SAN ANTONIO, Texas (July 15, 2010) — For the second time in three months, Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its action-packed, nationally televised brand of mixed martial arts to the historic Majestic Theater in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, Sept. 2nd.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. CDT Friday at all Ticketmaster […]
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (July 15, 2010) — For the second time in three months, Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its action-packed, nationally televised brand of mixed martial arts to the historic Majestic Theater in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, Sept. 2nd.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. CDT Friday at all Ticketmaster outlets and at ticketmaster.com.
Bellator 27 will be headlined by three opening-round fights in Bellator’s Season 3 Heavyweight and Bantamweight tournaments as well as five other fights featuring top local fighters from throughout South Texas.
Fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Bellator last visited the Majestic Theatre on May 27th for Bellator 20, which saw dramatic wins by Alexander “Storm” Shelemenko, Bryan “The Beast” Baker and Eddie Sanchez.
“San Antonio is a great fight town and we were embraced very enthusiastically by the city’s MMA fans during our first visit to the Majestic Theater back in May,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We can’t wait to return on Sept. 2nd with a full card of eight more exciting fights.”
The Sept. 2 event will once again be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.
For more information, visit Bellator.com or follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company based in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
EVERETT, Wash. (July 14, 2010) -The students of two icons will collide when submission specialist and Matt Hume protégé Caros “The Future” Fodor (5-2) takes on Cung Le student Thomas Diagne (1-1) in a lightweight (155 pounds) contest on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at Comcast Arena at Everett, on SHOWTIME, […]
EVERETT, Wash. (July 14, 2010) -The students of two icons will collide when submission specialist and Matt Hume protégé Caros “The Future” Fodor (5-2) takes on Cung Le student Thomas Diagne (1-1) in a lightweight (155 pounds) contest on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at Comcast Arena at Everett, on SHOWTIME, on Friday, July 23.
The 26-year-old Fodor, an ambitious go-getter, fulfilled a lifelong dream by enlisting in the U.S. Army just six days after his high school graduation while he was still a minor at age 17, eventually making him the youngest Marine in his platoon. At the age of 12, the Shoreline, Wash. Native had joined an auxiliary military group to get a taste of what life like might be as a serviceman.
After invading Iraq and, later Kuwait in 2003 to support the U.S. war on terror, Fodor experienced a change of heart and eventually decided to re-focus his aggressive energy towards combat in the cage. During a visit to AMC Kickboxing and Pankration in Kirkland, Wash., Fodor met former submission wrestling champion and MMA expert Hume as well as Hume’s top coach, Trevor Jackson, an introduction that quickly inspired Fodor to commit his life to the sport.
One of four children adopted by a single mother, Fodor has persevered through a number of hardships during his life, including a hostile rivalry with adopted brother and, now, fellow professional fighter Ben Fodor.
It was their common bond in MMA that eventually helped Caros and Ben settle their differences. Suddenly, the two young men who had not been able to peacefully co-exist in a room together were supporting each other during their respective bouts.
Fodor is looking to return to the win column after suffering a second round defeat via submission (armbar) at the hands of Nate Hannah on Feb. 10, 2010. Prior to the loss, Fodor had been victorious in five consecutive fights, all in the first round by way of submission.
Diagne, a 26 year old native of Paris, France, is a longtime practitioner of San Shou, the Chinese form of kickboxing that embraces throwing techniques in addition to striking. Since 1996, the once obscure martial art has been brought to the forefront of the fight world by Le, its pioneer who amassed a perfect 16-0 career record in the sport before bringing his San Shou skills to the cage where he eventually was crowned STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion after defeating MMA legend Frank Shamrock at San Jose, Calif.’s HP Pavilion on March 29, 2008.
In 2008, Diagne parted ways with his homeland in order to train with Le at the superstar’s Universal Strength Headquarters (USH) gym in Milpitas, Calif. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Diagne added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training under Paul Schreiner to his game in order to prepare for a career in MMA.
A six-time San Shou titlist, the 6-foot-1 Diagne made history as well as his MMA debut on May 15, 2009 when he competed in the first STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in history, earning a unanimous decision over Kaleo Kwan at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale and can be purchased at the Comcast Arena box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
In the main event, undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Del Rosario (9-0) will attempt to extend his unblemished streak when he faces fellow heavy hitter Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1).
