Friday, April 30, 2010

Kansas City’s Danny Tims qualifies for Bellator Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament

See him fight at Bellator.com; Eight-man 135 lbs. tournament now official

CHICAGO, Ill. (April 30, 2010) — Danny Tims, whose red mohawk and compelling personal story made him a media darling in his hometown of Kansas City in the run-up to Bellator 16, has earned a spot in Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament with his hard-fought victory over Brian Davidson at last night’s event.

The announcement, which was made by Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney at the conclusion of last night’s event, makes it official that Bellator will indeed host a bantamweight tournament in its third season as has been rumored for some time. Additional tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.


Danny’s win over Brian Davidson included some great back-and-forth action; it was probably the night’s best all-around fight,” Rebney said. “With his win, Danny earned a spot in an eight-man field that already has some hugely talented bantamweights locked in. We will be announcing more of them in the coming weeks.”

The 22-year-old Tims, a mainstay on the Midwest MMA circuit since turning pro while he was still a teenager in 2007, improved his overall record to 9-2-1 with the win over Davidson.

The fight, which did not air as a part of Bellator’s live broadcast on FOX Sports Net, is now available for viewing exclusively at Bellator.com.

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

Bellator Fighting Championships to bring nationally televised mixed martial arts event to San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on May 27th

Event will be broadcast to virtually every home in the U.S. via
NBC, FOX Sports Net, Telemundo and mun2

CHICAGO, Ill. (April 30, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships, the fist-of-its-kind tournament-style mixed martial arts promotion, will make its second 2010 stop in the Lone Star State next month when it comes to the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio.

The event—which will be broadcast LIVE and in prime time across the country on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and mun2—takes place on Thursday, May 27th at the historic theatre, which is located at 224 E. Houston Street in the heart of downtown San Antonio.

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets and at http://www.ticketmaster.com./


The fight card for the event includes two semifinal round matchups in Bellator’s ongoing middleweight tournament: Siberian striker Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (28-4) versus former all-American college wrestler and Bellator Season 1 middleweight tournament runner-up Jared Hess (11-1-1) along with former competitive power-lifter Eric Schambari (12-1) versus Southern California powerhouse Bryan “The Beast” Baker (12-1) in a rematch of their December 2007 fight in the WEC (which Baker won by split decision).

In addition, the evening will feature a special “Heavyweight Feature Fight” between 11-3 former UFC star Eddie Sanchez and EliteXC veteran Ralph Kelly as well as four “Local Feature Fights” between some of the top rising MMA stars from Texas.

“Bellator is thrilled at the opportunity to bring our brand mixed martial arts events and our television partners at Fox Sports Net, NBC, Telemundo and Mun2 to the thousands of passionate MMA fans in the San Antonio area,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Our two Main Event fights feature four of the most exciting middleweights out there right now including a man, Alexander Shlemenko, who I believe is one of the top fighters to come out of Russia in many years. It should be a great night of fights.”

Bellator, which became the first MMA promotion in history to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks during its highly successful first season, announced late last year that it had formed a groundbreaking new TV distribution alliance for its second season that reaches virtually every home in the U.S. Bellator Season 2 began on Thursday, April 8th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12th. Both seasons run for 12 consecutive weeks.

Bellator is also hosting an event at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, (just outside of Dallas) one week before the San Antonio event on Thursday, May 20th.

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

BRETT ROGERS, URIJAH FABER AND DAN HARDY GUEST ON TONIGHT'S "INSIDE MMA" ON HDNET

Tabloid headlines and a look back at WEC 48 make for an entertaining panel discussion

TONIGHT Friday, April 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS (April 30, 2010)

WHAT: Tonight on HDNet's "Inside MMA," Strikeforce Heavyweight Brett Rogers, WEC Featherweight Urijah Faber and UFC Welterweight Dan Hardy join Kenny and Bas on the IMMA panel to discuss the latest MMA news, including the recent arrest of Tito Ortiz after an alledged domestic dispute with his girlfriend, Jenna Jameson.

Then Rogers, who in his last bout, lost to the #1 ranked heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, tells the panel why he deserves a shot at the Strikeforce Heavyweight belt. Faber, who held the WEC Featherweight title for over two years, talks about his recent loss to Jose Aldo at WEC 48.

Dan, "The Outlaw" Hardy shares his thoughts about losing his shot at the UFC Welterweight belt with his March 27 loss to Georges St-Pierre.

And in Kruck's Korner, Ron Kruck reports on Hunter Worsham, son of MMA pioneer Cal Worsham. Hunter recently entered the cage one last time before his military deployment to Afghanistan.

