Heavyweight Cheick Kongo (18-8-2) reportedly followed Wolfslair teammate Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson to the No. 2 mixed martial arts promotion by signing with Bellator MMA. News of the signing was announced by MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday. A day later those rumors were put to rest by Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney who sppoke to MMAFighting.com. “He has not […]
Heavyweight Cheick Kongo (18-8-2) reportedly followed Wolfslair teammate Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson to the No. 2 mixed martial arts promotion by signing with Bellator MMA.
News of the signing was announced by MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
A day later those rumors were put to rest by Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney who sppoke to MMAFighting.com.
“He has not [signed],” said Rebney. “Great fighter, fun personality, very good fighter to watch, I’ve been watching him fight for years, but he has not signed with Bellator.”
This doesn’t mean the French heavyweight might not sign with Bellator, Rebney did say that he expects more fighters from the Wolfslair to sign with the Chicago based promotion.
“Part of the magic of this relationship is I got to spend literally months working with the team at Wolfslair,” Rebney said. “They’ve got a terrific stable of talent. You’re going to see some announcements coming out literally in the next couple weeks about more Wolfslair talent that’s going to be coming in with Bellator.”
Kongo completed his contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship last April following a knockout loss to Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson at UFC 159.
The fighter opted not to sign a new contract and will now ply his trade somewhere other than the Octagon.
Overall with the UFC Kongo went 11-6-1 since debuting with the top promotion back in July 2006.
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (June 6, 2013) – Bellator MMA will now be available on television for the first time to the many passionate mixed martial arts fans in the UK, as it was announced today by Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO and Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. Viacom’s popular VIVA channel will begin […]
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (June 6, 2013) – Bellator MMA will now be available on television for the first time to the many passionate mixed martial arts fans in the UK, as it was announced today by Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO and Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. Viacom’s popular VIVA channel will begin airing live Bellator fights on Wednesday June 19 as part of the MMA league’s summer series tournament featuring a stacked card including King Mo, “Babalu” Sobral and War Machine. In September, VIVA will telecast Bellator MMA’s 9th season.
Bellator’s foray into the UK market increases their global reach to 116 countries and territories. Available in every one of the UK’s 26 million TV households, VIVA has one of the highest profiles amongst 16 to 34-year-olds of any UK channel, with 50% of its audience comprised of that hard-to-reach demographic and one in four of that age group in the UK – 3.7 million viewers – tuning in to the channel each month. Bellator is the first mixed martial arts franchise to be televised on the channel.
“We are thrilled to finally bring the pure excitement of Bellator MMA to the legions of dedicated and knowledgeable mixed martial arts fans in the UK,” remarked Rebney. “Our long awaited expansion into the UK, one of the world’s MMA hot beds further illustrates our continued ascension in the MMA world.
“This deal is game changer in the UK, giving Bellator the widest and deepest distribution of any MMA promotion in the marketplace,” said Kay.
Recently, Bellator MMA announced the signings of three of the UK’s top MMA fighters, Martin Stapleton, Rob Sinclair and Paul Sass. With the VIVA deal in place, Bellator will continue to aggressively pursue top British fighting talent.
About VIVA
Launched in October 2009, Viva combines a selection of content from Viacom’s leading branded networks in the UK – MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central – with a range of third party acquisitions, with highlights including Jackass, South Park and Anger Management. It is the only Viacom-owned channel available in all 26 million TV households in the UK. During 2012, Viva reached an average of 10 million individuals aged 4+ and 3.7 million 16-34s each month, equating to 25% of the total viewing population amongst 16-34s. The channel has the strongest 16-34 profile of any channel available on the UK’s biggest digital TV platform, Freeview, with 50% of its audience within that age bracket.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Press Release – London, England (June 6, 2013) – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has signed top English bantamweight Ronnie Mann. The five-fight deal will see the 26-year-old compete exclusively for Cage Warriors over a minimum of 18 months, after CWFC paid a fee of $5,000 to Bellator to have […]
Press Release – London, England (June 6, 2013) – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has signed top English bantamweight Ronnie Mann.
The five-fight deal will see the 26-year-old compete exclusively for Cage Warriors over a minimum of 18 months, after CWFC paid a fee of $5,000 to Bellator to have Mann released from his contract with the promotion.
Cage Warriors 57 at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on July 20 has been pencilled in for Mann’s CWFC debut, with the Cheltenham native keen to make his mark on Europe’s most competitive bantamweight division.
“I’m extremely happy to have signed with Cage Warriors,” said Mann. “It’s very flattering that they were willing to buy my contract from Bellator.
“Graham Boylan and all the guys at CWFC are great, and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done. In my opinion it’s the best promotion in Europe and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Currently ranked fourth in the UK, Mann accumulated a 3-3 record in Bellator after debuting for the promotion in April 2011. In his 28 professional bouts, Mann has been stopped just twice.
He added: “Bellator are a good promotion but I needed to be active again because I wasn’t fighting as regularly as I would have liked.
