How likely is it that Fabricio Werdum will beat Fedor Emelianenko? What event from the past ten days did you enjoy most from top to bottom? Will Cris “Cyborg” Santos beat Jan Finney faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis a week-and-a-half ago? What’s next for newly crowned Ultimate Fighter Season 11 champion Court McGee?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

If you’re reading these lines you’ve made it through another work-week and are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

Best overall event – “Strikeforce – Los Angeles”, “Sengoku 13″, “TUF 11 Finale”, or “WEC 49″?

Adam Tool: I should probably start by saying that since I have neither a)HDNet or b) insomnia, I have yet to see Sengoku 13. I’ve been trying to track down a copy online but thus far I have been unsuccessful, so I’ll have to make my pick from the other three events which I did see.

Of those three my pick would be WEC 49. In terms of fight quality there was plenty of good stuff to be had on all three cards. While thinking back on those events I can’t point out a single fight which I considered boring, but it was the action in the WEC cage that kept me closest to the edge of my seat. The only knock I can make against WEC 49 would be the unsatisfying result rendered in the evening’s main event, but that only came about as the result of the incompetent judging of Cameron Quwek, the lone judge who scored every single round for Kamal Shalorus. Some blame could also be leveled against referee Josh Rosenthal, as I still can’t understand why he didn’t take another point away from Shalorus for the third low blow delivered in the final frame. Other than that though, WEC 49 was a barrage of non-stop action and tremendous performances from everyone involved.

I would also have to give the edge to WEC 49 in terms of the show’s pacing. During the two and a half hour event we saw seven fights, with what seemed like a minimal amount of commercial interruption. The Ultimate Fighter Finale featured five fights over the course of two hours, with some interminable commercial breaks, endless shilling of upcoming Spike programming, and an extremely dull interview with Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Strikeforce: Los Angeles was well-done from a production stand-point, but I still don’t understand why the show’s producers chose to air backstage interviews in between rounds of some of the fights. On top of that we saw once again that Strikeforce has no interest in promoting new stars of the sport, as the event ended a half-hour early without a single preliminary fight shown.

Brendhan Conlan: Though each broadcast featured moments of brilliance I tend to side with Tool as far as WEC 49 being the strongest overall show in the bunch. Sengoku’s action was top notch but primarily involved talent 1% of the English-speaking audience could have picked out of a line-up prior to it airing, Strikeforce had some highlight-worthy moments but also had issues related to the card’s E3-specific production and promotion’s continuing trend of going off the air early without promoting undercard competitors, and save for Court McGee’s story and a fun scrap between Keith Jardine and Matt Hamill the Ultimate Fighter Finale was one of the least memorable in recent history. The scoring in Varner vs. Shalorus certainly detracted from the fight’s result but not from the entertaining battle that occurred during the fifteen minutes prior. Other than that, viewers were treated to the continued ascension of Josh Grispi as a top featherweight, late-replacement Danny Downes showing a ton of heart en route to a third-round submission loss at the limbs of Chris Horodecki, an edge-of-your-couch affair between Will Campuzano and Eddie Wineland, and a whole lot more.

True/False – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will beat Jan Finney tomorrow night faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis ten days prior?

Tool: I’ll go with “false,” although I have little reason to justify it. A quick peak at Finney’s record online reveals two things two things: 1) her nickname is “Cuddles” (seriously?) and 2) she’s only had one TKO loss on her record which came in the second round. Despite her unimpressive record and the overwhelming odds against her, I think it’s safe to assume that Finney is not the easiest opponent to put away. Cyborg is clearly the toughest opponent “Cuddles” has faced in her career and it would certainly be no surprise if the Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Champion finishes this fight in under two minute, but unless Finney makes a crucial error (flying knee anyone?) I believe she’ll last a bit longer than Zaromskis did.

Conlan: Zaromskis lives and dies on his feet, as evident by four of his five career losses coming by way of TKO, so it was inevitable he or “Cyborg” (XY Chromosome version) was going to sleep sooner than later in their bout. That’s not the case with Finney – ahem, “Cuddles” – so I think I’ll also have to go with “false” on this. Granted, Santos is unlike any other striker let alone overall fighter in women’s MMA. However, Finney has been in the ring against a few females with above-average hands (Erin Toughill for example) and remained conscious throughout save for a single loss to Julie Kedzie. Her grappling is good enough to lock onto “Cyborg” if need be and her stand-up is decent, so as long as she avoids going toe-to-toe with the champ she should be able to make it past the 2:38 mark.