And, immediately following "Inside MMA" at 10:00 p.m. ET tonight is a special presentation of "The Voice vs. Joe Rogan," where the two biggest names in MMA broadcasting go one-on-one to discuss the world of mixed martial arts. MMA critics are raving about the show! "Bloody Elbow" says that "The Voice vs. Joe Rogan is "... "truly a treat to watch" and "Pro Fighting Fans said, "All MMA fans should watch the special on HDNet."

WHEN: "Inside MMA" airs on HDNet, TONIGHT Friday, April 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Baker, Schambari, Hess and Shlemenko advance at Bellator 16

Four dominant victories thrill a capacity crowd at the Kansas City Power & Light District

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 29, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships put the spotlight on its middleweight division tournament during Bellator 16 Thursday night with four dominant quarterfinal performances that saw, Las Vegas powerhouse Eric Schambari, judo black belt Bryan “The Beast” Baker, all-American college wrestler Jared Hess and Siberian striker Alexander Shlemenko advance to the tournament’s semifinals.

The action-packed event played to a boisterous sellout crowd on a warm and windswept spring night at the Kansas City Power & Light District, an open-air entertainment venue in the heart of Kansas City’s resurgent downtown.

Afterwards, Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney revealed that Schambari will face Baker in a rematch of a split decision victory for Baker and Hess will take on Shlemenko during the tournament’s semifinal round on May 27th.

“We had another great night, in a magical, electrifying venue here in Kansas City,” Rebney said. “The four fighters who advanced will now face each other to determine who earns their way to the Final round of our Middleweight tournament and who ultimately earns the right to face our champion, Hector Lombard, for the middleweight title.”

One of the nights dominant performances belonged to Baker, the former WEC standout, who took opponent Sean Loeffler (18-5) to the ground early on in Round 1, neutralized him with a series of body shots, forced him to give up his back and then finished him with an impressive ground-and-pound just 2:43 into the fight. It was Baker’s seventh consecutive first round stoppage victory.

Afterward, the Victorville, Calif., native said he’s gunning for a rematch with Schambari, who Baker defeated via a controversial split decision during a WEC fight in December 2007.

“I want to see what he’s learned,” Baker (12-1) said of Schambari. “I’ve beat him once and I’m gonna beat him again.”

In his fight, Schambari, a former competitive powerlifter and childhood Jr. Olympic level swimmer, used his tremendous strength to submit former TUF contestant Luke Zachrich (10-2) via arm triangle just 3:34 into Round 1, improving his pro record to 12-1.

“I was driving my shoulder and my bicep into his carotid artery,” Schambari told Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith after the fight. “I could hear that he was starting to choke so I just squeezed as hard as I could. Now I’m looking forward to facing Bryan again. It’s my chance to set right what once went wrong.”

In the nights most unorthodox fight, Shlemenko, who signed with Bellator last week and arrived stateside on Sunday, used a powerful spinning back-fist to open a cut on the bridge of Matt Major’s nose early on in Round 1 and never turned back, putting on a striking clinic and dominating a three-round standup fight that ended with a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

Afterward, Shlemenko, who improved his pro record to a remarkable 28-4, said he is already looking forward to his semifinal round matchup with Hess.

“I’m going to prepare to knock the guy out,” he said through his translator.

Hess, a former standout wrestler at the University of Central Oklahoma used a crafty guillotine choke against the cage to submit former University of Iowa wrestler and IFL champ Ryan McGivern (13-7) at 1:54 into Round 2. It was Hess’s second straight win since his loss to reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard in the Bellator Season 1 finals last June.

“I knew [McGivern] was a wrestler too, so I knew it was going to go to the ground,” Hess (11-1-1) said afterward as his parents looked on from cage-side seats. “The guillotine just felt right. I cinched it up and waited for him to tap.”

The evening marked the conclusion of Bellator’s Season 2 quarterfinal round. Only four fighters now remain in each of Bellator’s eight-man tournaments at featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight.

The semifinal round begins in the lightweight division next Thursday at Boston’s historic Wang Theatre where UFC veteran and MMA fan favorite Roger Huerta takes on emerging star Pat Curran and “Submission of the Year” title holder Toby Imada faces former all-American college wrestler Carey Vanier. The night will be punctuated with a Super Fight between Bellator World Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and tough UFC veteran Josh “the Dentist” Neer. Tickets are available at citicenter.com.

Fans who missed Thursday night’s action can watch all the best moments this weekend during special highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2. Check your local listings for exact dates and times.

