Tag: Bellator

An Offering of Thanks to Some of MMA’s Most Generous

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, BellatorFighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.

Many of those selfle…

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Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.

Many of those selfless efforts go undocumented and under the radar, but in the spirit of the holiday season, we’ve dug up some of the kind works undertaken by the men and women of the MMA world.

This list is by no means meant to be comprehensive; rather, it is a sampling of some of the acts of generosity that often get lost in the shuffle of the everyday news cycle. And it is a chance to say, Thanks.

Enson Inoue
In the wake of the devastating March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Inoue — a Japanese-American with long roots in the sport — was a one-man effort, traveling through the hardest-hit areas and offering assistance to the region’s residents in the form of clothing, food and supplies, as well as toys to children. Inoue reportedly drained his own personal savings in an effort to bring relief to every person he could reach.

The UFC/Dana White
The UFC‘s charitable causes are many, though they often go unseen by the public and media. But in January, the promotion ran an event on a US military base for the second time in its history, with all seats free to base personnel, and proceeds from a corresponding online auction as well as donations benefiting wounded veterans through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The event ended up raising $4.1 million for the fund.

Brian Stann
The president of Hire Heroes USA, a non-profit group that offers job search and placement assistance to US military veterans, Stann — a former US Marine and current UFC middleweight — helps run an organization with crucial importance during a time of economic hardship for many. The group has a special focus on the two demographics statistically most likely to be unemployed: young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as wounded or disabled veterans.

Alex Davis, Dan Lambert, Joe Mullings
In early January, the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was hit hard by torrential rains that caused landslides and killed over 800 people. Among the hardest-hit communities was Nova Friburgo, the hometown of well-known MMA manager Alex Davis, along with UFC lightweight Edson Barboza, and others. Davis was in Nova Friburgo at the time and volunteered his time and resources to help, while Lambert and Mullings, gym owners of American Top Team and The Armory, respectively, started Combat Athlete Charities in order to support his relief efforts.

Brendan Schaub
When UFC heavyweight Schaub first visited Brazil in June, he was able to see some of the impoverished parts of the country, and he promised to return with some help when he came back to fight in August. True to his word, Schaub delivered several duffel bags worth of training equipment to a local gym in the underprivileged part of Tijuquinha, Brazil just days before his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134.

American Kickboxing Academy
Many gyms have long roots in their communities and take part in volunteering, and San Jose, California-based AKA is among the more active ones. Among the groups the team benefits is Turning Wheels for Kids, a local organization that provides bicycles to underprivileged kids. Fighters including Cain Velasquez, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Daniel Cormier and “King” Muhammed Lawal have offered up their time to the cause. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the gym’s fighters also recently volunteered time at Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose, helping to feed the hungry.

Jon Jones
By now, everyone has heard the story of Jones helping to stop a robbery just hours before he won the UFC light-heavyweight champion. But that wasn’t his only charitable act of the day. Indeed, he donated his substantial after-party appearance fee to a charity designed to combat children’s cancers.

Jose Aldo
After every one of his fights, the UFC featherweight champion autographs and auctions off his fight gear to benefit his team’s Nova Uniao community program, which is designed to assist underprivileged youth.

Ben Askren
After visiting tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, earlier this year, the Bellator welterweight champion secured 300 tickets to Bellator 53 for Joplin residents to give them one night of enjoyment. “It’s not a huge gesture. It’s not like we’re rebuilding their houses, but every small thing helps,” Askren said.

Freestyle Cage Fighting & BlackEye Promotions
In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, both Freestyle Cage Fighting (FCF) and BlackEye Promotions ran events on January 1 with proceeds going towards cancer research. FCF’s event, titled “Fight Strong for the Cure” ran a nine-fight card featuring all women, while BlackEye’s 16-fight card was subtitled “Breast Cancer Beatdown.”

Dan Henderson/Clinch Gear
The UFC light-heavyweight gave fans a thrill with his recent fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight which was quickly named as one of the best all-time scraps. But Henderson and his Clinch Gear company were also giving back in other ways, pledging to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal to a family of four for every official walkout T-shirt purchased through his website. On Thanksgiving, the company expects to feed over 2,000 families (8,000 people) through the Denver Rescue Mission and San Diego Rescue Mission, and the promotion has been extended through Christmas with additional donations to be made at that time.