“I’m looking forward to having regular fights again, especially on the UK scene and in front the great fans we have here. I want to get my name out there again in Europe and hopefully work my way to a title shot. But for me, it’s one step at a time.”
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said: “I’d like to thank Bellator for their co-operation in this deal. I don’t like to see fighters not active in the prime of their careers and Bellator understood that, at his age, Ronnie needed to be busy.
“Like all of our fighters, Ronnie will have plenty of opportunities here at Cage Warriors. Our bantamweight division is extremely strong and Ronnie has got the ability to make a big impact.”
MMA H.E.A.T.’s Wade Eck talks with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson about his new partnership with Bellator MMA, TNA Impact Wrestling, SPIKE TV and Viacom. Rampage also talks about the new Tesla he got out of the deal, his appearance on tomorrow night’s TNA Impact!, how he plans to celebrate his 35th birthday, as well as his history with former wrestling coach Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko and whether or not he’d ever want to fight him.
MMA H.E.A.T. was in Viacom’s Santa Monica conference room with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and SpikeTV president Kevin Kay to bring you first hand coverage of their media conference call (complete + unedited). TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter also joined the call from Georgia, where Rampage will be appearing tomorrow for the first time on SpikeTV’s Impact Wrestling show. Many topics were covered regarding this new multifaceted partnership, including: Rampage’s future with Bellator, his plans for the rest of his MMA career, his long-time desire to be a professional wrestler, potentially teaming up with King Mo Lawal on Impact Wrestling, customized programming for SpikeTV, pitching movie scripts to Paramount pictures + a lot, lot more…
MMA H.E.A.T. was in Viacom’s Santa Monica conference room with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and SpikeTV president Kevin Kay to bring you first hand coverage of their media conference call (complete + unedited). TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter also joined the call from Georgia, where Rampage will be appearing tomorrow for the first time on SpikeTV’s Impact Wrestling show. Many topics were covered regarding this new multifaceted partnership, including: Rampage’s future with Bellator, his plans for the rest of his MMA career, his long-time desire to be a professional wrestler, potentially teaming up with King Mo Lawal on Impact Wrestling, customized programming for SpikeTV, pitching movie scripts to Paramount pictures + a lot, lot more…
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (June 4, 2013) – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the mixed martial arts icon and action-movie star has agreed to a monumental, multi-year partnership with Bellator MMA, TNA Wrestling and Spike TV as it was jointly announced today by Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO, Kevin Kay, Spike TV President, and Dixie Carter, […]
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (June 4, 2013) – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the mixed martial arts icon and action-movie star has agreed to a monumental, multi-year partnership with Bellator MMA, TNA Wrestling and Spike TV as it was jointly announced today by Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO, Kevin Kay, Spike TV President, and Dixie Carter, TNA Wrestling President. The landmark partnership includes Jackson competing in Bellator MMA, along with joining the superstars of TNA’s “Impact Wrestling,” which includes fellow Bellator fighter “King Mo” Lawal. Spike TV will also create a special reality series featuring Rampage that will lead into his debut with Bellator, as well as other entertainment initiatives.
“Rampage is a true superstar both inside and outside the MMA cage” Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. “The partnership that we’ve created with Quinton is unlike anything that’s ever been done in the sports & entertainment arena and Rampage is the perfect athlete/entertainer to carry it off.”
“We are thrilled to create this opportunity for one of the greatest athletes and personalities in MMA,” said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. “Rampage is a proven ratings driver who brings incredible star power to both Bellator and TNA.”
“Rampage is one of the best known MMA fighters competing today,” said Carter. “He is a true cross-over star and his talent, big personality and popularity among a wide range of fans make him an extraordinary fit for our company,”
Jackson (32-11) joins Bellator as a former Pride and UFC champion, having last fought on Spike TV in September 2007, in a fight vs. Dan Henderson that drew nearly 6 million viewers, making it one of the most watched fights in the sport’s history. In 2009, Jackson served as a coach on Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” the highest-rated season by far in franchise history, delivering over 3 million viewers per week. Rampage joins a Bellator Light Heavyweight division that features “King Mo”, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Emanuel Newton, Attila Vegh and Vladimir Matyushenko.
The charismatic fighter from Memphis, TN began his professional MMA career in 1999 and established his legacy across the globe through epic battles with MMA titans including Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones and Dan Henderson among others.
More information regarding this signing will be made available at Wednesday’s press conference. Details on the press conference will be released shortly.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 115 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
About TNA Entertainment:
TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee that specializes in events, products, numerous TV properties, merchandise, music, as well as the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. In addition, TNA produces monthly PPV events and more than 100 non-televised live events around the globe a year. TNA Wrestling is the world’s most innovative experience in professional wrestling and is broadcast in over 120 countries. For more information, please visit www.impactwrestling.com. Please visit: Twitter @IMPACTWRESTLING, @TNADixie and @TNAPR and on Facebook at www.fb.com/IMPACTWRESTLING