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

Thursday, April 29, 2010

BELLATOR XVI RESULTS - Thursday, April 29, 2010 - Kansas City Power and Light District

Courtesy of Bellator.com
Written by: Cory Brady
Bryan Baker vs. Sean Loeffler pictured

round by round results from Bellator.com make sure to see their live press conference after the fights!

Eric Marriott vs. Demi Deeds

Round 1


A touch of gloves to kick off the night and we’re off. Deeds rushes forward with a flurry of punches before Marriott answers back. They clinch up and Marriott ends up in the top position on the canvas. Deeds is working a tight guillotine choke from the bottom and Marriott is doing his best to defend the submission attempt. Marriott scoops up Deeds from the canvas and takes him down, but Deeds holds on tight to the guillotine choke. Marriott escapes and they’re back to their feet. Deeds lands a crushing head kick to the head and Marriott crashes to the canvas in a heap. Out for just a moment, Marriott recovers and grabs a leg lock, but Deeds will have none of it. Now it’s Deeds working from the top position before both fighters look to land a leg lock. Marriott is searching for a heel hook, but again Deeds does a great job defending. Now Deeds switches over to attempt a knee bar, but Marriott escapes and ends the round in the top position.

Round 2

The second round begin with both fighters circling one another, looking for an opening. Marriott strikes first and secures a takedown in a scramble. Marriott takes Deeds’ back, searching for a rear naked choke before switching to an armbar attempt. In a smooth transition, Marriott crosses over to a triangle choke attempt, but Deeds does a superb job fighting it off. Deeds gains top position, but Marriott executes a flawless reversal. Again it’s Marriott looking to lock up the triangle choke, and this time it’s tight. Deeds taps, giving Marriott the second round submission victory.

Eric Marriott def. Demi Deeds by triangle choke submission – Round 2, 3:02

Eric Schambari vs. Luke Zachrich

Round 1
Schambari rushes forward to start the opening round as Zachrich looks to pick his shot. Zachrich attempts a takedown attempt and Schambari quickly scrambles to his feet. Now it’s Schambari looking for the takedown as he scoops Zachrich into the air and deposits him onto the canvas. Zachrich reverses the position and works from side control before Schambari works back to his feet. Schambari secures another takedown and looks to pass to side control from the half guard of Zachrich. Schambari is back into the half guard position and quickly locks up a side choke. The choke looks tight and Zachrich has no option but to submit.

Official Result
Eric Schambari def. Luke Zachrich by side choke submission – Round 1, 3:04

Alexander Shlemenko vs. Matt Major

Round 1


Major paws with the jab before Shlemenko throws a scary looking spinning heel kick. A good right hand from Shlemenko before the Russian follows it up with another big spinning heel kick which lands to the midsection of Major. Shlemenko throws a wild spinning backfist and Major scoots out of the direction to avoid any damage. Shlemenko with another spinning backfist attempt, catching nothing but air. Major pressing forward now and Shlemenko peppers his thigh with heavy leg kicks. Major lands a short right hand on the inside which pushes Shlemenko back. Shlemenko lands a thudding spinning backfist and Major is bleeding freely from the nose. Shlemenko lands a hard left hook to the ribs of Major and follows it up with a straight right hand to the chin. The fighters trade kicks to the body to close out an action packed opening round.

Round 2

Major pushes forward to begin the second and Shlemenko throws a savage series of strikes to back him off. Shlemenko throws a winging right hand to the head of Major that backs him up. Major continues to push the pace and allow Shlemenko little room to breathe or fire off his strikes. Shlemenko fires off a wild spinning backfist and Major is nowhere to be found. Major lands a hard right hand and pushes Shlemenko back in to the fence. Major scores a solid takedown and now looks to tee off on the grounded Shlemenko from his guard. Not much landing for Major. Shlemenko throws his leg up high looking for a triangle attempt and spins out from beneath Major, getting back to his feet. T here’s a thunderous spinning heel kick attempt from Shlemenko to finish off the second.

Round 3
The fighters touch gloves to start the closing round and both men get right to work, exchanging solid punches and kicks. Major looks to clinch up Shlemenko, but he powers right out of it. Shlemenko lands a huge left hook to the ribcage of Major. Shlemenko tees off with a vicious series of left and right hands as Major looks to find some sort of refuge against the cage. Shlemenko fires off a huge spinning heel kick that slams into Major’s body and the Russian scoops up Major for the takedown. Major works back to his feet and the middleweights continue to batter one another on the feet. Shlemenko swinging wildly in the center of the cage as both men look exhausted. Major scores a takedown, but Shlemenko works quickly back to his feet. Shlemenko knocks the mouthpiece from Major’s mouth, forcing a brief halt to the action. Shlemenko closes out the fight with another big spinning backfist and the crowd voices their approval upon the sound of the final bell.

