Russian Muay Thai champion explains why she signed with Bellator instead of the UFC
(bloodyelbow.com)Several weeks ago, Bellator MMA announced a portion of their line-up for the Turin, Italy fight card. Amongst the competitors was a new face: recently signed Russian Muay Thai champion Anastasia Yankova.
The longtime fighter decided to test the water in MMA last year and compiled a undefeated 2-0 record as a flyweight under the Fight Nights banner in Russia. With a varied striking arsenal based in Muay Thai and boxing, Yankova has a wealth of experience in combat sports that is not represented in her MMA record.
Is Pat Miletich up next for Bellator 149's Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie winner?
(mmajunkie.com)If 51-year-old Ken Shamrock and 49-year-old Royce Gracie can headline a Bellator event, could there also be room for fellow UFC Hall of Famer and MMA pioneer Pat Miletich?
Shamrock (28-16-2) was a guest in the broadcast booth at Friday night’s Legacy FC 50 event, which aired on AXS TV. The MMA legend was there to help promote his upcoming Bellator 149 fight with Gracie (14-2-3), which takes place on Feb. 19 and airs on Spike...
Derek Anderson injured, Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire meets Ryan Couture at Bellator 148
(mmajunkie.com)An injury to Derek Anderson has forced him off Bellator 148’s main card and Patricky Freire will step in to face Ryan Couture later this month.
Just five days after the matchup was announced, Anderson (13-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) suffered an injury in training and will be unable to meet Couture (10-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in the lightweight matchup. After losing to Anderson at Bellator 147 in December, Freire (14-7 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) will serve as an injury replacement on less than three weeks’ notice.
MMAjunkie today confirmed the switch with Bellator officials.
With the change, the Bellator 148 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)
Paul Daley vs. Andy Uhrich
Paul Bradley vs. Chris Honeycutt
Raphael Butler vs. Tony Johnson
Ryan Couture vs. Patricky Freire
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 8 p.m. ET)
Ilima MacFarlane vs. Amber Tackett
Anthony Avila vs. John Reedy
Javy Ayala vs. Carl Seumanutafa
Art Arciniega vs. Justin Smitley
Mason Fowler vs. Idris Wasi
Thomas Diagne vs. Mark Dickman
Paul Ruiz vs. Josh San Diego
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Michael Page gets Bellator 151 co-main event spot
(mmajunkie.com)Michael Page will take the next step in his Bellator career when he faces streaking welterweight Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 151.
The bout was announced Bellator via press release.
Bellator 151 takes place March 4 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.
With the addition, the Bellator 151 card includes:
Darrion Caldwell vs. Joe Warren
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Michael Page
IRS goes after Royce Gracie claiming tax underpayment, fraud totaling $1.15 million
(bloodyelbow.com)Remember the scrawny guy in a gi who smoked the field at UFC 1 and had everyone scratching their heads as to how such a thing was possible? Well Royce Gracie is now a UFC Hall of Famer who's scheduled to come out of an almost nine-year MMA layoff/retirement on Feb. 19 for a trilogy fight with his old archrival Ken Shamrock in Gracie's Bellator promotional debut.
While that fight will be upon us soon enough, few are aware that Gracie is smack dab in the middle of another fight against an even tougher, more battle-tested opponent who can't be grappled into submission: The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Gracie's tax problems appear to have begun in 2012 when he and his wife each received an IRS administrative summons "seeking information about their foreign bank and foreign investment activities." It is unclear exactly how the Gracies first appeared on the IRS's radar, but an investigation began and the IRS needed additional documents for tax years 2007 through 2011 in order to evaluate "among other things, [the Gracies'] liability for civil penalties."
Josh Koscheck injured, out of Bellator debut
(mmafighting.com)Josh Koscheck's Bellator debut is going to have to wait.
The MMA star is injured and out of his main event fight with Matt Secor at Bellator 148 on Jan. 29 in Fresno, Calif., Bellator officials confirmed with MMA Fighting on Tuesday. The extent of the injury was not disclosed. Secor is not expected to be on the card.
(Courtesy of on Twitter)
Emanuel Newton-Linton Vassell rematch rounds out Bellator 149 main card
(mmafighting.com)A light heavyweight rematch will round out the main card of Bellator 149.
Former Bellator light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton will meet Linton Vassell on Feb. 19 in Houston, MMAFighting.com has learned.
The bout will be a rematch of an encounter held at Bellator 130, in which then-champ Newton submitted Vassell in the fifth-round with a rear-naked choke.
Cheick Kongo meets unbeaten Augusto Sakai at Bellator 150 in Kansas
(mmajunkie.com)As he looks to continue to climb the heavyweight ladder, Cheick Kongo has his first assignment of 2016, and it will be against an unbeaten foe.
Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) will meet Augusto Sakai (9-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) have been booked for a fight at Bellator 150 in February. Promotion officials announced the new matchup today.
Joe Warren vs. Darrion Caldwell headlines Bellator 151 in March
(mmajunkie.com)The bantamweights will take center stage in March at Bellator 151.
Officials today announced former featherweight and bantamweight champion Joe Warren (13-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) is scheduled to fight undefeated 135-pounder Darrion Caldwell (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the event’s headliner.
Bellator 151 takes place March 4 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.
Paul Bradley vs. Chris Honeycutt rematch, three prelims added to Bellator 148
(mmajunkie.com)Following a no contest in their first meeting, Paul Bradley (22-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) and Chris Honeycutt (6-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will meet for a second time at January’s Bellator 148 event.
Bellator officials today announced the welterweight matchup, which will appear in the evening’s main card, as well three preliminary matchups with Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arciniega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7).
Bellator releases five fighters, including former champion
(bloodyelbow.com)While the UFC has been in the news for the large number of fighters they've released lately (or are rumored to be releasing), it's Bellator's roster trimming that's in the news today. The Viacom-owned organization cut five fighters from their roster, one of which held a title in the organization. Jason Floyd of The MMA Report fills us in via Twitter:
Josh Thomson is looking for six fights in the next year
(mmafighting.com)SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After Josh Thomson finished Pablo Villaseca in the second round of Friday night's Bellator main event, his second straight win in Bellator, the former Strikeforce champion said two things that probably surprised people.
The first, when asked in the cage about a potential lightweight title match with Will Brooks, he said that he would do it, but he feels the people would rather he face Michael Chandler.
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