Already considered to feature some of MMA’s top 145-pounders, Bellator Fighting Championships further solidified their featherweight roster earlier today with the addition of 18-2-1 Ronnie Mann.

According to an official press release from the promotion, the 24-year old Brit will see action on MTV2 during Season 4 but is not scheduled to be part of the featherweight field competing for an opportunity to win a $100,000 paycheck and shot at champ Joe Warren. However, the possibility of Mann fighting in future tournaments has definitely been left open.

“Signing with Bellator is like a dream come true for me,” began the SRC veteran. “I am more than excited for the opportunity to show fans what I’m capable of here in the United States. Even more exciting than that is the fact that I’ll be getting to show what I’m capable of against some of the best fighters in the world, which Bellator provides. Honestly, I can’t wait to put my skills on display. 2011 is my time to shine.”

Mann, who turned pro at seventeen, also made his future intentions clear when discussing his deal with Bellator.

“Trying to capture the Bellator World Featherweight Championship is absolutely my main goal. I don’t care how long it takes, that’s what I’m here to do,” he explained.

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

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Bellator Signs Former Top Sengoku Featherweight Ronnie Mann to 145 lbs. Roster

Ronnie Mann is coming back to America. Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the acquisition of the top featherweight Brit to its burgeoning roster of 145 pounders.  Mann, who has spent the bulk of his 21 fight career in Japan and England, made his U.S. debut last September where he won the Shark Fights Featherweight Championship.  Mann will not compete in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament but will make his Bellator debut in the fourth season with an opportunity to take part in a future tournament.  Bellator Season 4 begins in March and will air LIVE on MTV2.

“Ronnie Mann is a great talent at 145.  We’ve been putting this alliance together for months and we’re very pleased that we Ronnie will be fighting at Bellator on MTV2” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Ronnie is at the top of his game right now and he will have impact on our deep featherweight division.”

Ronnie Mann

A Sengoku veteran and former Cage Gladiators Welterweight Champion, Mann brings a very impressive 18-2-1 professional record to the Bellator cage, which included a 12-fight undefeated streak spanning the first three years of his career.  Fighting out of Cheltenham, England, Mann became a well rounded martial artist at a young age, getting his start in Muay Thai at 11 before subsequently competing in kickboxing and jiu-jitsu tournaments at 13-years-old.  Wasting no time making the jump to MMA, Mann took his first amateur fight at 16 before turning pro at just 17-years-old.

Now seven years later with a pair of championship belts and 21 professional fights on his resume, Mann will take the next step of his career with Bellator Fighting Championships LIVE on MTV2.

“Signing with Bellator is like a dream come true for me. I am more than excited for the opportunity to show fans what I’m capable of here in the United States,” said Mann. “Even more exciting than that is the fact that I’ll be getting to show what I’m capable of against some of the best fighters in the world, which Bellator provides. Honestly, I can’t wait to put my skills on display. 2011 is my time to shine.”

“Trying to capture the Bellator World Featherweight Championship is absolutely my main goal. I don’t care how long it takes, that’s what I’m here to do,” said Mann.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Rising lightweight star Pat Curran will finally receive the title-shot he earned last year with a series of wins against Mike Ricci, Roger Huerta, and Toby Imada over Bellator Season 2. Curran was originally set to face divisional champ Eddie Alvarez in October before a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw in a move ultimately setting up Alvarez’s one-sided scrap with Huerta at Bellator 33.

According to a report from MMAFighting citing CEO Bjorn Rebney, the Bellator 39 match-up will take place on April 2 with Sherdog later naming the venue as being the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut as well as the lightweight title’s involvement. Five Ounces of Pain has since confirmed those things with a source close to the organization.

Curran is 13-3 in a three-year career and has emerged winner six of the last seven times he’s fought. A grappler with improving hands, nearly half of the 23-year old’s victories have been the result of judging with four submissions and three TKOs to his credit as well.

The 21-2 Alvarez is considered to be among the top three lightweights in MMA and should enter the bout as a considerable favorite based on his past finishes of respected competitors such as Huerta, Imada, Joachim Hansen, Josh Neer, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Nineteen of his twenty-one wins have seen their conclusion come prior to the end of the allotted time frame.

