Bellator MMA Heavyweight Division

With +Bellator MMA Season 9 set to debut on September 7, over the upcoming weeks we will take a look at each weight division.

HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexander Volkov (19-3; 14 KO's, 1 sub)
"Drago" (3-0 in Bellator) defeated Rich Hale in December 2012 to win the vacated (Cole Konrad retirement) heavyweight title. NEXT FIGHT: winner of Vitaly Minakov-Ryan Martinez

1. Vitaly Minakov (11-0; 6 KO's, 4 sub)
A veteran of the Russian M-1 promotion, Minakov is undefeated in his career and 2-0 in Bellator. At age 28, he could be someone to watch in the near future. NEXT FIGHT: July 31 vs Ryan Martinez

2. Ryan Martinez (10-2; 5 KO's, 2 sub)
Started career in the Colorado fight scene, Martinez gave notice to the world in November 2011 in the ProElite heavyweight tourney. A huge underdog vs NCAA champion wrestler Mark Ellis, who was unable to get a takedown against Martinez the entire 15 minutes, Martinez cruised to a 30-27 victory. Defeated Cody Griffin in the semifinals, but +Pro Elite 2.0 never held another event. 3-1 in Bellator. NEXT FIGHT: July 31 vs Vitaly Minakov

3. Ruslan Magomedov (10-1; 4 KO's, 2 sub)
Was set for Bellator debut vs Minnesotan Brett Rogers in October 2012, but visa issues halted the matchup. NEXT FIGHT: September 21 vs Tim Sylvia (31-9) in Russia

4. Blagoi Ivanov (7-0; 4 KO's, 2 sub)
A 26-year old Bulgarian, Ivanov is 2-0 in Bellator with victories over William Penn and local Zak Jensen. A February 26, 2012 bar fight resulted in Ivanov being stabbed through the heart and a near 3-month coma! NEXT FIGHT: September ?

5. Thiago Santos (11-2; 2 KO's, 5 sub)
"Big Monster" Santos is 3-1 with 1 NC (a brutal groin kick to Eric Prindle) in Bellator. Coming off an upset TKO loss to Rich Hale, Santos is just 26-years old and trains with Team Nogueira in Brasil. Yet to see his best. NEXT FIGHT: July 13 vs Alex Sandy Modelli (6-2) in Brasil

6. Augusto Sakai (5-0; 5 KO's)
Another young (age 22) Brazilian heavyweight, 1-0 in Bellator with a KO-knee vs Rob Horton in March 2013. NEXT FIGHT: TBA

7. Vinicius Kappke de Queiroz (6-3; 5 KO's, 1 sub)
One-time UFC fighter, "Spartan" is 1-1 in Bellator after losing to eventual-champion Volkov in November 2012 tourney semifinal. NEXT FIGHT: TBA

8. Brett Rogers (12-5; 10 KO's, 1 sub)
Was scheduled to fight Eric Prindle in March, but an injury to Prindle cancelled the fight. NEXT FIGHT: August 17 vs Dave Keeley (6-4) in South Korea

9. Cheick Kongo (18-8-2; 10 KO's, 3 sub)
Unconfirmed signing, Kongo reportedly is joining Bellator after a 11-6-1 mark in the +UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship .

10. Quinton Jackson (32-11; 14 KO's, 7 sub)
Rampage Jackson recently signed a deal with Viacom (Bellator MMA/+IMPACT WRESTLING) and has expressed interest in fighting at heavyweight. Currently rehabbing an injury, Jackson hopes to compete by the end of 2013.

Minnesota connections:

• Raphael Butler (6-0) - made his Bellator debut on June 19 with a R1 TKO of Jeremiah O'Neal.
• Kevin Asplund (15-5) - lost by R2 TKO to Rogers in June 2012.
• Zak Jensen (10-10) - two losses (Neil Grove & Ivanov) in 2011 part of losing 7 of his past 8 fights.
• Cole Konrad (9-0) - retired undefeated (7-0 in Bellator) as the 1st Bellator heavyweight champion.

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Mike Richman Fights In Tourney Final At Bellator 95

Thursday, April 4

Watch live on +SPIKE TV at 9 PM (CT).

+Bellator Fighting Championships Fightcard

Featherweight Title: +Pat Curran vs Shahbulat Shamhalaev

Middleweight Tourney Final: Brett Cooper vs Doug Marshall

Featherweight Tourney Final: Frodo Kahasbulaev vs Mike Richman

Rick Hawn vs Karo Parisyan

Richman Bests Bezerra, Advances To Bellator Tourney Final

Mike Richman defeated Alexandre 'Popo' Bezerra by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) and will fight in the Bellator MMA Featherweight tourney final on April 4. Richman (15-2) will face Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (20-5) in the final. The winner is guaranteed $100,000 and a title shot.

