Building a Brand: Bellator Fighting Championships

http://www.mmacombat.com/blogs/blog17803-building-brand-bellator-fighting-championships.html

As Bellator Fighting Championships prepares to kick-off its sixth season, which will begin Friday, March 9, 2012, with Bellator 60 - Warran vs. Curran, I find myself counting down the days until the weekly production resumes, until it returns to Ontario soil, until the fighters take the stage for season six.

The UFC set the blueprint, identifying that talent is an organization's biggest asset and marketing tool. When you build a brand out of fighters and retain those athletes, they in turn become synonymous with the promotion's brand and the two give each other a better shot at growing together.

Bellator FC has succeeded in accomplishing just that; it's a modest accomplishment when compared to the marketing machine that is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but for a company who put on its first show in April of 2009, considerable leaps have been made in a relatively short period of time.

With Viacom's recent purchase of a majority stake, and the experience that comes with promoting a brand like the UFC throughout their most crucial years of development, the sky is the limit for Bjorn Rebney's vision.

Today, I find myself looking forward to Friday night fights because of consistently strong productions with top-tier competitors like Pat Curran, Eddie Alvarez, Cole Konrad, Ben Askren, Hector Lombard, Zack Makovsky, Douglas Lima, Michael Chandler, Marlon Sandro and the Pitbull Brothers, just to scratch the surface. These fighters have proven they're among the very best on the planet, and have etched their way into the memories of hardcore fans because of thrilling performances week in and week out.

In early 2011, Rebney revealed the company was operating cash-flow even for the first time in its short history; a nice milestone achieved by few in a difficult and competitive business. With new partnerships in place, a few years from now Bellator's CEO could be singing an even sweeter tune.


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MMA Combat - Strikeforce Releases Alistair Overeem

MMA Combat - Strikeforce Releases Alistair Overeem

Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem has reportedly been released by the promotion who exercised that contractual right with one fight remaining on the fighter's contract. HDNet's Inside MMA initially broke the news Friday, July 29, but to many it will not come as a surprise with Overeem announcing Thursday his intention to fight this October for a Netherlands-based show promoted by his trainer at Golden Glory, Martin De Jong.

Undefeated in mixed martial arts competition since 2007 (a streak spanning eleven fights), Overeem has finished 33 of 35 career wins inside the distance with 14 [T]KOs and 19 submissions on record. The Dutch Striker last competed June 18, defeating Fabricio Werdum via unanimous decision and achieved new personal heights in 2010 by winning the K-1 World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

The news will surely send shock-waves through the MMA world as we await comment out of Overeem's camp. With seldom a top-ten talent outside the Zuffa banner, Overeem's intention to dip his toes in the boxing ring may not be as far fetched as once believed. Until then, he'll return to pummeling under-whelming competition inside Japanese promotions who have maintained close ties with the hulking heavyweight, or at least that's this writer's best guess.


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MMA Combat - Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson, Results

MMA Combat - Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson, Results

Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson went live from the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Saturday, July 30, 2011, and featured a heavyweight contest between "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko and current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson.

Being tabbed as one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the year, if not all-time, the first round did not disappoint as the two legends swarmed each other with big power punches that threatened both men early on; finding the clinch Henderson pressed Emelianenko against the cage and the two jockeyed for position, while catching their wind for the second flurry of action that was to come.

As they separated, Emelianenko moved forward once more with an onslaught of strikes that sent "Hendo" reeling to the mat in defense; as the Russian aggressively looked for the finish, Henderson was able to catch a leg and slip out from underneath his foe before landing a devastating upper-cut that saw Emelianenko's posture go limp if only for a second. Following up with swift strikes from the top, Henderson forced the stoppage as referee Herb Dean jumped in to halt the action at 4:12 of the first round, declaring Dan Henderson the winner of this all-time classic encounter.

In the co-main event, Alpha Male representative Miesha Tate was able to win the war of attrition as both ladies had their moments throughout the four-rounds of championship action. Entering the fourth anyone's match, Tate looked the more exhausted of the two combatants until a powerful take-down drove Coenen to the mat. Setting up an arm-in triangle choke, Tate was able to advance position from one-side of the champion's body to the other in order to secure the hold; with no avenue for escape, Tate forced the tap, becoming the first woman to do so against the seasoned dutch fighter. The win crowns Miesha Tate as the new Strikeforce women's welterweight champion.

Other results from the card are round below:

1 Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via Submission (Brabo Choke) rd3 1:19
2 Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 4:33
3 Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
4 Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via KO (Punch) rd1 0:15
5 Gesias Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
6 Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
8 Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
9 Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd4 3:03
10 Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (Punches) rd1 4:12


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MMA Combat - Alvarez vs. Chandler Scheduled for Bellator 54

MMA Combat - Alvarez vs. Chandler Scheduled for Bellator 54

Bellator FC champion and world-ranked lightweight, Eddie Alvarez (22-2-0) will defend his promotion title against Season 4 Lightweight Tournament winner, Michael Chandler (8-0-0), October 15 at Bellator 54. The match-up was announced by Bellator officials on Thursday who also confirmed the event would take place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Boardwalk Hall Ballroom.

Alvarez made comment of his opponent in the official release, stating:

“I watched the [Season 4] lightweight tournament very closely and was really impressed with a lot of the competition,” Alvarez said. “Knowing that Chandler is my opponent, I’ve already gone back and started to watch film, and I’ll be ready. He brings a really good pace, and it’s going to be a great fight.”

The Philadelphia Fight Factor product at 26 years of age is a finisher to say the least; with 12 [T]KOs and 7 submissions, Alvarez has stopped 19 of 24 career opponents inside the distance and does not have a decision loss on record. Since tapping to a heel-hook courtesy of submission specialist Shinya Aoki, in December of 2008, Alvarez has posted seven consecutive wins including his latest performance, a dominate decision victory over Pat Curran at Bellator 39 this past April.

While acknowledging the extraordinary talents of the champ, Chandler believes he'll bring a different look to their fall encounter.

“Eddie is obviously a world class lightweight, but in a lot of the fights I have watched, no one has really pushed the pace against him,” said Chandler in a statement. “I want to put him on his heels and make him respond to what I’m doing in the cage. I’ve got a few months to prepare, and I’ll be more than ready for Oct. 15.”

At a perfect 8-0 and now fighting out of Xtreme Couture, wrestling standout Michael Chandler won the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament defeating dangerous Team Nogueira representative, Patricky Freire, in the finals this past May via unanimous decision. The High Ridge, Missouri native at 25, has stopped 6 of 8 professional opponents and as a division 1 All-American at the University of Missouri, wrestled alongside Bellator welterweight champion, Ben Askren, and top-ranked Strikeforce contender, Tyron Woodley.

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MMA Combat - Antonio Silva Switches Camps Ahead of Semi-Final Bout with Cormier

MMA Combat - Antonio Silva Switches Camps Ahead of Semi-Final Bout with Cormier

Alex Davis, currant manager of Strikeforce heavyweight, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, has announced his fighter's permanent move from Imperial Athletics to Team Nogueira in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, citing organizational concerns at his former camp. The transition has taken place with approximately a month and a half of preparation time to go, before Silva squares off with AKA trained, former Olympic wrestler, Daniel Cormier September 10, on SHOWTIME in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix semi-finals.

"Minotauro asked Antonio to come help him for his upcoming fight against Schaub in Rio de Janeiro," Davis told MMAjunkie.com. "We all go way back – 'Minotauro' helped Antonio a lot in the beginning of his career and has continued helping since. Antonio actually calls Nogueira Godfather."

"I think Antonio came down to Brazil to help Minotauro and felt real comfortable training with Minotauro, Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos, Rafael Feijao Cavalcante and the rest of the camp. Like I said, we all go way back, and Team Nogueira is definitely one of the best places to train at the moment – even more so since everyone has fights coming up."

When speaking of Silva's change in opponent (click here for details on Overeem's departure) Davis had the following to say, but maintained Silva's ultimate goal of capturing the Grand Prix title to therefore get his shot at champion, Alistair Overeem.

"Antonio was fighting a tall striker, and now he faces a short wrestler," Davis said. "He was facing a big name, now he is facing an up-and-comer, which does not in any way take away from Daniel's capacity as a fighter. I think it's a tough fight... With this move to Team Nogueira, I think we'll continue to see improvement's in Antonio's game. We just hope that the problem with Overeem's toe was not life-threatening or anything. Hopefully he gets better soon so Antonio can beat him."


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MMA Combat - Overeem Scheduled for October, Not with Strikeforce

MMA Combat - Overeem Scheduled for October, Not with Strikeforce

In communications with MMAJunkie.com Alistair Overeem's trainer, Martin De Jong, expressed that the Golden Glory product and Strikeforce heavyweight champion would compete this coming October in a Netherlands-based event called United Glory, promoted by De Jong.