Their bout, as can all Bellator Season 4 action, is expected to take place live on MTV2.Similar Posts:

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Undefeated welterweight champion Ben Askren will see action for the first time since capturing Bellator gold at Bellator 40 against a veteran with 7X his experience in the form of 38-13-1 Nick Thompson. Askren’s title will not be on the line come April 9 when the two clash at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma meaning the match-up will feature three rounds rather than five.

“I come to fight every single time. Whether you’re good or you’re bad, I still want to smash you, and it’s going to be the same thing when I fight Thompson,” the 2008 Olympic wrestler explained while shrugging off the significant difference in ring-time between the two. “It doesn’t matter what his record is, I’m looking to kick his ass.”

Though Thompson has lost his last three fights he should still pose perhaps the biggest test the 7-0 Askren has faced thus far. Adding to his experience advantage “The Goat” has also faced a number of top opponents throughout his career and has notched victories over the likes of Paul Daley, Josh Neer, and Eddie Alvarez.

“I think the biggest advantage for me in this fight with Ben is the fact that I’ve fought more than fifty fights,” said Thompson. “I’ve fought in every organization, I’ve fought against the best fighters in the world, and I’ve been ranked in the top ten. Ben hasn’t been there. I plan on hitting him like he’s never been hit before and I’m excited to find out how he’s going to react.”

Bellator 40 will air live on MTV along with the other slew of events scheduled to take place over Season 4 starting on March 5 with Bellator 35.

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATORSimilar Posts:

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Champion Ben Askren Meets Nick “The Goat” Thompson in Non-Title Welterweight Superfight at Bellator 40

Bellator World Welterweight Champion Ben “Funky” Askren returns to the cage for the first time since his impressive title win when he meets dangerous UFC veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson at Bellator 40, which airs LIVE on MTV2, and takes place April 9^th at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

“Ben’s been completely dominant in every fight he’s had under the Bellator banner and Nick has run the MMA gauntlet in his career, fighting everywhere and everyone,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He will be a fantastic test for Ben.”

Ben "Funky" Askren

A 2008 Olympian and 2-time NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion, Askren has silenced any critics who doubted his ability to transition from collegiate wrestling to MMA since his professional debut just two years ago. After three straight impressive victories to win the Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Tournament – including a finals matchup where “Funky” completely dominated highly regarded welterweight Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle with a non-stop barrage of takedowns and ground-and-pound – Askren prepared for his toughest test yet, a Championship meeting with Lyman Good at Bellator 33. The fight ultimately went the distance, spanning five grueling rounds before Askren was awarded a very deserving decision victory and the Bellator World Welterweight Championship.

Still undefeated (7-0) in his quickly developing MMA career, Askren is incredibly confident of his skills, even against a battle tested Thompson.

“I come to fight every single time. Whether you’re good or you’re bad, I still want to smash you, and it’s going to be the same thing when I fight Nick Thompson,” Askren said. “It doesn’t matter what his record is, I’m looking to kick his ass.”

A former Bodog Welterweight Champion, Thompson (38-13-1) enters the fight with more than 50 fights worth of professional experience over the course of his eight-year MMA career, which includes stops with UFC, Strikeforce, and Sengoku. Holding notable victories over current Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, top Strikeforce welterweight Paul “Semtex” Daley, and UFC veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer, “The Goat” is confident his experience will play a significant role during the fight.

“I think the biggest advantage for me in this fight with Ben is the fact that I’ve fought more than 50 fights,” said Thompson. “I’ve fought in every organization, I’ve fought against the best fighters in the world, and I’ve been ranked in the top ten. Ben hasn’t been there. I plan on hitting him like he’s never been hit before and I’m excited to find out how he’s going to react.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Undefeated Nik “The Machete” Fekete Confirmed For Bellator Light Heavyweight World Title Tournament

After training among the likes of Rashad Evans, Gray Maynard, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Roy Nelson and a slew of others, undefeated NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Nik “The Machete” Fekete has been confirmed to compete in Bellator’s first ever Light Heavyweight Tournament, which airs LIVE on MTV2 beginning in March. The winner of the eight man tournament will take home a $100,000 prize and will be crowned Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Fekete is a light heavyweight we’ve been keeping a very close eye on, and I’m excited to let fans on MTV2 have the chance to see what he is capable of in this tournament to crown our first World Champion at 205 lbs.,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Nik “The Machete” Fekete

