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With Falcao off team, Bellator 97′s Rafael Silva looks to win back sponsors

BAD MMA News — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:10:00 +0000

Despite the individual nature of fighting, MMA remains a team sport. Bellator 97′s Rafael Silva has seen both the positives and negatives of the fact. Silva (19-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut tonight in a bantamweight-semifinal tournament fight against Rodrigo Lima (11-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), which streams on Spike.com ahead of the Spike TV-televised main card at Santa Ana Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. It marks the U.S. debut of Silva, who carries an 11-fight win streak that the Brazilian built in his home country. And though the veteran 135-pounder makes a living fighting and teaching MMA, “Morcego” hopes this fight can secure some financial help from sponsors. That, he said, has been harder to do lately. Earlier this month, ex-teammates Maiquel Falcao and Kaue Mena appeared to spark a brawl at a gas station in Brazil

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With Falcao off team, Bellator 97′s Rafael Silva looks to win back sponsors – MMA Junkie

Video: Preview of Bellator 97′s championship doubleheader on Wednesday

BAD MMA News — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Check out a video preview of Wednesday’s Bellator 97 event, which includes a championship doubleheader and a grudge match in the “Summer Series” light-heavyweight tournament final. The event takes place at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M., and the main card airs on Spike TV (7 p.m. ET) following prelims on Spike.com (6 p.m. ET). The full Bellator 97 lineup includes: MAIN CARD (Spike TV, 7 p.m

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Video: Preview of Bellator 97′s championship doubleheader on Wednesday – MMA Junkie

Video: Ben Askren still not worried about any big talkers ahead of Bellator 97

BAD MMA News — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 22:15:00 +0000

Ben Askren no longer makes a point of watching the opening rounds of Bellator tournaments. Before, the Bellator welterweight champion did so, in part, because he wanted to see what his prospective opponents were saying about him. He seemed to notice that just about everyone had something to say. He got to the point, though, where he decided he was wasting his time. “I’ve been the champ since fall of 2011, so it’s getting to be quite a while – every single season, there’s six or seven of the eight guys that say, ‘Oh, I’m going to kick Askren’s ass,’” Askren told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “And then half of them lose in the first round, and you’re laughing at them like, ‘Well, maybe you could beat me up if you could win the first round of the tournament.’” Askren (11-0 MMA, 8-0 BFC) is aware of what his next opponent, Andrey Koreshkov (13-0 MMA, 5-0 BFC), has to say about him in advance of Bellator 97, where they meet in a co-main event bout at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M., and what he hears are a lot of empty words. (The event’s main card airs live on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.) Koreshov, who won Bellator’s Season 7 tourney with three straight wins, recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Askren “has no idea what he is in for,” and claimed he’s a stronger, faster and more powerful fighter than any previous title challenger. But forgive Askren if he simply hears empty words. “It’s kind of a funny thing because it happens over and over again,” he said. “Most people that I fight, they see a semi-chubby white kid with an afro (and think) ‘How tough could he be?’ “They all think the same thing, and all of a sudden, they’ve got this person on top of them that they can’t get off and is repeatedly punching them in the face for 25 minutes. So I don’t think he has anyone to simulate that, so I would guess that he actually doesn’t have any idea, but I would never say that because it’s so cliche.” Askren’s smothering style is, of course, an easy target for welterweights looking to end his reign as champion. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing thing to watch, and so the title hopefuls promise to be different than others who’ve tried to stay on their feet against the decorated wrestler and wound up on their back for the better part of 25 minutes. Three successive tournament winners, including experienced UFC vet Jay Hieron , and five title hopefuls have been dominated en route to a decision loss against Askren, who remains undefeated after 11 pro fights. “Some of these schmucks get three or four chances at the tournament, and they can’t even win the tournament, and they’re still talking about me,” he said

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Video: Ben Askren still not worried about any big talkers ahead of Bellator 97 – MMA Junkie

Jared Downing replaces Rob Emerson, meets Patricio ‘Pitbull’ at Bellator 97

BAD MMA News — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:45:00 +0000

After nearly three years away from the promotion, featherweight Jared Downing (9-2 MMA, 2-0 BFC) returns to the Bellator MMA cage to face Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (17-2 MMA, 5-2 BFC) at Bellator 97. Bellator officials recently announced the switch, which sees Downing step in for an injured Rob Emerson . Bellator 97 takes place July 31 at Albuquerque’s Santa Ana Center. The evening’s five-fight main card, which includes the new Downing vs. Freire bout, airs on Spike TV. The preliminary card streams on Spike.com. “It takes a ton of heart to accept a fight less than 20 days out, especially when you have to step in the cage with one of the most dangerous men in the world in ‘Pitbull,’” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “Jared is a guy we’ve had our eye on for a while, and win or lose, he’ll make a great addition to our featherweight ranks.” Two of Downing’s first five professional fights took place in the Bellator cage, where “Demon Eyes” earned wins over Danny Tims and Chad Vandenberg