Should Cung Le retire from MMA and focus on acting if he loses to Scott Smith a second time?

Tool: To be honest, I’m not really sure. Thus far Le’s acting career has yet to really take off. He’s played smaller roles in some big-screen releases, although his work in the film Tekken has yet to be seen here in America. He would probably have better luck in Asian cinema as a straight-forward martial arts action star, as there’s little call for someone with his particular talents in the current Hollywood system.

While Le took a large chunk of time off from MMA to focus on acting, the loss to Smith seems to have re-lit the competitive fire within him. He certainly believes that he’s a better fighter than Smith (and up until the final seconds of their first fight, he was) and with the (presumably) impending departure of Jake Shields the door could be wide open for Le to try and regain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. After all, he never lost the belt. Of course he never had a chance to lose it since he didn’t defend it, but that’s beside the point.

Le could very well lose to Smith a second time. It’s unlikely, but certainly possible. He’s pushing 40 years old so he doesn’t have all the time in the world to get better in the sport, and as such retirement from competition probably isn’t too far off anyways. His exciting fighting style and built in fanbase in the San Jose area will allow him the opportunity to continue on as long as he wants, but if he’s trying to be the best in the world then his chances to do so will live or die on Saturday night.

Conlan: I’m a firm believer fighters should hang up their gloves when they are ready to do so unless there are health-related reasons at play. Yes, Le is 38 and power/speed are typically the first thing to deteriorate with increased age. Yes, he’s only been in the ring three times since June 2007. Yes, he’s a one-trick pony as far as being 100% stand-up based. However, losing his rematch with Smith would only drop him to 6-2, and it’s not as if “Hands of Steel” is some out-of-shape, over-the-hill can they plucked from the street. He’s got 3X as many fights as Le and beaten some notable opponents in his career. He has the striking to put any adversary to sleep and a solid jaw of his own to boot as indiciated by Smith’s only career TKO losses coming to Robbie Lawler in 2008 and James Irvin in 2004. If he walks away victor again this Saturday night it should in no way be considered a slight on Le’s talent but rather a credit to his fellow soft-spoken Californian’s. As Tool said, Le is a huge regional draw and possesses an incredibly entertaining style, so as long as he is still interested in stepping into the ring and competing he should be allowed to do so.

Using a percentage, how much of a chance do you give Fabricio Werdum of beating Fedor Emelianenko?

Conlan: 1%. Don’t get me wrong – Werdum is a world-class competitor on the mat and has some solid Chute Boxe-based striking to compliment the skill. He’s beaten a number of ranked opponents and only been finished once in eighteen fights. However, we’re talking about frakking Fedor here. He’s weathered punches that would have dropped most for the count and worked his way out of any tough position he’s ever been put in. He’s gone to decision less than 1/4 of the time he’s fought, is on a ridiculously long win-streak, and…well…I probably could have stopped at “frakking Fedor”, because the reality is if you’re reading this paragraph you already know the Russian phenom’s resume. There will always be a chance Werdum could perfectly time a punch and pull a “Matt Serra”, so he at least deserves “1%”, but beyond that I don’t see there being any way he comes away from the event as the first fighter to legitimately beat Emelianenko.

Tool: I’ll be a bit kinder to Mr. Werdum and go with 10%. Obviously I’m still backing Fedor to win, but Werdum does have at least one avenue to victory. His striking isn’t quite good enough to give Fedor trouble, but there can be little argument that he’s one of the best pure grapplers in the heavyweight division. Fedor has never really been close to being submitted, but then again it’s been a long time since he’s faced anyone that’s on Werdum’s level in BJJ. I still can’t see Fedor tapping out, but if there’s any opponent in the world that can do it I think it’s Werdum.

Do you think that Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus should have an immediate rematch?

Conlan: Though I’m typically in favor of immediate rematches when a particularly poor decision is rendered, this situation is different because Varner is going to miss a good deal of time with his broken hand/foot. Shalorus, however, was relatively uninjured after their original bout and isn’t scheduled to sit on the sidelines beyond his regular recuperation/training period. Based on that, it’s likely he’ll be ready for action before Varner is so it doesn’t make sense for him to twiddle his thumbs while waiting for the former lightweight champion to recover. As such, I could see a date with Donald Cerrone at a future event.