Unbeaten STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight (135 pounds) Champion and former ballet dancer Sarah Kaufman (11-0) will put her perfect record as well as her crown on the line against international star Roxanne Modafferi (15-5).
In other featured action, Abongo Humphrey (7-1) will take on MMA bad boy Mike “Mak” Kyle (16-7-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).
Twenty-five year old Cory “The One” Devela (9-4) of Bonney Lake, Wash. will attempt to re-ignite his career in his first bout in 12 months when he faces hard-hitting Bobby Voelker (21-8) at welterweight (170 pounds).
The first STRIKEFORCE Challengers preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8 p.m.
The live SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
STRIKEFORCE Challengers, where tomorrow’s champions are born, is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 14, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships will expand its reach to the more than 1 million brave American service men and women, as well as Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed overseas through a new alliance with the American Forces Network.
Beginning this fall, all military personnel, […]
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 14, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships will expand its reach to the more than 1 million brave American service men and women, as well as Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed overseas through a new alliance with the American Forces Network.
Beginning this fall, all military personnel, Department of Defense civilian employees and their families stationed in 175 countries and territories overseas from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe — and aboard 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea — will be able to watch all of Bellator Seasons 2 and 3 in their entirety via satellite broadcast.
The 24 Bellator broadcasts will air for 24 consecutive weeks every Monday night at 9 p.m. “viewer time overseas” with Bellator Season 2 running from Sept. 6th to Nov. 22 and Bellator Season 3 running from Nov. 29th to Feb. 14th.
Rights to air the broadcasts are being provided to the American Forces Network by Bellator free of charge.
“Bellator means warrior, and the finest warriors in the world today are the brave American men and women who put their lives on the line every day to defend and protect our way of life — they are the true heroes.” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “It is an honor for Bellator to partner with the American Forces Network and to be granted the opportunity to provide our broadcasts for the enjoyment of these true warrior heroes.”
The American Forces Network Broadcast Center distributes more than 210,000 hours annually of radio and television programming to its well-deserving audience via an encrypted satellite signal that accommodates nine separate television services and 11 radio services.
According to Jeff White, the AFN Broadcast Center Executive Director, Bellator’s addition to the line up is a feather in the cap for AFN Sports programming.
“Given the popularity of mixed martial arts with our young warfighters, we’re very pleased to welcome Bellator Fighting Championships to the AFN sports line up,” White said. “Thanks to the support of the Bellator team, every week AFN viewers stationed around the world will be able to enjoy the action and excitement of some of the best fighters, pound for pound, in MMA.”
The alliance between Bellator and the American Forces Network was developed with the assistance of Engine Entertainment, the international TV production and distribution company.
“We are delighted to add the Bellator Fighting Championship to our AFN schedule,” said Corey Slutsky, Sports Director at the American Forces Network. “AFN provides a touch of home to U.S. military service members and their families deployed around the world, and we salute Bellator and Engine Entertainment for their support of the troops.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Bellator. For tickets, go toTicketmaster.com.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Chicago. Bellator’s CEO/Chairman, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About the Armed Forces Network Broadcast Center
The American Forces Network (AFN) is the brand name used by the American Forces Radio and Television Service. The AFN worldwide radio and television broadcast network serves American service men and women, Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed at bases overseas, as well as U.S. Navy ships at sea. AFN broadcasts popular American radio and television programs from the major U.S.networks. AFRTS, American Forces Network and AFN are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Defense.
HOUSTON (July 13, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE formally announced Tuesday a World Championship Doubleheader for Toyota Center here on Saturday, Aug. 21, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion “King Mo” Lawal (7-0) will make the first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael […]
HOUSTON (July 13, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE formally announced Tuesday a World Championship Doubleheader for Toyota Center here on Saturday, Aug. 21, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion “King Mo” Lawal (7-0) will make the first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (9-2) in the main event. The semi-main will match Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2-1) and Tim Kennedy (12-2) in a clash for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (185 pounds) crown.
