After 14 months as a professional fighter, Spencer Paige wasn't sure if he still had it in him.

"Every night I would go home, turn on my Xbox and eat some Oreos and drink Jack Daniels," Paige admitted.

Missed opportunities with canceled fights, a frustrating loss to a
WEC-bound Josh Grispi and the stress of a summer job making $250 a week
had left Paige soured on mixed martial arts. That would soon change
thanks to two guys willing to pay $10 per hour to learn the sport.

David Ginenthal (March 19, 1929 - June 27, 2010)
Dave was a husband, father, grandfather, dance instructor, town councilman, plumber, teacher,

Press Release

MMA BIG SHOW PRESENTS LOCAL FAVORITES CHRIS BENNETT, MOJO HORNE, AND TJ BALL
AS THEY PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE AT “ALL OR NOTHING”

Event to take place live at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa on July 17th

Indiana (USA): MMA Big Show, one of the top fight promotions in the Midwest, will present its next exciting event, “ALL OR NOTHING,” which will take place on July 17th at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa in Indiana. In the main event, big-time local favorite Mojo Horne (7-2) will face one of his toughest tests to date, as he tangles with extremely experienced American Top Team product Lucas Lopes (19-8, fifteen finishes). Also featured on the card will be rising young local prospect “The Samurai” Chris Bennett (0-1 pro, 18-1 amateur), as he attempts to capture his first pro win from Brad Smith (1-1). Another notable local showcased on the fight card will be T.J. Ball (1-1), who will be looking to increase his pro experience against Danny “The Hammer” Surface (3-2). And making his return to Big Show will be Scott Cornwell (1-1), who made his Big Show debut last fall against UFC veteran Junie “The Lunatic” Browning (4-3). Tickets for “ALL OR NOTHING” are priced at $25, $45, and $75, and are available through Ticketmaster, as well as http://www.mmabigshow.com/. 21 and over only, please.

A training partner of Rich Franklin and a former MMA Big Show Middleweight Champion, Mojo Horne was glad to put 2009 behind him, as he suffered the first losses of his pro career. However, he ended the campaign on a high note, as he submitted Kevin Barkdull in the first round at November’s “ONSLAUGHT” event. Now back to his winning ways, Horne is looking to target his title once again in 2010. Standing in his way will be extremely experienced veteran Lucas Lopes. A veteran of 27 MMA fights, Lopes has
fought well-known competitors Sean Salmon and StrikeForce fighter Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, and has defeated UFC welterweight contender Thiago Alves and former UFC fighter Antonio “Samuray” Mendes. Lopes is on a four-fight winning streak, including two straight wins in StrikeForce. Lucas is coming off a KO victory over Robert “Bubba” McDaniel, who previous defeated Mojo via ref stoppage after Horne’s nose was broken. This is Mojo’s opportunity to, in a way, avenge his loss to McDaniel, and come out ahead of a highly experience ATT fighter. Certainly, this will be a difficult test for Horne, but he’s ready to go out there and prove that not only can he beat a veteran like Lopes, he is deserving of a shot at “his” belt. “I’m hoping that if I win this fight, that I’ll be able to fight for my title again. From there, once I get my title back, Jason says he has some plans for me. So I’m excited about that.” What does he think about facing a competitor like his opponent? “I’ve seen some footage on him. He looks like more of a standup fighter. Don’t know much about his ground. The fight footage on him doesn’t show much about the ground. But I’m a firm believer in fighting the fight, not the fighter. So I’m just gonna go in there and do my thing.” And to the fans, Mojo had this to say: “I’m going to do my best for you guys, as I always do. Hopefully, I get the KO or submission, and everyone get’s their money’s worth.”

“The Samurai” Chris Bennett built a name for himself with MMA Big Show fans with his incredibly exciting fights. A real crowd-pleaser, he turned professional earlier this year after piling up eighteen amateur victories. Bennett, currently a 0-1 as a pro, is looking to rebound after a devastating loss to American Top Team’s Tony Simms and prove that he’s a serious contender against Brad Smith at “ALL OR NOTHING.” Additionally, T.J. Ball will be fighting the very tough Danny “The Hammer” Surface, who will be making his pro debut. Both fighters recently dropped to 185 lbs. from their former heavyweight status. As a result, this is going to be a war between two muscle-packed fighters looking to dominate.

