SINGAPORE – UFC^®, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, today announced a pair of historic firsts which will take place in The Lion City, Singapore.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will take place on Sunday, June 12, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, making it the first-ever numbered UFC Pay-Per-View to be held in in Southeast Asia. The event will also feature the region’s first UFC championship bouts, as UFC world light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira takes on No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, and UFC world women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko faces No. 5 Taila Santos.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will be UFC’s fourth event hosted in Singapore with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). In planning the return of live events in Asia, UFC selected Singapore because of its proven health and safety track record and its outstanding infrastructure across all components – both of which are key to ensuring the successful production of a premium international event.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will place Singapore alongside other major international locations to hold multiple UFC events including Tokyo, London and New York City. The presentation of a numbered Pay-Per-View event to Southeast Asia signifies the development of UFC in the region and the mixed martial arts promotion’s remarkable global growth.

“I can’t wait for our first Pay-Per-View event in Singapore,” said UFC President Dana White. “The fights have been incredible this year and we’re going to deliver an absolutely stacked card for the amazing fans in Southeast Asia.”

“Singapore will be the very first city in Southeast Asia to host a PPV event and UFC 275 is going to be huge! Asia’s biggest stars will be featured on a top caliber card, and the jam-packed fight week will be one to remember,” said Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific. “We are thankful for STB’s support for this historic event in Singapore that will proudly showcase this vibrant and dynamic city.”

“UFC 275 will be the first UFC numbered event in Asia after a decade, and its presence highlights Singapore’s position as a leading destination for sports in the region,” Ms Ong Ling Lee, Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board. “It is also a timely boost to our vibrancy and attractiveness as a lifestyle destination, as more international visitors return to Singapore.”

In 2014, UFC held its first event in Singapore, UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim, followed by UFC Fight Night Singapore: Holm vs. Correia in 2017, UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cerrone vs. Edwards in 2018, and UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren in 2019. UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will be the fifth event overall to be held in Singapore.

Leading global live entertainment company AEG Presents has been appointed as the official promoter of UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA in Singapore.

“AEG is extremely proud to be associated with UFC to bring this marquee event to Singapore,” said Adam Wilkes, President and CEO, AEG Asia Pacific. “UFC 275 will be an amazing experience for fight fans and for those who love, and have missed, world class events.”

UFC WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

In the ultra-competitive light heavyweight division, UFC world champion Glover Teixeira (33-7, fighting out of Bethel, CT, USA by way of Governador Valadares, Brazil) will make his first title defense since winning the belt with a second-round submission of Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. Standing across the Octagon will be first-time title contender Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1, fighting out of Hosteradice, Czechia) who earned his shot with back-to-back KOs of No. 7 Volkan Oezdamir in his UFC debut then No. 3 Dominick Reyes.

UFC WORLD WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Women’s pound-for-pound best, UFC world women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (22-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) will make her seventh defense of the title and look to extend her eight-fight win streak. Dana White’s Contender Series veteran and No. 5 contender Taila Santos (19-1, Jaragua Do Sul, Brazil) earns her first title contention after a blazing four-fight win streak.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (23-6, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) will face former title challenger Marvin Vettori (17-5-1, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif. by way of Mezzocorona, Italy).
• A pair of surging middleweights return to the Octagon when Brendan Allen (18-5, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) meets Jacob Malkoun (6-1, fighting out of Sydney, Australia).
• South Korea’s notable UFC veteran Kyung Ho Kang (17-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) aims to rebound in his 11th Octagon appearance and make a push towards the division’s top 15 when he faces Dana White’s Contender Series signee Saimon Oliveira (18-4, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, SC, Brazil).

Additional bouts will be announced over the coming weeks.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will begin at 6 a.m. SGT with the prelims, followed by the main card at 10 a.m.

Fans can stay up to date on ticket presale promotions by visiting and registering at https://ufc.com/presale.

Media members can apply for credentials to all UFC events by creating an account and registering at https://access.ufc.com/media_users/sign_in

Follow us on Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc), and use the official hashtags: #UFC275 #UFCSINGAPORE.

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About AEG Presents

Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across four continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience alongside such renowned clubs and theaters as Webster Hall, Eventim Apollo, Mission Ballroom, The Roxy and Forest Hills Stadium, to name a few. AEG Presents promotes global tours for such artists as Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift, in addition to creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums, renowned wholly owned brands Concerts West and Goldenvoice, and partner brands Messina Touring Group, The Bowery Presents, PromoWest Productions, Marshall Arts, Frontier Touring, and Zero Mile Presents. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced additional information on its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to a pair of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. BELLATOR 278 is headlined by a Women’s Flyweight World Championship main event pitting undefeated Juliana Velasquez (12-0) against former U.S. Marine and No. 2-ranked flyweight Liz Carmouche (16-7).

Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 card is being held in honor of America’s Military, Veterans, First-Responders, and Medical Personnel all of whom are eligible to attend the event with a guest for free entry the day of with valid proof of ID. Free admission is based on a limited capacity and available on first come-first serve basis.

In addition, a pair of “Wild Card” matchups will be held, with the winner of each 135-pound contest officially punching their ticket into the one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The first “Wild Card” fight features No. 8-ranked Josh Hill (21-4) facing Enrique Barzola (17-5-2) with the winner moving on to meet Magomed Magomedov in the quarterfinals. The second “Wild Card” contest will see #9-Jornel Lugo (8-0) take on Danny Sabatello (11-1) with the victor going on to face Leandro Higo. Dates for both pending quarterfinal matchups will be announced shortly.

The main card of Friday’s BELLATOR 278 event also features two additional marquee main card bouts, a light heavyweight pairing pitting Christian Edwards (5-1) versus Grant Neal (6-1), as well as a 160-pound contract weight scrap between Manny Muro (12-7) and Nate Andrews (16-4).

In the United States SHOWTIME will televise Friday night’s BELLATOR 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche main card at 4 p.m. HST local time, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while the preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The complete bout listing for the event can be found below.

Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature a women’s featherweight world championship rematch pitting Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) against Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title and the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. Former champion, No. 1-ranked Juan Archuleta (25-3) will challenge No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1) for the interim bantamweight title, following the news that incumbent champion Sergio Pettis is on the shelf with an injury.

Also, at BELLATOR 279 on Saturday, No. 2-ranked Patchy Mix (15-1) takes on No. 5-ranked Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4) in a five-round BELLATOR World Grand Prix contest and Oahu’s own No. 1-ranked Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) returns home to fight Justine Kish (7-5) at flyweight.

In the United States SHOWTIME will televise Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2/Archuleta vs. Stots main card at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, while the preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The most up-to-date bout listing for the event can be found below.

BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche Main Card:

Friday, April 22 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. HST (local) 

Flyweight?World Title Bout: C-Juliana Velasquez?(22-5) vs. #2-Liz Carmouche (16-7)

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Wild Card Bout: #8-Josh Hill (21-4)vs. Enrique Barzola (17-5-2) 

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Wild Card Bout: #9-Jornel Lugo (8-0) vs. Danny Sabatello (11-1)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Christian Edwards (5-1)vs. Grant Neal (6-1)

160-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Manny Muro (12-7) vs. Nate Andrews (16-4)

BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST (local) 

Featherweight Bout: Weber Almeida (5-1) vs. Fabricio Franco (8-4, 1 NC)

Bantamweight Bout: Jared Scoggins (10-2) vs. Cee Jay Hamilton (15-9)

Welterweight Bout: Makoa Cooper (1-0)vs. Blake Perry (pro debut)

BELLATOR MMA 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 / Archuleta vs. Stots Main Card:

Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME

10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)

Featherweight World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg” (25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)

Interim Bantamweight World Title Bout: #1-Juan Archuleta (25-3) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)

Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Opening Round Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)

BELLATOR MMA 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 / Archuleta vs. Stots Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST (local) 

Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (5-0) vs. Nainoa Dung (4-2)

Featherweight Bout: #9-Justin Gonzalez (12-1) vs. Kai Kamaka III (9-4-1)

Welterweight Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (26-5) vs. Levan Chokheli (11-1)

Lightweight Bout: #6-Emmanuel Sanchez (20-7) vs. Yancy Medeiros (15-8, 1 NC)

Lightweight Bout: Keoni Diggs (9-1) vs. Bobby King (11-4)

120-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Randi Field (2-1) vs. Maraya Miller (1-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

Fri. Sep 23 // BELLATOR DUBLIN // The 3Arena // Dublin

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Phoenix for the first time since 2019 with a blockbuster championship doubleheader. Headlining the event will be UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira seeking to defend his title against No. 1 ranked contender Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas looks to avenge her loss against No. 2 ranked Carla Esparza. Also on the card, top lightweights aim to make a statement as No. 5 contender Michael Chandler takes on No. 7 Tony Ferguson.

UFC^® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE will take place Saturday, May 7 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE tickets will go on sale Friday, March 25 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 23 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 24 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Reigning UFC lightweight king Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) intends to further his legacy as champion by taking out one of his toughest opponents to date. The record holder for most UFC finishes, submissions and post-fight bonuses, Oliveira has established himself as one of the most exciting athletes on the entire roster. He is also currently on a 10-fight win streak, which includes notable victories over Dustin Poirier, Kevin Lee and Jim Miller. Oliveira now looks to defeat another top contender and continue his rise up the pound-for-pound ranks.

Former interim champion Gaethje (24-3, originally from Safford, Ariz., and fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) is one of the only lightweights that can match Oliveira’s impressive finishing ability. An NCAA All-America wrestler, he has earned nearly all his victories by knockout, including wins over Michael Johnson, James Vick and Edson Barboza. He now plans to put Oliveira’s resolve to the test and finally capture his first undisputed UFC title.

UFC strawweight titleholder Namajunas (12-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to successfully defend her belt for the second time by avenging her 2014 loss against Esparza. Among the most popular athletes on the UFC roster, she holds the record for most stoppage wins in strawweight history, including victories over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili. Namajunas now aims to leave no doubt that she is the best 115-pounder on the planet with a statement performance.