Official Result
Alexander Shlemenko def. Matt Major by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bryan Baker vs. Sean Loeffler
 
Round 1


Baker fires off a short right hand to get things started. Loeffler lands a solid leg kick and Baker responds with a combination of punches. Loeffler is looking to keep his range, but Baker closes the distance and drags Loeffler to the canvas. Baker looking to drop some heavy punches on the grounded Loeffler, posturing up to get some leverage into his shots. Loeffler is hanging tough. Baker rises to his feet from the guard of Loeffler and continues to drop some punishing bombs to the chin. Loeffler is clearly hurt and moves to his base to avoid taking more punishment, giving Baker his back. Baker pounds away at the side of the head of Loeffler with a few heavy, well placed shots and the referee has no option than to call a halt to the contest. A beastly performance from “The Beast”.

Official Result

Bryan Baker def. Sean Loeffler by TKO – Round 1, 2:43

Jared Hess vs. Ryan McGivern

Round 1

Hess throws a big right hand and immediately presses McGivern up against the fence looking for the takedown. Hess secures the takedown attempt and looks to work from the full guard of McGivern. Hess rises to his feet and uses the opportunity to leap back down onto McGivern, securing side control. Hess is doing a fantastic job at controlling McGivern and peppering away with heavy punches. Again Hess rises to his feet, only this time crashes down on McGivern with a stinging right hand. McGivern is looking to work his butterfly guard but Hess is doing a great job controlling him from the top position. McGivern has little room to work with as Hess stands up and passes to side control once again where McGivern scrambles back to his full guard to close out the round.

Round 2

Hess shoots in for the takedown early in the second but McGivern does his best to fight it off to no avail. Hess again looks to land a few decisive blows from the full guard of McGivern. McGivern is working hard to reverse the position, but Hess locks him up in an air tight guillotine choke, forcing the tap. Dominating performance from Hess, who imposed his will on McGivern from beginning to end.

Official Result

Jared Hess def. Ryan McGivern by guillotine choke submission – Round 2, 1:54

Drew Dober vs. Nick Nolte

Round 1


Nolte fires off a head kick before catching a stiff right hand as the fighters exchange leather. Dober secures a takedown on the wounded Nolte and looks to do damage from Nolte’s half guard. Dober passes to side control and Nolte grips him tight, looking to wrap up Dober. Breaking loose, Dober begins to fire away a series of punches to the body of Nolte before taking the full mount. In the mount, Dober tees off with lefts and rights as Nolte looks to escape danger. Nolte moves to his base and giving Dober his back. Dober looks for the rear naked choke and Nolte fights his way out of it. Both fighters scramble back to their feet and begin to exchange punches. Dober marches forward and lands a trio of hard right hands to the chin of Dober before securing another takedown and gaining the mount position. Dober quickly locks up Nolte in a tight arm triangle and it’s only seconds before Nolte lets the referee know he’s had enough. Impressive one-sided mauling from Dober.

Official Result

Drew Dober def. Nick Nolte by arm triangle submission – Round 1, 4:45

Danny Tims vs. Brian Davidson
 
Round 1


Tims throws a wild spinning backfist to open the round before scooping Davidson up for the takedown. Davidson works his way back to his feet where he sends home a crushing series of punches that sends Tims to the canvas. Tims covers up well and works back to his feet before securing another successful takedown. Davidson is doing a great job keeping Tims tight in his full guard before scrambling back to his feet. Again, it’s Tims with the takedown as Davidson seems to have no answer for his wrestling. Tims drops back looking for a heel hook but Davidson wiggles his leg free and rises to his feet. Tims scores another takedown and Davidson locks him into his closed guard. Tims peppers away at Davidson with short punches from the top position but nothing severe lands home. The fighters are back to their feet and begin trading wildly to conclude the round and the crowd let’s them know how much they appreciate it.

Round 2

Tims shoots in right off the bat for a takedown and secures it with ease. Davidson is looking to work his rubber guard, possibly working for a triangle choke. Tims is firing away with short punches from the full guard of Davidson before Davidson works his way back standing. There’s another takedown from Tims but there’s not much action on the canvas and the referee stands them up. Once more, Tims scoops up Davidson for the takedown. Tims passes to side control before crossing over to the full mount and pressing Davidson against the fence. Davidson is doing a great job not allowing Tims any room to work with from the top position. Davidson works hard to place Tims back into his half guard but the round ends with Tims hammering away from the top.