In a featured, televised bout, undefeated heavyweight rising star Bobby Lashley (5-0), will return to the cage against an opponent to be announced.
Also on the televised portion of an outstanding event, former world champion KJ Noons 11-2) will face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Jorge Gurgel(13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) match.
A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the STRIKEFORCE event is available for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://STRIKEFORCE.com/insider.html) until 10 p.m. CT this Thursday, July 15. STRIKEFORCE Insiders receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. CT at www.ToyotaCenterTix.com, by phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX, at select Houston area Randalls locations, and at www.strikeforce.com. Tickets will be available at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 19, at Toyota Center Box Office.
“King Mo” Lawal vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante
The undefeated Lawal, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and Big 12 wrestling champion for Oklahoma State University. He won the STRIKEFORCE title with a unanimous five-round decision over defending belt-holder Gegard Mousasi last April 17 on the CBS Television Network.
Prior to the convincing victory over the highly regarded Mousasi, the colorful, charismatic 30-year-old, 6-foot Lawal won his STRIKEFORCE debut via first-round knockout of “Iron” Mike Whitehead on Dec. 19, 2009, at STRIKEFORCE: Evolution in San Jose.
A winner in five of his last six starts, Brazil’s Feijao is coming off a crushing first-round knockout over Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt at STRIKEFORCE: Heavy Artillery last May 15 in St. Louis on SHOWTIME. Feijao trains out of the famed Black House camp with, among others,Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Antonio Nogueira with Silva, the current UFC middleweight champion, serving as his striking coach and former champ Nogueira working as his grappling coach.
The only losses on Cavalcante’s resume came in 2007 on a disqualification and in a shocking upset to late replacement and dangerous veteranMike “Mak” Kyle on June 6, 2009. Since the loss to Kyle, the 6-foot-1 Cavalcante has rattled off two consecutive knockouts: a second-round KO of Aaron Rosa at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Kansas City on Nov. 20, 2009 and the Britt blowout.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Tim Kennedy
Jacare (pronounced “Jock-a-ray’’) is a world-class submission specialist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision over Joey Villaseñor at STRIKEFORCE: Heavy Artillery. In his outing before last, the world-renowned grappler submitted (arm triangle choke) 1996 Olympic Games Greco-Roman medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland on Dec. 19, 2009.
The 6-foot, 30-year-old Jacare’s only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former STRIKEFORCE champ Mousasi at the Dream 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in 2008.
An American military hero, Kennedy, of Austin, Tex., is fresh off a first-round submission (rear-naked choke) of Trevor Prangley on June 16 at STRIKEFORCE: LIVE at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Kennedy is a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces outfit based in San Antonio. He has toured the Middle East multiple times and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire.
Kennedy has split two fights with Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller, while his only other defeat came to Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith in his pro debut on Aug. 31, 2001.
KJ Noons vs. Jorge Gurgel
A confident, prolific striker, the 5-foot-11 Noons outlasted Conor Heun in his STRIKEFORCE debut via split decision in an all-out slugfest in his last fight, also at STRIKEFORCE: LIVE in L.A. Noons, who is also a professional boxer, is the last fighter to defeat current STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion Nick Diaz – a bloody first-round knockout in 2007.
The 27-year-old Noons has won five consecutive fights and is 8-1 in his last nine outings. His last defeat came to Charles “Krazy Horse’’ Bennetton Feb. 10, 2007, in the opening bout on the historic first MMA fight card ever broadcast on network premium television (SHOWTIME).
Gurgel holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but prefers to stand and exchange strikes rather than utilize his submission skills, which makes all his fights explosive and entertaining. The 5-foot-7 Gurgel has never lost a fight via knockout and has only been submitted twice in an eight-year MMA career.
Gurgel, 33, is coming off an exciting, extremely tough decision loss to undefeated prospect Billy Evangelista on Nov. 6, 2009, at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Fresno, Calif. Before the loss to Evangelista, Gurgel won a unanimous decision victory over Heun on June 19, 2009 at aSTRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Kent, Wash.
Bobby Lashley vs. TBA
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Lashley is a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College who competed in both the WWE Raw andSmackDown! shows in 2005 and 2006. He made his MMA debut in December 2008.
