Tag: Bellator

Alexander Shlemenko Unhappy with Recent Inactivity: ‘I Make Money When I Fight’

There’s a tactical nature to some champions in mixed martial arts where a course is plotted, and everything has to fall perfectly in place to put a fight together.
For example, rarely will you see a champion take a fight on short notice or enjoy it muc…

There’s a tactical nature to some champions in mixed martial arts where a course is plotted, and everything has to fall perfectly in place to put a fight together.

For example, rarely will you see a champion take a fight on short notice or enjoy it much when an opponent has to drop out and a replacement steps in. At the level where championships are involved, it’s sometimes becomes a complicated situation in regards to matchups and timing in order to get it all together.

In the UFC and Bellator, most champions only defend a title, on average, twice per year, and the same can be said for many organizations. More goes into preparing for a title fight, so the men and women holding the gold belts tend to compete a little less often than the contenders.

Whether he’s a champion or not, Bellator middleweight king Alexander Shlemenko does not prescribe to the theory that just because he’s ranked at the top of the division, he somehow receives special treatment. He’s no fan of sitting out and waiting for contenders to climb up the mountain to him—he’s happy to get down in the trenches and face anybody that stands in his way.

Shlemenko just wants to fight.

In 2010, Shlemenko fought a total of six times, and he followed that up with an encore in 2011, where he competed seven times. So it’s easy to see why Shlemenko is a little disappointed that his fight this weekend against Brett Cooper will mark only his second trip to the cage in 2013.

Even if it means fighting a friend, a training partner, and somebody he’s already beaten instead of Doug Marshall, who suffered an injury and was forced out of the bout, Shlemenko didn’t care too much who was facing him this weekend—just as long as the fight still happened, he’s a happy Russian.

“Well of course it would be more interesting for me to face Doug Marshall mainly because I have a good relationship Brett Cooper, we already fought and we train together,” Shlemenko said. “But I’m very glad that this fight is actually happening, because lately I’ve been fighting very, very rarely and it bothers me a lot. The fact that I would still be able to fight even though Marshall got hurt makes me happy because I still get to fight.”

Shlemenko fighting two times in 2013 is equal to most champions, so Bellator isn’t necessarily doing anything wrong by not booking the Russian middleweight in more bouts. Shlemenko just loves to stay active, and this is his business.

Like any business, there’s no money coming in if the doors are closed.

“I can say I’m a professional mixed martial arts fighter, and I make money when I fight,” Shlemenko said. “It’s extremely difficult for me to stay without a fight for a long period of time as it happened earlier. That’s why I’m happy my fight was not canceled, Bellator replaced the opponent and the fight can still happen.

“I heard about these new rules that Bellator has about putting in different opponents just in case, and they can keep the champions active. That’s very good and I’m happy it could work out and I can fight no matter what.”

If it was up to Shlemenko, he’d still be fighting six or seven times a year/ However, as champion, that may not always be a realistic goal. So once he gets through Cooper this weekend, the Russian fighter is hoping Bellator can match him up with Marshall the moment he’s recovered and can take the fight.

The middleweight division can’t churn fast enough for Shlemenko, but he’s hopeful that the matchmakers and executives at Bellator will continue to scout the planet for the best fighters in the world to bring him competition.

If they are willing to step up, Shlemenko is ready to fight them.

“I know Bellator matchmakers are constantly searching for new fighters, they are looking around the whole world to find the best possible fighters for the middleweight division,” Shlemenko said. “The only thing that really matters is the ability for me to fight as much as possible.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Joe Warren Deemed “Medically Unfit” for Bellator 98 Tomorrow, So Let’s Speculate Why


(Joe Warren: Former Bellator champion, Fight Master Coach, Unconscious Nazi.)

I know, I know, we already agreed to stop caring about Bellator, but hear us out for a second. For reasons that have not yet been divulged, Joe Warren has been deemed medically unfit to compete at tomorrow’s Bellator 98 event. Said Bjorn Rebney:

I’ve been fortunate to work with one of the best commissioners in the sport in Mike Mazzulli, and after carefully reviewing Joe’s medical documents, everyone agreed to err on the side of caution with the goal of ensuring our fighters safety.

It was determined Joe would be unable to compete this Saturday at Mohegan Sun. Joe’s been with us  since the beginning and as is the case with every fighter here, it’s incumbent on me to ensure Joe is 100% healthy and medically cleared to fight before he steps into the Bellator cage.