Round 3

The fighters embrace at the start of the closing round as a sign of mutual respect before separating and beginning to feel one another out. Tims shoots in for the takedown and secures it without a problem. Davidson looks to throw up a triangle attempt but Sims escapes easily. Tims working from the full guard of Davidson, drops solid punches to the ribs of Davidson. A lull in the action forces a stand up. Tims throws looping wild haymakers on his feet then follows it up with another takedown attempt that Davidson stuffs. Davidson fires away with leg kicks and Tims shoots in for a single-leg takedown, which he scores. Tims is staying close to Davidson from the top position, looking to score with short punches to the head and body. Back to their feet and Davidson wiffs with a flying knee to bring a close to the contest.

Official Result

Danny Tims def. Brian Davidson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Rudy Bears vs. Brent Weedman

Round 1


Bears charges forward with a flying knee that misses and Weedman backs out of danger. Bears lands a solid punch and presses Weedman against the cage.. Bears attempts a takedown, but Weedman reverses the clinch position and scrambles to earn the takedown. Bears tries to spin out of danger but ends up with Weedman taking his back. Weedman is working hard to tighten up a rear naked choke as Bears does everything in his power to fight out of it. Bears breaks Weedman’s grip and looks to escape the position, but Weedman does a terrific job maintaining control. Weedman triangles Bears’ body while attached to his back before banging away at Bears head for the TKO.

Official Result

Brent Weedman def. Rudy Bears via TKO – Round 1, 4:19

UFC® 113 Machida vs Shogun 2 on Pay-Per-View - Saturday, May 8 - Montreal, Canada

Coutesy of the UFC and UFC.com

UFC 113 in MONTREAL ON PPV

Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua prepare for their second battle for the light heavyweight title, Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley ready themselves for their welterweight showdown, and Kimbo Slice and Matt Mitrione are on a collision course to UFC 113. Tonight at 11pm ET/PT on SPIKE.

Bellator 16 post-fight press conference to stream LIVE at Bellator.com tonight

Fans can participate, ask questions via e-mail and Twitter


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 29, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships will once again provide a LIVE video stream of its post-fight press conference at Bellator.com tonight following Bellator 16.

The live stream, broadcast from the Kansas City Power & Light District, will begin at approximately 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. CT), one hour after the conclusion of Bellator’s live Fox Sports Net broadcast.

Fans can participate in the press conference as well by e-mailing questions to info@bellator.com or through Twitter @BellatorMMA during the duration of the broadcast.

The press conference will feature Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as all eight fighters from tonight’s four televised tournament bouts: Bryan “The Beast Baker, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler, Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko, Matt Major, Ryan McGivern, Jared Hess, Luke Zachrich and Eric Schambari.

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

BAS RUTTEN and OSU Team Mady in Radio Adelaide video

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bellator announces Bellator 16 weigh-in results




KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 28, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships' much-anticipated show at the Kansas City Power & Light District, all 16 fighters competing in tomorrow's event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening.
Bellator 16 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.Tournament Card:
The card's Main Event is a first round matchup in Bellator's eight man-middleweight tournament featuring WEC veteran Bryan "The Beast" Baker (11-1) and Sean "The Destroyer" Loeffler (14-3), a submission artist from Southern California.
The official results of the weigh-in are as follows

Bryan Baker (185.5) versus Sean Loeffler (186) – at 185 lbs.
Alexander Shlemenko (184.5) versus Matt Major (185.25) – at 185 lbs.
Jared Hess (185.25) versus Ryan McGivern (185.25) – at 185 lbs.
Eric Schambari (184) versus Luke Zachrich (183.5) – at 185 lbs.
                                                                                     
Local Feature Fight Card:
Rudy Bears (173*) versus Brent Weedman (170) – at 170 lbs.
Danny Tims (135) versus Brian Davidson (136) – at 135 lbs.
Eric Marriott (161.5) versus Demi Deeds (161.25) – at 162 lbs.
Drew Dober (169.75) versus Nick Nolte (170.75) – at 170 lbs.

Tune in to TRAINING WITH PROS TELEVISION SHOW this Friday April 30th from 9-10 am on the FIGHT NETWORK

Canadianprofighter.com is on a mission to bring our readers the best in Canadian MMA, whether it be techniques, training interviews or live event footage, we are there to bring you the action.  So when we see another team of passionate MMA fans working to do the same we find a way to work with them, check out TRAINING WITH PROS mission and the embedded clip to see what they have to offer and make sure to tune in on Friday from 9-10 am and support your Canadian MMA Stars!!