In his last fight and STRIKEFORCE debut, Lashley, 33, scored a first round TKO over Wes Sims at STRIKEFORCE: Miami on Jan. 30, 2010. Prior to that, the former professional wrestling superstar pulverized the 6-foot-5, 350-plus pound goliath Bob Sapp.
Lashley’s WWE and TNA wrestling career has helped make him a well-known figure in the sports and entertainment world.
What the fighters said Tuesday:
“KING MO” LAWAL
“Feijao likes to bang so this is going to be an exciting fight. I’m going to show you all some new things I’ve been working on.”
On coming into his first fight as champion: “The approach doesn’t change. Going into every fight, I feel like both a champion and a challenger because I challenge myself in training, but I’m always champion in my mind. So nothing is going to change for this fight.
“I watch about 10-15 fights a day. I’m always studying guys and learning their weaknesses.”
After KJ stated that he’s going to fight a war: “I’ll let KJ fight a war. I don’t want to fight a war. I’m going to look to finish (Feijao) as fast as I can. I don’t ever want to fight a war. I always want to dominate and fight as one-sided a fight as possible.”
TIM KENNEDY
On how his military experience prepared him mentally and physically for MMA competition: “This is just fighting. (In the cage), there’s a guy in a black shirt wearing latex gloves who’s going to protect me. It’s much different than battling a guy who’s hiding behind a rock with a cell phone, waiting to blow me up. So, this is fun. I love fighting. It’s a huge sport and I’m a huge fan of it. It’s totally different.
“I’m proud to say that I’m a Texan now. I live in Austin. I hope that all of Texas will come out to support me as I fight to win the belt.
“As your career progresses, every next fight is the most important one. After I beat Jacare and have the title, they’re going to say ‘Is this the most important fight of your career?’ I take every single fight with extreme seriousness and I take Jacare very seriously. I have great respect for him as an athlete and as a fighter. He’s very talented. It’s a tough fight. I don’t know if he’s my toughest opponent, but it’s nice to be able to train full time, so this is going to be a tough fight for him.”
BOBBY LASHLEY
“I think I’ve progressed well. The Bobby Lashley who fought my first fight is completely different from Bobby Lashley now. I’m anxious to get back out there. I had a little setback and when I finally got cleared. I called (STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott) Coker and begged him to be on this card.”
“As far as comparing myself to the other heavyweights, we’ll see real soon. I’ll have opportunities to fight those guys in the next year.”
KJ NOONS
“I’m very excited to come back to Texas. I finished high school here. My mom and my dad are here. The fans are awesome here. I did open-hand Pancrase down the street from here eight years ago before MMA was even big, so I know how it was back then so I’m super excited to be back here.
“I think I’m going to keep the fight standing and keep it exciting. Whether you want to call it a war or whatever, it’s going to be like all my other fights. I’m going to pick him apart and take him out.
“(MMA) is a lifestyle. You have to work hard and you can be the best, just like anything else. But, if you don’t work hard and you don’t respect the sport, then you won’t make it.”
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 14, 2010) – Reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard will look to continue his domination of the middleweight division in a special non-title fight with former NFL standout Herbert “Whisper” Goodman as part of Bellator 24 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Aug. 12th.
Lombard (26-2-1) puts his 14-fight winning […]
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 14, 2010) – Reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard will look to continue his domination of the middleweight division in a special non-title fight with former NFL standout Herbert “Whisper” Goodman as part of Bellator 24 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Aug. 12th.
Lombard (26-2-1) puts his 14-fight winning streak on the line against Goodman (15-8), who was a standout running back and kick returner for the Green Bay Packers in 2000 and 2001 before transitioning to MMA in late 2006.
Lombard was last in action at Bellator 18 on May 13th when he thrilled a capacity crowd at the Monroe ( La. ) Civic Center with a 6-second highlight-reel knockout of UFC veteran Jay Silva, snatching the Bellator record for fastest KO in the process. The dramatic win helped solidify the former Olympic judo competitor’s status as one of the top 185-pounders in the world.