Fekete joins Bellator after completing an incredibly successful wrestling career, which included a four year run on the Michigan State Wrestling Team and a 2008 trip to Beijing to assist the U.S. Olympic squad in their training. It was at Michigan State where Fekete and UFC lightweight Gray Maynard struck up a friendship that ultimately led to “The Machete” ending up at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

“I went out to Beijing for a month-and-a-half in 2008 for the Olympics to help the team train, and as soon as I got back home, I packed my stuff up and I moved to Vegas,” said Fekete. I started teaching classes at Xtreme Couture, and then Wanderlei Silva asked for my help, so I helped teach him a couple different things. I was kind of like a freelance guy, going from gym to gym. I helped train Vitor Belfort for his fight with Matt Lindland, so I would just go from fighter to fighter in Vegas soaking up as much as I could.”

Having trained some of the best athletes in the sport, the transition from the mat to the cage seemed like a no-brainer for “The Machete”. Now 4-0, including an impressive victory over Strikeforce veteran Ovince St. Preux, Nik is ready for a huge 2011.

“I think 2011 is going to be a breakthrough year for me,” Fekete said. “I’ve been training my whole life and I’ve been training non-stop for more than two years in MMA. It may sound cliché, but I’m truly excited to go out there and put on a show for all of the fans in attendance, and the millions that will be watching on MTV2.”

Fekete joins Daniel Gracie as the only other confirmed participant in the upcoming Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament, which begins this March on MTV2.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Undefeated Nik “The Machete” Fekete Confirmed For Bellator Light Heavyweight World Title Tournament

After training among the likes of Rashad Evans, Gray Maynard, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Roy Nelson and a slew of others, undefeated NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Nik “The Machete” Fekete has been confirmed to compete in Bellator’s first ever Light Heavyweight Tournament, which airs LIVE on MTV2 beginning in March. The winner of the eight man tournament will take home a $100,000 prize and will be crowned Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Fekete is a light heavyweight we’ve been keeping a very close eye on, and I’m excited to let fans on MTV2 have the chance to see what he is capable of in this tournament to crown our first World Champion at 205 lbs.,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Nik “The Machete” Fekete

Fekete joins Bellator after completing an incredibly successful wrestling career, which included a four year run on the Michigan State Wrestling Team and a 2008 trip to Beijing to assist the U.S. Olympic squad in their training. It was at Michigan State where Fekete and UFC lightweight Gray Maynard struck up a friendship that ultimately led to “The Machete” ending up at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

“I went out to Beijing for a month-and-a-half in 2008 for the Olympics to help the team train, and as soon as I got back home, I packed my stuff up and I moved to Vegas,” said Fekete. I started teaching classes at Xtreme Couture, and then Wanderlei Silva asked for my help, so I helped teach him a couple different things. I was kind of like a freelance guy, going from gym to gym. I helped train Vitor Belfort for his fight with Matt Lindland, so I would just go from fighter to fighter in Vegas soaking up as much as I could.”

Having trained some of the best athletes in the sport, the transition from the mat to the cage seemed like a no-brainer for “The Machete”. Now 4-0, including an impressive victory over Strikeforce veteran Ovince St. Preux, Nik is ready for a huge 2011.

“I think 2011 is going to be a breakthrough year for me,” Fekete said. “I’ve been training my whole life and I’ve been training non-stop for more than two years in MMA. It may sound cliché, but I’m truly excited to go out there and put on a show for all of the fans in attendance, and the millions that will be watching on MTV2.”

Fekete joins Daniel Gracie as the only other confirmed participant in the upcoming Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament, which begins this March on MTV2.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

With fields already finalized in featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions, Bellator Fighting Championships has turned their focus towards unveiling the lot of individuals competing over Season 4 for an opportunity to become the promotion’s first 205-pound champion and take home the $100,000 check attached to the honor. As such, according to a press release from Bellator, former All-American grappler Nik Fekete will be among the group of light heavyweights fighting for the belt and payday. He joins Daniel Gracie as the only other officially announced participant.

Fekete honed his craft at XTreme Couture after a successful wrestling career at Michigan State alongside UFC 155-pound contender Gray Maynard and has remained undefeated since turning pro in September 2009.