Fearsome fighter Scott Cornwell put on a show in the main event of Big Show’s “ONSLAUGHT” in November of 2009. is a Cincinnati native who started learning Tae Kwon Do at the age of three under Master David Huffstutler. As a teenager, Cornwell quickly progressed through the ranks, and currently holds a 3rd degree black belt, winning several local and national tournaments. He also had a very impressive high school wrestling career, where he competed for multiple national teams in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. His amateur mixed martial arts career began in 2007 while training under 4th degree black belt and renowned MMA instructor Rob Gerhardt, and he won his first five amateur fights, amassing an impressive record of 7-2. In preparation for his pro debut, Scott began additional training with Rod Housley at Team Vision while continuing to train and teach at Hamilton-Fairfield Tae Kwon Do. In short, Scott is an excellent striker and wrestler, and is well-versed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Fans can bet on these fights through the MMA Big Show iPhone Fantasy Better, and can also watch the event LIVE on R&R Channel 354 on DirecTV at 8 PM EST on the 17th.

In addition, the Big Show Gym, a 19,000 square foot MMA & Fitness Facility will be opening on June 27th in Eastgate Mall in Batavia, OH. This new facility will opening softly on the 27th and will host a grand opening event approximately 30 days later, once all of the equipment and build-out has been completed. This gym will feature a full strength and cardio center, full MMA cage (the actual MMA Big Show Cage), BJJ mats, Muay Thai center, and will host a multitude of training and group classes such as Extreme Fitness Boxing, Zumba, yoga, aerobics and much more. Please visit http://www.bigshowgym.com/ for more information.

The MMA Big Show is currently looking for both national sponsors for its live national broadcasts as well as the gym.

The full fight card for “ALL OR NOTHING” includes:

Mojo Horne vs. Lucas Lopes
T.J. Ball vs. Danny Surface
Chris Bennett vs. Brad Smith
Scott Cornwell vs. James Baumgardner
Brendon Hampton vs. Josh Curry
Tyler Riley vs. Shannon Casey
Trevor Riley vs. Chris Anness
Joe Pegg vs. Marcus Lewis
Dave Coghlan vs. Eric Grifford
Jordan Seals vs. Jimmie Allen
Nikolas Hoobler- Scherff vs. Korey Comptan
TJ Wash vs. Dallas Rice
BJ Wulff vs. Justin Bruster
Shannon Powell vs. Phil Colston
Denver Myers vs. John Risley
Kirk Miller vs. Dom Steele
William Kimrey vs. Ryan Holubek
Michael Ormes vs. David Smallwood
Vic Sims vs. Colt Helton

Fight card is subject to change.

Rafael Sapo, who picked up his fifth win in six fights with a knockout of Travis Lutter at the recent Moosin MMA event in Massachusetts, has signed a four-fight deal with the UFC.

Renzo Gracie announced the middleweight fighter's signing via his official website.

Natal is an instructor ("professor") at Gracie's New York City-based academy.

Press Release

MFC snares top young prospect

Product of ZUMA camp considered first-class phenom

If there ever was a top-ranked, first-overall pick to be selected in a mixed martial arts amateur draft, the Maximum Fighting Championship feels it has made the right choice by snaring a can’t-miss prospect.

The MFC has signed Alexi Argyriou to a provisional contract, and the 16-year-old is expected to make his professional debut when he turns 18. A product of the renowned ZUMA stable in Victoria, B.C., Argyriou is considered a young phenom with an incredibly bright future in the sport.

The National Hockey League has its next budding stars in Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. The National Football League boasts future standouts in Sam Bradford and Gerald McCoy. In Argyriou, the Maximum Fighting Championship has mined out the next big thing, the five-diamond prospect poised to make an impact in mixed martial arts.

“He is the No. 1 draft pick,” stated MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “We have the best young fighter anywhere now in our organization. I can’t be any more succinct – he is the future.

“And not only is he a superb athlete, he is confident, he has great charisma, and best of all he is someone who brings that intangible quality of being able to hype and sell a fight. That is such a huge commodity and it jumps right out of him.”

Because of his underage status, Argyriou has the opportunity to further grow under the tutelage of ZUMA’s top instructor, Adam Zugec, who firmly believes in his young protégé, calling him the most talented young fighter he has ever worked with.