Esparza (19-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) has her sights set on regaining her strawweight championship by replicating her submission victory over Namajunas. Currently on the longest win streak of her UFC career, she secured her shot at the crown with memorable performances over Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. Esparza is now determined to prove that her first win over the champion was no fluke and begin her second reign atop the division.

Chandler (22-7, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.) has wasted little time in cementing himself as a must-see fighter since joining the UFC roster. Already a highly regarded competitor before entering the stacked UFC lightweight division in 2021, he quickly ascended to the top of the ladder following a highlight reel KO over Dan Hooker. Chandler now expects to repeat the success from his debut by finishing Ferguson with a statement performance.

Fan favorite Ferguson (26-7, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) has been entertaining audiences with his unique fighting style since winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Ferguson won his own interim UFC title by putting together the longest win streak in lightweight history with 12 consecutive victories, including wins over former title holders Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. He now is gunning to get back on track and reinsert his name into the championship conversation by taking out Chandler.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Flyweight action sees Tracy Cortez (9-1, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) face off with Melissa Gatto (8-0-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• The legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (27-12-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) rematches with Ovince Saint Preux (25-16, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at light heavyweight
• Lightweight veterans finally battle when Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets Joe Lauzon (28-16, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.)
• No. 4 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval (13-6, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and No. 9 ranked Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) match up in an early Fight of the Night contender
• No. 14 ranked heavyweight contender Blagoy Ivanov (18-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) seeks to defend his spot in the Top 15 against Marcos Rogerio De Lima (19-8-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Macy Chiasson (8-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) returns to action against Norma Dumont (7-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) in a featherweight bout
• An exciting welterweight matchup sees Randy Brown (14-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) lock horns with Khaos Williams (13-2, fighting out of Jackson, Mich.)
• Welterweights Francisco Trinaldo (27-8, fighting out of Federal District, Brazil) and Danny Roberts (18-5, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aim to steal the show
• Dana White’s Contender Series signees collide as Kleydson Rodrigues (7-1, fighting out of Laranjal do Jari, Amapa, Brazil) and CJ Vergara (9-3-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) compete at flyweight
• Ariane Carnelossi (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to extend her win streak against Loopy Godinez (7-2, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) at strawweight
• Journey Newson (9-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) has his sights set on spoiling the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series alum Fernie Garcia (10-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for credentials for the event.

##

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 178 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Footprint Center

Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, for more than 30 years Footprint Center has been the home of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers and a multitude of live concerts and events each year. Following a $250 million transformation, Footprint Center is the preeminent destination for sports and entertainment in the southwest. The reimagined arena features state-of-the-art improvements that offer a world-class experience to all who step inside the doors. For more information, visit FootprintCenter.com. 

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

ST. LOUIS – BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell will be televised tomorrow, Saturday, March 11 on SHOWTIME, BBC iPlayer at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (145.8) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (145.6)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (206) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (206)

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (185.8) vs. #3-Johnny Eblen (185.8)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155.8)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (204.4) vs. Jose Augusto (206)

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (185.2) vs. Freddy Sandoval (185.2)

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (125.8) vs. Kyra Batara (124.6)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (145.6) vs. James Adcock (145.4)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (171) vs. Kelvin Rayford (171)

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (135.8) vs. Trevor Ward (136)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

ST. LOUIS (Thursday, March 10) – Fighters from BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell spoke to the media today in advance of BELLATOR’s electrifying fight night on Saturday, March 12 at The Family Arena in St. Louis. In the main event, No. 2-ranked Adam Borics (17-1) meets a man also ranked No. 2 in the Official BELLATOR Rankings, Mads Burnell (16-3) for a future shot at the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship.  

In an equally exciting co-main event, former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign against No. 4-ranked Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. 

BELLATOR 276 sports a four-fight main card, including a featherweight feature between Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-1) and Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0), as well as middleweight fight between Johnny Eblen (10-0) versus John Salter (18-5).  

SHOWTIME will televise the BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Additionally, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. 

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell are on sale at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. 

Here is what the fighters had to say today during their pre-fight virtual media availability: 

ADAM BORICS: NO.2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I haven’t fought in almost a year and I’m excited. I just want to fight now. I train a lot and I just want to show my skillset.” 

“Always my upcoming fight is the most important fight of my life. Nothing changes for me.” 

“I think this is great timing for me. It’s a great process for me. I don’t think I’ll fight five rounds, but I’ve prepared for five rounds. For me, this is the title fight. This is the mentality I have.” 

“I’ve improved a lot. I still haven’t shown all of my skillset in my fights. I know that I’m one of the best in the world at 145 pounds and I’m ready.” 

“I really don’t care who I get after this. Pitbull is a legend. AJ McKee is a star now. I would fight both of them.” 

“I don’t feel any extra pressure. I love fighting and I just want to go out there and fight.” 

“I always wanted to put Hungary on the map of MMA and I think I’ve done that. I’m very proud to be the biggest fighter in Hungary. My main reason for fighting is to make my country proud.” 

MADS BURNELL: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I’ve been feeling the same as any other fight. They always say the next fight is your most important fight. But this fight week I’ve been feeling fresher than ever. It just seems everything is coming together.” 

“A fight is a fight. I always prepare for a tough match and come in there trying to be my best every time.” 

“I’m just trying to be me every time I go in there. Every time I go in there, I think of it as 0-0.” 

“If he exposes his neck, I’m going to take it. If he exposes his chin, I’m going to take it.” 

“It’s nice getting a push and feeling like the organization have belief in my skills.” 

“I have some goals in my life. One of them is to become Bellator world champion, another one is to headline Bellator Copenhagen. I really think it would make sense for Bellator to go to Denmark and it’s my dream to main event that card.” 

“For me, pressure is a privilege. I like it. So many people dream about being in the position I’m in right now. Yes, there’s some pressure with that, but it’s all good. It’s part of the game.” 

PHIL DAVIS: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“Julius is a tough fighter. He swings for the fences. He’s one of those guys who is ready to make a nice title run.” 

“He’s overall good at everything, he doesn’t have any holes in his game. When I get hold of a guy like that, it’s a game time feel. I just have to figure out where I can exploit any weaknesses.” 

“I think I shine when I’m under that pressure of being in hostile territory. There could be some home advantage for him, but I feel like I do some of my best work in hostile territory.” 

“My job is very simple. Show up Saturday, beat somebody up and get my hand raised.” 

JULIUS ANGLICKAS: NO. 4-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“Phil is a great fighter. He’s good, I’m good and anything can happen. I’m happy to have this opportunity and to redeem myself a little bit. I’m happy to be able to fix the mistakes from my last fight.” 

“I think he fights harder than Nemkov and his fighting style is a little bit different. He’s good everywhere and I’ll have to get ready for that. I’m excited.” 

“I feel like I’m alert and on my ‘A’ game and that’s going to make me fight better.” 

“This is definitely big. I didn’t expect Bellator to offer me Phil Davis. It was definitely a surprise, I thought they would give me someone lower ranking. But that’s okay, I think it’s a good sign and that it means they like me. They keep giving me great shots, great opportunities, and I’m glad to have them.” 

JOHN SALTER: NO.1-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m taking this fight as just another fight. I know it’s one of the top guys in the world, but I’ve had so much stress trying to work my way up to a title fight. This is the least stressed I’ve felt during a camp for a long time.” 

“He’s one of those guys that brings problems everywhere. Good wrestler, obviously. I guy that’s that good a wrestler is going to be good on top. But he hasn’t been in there with the toughest opponents. I don’t think he’s really had that moment of, ‘What’s happening?’ and that’s a game changer. The fact I’ve had that so many times I know I can push through those moments.” 

“I don’t have any animosity towards him. I think he’s a good fighter and we’re going to put on a good fight. That’s what it’s all about.” 

“I think with us both being good college wrestlers we’ll end up in some wrestling exchanges. At some point he’ll be trying to take me down and it’s just something I’ll have to be prepared for.” 

“Everybody’s a different challenge. He is very different. Essentially, he’s a Costello van Steenis except he’s got wrestling ability which Costello didn’t. It’s just going to be a different challenge.” 

JOHNNY EBLEN: NO.3-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m pretty excited for any time I can showcase my skills in the cage. I’m just happy to have a job, to be able to fight and to put on an entertaining show for the fans.” 

“He’s definitely the toughest competitor to date. But I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole career and I’m ready to show up.” 

“I’m up for any potential, I don’t really care. I work my ass off in the room and I get tested in the room day in and day out. I’m prepared for that moment if it comes.” 

“There’s no animosity, I don’t hate the guy. I saw him when we were doing COVID testing and shook his hand.” 

“I’m pretty damn excited about this fight. It’s in St. Louis, my home state, and my family are going to be able to make it. It’s going to be a lot of fun – I can’t wait to show up.” 

JAY-JAY WILSON: BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“He’s a good grappler. I expect him to come out and try to use his wrestling. He’s got a good background having trained with Khabib. If we end up in a grapple, that’s where I’m most comfortable anyway.” 

“I’m going to be a little bit faster than these guys. They’re definitely a little bit stronger, these guys are walking around a lot bigger than me. But most of my training partners are light heavyweights or middleweights, so the strength doesn’t scare me. I’m excited to be competing at this weight.” 

“I take every fight at a time. I don’t really care about my record. I just go out there and fight. Win/loss doesn’t matter to me. I just go out there and fight my fight.” 

“When I step in the cage, I’m looking at him to see if this guy is game or if he’s not. If I look across the cage and see that dog in his eyes, then I know it’s going to be a war. Most fights, when I look across and see these guys, I don’t see that dog in them.” 

“I feel like fighting is more of a mental game and I feel like I have a mental edge against all these opponents.” 

“To be honest I don’t really mind where this fight goes. I’ve seen his striking and I’m not that impressed. I’m happy to strike with him. I’m not really looking for a specific position, I’m just going to go out there and do my thing.” 