However, if WEC is determined to pair him with Varner again, I have a suggestion on how “The Prince of Persia” can kill his new-found time. There’s a new James Bond movie on the horizon that’s certain to need evil henchman and if ever an individual was born with the physical attributes to play a role…

Tool: Let’s also not forget that the recent Prince of Persia film was a resounding success, so perhaps Shalorus could have a role to play in a potential sequel? Shalorus vs. Gyllenhaal: book it!

As for the topic at hand, I believe that a rematch should be made as soon as both fighters are healed up and ready to go. I can point to no less than three reasons why this should happen. First, this bout was intended to determine the next #1 contender for Ben Henderson’s WEC Lightweight Championship. That honor will likely now go to the winner of the upcoming Shane Roller/Anthony Pettis bout, but right now there’s a serious lack of competition for the company’s “Smooth” young champion.

The second reason I would like to see a rematch is due to the decision rendered in the first fight. Clearly a draw does nothing to further either man’s career, but on top of that it’s a decision that has not sat well with a majority of the fanbase. Just about anyone that watched that fight could tell that Varner won, but obviously that’s not the case. Look at it this way; if it hadn’t been for the point deduction in the second round Shalorus would have won a split decision, and the controversy would have been even greater.

Finally I say match these two up again because their first meeting was simply a great fight. Groin shots aside, these two kept things competitive for the majority of the fifteen minutes. Shalorus’ strategy of staying in the pocket and slugging it out with Varner may not have been the best gameplan but it certainly kept things entertaining. I say let’s have rounds four, five, and six.

Who would you like to see Court McGee matched up with for his first post-”TUF” fight?

Conlan: I have a feeling McGee may actually drop to welterweight for his next in-Octagon appearance since he’s only 5′11 and size is crucial in a promotion as deep in talent as the UFC. It also makes sense considering a number of past seasonal champions have done the same thing. The Ultimate Fighter is a great opportunity and often fighters are willing to risk competing against bigger guys to earn a contract, plus it makes maintaining/making weight easier.

As far as when Court will be in session again (you’re welcome Mauro Renallo), there are ton of opponents at 170 pounds for “The Crusher” to, well, crush. He clearly can’t be matched against one of the division’s top fighters but he also deserves better than a “gimme” dubya. Amir Sadollah seems possible based on his status as a former TUF winner himself and the fact that, at 3-2, the master of “Baboo Baby” technique could use a semi-winnable fight. Season 9 champ James Wilks is also in a similar position but ended up on the right side of a decision at UFC 115 instead of the wrong one, as Amir did at UFC 114.

Tool: I’m not so sure that McGee will drop down in weight, since he’s not yet announced any plans to do so. I’m going to try and pick someone at middleweight, and furthermore I’ll try to follow the UFC’s traditional model of giving their “TUF” champs a somewhat “lesser” opponent in their first post-show fight.

With that in mind my pick goes to Joe Doerksen. Doerksen is the very definition of a journeyman fighter, with enough name value to provide McGee a nice little boost with a win. At the same time if McGee comes up short in this fight it’s a bit more understandable given the fact that he’s facing an opponent with such a depth of experience. Stylistically the two match up well, as neither man is technically proficient in striking even though they are willing to stand and trade. McGee would have the wrestling advantage, but Doerksen could present a problem with his jiu-jitsu skills.

A miscarriage of justice in the main event between Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus ended what had been a fantastic night of fights during WEC 49 on a sour note.

Varner and Shalorus fought to a split draw according to the judges in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada this evening, although many ringside observers and fans at home would disagree with the ruling.

Varner had his way with Shalorus standing for the bulk of the first two rounds between the two heavy handed lightweights, utilizing an edge in speed and power with his punches to frustrate and rock “The Prince of Persia” on multiple occasions. Seemingly tipping the scales even further in Varner’s favor, Shalorus was docked a point in the second round due to a series of cringe-worthy kicks to the groin. Shalorus made a case for winning the third round after thrusting his foot into Varner’s groin one last time, securing a takedown and working some good old fashioned ground and pound for a large portion of the final frame.