“He is just that good,” said Zugec. “I pick and choose who I work with closely. It’s about what I see within an individual. With Alexi, it goes beyond how well he punches. There’s just that desire and that hard work ethic. There are those special qualities that make him different.

“He’s grown up in the MMA scene and he just gets it. He understands the whole role like having the entertainment value but also being able to back it up. He’s a sweet, good-looking kid that you wouldn’’t think can do some of that showboating type of stuff but he does. But he’s so tough. He trains and spars every day with some real bad-ass guys and he has absolutely no fear.”

Argyriou has already proven to have quite a burning desire to thrive under extraordinary circumstances. Shortly after first starting out at the ZUMA gym as a 12-year-old, Argyriou was on a run in a wooded area when a stick pierced his neck.

“He almost died,” recalled Zugec. “He had to stop for a while but he came back at 14 and he’s where he’s at now at 16. He is a fighter.”

Zugec will keep Argyriou under wraps a while longer, agreeing with the analogy that it would be similar to a top prospect in hockey or baseball being sent to the minors for some grooming before their ultimate debut.

Argyriou is also likely due for another growth spurt, though he already stands six-foot and has a brother who is six-foot-six. Zugec figured his Argyriou should wind up around six-foot-two and fight professionally as a rangy yet powerful lightweight.

Once Argyriou does burst onto the big stage, Zugec is of the opinion that the youngster is going to thrive under the spotlight.

“No question about it – this is not a kid who’s going to get in there and get nervous. I absolutely see big things for him,” said Zugec. “I see him already with some similarities to (Jose) Aldo. His ground game is good, he’s a strong wrestler, he’s got good hips and he’s hard to take down. No one really knows how good is ground game is yet because no one can get him down. And he can punch and kick so well.”

Female jiu-jitsu competitors at the 2010 Gracie Invitational in London. All images courtesy Seymour Yang.

If you ever was entertained the notion that martial arts are a universally practised activity, that notion would be easily dashed if you attended the SENISHOW martial arts expo, where the Gracie Invitational was held, this weekend. Yes, SENISHOW is a massive event, possibly the biggest martial arts show in Europe, but the neighbouring exhibition hall hosted a computer games fan convention and as we entered the shared arena hallway, we were vastly outnumbered by the surreal sight of thousands and thousands of grown men and women dressed as all manner of ghosts, aliens, stormtroopers and, bizarrely, in one case, a tetris block!

The Gracie Invitational was held over two days – men’s white belts and some blues competed on the Saturday, all women’s categories, higher grades, no-gi and the show-piece event, the Absolute 1000, was held on the second day. I attended the second day.

Day two started a little late but once it did, the brackets raced through at lightening pace. Spread across six mats, with seating surrounding all four sides and a decent size holding area, the fights came thick and fast. The event was run by BJJ black belt Jude Samuels with assistance by my own instructor, Nick Brooks. This gave me the extra privilege of access to all areas for photography and extra close-up views of the fights. But to be honest, the dividers were so close to the mats that everyone was granted good views of all the fights.

Dominique Vitry (left) fends off Paula Almeida’s open guard.

The rest of the exhibition hall hosted hundreds of martial art stands and displays all competing against one another for attention, which made for a very noisy and busy atmosphere. The loud, rhythmic capoeira display next to the BJJ arena added a particularly authentic flavour for much of the period.

One annoying thing I noticed was that in order to go to the loo, you had to leave the exhibition hall, and go to the main hall, which was a long way away. It just meant extra hassle especially if you were waiting for names to be called.

There were some amazing fights on the Sunday. Highlights for me were watching my team mate Dominique Vitry fight in the women’s absolute semi against a Paula Almeida, a larger Portuguese purple belt. Dominique won by a large points margin but not without the drama of escaping an impossible armbar! Dominique was awarded her much deserved purple belt straight after.

I also enjoyed watching brown belt Oli Geddes secure some impressive submissions on his way to winning gold in his category. Oli is fast making marks in the brown belt divisions much as he did at purple and blue.

Luke Costello takes the back of Lucio as crowds watch on.

But the showpiece of the day belonged to the Absolute 1000 where winners of each purple, brown and black belt group would be allowed to compete against one another for a prize of £1,000. Here, we had the delights of watching seasoned black belts fight against smaller purple belts or two rival brown or black belts smashing ten bells out of each other in a bid to win the coveted prize.

Every match in this prize event was a brilliant display of BJJ at its highest. For me, the highlights included young purple belt Luke Costello against experienced black belt Lucio. Both fighters attacked with flair, immense skill and a good amount of vigour as several times they crashed into the crowd. Lucio won by a slim points margin, but there was no doubt among us that Luke Costello is a name to watch for the future. Another couple of fights that I really enjoyed watching involved the smaller guys. Purple belt featherweight Alain Pozo gamely stood his ground against the much heavier black belt Henrique Santana, and little pluma purple belt Mark Phung holding off a much larger brown belt. For me, watching these lighter guys fight put in such a spirited performance against bigger and higher ranked opponents was truly inspiring and shows just what a good idea the Absolute 1000 event is.

Henrique Santana imposes his superior weight against Alain Pozo.

Unfortunately, the Absolute 1000 was unable to finish as the whole tournament over-ran and the exhibition hall had to close. So the last four or five players shared the £1,000 prize.

Since it began six or seven years ago, the Gracie Invitational has always attracted huge numbers of competitors, many of whom travel from overseas, and this year was no exception. Being sited within the confines of a massive martial arts expo, adds to the unique atmosphere of the event. I’d like to thank the organisers, the runners, the scorers and all the many many people who worked extra hard over the weekend to ensure that us competitors had a good time. I look forward to the next Gracie Invitational in two years time.

- Caleb

Press Release

Las Vegas, NV – It’s not every day that you get a chance to learn a jump shot from LeBron James. Nor does the opportunity present itself to be taught how to throw a football like Peyton Manning. However, for mixed martial arts fans, the ability to learn strategy and techniques from the sport’s most influential figures presents itself at this year’s UFC® FAN EXPO™.

At this year’s Expo, fans will have the opportunity to learn from the sport’s best athletes and coaches on Friday, May 28th and Saturday, May 29th at the UFC Fan Expo. From jiu-jitsu techniques with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra to explosive takedowns with former WEC featherweight titlist Urijah Faber, the UFC Fan Expo’s Training and Development sessions offer fans the ultimate mixed martial arts experience.

“This is a chance for fans to learn MMA from the best,” White said. “Whether you have been training for a long time or just beginning the sport, there is something for everyone at these Training and Development Sessions.”

Training & Development Sessions to feature Brandon Vera, Frank Mir, Jens Pulver, Matt Serra, Randy Couture and Urijah Faber

Renowned jiu-jitsu coach Eddie Bravo, Muay Thai legend Mark DellaGrotte, and striking instructor Shawn Tompkins to also lead seminars.

Tickets for UFC® FAN EXPO™ and Training & Development sessions are on sale now and can be bought exclusively at UFCFanExpo.com. Please note that audience seating for each Training & Development Session is limited; the cost to participate in a session is $150 per person, per session.

Training & Development Session Schedule (All Times Pacific)

Friday, May 28
9am-11am – Frank Mir
10am-12pm – Brandon Vera
12pm-2pm – Urijah Faber
1pm-3pm – Jens Pulver
3:30pm-5pm – Matt Serra
5pm-7pm – Eddie Bravo

Saturday, May 29
9am-11am – Shawn Tompkins
10am-12pm – Kru Mark DellaGrotte
12pm-2pm – Randy Couture

This year’s UFC Fan Expo leads into UFC® 114: RAMPAGE vs. EVANS, featuring the long-awaited grudge match between former light heavyweight champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

Beatriz Mesquita and Leticia Ribeiro, two cornerstones of Gracie Humaita’s womens competition team.

Do not let the smiles fool you! Four stripe brown belt Beatriz Mesquita and her black belt instructor Leticia Ribeiro are some of the toughest female grapplers on the planet. Mesquita, aka “Bia” has hit the competition scene like a tsunami, winning world championship after world championship as she has progressed through the belt rankings. She also recently came in second place in the World Pro championship in Abu Dhabi. Did we mention that she is not yet twenty years old? Many consider her the top talent among new women’s jiu-jitsu athletes.

Leticia Ribeiro is a black belt under Royler Gracie and is the heart of the Gracie Humaita female team. World champion Penny Thomas has nothing but high praise for Letty, who organizes the competition preparation for Gracie Humaita’s womens team, which earned first place among female competitors for the last three years. And did you ever watch the episode of MTV’s Wildboyz where Steve-O was choked out by a woman? Yes, that was Leticia.

Also in this episode, we will discuss some listener email, a listener voicemail (who called us at (877) 247-4662), and of course we’ll also discuss the most recent BJJ Poll!

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show

CHICAGO, Ill. (April 12, 2010) — MMA legend and prominent local MMA instructor Jeff Curran, two of his students and an up-and-coming young female fighter from the Chicago suburbs are among seven fighters from Illinois slated to participate in Bellator Fighting Championships’ Thursday night event at the historic Chicago Theatre.

The 32-year-old Curran has been fighting professionally for more than 12 years and has competed for virtually every major MMA promotion including the UFC, Strikeforce, the WEC, PRIDE and the IFL. He is also widely considered to be the Chicago-area’s top mixed martial arts instructor and has trained hundreds of aspiring young MMA fighters over the past decade at his Curran Martial Arts Academy in suburban Crystal Lake.

Among them are two up-and-coming pro fighters who will compete along with him at the Chicago event: 12-4-1 Ryan Sturdy of Crystal Lake and Jeff’s own cousin, 9-3 Pat Curran of suburban Cary.

“It’s going to be an interesting night because I have my own fight and I’ll also be there to support Ryan and my cousin Pat,” Jeff Curran said. “It’s gonna be a great night all around — especially since I get to fight here in my hometown for a really big, up-and-coming promotion like Bellator. I know I’m sure going to do my part to put on an exciting show for all the Chicago fans who’ll be there.”

In addition, the Chicago Theatre event will feature Bellator’s first female fight of 2010, pitting six-time world champion lightweight boxing champion and budding MMA star Jessica Rakoczy against Buffalo Grove, Ill., native Felice Herrig, one of the world’s most-talked about up-and-coming female MMA stars.

“It’s not very often that I get to fight in front of my hometown fans,” Herrig said. “I have a pretty big fan base here in Chicago and I really feed off the energy of the crowd so it should be a great night. On top of that, the Chicago Theatre is an awesome venue and Bellator is a great promotion.”

The complete Local Feature Fight Card is as follows:

- Main Event: Chicago’s own MMA legend Jeff Curran (32-12-1) versus Bryan Goldsby (15-6), a Macon, Ga., product discovered by Bellator officials during a recent open tryout in South Florida;

- MMA up-and-comer and hometown favorite Felice Herrig (2-2) of Buffalo Grove, Ill., versus six-time world champion lightweight boxing champion and budding MMA star Jessica Rakoczy (0-1) of Las Vegas;

- Chicago-based Strikeforce veteran Louis “Battery” Taylor (5-1) versus Curran Martial Arts Academy product and former college football standout Ryan Sturdy (12-4-1) of Crystal Lake, Ill.;

- Cincinnati product Daniel Straus* (10-2) versus Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist and Strikeforce veteran Jonatas Novaes* (5-3).

The event will also feature four nationally televised first round bouts in Bellator’s eight-man single-elimination lightweight, featherweight and welterweight tournaments.

Each of these tournament bouts will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net nationwide and will be featured during weekly Saturday-night Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo. They are:

- Main Event: Former two-time NCAA wrestling champion and U.S. Olympian Ben Askren (3-0) of Milwaukee versus former UFC contender Ryan “The Tank Engine” Thomas (10-3) of Lee’s Summitt, Mo..

- Former NYU wrestling star Shad Lierley (5-2) of Seattle, Wash., versus Brazilian takedown artist and former EliteXC Featherweight Champion Wilson Reis (9-1).

- Georges Saint-Pierre training partner Mike Ricci (5-0) of Montreal versus Pat Curran (9-3) of Cary, Ill., the cousin of MMA legend Jeff Curran; and

- A battle of undefeated fighters with Brazilian submission artist Patricio Pitbull (12-0) versus the highly touted Canadian fighter William Romero (5-0).

Tickets for the Chicago Theatre event are available at ticketmaster.com.

For more information, please visit Bellator.com.