The Fans
Few sports have a community as tight-knit and passionate as MMA, and even when you argue, you come together when it matters. Fans have generously donated to a countless number of causes. Among the most recent is the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The son of UFC fighter Dan Miller is in need of a kidney transplant and insurance does not pay for the entire procedure. The Foundation was set up in order to fund his treatment, and the family recently released a statement saying they were left “speechless” following the overwhelming support they have received.

 

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Hump Day Headlines with Stephanie Ann Cook

UFC Middleweight, Dan Miller asks for MMA community and fans donations to aid with his baby’s kidney transplant and care. Coming off recent loss at UFC 139, Rick Story signs four-fight deal with UFC. Phil.

UFC Middleweight, Dan Miller asks for MMA community and fans donations to aid with his baby’s kidney transplant and care.

Coming off recent loss at UFC 139, Rick Story signs four-fight deal with UFC.

Phil Davis welcomes fight with Rashad Evans.

Bellator and former UFC Middleweight fighter, Maiquel Falcao suffers heart attack, hospitalized.

Fedor Emelianenko‘s manager offers co-promotion fight with M-1 Global and UFC, asks for Fedor to fight Cain Velasquez. Dana White tweets “Hell no!”

The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Season 1 will hold tryouts in early December.

UFC Veteran Maiquel Falcao Recovering From Heart Attack

Filed under: Bellator, NewsUFC 123 competitor Maiquel Falcao remains in intensive care at the Santa Casa de Pelotas hospital in Brazil after suffering a heart attack over the weekend, reports Tatame.

“Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and mi…

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UFC 123 competitor Maiquel Falcao remains in intensive care at the Santa Casa de Pelotas hospital in Brazil after suffering a heart attack over the weekend, reports Tatame.

“Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and might stay there for few more days, when he’ll go through a catheterization,” Falcao’s manager Marcelo Brigadeiro told TATAME on Wednesday. “He’s lucid and improving fast.”

The 30-year-old middleweight competed last month on a local card in Brazil, earning a TKO win in 75 seconds. A week later, Falcao officially joined the Bellator roster.

“Our sole focus and concern right now is for Maiquel and his family,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated on Wednesday to MMAFighting.com. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as they go through this ordeal.”

Fighting out of Chute Boxe, Falcao holds an overall MMA record of 28-4, 23 wins by way of (T)KO. Falcao was a victor in his one fight with the UFC, but was released six months later due to legal problems brought on from a 2002 assault charge in Brazil.

 

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Bellator Plans to Broadcast MMA Reality Series in 2013

After seven successful years televising the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Spike TV will continue as a mixed martial arts staple, as it will begin broadcasting fights with the tournament-format promotion, Bellator Fighting Championship. Thoug…

After seven successful years televising the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Spike TV will continue as a mixed martial arts staple, as it will begin broadcasting fights with the tournament-format promotion, Bellator Fighting Championship.

Though Bjorn Rebney’s MMA company won’t air events until 2013, Spike TV has already started featuring fights on their Web site.

As Zuffa, LLC, UFC’s parent company, recently announced in August their plans to move to Fox Sports Media starting next year, Spike’s parent company, Viacom, comprehending the success of MMA programming, quickly purchased a majority stake in Bellator.

Though Spike has the rights to air UFC’s extensive back catalog of fights through 2012, the television company felt displaying such shows is insufficient.

In an interview on SportsIllustrated.com by Loretta Hunt, Spike TV’s president, Kevin Kay, is extremely excited about airing live, tournament-style, MMA events:

“We really liked Bellator. We liked (Bellator CEO) Bjorn (Rebney) and loved the talent development people, (matchmaker) Sam Caplan particularly and we loved the tournament format,” declares Kay.

“One of the things we’ve seen with the UFC over time is that the library tends to wear down (in terms of ratings). What continues to work are live fights. The tournaments give us live fights every week.”