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Jared Downing replaces Rob Emerson, meets Patricio ‘Pitbull’ at Bellator 97 – MMA Junkie

Bellator’s Andrey Koreshkov: Champ Ben Askren ‘has no idea what he is in for’

BAD MMA News — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 23:50:00 +0000

Undefeated Russian contender Andrey Koreshkov (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has an important message for Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren (11-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC): Enjoy your title run because it ends in less than three weeks. “Ben Askren has never faced a challenge like me,” Koreshkov told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I’m younger, faster, stronger and more powerful than anyone he has faced. I have prepared for nothing but him for months. “He’s never faced anyone with my standup skills and game off my back and my ability to get up. He has no idea what he is in for later this month.” Koreshkov and Askren meet in the co-main event of “Bellator 97: Chandler vs. Rickels,” which takes place July 31 at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque. THe night’s main card airs on Spike TV following prelims that stream on Spike.com

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Bellator’s Andrey Koreshkov: Champ Ben Askren ‘has no idea what he is in for’ – MMA Junkie

With nine prelims, two title fights, card set for Bellator 97 in Albuquerque

BAD MMA News — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:05:00 +0000

The main card for Bellator 97, the promotion’s close to the “Summer Series” slate, has two title fights and two tournament finals. Now the prelims have been set with nine bouts. Bellator MMA officials announced the card on Tuesday for the event, which takes place July 31 at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M. The main card will air on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

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With nine prelims, two title fights, card set for Bellator 97 in Albuquerque – MMA Junkie

‘King Mo’ vs. Noe, Martinez vs. Minakov tourney finals added to Bellator 97

BAD MMA News — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 21:00:00 +0000

A pair of Bellator MMA Summer Series tournament finals will take place at this summer’s Bellator 97 event, as Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (10-2 MMA, 2-1 BFC) meets Jacob Noe (12-2 MMA, 3-1 BFC) and Vitaly Minakov (11-0 MMA, 2-0 BFC) faces Ryan Martinez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 BFC). MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with Bellator officials that the four Bellator 96 victors will compete at the promotion’s next event, which takes place July 31 at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M. Lawal and Noe meet in a light heavyweight tourney final, while Minakov and Martinez square off to conclude the heavyweight tourney. There was initially some concern that Noe may have broken his hand in a Bellator 96 win over Renato “Babalu” Sobral, but he was cleared by doctors after the event and will compete at Bellator 97. Bellator 97 is headlined by a pair of championship contests as lightweight kingpin Michael Chandler faces David Rickels and welterweight title holder Ben Askren meets Andrey Koreshkov . As with all of Bellator MMA’s Summer Series events, the night’s main card airs on Spike TV, while prelims stream on Spike.com. The full televised lineup for the stacked card has yet to be announced, but MMAjunkie.com confirmed current plans call for a three-hour main-card broadcast. Lawal punched his ticket to the final with a devastating first-round finish over Seth Petruzelli in the semifinals of the four-man tournament

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‘King Mo’ vs. Noe, Martinez vs. Minakov tourney finals added to Bellator 97 – MMA Junkie

Douglas Lima injured, tourney final with Ben Saunders off Bellator 97 card

BAD MMA News — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:30:00 +0000

A rib injury has forced Douglas Lima (24-5 MMA, 6-1 BFC) out of a rematch and Season 8 tournament final with Ben Saunders (16-5-2 MMA, 7-2 BFC). Lima confirmed the injury via Twitter following an initial report from Sherdog.com . The bout was supposed to be part of Bellator 97, which takes place July 31 at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M. They were expected to be part of the Spike TV-televised main card following prelims on Spike.com. It’s not clear if Saunders will remain on the card. This is the second postponement of the tournament final, which was pushed to the upcoming “Summer Series” after Lima broke his hand in a semifinal-round win over Bryan Baker earlier this year

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Douglas Lima injured, tourney final with Ben Saunders off Bellator 97 card – MMA Junkie

The Sunday Junkie: June 9 edition

BAD MMA News — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:00:00 +0000

In a week that started with headlines involving former UFC standouts like Quinton Jackson , Jon Fitch and Jacob Volkmann taking their former employer to task, it ended with a whole bunch of people tapping. The Sunday Junkie, MMAjunkie.com’s weekly reader-feedback feature, got lots of entries about the aforementioned fighters, as well as the glut of submissions on Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 10 card. But this week’s winner, “SheepOverflow,” of Santa Ana, Calif., wants to see MMA announcers step up their game when it comes to accuracy in fighter name pronunciation. Offering up more than 25 different ways to pronounce “Magalhaes” is effort worth the read. For the winning entry, “SheepOverflow” wins a free one-year subscription to ” Fighters Only ” magazine, the world’s leading MMA and lifestyle magazine. Want to submit to next week’s edition of The Sunday Junkie? Scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions. Also, as a reminder, please be sure to include your hometown and stick within the 150-word limit (and include your submission in the body of an email, not in an attachment)

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The Sunday Junkie: June 9 edition – MMA Junkie