Tag: Bellator FC

Bellator Signs 2008 Sambo Champ Bulgarian Blagoi Ivanov

Press Release – Chicago, Ill. – (March 15, 2011) – Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of undefeated Bulgarian Heavyweight and world-class Sambo competitor Blagoi Ivanov. Ivanov won the 2008 Combat Sambo World Championships, notably defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the semifinals, reportedly ending an eight-year undefeated streak for Emelianenko in Combat Sambo. Ivanov […]

Blagoi IvanovPress Release – Chicago, Ill. – (March 15, 2011) – Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of undefeated Bulgarian Heavyweight and world-class Sambo competitor Blagoi Ivanov. Ivanov won the 2008 Combat Sambo World Championships, notably defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the semifinals, reportedly ending an eight-year undefeated streak for Emelianenko in Combat Sambo. Ivanov has also competed in Judo as a heavyweight national representative for Bulgaria. Since transitioning to mixed martial arts Ivanov has gone undefeated with an impressive 8-0 professional record including three (T)KO’s and three submission victories.

The fast rising 24 year old is expected to make his U.S and Bellator debut in 2011 LIVE on MTV2. Ivanov currently trains out of the TapouT Training Center in Las Vegas and has recently spent time training with the likes of Randy Couture, Roy Nelson, and Vitor Belfort. Ivanov also recently spent time working his hands with former boxing champion and uncle to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jeff Mayweather.

“Blagoi is a great signing for us at heavyweight,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He brings an incredible Sambo background to the cage and is developing his hands with some of the best in the business I’m very happy that he and his management have decided to move his career forward under the Bellator banner.”

Although many changes will come with his newly minted Bellator contract, Ivanov says that he is more than excited to get started.

“I can’t wait to have the chance to show what I’m capable of to all of the Bellator fans watching on MTV2 all across the United States,” said Ivanov. “I’m already hard at work preparing for my first fight with Bellator. My ultimate goal is to fight Cole Konrad for the Bellator World Heavyweight Championship. My mission is to become the Bellator Champion, and that’s what I intend to do.”

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

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s

founder/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

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Bellator Earns Higher Ratings With Second MTV2 Event

There was some talk that over whether Bellator could continue to pull good ratings for their live broadcasts on MTV2, and what it might mean if they didn’t.
Bellator Fighting Championships held their second event of the promotions fourth season last weekend in Shreveport, Louisiana with Bellator 36. That event, which featured the quarterfinal matches […]

MTV2 and BellatorThere was some talk that over whether Bellator could continue to pull good ratings for their live broadcasts on MTV2, and what it might mean if they didn’t.

Bellator Fighting Championships held their second event of the promotions fourth season last weekend in Shreveport, Louisiana with Bellator 36. That event, which featured the quarterfinal matches for the promotions lightweight tournament, drew a higher number of viewers than their first show on MTV2.

A total of 230,000 viewers tuned in for the live Bellator 36 broadcast, with the replay drawing even more viewers at 241,000. Bellator’s first show, which had to compete with Strikeforce’s Feijao vs. Henderson event, on MTV2 drew 200,000 for the live broadcast with 127,000 for the replay.

MMAjunkie.com had the viewer numbers noting the increase in key demographics.

Compared to the previous week’s live airing and immediate replay, Bellator 36 scored a 56 percent ratings increase among men ages 18 to 34, a staggering 119 increase with men ages 25 to 34, and an impressive 45 percent increase in total average audience.

Bellator 37 Lineup Official For March 19 In Oklahoma

Press Release – Chicago, Ill – (March 14, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships makes its first visit to Concho, Oklahoma when the promotion arrives for Bellator 37, which will take place Saturday, March 19th.
The event will host the opening round of Bellator’s Featherweight Tournament. The winner of the eight man tournament will earn $100,000 and […]

Bellator 37 posterPress Release – Chicago, Ill – (March 14, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships makes its first visit to Concho, Oklahoma when the promotion arrives for Bellator 37, which will take place Saturday, March 19th.

The event will host the opening round of Bellator’s Featherweight Tournament. The winner of the eight man tournament will earn $100,000 and a title shot at current Bellator World Featherweight Champion Joe Warren. The event will also feature four undercard bouts.

The full fight card for Bellator 37 is below:

MAIN CARD:
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight: Georgi Karakhanyan (14-2-1) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (14-1)
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight: Wilson Reis (11-2) vs. Zac George (20-3)
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight: Kenny Foster (8-2) vs. Eric Larkin (3-0)
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight: Daniel Straus (14-3) vs. Nazareno Malegarie (19-0)

UNDERCARD:
Local Main Event: Jake Rosholt (8-3) vs. John Bryant (4-3)
Local Co-Main Event: Jeremy Spoon (8-0) vs. Jerrod Sanders (2-0)
Local Feature Fight #2: Brandon Shelton (15-5) vs. Adam Snook (2-2)
Local Feature Fight #1: Roli Delgado (9-5-1) vs. Jameel Massouh (25-7)

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

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/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

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Chandler, Woodard, Imada, & Freire Move Into The Bellator Semi-Finals

Press Release – Shreveport, LA – (March 12, 2011) – The Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament kicked off with a bang at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, and the Lightweights left nothing to the judges with all fights ending with spectacular finishes. The night saw Bellator’s Lightweight Tournament field get cut in half, with […]

Bellator 36 finishPress Release – Shreveport, LA – (March 12, 2011) – The Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament kicked off with a bang at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, and the Lightweights left nothing to the judges with all fights ending with spectacular finishes. The night saw Bellator’s Lightweight Tournament field get cut in half, with Michael Chandler, Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard, Toby Imada, and Patricky Freire moving onto the Semifinals. Chandler kept his MMA record unblemished by defeating Marcin Held via a first round arm triangle submission in a battle between two rising MMA stars. Chandler, the former Division I All-American, displayed a viscous ground and pound prior to submitting Held in the closing minutes of the first round.