While this is an interesting development in and of itself, it only becomes more intriguing when you consider that Warren was deemed unfit by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation. As Old Dad said, “It’s not a good sign if an Indian casino won’t clear you to fight,” so let’s use this time to speculate as to why Warren wasn’t cleared to fight, shall we?

Conspiracy Theory #1: Obviously, this is just a transparent ploy by Bellator to move one of their more popular fighters (and the only Fight Master coach currently competing in MMA) to their pay-per-view card in November. Obviously.


(Joe Warren: Former Bellator champion, Fight Master Coach, Unconscious Nazi.)

I know, I know, we already agreed to stop caring about Bellator, but hear us out for a second. For reasons that have not yet been divulged, Joe Warren has been deemed medically unfit to compete at tomorrow’s Bellator 98 event. Said Bjorn Rebney:

I’ve been fortunate to work with one of the best commissioners in the sport in Mike Mazzulli, and after carefully reviewing Joe’s medical documents, everyone agreed to err on the side of caution with the goal of ensuring our fighters safety.

It was determined Joe would be unable to compete this Saturday at Mohegan Sun. Joe’s been with us  since the beginning and as is the case with every fighter here, it’s incumbent on me to ensure Joe is 100% healthy and medically cleared to fight before he steps into the Bellator cage.

While this is an interesting development in and of itself, it only becomes more intriguing when you consider that Warren was deemed unfit by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation. As Old Dad said, “It’s not a good sign if an Indian casino won’t clear you to fight,” so let’s use this time to speculate as to why Warren wasn’t cleared to fight, shall we?

Conspiracy Theory #1: Obviously, this is just a transparent ploy by Bellator to move one of their more popular fighters (and the only Fight Master coach currently competing in MMA) to their pay-per-view card in November. Obviously. The same goes for Joe “Diesel” Riggs, who was forced to pull out of his Fight Master Finals bout with Mike Bronzoulis (also scheduled for Bellator 98) due to an “eye injury.” That photo he posted to prove he wasn’t faking? Obvious shop job.

Conspiracy Theory #2: Joe Warren currently has the testosterone of 30 men (or 1 DREAM-era Alistair Overeem) flowing through his veins.

Conspiracy Theory #3: Joe Warren now suffers from chronic vertigo on account of the beating he suffered at the hands of Pat Curran last March.

If you think Warren’s removal from the card could be the result of something other than the options we’ve laid before you (Hint: It isn’t), let us know in the comments section.

–J. Jones

Lavar Johnson Joins the Ever-Growing List of UFC Washouts to Be Signed By Bellator


(Don’t worry, Brendan, you’re not far behind. Photo via Getty.)

I think I’m officially done giving a shit about Bellator, you guys.

I know, I’m sure Bjorn will be crushed to hear this news, but it has become more and more apparent as of late that Bellator has absolutely no f*cking idea what they are doing — it’s as if they’ve adopted hypocrisy as a business model. The dichotomy that exists between what Bjorn & the Boys (new band name, called it) say they are doing and what they are actually doing is f*cking infuriating, but today, I’m metaphorically tying my bedsheets into a noose and hanging myself before Bellator can check on me again, for it is the only way to escape this prison I have allowed myself to be placed in.

Whereas Bellator originally understood their role as an original, albeit secondary MMA promotion that delivered free, entertaining cards featuring up-and-coming talent and the occasional star (which, oddly enough, has become the UFC’s business model), it seems that nowadays they are truly content with reheating the UFC’s leftovers and having the audacity to charge us for it. Hence why they’ve recently signed such UFC washouts as Cheick Kongo and now Lavar Johnson to compete in their upcoming heavyweight tournament. Look forward to seeing these two throw down on Bellator’s next PPV card, Shamrock vs. Ortiz IV: BITTERER RIVALS.


(Don’t worry, Brendan, you’re not far behind. Photo via Getty.)

I think I’m officially done giving a shit about Bellator, you guys.

I know, I’m sure Bjorn will be crushed to hear this news, but it has become more and more apparent as of late that Bellator has absolutely no f*cking idea what they are doing — it’s as if they’ve adopted hypocrisy as a business model. The dichotomy that exists between what Bjorn & the Boys (new band name, called it) say they are doing and what they are actually doing is f*cking infuriating, but today, I’m metaphorically tying my bedsheets into a noose and hanging myself before Bellator can check on me again, for it is the only way to escape this prison I have allowed myself to be placed in.