“This guy is still new in the Bellator 155lb rankings, so a win over him will definitely put me in the top 10. I’m not sure that will put me in line for a title fight, because he isn’t a contender himself. But a win will put me in line for a contender fight.” 

ALEX POLIZZI: BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m happy to be back and excited to put on a show for everyone. It’s a case of get here, eyes on the fight, get it done and go home.” 

“I’m sure that he’s on the same trajectory as I am, nobody likes losing. I’m not doing a lot of looking at him, or other opponents. I’m focusing on my own game. Hopefully he’s ready for me.” 

“It doesn’t matter who, I’m ready to fight them and put little fisticuffs on them.” 

“I don’t watch a lot of opponent’s game plans. If he comes to the fight with something a little different, then that won’t affect me.” 

“I’ve said it from the beginning, but I’m just here to have fun. I still find it crazy that Bellator are paying me money to punch guys in the face.” 

ROMAN FARALDO: BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I put pressure on myself. I expect the best from myself, and I will deliver.” 

“When it comes to stepping in the cage, I let it all go. I leave it all out there.” 

“I’m going to go out there, show them I’m more than capable of stepping up and that tomorrow’s just another day.” 

“There’s always pressure but it’s pressure from myself. I’m here to put on shows; put on shows that when people watch they want to watch more. I live for the challenge and enjoy what I do.” 

**** 

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME 

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT  

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3) 

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2) 

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (18-5) vs.#3-Johnny Eblen (10-0) 

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs.Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2) 

PRELIMINARY CARD:  

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV 

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT 

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC) 

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (5-0) vs.Freddy Sandoval (5-6-1) 

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (4-0) vs. Kyra Batara (8-4) 

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (5-0) vs.James Adcock (7-4) 

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (6-0) vs.Kelvin Rayford (5-3) 

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (10-5) vs.Trevor Ward (5-5) 

Welterweight Bout: Josh Augustine (5-2) vs. Josh Westin (8-11)  

*Card subject to change. 

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information. 

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials 

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities 

**** 

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events 

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis 

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif. 

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris 

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London 

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to an extremely stacked duo of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.

Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 will be a special event free for current military, veterans, and first responders. Matchups and additional details for the event will be announced shortly.

Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The headliner will see current bantamweight world champion Sergio Pettis (22-5) take on No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1), while the co-main event features a rematch between the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) and Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title.

Saturday’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 go on sale this Friday, March 11 and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena Box Office. A special presale will take place on Thursday, March 10.

Also scheduled for a return to action, Honolulu’s own former Women’s Flyweight World Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will return home to compete against Justine Kish (7-5) as the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight looks to start her journey back to a world title in the same arena two of the most memorable BELLATOR main events in recent memory took place. Opening the four-fight main card is another BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchup between No. 2-ranked bantamweight Patchy Mix (15-1) and former BELLATOR and Rizin Bantamweight World Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4).

Current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis sits at No. 7 on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list. He successfully defended his belt for the first time against former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi with a “knockout of the year” style finish at BELLATOR 272 in December. The hard-hitting Midwesterner out of Milwaukee originally captured the crown by outpointing former champion Juan Archuleta. The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be in for one of the toughest fights of his career when he takes on Raufeon Stots. Stots, who used to train alongside Pettis for several years, has been flawless since making his promotion debut in December 2019. He most recently scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Magomed Magomedov at BELLATOR 264.

Featherweight world champion and top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter Cris “Cyborg” has made three straight title defenses including a second-round submission of Arlene Blencowe in 2020, which surprisingly is the lone submission victory of her storied career. The Brazilian native who currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nev. is a “Grand Slam Champion” having won belts in four different organizations. She sports 20 wins by finish with victories over elite competition including Holly Holm, Leslie Smith (twice), Gina Carano and aims to further her legacy as the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time in the rematch versus Blencowe. Australia’s Blencowe is BELLATOR’s No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter and the No. 1 ranked featherweight. She has won five of her last six fights and earned her shot at the world title rematch with a unanimous decision over Pam Sorenson at BELLATOR 271 in November.

Currently BELLATOR’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight, Patchy Mix recently defeated James Gallagher via submission in his last outing at BELLATOR 270 in Dublin. Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions and his lone professional loss came to former champion Juan Archuleta. He now faces Horiguchi, another former world champion who hails from Takasaki, Japan. The American Top Team prodigy Horiguchi became a simultaneous, two-promotion champion in 2019 after he upset then-BELLATOR champion Darrion Caldwell while also holding the RIZIN Championship. After he was forced to relinquish his BELLATOR title due to an injury, Horiguchi nearly got his hands back on BELLATOR’s title but was stopped by current champion Sergio Pettis in December. The No. 5 ranked bantamweight now aims to get back in the winning column and recapture his belt, along with the million-dollar prize that awaits the winner of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix.           

BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Main Card:

Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME

10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)

Bantamweight?World Title Bout: C-Sergio Pettis?(22-5) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)

Featherweight?World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg”?(25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)

Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)

Bantamweight?World Grand Prix Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® today announced that former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the class of 2022. The 2022 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place during the 10^th Annual UFC International Fight Week^Ô this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“Khabib is one of the greatest athletes to ever compete in professional sports,” UFC President Dana White said. “No one dominated their opponents that way Khabib did, and to retire undefeated, as lightweight champion and the #1 pound-for-pound athlete in the world is an incredible accomplishment. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Nurmagomedov will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019) and Georges St-Pierre (2020) in this distinguished category. The “Modern Era” category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35 or who have been retired for one year or more.

A veteran of 29 fights during his 12-year career, Nurmagomedov compiled a perfect record of 29-0 (13-0, UFC), securing notable victories over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor, former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut at UFC^® on FX: GUILLARD vs. MILLER on January 20, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee, submitting Kamal Shalorus via rear-naked choke. Khabib would defeat his next eight opponents, winning all 24 rounds in his first nine bouts before earning his shot at the vacant UFC lightweight title against Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.

UFC^® 223: KHABIB vs. IAQUINTA took place on April 7, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to face former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, but Ferguson was pulled due to a knee injury on April 1. Ferguson was replaced by former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, but Holloway was pulled on April 6 due to medical reasons. Iaquinta was installed as Holloway’s replacement less than 24 hours from the event, with Khabib winning all five rounds to become UFC lightweight champion.

Khabib would return to the Octagon^® five months later to face former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC^® 229: KHABIB vs. MCGREGOR. A sellout crowd of 20,034 watched Nurmagomedov defeat McGregor via fourth round submission. The highly anticipated matchup between Khabib and Conor would set the Nevada state records highest attendance and live gate ($17.2 million) of an MMA event in history.

After a year off following UFC 229, Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon on September 7, 2019, to face interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in the main event unification bout of UFC^® 242: KHABIB vs. POIRIER. Taking place at The Arena, Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this event marked UFC’s third trip to Abu Dhabi and first since 2014. Khabib would secure his second successful title defense by defeating Poirier via third round submission.

Nurmagomedov would return to Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2020, to face interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in the main event unification fight of UFC^® 254: KHABIB vs. GAETHJE. This event would mark Khabib’s first training camp since the death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, earlier that year. He would control the first round and defeat Justin via submission in the second round, re-unifying the lightweight title. He retired inside the Octagon during his post-fight interview.

During his Hall of Fame career, Khabib split his training between his home gym in Dagestan and the Javier Mendez-led American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif. He is one of several former UFC champions to train at AKA under Mendez.

Nurmagomedov enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:

• 4 title fight wins – Tied for most in UFC lightweight division history

• 12 lightweight division wins – Tied for longest winning streak in UFC lightweight division history

• 13 consecutive wins – Tied for 3^rd longest winning streak in UFC history (2012-20)

• 21 takedowns – Most takedowns in a single UFC bout (vs. Abel Trujillo – UFC 160)

• 59 takedowns – Second-most in UFC lightweight division history

• 54.6% – Third highest control time percentage in lightweight UFC history

• 1:29:08 – Third-most control time in lightweight UFC history

• 1:04:28 – Third-most top position time in lightweight UFC history

• 88 significant ground strikes – Fourth-most landed in a single UFC bout (vs. Michael Johnson – UFC 205)

Outside the Octagon, Khabib was honored with numerous awards during his career, such as being acknowledged by ESPN with the ESPY Award for Best MMA Fighter (2021), UFC Honors Submission of the Year (2020), BBC Sports World Sport Star of the Year (2020), and World MMA Awards International Fighter of the Year (2016). He was also named Best Sportsman in Russia by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center in 2020.

In 2019, he and father, Abdulmanap, were recognized with the “For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan”. Presented by Vladimir Vasilyev, then-Head of the Republic of Dagestan, this award serves as the highest meritorious order awarded by the Dagestani government for exemplary service and significant contributions to sports in Dagestan.

In 2019, Nurmagomedov added author to his list of accomplishments when his autobiography entitled, “KhabibTime” was published LitRes. Written with Zaur Kurbanov, “KhabibTime” documents Khabib’s childhood in Dagestan and his rise to become a UFC champion.

Since retiring from MMA competition, Khabib has served as a coach for several UFC athletes, including Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov. Nurmagomedov has also become an MMA promoter since retiring, serving as owner of Eagle Fighting Championship.

A native of Sildi, Dagestan, Russia, Nurmagomedov began wrestling as a child under the guidance of his father, Abdulmanap. Khabib trained in wrestling, judo and sambo, becoming a two-time (2009-10) Combat Sambo World Champion and European Pankration Champion before competing in mixed martial arts.

To view Khabib’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/9609.

Additional inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2022 will be announced in the coming weeks. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a hard-hitting light heavyweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Thiago Santos battle No. 6 Magomed Ankalaev. In the co-main event, No 10 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes aims to stop the momentum of No. 14 Song Yadong.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SANTOS vs. ANKALAEV will take place Saturday, March 12 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Santos (22-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is hoping to build off the momentum from his recent win over Johnny Walker in October. A powerful KO artist, he has earned thrilling stoppages against Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Anthony Smith. Santos now looks to turn back one of the division’s toughest rising contenders with another vintage performance.

