Tag: Bellator FC

(photo via Sherdog.com)

Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (February 16, 2011) – After training among the likes of Rashad Evans, Gray Maynard, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Roy Nelson and a slew of others, undefeated NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Nik “The Machete” Fekete has been confirmed to compete in Bellator’s first ever Light Heavyweight Tournament, which airs LIVE on MTV2 beginning in March. The winner of the eight man tournament will take home a $100,000 prize and will be crowned Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Fekete is a light heavyweight we’ve been keeping a very close eye on, and I’m excited to let fans on MTV2 have the chance to see what he is capable of in this tournament to crown our first World Champion at 205 lbs.,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Fekete joins Bellator after completing an incredibly successful wrestling career, which included a four year run on the Michigan State Wrestling Team and a 2008 trip to Beijing to assist the U.S. Olympic squad in their training. It was at Michigan State where Fekete and UFC lightweight Gray Maynard struck up a friendship that ultimately led to “The Machete” ending up at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

“I went out to Beijing for a month-and-a-half in 2008 for the Olympics to help the team train, and as soon as I got back home, I packed my stuff up and I moved to Vegas,” said Fekete. I started teaching classes at Xtreme Couture, and then Wanderlei Silva asked for my help, so I helped teach him a couple different things. I was kind of like a freelance guy, going from gym to gym. I helped train Vitor Belfort for his fight with Matt Lindland, so I would just go from fighter to fighter in Vegas soaking up as much as I could.”

Having trained some of the best athletes in the sport, the transition from the mat to the cage seemed like a no-brainer for “The Machete”. Now 4-0, including an impressive victory over Strikeforce veteran Ovince St. Preux, Nik is ready for a huge 2011.

“I think 2011 is going to be a breakthrough year for me,” Fekete said. “I’ve been training my whole life and I’ve been training non-stop for more than two years in MMA. It may sound cliché, but I’m truly excited to go out there and put on a show for all of the fans in attendance, and the millions that will be watching on MTV2.”

Fekete joins Daniel Gracie as the only other confirmed participant in the upcoming Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament, which begins this March on MTV2.

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.

Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (February 14, 2011) – Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the venue location for Bellator 36 which will take place at the historic Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA on March 12, 2011. The event will be broadcast LIVE on MTV2.

The Season 4 event will feature the soon-to-be announced Bellator Lightweight Tournament quarterfinal pairings as well as a host of exciting Local Feature Fights. The event will feature former WEC Champion Razor Rob McCullough, 2009 Submission of the Year winner, Toby Imada, Olympian Ferrid Kheder and many others. Bellator 36 marks Bellator’s fifth appearance in The Bayou State.

“We’re thrilled to be returning to Louisiana with our world-class mixed martial arts events live on MTV2,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The historic Municipal Auditorium will provide a spectacular place to watch this live nationally televised MMA showcase. I’m looking forward to March 12.”

Built in the 1920s, the Municipal Auditorium has had an illustrious history with the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and many more gracing its stage. The Municipal was placed National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and holds and has an estimated 3,200 seats.

The Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament will feature Marcin Held, “Razor” Rob McCullough, Toby Imada, Mike Chandler, Carey Vanier, “Cupcake” Lloyd Woodard, Ferrid Kheder, and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire”

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.

Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (February 11, 2011) – The Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament field of fighters is now complete with the promotion today confirming Polish prodigy Marcin Held as the eighth and final participant. The tournament will air LIVE on MTV2 starting in March. At just 19-years-old, Held will be fighting for a $100,000 paycheck and a title shot against Bellator World Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.

Widely regarded as the prodigy of Polish MMA, Held began his MMA journey at just nine years old when he stumbled upon a Jiu-Jitsu gym near his home in Poland. Ten years later, Held enters the Bellator Tournament owning an impressive 10-1 record, including victories against opponents nearly twice his age. Currently a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Held is anxious to make his United States debut.

“I’m very eager to show fans here in America what I can do in this Lightweight Tournament,” said Held. “I have been waiting for this for so long. I just want to show my best.”

“Marcin is a young fighter with a lot of hype surrounding him, and I’m happy that we’ve been able to bring him to the States and let US fans see what he’s capable of,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Marcin’s a true talent with great potential and will make a fantastic addition to our Lightweight Tournament.”

While Held is still nearly a year away from celebrating his twentieth birthday, the submission specialist is wise beyond his years, and is ready to elevate his game.