"Since he is out of the [Strikeforce] tourney, we need to keep him busy, and I am honored to have him fighting at my show," wrote De Jong on Wednesday evening.

Comment from Zuffa officials is not yet available, but the news is sure to ruffle some feathers following Overeem's departure from the Grand Prix, which has its semi-final round scheduled for September 10, at SHOWTIME's request. UFC president, Dana White, at that time indicated the promotion would get him another fight as soon as his broken toe heals, but Overeem seems to be going ahead with his original plan to compete in October, under the Strikeforce banner or not.

Overeem last fought on June 18, defeating fellow top-ten heavyweight Fabricio Werdum via unanimous decision in the quarterfinal round of the aforementioned Grad Prix. He has not been defeated in mixed martial arts competition since his September 2007 loss at the hands of Sergei Kharitonov (who will appear in the semi-finals himself Sept 10), a streak spanning eleven appearances.


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MMA Combat - Dream 17 Official with New Rules in Place

MMA Combat - Dream 17 Official with New Rules in Place

Wednesday, July 27, DREAM officials confirmed the first bout for DREAM 17, scheduled to take place September 24 at Saitama Super Arena, in Saitama, Japan; UFC veteran Caol Uno (26-14-5) will test his might against two-time Shooto featherweight champ, Takeshi Inoue (20-5-0).

Representing Shooting Gym in Yokohama, Japan, Inoue has secured nearly half his wins by [T]KO stoppage with nine to-date. The 31 year old last appeared at DREAM - Fight for Japan, May 29, where he stopped Koichiro Matsumoto on punches at 6:51 of the first round.

A Freelance MMA fighter, Uno takes a more grappling intensive approach with 13 of 26 career victories coming by way of submission, while he has posted only 2 TKOs in 45 professional appearances. The 36 year old veteran recorded his first win in six attempts this past May 29 against Akiyo Nishiura, picking up a unanimous decision over 15 minutes.

Also in the news, DREAM event producer, Keiichi Sasahara revealing Wednesday that the promotion would be adjusting the format of their fights to three, five-minute rounds to fall in line with international norms.

Traditionally, DREAM bouts are contested over one, ten-minute round, with a second 5-minute frame to conclude non-title bouts. Title fights would follow 10, 5, 5, but will now see 5, 5-minute rounds as is common place in most promotions.

"While I believe that a 10-minute first round gives fighters a greater chance at finishing a fight, since we've lately been focusing on the lighter weight classes, for some reason the chances of them getting a finish like a knockout have been smaller," Sasahara explained. "Therefore, I've decided to take a proactive stance to reset things by changing round times. One of the reasons we adopted the five-minute round was to follow the international flow."

"I don't believe that changing all bouts to be three fives will somehow make all fights wonderful, but the change gives us a great chance to reset the fights themselves," he added.

Sasahara left those attending today's press-conference in suspense by adding that the promotion was actively pursuing a big-name, foreign opponent for promotion lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki, however nothing has been made official as those involved are locked in negotiations. Stay tuned for an announcement on that.

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MMA Combat - Philippou Replaces Sakara vs. Rivera, Bradley Steps Up to Battle Natal

MMA Combat - Philippou Replaces Sakara vs. Rivera, Bradley Steps Up to Battle Natal

Some fights are just not to be, and this seems to be the case when it comes to middleweights Jorge Rivera (19-8-0) and Alessio Sakara (15-8-0) as Rivera's twitter account revealed Monday that the Italian has been forced to withdraw from their August 6 contest at UFC 133 due to a knee injury sustained while training.

This card marked the third attempt by the promotion to set up the bout, but not all is lost as Constantinos Philippou (7-2-0) will move up the fight-card to take on the veteran Rivera. Philippou rattled off seven consecutive wins heading into his UFC debut this past March at UFC 128 - Shogun vs. Jones, but had his momentum halted by New Jersey's Nick Catone, losing a unanimous decision on the judge's cards.

Philippou was previously scheduled to battle Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace Rafael Natal (12-3-1) at the event. Stepping in on late notice to face the Renzo Gracie black-belt will be Strikeforce veteran and two-time NCAA division 1, All-American wrestler, Paul Bradley. Under trying circumstances, Bradley (16-2-0) will make his promotion debut in a little under two weeks; "The Gentleman" has been stopped only once in 18 professional fights and is coming off three straight wins inside the cage with choke stoppages in each. The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy representative last competed this past weekend, July 23, defeating Eddie Larrea by triangle choke in the first round, and will look to start strong under the Zuffa banner, August 6 at UFC 133 - Ortiz vs. Evans scheduled to take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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MMA Combat - Bellator 47 - Results

MMA Combat - Bellator 47 - Results

Saturday, July 23, Bellator Fighting Championships went live from Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada in what was the Chicago-based promotion's first show North of the Border. The event featured the semi-finals of the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament, with once-beaten Nazareno Malegarie squaring off with former Sengoku champ and Nova Uniao standout, Marlon Sandro; while top-ranked European, Ronny Mann, towed the line against one-time lightweight title challenger, Pat Curran on the other side of the bracket.

In the evening's co-main event and the first semi-final pairing, Sandro took the center of the cage early, looking to dictate the action with a measured stand-up attack. Landing a big right hand half way through the round, Sandro staggered Malegarie who began to look for the takedown more frequently with little success. As he settled into his groove, the Brazilian - who has now posted wins in five of his previous six outings - started to showcase a well rounded game complete with punches, kicks, knees and even the occasional takedown. It was all too much for Malegarie on Saturday night, as the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt searched for answers that never came before his fifteen minutes were up, with all three judges scoring the contest 30-27 in favor of the Nova Uniao fighter.

The main-event saw England's Ronnie Mann take on 2010 lightweight tournament winner, Pat Curran; controlling the center of the cage, the larger Curran used more effective counter striking and a handful of flying knees to keep Mann cautious and at-bay throughout the bout. Mann never found his timing, and despite finishing rounds two and three strong it was too little too late, as all three judges scored the fight in the American's favor, sending Curran through to the tournament finals where he will face Marlon Sandro for the right to challenge 145lbs promotion champion, Joe Warren later this year.

Other results from Bellator 47 are found below:

1 Alex Ricci def. Alka Matewa via TKO (Elbows and Punches) rd 2 2:40
2 William Romero def. Daniel Langbeen via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 Alexandre Bezerra def. Jesse Gross via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 1:28
4 Neil Grove def. Zak Jensen via TKO (Punches) rd1 2:00
5 Chris Horodecki def. Chris Saunders via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
6 Marlon Sandro def. Nazareno Malegarie via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Pat Curran def. Ronnie Mann via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00

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MMA Combat - Ahead of Bellator 47, Sandro Talks Malegarie

MMA Combat - Ahead of Bellator 47, Sandro Talks Malegarie

Bellator FC featherweight, Marlon Sandro (18-2-0), is one of the more exciting 145lbers you will find today, which is saying a lot considering the pace that typifies the division. The former King of Pancrase and Sengoku champion out of Nova Uniao has made his name primarily on the Japanese circuit, with his North American debut coming in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Summer Series featherweight tournament, June 25, where he defeated Genair da Silva via split decision, a result the Brazilian star was not content with.

“I don’t want to belittle anyone, but I was surprised when they called a split decision,” Sandro told Sherdog.com. “Me, Andre Pederneiras and Jose Aldo, who were in my corner, couldn’t understand how they decided that. I pressured him all fight, always moving forward. He was always walking backwards, and I hit him much more.”

Ahead of his Bellator FC 47 clash Saturday night with fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt Nazareno Malegarie (20-1-0), Sandro took a moment to discuss the bout and what he plans to do against the dangerous Argentinian, who bounced back from the first loss of his professional career with a submission victory over Jacob Devree in the quarterfinal match-ups.

“I’ve already seen some fights from Malegarie and I know he has a good BJJ background. He comes from a good school, he’s a Thiago Tavares pupil, but I’m going to fight MMA, and wherever the fight goes, I’ll be ready.”

“I believe he will exchange a little and try to put me down. “I’ve trained both on my feet and on the ground. I’m really confident that I’ll win.”

In 20 professional fights, Sandro (34) has never been stopped inside the distance, losing only to UFC talent Michihiro Omigawa via split decision in August of 2009, and most recently, newly acquired UFC featherweight, and world ranked Japanese star Hatsu Hioki this past December by unanimous decision. Sandro has a clear vision of his goals as he attempts to advance in the tournament bracket, Malegarie is merely another obstacle he must overcome to achieve them.

