Fighters Receive Recognition!
The World Karate Union named Justin Scott (Sporting the MH Fight Shorts) and Chad Strawbridge ( Ground and Pounding with the MyHOUSE MMA Gloves)MMA Instructors of the Year and Duane Bastress Professional MMA Fighter of the Year.

Thursday night’s Bellator 23 event featured Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 2 Featherweight and Middleweight finals. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire took on Joe Warren in the Featherweight final and Russian Fighter Alexander Shlemenko faced Bryan Baker in the Season 2 Middleweight tournament.

Bellator 23 took place at the Fourth Street Live! entertainment and retail complex in Louisville, Kentucky and was broadcast live on FOX Sports Net. Fans can expect a highlights package to air Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

Joe Warren fought a hard fought three round battle against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in the Featherweight Tournament Final. The “Pitbull” came out hard in the first round pressing the attack and was close to ending the fight with a standing arm-triangle choke which Warren worked free of. The second and third saw Freire slow down, which allowed Warren to take the fight to the ground and score some points. Warren earned the split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) from the judges and will meet Bellator Featherweight champ Joe Soto in season three.

It didn’t take long for Russian Middleweight Alexander Shlemenko to find his range and finish Bryan Baker in the Season 2 Middleweight Tournament Final. Both fighters exchanged briefly with both men trading kicks in the opening minute. Shlemenko misses a kick only to eat one from Baker and is sent to the mat. The Russian is quite to rebound and gets back to his feet to drop his opponent with a liver shot. Shlemenko pounces for the finish and forces the stoppage with some strong ground and pound at 2:45 of the first round. Shlemenko will now go on to meet Bellator’s middleweight champion Hector Lombard in season three.

The full Bellator 23 results are as follows:

Main Card:

Featherweight Tournament Championship: Joe Warren def. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Middleweight Tournament Championship: Alexander Shlemenko def. Bryan Baker via TKO – R1, 2:45
Bantamweight Showcase Fight: Nik Mamalis def. Albert Rios via TKO – R1, 4:30
Female Showcase Fight: Zoila Frausto def. Rosi Sexton via knockout – R1, 2:00

Preliminary Card:

Local Main Event: Brent Weedman def. John Troyer via submission (arm-bar) – R1, 4:55*
Local Feature Fight #3: Daniel Straus def. Chad Hinton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)*
Local Feature Fight #2: Stoney Hale def. Mike Fleniken via submission (rear-naked choke) – R2, 4:20
Local Feature Fight #1: Kurt Kinser def. David Overfield via TKO – R1, 2:30

* – bouts took place after the televised card.

Bellator Fighting Championships’ next event, Bellator 23, is set to take place on Thursday night featuring Middleweight Tournament finalists Bryan “The Beast” Baker and Alexander Shlemenko and Featherweight Tournament finalists Joe Warren and Patricio Pitbull.

On Wednesday the fighters weighed in at the Sports & Social Club, 427 S. Fourth Street in Louisville. The same venue will host Thursday nights action.

The event will air live on FOX Sports Net (or on a few hours’ delay if preempted by local sports programming) beginning at 8 PM EST (5 PM PST), with a highlights packages airing Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

The full fight card and fighter weights for Bellator 23 is as follows:

Main Card:

Featherweight Tournament Championship: Patricio Pitbull (144) vs. Joe Warren (144)
Middleweight Tournament Championship: Alexander Shlemenko (185) vs. Bryan Baker (185)
Bantamweight Showcase Fight: Nik Mamalis (135) vs. Albert Rios (135)
Female Showcase Fight: Zoila Frausto (120) vs. Rosi Sexton (121)

Preliminary Card:

Local Main Event: John Troyer (171) vs. Brent Weedman (170)
Local Feature Fight #3: Daniel Straus (154) vs. Chad Hinton (156)
Local Feature Fight #2: Stoney Hale (182) vs. Mike Fleniken (183)
Local Feature Fight #1: David Overfield (160) vs. Kurt Kinser (155)

A featherweight matchup between undefeated prospect Chad Mendes and Californian slugger Cub Swanson is
in the works for WEC 50.

MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with sources close to
the bout that verbal agreements are in place, though bout agreements
have yet to be distributed.

The likely preliminary card contest was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

A featherweight matchup between undefeated prospect Chad Mendes and Californian slugger Cub Swanson is
in the works for WEC 50.

MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with sources close to
the bout that verbal agreements are in place, though bout agreements
have yet to be distributed.

The likely preliminary card contest was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 17, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships crowned its second Season 2 champion Thursday night as former NCAA wrestling superstar and U.S. Olympian Ben Askren put on a grappling clinic to neutralize knockout artist and rising MMA star Dan Hornbuckle in a dominating and well-rounded performance.

The 25-year-old University of Missouri product drew from the vocal support of an adoring crowd at the Kansas City Power & Light District to win a unanimous decision victory and complete the metamorphosis from highly touted prospect to full-fledged MMA star that many experts had predicted.

With his new wife Amy watching cageside, Askren (6-0) controlled the fight from the start, taking the veteran Hornbuckle to the mat early on in all three rounds and holding him at bay with his world-class wrestling skills. Hornbuckle tried to stop the momentum a few times, attempting a triangle choke mid-way through Round 2 and a kimura mid-way through Round 3, but Askren was able to escape both submissions.

“This is exactly the kind of performance we had hoped Ben would put on when we signed him six months ago,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “He showed some great talent in his first two Bellator fights but saved the best performance for last. It was a tremenously impressive night for Ben all the way around.  As an MMA fan, I cannot wait to see his World Title fight against Lyman Good this fall. ”

Afterward, Askren told Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith that he has already shifted his sights to reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good, who he’ll face in a title fight later this year.

“Lyman, keep my belt warm,” he said as his hometown crowd egged him on. “Shine it up once a week and enjoy it while you can because it’s mine, baby.”

Joining Askren in the winner’s circle was Lisa Ward, the 27-year-old Seattle-based submission artist who improved her pro record to 13-3 and gave fans a sneak preview of what they’ll see when she enters the cage as part of Bellator’s upcoming Season 3 Women’s Tournament beginning in August.

Ward wasted no time locking 19-year-old MMA up-and-comer Stephanie Frausto (2-2) into a tight rear-naked choke, putting her to sleep and ending the fight via technical submission just 2:01 into Round 1. Ward said after the fight that she is hoping for tournament matchup with Megumi Fujii, the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter, who handed Ward one of her three losses during a 2007 showdown in Canada.

“I would love another shot at Megumi,” Ward said. “We definitely have some unfinished business.”

Earlier, 24-year-old Missouri native Jose Vega delivered yet another Bellator “YouTube moment” with a highlight-reel knockout of North Carolina-based jiu-jitsu specialist Jarrod “The Wild Card” Card just 39.8 seconds into the first round of their “Bantamweight Feature Fight.”

After setting it up with a pair of stiff leg kicks, Vega (8-3) connected with a left hook to Card’s jaw, knocking him unconscious and dropping him to the canvas, bringing Vega’s many hometown fans to their feet.

“I’m lost for words,” an emotional Vega said afterward. “I’ve never had a KO before, but my hands have improved – [former Bellator fighters] Brian Davidson, James Krause and Tyler Stinson have been helping me with that. I saw the opening and I just went for it.”

In the first televised fight of the night, IFL and M1 veteran Raphael Davis improved his record to 9-1 by dominating Arena Football League veteran and one-time Nebraska state high school wrestling champion Demetrius Richards (5-3). Davis took the fight to the ground early on and quickly took Richards’ back, wearing him down with hammer fists and a flurry of knees to the body before Richards submitted to punches just 2:51 into Round 1.

The event also played host to five Local Feature Fights:

-       Tyler Stinson def. Leonardo Pecanha via rear-naked choke (1:42)

-       Rudy Bears def. Brian Green via rear-naked choke (3:49)

-       Cole Konrad def. John Orr via unanimous decision

-       Jared Downing def. Chad Vandenberg via rear-naked choke (11:35)

Fans who missed Thursday night’s action can watch all the best moments this weekend during special highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2. Check your local listings for exact dates and times.