Whereas Bellator originally understood their role as an original, albeit secondary MMA promotion that delivered free, entertaining cards featuring up-and-coming talent and the occasional star (which, oddly enough, has become the UFC’s business model), it seems that nowadays they are truly content with reheating the UFC’s leftovers and having the audacity to charge us for it. Hence why they’ve recently signed such UFC washouts as Cheick Kongo and now Lavar Johnson to compete in their upcoming heavyweight tournament. Look forward to seeing these two throw down on Bellator’s next PPV card, Shamrock vs. Ortiz IV: BITTERER RIVALS.

If you ask me, Bellator’s fall from grace started with Fight Master. F*cking Fight Master. The moment that TUF-ripoff was announced was the moment that they officially gave up trying to differentiate themselves from the UFC and entered stage 1 of Kubler-Ross model: Denial. Or in their case, the “Hey, you remember these guys, right?” stage. While Bellator continues to deny that they are simply snatching up UFC/Strikeforce castaways in the hope of “stacking” their upcoming cards with “recognizable talent,” that’s exactly what they’re doing.

Cheick Kongo. Lavar Johnson. Freaking Brett Rogers and Houston Alexander. What in the hell are these guys thinking? That anyone who knows dick about MMA will actually tune in to watch a bunch of proven has-beens (most of whom have either failed drug tests or faced criminal charges since leaving the UFC) or never-will-bes throw down for a now meaningless belt? Or that casual MMA fans will cancel their plans to watch that one guy they saw fight in the UFC once fight that guy with the funny nickname and no ground game?

Sure, Bellator still has a couple of guys who could pose some legitimate threats were they to face actual competition, but they’ve done their best to f*ck up their careers as well. Like I said, it’s infuriating.

I get it, playing second fiddle sucks. But playing second fiddle sure beats trying to outdo a promotion you stand no chance of outdoing, especially when your plan of attack consists of purchasing all your rivals old stock. It would be like if Greyhound starting advertising on the sides of Megabuses.

So yeah, I just can’t anymore with Bellator. They’ve obviously stopped giving a shit about the direction they are headed, so why should we? Good luck, Michael. Hopefully you can come out of this mess unscathed. Our bet is that you won’t.

At least the WSOF knows their role.

–J. Jones

Interview: New UFC Contender Jessica Eye Steps Up to the Big Leagues


(Photo via Keith Mills/Sherdog)

By Elias Cepeda

In case you hadn’t noticed, Jessica Eye has been a Bellator fighter for the past couple years. The flyweight/bantamweight had been signed to the organization since 2011 but, like other women on the roster, she had trouble getting fights with regularity.

Between Bellator appearances, Eye stayed busy by taking fights for the Ohio-based NAAFS league. But Eye knew that her time in Bellator was drawing to a close even before the promotion recently informed her that they were about to release her and all of their roster’s female fighters.

“I’m a smart woman so I knew something was up,” she chuckles.

“It was getting to the point where, if they didn’t get me my last fight in June, they would have soon been in breach of contract.”

Eye nonetheless managed to take on and beat marquee names such as Zoila Frausta Gurgel and Carina Damm (who botched a drug test moments before their fight), compiling a 10-1 record and seven-fight win streak since her pro debut in June 2010. At worst, Eye’s release from Bellator was bittersweet.

The MMA world was not at all surprised when the UFC quickly signed her to their bantamweight division and booked her against Sarah Kaufman, October 19th at UFC 166. The Cleveland fighter, however, never took the signing for granted.

“I’m 27 years old and that’s old enough to have learned that you shouldn’t assume anything,” Eye explains. “But I did have confidence that I had done enough in MMA that people had learned about me and that I would get picked up by the UFC.”


(Photo via Keith Mills/Sherdog)

By Elias Cepeda

In case you hadn’t noticed, Jessica Eye has been a Bellator fighter for the past couple years. The flyweight/bantamweight had been signed to the organization since 2011 but, like other women on the roster, she had trouble getting fights with regularity.

Between Bellator appearances, Eye stayed busy by taking fights for the Ohio-based NAAFS league. But Eye knew that her time in Bellator was drawing to a close even before the promotion recently informed her that they were about to release her and all of their roster’s female fighters.

“I’m a smart woman so I knew something was up,” she chuckles.

“It was getting to the point where, if they didn’t get me my last fight in June, they would have soon been in breach of contract.”