Ankalaev (16-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) quickly entered the division’s Top 10 on the heels of an impressive seven-fight win streak. During this run, he secured notable victories over Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba (twice). Ankalaev now hopes to stake his claim for a title shot by stopping Santos in emphatic fashion.

Moraes (23-9-1, fighting out of Parkland, Fla. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to turn heads with another highlight-reel KO. Throughout his UFC stint, he has delivered memorable finishes over Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera and current champion Aljamain Sterling. Moraes now has his sights set on stopping Song to hold his spot in the bantamweight top 10.

Song (18-5-1 1NC, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) continues his quest to become the first Chinese-born male fighter to challenge for a UFC title. Since joining the UFC roster in 2017, he has netted exciting wins against Julio Arce, Casey Kenney and Marlon Vera. Song now seeks to add his first former UFC title challenger to his resume with a show-stealing performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 12 featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff (11-2, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md. by way of Lagos, Nigeria) intends to defend his spot in the rankings against rising No. 15 Alex Caceres (19-12 1NC, fighting out of Miami, Fla.)
• Khalil Rountree Jr. (10-5 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) locks horns with Karl Roberson (9-4, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) at light heavyweight
• Exciting middleweight strikers clash when Alex Pereira (4-1, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) takes on Bruno Silva (22-6, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
• Matthew Semelsberger (9-3, fighting out of Frederick, Md.) hopes to spoil the debut of Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner AJ Fletcher (9-0, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) in a welterweight bout
• JJ Aldrich (10-4, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) goes for her third consecutive win when she faces exciting finisher Gillian Robertson (10-6, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Canada) at flyweight
• Trevin Jones (13-7 1NC, fighting out of Maite, Guam) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Javid Basharat (11-0, fighting out of London, England) in a bantamweight bout
• Damon Jackson (19-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) faces Kamuela Kirk (12-4, fighting out of Peoria, Ariz.) in a battle of rising featherweights
• Sabina Mazo (9-3, fighting out of Redondo Beach, Calif. by way of Medellin, Colombia) squares off with Miranda Maverick (11-4, fighting out of Norfolk, Va.) at flyweight        
• Dalcha Lungiambula (11-3, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa) takes on Cody Brundage (6-2, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.) in a middleweight matchup
• Kris Moutinho (9-5, fighting out of Milford, Mass.) returns against Guido Cannetti (8-7, fighting out of San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires, Argentina) at bantamweight
• Tafon Nchukwi (6-1, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md. by way of Bamenda, Cameroon) meets Azamat Murzakanov (10-0, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. by way of Nalchik, Russia) in a clash of light heavyweight prospects

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

C- Gegard Mousasi (49-7-2) defeated #1- Austin Vanderford (11-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:25 of round one

Gegard Mousasi defends his middleweight title: “Well, I was taking my time, I wanted to hurt him. I never said I was the best middleweight, but now I’m going to say it, I’m the best middleweight.

“From now on I am going to destroy some people. I’m good, I’m confident, I’m at my best ever. I’ve never been so confident in my life.”

#5- Sinead Kavanagh (8-5) defeated #4- Leah McCourt (6-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Sinead Kavanagh following her unanimous decision win: “The knee went at the first second, it just buckled and I could hardly even stand. I had to turn this into a dog fight, but I told you guys I have a good game on the ground. I just ground my teeth and dug deep. I have full Irish heart and fighting heart, that is what that was.”

Ciaran Clark (5-0) defeated Abou Tounkara (7-3) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

Ciaran Clarke speaking following the win in front of his home fans: “Look I’m delighted to get this victory in front of the Irish fans. I feel terrible that it happened via injury, but I’m so happy to get the victory in Bellator. Thanks to Scott Coker and everyone for having me fight on the main card.

“This is a dream come true. Look at me now; years ago I was the swing bout, now I’m on the main card.”

Khasan Magomedsharipov (7-0) defeated Jose Sanchez (11-2) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) 

#9- Jornel Lugo (8-0) defeated Brian Moore (14-9) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

 PRELIMINARY CARD: 

Brett Johns (18-3) defeated Khurshed Kakhorov (8-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:00 of round three

Davy Gallon (20-7-2) defeated Charlie Leary (17-12-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:01 of round two

Stephanie Page (6-3) defeated Danni McCormack (5-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:46 of round one

Darragh Kelly (1-0) defeated Junior Morgan (3-1) via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:47 of round one

Vladimir Tokov (8-1) defeated Daniele Scatizzi (11-6) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Gokhan Saricam (7-1) defeated Kirill Sidelnikov (13-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Nathan Kelly (4-2) defeated Scott Pederson (1-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Lee Hammond (2-0) defeated Jamie Hay (2-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:32 of round one

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

DUBLIN – BELLATOR’s explosive return to the Irish capital for BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs Vanderford, sees one of the most dominant middleweight fighters of all time and current world champion Gegard Mousasi (48-7, 2 NC)defend his crown against undefeated American Top Team standout Austin Vanderford (11-0). The co-main event sees Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt (6-1) and Ireland’s most-recent title challenger Sinead Kavanagh (7-5) in what is set to be the biggest Irish female fight ever.

BELLATOR 275 will sport a five-fight main card, including two great featherweight features between Ciaran Clarke (4-0) and Abou Tounkara (7-2), as well as Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0) versus Jose Sanchez (11-1), plus a bantamweight bout between home favorite Brian Moore (14-8), and No. 9 ranked Jornel Lugo (7-0) to kick things off.

The event will air live on SHOWTIME this Friday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while the stacked eight-fight preliminary card airs live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Limited tickets for the event remain and are on sale now and can be purchased online from Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.

Please find the updated card for BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs Vanderford below:

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BELLATOR 275: MOUSASI VS. VANDERFORD MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, Feb. 25 – 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Middleweight World Title Main Event: #C-Gegard Mousasi (48-7, 2 NC) vs. #1-Austin Vanderford (11-0)

Women’s Featherweight Bout: #5-Sinead Kavanagh (7-5)vs. #4–Leah McCourt (6-1)

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (4-0) vs. Abou Tounkara (7-2)

Featherweight Bout: Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0)vs. Jose Sanchez (11-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Brian Moore (14-8) vs. #9-Jornel Lugo (7-0)

BELLATOR 275: MOUSASI VS. VANDERFORD PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Bantamweight Bout: Brett Johns (17-3) vs. Khurshed Kakhorov (8-0)

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Leary (17-11-1) vs. Davy Gallon (19-7-2)

Strawweight Bout: Danni McCormack (5-0) vs. Stephanie Page (5-3)

Lightweight Bout: Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut) vs. Junior Morgan (3-0)

Lightweight Bout: Vladimir Tokov (7-1) vs. Daniele Scatizzi (11-5)

Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saricam (6-1) vs. Kirill Sidelnikov (13-6)

Featherweight Bout: Nathan Kelly (Pro Debut) vs. Scott Pedersen (1-2)

Featherweight Bout: Lee Hammond (1-0) vs. Jamie Hay (2-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

#5-Logan Storley (13-1) defeated #4-Neiman Gracie (11-3) via unanimous decision (48-47, 50-45, 49-46)

Logan Storley following his win: “That fight right there, I had to dig deep. That’s those farm roots. That’s Midwest. Figuring out who you are in the fourth round and coming back. 

“I was stung for a little bit but I was playing and moving. And then he started wearing himself out and I landed it. I’m a fighter now. That proved it right there. Any doubt I ever had about taking a punch, fighting the best guys – that’s the No. 4 guy in the world – and I just beat him. It was 25 minutes on the feet. That was the most fun I’ve ever had competing in my life.

“I want the belt. That’s why I got in this business. I didn’t get it done at the NCAA level and that drives me today. To be the best in the world. Once I’m the best in the world, then it’s time to go do something else. I want to be the best in the world and I want the title next.”

#9-Andrey Koreshkov (25-4) defeated Chance Rencountre (16-5) via TKO (body kick) at :38 of round one

Andrey Koreshkov returns with a vengeance: ““It’s what we prepared for. The spinning back-kick is like a tradition for Storm School. Hey BELLATOR, I know you prepare many tournaments in Europe. And I know one guy – Paul Daley – I want to kick his ass. He doesn’t like wrestling just like me. We will show a great stand-up fight and I will knock him out.”

Adam Piccolotti (13-4) defeated Georgi Karakhanyan (31-13-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Adam Piccolotti continues his winning ways: “I’d give myself a B+. My jiujitsu was an A. My jiujitsu was on point. My wrestling felt really strong. My striking was a little hesitant. It was a mixture. It was me being a little hesitant but it was also me having a ton of respect for Georgi. I knew Georgi was ready to come in and have a firefight. He was ready to wait for me to make any sort of opening or any sort of mistake. He was going to try to make it a dogfight which is the opposite fight of what I wanted to have tonight. It was a strong B+.

“I want somebody in the top five. I don’t care. There’s a lot of good guys in my division right now but there’s no one better than me.”

Brennan Ward (15-6) defeated Brandon Bell (10-11) via TKO (punches) at 0:32 of round two

Brennan Ward after his return to BELLATOR: “Everybody who came out, thank you. I got support from every aspect of my life. I know I got my Union brothers in here. I got my two coaches right there. They’ve been with me throughout this whole rollercoaster. And my family, my girl, my daughter, my parents, my sister, everybody – I came here tonight for myself and I came here tonight to show the world that you can go to hell and you can come back. You can come back.

“A lot of days away. Brandon Bell took some shots. I thought I was going to knock him out. He’s a tough guy, man. It felt good. It felt good to be back. I’ve got a lot more to show. And I got more to come. You know that you’re going to have to see me face a top 10 guy next. You know it. You know I have to.”

“I see a lot of these dudes in the top 10 I respect. I know Scott Coker is going to pick me out somebody good. Test one of these young guys that you got. Test one of these young guys like I used to get tested when I was a young guy coming up. I’m the gatekeeper now. Test one of these young boys against me!”

