

The full results for Bellator 70 are below:

MAIN CARD:

Heavyweight World Title Fight: Cole Konrad (265.2lbs) vs. Eric Prindle (265lbs)

Lightweight Tournament Final Fight: Rick Hawn (156lbs) vs. Brent Weedman (156lbs)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal Fight:  Luis Nogueira (135.8lbs) vs. Hiroshi Nakamura (135.8lbs)

Catchweight Feature Fight (157 lbs): Rich Clementi (157.2lbs) vs. Derek Campos (154.8lbs)*

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Catchweight Feature Fight (173 lbs):  Josh Shockley (170.8lbs) vs. Keith Schneider (173.6lbs)*

Welterweight Feature Fight:  Charlie Rader (171lbs) vs. A.J. Matthews (170.8lbs)  

Catchweight Feature Fight (156 lbs): Kyle Bradley (156.8lbs) vs. John Harris (155.8lbs)*

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Blake Dufour (136lbs) vs. Derek Arcement (136lbs)

Catchweight Feature Fight (189 lbs): Jeremiah Riggs (185.2lbs) vs. Kelvin Tiller (190.8lbs)*

*Each fighter that missed weight will forfeit a portion of his purse.

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

BELLATOR: Season 6 Finale includes Prindle vs. Konrad for Heavyweight World Title & Hawn vs. Weedman for Lightweight Tourney Championship from Harrah’s New Orleans

Chicago, Ill. (May 15, 2012) — The Big Easy will be the host for Bellator 70 as heavyweights Cole Konrad and Eric Prindle face off for the Bellator World Championship and headline a loaded fight card presented by Harrah’s New Orleans from the New Orleans Convention Center on Friday, May 25. The night will also feature the Finals of Bellator’s Lightweight Tournament, a Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal fight and a host of preliminary action featuring some of Louisiana’s best talent, including New Orleans’ own Rich Clementi.

Tickets for Bellator 70 are now on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the New Orleans Convention Center Box Office. Tickets are priced from $30-$125. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 7 p.m. CST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CST, with the first fight scheduled for 6 p.m. CST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 6 p.m. CST. The official weigh-ins for Bellator 70 will be held at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 24 at Masquerade inside Harrah’s Casino.

After a dominating run through the Season 6 Lightweight Tournament that included a vicious knockout over Ricardo Tirloni at Bellator 62 (Watch Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fTUfZIMTp0), Rick Hawn is looking to secure his guaranteed title shot with a victory over Brent Weedman. For Weedman, the longtime Bellator veteran is eager for his title shot, and knows it’s just a victory away.

“Winning this tournament is important to me because it will really cement who I am as a fighter,” Weedman said.  “With each round, the tougher guys are going to advance, and they will be able to get that exposure on TV again and again. The fans at home will be following their stories and following their fights. Whoever wins this tournament is going to be solidified.”

Known as one of the better bantamweight prospects in MMA, Luis Nogueira is set to take on the incredibly skilled “Iron” Nakamura in the Season 6 Bantamweight Semifinals. Both secured dominating victories in their quarterfinal fights, and will look to keep the momentum going into the finals at Bellator 70.

The night will also feature Louisiana native Rich “No Love” Clementi returning to the Bellator cage after nearly two years against Derek Campos. A long time veteran of the sport, Clementi holds notable victories over Melvin Guillard, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Sam Stout, and is primed for a homecoming victory.

New Orleans native Charlie “Superstar” Rader will look to get back to his winning ways when he squares off against fellow welterweight A.J. Matthews in front of family and friends. The 30-year-old Rader has won both of his previous fights in Bellator, as “Superstar” delivered two TKO finishes to Josh Rafferty and Christian Fulgium.    

An intriguing catchweight contest will take place as once-beaten prospect Josh Shockley faces local fighter Keith Schneider. Shockley is currently riding a three-fight winning streak that includes a Bellator 60 victory over Shamar Bailey.

The New Orleans Convention Center will play host to a middleweight bout as Cologne, Germany’s Jonas Billstein takes on well-traveled MMA veteran Mike Seal. Billstein, who enjoyed a nine-fight winning streak to begin his career, is looking to make a statement when he enters the Bellator cage against New Orleans’ Seal.

MMA veteran Kyle Bradley of nearby Denham Springs, Louisiana will step back in the cage when he meets John Harris in a lightweight fight. Bradley, who has scored a finish in 15 of his 16 wins, will try to secure his first win this year at Bellator 70.

Also, local bantamweights Blake Dufour and Derek Arcement will meet as the two young, hungry fighters looking to take their careers to the next level. Both men will be making their Bellator debuts when they meet in front of an electric New Orleans crowd.

Rounding out the card, Mississippi’s own Jeremiah Riggs will meet fellow middleweight Kelvin Tiller in a 185-pound matchup. Tiller, who has posted three consecutive wins, will look to keep his momentum going against Riggs.     