“I’m at the point in my career where I want to take that step up to the next level of the sport,” said Held. “To challenge myself against world class opposition is why I got into the sport, and now I’ll be able to with Bellator.”

Held joins Nazareno Malegarie, Rob McCullough, Carey Vanier, Michael Chandler, Lloyd Woodard, Ferrid Kheder, Toby Imada, and Patricky Freire in the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament.

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.

Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (February 11, 2011) – Toby Imada will continue his reign as one of the most storied Bellator veterans when he returns for his third Bellator Lightweight Tournament. Bellator Fighting Championships today confirmed Imada as a participant in the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament which will air LIVE on MTV2 beginning in March. Imada became an overnight viral sensation during Bellator Season 1 when the Judo black belt successfully choked-out Jorge Masividal with a come-from-behind, unheard of inverted triangle. The effort resulted in Imada being awarded the 2009 Submission of the Year. Click here to view the 2009 Submission of the Year

Coming up just short in the Bellator Season 1 and Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Finals, Imada will admittedly be entering this Season 4 Tournament with a chip on his shoulder.

“I’m a little annoyed, I have a little bit of a mean streak going on right now, a little more of a fire under my butt this time around,” said Imada. “I’m definitely going to be meaner and more aggressive. I’m ready to go out there and give it my all. I’m tired of being the guy that comes up short and doesn’t live up to what people expect from him. I’m going to give it all I have this time around, believe me. I’m going to be mean.”

Imada enters the tournament winning 12 of his last 14 fights, with the only two losses coming in the final rounds of Bellator’s first and second season lightweight tournaments. Additionally, Imada’s last 14 victories have come via stoppage and he has not won by a fight by decision in last five years. In his most recent outing, Imada earned a second round submission victory over Ludwing Salazar in November of 2010, breaking Salazar’s four-fight win-streak.

“Toby’s been just one win away for the last two Lightweight Tournaments. He consistently brings a ‘go for broke’ attitude to the cage and is always looking for the finish,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This Lightweight tournament is stacked; we have a great mix of new fighters and veterans in the field, which will make for some great fights.”

Hoping that the third time will be a charm, Imada plans to use his pent up frustration that he has built up over the past tournaments to his advantage.

“Winning this Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament would be the pay off for all of the sweat and sacrifice I have been putting into this sport for years and years,” said Imada. “It would be a pay off for all of the different things that have annoyed and aggravated me in my career on my way to that point.”

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.

Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (February 11, 2011) – Bellator Fighting Championships have reunited “The Pitbull Brothers,” as the promotion has confirmed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Patricky “Pitbull” Freire as a participant in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament, which will air LIVE on MTV2 starting in March. His brother Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has already been confirmed for the highly anticipated Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament, which will also be held this season on MTV2.

Residing in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, Patricky currently trains out of Team Nogueira alongside his brother and many of the best fighters in the sport, including UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Strikeforce champions Rafael Feijao and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and the Nogueira brothers, Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio.

A 7-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Champion, 2-time Regional Brazilian State Champion, as well as a Kickboxing and Boxing State Champion, Patricky brings an impressive 7-1 record to Bellator, but never having fought outside of Brazil, Freire is thrilled to bring his game State side.

“I’m very anxious to show fans in the United States what I’m capable of,” said Freire. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to fight at a really high level, and now I will with Bellator. I have always trained and fought very hard, and now it’s time to test myself in deeper waters.”

“We’ve had our eye on Patricky for quite some time now, and it’s great to have both “Pitbull Brothers” fighting under the Bellator banner,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

With a stacked lightweight tournament lineup, Freire knows getting his shot at current Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez won’t be easy. But before he gets to Alvarez, Freire has his sights set on his first tournament opponent and a $100,000 payday.

Admittedly anxious to enter the Bellator cage for the first time, the talented 25-year-old Brazilian knockout artist makes no secret as to how this tournament can change his life, stating, “There were several times I thought about giving up on my fight career. It’s very hard to make money fighting in Brazil, but now I can see if you keep looking for your dream, you can make it happen.”

Freire joins Ferrid Kheder, Rob McCullough, Carey Vanier, Michael Chandler, and Lloyd Woodard as confirmed fighters for the Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament, all of which will compete LIVE on MTV2 for the chance at $100,000 and a shot at Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez.

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.