TRAINING WITH PROS is on a mission; to see what it takes to compete at World-Class levels. Each week we Train with a different Pro Athlete examining the Specific training, commitment, and technique demanded by their sport at the same time getting them to reveal some of their secrets.


This Friday April 30th from 9-10 am on the FIGHT NETWORK host Jeff Sanderson trains under the guidance of 3 x K1 World Grand Prix -Las Vegas Kickboxing Champion - Michael 'The Black Sniper' McDonald.
 copyright 2009 vipproductions all rights reserved.

Maximum Fighting Championship Press Conference Biggest show in MFC history set for May 7

The Maximum Fighting Championship is excited to present its most explosive card and talent-packed lineup for MFC 25: Vindication and we are extending an invitation to the media to attend the official press conference for the event.

The press conference will take place on Wednesday, May 5 at 2 p.m. in the Lobby Bar of the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Edmonton.

MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich will be the featured speaker at the press conference and he will be alongside the biggest names on the card including the main-event participants - Brazilian star Thales Leites (16-3) and Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (14-5) of Murietta, California. Both fighters are vying for the No. 1 contender position in the MFC middleweight ranks.

Also in attendance will be two of Canada’s biggest mixed martial arts stars. In the semi-main event Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo (12-1) of Edmonton, Alberta, will put his 12-fight unbeaten streak on the line against standout Wilson Gouveia (12-7) of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Also in the light heavyweight division, Dwayne Lewis (11-4) of Fort McMurray, Alberta, rides a seven-fight winning streak into a showdown with former MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel “The Hardcore Kid” Newton (12-6) of Norwalk, California. The winners of these two battles are sure to be the front-runners to vie for the MFC’s 205-pound title later this year.

The action will take place on Friday, May 7 at the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, with the main card shown live on HDNet Fights throughout North America. The MFC 25: Vindication card is the best lineup ever put together for a Maximum Fighting Championship event. The remainder of the televised fight card features:



Luigi Fioravanti (12-6) vs. Pete Spratt (20-17), welterweight



Richie Hightower (8-3) vs. Gavin Neil (7-1), lightweight



Chase Gormley (6-2) vs. Ryan Fortin (4-2), heavyweight



The undercard will feature three fights including:



Chad Freeman (3-3) vs. Mike Froese (3-2), welterweight



Aaron Berke (4-1) vs. Keto Allen (3-0), welterweight

Walpole Island's Fighting Spirit FINISH EM MMA card

When we went to Walpole island on the weekend we knew there was going to be some amazing MMA action.
With So many talented fighters and top gyms attending the event, we went in with high expectations.
Those expectations were surpassed in a card where the title FINISH EM was truly embraced and all 6 MMA fights and 2 K1 style kickboxing matches were all finishes!  Every win was decisive and every fighter came to defend their honour as well as their gyms, congratulations to all the competitors and Event organizers on an amazing show, we can't wait til the next one!

Here is our full MMA fight card brought from camera angle 1

click read more for over the cage angle of all the AMAZING action:


ALBERT DOXTATOR/ CHARLES TRICE

PART 1


PART 2


JO PETAHTEGOOSE/SEAN TORRENS



CHUCKY MADY/ DENNIS PURIC



PETE BROWN/ JIM BARBER



Andy Smith/Blake Nash



MAIN EVENT
TITLE FIGHT
Jesse Gross/Ted Worth
 

Bellator 16 weigh-ins to be streamed LIVE at Bellator.com



  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 28, 2010) — For the first time ever, Bellator Fighting Championships will provide a LIVE video stream of its pre-fight press conference and weigh-in at Bellator.com tonight.
 Tonight's stream, broadcast from the Kansas City Power & Light District, the site of Bellator 16, will begin at 8 p.m. CT.
 The press conference will feature Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as all 16 fighters from tonight's tournament bouts and Local Feature Fights: Bryan "The Beast" Baker, Sean "The Destroyer" Loeffler, Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko, Matt Major, Eric Schambari, Luke Zachrich, Jared Hess, Ryan McGivern, Brian Davidson, Danny Tims, Rudy Bears, Brent Weedman, Eric Marriott, Demi Deeds, Drew Dober and Nick Nolte.
 The event will be emceed by Bellator cage announcer Michael C. Williams.

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







Bellator Fighting Championships to host open tryout in Boston on Tuesday

BOSTON, Mass. (April 28, 2010) – For the third time this year, Bellator Fighting Championships will host an open tryout that will provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an undiscovered professional fighter to earn spot in one of the organization’s upcoming nationally televised events.

