ATT’s Ailton Barbosa joins Bellator roster after successful tryout in June
Submission specialist Ailton Barbosa recently referred to his upcoming opportunity at Bellator 50 as a “dream come true”. Now it appears the American Top Team product can hit the “Snooze” button and enjoy the pleasantries a little longer. According to a source with intimate knowledge of the situation, Five Ounces of Pain has confirmed an agreement is in place for Barbosa to compete under the... [Read More...]
13-1 lightweight Ricardo Tirloni signs with Bellator
Well-rounded Brazilian lightweight Ricardo Tirloni will look for his eleventh straight victory later this year when he debuts under the Bellator banner after recently signing with the organization in hopes of eventually earning a crack at Eddie Alvarez’s championship. Bellator announced the 13-1 Tirloni’s signing earlier today through a press release where CEO Bjorn Rebney explained the 28-year... [Read More...]
Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford joins Bellator roster
Bellator Fighting Championships has bolstered their welterweight division with the addition of 16-3 Ryan Ford, a finishing machine out of Edmonton, Alberta who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak including stoppages against Pete Spratt and Karo Parisyan. The MFC veteran’s signing was first reported by MMAJunkie, where it was mentioned the company is targeting an October... [Read More...]
Saunders vs. Hawn one of four Bellator Season 5 tournament pairings
When Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament winner Jay Hieron and 170-pound champ Ben Askren battle later this year the man who emerges victorious will already have a group of contenders on the cusp of challenging for the divisional crown. Among the eight men announced for action on September 10 at Bellator 49 will be former finalist Rick Hawn and UFC veteran Ben Saunders who are set to face each... [Read More...]
Inspirational featherweight “Rad” Martinez joins Bellator roster
Typically a MMA promotion signing of a 24-year old fighter with a 9-2 record and an All-American wrestling background would be viewed as little more than the addition of an exciting new prospect to the organization’s roster. However, in the case of featherweight Radley Martinez the story goes much deeper as countless fans learned after seeing Martinez featured on a recent segment of ESPN’s ”Outside... [Read More...]
Bellator targets late September for opening round of bantamweight tournament
Perhaps the most-anticipated offering from Bellator come Season 5 now has an official start date. Featuring a slew of prospects, an Olympic medalist, two former title-holders, and Bellator’s current featherweight champion, the field of 135-pound tournament participants will take the first step of their hopeful journey towards a $100,000 payday and shot at Zach Makovsky’s belt when things fire up... [Read More...]
Bellator heading to Ontario in July for Summer Series semis, featherweight title-fight
Bellator Fighting Championships will hold their first international show next month when the organization travels to Rama, Ontario on July 23. The second stop in the company’s scheduled Summer Series, Bellator 47 will feature the semi-finals of their featherweight tournament as well as a title-defense from 145-pound champion Joe Warren. Bellator announced the event earlier today through an official... [Read More...]
Zelg Galesic latest middleweight added to Bellator Season 5 Tournament
Bellator Fighting Championships got one step closer to finalizing the entire field for next season’s 185-pound tournament earlier today with the announcement Zelg Galesic had signed on to participate this fall as one of the eight men competing in Season 5 for a six-figure payday and opportunity to face middleweight champ Hector Lombard. “I see Bellator as a place to really make a major name for... [Read More...]
Bellator announces opening round match-ups for “Summer Series” tournament
When Bellator Fighting Championships returns to the airwaves in a month after a successful Season 4 campaign the promotion will do so with the first group of fights for their “Summer Series” featherweight tournament, and now word has surfaced in regards to the specific scraps set to unfold at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. According to an official statement from the organization,... [Read More...]
Taylor-Made: The Bellator Season Four Awards
Bellator Season 4 is in the books and I’m here to celebrate the end of the season with some awards. These aren’t your typical awards though where I hand out cliché awards like “Best Fight” and “Most Impressive Performance” because there’s just no fun in that. That’s why I’m going to “borrow” an idea from well-known writer Bill Simmons and hand out awards based on a string of... [Read More...]