Bellator MMA 92 Highlights

Bellator Brings Stacked Event to California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino March 7th as Featherweight and Middleweight Tournament Semifinals Conclude

Updated: February 19, 2013 - 3:16 p.m. (ET) 

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Newport Beach, CA. (February 19, 2013) – After an incredibly successful Southern California debut on January 17^th, Bellator MMA will bring a stacked night of fights to Temecula’s  Pechanga Resort and Casino on March 7th live on Spike TV. The night will showcase the Featherweight and Middleweight Tournament Semifinals as The Toughest Tournament in Sports continues, as well as a collection of Southern California’s best talent.

Tickets for the event start at just $40, and can be purchased by visiting Pechanga.com, Bellator.com, or by calling the Pechanga Box Office at 877-711-2946 or visiting between noon and 8pm daily. The event has an early start time as the first fight enters the cage at 5:00 p.m. with the LIVE worldwide television broadcast starting at 7 p.m. PST on Spike TV, as well as in Spanish language on mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 5 p.m. MST.

“Our sold out premiere event in Southern California last month showed that this market is a great one for Bellator LIVE on Spike,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.  “To bring our second California event to the crown jewel of Southern California casinos, Pechanga is absolutely icing on the cake and to have such a loaded card just makes this that much better.”

The night will kick off with a Middleweight Tournament Semifinal as Southern California’s own Doug “The Rhino” Marshall returns to his roots as he looks to keep his knockout streak alive when he battles Sultan Aliev live on Spike. Known for pushing a frenetic pace and keeping his opponents on their heels, Marshall has his sights set on punching his ticket to the finals.

“Winning the tournament will validate me – again – and put me where I need to be, back at the top of the food chain, with a target on my back,” Marshall said. “Ain't no more hunting – the game's going to come to me. It's going to be huge.”

After collecting a hard fought win over tournament and fan favorite Brian Rogers in the Bellator Middleweight Quarterfinals, Dan Cramer is set to face the heavy handed Brett “Fudoshin” Cooper, who has collected 11 knockouts in his 18 professional wins. Finally getting his chance to shine inside a Bellator Tournament, Cramer will look to keep the momentum going with a win on March 7th.

Featherweights collide as Mike “The Marine” Richman and Alexandre “PoPo” Bezerra are set to meet in a clash of two of the most explosive featherweights in the division. With a combined 29-2 record between the two, both veterans are looking to use their wealth of experience for a chance at the $100,000 Tournament prize.

Widely considered one of the best featherweights in the world, Marlon Sandro is ready to continue his quest towards a title shot as he takes on Russian submission artist Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev live on Spike TV.

“I am so fortunate to have the chance to fight in the toughest tournament in the world,” Sandro said. “This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do and I am ready to finish at the top.”

The full card for Bellator’s March 7^th event from Southern California’s Pechanga Resort & Casino can be found below:

MAIN CARD:

Middleweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Sultan Aliev vs. Doug "Rhino" Marshall

Middleweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Dan Cramer vs. Brett Cooper

Featherweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra vs. Mike Richman

Featherweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: Frodo Khasbulaev vs. Marlon Sandro

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Rocky Ramierz vs. Brandon Halsey

Featherweight Feature Fight: Shad Smith vs. Aaron Miller  

Heavyweight Feature Fight: Maurice Jackson vs. Manny Lara

Middleweight Feature Fight: Willie Parks vs. Keith Berry

Welterweight Feature Fight: Sabah Homasi vs. Ricky Legere

Featherweight Feature Fight: Eric Uresk vs. Cleber Luciano

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA

Mike Richman Returns To Bellator Cage On Friday

Wiuff Easily Advances To Bellator Tourney Final

Travis "Diesel" Wiuff has 83 professional fights on his record. He has fought all around the world, including his first fight in 2001 held in Ramsey, Minnesota. With a record of 68-14; 1 NC, Wiuff may finally be close to gaining a real world title, the Bellator Fighting Championships Light Heavyweight belt.

On July 20, Rochester-based Wiuff took one step closer to getting a shot at the Bellator gold when he dominated and overwhelmed a far-less experienced Tim Carpenter. Using superior wrestling and natural strength, Wiuff repeatedly took Carpenter to the mat and pounded. And pounded. Over and over again for 15 minutes Wiuff beat on Carpenter (9-2) to easily earn a unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the fight 30-27.