Bellator returns to action next Thursday night from the Fourth Street Live entertainment district in downtown Louisville, Ky., where Bellator will conclude its second season with the championship rounds of its Middleweight and Featherweight Tournaments.

The two championship fights and the rest of the Bellator 23 featured card will again be televised live on FOX Sports Net.

Tonight’s Bellator Fighting Championship 22 event is going down live at the Kansas City Power & Light District featuring the conclusion of Bellator’s welterweight tournament, featuring Dan Hornbuckle and Ben Askren.

The event will air live on FOX Sports Net (or on a few hours’ delay if preempted by local sports programming) beginning at 8 PM EST (5 PM PST), with a highlights packages airing Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

The MMA News likes to keep the spoilers off the main page, so to see the full results from Bellator Fighting Championships 22 event click

Main Card:
Welterweight Tournament Championship: Ben Askren def. Dan Hornbuckle via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Female Showcase Fight: Lisa Ward via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 2:01
Catchweight Fight @ 140 pounds: Jose Vega def. Jarrod Card via knockout – R1, 0:39
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Raphael Davis def. Demetrius Richards via submission (punches) – R1, 2:51

Undercard:
Local Main Event: Tyler Stinson def. Leonardo Pecanha via submission (rear naked choke) – R1, 1:42
Local Co-Main Event: Rudy Bears def. Brian Green via submission (rear naked choke) – R1, 3;29
Local Feature Fight #2: Cole Konrad def. John Orr via unanimous decision(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Local Feature Fight #3: Jared Downing def. Chad Vandenberg via submission (rear-naked-choke) – R3, 1:35

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 16, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated show at the Kansas City Power & Light District, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening.

Bellator 22 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Dan Hornbuckle (170 lbs.) vs. Ben Askren (170 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.

Stephanie Frausto (114 lbs.) vs. Lisa Ward (115 lbs.) @ 115 lbs.

Jarrod Card (139.75 lbs.) vs. Jose Vega (139.75 lbs.) @ 140 lbs. (previously negotiated CW)

Demetrius Richards (205 lbs.) vs. Raphael Davis (205.5 lbs.) @ 205 lbs.

LOCAL FEATURE FIGHTS:

Leonardo Pecanha (169.75 lbs.) vs. Tyler Stinson (170.25 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.

Brian Green (179.75 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (180 lbs.) @ 180 lbs. (previously negotiated CW)

John Orr (257 lbs.) vs. Cole Konrad (266 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.

Jared Downing (135 lbs.) vs. Chad Vandenberg (136 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Tonight’s official weigh-ins for Bellator Fighting Championship 22 is set to go down at the Kansas City Power & Light District beginning at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST). The event is headlined by the welterweight tournament final between Dan Hornbuckle and Ben Askren.

Fans can watch the weigh-ins live at Bellator.com, as the promotion will provide live streaming video from the venue.

The same venue will host Thursday’s event which will air live on FOX Sports Net (or on a few hours’ delay if preempted by local sports programming), with a highlights packages airing Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

Main Card:
Welterweight Tournament Championship: Dan Hornbuckle (170) vs. Ben Askren (170)
Female Showcase Fight: Lisa Ward (115) vs. Stephanie Frausto (114)
Catchweight Fight @ 140 pounds: Jose Vega (139.75) vs. Jarrod Card (139.75)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Demetrius Richards (205) vs. Raphael Davis (205.5)

Undercard:
Local Main Event: Leonardo Pecanha (169.75) vs. Tyler Stinson (170.25)
Local Co-Main Event: Brian Green (179.75) vs. Rudy Bears (180) (catchweight bout 180 pounds)
Local Feature Fight #2: John Orr (257) vs. Cole Konrad (266)
Local Feature Fight #3: Jared Downing (135) vs. Chad Vandenberg (136)

Press Release
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Redemption. It’s a word that bantamweight Joseph Benavidez has had etched in his brain since last August. You see, when the 25-year-old first locked horns with Dominick Cruz last summer, the two engaged in three of the most action-packed rounds in World Extreme Cagefighting® history. Unfortunately for Benavidez, he came up just short on that sizzling August night and was handed the first and only loss of his professional career.

