Press Release – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – On May 10th at MFC 37: True Grit, two of the most dynamic and promising heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts will meet in the ring for the main event. The prize will be the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship title. Smealinho Rama (6-0) and Chris Barnett (7-1) have […]
Press Release – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – On May 10th at MFC 37: True Grit, two of the most dynamic and promising heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts will meet in the ring for the main event. The prize will be the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship title. Smealinho Rama (6-0) and Chris Barnett (7-1) have each earned their place at the MFC’s “big boy” table and on May 10th it will be time to see who gets to eat.
Smealinho “The Prince” Rama is currently the #1 ranked heavyweight fighter in Canada. Coming off a first round TKO finish of previously top ranked Mike Hackert at MFC 36 in February, he now gets the call to compete for the title after only having competed in professional mixed martial arts for 13 months. At just 21 years of age, Rama is a significant force in the heavyweight division – an undeniable talent brimming with confidence.
In his 6 fights (which have lasted a total of only 14:06 combined), Smealinho has won half by TKO and half by submission, with all wins coming in the very first round. Not one to opt for the slow and steady route, Rama fought and won 5 times in 2012, building momentum, sharpening his skills and looking markedly better in each outing. This led Rama to his fight with Mike Hackert, who then held the rank of #1 heavyweight in the country. Rama finished Hackert with punches at 2:28 of the first round. His style of fighting and his achievements are very impressive, yet what is equally impressive is how Rama does it all with the calmness of a veteran fighter.
Chris “Beast Boy” Barnett is an athletic virtuoso: a tae kwon do black belt with boxing experience who played Division 1 football for the University of South Florida. At 5’9″ and 265 pounds, Chris possesses a level of athleticism normally reserved for men far smaller than himself. He overflows with charisma and consistently pleases fans with his fighting style. He has competed in MMA for 4 years, finishing 5 of the 8 opponents he has faced by KO or TKO. Looking to the immediate future, Chris has said that Smealinho Rama is precisely the kind fighter he wants for his next fight: a legitimate contender. Well aware of the level of skill possessed by his opponent, but eager to build his legacy, Chris Barnett predicts a win over Rama via TKO in the 2nd round.
These are two fighters who are not at all hesitant to put everything on the line and engage in the kinds of fights MMA fans have come to love and appreciate. Rama has stated that he doesn’t want to be a “decision fighter.” “I want to finish every fight and make it exciting… and I want the fans to love it.” Barnett has similarly stated that he is all about putting on a show and that he believes it to be his job to “humble fighters with massive egos.” Here we have all the makings of a heavyweight slugfest where nothing is held back, where the level of talent is extremely high, and from which a new MMA star will emerge.
Tickets for MFC 37: True Grit are on sale now and available at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.
Press Release – Atlantic City, N.J. (April 3, 2013) – The Bellator MMA weigh-ins have been completed from The Social at Revel in preparation for Bellator MMA’s April 4th event, which will showcase a Featherweight World Title Fight as well as the Featherweight and Middleweight Tournament Finals. Bellator MMA will take place at Revel on […]
Press Release – Atlantic City, N.J. (April 3, 2013) – The Bellator MMA weigh-ins have been completed from The Social at Revel in preparation for Bellator MMA’s April 4th event, which will showcase a Featherweight World Title Fight as well as the Featherweight and Middleweight Tournament Finals.
Bellator MMA will take place at Revel on Thursday, April 4th with the first fight taking place at 7:15 p.m. EST and steaming live on Spike.com. The televised portion of the night will begin at 10 p.m. EST and will air live on Spike TV.
MAIN CARD:
Featherweight World Title Fight: Pat Curran (144.7) vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev (144.7)
Featherweight Tournament Final Fight: Frodo Khasbulaev (145.4) vs. Mike Richman (145.1)
Middleweight Tournament Final Fight: Brett Cooper (185.2) vs. Doug Marshall (185.4)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Karo Parisyan (171) vs. Rick Hawn (170.7)
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Anton Talamantes (205) vs. Liam McGeary (204)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Kevin Roddy (146) vs. Brylan Van Artsdalen (145.2)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Michael Brent Hess (145.9) vs. Will Martinez (144.9)
Catchweight Feature Fight (140 lbs.): Jimmie Rivera (139.3) vs. Brian Kelleher (139.5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Phillipe Nover (156) vs. Darrell Horcher (156)
Catchweight Feature Fight(188 lbs): Carlos Brooks (188) vs. Tom DeBlass (185.9)
Catchweight Feature Fight (173 lbs): Shedrick Goodridge (172.8) vs. Sam Oropeza (170.5)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Lyman Good (170.8) vs. Dante Rivera (170.9)
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 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.
About mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.
Press Release – LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, we’ve got the latest updates on the UFC ON FUEL TV 9 changes. Plus, Rashad Evans is a guest in the studio and talks about his upcoming fight, the curse of the Blackzilians, and possible retirement. All that, plus a lot more on […]
Press Release – LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, we’ve got the latest updates on the UFC ON FUEL TV 9 changes. Plus, Rashad Evans is a guest in the studio and talks about his upcoming fight, the curse of the Blackzilians, and possible retirement. All that, plus a lot more on this week’s UFC TONIGHT.
Quote of the Week: UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on Ilir Latifi’s strengths against Gegard Mousasi: “Latifi is a national champion in wrestling in Sweden. If we’ve seen a weakness in Mousasi in the past, it’s with guys who can take him down and control him, so perhaps Ilir has the style that will give him a lot of problems.”
UFC TONIGHT Guest Rashad Evans on Ilir Latifi training with the Blackzilians: “He was one of the first members of the Blackzilians. We trained together. He was strong. I started calling him ‘The Strongy.’ He’s a good wrestler and has a lot of power in his hands. He can put you out with one shot.”
Florian on Mousasi’s strengths: “Mousasi is a true veteran in the game. He can knock you out. He’s so fast at 205 pounds and he has excellent submissions. This guy is a true finisher, but you have to think about his mindset going into this. He was preparing for Gustafsson and now he’s training for a completely different opponent. He went from a really tall guy to a short, stocky wrestler. It’s going to be interesting to see how he adjusts for this event.”
UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on how Alexander Gustafsson was injured: “Gustafsson was wrestling, slipped on the mat, and he hit his face on the nearby cage. He suffered a cut underneath his eyebrow, above his eyelid. He went to the hospital later that day and received three stitches. Two days later, they informed the Swedish MMA Federation, but they couldn’t look at him and make a final decision until today because Sunday and Monday were holidays in Sweden. They looked at him today and deemed he was unfit to fight.”
Evans on his last fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: “I watched a little bit of the fight. It was a lackluster performance on my part. It was one of those life lessons. You watch a fight like that, and it’s like, ‘What was I thinking? Where was my head?’ It took me weeks to get my head around what I did.”
Evans on his upcoming fight against Dan Henderson: “Dan Henderson is no secret. The power of Dan Henderson is in his huge right hand. He has great take down offensive, he has a wrestling background and he will get you on the ground and do ground-and-pound. For me, what I need to do is fight my fight. I need to have my transitions, from my punches to my takedowns, and they need to be sharp. No lazy half-shots. No pitty-pat punching. I need hard punching and hard takedowns.”
Evans on if he’s worried about losing his job if he loses his next fight: “No, I’m not worried about losing my job. I put in a lot of good fights at the UFC and I’m confident that I’m not going to lose my next fight.”
Evans on if he’d consider retiring if he loses his next fight: “If I lose my next fight, I would consider dropping down a weight class. If I drop down to 185 and things weren’t going right, then I would think about retiring.”
Evans on the curse of the Blackzilians: “The thing about it is, in any sport you follow, with any team you watch, they may have ebbs and flows of competition. Sometimes you do well and sometimes you’re not doing so well.”
Chael Sonnen on his upcoming fight against Jon Jones: “This is a public address from the people’s champion himself. I will come on stage, I will sell the tickets. I’m the highest paid fighter in the history of the UFC and I’m the biggest draw that this industry has ever seen. On 4/27, Chael Sonnen Promotions, in conjunction with Zuffa, LLC will bring to you the biggest fight of the year, the biggest light heavyweight fight of all time. The young Jon Jones at last will have what every young fighter dreams about: A chance to go one-on-one, to actually share the people’s Octagon, with Chael Sonnen. And he will be reminded the hard way what you already know: When you’re the greatest fighter in the world today, they have a name for you, they don’t call you a great fighter, they call you Chael Sonnen.”
Helwani on Nick Diaz being retired: “Right now Nick is retired, unless he gets rematch with Georges St-Pierre or the big Anderson Silva fight. Apparently if he doesn’t get those, he’s going to remain retired.”