Riding a 6-fight win streak, Wiuff has one more hurdle on his road to gold: a Bellator tourney championship bout against Slovakian Attila Vegh. The fight will happen at Bellator Fighting Championships 73 on August 24. Vegh (27-4-2) has three fights on North American soil, all wins (two by split-decision). His biggest win also came on July 20 as he won a controversial split-decision fight against Emmanuel Newton.

The winner of this fight is guaranteed a $100,000 payday and a shot at the current Bellator champion, Christian M'Pumbu. Wiuff fought and defeated M'Pumbu in October 2011 in a non-title bout and is looking for a rematch with more on the line.

On paper (or computer screen), the matchup between Wiuff and Vegh looks to be an easy read: Wiuff takes Vegh to the mat and pounds. But that is why they fight the fights!

Travis Wiuff Set To Face Carpenter In Semifinals

http://www.bellator.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23600&ATCLID=205435842

Bellator 71 To Feature Three Minnesotans

June 22 will mark the beginning of the 2012 Bellator Summer Series. The event being held in West Virginia will definitely have a Minnesota-flavor, with three veterans competing on the card.

Newly-signed heavyweight Brett Rogers, a veteran of Strikeforce, will make his Bellator debut against a familiar face. His opponent is fellow-Minnesotan and ex-Ambition Training Academy teammate Kevin Asplund. Rogers (11-4) is trying to snap a 2-fight losing streak, falling to UFC vets Eddie Sanchez and Josh Barnett.

Asplund (15-1) signed with Bellator earlier in the year and was set to make his debut on May 8 against Ron Sparks, but the bout was dropped on fight night.

Travis Wiuff

Rogers and Asplund have history beyond training together. An incident of fire in the Rogers home with a friend of Asplund alleged to have started it (although not clear if it was intentional or not) soured the relationship.

Appearing on MMAJunkie Radio, Rogers said, "I just believe that I need to move forward by taking it out in the cage and just letting it be what it is..."

The event will also begin the light heavyweight tournament. Travis Wiuff (66-14) of Rochester could be considered the favorite to win the 8-man tourney. Wiuff defeated current Bellator champion Christian M'Pumbu in October 2011 in a non-title bout and has won 11 of his last 12 fights.

Konrad To Defend Bellator Belt On Friday

What: Bellator Fighting Championships 70

When: Friday, May 25, 2012

How to watch: 6:00-7:00 PM on Spike.com; 7:00-9:15 PM: MTV2; 9:15-9:45 PM: Spike.com

MTV2 broadcast schedule

Heavyweight Title: Cole Konrad (8-0) vs Eric Prindle (9-1)

Lightweight Tourney Final: Rick Hawn (13-1) vs Brent Weedman (20-7-1)

Bantamweight Tourney Semi: Hiroshi Nakamura (15-5-4) vs Luis Alberto Nogueira (13-2)

Lightweights: Derek Campos (9-2) vs Rich Clementi (42-21)

Nick Kirk of The Academy Making Bellator Debut

Photos by Mike Fischl

29-year old Nick "The Big Hurt" Kirk is set to make his Bellator Fighting Championships debut tonight in Ontario. The undefeated bantamweight trains at The Academy in Brooklyn Park and will fight on the undercard, which streams live on www.spike.com.

Kirk (7-0) most recent bout was in November at Driller MMA: Evolution, when he defeated Tony Belvedere by unanimous decision. He will face Michigan native Bo Harris (6-3-1), who has lost to former Bellator champion Zach Makovsky in February of 2010.

Konrad Set To Defend Bellator Title Against Prindle

Cole Konrad

Bellator Heavyweight champ Cole Konrad has an opponent at last. Eric Prindle was declared the Bellator Season 5 winner after Thiago Santos missed weight for their  tourney final. Previously defeating Abe Wagner and Ron Starks, Prindle will now face Team Death Clutch training partner Konrad at Bellator 65 on April 13.

A former NCAA wrestling champion with the University of Minnesota, Konrad (8-0) defends the Bellator belt for the first time since winning the title in October 2010. He fought once in 2011, a non-title unanimous decision victory over UFC and Strikeforce vet Paul Buentello in August.



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Travis Wiuff Returns To Bellator

Veteran Minnesotan Travis Wiuff (65-14) will be featured on the online "post-TV" fight when he faces Anthony Gomez (8-1). Wiuff last fought at Bellator 55 in November when he defeated the Bellator Light Heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu by unanimous decision. The fight was a three round non-title fight, but the victory earned Wiuff another shot with Bellator.