On Wednesday, August 18 from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Benavidez gets another crack at Cruz. WEC officials announced today that Benavidez will challenge Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title in a hotly-anticipated summer showdown. Plus, former featherweight champion Urijah Faber makes his 135-pound debut as he takes on Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki.

This epic summer event will be held in conjunction with the MAGIC trade show, the men’s fashion industry’s premier convention – held at The Las Vegas Convention Center and The Mandalay Bay Convention Center, August 17-19.

“When Dominick and Joseph fought last August, it was one of those fights that kept you on the edge of your seat,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “Now we get to see the Cruz-Benavidez rematch with even more at stake – the world title. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll get to see Urijah Faber take on Takeya Mizugaki in a fight that has the potential to be one of the best of the summer.”

Tickets for WEC: Cruz vs. Benavidez go on sale Thursday, June 17 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $246, $171, and $96. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, June 16 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available at The Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices do not include service charges.

Cruz vs. Benavidez will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network’s live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

Arguably the most dynamic striker in the 135-pound division, San Diego, Calif.’s Dominick Cruz (15-1) prides himself on his unorthodox standup and aggressive wrestling. After defeating Benavidez last August, the 25-year-old scored a second-round TKO stoppage over previously-unbeaten Brian Bowles in March to secure the bantamweight championship. Undefeated at 5-0 since dropping to 135 pounds three years ago, Cruz expects to put on a similar performance as he did when he clashed with Benavidez last year.

“Let’s keep it real: styles make fights and both of the last two guys he has fought stood right in front of him,” Cruz said. “You can’t stand in front of him, you have to use footwork and move. Joseph can’t match my footwork and I have a reach advantage on him. That doesn’t guarantee me the win, but it allows me to dictate a lot of the fight. I fought him once and not a lot of his game has changed. He has definitely improved, as I have, every single day. But there are a lot of tricks up my sleeve that I will use against Joseph for this fight.”

Training out of the same camp as WEC stars Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, Sacramento, Calif.’s Joseph Benavidez is coming off two of the most impressive feats in recent memory. Last December, the 25-year-old scored a phenomenal knockout victory over jiu-jitsu ace Rani Yahya. Then, just three months later, Benavidez became the first man to ever submit former bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres. Now, with Cruz in his crosshairs, Benavidez plans to avenge his only loss and capture the world title.

“Those are two of the main goals in my career, to win the title and avenge that loss on the same night,” Benavidez said. “He’s a tough fighter, but I’m a different fighter since I fought him last. I think he had a great night and I had a bad night, and it was still really close, so if I fight like I’m capable of I have no doubt I will come out with the victory.”

One of the top lighter weight fighters of all-time, former featherweight champion Urijah Faber has defeated some of the sport’s best names. From Jeff Curran to Jens Pulver to Raphael Assuncao, the 31-year-old served as the 145-pound kingpin for over two years. Now, “The California Kid” has his sights set on winning a championship in the loaded bantamweight division. Up first for the Sacramento, Calif. native is Takeya Mizugaki, one of the division’s most talented athletes.

“I’m excited to take this fight at 135-pounds and test myself against the best bantamweights in the world,” Faber, who owns a record of 23-4, said. “Mizugaki is really tough, but I’m ready to make an impact and work toward becoming a champion again.”

Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki burst onto the scene last year, waging a five-round war with then-champion Miguel Angel Torres. Since that time, the 26-year-old has become one of the most feared bantamweights in the world. Having defeated Rani Yahya in his last fight in January, Mizugaki (13-4-2) is prepared to rudely welcome Faber to the 135-pound weight class.

“I never shy away from tough fights, so I’m excited to fight Urijah,” Mizugaki, who holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering, said. “Urijah’s first fight in this division won’t be an easy one. I plan on beating him on Aug. 18.”

Remaining bouts for WEC: Cruz vs. Benavidez will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.