The latest tryout will take place at the Sityodtong Academy in the Boston area on Tuesday, May 4th, two days before Bellator’s nationally televised event on Thursday, May 6th at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. The event marks the first time that a major MMA promotion has hosted a nationally televised event in Boston since the Massachusetts state legislature became the 42nd state in the U.S. to officially sanction the sport in November.

“New England is a hotbed for MMA talent so we jumped at the chance to host another tryout in Boston while we will be in town for Bellator 17,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “At our last two tryouts in Kansas City and South Florida, we discovered some great talents including Tyler Stinson and Bryan Goldsby. As the first major MMA promotion to come to Massachusetts, we’re in a very advantageous position to find some great unsigned fighters here.”

The Sityodtong Academy is located at 100 Broadway in Somerville, Mass. Registration begins at 12 noon with tryouts starting promptly at 1 p.m. Both male and female fighters are invited to attend. All fighters must have an MMA.com federal I.D. and must bring their own gloves.

Bellator executives will choose one winner who will earn the opportunity to fight during a local featured fight during a Bellator Season 3 event in August, September or October. Bellator is also scouting for talent for its Season 3 tournaments.

Each Bellator event in Season 2 and 3 is televised LIVE in prime time on FOX Sports Net and during weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

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

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

SHINE FIGHTS ANNOUNCES BOUT BETWEEN MMA WARRIORS LUCIANO AZEVEDO AND ZAC GEORGE

In addition, Charles Bennett will replace injured Junior Assuncao

Miami, FL (USA): Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) today announced an exciting undercard matchup to the already stacked “WORLDS COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS. THOMAS” pay-per-view fight card, as PRIDE veteran Luciano Azevedo will tangle with rising young star Zac George. This exciting bout will complement the other highly-anticipated bouts that are already a part of “WORLDS COLLIDE.”


Luciano Azevedo (16-8) is known for being the only MMA fighter to defeat dominant WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, who successfully defended his belt this past weekend. Over the course of his seven-year professional career, the veteran Azevedo has fought all over the world, making a name for himself due to his unrelenting determination and his obvious love for fighting. A well-rounded fighter, much of Azevedo’s success has come due to his dominant ground game; twelve of his sixteen wins have come by way of submission. Regardless of whether his fights go to the ground or not, one thing fans are guaranteed when they watch Azevedo fight is fireworks, as he leaves it all in the ring each time he goes to battle. “An MMA fight to me is just like an action movie without being edited,” said Azeredo recently. “I want to show everybody that MMA is not a street fight; it’s an art. My performances are never boring, so I think I have a lot to show the fans.”



Standing across the ring from Azevedo on May 15th will be Zac George (19-3 with 16 finishes). George is a seasoned striker with a strong ground game. Throughout his young career, he has demonstrated time and time again that he is capable of ending his fights with his relentless striking and his explosive submissions. Currently riding a six-fight winning streak, the Team Quest product is excited about the opportunity to face a world class fighter like Azevedo. “He’s probably the best fighter I’ve faced so far. I’ve fought a lot of guys with skills, but they lacked a well-known name. With Azevedo, he’s got both. He’s legit, and I’m excited to have such an awesome opportunity.” A victory over the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Azevedo could propel him towards a possible title fight in the near future.


In addition to the Azevedo-George bout, Shine Fight also announced a substitution to another recently revealed bout. News of a scrap between Luiz “The Joker” Azeredo and Junior Assuncao was released last week. Unfortunately, Assuncao suffered an injury, and has had to be replaced. Now fighting Azeredo will be well-known MMA star Charles “Kid Khaos” Bennett (22-16-2). Bennett is a longtime-veteran of MMA who has fought some of the biggest names in the sport, including current StrikeForce fighter K.J. Noons, Japanese superstar Tatsuya Kawajiri, former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi and former WEC featherweight kingpin Urijah Faber. A colorful character that has made a name for himself for both his exciting fights and unorthodox lifestyle, “Kid Khaos” is also known for his claims that ground fighting “is like making love…it’s not real fighting.” Suffice to say he will bring a very different approach to Azeredo than Assuncao would have. About the fight, Bennett says, “I win, he lose. I’m training, so we’ll see what training is doing. I was winning without training, so we’ll see what I can do now.”


Luiz “The Joker” Azeredo stands as one of only four men to defeat the current pound-for-pound king and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Following his professional debut in 1997, Azeredo has stepped up the competition one fight after another, continuing to put on acclaimed performances each time he steps into the ring. “The Joker” holds an impressive win over the UFC’s Paul Daley, a victory which ranks as one of his crowning achievements. He is also known to fight fans for participating in one of the most memorable PRIDE bouts in history alongside fellow Shine fighter Luiz Firmino.