#8-Davion Franklin (5-0) defeated#9–Said Sowma (8-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Davion Franklin had this to say following his win: ““I was just trying to get him off me. I knew he wanted to hold me against the fence and try to tire me out. It didn’t work so I knew I needed to figure something out to get him off me. I would like to fight Linton Vassell next sometime over the summer. That would give me enough time to continue to correct some errors I made tonight.”

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS: 

Nick Browne (13-1) defeated Mandel Nallo (8-2, 1 NC) via TKO (punches) at 2:20 of round two

Jaylon Bates (5-0) defeated Chris Disonell (6-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:00 of round three

Bobby King (11-4) defeated #9–Aviv Gozali (6-1) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

#7-DeAnna Bennett (12-7-1) defeated Justine Kish (7-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Jordan Newman (4-0) defeated Cody Herbert (2-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Justin Montalvo (5-0) defeated Corey Samuels (3-3) via TKO (punches) at 2:43 of round one

Isaiah Hokit (1-1) defeated Theodore Macuka (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:59 of round one

Jonathan Di Lorenzo (2-0) defeated Orlando Mendoza (0-2) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:07 of round one

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with an intriguing matchup in a 160-pound catchweight bout, as No. 4 ranked lightweight contender Islam Makhachev aims to halt the momentum of fan favorite Bobby Green, who fills in on short-notice to replace the injured Beneil Dariush. In the middleweight co-main event, renowned finisher Misha Cirkunov looks to secure his first victory in the weight class as he takes on Wellington Turman. 

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MAKHACHEV vs GREEN will take place Saturday, Feb. 26 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.

Makhachev (20-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) looks to extend his nine-fight win streak in the UFC. During his run up the rankings, Makhachev proved he is one of the best lightweights with dominant wins over Dan Hooker, Drew Dober, and Thiago Moises. He now aims to to secure a possible shot at UFC gold by defeating the veteran Green. 

Green (29-12-1, fighting out of Fontana, California) steps into the Octagon on 10 days’ notice after a dominanting performance over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271. A lightweight bruiser who has nine knockouts and eight submissions to his name, Green continues to rise in the division after victories over Alan Patrick, Clay Guida and Al Iaquinta and he now looks to make a statement and derail the Russian phenom Makhachev and break into the Top 15.   

Former light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov (15-7, fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada by way of Riga, Lativa) seeks to start a win streak at 185-pounds. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist has an impressive 11 first-round finishes, with three coming in under a minute. Some of his stoppage victories include Jimmy Crute, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba. Cirkunov now has his sights set on making a splash in his second fight at middleweight and sending a message to the rest of the division.

Wellington Turman (17-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) intends to make the most of his first UFC co-main event opportunity. Coming off a split decision win over UFC veteran Sam Alvey, the jiu-jitsu expert now intends to make it two in a row by taking out Cirkunov and beginning his climb up the middleweight ladder.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Ji Yeon Kim (9-4-2, fighting out of Incheon, South Korea) looks to dominate against Priscila Cachoeira (10-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a women’s flyweight bout
• No. 13 ranked UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (16-2, fighting out Krasnodar, Russia)faces submission specialist Joel Alvarez (19-2, fighting out of Asturias, Spain)
• Dana White’s Contender Series alum Armen Petrosyan (6-1, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia by way of Krasnoyarsk, Russia) meets streaking Gregory Rodrigues (11-4, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Florida by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil ) at middleweight
• Rong Zhu (18-4, fighting out of Sichuan, China) takes on young knockout artist Ignacio Bahamondes (12-4, fighting out of Chicago, Illinois by way of Santiago, Chile) at lightweight
• Josiane Nunes (8-1, fighting out of Fazenda Rio Grande, Parana, Brazil) looks to spoil the UFC debut of Ramona Pascual (6-2, fighting out of Hong Kong) in a women’s bantamweights clash
• Lightweight action sees Terrance McKinney (11-3, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) facing off with Fares Ziam (12-3, fighting out of Givors, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, FranceVénissieux, France)
• Women’s strawweight Jinh Yu Frey (11-6, fighting out of Arlington, Tex.) battles Hannah  Goldy (6-2, fighting out of  Orlando, Fla.)
• Bantamweight veterans meet as Alejandro Perez (22-8-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif. by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) takes on Jonathan Martinez (14-4, fighting out of Plainview, Tex.)
• Welterweights Ramiz Brahimaj (9-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) and Micheal Gillmore (6-4, fighting out of Lansing, Mich.) lock horns
• Flyweights Victor Altamirano (10-1, fighting out of Fort Worth, Tex.) and Carlos Hernandez (7-1, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) face off as they look to make a name for themselves in their first trip to the Octagon

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers. 
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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (170.75) vs. #5-Logan Storley (170.5)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (171) vs. Chance Rencountre (169.5)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (156) vs. Adam Piccolotti (155.5)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (174.8) vs. Brandon Bell (173.8)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (262.75) vs.#9–Said Sowma (243)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (155.4) vs. Nick Browne (155.2)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (136) vs. Chris Disonell (135.2)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (155.8) vs. Bobby King (156)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (125.4) vs. Justine Kish (125.6)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (185.6) vs. Cody Herbert (188.6*)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (154.2) vs. Corey Samuels (155.4)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (145.8) vs. Theodore Macuka (145.2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (170.6) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (169.8)

*Missed weight

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Feb. 17, 2022) – No. 4-ranked Neiman Gracie (11-2) will lace up the BELLATOR gloves for the 12^th consecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-ranked Logan Storley (12-1) to headline BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley. The clash of top-10 welterweights takes place on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishes Chance Rencountre (16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla. The main card also will feature a pair of returning BELLATOR MMA top-10 heavyweights as undefeated Jackson Wink product and No. 8-ranked Davion Franklin (4-0) squares off against three-time BELLATOR MMA veteran, American Top Team standout, and No. 9-ranked Said Sowma (8-2).

In preliminary action, Brennan Ward (14-6) will make his long-awaited return to the BELLATOR MMA cage following a nearly five-year layoff in a 175-pound contract weight bout against kingly Kentuckian Brandon Bell (10-10). Also, undefeated southpaw and Team Body Shop submission ace Jaylon Bates (4-0), of Portland, Ore., will make his fifth consecutive BELLATOR appearance when he takes on Albany, N.Y.’s own Chris Disonell (6-4), who will return to the promotion for the first time since August 2019. Moreover, a scintillating skirmish of once-beaten lightweights will pit fighters with two of the sport’s greatest nicknames as Mandel “Rat Garbage” Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) hopes to send Nick “Nyquil” Browne (12-1) into a glorious slumber.

SHOWTIME will televise the highly anticipated main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Additionally, the must-watch preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR and SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channels, as well as Pluto TV.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday, Feb. 17:

NEIMAN GRACIE: NO. 4-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Gracie’s full media-day session

“It’s hard to say whether this is going to go to the fourth and fifth round. He’s a tough fighter. We never know. But I’m glad that we have more time because I’m a Gracie. I like to fight longer fights. Even no time limit if they let me.

“I think everything is going to be involved in this fight. I think there will be grappling, there will be striking. It’s going to be an all-around fight. It’s hard to predict things but judging by the way that he fights, I think there’s going to be more grappling.

“I’m very comfortable. This is one of the best training camps I’ve had. I’m very confident that I will win this fight. It’s hard to predict how, but I’m sure this fight is not going to go to the decision. I’ve prepared to face him anywhere. Wherever the fight goes, I’m ready.”

LOGAN STORLEY: NO. 5-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Storley’s full media-day session

“I’ve trained with the best guys in the world. The likes of Gilbert Burns for the last five years. So I’m ready. But at the same time, I know he’s very good on the ground. The family name. But I’m prepared and I’m ready to do what I have to do.

“You go out there and get a dominant performance, I would hope that puts you in line for the next title shot. But for me, the biggest thing is taking care of Saturday night.

“Being in the main event is the same thing, I guess. I’m excited that people are here for you. You’re the headliner. People are waiting for you for the main event. So that’s exciting. But once you step in there, it’s the same thing as any other fight.”

ANDREY KORESHKOV: NO. 9-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Koreshkov’s full media-day session

“For me, it doesn’t matter that my opponent changed. They are the same height, same reach, same stance. Southpaw. A little bit of the same style. Almost nothing changed.

“If I win against Chance, I want to fight a top guy. Somebody who is above me in the rankings. And after the next win, maybe I can fight for the title.

“Amasov vs. Page is a very interesting fight because Michael “Venom” Page has outstanding skills. He’s very uncomfortable for any fighter. Amasov has good wrestling. I think if he finds his distance and can take down “Venom” Page, he’ll win this fight. If he can’t find the distance, he has a big problem.”

DAVION FRANKLIN: NO. 8-RANKED BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT

Click HERE for Franklin’s full media-day session

“I don’t pay any attention to the rankings. I just pay attention to the kind of performances that I’m going to have. That’s what I look forward to. Said Sowma can be salty about the rankings all he wants, but none of that is going to matter when he steps into the cage with me.

“I’m looking to go in there and do my thing. The same as always. Nothing has changed. I’m fighting my fight.

“I think if I go out there and have the performance that I know I’m capable of, nobody is going to keep discrediting me and telling me I’m fighting bums. I’m not going to get these kinds of DM’s anymore. I think this is the fight to shut up all the critics. Shut up all the haters. And I’m going to do it.”

SAID SOWMA: NO. 9-RANKED BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT

Click HERE for Sowma’s full media-day session

“I was a little bit surprised I didn’t get a more established name. Franklin is a new up-and-coming prospect. Pretty powerful guy. Fast starter. I was hoping I would get someone more experienced or higher up in the rankings. But I guess he is above me, so he’s next on the list.

“I see this being a fast start and maybe a faster finish.