This was just the beginning of an action-packed Bellator 36.

Lloyd ‘Cupcake’ Woodard impressed in his Bellator debut showing excellent balance and takedown defense on his way to a second round TKO of veteran Carey Vanier. A Woodard left hook early in the second round left Vanier noticeably shaken, ‘Cupcake’ subsequently finished him with strong ground and pound to earn the TKO just 46 seconds into the round.

Last minute replacement Josh Shockley was no match for 2009 Submission of the Year winner Toby Imada, as Imada displayed his superior ground game by submitting Shockley with a text book armbar in the first round. Shockley had some success early when on his feet, but once the fight went to the ground, Imada dominated to earn the victory.

The night’s final fight was an absolute battle that ended with a Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire highlight knockout of ‘Razor’ Rob McCullough in the closing round. Freire dominated McCullough early, but couldn’t put the veteran away. McCullough came back strong in rounds two and three, but Freire answered with a huge right hand that sends the Brazilian to the semi-finals.

“We expected great fights tonight and we were not disappointed. Our Lightweights put on a spectacular show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium tonight,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Official Main Card Results:

Rob McCullough Patricky Freire def. Rob McCullough by TKO [3:11, Round 3]

Toby Imada def. Josh Shockley by Armbar Submission [ , Round 1

Lloyd Woodard def. Carey Vanier by TKO [0:46, Round 2]

Michael Chandler def. Marcin Held by Arm Triangle Submission [3:56, Round 1]

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

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/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

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Ferrid Kheder Out, Josh Shockley In For Lightweight Quarterfinals At Bellator 36

Press Release – SHREVEPORT, LA. (March 11, 2011) – Josh Shockley certainly got more than he bargained for at the Bellator 36 weigh-ins today when he was given a quarterfinal spot in the Season 4 Bellator Lightweight Tournament, taking the place of Ferrid Kheder who was unable to make weight.
Shockley, who originally planned to […]

Josh Shockley_BellatorPress Release – SHREVEPORT, LA. (March 11, 2011) – Josh Shockley certainly got more than he bargained for at the Bellator 36 weigh-ins today when he was given a quarterfinal spot in the Season 4 Bellator Lightweight Tournament, taking the place of Ferrid Kheder who was unable to make weight.

Shockley, who originally planned to fight on the undercard, now faces Bellator veteran Toby Imada tomorrow night at Bellator 36 which takes place at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA and will air LIVE on MTV2. The Indiana-native brings an impressive undefeated 6-0-1 professional record into his fight with ever dangerous Toby Imada.

“We’ve had high hopes for Josh since we signed him, this is a great opportunity for him,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He really doesn’t have anything to lose and that makes him a very dangerous fighter.”

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

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/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

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Bellator 36 ‘Quick Results’

Bellator Fighting Championships opening quarterfinal lightweight bouts for the promotions fourth season took place on Saturday night at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, as eight competitors begin the battle to crown the next Bellator lightweight champion.
The live broadcast for Bellator 36 began at 9PM EST (6PM PST) exclusively on MTV2 with matches between Rob McCullough vs. […]

Bellator 36Bellator Fighting Championships opening quarterfinal lightweight bouts for the promotions fourth season took place on Saturday night at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, as eight competitors begin the battle to crown the next Bellator lightweight champion.

The live broadcast for Bellator 36 began at 9PM EST (6PM PST) exclusively on MTV2 with matches between Rob McCullough vs. Patricky Freire, Toby Imada vs. Josh Shockley, Carey Vanier vs. Lloyd Woodard, and Marcin Held vs. Mike Chandler.

Lightweight Toby Imada had been scheduled to meet Ferrid Kheder in the tournament opener, but Kheder refused to weigh-in and was replaced by preliminary card fighter Josh Shockley. Shockley’s original opponent, Kelvin Hackney was pulled from the card and awarded his show money and win bonus, he is expected to appear at Bellator 45.

The full Bellator 36 ‘Quick Results’ are as follows:

Main Card:

Lightweight Quarterfinal bout: Patricky Freirev def. Rob McCullough via TKO – R3 @ 3:11
Lightweight Quarterfinal bout: Toby Imada def. Josh Shockley via technical submission (armbar) – R1 @ 1:19
Lightweight Quarterfinal bout: Lloyd Woodard def. Carey Vanier via TKO (punches) – R2 @ 0:46
Lightweight Quarterfinal bout: Mike Chandler def. Marcin Held via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – R1 @ 3:56

Local Feature Fights:

Featherweight bout: Booker Arthur def. Javone Duhon via verbal submission (elbows) – R2 @ 2:31
Featherweight bout: Kevin Aguilar def. Matt Hunt via TKO (punches) – R2 @ 3:02
Middleweight bout: Kelly Leo vs. Chad Leonhardt