“I respect everyone, but my thoughts are always on being the champion,” said Sandro. “Every fight I have, I do it with the intention to be No. 1 in the promotion. To achieve that dream, I’ve gotta beat Malegarie, a very tough guy, but I’m ready for that.”


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MMA Combat - Hayes Out of CFA-2 Main-Event vs. McCorkle, Bellator Pulls Plug

MMA Combat - Hayes Out of CFA-2 Main-Event vs. McCorkle, Bellator Pulls Plug

Championship Fighting Alliance announced Wednesday that their heavyweight main-event for CFA - 2, pitting UFC veteran Sean McCorkle against Bellator talent Mike Hayes is no longer a-go after Bellator pulled the string on Hayes' participation citing contractual obligations to their promotion.

CFA CEO, Jorge de la Noval, did not fault Bellator FC for their decision, rather pointed the finger at Hayes' management team:

“Bellator is just protecting their real estate,” said de la Noval. “His management is not doing a good job with him. How are you going to lock a client into a multi-year contract with no guarantees of a fight any time in the near future? ... Bellator hasn’t given him a fight for 10 months. How is he supposed to provide for his family?”

In an interview with Sherdog.com, McCorkle offered the following comment in regards to North America's third largest promotion and their strong-arming of Hayes in this particular instance:

“No one should sign with Bellator. They will give you verbal permission and no written permission when it’s time to fight. I know Hayes didn’t want to pull out of the fight.”

The event is still scheduled to take place this Saturday, July 23, live from U.S. Century Bank Arena in Miami, Florida. Hayes (15-4-1) has not competed for Bellator since August of 2010 when he lost a split decision to Alexey Oleinik at BFC 26. He has however fought three times since then under the ROTR (Rumble on the Ridge) banner based in Snoqualmie, Washington, notching three consecutive victories. Hayes last competed in January of this year at ROTR 16, defeating Matt Kovacs by rear-naked choke.

The fight-card as it now stands is found below:

Efrain Escudero vs. Mike Rio
Yosilandy Izuierdo vs. Jayson Jones
Christopher Garcia vs. Rocky Georges
Trent McCown vs. Zach Juusola
Jerrid Burke vs. Patrick Cenoble
Allton Barbosa vs. Anderson Melo
Pablo Alfonso vs. Chino Duran
Lazar Stojadinovic vs. Tulio Quintanilla
Joseph Watson vs. Frank Carrillo
Gabriel Verona vs. Jose Maldonado
Dietter Navarro vs. Cesar Serje


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MMA Combat - Hirota Makes Return Against Kikuno at Deep 55 Impact

MMA Combat - Hirota Makes Return Against Kikuno at Deep 55 Impact

A lightweight title fight will be featured at Deep "55 Impact" as top Japanese talents Mizuto Hirota (12-4-1) and Katsunori Kikuno (15-3-2) collide August 26, 2011, at Korakuen Hall in Tokya, Japan.

Kikuno is the Deep lightweight champion

Training under UFC and PRIDE veteran Tsuyoshi Kosaka, 153lbs champion Kikuno captured the Deep title in April of 2009, knocking out Koichiro Matsumoto in the finals of the Deep lightweight tournament. The Karate-based fighter has been stopped only once in twenty professional bouts when Bellator lightweight champion, Eddy Alvarez, stopped him via arm-triangle choke at DREAM 12 in October of 2009. Kikuno last appeared at DREAM - Fight for Japan, May 29, where he defeated Daisuke Nakamura via unanimous decision.

Hirota is one of the most proficient strikers in Japan today, securing more than half (8) of his victories by [T]KO. Not unlike Kikuno, Hirota has been stopped inside the distance only once in seventeen fights when DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki brutally broke his arm on December 31, 2009, via hammerlock submission. Prior to that bout Hirota was crowned the Sengoku LW champion when he TKO'd leg-lock specialist, Satoru Kitaoka, in the fourth round of their championship affair.


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MMA Combat - Bellator 48 Complete with Nine Bouts

MMA Combat - Bellator 48 Complete with Nine Bouts

The fight card for Bellator 48, August 20, at the Mohegan Sun in Unicasville, Connecticut, is now complete with nine fights signed to the event. The third and final installment of their "Summer Series" set of shows, Bellator 48 will feature the finals for the promotion's Featherweight Grand Prix, with those spots being determined this coming weekend in the semi-final pairings at Bellator 47 in Orillia, Ontario, Saturday, July 23.

The main-card will also include a non-title heavyweight tilt pitting Bellator champion, Cole Konrad (7-0-0) against UFC veteran, Paul Buentello (29-13-0). Additionally, former UFC heavyweight champion, Ricco Rodriguez (46-11-0) will be making his Bellator debut when he takes on TUF alumnus, Seth Petruzelli (13-6-0).

Speaking with the Savage Dog Show on the Sherdog Radio Network, Rodriguez had the following to say regarding his new-found opportunity with Bellator FC:

“Bjorn [Rebney] went to the networks and fought for me. I’m grateful. I’ve been begging Bjorn for almost two years to get me in.… This opportunity will definitely change my life.”

The four fight main-card will be broadcasted live on MTV2 (The Score in Canada). Below is the full card.

MAIN CARD (MTV2)

Featherweight-tourney final
TBA vs. TBA
Cole Konrad vs. Paul Buentello (heavyweight non-title fight)
Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricco Rodriguez
Juan Barrante vs. Rene Nazare

PRELIMINARY CARD

John Clarke vs. Dan Cramer
Andrew Calandrelli vs. Matt Nice
Brett Oteri vs. Ryan Quinn
Nik Fekete vs. Mark Griffin
Saul Almeida vs. Tateki Matsuda

MMA Combat - Canadian, Jordan Mein Makes Strikeforce Debut Against Santos

MMA Combat - Canadian, Jordan Mein Makes Strikeforce Debut Against Santos

Canadian welterweight Jordan "Young Gun" Mein (22-7-0) out of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, will make his Strikeforce debut later this summer when he takes on Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (18-14-0) this coming September 10, at an event yet to be confirmed by the promotion but according to recent comments by Dana White...

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MMA Combat - Eastern MMA: Takaya, Mousasi, Bae, Victorious

MMA Combat - Eastern MMA: Takaya, Mousasi, Bae, Victorious

Saturday, July 16, 2011, Dream - Fight for Japan went live from Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, with 8,124 fans in attendance to take-in the event. The show featured two championship bouts as Gegard Mousasi and Hiroyuki Takaya put their promotion straps on the line against Hiroshi Izumi and Kazuyuki Miyata respectively. Also on the card, Hideo Tokoro and Masakazu Imanari battled to a decision, deciding the winner of the 2011 Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix.

Mousasi (31-3-2) was simply too much for the former Olympian Izumi (4-2-0), as the Armenian's boxing was the difference in this one. Mousasi stopped the still-green Izumi on strikes at 3:29 of round 1, notching the 18th [T]KO of his professional career. After the fight, Mousasi indicated a deep interest in making the Olympics himself for boxing, and also suggested he would likely appear next this fall under the Strikeforce banner.

Takaya's (16-9-1) night proved to be a sterner test, as the featherweight champion was involved in a back and forth affair with Miyata (11-8-0) over 20 minutes that resulted in a split decision victory. It was Takaya's first title defense since capturing the DREAM belt in September of 2010. Meanwhile, Hideo Tokoro (30-23-1) walked away a happy man as he was crowned the 2011 Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix champion when he defeated submission specialist Masakazu Imanari (23-9-2) by unanimous decision.

In other action over the weekend, Chinese promotion Legend Fighting Championships held Legend FC 5, Saturday night at Macau’s City of Dreams where Auckland, New Zealand native and welterweight champion Rodney MacSwain (12-4-0) had his hands full with Korean, Myung Ho Bae (12-5-0). Bae used superior grappling to control where the match took place and wore down his foe over three hard fought rounds to take a unanimous decision on the judges cards. With the win, Bae improves to 4-0 under the Legend FC banner and hasn't been defeated since his KO defeat to Marius Zaromskis at DREAM 12 in October of 2009.