Eye nonetheless managed to take on and beat marquee names such as Zoila Frausta Gurgel and Carina Damm (who botched a drug test moments before their fight), compiling a 10-1 record and seven-fight win streak since her pro debut in June 2010. At worst, Eye’s release from Bellator was bittersweet.

The MMA world was not at all surprised when the UFC quickly signed her to their bantamweight division and booked her against Sarah Kaufman, October 19th at UFC 166. The Cleveland fighter, however, never took the signing for granted.

“I’m 27 years old and that’s old enough to have learned that you shouldn’t assume anything,” Eye explains. “But I did have confidence that I had done enough in MMA that people had learned about me and that I would get picked up by the UFC.”

When she did, the Strong Style Fight Team member recognized what a monumental accomplishment joining the UFC was, especially considering that women have only been in the organization for six months. “It feels great,” she says.

“That’s why I signed my contract in the [Cleveland] Browns stadium. I wanted to look up at all those seats and think about how far MMA has come and how far it could still go. I’m ready for this.”

“This,” of course, includes all the attention women fighters are finally getting because of their inclusion in the UFC, but Eye understands that she didn’t sign up for a parade at UFC 166 – she’ll have to fight another highly trained lethal weapon. “I would be an idiot if I didn’t think that Sarah Kaufman is a very hard fight,” Eye says.

“She’s a former champion, a veteran and has fought a lot of great other fighters.”

Eye is, of course, confident that she will be able to best Kaufman and earn her first UFC win. That supreme confidence extends to fighting bigger women in general.

Because the UFC currently only has one women’s weight division, fighters like Eye — who has competed several times at flyweight in the past — have to necessarily choose the higher division and larger opponents in order to compete in the organization. “Evil Eye” is undaunted.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that there were about five fights where I fought at 131 pounds or 132 pounds, and it was getting harder to make that weight or 125 as I get older. With 135, I can put on more muscle and feel strong and not have to worry about cutting weight,” she insists.

Practical considerations aside, however, one factor reigns supreme in Eye’s mind. “I’m not scared of anything,” she says. “I’m not scared of anyone. I don’t care. I’ll fight anybody.”

Obvious Statement of the Day: Dana White Thinks Tito Ortiz is “One of the Dumbest Motherfuckers You Will Ever Meet”

(For reference.)

It looks like there’s once again trouble a’ brewing between UFC president Dana White and UFC HOFer/lughead Tito Ortiz. If you recall, the beef between these two got to such a boiling point back in 2007 that Spike TV aired a special hyping up a boxing match between the two (one which never came to fruition, of course). And while it seemed that White and Ortiz had repaired their relationship for long enough to have Tito get beat into retirement, Ortiz’s recent signing with Bellator has reopened the trash-talking floodgates.

Things really kicked off when Ortiz compared DW to a slave master during a recent interview with Sportscenter:

I thought slavery was over a long time ago. It’s just one of those things where you can’t trust a word the man says. And when you can’t do that, how can you work for him? When you work for a person and they’re badmouthing you no matter what, how can you work for them? When you apologize for the things that did happen and he still goes behind your back and says things about you, for no reason at all. Dana’s thing now is bullying and he is one of the biggest bullies in the business. He’s a big bully. One of these days, karma, it always come back around. 

It’s hard to argue with Tito’s comparison when looking at the facts. As we all know, slaves regularly received compensation packages totalling upwards of $250,000 for their work in the fields, as well as top notch medical care whenever they came down with a bad case of “cracked skull.” In addition, it is a well known fact that all slaves drove Rolls Royces to and from their million dollar summer homes.

Being that White is slightly more aware of what gets said about him in the media than the average President of a billion dollar corporation, he responded with the vitriol of a “Ben Affleck is the new Batman” Reddit thread at the Fight Night 27 media scrum on Wednesday.


(For reference.)

It looks like there’s once again trouble a’ brewing between UFC president Dana White and UFC HOFer/lughead Tito Ortiz. If you recall, the beef between these two got to such a boiling point back in 2007 that Spike TV aired a special hyping up a boxing match between the two (one which never came to fruition, of course). And while it seemed that White and Ortiz had repaired their relationship for long enough to have Tito get beat into retirement, Ortiz’s recent signing with Bellator has reopened the trash-talking floodgates.