Standing at just 5 feet, 9 inches tall, the chiseled Lombard has finished 16 of his 26 wins by knockout and has never been stopped in 29 career appearances. He is currently scheduled to face Bellator Season 2 Middleweight Champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (30-4) in a highly-anticipated title defense later this fall.
“Hector Lombard is at the top of his game and one of the best middleweights in the world. There are very few fighters out there who want to fight him right now,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “But Whisper Goodman is hungry for the challenge and he’s been through the battles both in the NFL and in MMA. I’m looking forward to watching how he matches up with Hector.”
Goodman, who was born and raised in South Florida , has notable pro wins over “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ veteran Dante Rivera and UFC standout Jordan Radev. He has a reputation as a no-nonsense fighter, having finished 13 of his 15 victories decisively via KO or TKO.
Admittedly excited about returning to fight Lombard in front of a hometown crowd, Goodman says he isn’t intimidated by his hulking opponent.
“I know he’s tough and I know he’s the Bellator champion, but I’ll fight anyone,” Goodman said. “This is a great opportunity for me so I’m just going to apply my game plan and take what he gives me.”
Lombard, for his part, said he is looking forward to another fight in his adopted home state of Florida , where he currently trains as a member of American Top Team.
“I’m looking forward to fighting in my home town, South Florida, where all my fans can come and watch,” Lombard said. “I appreciate the opportunity the Seminole Tribe and Bellator have given me. Herbert Goodman is a great athlete and will be a good opponent and it will be a great fight.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
Tickets for the event are on sale NOW at www.Ticketmaster.com.
SEOUL, S. Korea (July 14, 2010) – Moosin officials and the face of the MMA promotional company, Eric “Butterbean” Esch, greatly differ in their opinions of former 5-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski, in terms of rating the Polish strongman as a mixed-martial-arts fighter.
Moosin officials believe Pudzianowski has tremendous potential and that he […]
SEOUL, S. Korea (July 14, 2010) – Moosin officials and the face of the MMA promotional company, Eric “Butterbean” Esch, greatly differ in their opinions of former 5-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski, in terms of rating the Polish strongman as a mixed-martial-arts fighter.
Moosin officials believe Pudzianowski has tremendous potential and that he should be featured on Moosin’s proposed October 9 show in Chicago. Mariusz, who has reportedly been training hard in his native Poland to develop his MMA skills, will arrive in Massachusetts by the end of July to begin training with former boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, as well as two former All-America wrestlers, in order to learn the basics of boxing and wrestling to improve his overall MMA game.
However, based on Pudzianowki’s second-round loss by submission to former 2-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia this past May in Worcester, Massachusetts, “Butterbean” doesn’t think Mariusz deserves to be showcased again on a Moosin pay-per-view event, at least not until he proves himself in the cage.
“I know he allegedly broke his foot in the fight against Sylvia,” Butterbean criticized Pudzianowski, “but he didn’t show anything before he quit. Pudzianowski has no stand-up and as strong as he is, he punches like a girl. All he does is throw arm punches. He needs a lot of help. He’s the 5-time World’s Strongest Man but hits like a 130-pounder, not a strong man who weighs 270 pounds. He doesn’t have the skill level to get to the level he wants to fight.
“Once he gets a stand-up game – you can’t have a ground game working without one – he could be a force in MMA. He still needs some work on his ground game, too. We all know he’s very strong but that’s not enough at the highest level of MMA. I don’t know who has been coaching him but that trainer should be fired. Pudzianowski needs to prove himself, showing he has a good stand-up game by beating a good MMA fighter, before he gets another big fight like a spot on the October 9th show.”
Moosin, based in South Korea-based, has promoted MMA shows in South Korea and the United States and, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, plans expansion into to China, Poland and Australia.
Go to www.MoosinUSA.com for more information about Moosin.
Moosin: A global event promoter based out of Seoul, South Korea, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Moosin is known for bringing fans the finest in mixed martial arts competition. Moosin is revolutionizing the MMA industry by merging an international roster of talented fighters with recognizable stars from the world or music, sports and popular culture. Moosin pits warrior against warrior, featuring a hybrid of MMA and hard-hitting Moosin-style kickboxing, in hand-to-hand battles of skill, honor and art.
