Tag: Bellator FC

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 14, 2010) – Reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard will look to continue his domination of the middleweight division in a special non-title fight with former NFL standout Herbert “Whisper” Goodman as part of Bellator 24 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Aug. 12th.

Lombard (26-2-1) puts his 14-fight winning streak on the line against Goodman (15-8), who was a standout running back and kick returner for the Green Bay Packers in 2000 and 2001 before transitioning to MMA in late 2006.

Lombard was last in action at Bellator 18 on May 13th when he thrilled a capacity crowd at the Monroe ( La. ) Civic Center with a 6-second highlight-reel knockout of UFC veteran Jay Silva, snatching the Bellator record for fastest KO in the process. The dramatic win helped solidify the former Olympic judo competitor’s status as one of the top 185-pounders in the world.

Standing at just 5 feet, 9 inches tall, the chiseled Lombard has finished 16 of his 26 wins by knockout and has never been stopped in 29 career appearances. He is currently scheduled to face Bellator Season 2 Middleweight Champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (30-4) in a highly-anticipated title defense later this fall.

“Hector Lombard is at the top of his game and one of the best middleweights in the world. There are very few fighters out there who want to fight him right now,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “But Whisper Goodman is hungry for the challenge and he’s been through the battles both in the NFL and in MMA. I’m looking forward to watching how he matches up with Hector.”

Goodman, who was born and raised in South Florida , has notable pro wins over “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ veteran Dante Rivera and UFC standout Jordan Radev. He has a reputation as a no-nonsense fighter, having finished 13 of his 15 victories decisively via KO or TKO.

Admittedly excited about returning to fight Lombard in front of a hometown crowd, Goodman says he isn’t intimidated by his hulking opponent.

“I know he’s tough and I know he’s the Bellator champion, but I’ll fight anyone,” Goodman said. “This is a great opportunity for me so I’m just going to apply my game plan and take what he gives me.”

Lombard, for his part, said he is looking forward to another fight in his adopted home state of Florida , where he currently trains as a member of American Top Team.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in my home town, South Florida, where all my fans can come and watch,” Lombard said. “I appreciate the opportunity the Seminole Tribe and Bellator have given me. Herbert Goodman is a great athlete and will be a good opponent and it will be a great fight.”

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

Tickets for the event are on sale NOW at www.Ticketmaster.com.

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 13, 2010) – Neil “Goliath” Grove – a South African-born former rugby player who fought for the UFC during that organization’s visit to his adopted hometown of London last year – will make his U.S. debut as part of Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament.

Grove, who stands six feet, six inches tall and has fought at as big as 280 lbs. in the U.K., has compiled an overall pro record of 8-2-1 since turning pro 3 ½ years ago with all eight of his wins coming via KO or TKO.

He earned widespread recognition throughout Europe early on in his career following a highlight-reel 10-second KO of former EliteXC, Pride and Sengoku headliner James Thompson and followed that up with an impressive TKO of UFC veteran James McSweeney.

Grove is the fourth confirmed participant in Bellator’s forthcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament along with undefeated European finisher Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski, Seattle-area KO artist Mike “300″ Hayes and Georgia-based ground and pound specialist Scott Barrett. Additional announcements are expected this week. The tournament begins Aug. 12 on FOX Sports Net.

“I’ve been telling my manager for a long time that I’d love to fight in America because that’s where I think all the best fighters are,” Grove said. “I’m looking forward to showing off my skills to the American audience and all the Bellator fans.”

Grove grew up in South Africa and played rugby for more than 20 years including a stint as part of one of his native country’s top semi-pro teams. He moved to England in 1996 and worked for many years as a doorman at several of London’s most popular nightclubs.

After being involved in a brawl with several unruly patrons, the massive heavyweight took an interest in honing his hand-to-hand combat skills and began training at a local Goju-ryu karate dojo. After just a few years, he earned his black belt and began to look at MMA as a natural next step.

He began his pro career in impressive fashion, carving a path of destruction through 2007 that included five first-round knockouts.

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney called Grove “a big heavyweight with knockout power in both hands.”

“Neil Grove is a giant man with an impressive record of knocking people out in dramatic fashion,” Rebeny said. “He is a solid fit for our tournament and can be a big problem for whoever he draws.”

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

Press Release

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 12, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament continued to take shape today with the addition of 14-2 fan favorite Travis “The Hurricane” Reddinger.