Throughout the seven-year partnership, one of the most successful shows was The Ultimate Fighter, a reality program that housed up-and-coming fighters, with an opportunity to earn a lucrative contract with the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion.

Though Spike’s and Bellator’s pairing is in its infancy, a new, reality-based MMA show is in the works, unlike The Ultimate Fighter.

“One thing we won’t do is duplicate The Ultimate Fighter. It’s a great franchise and it’s going to go on to another network,” states Kevin.  “There’s different kinds of reality ideas that we’re starting to kick around.  We’re hearing lots of good ideas for reality programming around Bellator. But it won’t be 16 guys in a house. We’re not doing that show over again.”

With over a year to prepare and create new MMA TV shows and events, Spike TV’s president is looking forward in building Bellator’s fighters into stars and increasing their popularity.

“I think we’re really good at marketing and promoting,” proclaims Kay.  “That’s the value we brought to the UFC and the value we’ll bring to Bellator.”

Though one may consider the break-up of Spike and UFC to be bittersweet, the TV head feels the time spent was an invaluable experience.

“I sat on the sidelines watching the guys that do it best in the world—(UFC owners) Dana, Lorenzo and Frank (Fertitta)—and soak up every experience,” discusses Kevin.  “We paid a lot, but I learned a lot and hopefully we can bring all of that learning from myself and my team, and bring it to the party for Bellator.”

Bellator’s event highlights and previews are viewable at Spike.com.

Roland Riso is a contributing writer for Bleacher Report.  All quotes were obtained from SI.com (link). Check out more of his work at MMAIdiot.com.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Chandler Happy to Have Name Linked With Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson

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You couldn’t blame new Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler if he had conflicting feelings about his Saturday night. On one hand, he emerged the victor in a Fight of the Year contender, capturing his first championship in the process. On the other, his thrilling win was quickly relegated to the background of a brilliant fight night when Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua stole center stage in their UFC 139 main event spectacle.

But just nine fights into this career, the unbeaten Chandler has a realistic take on the issue, happy with having his name linked with those of the longtime legends.

“It’s great to have my fight with Eddie compared to a fight with the hype and the outcome of Henderson- Rua,” he said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “It’s great just to be in the talk. I always want to be talked about like that. I always want to be talked about as a guy who goes out, lays it on the line and puts on a great show. This wont be the last time people talk about my fights and how exciting they are. I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m glad the MMA world got to witness two great fights the same night.”

Both bouts have quickly gained critical acclaim, but of the four fighters who competed in them, Chandler was by far the least known. A former collegiate wrestling All-American at the University of Missouri, he only began his pro fighting career in 2009, and entered the Bellator lightweight tournament in 2011, always with the belief that he would capture the belt.

Against Alvarez, he was more than a 2-to-1 underdog.

“That’s the just confidence that I bring going into any fight,” he said. “I don’t care if it was Eddie or any of the other top lightweights in the world. I was going to have that confidence going in and feel that I could’ve beaten anybody. That’s the confidence I bring.”

Chandler almost got his win within the first 30 seconds, dropping Alvarez with a right hook against the cage just 13 seconds into the bout. But Alvarez persisted on and the match became a dogfight, with momentum shifting back and forth between them and neither able to take control.

In hindsight, Chandler says he’s happy the fight wasn’t stopped at that point since it led to an epic encounter. He also says that given Alvarez’s past history of being dropped early in fights and coming back to win that he was nowhere closer to actually winning.

“He’s a great competitor,” he said “I knew I was going to have to try to finish the fight hard to finish him. I ended up finishing in the fourth, but he definitely recovered well and had a good next two rounds [after the first].”

As for where he stands now in the lightweight picture, Chandler isn’t quite sure. He says that he does not follow the sport much and pays little attention to rankings. But he adds that Alvarez earned his top five ranking over the years, and that he doesn’t expect to usurp Alvarez’s spot just because he beat him. While he’s happy to hold the title, he wants to work his way to a level where he can no longer be denied.

“I know that I’m the best myself because I know how hard I work and of course I see that everyday, but I definitely have not earned it,” he said. “I don’t even want people to consider me that yet until I go out there and beat the guys that I need to beat.”

