Julia Budd-Talita Nogueira title fight, Eduardo Dantas-Michael McDonald top Bellator 202 lineup
(mmajunkie.com)Bellator women’s featherweight champion Julia Budd has her next title defense lined up for July’s Bellator 202 event.
A Bellator official today confirmed the plans with MMAjunkie.
Budd (11-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is set to put her 145-pound belt up for grabs for the second time when she takes on Talita Nogueira (7-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in the July 13 event headliner at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on MMAjunkie, and the full fight card and bout order will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Also set for Bellator 202 is a bantamweight co-headliner between former two-time Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas (20-5 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) and Michael McDonald (18-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).
Milestone Bellator 200 lineup finalized; Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson headlines
(mmajunkie.com)The milestone Bellator 200 card is all revved up and ready to go.
Officials today announced the finalized lineup for the event, which takes place May 25 at SSE Arena in London with a main card that airs via same-day tape delay on Paramount. And it’ll be a battle of big men getting top billing over a title fight.
The headliner features heavyweights Roy Nelson (23-15 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) and Mirko Cro Cop (36-11-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) doing battle. In the co-main event, middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho (15-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line against Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).
The complete Bellator 200 lineup is as follows:
MAIN CARD (Paramount, 9 p.m. ET)
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson
Champ Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi – for middleweight title
Michael Page vs. David Rickels
Aaron Chalmers vs. Ash Griffiths – 163-pound catchweight
Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kate Jackson vs. Anastasia Yankova
Vladimir Filipovic vs. Anatoly Tokov
Pedro Carvalho vs. Daniel Crawford
Martyn Harris vs. Ryan Scope
Carl Noon vs. Mike Shipman
Louis King vs. Charlie Ward
Jeremy Petley vs. Saul Rogers
Kevin Fryer vs. Costello Van Steenis
Tom Green vs. Charlie Leary
Rory MacDonald and Ben Askren tweet about fighting each other in Bellator, but how possible is that?
(mmajunkie.com)Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald vs. Ben Askren: Is this a matchup that piques your interest?
Because it’s been talked about now between the two fighters.
A Twitter user today asked MacDonald, who already said he wants to move up to middleweight, if he would be interested in facing Askren, the former ONE Championship and Bellator 170-pound titleholder, who retired undefeated last November.
MacDonald responded, and that got things going between him and Askren. Check it out:
Bellator signs former UFC veteran Timothy Johnson
(https:)Former UFC veteran Timothy Johnson is headed to Bellator.
The heavyweight fighter has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal with the promotion, MMA Fighting has learned.
Johnson (12-4) leaves the UFC with a 4-3 record inside the Octagon. He’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Marcelo Golm at UFC Belem in February, which was the last fight on his contract.
Ed Ruth Gets New Oppoment, Weight Class For Bellator 196 Bout In Budapest
(sherdog.com)Ed Ruth’s welterweight debut will have to wait.
After original Bellator 196 foe Laszlo Furko withdrew from the 170-pound bout due to injury, Ruth will now face Ion Pascu in a 175-pound catchweight affair on April 6. A promotion official confirmed the change to Sherdog.com following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com.
Bellator 196 takes place at Budapest Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary, and is headlined by a lightweight tilt between Benson Henderson and Roger Huerta. The card airs on the Paramount Network in the United States via tape delay at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Benson Henderson vs. returning Roger Huerta set for Bellator 196
(https:)It’s not the original, announced main event. But MMA fans in Hungary will be getting a special treat next month.
Benson Henderson will meet the returning Roger Huerta in the headliner of Bellator 196 on April 6 in Budapest, MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. James Gallagher, who was supposed to headline the card against Adam Borics, had to withdraw due to a hand injury and the bout was scrapped. Borics will remain on the card.
Jon Fitch vs. Paul Daley set for Bellator 199 in San Jose
(https:)Bellator’s newest addition has his first assignment.
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch signed an exclusive contract with the promotion earlier this week, and on Friday night’s Bellator 195 card, it was announced that Fitch would be facing welterweight standout Paul Daley when the organization heads to San Jose for Bellator 199 on May 12.
Jon Fitch signs with Bellator
(https:)Jon Fitch is headed to Bellator.
The promotion has signed the MMA veteran to an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year deal, MMA Fighting has learned. Fitch’s signing and debut is expected to be announced in the very near future.
Bellator trims roster, parts ways with 13 fighters
(https:)Thirteen fighters are no longer under contract with Bellator.
The list includes names like Fernando Gonzalez, Kendall Grove, Francis Carmont, Georgi Karakhanyan and Kevin Casey, a Bellator official confirmed to MMA Fighting following a report by Jason Floyd.
The combined record of the 13 athletes in Bellator was 39-31-1. In some cases, contracts expired and the fighters are now free agents.
Wanderlei Silva cites condition for fourth fight with ‘fat’ ‘Rampage’ Jackson
(https:)Quinton Jackson wants to even the score with his longtime rival Wanderlei Silva, and “The Axe Murderer” is open to fighting him a fourth time — with one condition.
Silva, who beat “Rampage” twice by knockout inside the PRIDE ring, but lost their third fight under the UFC banner almost a decade ago, heard Jackson’s recent comments on The MMA Hour, promising “another ass whooping” against the Brazilian.
Both Silva and “Rampage” are coming off decision losses to Chael Sonnen, and the Brazilian told Gazeta do Povo that he wants to have the home field advantage this time.
Joe Warren vs. Joe Taimanglo booked for Bellator 195
(https:)Joe Warren has his first fight set for 2018.
The three-time Bellator titleholder returns to action in a bantamweight bout vs. Joe Taimanglo at Bellator 195 on March 2 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackervile, Okla. Officials announced the bout on Friday’s Bellator 193 broadcast.
Liam McGeary vs. Vadim Nemkov official for February's Bellator 194
(mmajunkie.com)A light heavyweight matchup between a former champion and a contender on the rise is now official for next month’s Bellator 194 event.
MMAjunkie today learned from Bellator officials that Liam McGeary (12-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) will indeed take on Vadim Nemkov (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at the event, which takes place Feb. 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
|
|