Monday, August 01, 2011

Brazilian prospect Ricardo Tirloni has been signed to Bellator Fighting Championships’ already impressive lightweight division, according to an announcement issued by the promotion today. Tirloni’s addition further deepens a class that includes Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez, lightweight tournament winner Michael Chandler, fellow Brazilians Patricky "Pitbull" Freire and Rene Nazare, and Marcin Held.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

MMA fans around the world knew that by the end of Saturday night’s "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Henderson" event one of the main event fighters would add to their legendary status and notch another all-time great to their tremendous lists of victories. However, not many in the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., near Chicago, thought that they would see such an unforgettable end to the event.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bud Light have teamed up to put on an action-packed fight card heading to New Orleans this fall. The organizations jointly announced today that "UFC Fight Night Live: Battle on the Bayou" will take place on Saturday, Sept. 17 from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and feature an outstanding welterweight clash between top contenders Jake Shields and Jake Ellenberger. Also scheduled for the card, Court McGee battles Dongi Yang, while Jonathan Brookins takes on surging featherweight Erik Koch."UFC Fight Night Live: Battle on the Bayou" will be broadcast live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Friday, July 29, 2011

The weigh-in for tomorrow night’s “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson” event took place just a few hours ago with all 20 combatants making weight. In the highly-anticipated main event, the once impervious Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko meets Pride and UFC legend Dan “Hendo” Henderson. "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson" airs live Saturday, July 30 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

Bellator’s season four lightweight tournament winner, the undefeated Michael Chandler is scheduled to face current champion, Eddie Alvarez, in a five round title bout on October 15 at Bellator 54 from the Boardwalk Hall Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J. Tickets are available for the event which will air live on MTV2. Chandler, a Strikeforce and Bellator veteran, has competed five times for the promotion and has posted one knockout, two submissions and two decisions under the Bellator banner.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Bellator’s season five middleweight tournament is set to commence at Bellator 50 from The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on September 17. Bellator veterans Bryan “The Beast” Baker, Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko, Jared “The Test” Hess, and Sam "Smile 'N" Alvey all return to face an infusion of new blood in Vitor Vianna, Zelg "Benkei" Galesic, Brian "The Predator" Rogers, and Victor O’Donnell, as they compete for the $100,000 tournament winner’s check and the opportunity to challenge the indomitable middleweight champion, Hector “Lightning” Lombard.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Undefeated Yoel Romero Palacio recently signed a five-fight deal with Strikeforce and is preparing to make his promotional debut at “Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals” in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 10. Romero is scheduled to face former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in his initial bout. With just four fights under his belt, Romero continues to excel in mixed martial arts after previously compiling an impressive freestyle wrestling record that includes a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, and the gold at the World Championships in 1999.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Strikeforce will make its second trip to the Buckeye State this year when it brings the "Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Heavyweight Tournament" semi-finals to U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 10., live on Showtime at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  The World Heavyweight Grand Prix finalists will be determined when former UFC heavyweight champion “The Baby Faced Assassin” Josh Barnett takes on Russian sensation Sergei Kharitonov, and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva battles tournament alternate Daniel “DC” Cormier.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Returning to Birmingham, England, Spike TV officially announced “UFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz set for November 5 and headlined by a middleweight tilt featuring fan-favorite Chris “The Crippler” Leben and rising star Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz in the promotion’s first five-round non-title fight. Also confirmed for the card is a bantamweight bout between Britain’s Brad “One Punch” Pickett and Brazilian phenom Renan “The Baron” Barão, likely to move the winner into title contention. UFC 138 will air at 8 p.m. ET on tape delay.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Bellator 47 concluded last night from Rama, Ontario, marking the promotion’s first international event, as two competitors vaulted into the featherweight tournament finals. Live on MTV2 from Canada’s Casino Rama, former lightweight finalist Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran and the Brazilian Marlon Sandro arose victorious and are now set to meet on August 20 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. where they will vie for the $100,000 tournament winner check and the opportunity to fight for the featherweight championship belt.

Friday, July 22, 2011

The public weigh-in and pre-fight press conference for Bellator 47, the second event of the promotion's 2011 summer series, is scheduled for today at 5 p.m. live from Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. Bellator 47 takes place July 23 at the Casino Rama and airs live at 9 p.m. ET on MTV2. The event hosts two featherweight semifinal clashes as former lightweight finalist Pat Curran (14-4) takes on the Brit Ronnie “Kid Ninja” Mann (20-3-1), and Brazilian striker Marlon Sandro (18-2) looks for a knockout against the formidable Nazareno “Naza” Malegarie (20-1).

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The UFC has announced several upcoming matchups for events in the fall. Cody Mackenzie will face Vagner Rocha at "Battle on the Bayou" on September 17; Nick Ring steps in to face Tim Boetsch on September 24; Joey Beltran will face Stipe Miocic at UFC 136 on October 8; and Thiago Alves looks to rebound from his recent loss to Rick Story as he faces Papy Abedi, who makes his UFC debut November 5.