Fighting at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, Wiuff has compiled a record of 10-1 (1 NC) in his past 12 fights. This fight will be contested at a catch-weight of 215 pounds.

Catch the fight live around 9 PM (CT) tonight!

http://www.spike.com/shows/bellator-fighting-championships/live

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Prindle-Santos Will Fight Again

Eric Prindle came to Bellator Fighting Championships with dreams of winning a heavyweight tournament and the $100,000 prize that comes with it. Unfortunately, Prindle will have to wait for that opportunity.

A training partner of Brock Lesnar, Prindle was facing Thiago Santos in the tournament finale. Early in the first round, Santos was standing over Prindle and a kick errantly caught Prindle in the groin. After a 5 minute recovery time expired, the doctors ruled the fight a no-contest as Prindle was clearly not recovered.

A rematch of the tournament final will be rescheduled by Bellator at a later date.

Watch the post-fight press conference here: http://www.bellator.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?catid=0

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Wiuff Upends Bellator Champion M’Pumbu

D. Mandel

Wiuff survived a scare in round three.

From Sherdog.com
Takedowns, crushing top control and effective ground-and-pound carried the well-traveled Travis Wiuff to a unanimous decision over Bellator light heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu in a non-title affair. All three cageside judges scored it for Wiuff: 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. M’Pumbu’s defeat was the first ever for a Bellator champion in a non-title bout. 

Wiuff (65-14, 1 NC, 1-0 BFC) set the stage for the upset from the start, as he delivered his first takedown inside the first half minute of the fight. 

He moved to half guard and popped the champion with hammerfists, elbows and short right hands, opening a small cut near M’Pumbu’s left eye. The Congolese champion had a brief opening early in the second round, as he wobbled Wiuff with a knee close to the cage. However, the husky Minnesotan willed himself to a takedown and again scored with his strikes, all while avoiding a triangle choke from the bottom. 

Behind on the scorecards, M’Pumbu (18-4-1, 3-1 BFC) nearly turned the tables in round three, as he began to sting the winded challenger with a stiff left jab and straight rights, one of which staggered Wiuff and forced him to retreat to his back. M’Pumbu belted his foe with punches on the ground but failed to finish, leaving himself open for another takedown. Wiuff obliged and controlled the rest of the match from top position. 

“I was hurt, but it’s a fight,” Wiuff said. “You’ve got to expect to get punched a little bit. I want a shot at the belt. That’s why I’m here. There are a lot of tough guys in Bellator at 205 [pounds].” 

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M'Pumbu-Wiuff Non-Title Bout Set for Bellator 55 in Yuma

M'Pumbu-Wiuff Non-Title Bout Set for Bellator 55 in Yuma

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Bellator Champ Cole Konrad Returns To Face Buentello

Former University of Minnesota wrestler and current Bellator Fighting Championships Heavyweight champion Cole Konrad returns to action tonight when he faces veteran striker Paul Buentello in Connecticut. The event is part of Bellator 48 and features the crowning of the summer series featherweight tournament.

Konrad (7-0) faces what could be his toughest opponent to date in Buentello, who has fought around the world for promotions UFC, Strikeforce, and King of the Cage. He holds a career record of 29-13 over a 14-year career.

The event will air live on MTV2 tonight beginning at 8 PM (CT).

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Cole Konrad Becomes First Bellator Heavyweight Champion

http://blog.bellator.com/index.php/2010/10/14/bellator-32-live-results-cole-konrad-vs-neil-grove/

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Konrad To Headline Bellator Event in Milwaukee

Former University of Minnesota wrestler, now Bellator heavyweight contender Cole Konrad (5-0) will headline the upcoming Bellator Fighting Championships 29 event taking place on Thursday, September 16.  The event will be held in Milwaukee, the first ever nationally televised sanctioned mma event in Wisconsin. Konrad is a 2002 graduate of Freedom (Wisconsin) High School.

A training partner of Brock Lesnar, Konrad will face Polish heavyweight Damian Grabowski (13-0) in the semifinals of the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament. Konrad defeated Roger Lloret at Bellator 25 to advance in the tournament.

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Vanier Makes Appearance On MMA Junkie Radio

Bellator lightweight contender Carey Vanier, a former NJCAA All-American wrestler at Ridgewater College, appeared on the September 3 episode of MMA Junkie Radio. The fighter discusses his career and path leading to fighting for Bellator Fighting Championships.

Vanier returns to the Bellator cage on Thursday, September 9 to fight veteran Rich Clementi in a Lightweight Tournament Qualifier.

If searching the podcast, Vanier appears on the show around the 47 minute mark.  http://bit.ly/c6JL1t

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