Florian on if he’ll be making a comeback at the upcoming August 17 UFC fight in his hometown of Boston: “I’m enjoying retired life. I’ve said this before, if I can’t train like I used to, than I’m not going to do it.”
UFC TONIGHT
UFC TONIGHT is the official weekly news and information show of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The show is co-hosted by veteran UFC fighter and multiple title contender Kenny Florian and UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen. Leeann Tweeden contributes, while three-time World MMA Awards Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani adds insider news.
Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @FUELTV; @UFCTonight; @kennyflorian; @sonnench @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @sugarashadevans;
For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv, www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv
To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.
Press Release – (LAS VEGAS, NV) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) presents its eighth UFC Fan Expo® event on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Also, slated for July 6 is UFC 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN at MGM Grand Garden Arena. “We love giving […]
Press Release – (LAS VEGAS, NV) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) presents its eighth UFC Fan Expo® event on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Also, slated for July 6 is UFC 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“We love giving UFC fans unprecedented access to our sport and athletes,” UFC President Dana White said. “This July, we are planning the ultimate fan experience that includes UFC® 162, the UFC Fan Expo® which will feature more UFC fighters than any other UFC fan event EVER, and a Fight Week featuring pool parties, concerts and more. This is an absolute insane week for UFC fans around the world!”
UFC Fan Expo® 2013 will feature more than 300,000 gross square feet of activities for UFC fans, including meet and greets and autograph sessions with top UFC fighters, Q&A sessions with top UFC personalities, as well as grappling tournaments and other special events. More than 150 exhibitors will also be on hand, giving fans the opportunity to purchase and experience some of the best sports and lifestyle products on the market today. This marks the fourth UFC Fan Expo® held in Las Vegas since its inception in 2009, with additional UFC Fan Expos being held in Boston, London, Toronto and Houston.
On top of all the great fan activities, the UFC Fan Expo® will be held in conjunction with UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN scheduled for July 6 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4) will take on top contender Chris Weidman (9-0) as he looks to extend his record for most consecutive wins (16), title defenses (10), most finishes (14) and longest title reign. Two other exciting middleweight bouts are confirmed for the card, as Tim Boetsch faces Mark Munoz and Roger Gracie squares off with Tim Kennedy.
Tickets for the UFC Fan Expo® 2013 are on sale NOW at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Tickets for Friday, July 6 are priced at $40, while tickets for Saturday, July 7 are priced at $45. A two-day pass is also available and is priced at $60. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door. VIP packages for the UFC Fan Expo® are also available at www.ufcfanexpo.com.
For more information on UFC Fan Expo® and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo® newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Brian Bernstein, Sales Executive at 203-840-5474 or email [email protected]. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.
In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.
About Reed Exhibitions
The UFC Fan Expo is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event’s organizer, with over 500 events in 39 countries. In 2012, Reed brought together over seven million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 33 fully staffed offices.
Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 500 events serves 44 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, broadcasting, building & construction, electronics, energy, oil & gas, engineering, manufacturing, environment, food service & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, interior design, IT & telecoms, jewelry, life science & pharmaceuticals, machinery, medical education, printing & graphics, property & real estate, security & safety, sports & recreation, and travel. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
Press Release – 01 April 2013 – Singapore: On Friday, 5 April, ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) presents ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS live on Pay-Per-View online around the world at www.onefc.livesport.tv. This event will feature the highly anticipated ONE FC Lightweight World Championship title fight between Kotetsu “No Face” Boku and Shinya “Tobikan Judan” […]
Press Release – 01 April 2013 – Singapore: On Friday, 5 April, ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) presents ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS live on Pay-Per-View online around the world at www.onefc.livesport.tv. This event will feature the highly anticipated ONE FC Lightweight World Championship title fight between Kotetsu “No Face” Boku and Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.
Kotetsu Boku defeated Brazilian contender Zorobabel Moreira at ONE FC: RISE OF KINGS in October 2012 to earn the inaugural ONE FC Lightweight World Championship title belt while Aoki earned his shot at the title following a devastating submission victory over Arnaud Lepont.
Fans from around the world can also witness the action online via livestreaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The undercard fights are available for viewing free-of-charge and the main card fights will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.