“I haven’t seen Franklin on the ground. I know he wrestled but I don’t know how long he’s been doing jiujitsu. I think he’s pretty new in the MMA world and jiujitsu experience comes a long way. I’ve been doing it for ten years so if it does go to the ground, I definitely have the advantage there.”

BRENNAN WARD: BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT

Click HERE for Ward’s full media-day session

“It’s good to be back. It was a long road back. I struggled a lot. It was tough. It was a long four years away from the cage and I’m happy to be back at Mohegan Sun. I’m real proud to make my comeback at Mohegan Sun and put on a show for the fans and show everyone where I’ve been. I worked real hard to get back here. I’m going to put on a good show.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. My first fight with BELLATOR was 2012. That’s 10 years ago. And before that, I wrestled at a high level collegiately. It is like riding a bike. I’m right back to feeling good. Cutting weight sucks. Who loves cutting weight? It’s like riding a bike. I’m right back to it. It’s natural. It doesn’t feel like four years to me. It really doesn’t.”

“I’ve watched some video on Bell. He’s a little muscle ball. He looks like he’s a strong dude. He looks like he’s pretty explosive but nothing that I haven’t seen before. I’ve fought some of the best dudes in the world. But I respect him as an opponent. I take everybody seriously. I don’t think that he can hang with me at any facet of the game. I guarantee you I’m in better shape than him. I’m probably just as strong, if not stronger. I can wrestle and I can swing. I’m going to bring you into a dog fight. That’s all I know how to do. That’s all I want to do. I don’t want to fight any other way.”

JAYLON BATES: BELLATOR LIGHT BANTAMWEIGHT

Click HERE for Bates’ full media-day session

“Disonell is a good opponent. I don’t know too much about him. I don’t look into my opponents too much but he’s a good opponent and were’ going to go handle business and have us a fight on Saturday.

“I do like the matchup this weekend. Make a statement or not. I might just take him down and submit him. I don’t know. It depends on how I feel when I get in there. But we’re going to come out with a ‘dub’ that’s for sure. And he’s not making it all three.

“I actually want four fights this year. I like to fight. I’m willing to even keep my pay the same to fight more. I just want to fight more. Get the constant experience of being in the cage, being around the BELLATOR team, being in the hotels, managing the weight, cutting the weight. I would like to fight more consistent. Every two or three months would be perfect. If I can get four in this year from BELLATOR, that would be a blessing but if not, I’m not complaining either. They’re doing a hell of a job with me.”

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Chance Rencountre (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1) vs. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (4-0) vs.#9–Said Sowma (8-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs. Nick Browne (12-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs. Chris Disonell (6-4)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (6-0) vs. Bobby King (10-4)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-4)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (14-6) vs. Brandon Bell (10-10)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (3-0) vs. Cody Herbert (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (4-0) vs. Corey Samuels (3-2)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (0-1) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (1-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 / / BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16, 2022) – Two outstanding world-championship showdowns. Four of BELLATOR MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighters. One highly anticipated rematch. The promotion’s all-time greatest athlete striving to avenge a highlight-reel loss to the company’s homegrown superstar. A tournament final awarding a seven-figure jackpot to the victor.

BELLATOR’s fourth phenomenal fight card of 2022 promises to be one for the ages.

Fresh off a 117-second destruction of his upcoming opponent and claiming the $1 million bounty at the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, unbeaten BELLATOR Featherweight World Titleholder A.J. McKee (18-0) hopes to take the next step toward becoming the sport’s greatest fighter as he battles former top pound-for-pound and two-division champion Patricio Pitbull (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, April 15, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME.

In the co-feature of BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World Champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2) will defend his title for the third time and aims to take home the $1 million prize three days before U.S. Tax Day when he squares off against the surging No. 1-ranked contender Corey Anderson (16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 go on sale this Friday, Feb. 18 at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com with a special presale starting the day prior.

Additionally, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-ranked Tim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-ranked Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC) in a rematch from BELLATOR 239. Their first fight ended with Johnson securing a win that earned great consideration for the 2020 KO of the Year. The preliminary bouts will stream live three hours earlier at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza at BELLATOR MMA 263 on July 31, 2021. The champion then continued the onslaught by unleashing a series of brutal unanswered head shots that floored the Brazilian legend.

Moments later as McKee prematurely raised his arms in celebration, Pitbull rose from the depths of defeat only to be greeted by a fighter hell bent on stealing his crown and claiming the $1 million prize. With the 25-time BELLATOR MMA veteran backed up against the fence, MMA’s brightest young brawler locked in a guillotine choke. With Pitbull seeming to lose consciousness, referee Mike Beltran halted matters at 1:57 of the opening frame.

“Hosting the world’s best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter and I’m happy to continue that with our card on April 15,” BELLATOR President Scott Coker said. “The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson are two fights that could headline any event on their own, but we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years.”

A native of Long Beach, Calif., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20^th birthday. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, who will turn 27 eight days before his rematch against Pitbull, has shown a knack for securing lightning-fast finishes with 10 coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every fighter who has opposed him, including former World Champions Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted with a rare-modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” The winner of the 2020 Submission of the Year Award for his 71-second annihilation of Caldwell has fought a total of 33 rounds across 18 career contests (1.8 rounds per bout), while logging less than 41 total minutes in the BELLATOR cage since turning pro in August 2012.

One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he currently sits at No. 3 in the BELLATOR MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable 32-5 record with wins over elite competition, including the likes of former World Champions Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, and Daniel Straus (twice). In 2019, the 34-year-old Brazilian captured the BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship from Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. With 23 finishes in 37 professional fights, Pitbull has shown repeatedly that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.

Currently BELLATOR MMA’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Nemkov captured the BELLATOR MMA light heavyweight crown by defeating Ryan Bader via second-round TKO at BELLATOR MMA 244 in August 2020.  Riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to June 2016, the ferocious 29-year-old sports seven first-round knockouts, with two in the initial minute of action. After successfully defending his light heavyweight belt by earning a tough unanimous decision over Phil Davis, the pride of Belgorod, Russia and Fedor Emelianenko protégé scored a fourth-round submission of late replacement Julius Anglickas in the semifinals of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix during his last outing on Oct. 16, 2021.

Anderson, of Robbinsville, N.J., has ascended to the top of the BELLATOR 205-pound rankings by vanquishing seven of his past eight opponents, including a third-round stoppage of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov at BELLATOR MMA 257 on April 16, 2021. Exactly six months later at BELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, Ill., native walked into the cage to the spellbinding sounds of The Doors’ “Five to One,” and took the song title literally by knocking out Arizona State University wrestling legend Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in front of Bader’s hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz.  In his first promotional appearance, “Overtime” registered a second-round TKO over Dutch kickboxing legend Melvin Manhoef at BELLATOR MMA 251 in November 2020. Prior to joining BELLATOR, Anderson tallied a 10-5 record with a rival promotion, winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19” tournament in 2014, and boasting impressive wins over Glover Teixeira, Jan B?achowicz and Johnny Walker, among others.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

BELLATOR 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2 MAIN CARD:

Friday, April 15 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 

Featherweight World Championship: C–A.J. McKee (18-0) vs. No. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)

 Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. No. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Heavyweight Bout: No. 5-Tim Johnson (15-8) vs. No. 6-Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: No. 10-Kyle Crutchmer (8-1) vs. Michael Lombardo (12-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: Shane Keefe (2-0) vs. Tyson Miller (2-0)

140-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Gaston Bolanos (5-3) vs. Cass Bell (5-2)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

LOS ANGELES – A plethora of fantastic fighters armed with world-title aspirations have joined the stacked BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell card on Saturday, March 12. SHOWTIME will televise the mammoth main card live from inside the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Former title challenger and No. 2 ranked-John Salter (18-5), as well as undefeated BELLATOR MMA No. 3-ranked Johnny Eblen (10-0), and women’s No. 2 featherweight Cat Zingano (12-4) hope to take the next step toward BELLATOR MMA gold as they join the four co-headline brawlers currently ranked among the upper echelon of their respective divisions.

Featured among the magnificent MMA melees will be three of the top-ten middleweights, five undefeated and one unblemished amateur, four top-two contenders, and ten fighters ranked along with BELLATOR MMA’s elite.

In the main event of the evening, Adam Borics (17-1) and Mads Burnell (16-3), two featherweights currently tied at No. 2 in the official BELLATOR MMA rankings, will square off for a future shot at the BELLATOR 145-pound world title. In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion, 13-time BELLATOR veteran, and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) will open his 2022 campaign against No. 4 Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. Additionally, the main card will spotlight an international lightweight extravaganza as undefeated New Alliance Jiu-Jitsu team member Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) of Auckland, New Zealand, moves up in weight to meet Dagestan, Russia’s Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2), who is coming off a first-round knockout in his promotional debut at BELLATOR MMA 263 in July 2021.

Prior to the consequential co-featured contests, a pair of top middleweights will round out the main card as Salter and Eblen square off for a shot at the winner of the upcoming world title bout pitting 185-pound Champion Gegard Mousasi against No. 1-ranked Austin Vanderfordat BELLATOR MMA 275 later this month in Dublin, Ireland.

Armed with an 8-2 BELLATOR record, Salter, a 15-year pro MMA veteran out of Nashville, Tenn., holds the promotional record for most submissions in BELLATOR MMA middleweight history, and has stopped 17 of his 23 opponents. Nicknamed “Diamond Hands” due to his love for crypto currency and willingness to hold onto his investments, Eblen is coming off a 71-second annihilation of Collin Huckbody at BELLATOR MMA 272 in December 2021. The six-time BELLATOR MMA veteran and American Top-Team product, who recently signed a six-fight BELLATOR contract extension, has secured six opening-round stoppages, including two of his three 2021 opponents.

In addition to the magnificent main card, a veritable cornucopia of pulsating preliminary punch ups will commence the preeminent night of action, including a Minnesota midwestern melee pitting former UFC title challenger and Winona, Minn., native Zingano against No.7-ranked lightweight Pam Sorenson (9-4) of Blaine, Minn.