Full Results for both events can be found below:
Dream:
1 Eiji Mitsuoka def. Bruno Carvalho via Decision (Unanimous) rd2 5:00
2 Marius Zaromskis def. Eiji Ishikawa via Decision (Unanimous) rd2 5:00
3 Tatsuya Mizuno def. Trevor Prangley via KO (Knee to the Body) rd1 4:41
4 Kenji Osawa def. Keisuke Fujiwara via Decision (Unanimous) rd2 5:00
5 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Drew Fickett via TKO (Punches) rd1 4:41
6 Gegard Mousasi def. Hiroshi Izumi via TKO (Punches) rd1 3:29
7 Hideo Tokoro def. Masakazu Imanari via Decision (Unanimous) rd2 5:00
8 Hiroyuki Takaya def. Kazuyuki Miyata via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00

Legend FC:
1 Sung Ming Yen def. Vincent Siu via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 N/A
2 Fransino Tirta def. Chengjie Wu via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 Mark Striegl def. Yusuke Kawanago via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
4 Jingliang Li def. Alex Niu via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
5 Yui Chul Nam def. Rob Hill via TKO (Punches) rd2 1:12
6 Honggang Yao def. Nam Jin Jo via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Myung Ho Bae def. Rodney MacSwain via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00


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MMA Combat - Canadian Chris Horodecki Signs with Bellator

MMA Combat - Canadian Chris Horodecki Signs with Bellator

Wednesday, July 13, 2011, Canadian lightweight Chris Horodecki (17-3-0) has officially signed with Bellator Fighting Championships and will make his promotion debut in little over a week at Bellator 47, in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. The event will mark the promotion's first show North of the boarder, and features the semi final match-ups for the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament.

Horodecki, out of Team Tompkins in London, Ontario, will meet Chris Saunders (9-1-1) in front of a packed house at Casino Rama on July 23, 2011. The IFL and WEC veteran most recently fought and defeated David Castillo via rear naked choke on April 2, 2011; the fight was Horodecki's first since being released by the WEC after going 2-2 inside the promotion with losses to Anthony Njokuani and Donald Cerrone. At just 23 years of age, and already a veteran of the sport, "The Polish Hammer" will look to keep momentum going for himself later this month.

Saunders is a winner in 7 straight contests. The California native made his professional debut in July of 2009 and has remained extremely busy ever since, competing ten times to-date. "The So Cal Kid" has finished back-to-back fights via TKO.


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MMA Combat - Phil Davis Injured, Machida Rumored to Fight Evans

MMA Combat - Phil Davis Injured, Machida Rumored to Fight Evans

Phil Davis (right) will not fight at UFC 133

It has been reported that undefeated UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis (9-0-0) has injured his knee during training and will not fight Rashad Evans (15-1-1) in the main-event at UFC 133, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center, August 6, 2011. MMA Fighting first reported the news, and rumor has it that the promotion is seeking former 205lbs champion, Lyoto Machida (17-2-0), as a late replacement. The contest would be a rematch of their UFC 98 encounter where Machida easily dispatched of then champion Evans via second round knockout.

Evans bounced back from the defeat with consecutive victories in 2010, but was sidelined after being declared the number one contender to Mauricio Rua's throne, as a result of a knee injury suffered during training himself. The opportunity opened the door for former teammate Jon "Bones" Jones, and the rest is history as Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history with his third round stoppage of Rua at UFC 128 in March.

Machida started his career a perfect 16-0, capturing the UFC light heavyweight belt after his stoppage of Evans in May of 2009; but after a controversial decision victory in his first title defense against Mauricio Rua, "The Dragon" was caught moving straight backwards during a "Shogun" onslaught in the rematch, getting knocked out and suffering the first loss of his professional career. Machida would then go on to lose a controversial decision himself against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in November of 2010, before stopping UFC hall of famer Randy Couture this past April in Toronto, Canada, at UFC 129.

The promotion is yet to formally announce a replacement for the bout.


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MMA Combat - Penn vs. Condit at UFC 137?

MMA Combat - Penn vs. Condit at UFC 137?

Not long after UFC match-maker, Joe Silva, nixed a pending rematch between Jon Fitch (23-3-1) and B.J. Penn (16-7-2) due to a perceived lack of fan interest, multiple sources confirmed initial offers have been made by the promotion for a bout pitting the former welterweight and lightweight champion against surging Team Jackson stand-out Carlos Condit (27-5-0).

Although the contest has not yet been made official, both competitors have agreed to the match-up via their twitter accounts.

Carlos Condit: The people have spoken @bjpenndotcom, they want to see us scrap, let's give em what they asked for

B.J Penn: @CarlosCondit Yup. Let's do it! October 29th

October 29, as suggest by Penn, would have the fight featured as a part of the UFC 137 - St. Pierre vs. Diaz line-up, which is scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The only fight officially confirmed for the card, besides the main-event itself, is a 145lbs scrap between Japanese star Hatsu Hioki and TUF alumnus George Roop.