Undefeated Olympian Alexis Vila joins Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight field
Bellator Fighting Championships unveiled the seventh member of their upcoming 135-pound tournament, as well as the fourth former Olympian on the roster, when the company announced undefeated Cuban wrestler Alexis Vila had signed to compete next season as part of a group of eight bantamweights hoping to earn a $100,000 paycheck and opportunity to win Zack Makovsky’s title. “I feel like I’m... [Read More...]
Chute Boxe original Michael Costa joins Bellator roster
Bellator Fighting Championships continued to inject new blood into its welterweight division this week after the recent addition of Douglas Lima with the signing of Michael Costa, a BJJ blackbelt who also happens to be the head Muay Thai instructor at Wand Fight Team in part due to a relationship he established with Wanderlei Silva while the two trained in Brazil under the Chute Boxe banner. News of... [Read More...]
Bellator adds talented finisher Douglas Lima to welterweight roster
Though Bellator champion Ben Askren and Season 4 Tournament winner Jay Hieron currently have their sights set on each other and a future title-fight, when things are said and done this fall the winner’s attention may very well lie with the latest welterweight to join Bellator’s growing 170-pound roster. According to a promotional press release, Bellator has signed former MFC champ Douglas Lima... [Read More...]
Bellator adds another submission specialist in the form of Vitor Vianna
PRESS RELEASE / CHICAGO, Ill. (May 4, 2011) — In its continuing effort to scout and sign the best talent the sport has to offer, Bellator Fighting Championships has signed fast rising Brazilian middleweight Vitor Vianna to its already impressive roster. Previously known as one of top unsigned middleweights in the world, Vianna enters Bellator ready to show the fight world what he is truly capable... [Read More...]
Marcos Galvao sets sights on Bellator bantamweight title
Fresh on an impressive showing against Bellator featherweight champ Joe Warren – a decision many felt should have gone his way – Marcos Galvao has signed up to participate as one of eight 135ers competing this fall for a shot at $100,000 and an opportunity to face bantamweight title-holder Zach Makovsky. Galvao’s spot in the group was confirmed by way of an official press release from Bellator. “In... [Read More...]
Bellator adds Marlon Sandro, Adam Schindler to “Summer Series” tournament
Bellator Fighter Championships has furthered deepened an impressive pool of participants in their upcoming featherweight tournament with the additions of former SRC 145-pound champion Marlon Sandro and 9-1 Adam Schindler to the field. Lightweight tournament finalist Pat Curran and British phenom Ronnie Mann have already been confirmed for the special three-show offering between seasons starting on... [Read More...]
Bellator announces signing of undefeated lightweight Rene Nazare
It looks like 7-0 Brazilian Rene Nazare will be spending a bit more time in the Bellator cage after the company announced the 28-year old had been signed to a multi-fight deal after debuting in successful fashion earlier this month at Bellator 39 against Luiz Azeredo. “If you want to become a top MMA fighter, you have to be complete. You have to be dangerous both standing and on the ground. My... [Read More...]
Ronnie Mann expected to fill slot in “Summer Series” tournament
Assuming he checks out medically after last night’s action, the next time British sensation Ronnie Mann steps foot inside the Bellator ring it will be as part of a field competing this summer in hopes of an opportunity at featherweight champion Joe Warren’s belt. Five Ounces of Pain was able to confirm the likelihood of Mann’s participation in the promotion’s planned “Summer Series” with... [Read More...]
Pat Curran dropping to featherweight for future run in Bellator tournament
Former lightweight tournament finalist Pat Curran will be part of a 145-pound field competing this summer when Bellator Fighting Championships returns to the airwaves with a trio of shows starting June 25. News of Curran’s involvement in the “Summer Series” was announced through an official press release from Bellator where a general outline of the special offering was provided as well. According... [Read More...]
All-American heavyweight Tony Johnson Jr. joins Bellator roster
Bellator Fighting Championships has deepened their growing heavyweight pool with the addition of Tony Johnson Jr., a four-time All-American wrestler out of Iowa State who holds a 5-1 record in MMA. According to an official press release, Johnson Jr. will make his Bellator debut on April 16 at Bellator 41 and will face 4-0 Carlos Flores. The event is scheduled to take place in Yuma, Arizona. Johnson... [Read More...]