Set to make her third straight BELLATOR MMA appearance with aspirations of challenging BELLATOR MMA Women’s Welterweight World Champion Cris Cyborg, Zingano has had a decorated fighting career. The former NCAA Division III All-American wrestler became the first mother to compete in the UFC and initial woman to capture the company’s “Fight of the Night” award, counting victories over Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Marion Reneau, and Gabrielle Holloway. Recently, “Alpha” was featured in the series “Double Duty” that chronicled the attempts to maintain a balance between the daily responsibilities of parenthood and earning a living as a pro athlete.

A former Invicta FC women’s featherweight champion, Sorenson started kickboxing after the passing of her best friend. After vacating her crown and requesting a release from Invicta in July 2021, the Minneapolis mauler signed a multi-fight deal with BELLATOR MMA in mid-2021. Soon after joining the pioneering company, the 35-year-old recorded a hard-fought split decision over Roberta Samad at BELLATOR MMA 264 in Uncasville, Conn.

Also featured will be a bruising brawl pitting two hard-hitting heavyweights with seven career stoppages apiece as No. 8-ranked Alex “Eazy” Polizzi (9-1) of Madison, Wisc., clashes with Team Pitbull’s Jose “Guru” Augusto (7-3, 1 NC). Additionally, San Diego, Calif. native, 11-time BELLATOR MMA veteran, and No. 6-ranked “Barbaric” Derek Anderson (17-4, 1 NC) will mix it up with submission specialist, BELLATOR Brazilian bruiser, and Japanese-born Goiti Yamaguchi (26-5), in a worldwide welterweight war.

Furthermore, added to BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell is a memorable middleweight match pitting undefeated, No. 6-ranked 185-pounder and owner of three consecutive stoppages Romero Cotton (5-0) of Hutchinson, Kansas, who will bravely battle the horrors of “The Boogeyman” Lance Wright (5-2). Moreover, former Division II All-American wrestler and fantastic featherweight Cody Law (5-0), fresh off his third opening-round finish, strives to avoid being scared off by “Phantom” Johnny Soto (5-2) of Escondido, Calif.

Continuing the unforgettable night of amazing action, undefeated welterweight and American Top-Team member Roman Faraldo (6-0) will make his fourth consecutive promotional appearance when he challenges BELLATOR MMA rookie Kelvin Rayford (5-3), while local combatant Jordan Howard (10-5) of Jefferson City hopes to thrill the Missouri faithful against Athens, Illinois’ own Trevor Ward (5-5). Two flyweights will test their skills as well, when Diana Avsaragova (4-0) of Russia welcomes Ashley Deen (5-6) to BELLATOR. Lastly, a Show-Me State lightweight showdown between BELLATOR beginner Dan Busch (4-1) makes his sixth straight Missouri appearance by confronting St. Louis’ Josh Augustine (5-2).

The thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com

BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell Main Card:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2)

Middleweight Bout: #2-John Salter (18-5) vs. #3-Johnny Eblen (10-0)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Featherweight Bout: #2-Cat Zingano (12-4) vs. #7-Pam Sorenson (9-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: #6-Derek Anderson (17-4-1) vs. Goiti Yamaguchi (26-5)

Middleweight Bout: #6-Romero Cotton (5-0) vs. Lance Wright (5-2)

Flyweight Bout: Diana Avsaragova (4-0) vs. Ashley Deen (5-6)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (5-0) vs. Johnny Soto (4-2)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (6-0) vs. Kelvin Rayford (5-3)

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (10-5) vs. Trevor Ward (5-5)

Lightweight Bout: Dan Busch (4-1) vs. Josh Augustine (5-2)

*Card subject to change.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 / / BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR MMA 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The SSE Arena, Wembley // London

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley this Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. SHOWTIME will televise the phenomenal main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Additionally, nine thrilling preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT. 

In the main event of the evening, No. 4-ranked Neiman Gracie (11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12^th consecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-ranked Logan Storley (12-1) in a five-round clash of top-5 welterweights. In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishes Chance Rencountre (16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla.

The updated and complete listing of bouts can be found below.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Chance Rencountre (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1) vs. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (4-0) vs.#9–Said Sowma (8-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs. Nick Browne (12-1)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (14-6) vs. Brandon Bell (10-10)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs. Chris Disonell (6-4)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (6-0) vs. Bobby King (10-4)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-4)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (3-0) vs. Cody Herbert (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (4-0) vs. Corey Samuels (3-2)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (0-1) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (1-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with an intriguing lightweight contenders’ bout that will see former champion and No. 6 ranked Rafael Dos Anjos battle rising No. 11 Rafael Fiziev. Also, No. 10 ranked Johnny Walker faces No. 12 Jamahal Hill in a thrilling matchup of light heavyweight strikers

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DOS ANJOS vs. FIZIEV will take place Saturday, Feb. 19 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

A limited number of tickets will be available on Monday, Feb. 14 at www.axs.com.

Former champion Dos Anjos (30-13, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returned to the 155-pound division with a Fight of the Night win over Paul Felder in late 2020. Throughout his UFC run, he has also delivered memorable victories over Nate Diaz, Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone (twice). Dos Anjos now aims to stop Fiziev’s momentum and continue his climb back to a lightweight title shot.

Rising contender Fiziev (11-1, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand by way of Miami, Fla.) has wasted no time dazzling fans with his diverse striking arsenal. Currently riding a five-fight win streak, he holds spectacular wins against Brad Riddell, Bobby Green and Renato Moicano. Fiziev now has his sights set on finishing his first former UFC champion to crack the lightweight top 10.

KO artist Walker (18-6, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Rio das Ostras, Brazil) immediately turned heads upon joining the UFC roster in 2018. A powerful striker, he has secured impressive finishes against Ryan Spann, Misha Cirkunov and Khalil Rountree Jr. Walker is now gunning to get back to his winning ways with another show-stealing performance.

Hill (9-1 1NC, fighting out of Grand Rapids, Mich.) entered the UFC following a TKO victory over Alexander Poppeck on Dana White’s Contender Series. He has since climbed the ranks quickly with notable wins against Jimmy Crute, Ovince Saint Preux and Darko Stosic. Hill now intends to continue his ascent up the 205-pound ladder with another highlight-reel KO.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Kyle Daukaus (10-2 1NC, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) battles Jamie Pickett (13-6, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) in a 195-pound catchweight bout
• Parker Porter (12-6, fighting out of West Hartford, Conn.) faces Alan Baudot (8-3, fighting out of Paris, France) in a heavyweight bout
• Lightweight legend Jim Miller (33-16 1NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) squares off with Dana White’s Contender Series signee Nikolas Motta (13-3, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
• Joaquin Buckley (13-4, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) takes on Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Accra, Ghana) in a clash of middleweight finishers
• Gabriel Benitez (22-10, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) meets David Onama (8-1, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo. by way of Kyangwali, Uganda) at featherweight
• Jessica-Rose Clark (11-6 1NC, fighting out of Innisfail, Australia) squares off with Stephanie Egger (6-2, fighting out of St. Gallen, Switzerland) in a bantamweight bout
• Chas Skelly (16-3 1NC, fighting out of Arlington, Texas) returns to action against Mark Striegl (18-3 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Baguio City, Philippines) at featherweight
• Diana Belbita (14-6, fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada) looks to build off the momentum of her first UFC win when she takes on Gloria de Paula (5-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) at strawweight
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Chad Anheliger (11-5, fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) debuts against Jesse Strader (5-2, fighting out of Antelope Valley, Calif.) in a bantamweight bout

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

LOS ANGELES – A future shot at the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship will be on the line when No. 2-ranked Adam Borics (17-1) meets a man also ranked No. 2 in the Official BELLATOR Rankings, Mads Burnell (16-3) in the main event of BELLATOR 276 on Saturday, March 12 at The Family Arena in St. Louis.

In the co-main event former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign against No. 4-ranked Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. The main card will also see a pair of skilled lightweights compete, when undefeated Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) moves up in weight to meet Dagestan’s Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2).

SHOWTIME will televise the BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Additionally, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell will go on sale this Friday, Feb. 11 at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com, with a special presale taking place the day prior.

A BELLATOR MMA 276 preliminary battle between two heavy-handed light heavyweights No. 8-ranked Alex “Easy” Polizzi (9-1) and Team Pitbull’s Jose “Gugu” Augusto (7-3, 1 NC) is also official. Additional contests will be announced shortly.

A multi-faceted fighter with tremendous success in two different combat sports, Adam Borics knocked out all 25 of his amateur opponents en route to compiling 10-0 (kickboxing) and 15-0 (MMA) records. Holding a three-inch height advantage and tied with upcoming opponent Mads Burnell as the No. 2 featherweight in the BELLATOR rankings, the Ft. Lauderdale featherweight commenced his pro career with 14 straight triumphs, including ten by KO or submission.

Much like his upcoming foe, the nine-time BELLATOR veteran, armed with an 8-1 promotional record, prefers to dispose of his counterparts quickly as evidenced by ten of his 18 career wins culminating in knockout or submission. Additionally, the former Hungarian Fight Championship Featherweight kingpin has fought only 41 rounds since turning professional in Aug. 2014, an average of only 2.3 per outing.

Nicknamed “The Kid,” the former Thai and Hungarian Thai Boxing World Titleholder, who lives by the adage “Practice laborious, battle easy,” and holds knockout wins over former BELLATOR featherweight champion Pat Curran and ferocious featherweight Aaron Pico. Born in Budapest, Hungary, the Sanford MMA fighter, who signed a multi-fight extension with BELLATOR in January 2021, launched his promotional campaign by submitting Anthony Taylor via rear-naked choke in April 2017. After dropping his lone BELLATOR bout at the hands of former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell in the quarterfinals of the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight Grand Prix, Borics has outpointed his last three opponents under the company banner. 