Condit has won four consecutive fights since losing to Martin Kampmann in his promotion debut. The former WEC welterweight champion has finished 26 opponents inside the distance in 27 career wins, with 13 [T]KOs and 13 submissions to his name. Penn meanwhile, battled world #2 welterweight Jon Fitch to a unanimous draw in his most recent appearance at UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch, February 27, 2011. The highly decorated fighter is 1-0-1 since returning to the welterweight ranks, but has only managed three wins in his past seven fights. If "The Natural Born Killer," Carlos Condit was to walk away victorious, it is widely believed he would become the #1 contender to teammate Georges St. Pierre's title.


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MMA Combat - Bellator Champions Eye Bout with Marquardt

MMA Combat - Bellator Champions Eye Bout with Marquardt

With his highly publicized release from the UFC, prior to UFC Live 4 in June of this year, Nate Marquardt (31-10-2) is now a man with a target on his back; at least that's the way middleweight and welterweight champions Hector Lombard (29-2-1) and Ben Askren (8-0-0) see it. Marquardt failed to pass his pre-fight medicals on the Saturday before his main-event bout with Rick Story, with elevated levels of testosterone as a result of testosterone replacement therapy the fighter claims he is prescribed for a legitimate deficiency. A former UFC middleweight title challenger and perennial top-ten, Marquardt is a big fish for anyone to add to their mantle, particularly when you're competing outside a Zuffa owned promotion where such talent is harder to come by and the fighter's release was not performance related.

Speaking with the Savage Dog Show on the Sherdog Radio Network, the Bellator middleweight champ had this to say:


“He’s a big name up there,” Lombard said. “I’m ready for the challenge. I want to show everybody what I’m capable of doing. I just want to fight that guy bad... Ben Askren said it all, I think [Marquardt] is a cheater, but [against] me, he can take all the drugs he wants. I’m going to whoop his ass anyway.”

The comments Lombard is referring to came on June 28, when Askren posted the following message on his twitter account:

@nathanmarquardt you are a cheater, not once but frequently. Stop cheating, come to bellator and I will crush you. @bjornrebney

Desperately seeking the notoriety that comes with fighting top competition, Lombard recognizes the opportunity at hand and believes a return to 185lbs is the likely scenario for the former King of Pancrase.

“I don’t see him making [170]... He’s a natural 185,” Lombard said. “He’s been fighting at 185. At one point he was number two in the world at 185... There’s no excuses anymore. Don’t say you’ve got a contract with the UFC because he doesn’t have it. He can take the fight and prove everybody wrong.”

Bellator Fighting Championships stands to deepen its rosters on the back of a handful of recent dismissals by the UFC. Whether or not the signings are financially viable is another thing all together, but it's likely the fighters will entertain offers from the largest North American promotion outside of the Zuffa banner; according to Lombard, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has already offered the fight, but the terms were not agreed upon so until an official announcement is made we will stand by in anticipation.


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MMA Combat - UFC Cuts John "Doomsday" Howard

MMA Combat - UFC Cuts John "Doomsday" Howard

TUF finalist Andre Winner was not the only fighter to find himself on the UFC chopping block come Monday, July 11; MMA Weekly confirmed via John Howard's manager, Malki Kawa, that the welterweight Muay Thai specialist out of Boston, Massachusetts, has also received his walking papers from the promotion.

Speaking through his twitter account, "Doomsday" had the following to say regarding the news:

“Only thing I can say is it is what it is. You get three straight losses in the UFC and this is what happens,” said Howard. “My plans right now is to go to Bellator or Dream, or something else, whoever makes me the best offer.”

After starting 4-0 with impressive knockout finishes of Dennis Hallman and Daniel Roberts, Howard slipped up and was defeated in his next three by Jake Ellenberger, Thiago Alves, and Matt Brown. With Brown rumored to be on the brink of release himself, the win was one Howard desperately needed after losing to a grappling-based opponent, then striker in his previous two. Brown however, proved busier and more effective on June 26, at UFC Live 4 - Kongo vs. Barry and picked up the unanimous decision nod, sealing Howard's fate. At just 28 years of age, Howard will make some waves yet, but under what banner we'll have to wait and see. If the welterweight fighter is capable of a weight-cut down to 155lbs, those are waters he might choose to explore as "Doomsday" was visibly undersized in a handful of bouts during his time with Zuffa.


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