MAIN CARD:

Heavyweight Title Fight: Cole Konrad (8-0) vs. Eric Prindle (7-1)

Lightweight Tournament Final Fight: Rick Hawn (13-1) vs. Brent Weedman (20-7-1)

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal Fight:  Luis Nogueira (13-2) vs. Hiroshi Nakamura (15-5-4)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Rich Clementi (42-21-1) vs. Derek Campos (9-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Catchweight Feature Fight:  Josh Shockley (9-1) vs. Keith Schneider (6-6)

Welterweight Feature Fight:  Charlie Rader (16-5) vs. A.J. Matthews (5-1)  

Middleweight Feature Fight: Jonas Billstein (9-2) vs. Mike Seal (13-14-1)

Lightweight Feature Fight: Kyle Bradley (16-9) vs. John Harris (4-4)

Bantamweight Feature Fight: Blake Dufour (2-1) vs. Derek Arcement (1-2)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Jeremiah Riggs (7-6) vs. Kelvin Tiller (3-0)

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/Bellator

Dantas submits Makovsky to become new Bellator Bantamweight Champion, Straus advances to meet Sandro

Galvao and Nogueira advance to semis of the Bellator Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament



CHICAGO, Ill. (April 13, 2012) — In one of the most memorable title fights in Bellator history, Eduardo Dantas reigned supreme as he became the new Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Daniel Straus earned his spot in the finals of the featherweight tournament with an impressive victory and Marcos Galvao and Luis Nogueira earned their spots in the semifinals of the Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament Friday night at Bellator 65 from Caesars Atlantic City, New Jersey LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX.
In the main event of the evening, the Bellator Bantamweight Championship was on the line as Philadelphia native and Bellator Bantamweight Champion Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky made the first title defense of his career in front of family and friends against Season Five Bantamweight Tournament Champion, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas. In one of the most dominant performances of his career, Dantas showed why many considered him a Brazilian prodigy. Dantas landed strikes early to the body and head, and appeared to be controlling the action early until Makovsky was able to land a controlled takedown. However, off his back, Dantas was continually threatening with submissions throughout the round. In the second, Dantas demonstrated just how well rounded he really is. With Makovsky attempting a takedown, “Dudu” hit a beautiful switch that had his opponent on his back. From the top position, Dantas was able to batter Makovsky with strikes, opening him up to a brilliant arm triangle. Despite his best efforts to grip his own leg and avoid the submission, Dantas was able to apply enough pressure to force Makovsky unconscious at 3:26 of the second round.

“Eduardo Dantas put on a completely dominate performance against one of the best bantamweights in the world in Zach Makovsky, and was nothing short of amazing,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “As an organization, we’re incredibly lucky to have one of the best bantamweights in the world as our Champion. Daniel Straus delivered a compelling victory, and his finals fight against Marlon Sandro should be fantastic.”

With the submission win, Eduardo Dantas is the new Bellator Bantamweight Champion and maintains a perfect record inside the Bellator cage. Makovsky, who loses for just the third time in his MMA career, drops to 14-3

In Featherweight Tournament action, the Atlantic City faithful were treated an outstanding brawl as Daniel Straus faced Mike Corey for the right to meet Marlon Sandro later this season. After the recent untimely death of his friend and training partner, Chris Smith, Straus entered the Bellator cage with a heavy heart and the extra motivation to make his teammate proud. In the first round, Straus showed off his improving stand up game as he landed short punches, knees to the body and head kicks that had a bloody Mike Corey fighting off balance. The second round brought more success for Corey. He was able to secure a takedown and also controlled the fight against the cage. In the third, it’s Straus that was again mixing it up with punches and knees. The round ended with both fighters swinging wildly as the final bell sounded. After three rounds of action, the judges awarded Daniel Straus the unanimous decision victory.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” said Daniel Straus. “Marlon Sandro, lets get it.”

With the emotional unanimous decision victory, Daniel Straus will now face Marlon Sandro in the finals of the Bellator Season Six Featherweight Tournament. His record improved to 19-4 while Mike Corey, who lost for the first time under the Bellator banner, fell to 12-3-1 in his professional career.

Coming off his first professional loss at the hands of Eduardo Dantas in the Bellator Season Five Bantamweight Tournament Championship, Alexis “The Exorcist” Vila looked to get back to his winning ways when he met Luis Nogueira on Friday night in the last semifinal fight of the Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament. “Betao,” however, had other plans in mind as he looked to erase the memory of his tournament quarterfinal loss to Ed West last season. For three rounds, Vila and Nogueira tried to execute their strategies. Vila, constantly looking to land his heavy right hand, had to settle for a few takedowns in the second round. Nogueira, always circling and staying out of Vila’s reach, was successful in connecting with counter strikes that appeared to have his opponent frustrated. After three tough rounds, the fight went to the judges for a decision. When the scores were read, it was Luis Nogueira who walked away with a unanimous decision victory.

With the win, Luis Nogueira moved to 13-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament. Vila, having dropped his last two fights, exits the tournament after reaching the finals in season five.

Bellator veterans Marcos “Loro” Galvao and Ed “Wild” West are all too familiar with the tournament format that is the road to the Bellator Bantamweight Championship. Having come up short in the Bellator Season Five Bantamweight Tournament, the two met in one of the most memorable bouts in recent memory. Through three rounds, both fighters had moments where they appeared to be in control. However, Galvao seemed to be the one to impose his will as he secured takedowns, attempted submissions and connected with devastating power punches that had West moving backwards. West, known for his precision striking, never seemed to be able to enforce his game plan. Through three rounds, both men aggressively fought until the sound of the bell signaled the end of the fight. When the judges’ scorecards were announced, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Marcos Galvao.

With the unanimous decision win, Marcos Galvao advances to the semifinal round of the Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament and improves his record to 11-5. In a losing effort, Ed West falls to 17-7 in his professional career.


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