Currently riding a seven-bout winning streak, Mads Burnell prefers to dispatch of his opponents early. In 19 career fights, the submission specialist has stopped more than half of his adversaries (10), including eight in the opening round. Additionally, the Copenhagen, Denmark, native has not fought past three rounds in his professional career, while averaging a mere two per contest. The Arte Suave Copenhagen product, who will turn 28 less than one week prior to his fourth consecutive promotional appearance at BELLATOR MMA 276, opened his vocation by defeating his initial five opponents, including three via submission.

A first-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Burnell captured the Cage Warriors featherweight title by submitting then-champion Dean Trueman by Japanese necktie at 3:04 of the second round on June 29, 2019. Two months after signing with the company, the ferocious featherweight took the mixed martial arts world by storm when he recorded his lone career knockout and floored Darko Banovic at 3:13 of the first stanza in his promotional debut at BELLATOR MMA 248 on Oct. 10, 2020, in Paris, France.

Following a second-round destruction of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber” standout Saul Rogers via rear-naked choke at BELLATOR MMA 257, the three-time BELLATOR MMA veteran returned to the cage less than four months later and upset Emmanuel Sanchez via three-round unanimous decision (29-28 and 30-27 twice) in a non-stop battle at BELLATOR MMA 263 on July 31, 2021, in Los Angeles. A former European No-Gi champion, Burnell hopes to keep his undefeated BELLATOR record intact when he challenges fellow No. 2-ranked Adam Borics.

BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell Main Card:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs.Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The SSE Arena, Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Jacksonville, Fla. with a world championship doubleheader that will see UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defend against No. 4 ranked contender Chan Sung Jung. Also, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling runs it back with interim titleholder Petr Yan.

“It’s an honor to welcome back the UFC and its President, Dana White, to the City of Jacksonville” Mayor Lenny Curry said. “I reached out to Dana in December to let him know we were ready to host another match-up as soon as possible, and as he always does, Dana delivered! Our City has consistently demonstrated that we are poised to host world-class sporting events of this caliber and we can’t wait to see the UFC, and its thousands of fans, in early April.“

UFC^® 273: VOLKANOVSKI vs THE KOREAN ZOMBIE will take place Saturday, April 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 273: VOLKANOVSKI vs THE KOREAN ZOMBIE tickets will go on sale Friday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Feb. 10 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

No. 2 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter Volkanovski (23-1, fighting out of Windang, NSW, Australia) is coming off a thrilling title defense against Brian Ortega in a Fight of the Year contender. Unbeaten in almost nine years, he also holds notable victories over Max Holloway (twice), Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. Volkanovski intends to once again steal the show by netting his third successful title defense against one of the division’s most talented finishers.

Perennial fan favorite Jung (17-6, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) is gunning to make the most of his second UFC featherweight title opportunity. A creative grappler with heavy hands, “The Korean Zombie” has thrilled fans with exciting finishes against Frankie Edgar, Dennis Bermudez and Dustin Poirier. Jung now has his sights set on handing Volkanovski his first loss in the UFC and achieving his dream of becoming UFC champion.

Sterling (20-3, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) looks to cement his status as UFC bantamweight champion following a disqualification victory over Yan to capture the belt last March. A talented wrestler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he holds impressive submission wins over Cory Sandhagen, Cody Stamann and Takeya Mizugaki. Sterling now aims to get the last word by finishing Yan to secure his first successful title defense.

No. 11 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter Yan (16-2, fighting out of Yekaterinburg, Russia) is determined to stop Sterling and recapture the UFC bantamweight championship. A dangerous striker and grappler, Yan has delivered memorable knockouts against Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo and Douglas Silva de Andrade. Yan now hopes to earn a measure of revenge by dethroning Sterling in emphatic fashion.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 5 ranked strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern (11-2, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) squares off with No. 7 Tecia Torres (13.5, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.)
• No. 10 ranked Kelvin Gastelum (17-8 1NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz. by way of Huntington Beach, Calif.) faces No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov (11-3, fighting out of Paris, France) in an intriguing middleweight contenders’ matchup
• In a pivotal women’s bantamweight contenders’ bout, No. 3 ranked Irene Aldana (13-6, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) takes on No. 4 Aspen Ladd (9-2, fighting out of El Dorado Hills, Calif.)
• Ian Garry (8-0, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) looks to continue his momentum when he locks horns with Darian Weeks (5-1, fighting out of Sedalia, Mo.) at welterweight
• Dricus du Plessis (16-2, fighting out of Pretoria, South Africa) faces Chris Curtis (28-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio) in clash of middleweight strikers
• Top 10 heavyweights collide when No. 6 ranked contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12-3, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname) meets No. 9 Marcin Tybura (22-7, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland)
• Albert Duraev (15-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Grozny, Russia) faces Anthony Hernandez (8-2 1NC, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.)
• Mickey Gall (7-4, fighting out of Green Brook, N.J.) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Mike Malott (7-1-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. by way of Waterdown, Ontario, Canada) in a welterweight bout
• Gavin Tucker (13-2, fighting out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) faces Pat Sabatini (16-3, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) in an exciting featherweight bout
• Julio Arce (17-5, fighting out of Bayside, N.Y.) squares off with UFC newcomer Daniel Santos (10-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) at bantamweight
• Vinc Pichel (14-2, fighting out of Englewood, Colo. by way of Simi Valley, Calif.) battles undefeated Mark O. Madsen (11-0, fighting out of Maribo, Denmark by way of Nykøbing Falster, Denmark) at lightweight
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Piera Rodriguez (7-0, fighting out of Maracaibo, Venezuela) debuts against Kay Hansen (7-5, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.) at strawweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 178 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

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VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is North Florida’s premier showplace of such entertainment greats as Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Luke Bryan, Elton John and is home to the Jacksonville Icemen and the Arena Bowl Champions Jacksonville Sharks. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is managed by ASM Global, the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management – delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 325 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.

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ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

LONDON, UK – Today, BELLATOR MMA has added several explosive fights to BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP, taking place at OVO Arena Wembley – formerly known as The SSE Arena, Wembley – in London on Friday, May 13. 

With an electric atmosphere expected in London, fans will be treated to a mouthwatering welterweight co-feature as former champion and No. 2-ranked Douglas Lima (32-10) takes on No. 3-ranked Jason Jackson (15-4). British fan favorite Luke Trainer (5-0) will be looking to make the most of his home crowd advantage when he faces Simon Biyong (7-2) in a light heavyweight match up packed with knockout potential.

The promotion’s exciting return to OVO Arena Wembley for BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP, sees home favorite No. 1-ranked Michael “Venom” Page (20-1) look to steal the world welterweight title from the undefeated champion, Yaroslav Amosov. The Ukrainian, who is 26-0, will be aiming to spoil the party in MVP’s own backyard, and deny the Londoner a slice of MMA history in the process.

Also confirmed previously for what is already shaping up to be an incredible card is a women’s flyweight feature fight between No. 3-ranked Denise Kielholtz (6-3) and No. 4-ranked Kana Watanabe (10-1-1) and a featherweight feature fight between No. 8-ranked Daniel Weichel (41-13) and Robert Whiteford (16-4).  

BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP will be broadcast live in the UK at 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, following last week’s announcement of the major UK broadcast deal with the BBC. SHOWTIME will televise the fight live in America.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online from axs.com/uk  and Bellator.com.

Douglas Lima is also set for another visit to the English capital, following his headline bout against MVP last year, with a return to winning form on his mind in familiar territory. He takes on Jason Jackson in what is set to be another exhilarating clash. Lima is one of the most experienced fighters on the Bellator roster and will be hoping to add to his 32 career victories. Standing in his way is the formidable challenge of “The Ass Kicking Machine” who is performing true to his nickname with five straight victories. Jackson’s most recent win was a convincing unanimous decision triumph over Paul Daley at Bellator 260 and he’ll be hoping to continue his strong professional record.

After a devastating knockout victory over Yanick Bahati in his biggest test to date at Bellator 267 in London last year, Luke Trainer will be looking to extend his unbeaten professional record to six fights as “The Gent” takes on Simon Biyong. With both fighters possessing genuine knockout power, the Cameroonian will hope to get on top in the striking exchanges and silence a partisan crowd. Trainer returns to home turf looking to continue his journey as one of Bellator’s fastest rising stars after an explosive performance last time out.

In addition to the aforementioned bouts, Londoner Alfie “The Axe Man” Davis (14-4) is also set to make a homecoming when he takes on fellow countryman Tim “The Experiment” Wilde (14-4) in a lightweight preliminary bout. The pair were due to meet in 2020 but will clash in front of their home faithful in a domestic clash that is certain to grab the attention of English fight fans. “The Axe Man” will be searching for the form that saw him go four fights undefeated prior to a unanimous decision loss last time out at Bellator 259. Wilde will not be in accommodating mood however, as he aims to string together three consecutive victories for the first time in his Bellator career.

There is another English talent on show in the women’s flyweight division as former title challenger Kate Jackson (11-5-1) takes on Greek athlete Elina “Gunner” Kallionidou (8-4). Jackson will be backed all the way by the London crowd but faces an opponent who was victorious on her last appearance in Wembley with a first-round stoppage victory at Bellator 267.

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UPDATED BELLATOR LONDON: AMOSOV VS. MVP MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME (U.S.) / BBC Three & BBC iPlayer (U.K.) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, May 13, 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Welterweight World Title Main Event: #C-Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) vs. #1-Michael Page (20-1)

Welterweight Bout: #2-Douglas Lima (32-10) vs. #3-Jason Jackson (15-4)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: #3-Denise Kielholtz (6-3) vs. #4-Kana Watanabe (10-1-1)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Luke Trainer (5-0)vs. Simon Biyong (7-2)

UPDATED BELLATOR LONDON: AMOSOV VS. MVP PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK)

Friday, May 13, 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT

Featherweight Bout: #8-Daniel Weichel (41-13) vs. Robert Whiteford (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Alfie Davis (14-4) vs. Tim Wilde (14-4)

Flyweight Bout: Kate Jackson (11-5-1) vs. Elina Kallionidou (8-4)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 / / BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

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About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.