The 28-year-old Pittsburgh native and St. Paul, Minn., transplant – who enters the tournament in the midst of a four-fight win streak – is known for his power, relentless approach and the oversized “BELLATOR” tattoo etched across his torso.

Reddinger says he got the tattoo about 4 ½ years ago, long before Bellator Fighting Championships exploded onto the MMA scene.

“For me it just symbolizes perseverance and the never-say-die mentality that I strive for,” he said. “I know that Bellator stands for the warrior mentality as well, so it’s a great honor for me to be a part of the organization. The tournament concept suits me really well and I love the exposure of being on national TV. It’s all pretty surreal still. I don’t think the gravity of it all has really hit me yet.”

Reddinger is the fourth confirmed participant in the Bantamweight Tournament along with Kansas City brawler Danny Tims, Las Vegas-based BJJ brown belt Ulysses Gomez and fast-rising Wyoming native Nik Mamalis, who gained entry into the tournament with two stunning wins during Bellator Season 2.

Reddinger got his start in MMA in June 2005 and took his first fight about three months later, winning each of his first six pro fights decisively via TKO or submission.

The 5’ 10” bantamweight now trains under the renowned MMA coach Sergio Cunha who was a trainer for both Brazilian Top Team and Chute Box Academy and worked with MMA champions past and present like Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, the Noguiera Brothers, BJ Penn and Shogun Rua.

In addition to his full-time training regimen, Reddinger is also a full-time nursing student and shares in the role of raising his 5-month-old son, Traden, along with his fiancé, Kayla.

“Being a father, it gives all of this a lot bigger purpose,” he said. “It’s not just me I’m fighting for. I’m looking to do something life-changing for my family.”

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said that Reddinger poses a very real threat to whomever he faces once the tournament begins on August 12th on FOX Sports Net.

“Travis is a great competitor and someone to keep an eye on in our Bantamweight Tournament,” Rebney said. “I know that he is planning on making the most of this opportunity and he definitely has the skills to make a major impact.”

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

CHICAGO, Ill. (June 23, 2010) — Jessica Aguilar, the American Top Team product and No. 7 flyweight in the world is the latest and final addition to Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 3 Women’s Tournament.

Aguilar, a rising star in women’s MMA, brings an impressive 8-4 professional record to the tournament, which begins this August. In her latest showing just three weeks ago, Aguilar knocked out Catia Vitoria four minutes into the first round.

Aguilar is the eighth and final fighter to be added to the tournament, and all eight are ranked among the world’s 10 best in their respective weight classes. The others are Japanese MMA sensation Megumi Fujii – widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world – 11-1 British tae-kwon-do black belt Rosi Sexton, 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward, 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene, 8-4 New Mexico-based submission specialist Angela Magana , 5-1 Las Vegas-based powerhouse Lynn Alvarez, and 9-0 Irish sensation Aisling Daly.

The tournament begins on Aug. 12 and will once again be televised LIVE in primetime every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

“This is my dream,” Aguilar said. “Bellator is giving us 115 pounders a shot at showing the world what we can do. Whoever wins this tournament will have the right to say they are truly the best in the world. I just couldn’t pass up that opportunity.”

The 28-year-old, who was born in Mexico and raised in Houston, says she happened upon MMA four-and-a-half years ago on a whim. After moving to South Florida and entering the real estate industry, she needed a place to work out and eventually found a gym that offered aerobics classes as well combat training. One night, she decided to stick around for what she thought was a wrestling class.

“It ended up being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class, and I loved it … I never looked back,” she said.

One month later, Aguilar was competing and winning BJJ tournaments. She made her pro MMA debut in February 2006 when she was tapped as a late replacement to fight fellow top-ten 115 pounder Lisa Ward. A life-long athlete, Aguilar took the fight without hesitation on just five days notice.

“I grew up with big brothers and I figured, what could another 115-pound woman do to me?” she said.

True to form, Aguilar showed the extent of her tremendous athleticism, taking Ward all three rounds before eventually succumbing to a rear naked choke with just three seconds left in the fight. Although she lost, the fight inspired Aguilar to train full time and fight for a living. At the ATT camp in Coconut Creek, Fla., she now rolls with some of the top male fighters in the world.

“They call me pequeña – I’m like a sister to them,” she says. “Having brothers myself, it felt really comfortable, like a family environment.”

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said Aguilar’s fierce fighting style compelled him to make her the final addition to the Season 3 Women’s Tournament.

“Jessica Aguilar has that athletic X-factor that makes her competitive in almost any match-up,” Rebney said. “She is a great final addition to our Season 3 Women’s Tournament.”

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