As for what’s next for him, Chandler may wait for the next season’s lightweight tourney to play out, or he could participate in a non-title fight. On that, he’ll wait for direction from the Bellator brass. Until then, he’ll continue controlling what only he can.

“I signed with Bellator for one reason, to win the world title,” he said. “Now I have another goal, to defend it and just continue to get better.”

 

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You couldn’t blame new Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler if he had conflicting feelings about his Saturday night. On one hand, he emerged the victor in a Fight of the Year contender, capturing his first championship in the process. On the other, his thrilling win was quickly relegated to the background of a brilliant fight night when Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua stole center stage in their UFC 139 main event spectacle.

But just nine fights into this career, the unbeaten Chandler has a realistic take on the issue, happy with having his name linked with those of the longtime legends.

“It’s great to have my fight with Eddie compared to a fight with the hype and the outcome of Henderson- Rua,” he said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “It’s great just to be in the talk. I always want to be talked about like that. I always want to be talked about as a guy who goes out, lays it on the line and puts on a great show. This wont be the last time people talk about my fights and how exciting they are. I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m glad the MMA world got to witness two great fights the same night.”

Both bouts have quickly gained critical acclaim, but of the four fighters who competed in them, Chandler was by far the least known. A former collegiate wrestling All-American at the University of Missouri, he only began his pro fighting career in 2009, and entered the Bellator lightweight tournament in 2011, always with the belief that he would capture the belt.


Against Alvarez, he was more than a 2-to-1 underdog.

“That’s the just confidence that I bring going into any fight,” he said. “I don’t care if it was Eddie or any of the other top lightweights in the world. I was going to have that confidence going in and feel that I could’ve beaten anybody. That’s the confidence I bring.”

Chandler almost got his win within the first 30 seconds, dropping Alvarez with a right hook against the cage just 13 seconds into the bout. But Alvarez persisted on and the match became a dogfight, with momentum shifting back and forth between them and neither able to take control.

In hindsight, Chandler says he’s happy the fight wasn’t stopped at that point since it led to an epic encounter. He also says that given Alvarez’s past history of being dropped early in fights and coming back to win that he was nowhere closer to actually winning.

“He’s a great competitor,” he said “I knew I was going to have to try to finish the fight hard to finish him. I ended up finishing in the fourth, but he definitely recovered well and had a good next two rounds [after the first].”

As for where he stands now in the lightweight picture, Chandler isn’t quite sure. He says that he does not follow the sport much and pays little attention to rankings. But he adds that Alvarez earned his top five ranking over the years, and that he doesn’t expect to usurp Alvarez’s spot just because he beat him. While he’s happy to hold the title, he wants to work his way to a level where he can no longer be denied.

“I know that I’m the best myself because I know how hard I work and of course I see that everyday, but I definitely have not earned it,” he said. “I don’t even want people to consider me that yet until I go out there and beat the guys that I need to beat.”

As for what’s next for him, Chandler may wait for the next season’s lightweight tourney to play out, or he could participate in a non-title fight. On that, he’ll wait for direction from the Bellator brass. Until then, he’ll continue controlling what only he can.

“I signed with Bellator for one reason, to win the world title,” he said. “Now I have another goal, to defend it and just continue to get better.”

 

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Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler Bellator 58 Fight Video

Filed under: BellatorAfter producing what is likely the best fight in its promotional history, Bellator has made Bellator 58’s Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler fight video available.

Alvarez (22-3) came into the fight riding a seven-fight win str…

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After producing what is likely the best fight in its promotional history, Bellator has made Bellator 58’s Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler fight video available.

Alvarez (22-3) came into the fight riding a seven-fight win streak and needing a victory to set up a long-awaited rematch with Shinya Aoki, the last man to defeat him. Chandler (9-0) is a 25-year-old upstart who was a decisive underdog. The lightweight title fight ended up as a rollicking explosion of momentum shifts and dramatic action that produced a new champion and earned immediate praise as a Fight of the Year contender.

The full fight video is below.

 

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