ONE FC Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku is no stranger to adversity. He is a tenacious competitor who has never backed down from a tough fight. Boku ignited the crowd at the sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium at on 6 October 2012 with a massive come-from-behind victory over Zorobabel Moreira at 0:31 seconds of round 3, earning him the first ever ONE FC Lightweight World Championship title. With six wins in his last seven fights, Boku is enjoying one of the most successful spells of his career. There is no doubt that the fight on 5 April will be his toughest test to date when he squares off against Shinya Aoki.
Shinya Aoki is the DREAM Lightweight Champion and has beaten MMA legends like Tatsuya Kawajiri, Marcus Aurelio and Rich Clementi. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo which has earned him a reputation as one of the most dangerous submission artists the sport of MMA has ever seen. His last outing with ONE FC saw him put Arnaud Lepont “to sleep” by triangle choke in front of his adopted home of Singapore, earning him the opportunity to fight for the ONE FC Lightweight Title. The famed “Grandmaster of Flying Submissions” is looking forward to showcasing his legendary skills once again to his fans when he enters the ONE FC cage at ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS.
For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 28 countries in Asia.
Press Release – Tampa, FL (March 28, 2013) – The final results are in for Bellator MMA live from the USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida. The night showcased the Lightweight Tournament Final with David Rickels finishing Saad Awad via TKO in the second round. The event also featured the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final as Emanuel […]
Press Release – Tampa, FL (March 28, 2013) – The final results are in for Bellator MMA live from the USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida. The night showcased the Lightweight Tournament Final with David Rickels finishing Saad Awad via TKO in the second round. The event also featured the Light Heavyweight Tournament Final as Emanuel Newton defeated Mikhail Zayats in a unanimous decision. Both winners earned a $100,000 tournament prize and a guaranteed title shot.
Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Emanuel Newton defeats Mikhail Zayats via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Emanuel Newton:
Thank you Bjorn, Spike and all of the Bellator staff for being behind me. He is a tough opponent and I went out there and put on my best performance. I know I can get better and I have to get better and I am looking forward to my next fight.
Mikhail Zayats:
I want to thank everyone who came out today. I want to thank Bjorn and all of my fans in Russia and all over the world. I was a little upset because I had an injury two days ago and I tried to postpone my fight. Newton is a great fighter and I congratulate him on a good fight.
Lightweight Tournament Final: David Rickels defeats Saad Awad via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 5:00
David Rickels
My hat is off to Awad, he is a great fighter. I am very happy and really excited. I think I’ve showcased a lot of my skills and I believe I have a lot of the facets of the game. I am really looking forward to seeing who I will fight in the championship and I want that belt around my waist.
Saad Awad
Thank you to everyone for supporting me. It didn’t go my way tonight. I broke my hand in the first round and sorry I had to wrestle for two rounds. I really didn’t want to do that. He caught me in the second round and there is nothing I can do about it, congrats.
Welterweight Qualifier Fight: Luis Melo defeats Trey Houston via submission (arm-triangle choke) – R3, 1:09
Luis Melo
I would like to thank god for the opportunity and Bellator and Bjorn for believing in my potential and bringing me here. I have been fighting for over 10 years and I am happy to have the opportunity to fight here and represent in my big my debut. I will always come to fight and I will always come to entertain you guys.
Trey Houston
Thank you for the opportunity. It didn’t go my way tonight. He was a very good opponent and has been doing this longer than I knew what the sport was. I hope I can come back because I am still learning a lot and I am improving quickly.
Bantamweight Qualifier Fight: Rodrigo Lima defeats Ronnie Mann via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Rodrigo Lima
First of all thank you for the opportunity to fight with Bellator. I took the fight in 22 days and I was really focused on that and I put my heart in it. Congrats to Ronnie and the chance to fight against him.
Ronnie Mann
Thank you to Bellator and Bjorn for having me. All I can say is that I have more to offer if I get the opportunity again.
Welterweight Feature Fight: Julien Williams defeats Kenny Moss via submission (guillotine-choke) – Round 1, 3:19
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Augusto Sakai defeats Rob Horton via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:01
Featherweight Feature Fight: Joe Taimanglo defeats Ronnie Rogers via submission (north-south choke) – Round 2, 0:33
Lightweight Feature Fight: Edson Berto defeats Bruno Carvalho via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:27
Catchweight Feature Fight (157 lbs): Tony Fryklund vs. Patrick Cenoble ended in a draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28)
Women’s Feature Fight: Felice Herrig defeats Heather Clark via decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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 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.
About mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.