These two bouts join the previously announced 160-pound catchweight main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas, as well as a co-main event bout between Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Canadian warrior Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith. In addition, a welterweight contest between MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian star Eduardo Pamplona will entertain Shine fans. Also, a surefire ground war is set to take place at 175 pounds between 2009 ADCC Absolute Champion Braulio Estima and former Olympic Judo competitor Rick Hawn, and grappling specialists Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferrara and Jamal “The Suit” Patterson will also do battle.


"WORLDS COLLIDE" is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT and will be produced by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

Maximum Fighting Boss on the airwaves this week April 27.2010

Pavelich pumping up hype for Vindication
MFC boss on the airwaves this week

The countdown has started and the anticipation is building towards the biggest Maximum Fighting Championship event in the organization's stellar 10-year history.

MFC 25: Vindication on Friday, May 7 from the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, will feature the best lineup of MFC talent ever assembled in one night and that packed roster will be showcased live on HDNet Fights.


As the buildup continues, MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich will be a special guest on numerous shows this week to talk about the fight card and all the latest in the Maximum Fighting Championship.
Catch Mark on Wednesday, April 28 on "Nielson & Chase in the Morning" on The Team 1260 with hosts Dustin Nielson and Kyle Chase at 9:35 a.m. ET/7:35 a.m. MT/6:35 a.m. PT. Listen live at
 www.theteam1260.com. And Mark returns to The Team 1260 later on Wednesday with an appearance on "The Jason Gregor Show" to give an inside look at the MFC 25 fight card and match-by-match breakdowns with host Jason Gregor.

On Thursday, April 29, Mark chats with a pair of all-time favorites in the mixed martial arts world. Mark will be a guest with Bob Carson on "Carson's Corner" with the interview to be posted at carsonscorner.podomatic.com and later in the day Mark will talk with "No Holds Barred Radio" for a thorough rundown of MFC 25: Vindication with host Eddie Goldman. That interview will be found at nhbnews.blogsport.com. And on Thursday night, Mark will be a featured guest on the weekly edition of TapouT Radio - exact time TBA. That interview will be available at  www.tapoutlive.com.

To wrap up Thursday, Mark will return to the studios of 630 CHED to go one-on-one with Dan Tencer, one of the top sports call-in show hosts in North America. Mark and Dan always have lively conversations which makes for great talk radio. The pair will chat at 12:35 a.m. ET/10:35 p.m. MT/9:35 p.m. PT and it will be streamed live at 
 www.630ched.com.

All the latest news on the MFC can be found at
 www.maximumfighting.com. Tickets for MFC 25: Vindication are available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 and through Ticketmaster at  www.ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.
 

Press Conference/Weigh-In for Bellator Fighting Championships event at Kansas City Power & Light District scheduled for 8 p.m. CT Wednesday


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 27, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships and the Kansas City Power & Light District will host a pre-event press conference and fighter weigh-in this Wednesday, April 28th, from the K.C. Live stage at the Kansas City Power & Light District.

All members of the media and all fans are cordially invited to attend.

The event will begin promptly at 8 p.m. and will feature all 16 featured fighters scheduled to compete in Thursday’s night’s nationally-televised Bellator 16 event at the same venue including Bryan “The Beast” Baker, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler, Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko, Matt Major, Jared Hess, Ryan McGivern, Eric Schambari and Luke Zachrich as well as eight locally based fighters who will compete in the evening’s Local Featured Fights and Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

In addition, the pre-event press conference and weigh-in will also be streamed LIVE at www.Bellator.com.

Thursday’s event is the first of four exciting, nationally televised “Fight Night Live” Bellator Fighting Championship events to be held at KC Live!

Prior to the fights, fans can also enjoy a special performance by Freedom, a premiere Navy rock band, as part of “Navy Week” being celebrated throughout Kansas City April 26 – April 30, 2010.



FIGHT NIGHT LIVE
BELLATOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS DETAILS:

Date:                Thursday, April 29, 2010
Time:                4:30 p.m.–“Freedom” Navy Rock Band performs live on Walnut St. Stage
6 p.m.–Doors open to public
                        7 p.m.–Fights begin (nationally televised) 
Location:          KC Live! in the Kansas City Power & Light District (on Grand Blvd between 13th Street and Walnut Street)
                        Event is RAIN or SHINE (in cases of severe weather, check www.powerandlightdistrict.com for details)

For more information, visit Bellator.com or www.powerandlightdistrict.com