“I went out to Beijing for a month-and-a-half in 2008 for the Olympics to help the team train, and as soon as I got back home, I packed my stuff up and I moved to Vegas,” explained Fekete of his journey to the Bellator Season 4 Light Heavyweight Tournament. “I started teaching classes at Xtreme Couture, and then Wanderlei Silva asked for my help, so I helped teach him a couple different things. I was kind of like a freelance guy, going from gym to gym. I helped train Vitor Belfort for his fight with Matt Lindland, so I would just go from fighter to fighter in Vegas soaking up as much as I could.”

“The Machete” is 4-0 thus far in his career with a decision victory over Ovince St. Preux and is coming off back-to-back TKOs in his last two outings.

“I think 2011 is going to be a breakthrough year for me,” said Fekete. “I’ve been training my whole life and I’ve been training non-stop for more than two years in MMA. It may sound cliché, but I’m truly excited to go out there and put on a show for all of the fans in attendance, and the millions that will be watching on MTV2.”

The road to the Bellator Season 4 Finale starts March 5 with Bellator 35 and can be seen live this spring on MTV2. No date has been announced for Fekete’s debut.

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATORSimilar Posts:

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Bellator Fighting Championships has announced it will once again treat fans in the Southeast to live Mixed Martial Arts action, including a series of lightweight tournament bouts, a week removed from entertaining an audience in California with Bellator 35 and the promotion’s Season 4 debut on March 5. According to an official press release, Bellator 36 will take place on March 12 at the famous Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana and be broadcast live on MTV2.

“We’re thrilled to be returning to Louisiana with our world-class Mixed Martial Arts events live on MTV2,” said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The historic Municipal Auditorium will provide a spectacular place to watch this live, nationally televised MMA showcase.

The show will mark Bellator‘s fifth in the State.

Built nearly a century ago, the Municipal Auditorium has hosted the musical genius of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and many. The arena was placed National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and provides an incredible backdrop for Bellator 36 based on its past alone.

Though no official match-ups were listed for the event it was mentioned the opening round of the Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament will take place at the show. The 155ers current attached to compete are “Razor” Rob McCullough, Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard, Mike Chandler, Carey Vanier, Ferrid Kheder, Toby Imada, and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire”.Similar Posts:

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• Inverted Triangle Warning: Toby Imada returns to Bellator
• UPDATE: Rob McCullough named as first lightweight in Bellator Season 4 Tournament

Birthdays often come with presents covered in colorful paper and shiny bows. However, this year Anthony Lapsley received a gift wrapped in a cage and only lacking “bows” due to the risk of a fight ending on cuts amd interfering with recovery time. Lapsley, who turns 31 tomorrow, was named by Bellator Fighting Championships as a replacing an injured Steve Carl against Jay Hieron on March 5 in a quarterfinal fight when the company fires up its cameras for Season 4.

“(Hieron) is actually a fighter I’ve always enjoyed watching, I just never thought I’d have the opportunity to fight him,” the Indiana native began. “It’s going to be a war. It’s going to be a war because I’m going to make it a war. He’s been on some big shows and fought some really tough guys, but it’s my turn now. If Jay looks past me for a second, he’s going to lose. I plan on him losing anyway, but if he makes the mistake of looking past me, he’s going to get caught, in the worst way.”

Lapsley is 19-4 in his career with thirteen submission wins to his credit. He has emerged successful in his last four outings including a second-round Rear Naked Choke of Ryan Williams at Bellator 7. He also holds a cut-based victory over fellow Season 4 welterweight Brent Weedman from 2007.

In Hieron he’ll face a fighter with the exact same professional record but higher profile based on the Long Islander’s success over the likes of notable opponents like Joe Riggs, Jason High, Jesse Taylor, Pat Healy, Jake Ellenberger, and others.

Joining Lapsley, Hieron, and Weedman at Bellator 35 when the first round of the Season 4 Welterweight Tournament takes place will be “Judo” Jim Wallhead, Rick Hawn, Chris “The Assassin” Lozano, Dan Hornbuckle, and former title-holder Lyman Good. Fans can watch the first step of their journey towards a $100,000 check and shot at Bellator 170-pound champ Ben Askren unfold live on MTV2.

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR/SHOWTIMESimilar Posts:

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• Undefeated submission specialist Lloyd Woodard joins Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament