CHICAGO, Ill. (June 22, 2010) — Aisling Daly, the best female mixed martial artist in Ireland and the world’s No. 3-ranked 125 lbs. female fighter, is the latest addition to Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 3 Women’s Tournament.

The 22-year-old Daly (whose first name is pronounced “ASH-ling”) brings a pristine 9-0 record to the tournament, which will mark her MMA debut in the U.S. Her most recent win came against the previously undefeated Finnish knockout artist Maiju Kujala this past March.

Daly is the seventh announced participant in the tournament, each of whom is ranked among the world’s 10 best in their respective weight classes. The others are Japanese MMA sensation Megumi Fujii – widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world – 11-1 British tae-kwon-do black belt Rosi Sexton, 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward, 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene, 8-4 New Mexico-based submission specialist Angela Magana and 5-1 Las Vegas-based powerhouse Lynn Alvarez.

The tournament begins on Aug. 12 and will once again be televised LIVE in primetime every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

“Bellator is the No.1 organization in the world form women’s MMA right now so I jumped at the chance to sign,” Daly said Tuesday. “They have all of the best female fighters in the world signed and I firmly believe that whoever wins the tournament is the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. That’s my goal and that’s what I’m coming to the U.S. to do … nobody will remember who finishes second.”

Daly got her start in combat sports at the age of 10 when she began training in karate. As a teenager, she picked up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and, later, boxing and wrestling.

“When I put all of that together, I figured I’d give MMA a go,” she said.

As evidenced by her four career TKOs (three of them in the first round), Daly considers herself an aggressive fighter who looks to finish fights early.

“When I go in there, I’m lookin’ to make an impact. I’m lookin’ to steamroll the person I’m fighting,” she said.

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said that trait should serve her well no matter which of the other top-ranked opponents she draws once the tournament begins in August.

“Aisling’s as tough as they come and she has all the tools necessary to be dangerous against anyone in this stacked women’s tournament,” he said.

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

UFC light-heavyweight fighter Quinton Jackson is a guest on tonight's
new episode of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Jackson stars in the recently released movie "The A-Team" and discusses
his first major film project on the late-night talk show.

"The Tonight Show" airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Other guests include "Get Him to the Greek" star Jonah
Hill and musical act Punch  Brothers.

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)

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (June 10, 2010) – Pat Curran completed his unlikely Cinderella-story run through Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 2 Lightweight Tournament on Thursday, scoring a split decision victory over MMA veteran and 2009 Submission of the Year titleholder Toby Imada to win the tournament championship.

Curran’s win headlined another great night of fights from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in South Florida, roughly 30 miles south of the high school that Curran represented in the state wrestling finals just four years ago.

On Thursday, with dozens of his friends and family looking on, the 22-year-old impressed the judges with an athletic takedown defense and a series of powerful blows to the head that opened two cuts around Imada’s right eye. With the win, Curran earned the Season 2 Championship and the right to fight reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion and 20-2 MMA star Eddie Alvarez.

Alvarez, who watched the fight cageside with his son, Eddie Jr., called Curran’s performance “tough” and “impressive.”

“The guy’s powerful and he hits hard,” Alvarez said as Curran (12-3) was presented with a check for $100,000. “I’m looking forward to fighting him.”

Curran, who was inspired to begin a career in MMA by his cousin, UFC, WEC and Strikeforce veteran Jeff Curran, said afterwards that Bellator “changed my life.” It was his third consecutive upset victory along with a quarterfinal KO of Georges St.-Pierre training partner Mike Ricci and a semifinal decision win against UFC veteran and early tournament favorite Roger Huerta.

“What Pat Curran accomplished tonight is exactly what Bellator is all about,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He proved to himself and to the world that he deserves this championship and he deserves a fight with Eddie Alvarez thanks to three straight outstanding wins against three very tough opponents.”

Imada, who helped put Bellator on the map during its inaugural season with his now-famous inverted triangle choke submission of Jorge Masvidal, accepted the defeat graciously, congratulating Curran and saying “that’s what I get for leaving it up to the judges.”

The night also featured an impressive statement from Megumi Fujii, the consensus No. 1-ranked female fighter in the world, who improved her pro MMA record to an impressive 20-0 with a third round TKO of Missouri-based jiu-jitsu specialist Sarah Schneider in the evening’s “Female Showcase Fight.”

Schneider turned in a gutsy performance to survive the first two rounds but Fujii took the fight to the ground early on in Round 3, moved quickly to full mount and unleashed a rapid-fire ground-and-pound that forced the stoppage at 1:58. It was Fujii’s first-ever TKO and she admitted afterwards that she was “very surprised” not to have won via submission.

The win cemented Fujii’s position as the overwhelming favorite in Bellator’s upcoming Season 3 women’s tournament, despite the inclusion of a bevy of the world’s top 10 female fighters including 11-1 British tae-kwon-do black belt Rosi Sexton (the world’s No. 1-ranked 125 lbs. female), 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward and 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene.

“I will show my skills and I will be the champion,” Fujii told Bellator TV commentator Jimmy Smith after her fight, which also marked her first appearance on national television in the U.S.

In the evening’s first televised bout, a “Heavyweight Showcase Fight,” Seattle-area native Mike “300” Hayes (12-3-1) overcame a 30-pound weight disadvantage to win a unanimous decision victory over former Arena Football League player Steve Banks (4-3). The southpaw Banks used his size to claim the center of the cage and control the fight during Round 1, but he began showing signs of serious fatigue early on in Round 2. Hayes used his superior conditioning to control the fight the rest of the way and earn his fourth straight victory.

Later, in a “Bantamweight Feature Fight,” Philadelphia brawler Zack Makovsky (9-2) defeated local fan favorite and American Top Team product Eric Luke (4-3) with a crafty kimura submission at 4:28 into Round 2. With the win, Makovsky earned a spot in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament.

The event also played host to four Local Feature Fights, a sampling of which will be aired at Bellator.com beginning this Sunday as part of Bellator’s ongoing “Sunday Night Fights” promotion. The results of the local fights were:

- Brian Eckstein def. Mitchell Chamale via unanimous decision
- Moyses Gabin def. Chris Boffil via rear-naked choke submission (4:41)
- Sabah Homasi def. Frank Carrillo via TKO (13:36)
- Luis Palomino def. Jose Figueroa via unanimous decision

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 Kansas City Power & Light District, where former NCAA wrestling champion and U.S. Olympian Ben Askren faces MMA rising star Dan Hornbuckle in the championship round of Bellator’s Season 2 Welterweight Tournament.

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

Thursday’s event took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. and was shown live on Fox Sports Net, and its regional sports network affiliates. A highlights package airing on Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun.

Lightweight tournament finalists Pat Curran and Toby Imada faced off in the main event of the evening, it was a close fight but Curran earned a split decision in the end (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

The co-main event saw the only female bout on the card and Japanese fighter Megumi Fujii earned a 3rd round TKO over Sarah Schneider.

The full Bellator 21 quick results are as follows:

Tournament bouts

-Lightweight Final: Pat Curran def. Toby Imada via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Non-Tournament bouts

- Women’s (120 lbs) bout: Megumi Fujii def. Sarah Schneider via TKO – R3, 1:58
- Heavyweight bout: Mike Hayes def. Steve Banks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bantamweight bout: Brian Eckstein def. Mitchell Chamale via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Middleweight bout: Moyses Gabin def. Chris Boffil via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 4:41
- Catchweight bout (175): Frank Carrillo def. Sabah Homasi via TKO – R3, 3:16
- Bantamweight bout: Zach Makovsky def. Eric Luke via submission (kimura) – R2, 4:28
- Lightweight bout: Luis Palomino def. Jose Figueroa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (June 9, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships much-anticipated show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening.

Bellator 21 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:

Pat Curran (155.5 lbs.) vs. Toby Imada (155.5 lbs.) @ 155 lbs.

Megumi Fujii (118.5 lbs.) vs. Sarah Schneider (119.5 lbs.) @ 120 lbs.

Mike “300” Hayes (235 lbs.) vs. Steve Banks (265.25 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.

Eric Luke (137.5 lbs.)* vs. Zach Makovsky (135.5 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

LOCAL FEATURE FIGHTS:

Jose Figueroa (155.5 lbs.) vs. Luis Palomino (153.75 lbs.) @ 155 lbs.

Sabah Homasi (174.5 lbs.) vs. Frank Carrillo (175 lbs.) @ 175 lbs. (previously negotiated CW)

Chris Boffil (184 lbs.) vs. Moyses Gabin (184.5 lbs.) @ 185 lbs.

Brian Eckstein (136 lbs.) vs. Mitchell Chamale (136 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

The weigh-ins for the latest installment of Bellator Fighting Championships upcoming Bellator 21 event were completed on Wednesday evening.

Thursday’s event will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. and will be shown live on Fox Sports Net, and its regional sports network affiliates, with a highlights package airing on Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

Only one fighter failed to make weight on his initial attempt but headliners lightweight tournament finalists Pat Curran (155.5) and Toby Imada (155.5) both made weight for their match.

Also featured at the event will be a womens bout between undefeated female fighter Megumi Fuji, who puts her undefeated record against Sarah Schneider.

Tournament bouts

-Lightweight Final: Pat Curran (155.5) vs. Toby Imada (155.5)

Non-Tournament bouts

Televised bouts

- Women’s (120 lbs) bout: Megumi Fujii (118.5) vs. Sarah Schneider (119.5)
- Heavyweight bout: Mike Hayes (235) vs. Steve Banks (265.25)
- Bantamweight bout: Eric Luke (137.5)* vs. Zach Makovsky (135.5)

Non-Televised Bouts

- Bantamweight bout: Brian Eckstein (136) vs. Mitchell Chamale (136)
- Middleweight bout: Chris Boffil (184) vs. Moyses Gabin (184.5)
- Catchweight bout (175): Sabah Homasi (174.5) vs. Frank Carrillo (175)+
- Lightweight bout: Jose Figueroa (155.5) vs. Luis Palomino (153.75)

* – Luke was given an hour to make weight