Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (March 27, 2012) – As Bellator Fighting Championships prepares to make its sixth trip to Connecticut, the fight card for Bellator 63 has been finalized and features a night of incredible finishers, including the start of Bellator’s $100,000 Welterweight Tournament as well as preliminary action loaded with East Coast talent.
Tickets for the event are on sale and are available through Ticketmaster.com or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Tickets are priced from $30-$70.
The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. EST, with the first fight scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top local talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. EST.
The night will feature the debut of American Top Team product and Danbury resident Marianna “The Crushen Russian” Kheyfets as she battles New Jersey native Munah Holland. Kheyfets brings a spotless 5-0 record into the cage, and will be looking to impress the Bellator brass in her debut.
“I’m incredibly excited to be fighting in such a big event so close to home,” said Kheyfets. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I can’t wait to get into the cage on March 30th.”
Two very familiar foes collide as Dan Cramer will return to the Bellator cage looking to avenge his last loss when he meets Jeff Nader in a middleweight showdown. The two last meet at Bellator 48 in a very memorable matchup, where Cramer controlled the pace a majority of the fight until Nader connected with a vicious combination that earned him victory.
Russian born welterweight Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov is also set to make his Bellator debut, and the top prospect will have his hands full with Cleveland native Taiwan Howard. Koreshkov is a true finisher in every sense of the word as the 21-year-old prodigy has never had a fight move into the third round and is the owner of five knockout victories.
Saul “The Spider” Almeida returns to the Bellator cage and has his sights set on victory when he battles Hartford native Matt Bessette. Known as “The Mangler”, Bessette is the owner of four submission victories and is eyeing another on March 30th.
Another Hartford resident will be stepping into the Bellator cage as Parker Porter looks to finish New York native Randy Smith in a heavyweight matchup, while Danbury’s own Ryan Quinn is set to take on the 14-6 Marc Stevens in a catchweight affair at 165 lbs.
The card will be rounded out as Pete “The Heat” Rogers battles Brandon Fleming in featherweight action. Both will be making their pro debuts, and have their sights set on collecting the coveted win.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world’s leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator’s Founder, Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About MTV2
Available in approximately 80 million homes MTV2 is man’s best friend. Since its launch in 1996, the network has reflected the subversive interests and behaviors of young men with a compelling and diverse programming line-up inspired by ordinary guys who do extraordinary things. MTV2 is part of Viacom Media Networks, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com or follow us on Twitter @MTVPress.
About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies.
EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.