Things really kicked off when Ortiz compared DW to a slave master during a recent interview with Sportscenter:

I thought slavery was over a long time ago. It’s just one of those things where you can’t trust a word the man says. And when you can’t do that, how can you work for him? When you work for a person and they’re badmouthing you no matter what, how can you work for them? When you apologize for the things that did happen and he still goes behind your back and says things about you, for no reason at all. Dana’s thing now is bullying and he is one of the biggest bullies in the business. He’s a big bully. One of these days, karma, it always come back around. 

It’s hard to argue with Tito’s comparison when looking at the facts. As we all know, slaves regularly received compensation packages totalling upwards of $250,000 for their work in the fields, as well as top notch medical care whenever they came down with a bad case of “cracked skull.” In addition, it is a well known fact that all slaves drove Rolls Royces to and from their million dollar summer homes.

Being that White is slightly more aware of what gets said about him in the media than the average President of a billion dollar corporation, he responded with the vitriol of a “Ben Affleck is the new Batman” Reddit thread at the Fight Night 27 media scrum on Wednesday.


(Exchange starts a 17:42)

Now I’m a fucking slave master, or whatever Tito called me. That fucking buffoon. How about this fucking moron coming out and saying he was a slave. Do you even know…I shouldn’t even ask that question if he knows what being a slave means, because he’s one of the dumbest motherfuckers you will ever meet. Seriously. He’s a slave to stupidity is what he is. I could go to the fucking zoo, go over the fucking monkey cage and have a more intelligent interaction. 

Expect Ortiz to check the box for “crushed soul” on his next post-fight medical questionnaire. Don’t worry, he’s undergoing surgery next Spring to fix it.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, White then really went for the throat, addressing the obvious problems fans have had with the Ortiz/Rampage matchup from the moment it was announced, as well as the duo’s need to continue bashing their old promotion via their new one:

And then you got fucking Bozo and the other Bozo over there going “This is the greatest place in the world to work and we’re so happy!” Then what the fuck are you talking about me for? If you love where you’re at…why are you talking about me? It makes no sense. You’ve moved onto a better place. It’s like going to Heaven and bitching about Earth. 

What are they gonna go on Sportscenter and talk about? The fight?! The Sportscenter guy didn’t even know what to say: “So, you’ve both lost 10 of your fucking last 10 fights, neither of you have a win but you’re on Sportscenter for some reason.”

–J. Jones

Ben Askren Slated for Main Event for AGON Wrestling Championships Debut Show

Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren may be playing the free agency game right now trying to determine where his next MMA fight will take place, but in the mean time he’s staying busy while going back to his roots.
Askren, who was a 2008 Olympian …

Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren may be playing the free agency game right now trying to determine where his next MMA fight will take place, but in the mean time he’s staying busy while going back to his roots.

Askren, who was a 2008 Olympian in wrestling and also a former two-time NCAA champion wrestler, will return to the mats for his next competition.

The former University of Missouri standout has signed on with AGON Wrestling Championships to serve as the main event for the promotion’s first upcoming show, currently slated to take place in Las Vegas on October 27.

According to AGON representatives who spoke with Bleacher Report on Thursday, Askren will face former NCAA champion and four-time All-American wrestler from Penn State Quentin Wright, who has verbally accepted the matchup against the current Bellator champion.

The plans for AGON are similar to what Metamoris did in jiu-jitsu earlier this year—staging a major event that will air online while showcasing the sport of wrestling in a similar way that MMA is aired on television.

More pairings will be added in the coming weeks for the wrestling event, but one other matchup confirmed on Thursday is former Ohio State All-American wrestler and current MMA prospect Lance Palmer, who will take on Oklahoma State standout Jordan Oliver.

For Askren, this is a chance to get back on the mats and stay active while he’s dealing with his current MMA fight situation.

Askren finished out the last fight on his deal with Bellator in late July and entered a de facto restricted free agency period. Askren is free to accept offers from any promotion, but Bellator still has the right to match any contract he receives during his matching period.

As of now there’s been no word on where Askren will end up, although the UFC has shown interest in the former Olympian, but no deal has been offered or accepted at this stage in negotiations.

Askren is currently in Milwaukee where he trains at the school headed up by coach Duke Roufus as he supports his teammate Anthony Pettis, who competes in the UFC 164 main event this weekend. Askren will also attend a press conference currently in the works for Saturday in Milwaukee to officially announce his new home with AGON that will keep him busy until he can get back in the cage again.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com