* – Pending final commission approval

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (April 5, 2010) — A Miami-Dade County firefighter is among eight local Florida-based MMA rising stars who will get their chance on the big stage this Thursday during Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 2 kick-off show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

John Kelly, a 31-year-old married father of three from North Miami, is undefeated in four fights since making his pro debut last February and attributes much of his success to his training as a firefighter.

“Fighting fires and fighting in a cage are actually very, very similar experiences,” Kelly said. “When you’re in a dark room and you can’t see anything and its 300 or 400 degrees, every sense that you have is telling you to get out of there. It’s the same thing in the cage. There’s times when it would make a lot of sense just to give up and tap out, but all the training that you go through and dedicate yourself to tells you to keep going.”

The unique work schedule that firefighters keep (Kelly works one 24-hour shift and then has two days off) also allow him to maintain a full-time training regimen while supporting his family.

“I’m very lucky because fighting is my passion and I don’t think I could fight and be competitive and still support my family if I wasn’t a firefighter,” he said. “So now I’m just trying to keep winning and see where it takes me. Bellator is a dream come true for me—to be fighting for a great organization like this is just surreal.”

Kelly will put his perfect record on the line versus Port St. Lucie’s Michael Byrnes, Jr.*, (1-2-1) during the Local Main Event of Thursday night’s show.

The event will also feature four nationally televised First Round bouts in Bellator’s eight-man single-elimination lightweight and featherweight tournaments.

Other local feature fights include:

- American Top Team product Chris Manuel (6-3-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla., versus former University of Iowa all-American wrestler Ralph Acosta (5-4) of Orlando, Fla.;

- Local graphic designer and MMA rising star Moyses Gabin (4-2) of Hollywood, Fla., versus veteran karate expert and local martial arts instructor Jeff Savoy (0-1) of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and

- Francisco Soares (3-1) of Miami, Fla., versus Vagner Rocha (3-0) of Pembroke Pines,, Fla., in a battle between two Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists.

The evening’s nationally televised tournament fights include:

- MMA superstar and former Sports Illustrated cover subject Roger Huerta (20-3-1) vs. undefeated Cincinnati brawler Chad Hinton in the First Round of Bellator’s lightweight tournament;

- Former pro soccer star Georgi Karakhanyan (12-1-1) vs. MMA veteran Bao Quach (17-9-1) in a First Round matchup in the eight-man featherweight tournament;

- Former World Champion Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Warren (2-1) vs. Midwestern veteran Eric Marriott (17-2) in another featherweight tournament First Round matchup;

- Scandinavian strong man Janne Tulirinta (12-3) vs. former all-American college wrestler Carey Vanier in the first round of the Lightweight tournament.

Each of the tournament bouts will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net nationwide and will be featured during weekly Saturday-night Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.

Bellator will bring four of Bellator’s nationally televised events — including its Season 2 and 3 premieres — to the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., during 2010.

Under the terms of this landmark agreement — which was completed in conjunction with the Seminole Hard Rock’s event promotion partner, Redline Media Group — Hard Rock Live will host the following Bellator events:

- Bellator 13 (Season 2 premiere), April 8, 2010;
- Bellator 22, June 10, 2010;
- Bellator 25 (Season 3 premiere), Aug. 12, 2010; and
- Bellator 36 (Season 3 finale), Oct. 28, 2010.

Bellator Fighting Championships’ nationally televised events feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in each season in the featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), welterweight (170 lbs.) and middleweight (185 lbs.) divisions. Winners of this year’s tournaments will be declared No. 1 contenders to Bellator’s current roster of champions.

 Tickets to the Bellator Fighting Championships events at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.

For more information, please visit Bellator.com.

* – Pending final commission approval

About Bellator Fighting Championships:Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and 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 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino:
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino provides quality guest experiences where South Floridians can play, stay, dine, and shop. Eighty-seven tables offer Blackjack, Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Play one of the more than 2,300 Vegas-style slots including the Native-American casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player’s Club members experience an exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and celebrity show kitchen. Convene in The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise for Texas Hold‘em, limit Texas Hold ’em, Seven Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. The AAA, Four Diamond rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 16 restaurants and lounges, 40,000-square-feet of meeting room space, a European-style spa, auto salon, 23 retail shops, 11 nightclubs, Paradise Live, and Hard Rock Live. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.