When the dust had a chance to settle following three action packed rounds between the two it was revealed that the bout had been ruled a draw with one judge giving the bout to Varner via a score of 29-27, while another gave it to Shalorus 29-27, and the final judge ruled the bout even at 28-28.

In what should easily be ruled the fight of the night, Mark Hominick came back from being technically frustrated standing for the majority of the first round and rocked in the second round by fellow Canadian featherweight Yves Jabouin to stop his foe with a volley of strikes on the ground in an electrifying back and forth battle.

Josh Grispi confirmed the widespread belief that he is one of the top young fighters in the sport to keep an eye on with a nasty first round guillotine over the seasoned L.C. Davis that left the veteran completely unconscious.

Chris Horodecki bounced back from a defeat in his last bout with an impressive showing this evening against a green Danny Downes. Horodecki picked apart his game opponent at will standing before a third round rear-naked choke put the icing on the cake and the talented Shawn Tomkins fighter back in the winner’s circle.

A full list of results from WEC 49 is below:

Renan Barao def. Anthony Leone via submission (armbar) – Round 3

Chris Cariaso def. Rafael Rebello via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)

Diego Nunes def. Rafael Assuncao via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Eric Koch def. Bendy Casimir via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1

Wagnney Fabiano def. Frank Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Will Kerr def. Karen Darabedyan via submission (armbar) – Round 1

Eddie Wineland def. Will Campuzano via TKO (strikes) – Round 1

Chris Horodecki def. Danny Downes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3

Josh Grispi def. L.C. Davis via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Mark Hominick def. Yves Jabouin via TKO (strikes) – Round 2

Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus fight to split draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28)

The weigh-ins for the World Extreme Cagefighting’s next event, “WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus” will take place today at 7 PM EST (4 PM PST).

The weigh-ins are taking place at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the same venue for Sunday’s event. The main card will be carried on the Versus network live beginning Sunday night.

Fans can watch today’s weigh-ins live at WEC.tv, which hosts a live video stream that can be viewed by anyone with a fast enough internet connection (isn’t that all of us by now?).

The event is headlined by a lightweight bout between former WEC champ Jamie Varner who takes on the “Prince of Persia” Kamal Shalorus.

The full “WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus” card appears as follows:

Main Card

Lightweight bout: Kamal Shalorus (155) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Featherweight bout Mark Hominick (144.5) vs. Yves Jabouin (145)
Featherweight bout: L.C. Davis (146) vs. Josh Grispi (145)
Lightweight bout: Danny Downes (156) vs. Chris Horodecki (154)
Bantamweight bout: Will Campuzano (136) vs. Eddie Wineland (135.5)

Preliminary Card

Lightweight bout: Karen Darabedyan (155.6) vs. Will Kerr (155)
Bantamweight bout: Wagnney Fabiano (135.5) vs. Frank Gomez (135.5)
Featherweight bout: Bendy Casimir (145.5) vs. Erik Koch (145.5)
Featherweight bout: Rafael Assuncao (144.5) vs. Diego Nunes (144)
Bantamweight bout: Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Rafael Rebello (135)
143 pound catchweight bout: Renan Barao (141.5) vs. Anthony Leone (142)

Frank Curreri, WEC - Kamal Shalorus' dogged pursuit of "The American Dream" runs through Canada and former WEC champion Jamie Varner. And the Iranian-born globetrotter, who now resides in Austin, Tex., is playing mind tricks on himself right before Sunday night's main event in Edmonton, Alberta.

Press Release

EMMY-AWARD WINNING SPORTSCASTER BRUCE BECK AND FORMER BOXING WORLD CHAMPION
BOBBY CZYZ

NEW YORK, NY (May 11, 2010) – Not only will MMA fans see a great evening of mixed martial arts competition on May 15TH, but they will also hear expert commentary from the broadcast team brought on-board to announce the event. Shine Fights Promotion CEO Devin Price today announced that 2006 New York Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Sports Anchor Bruce Beck and three-time world champion Bobby Czyz have joined MMA star Jason Chambers to form the broadcast team for the May 15th PPV broadcast of “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas.” In addition, Karyn Bryant will serve as a correspondent for the broadcast. Bryant’s lengthy television experience includes assignments with SHOWTIME’s Championship Boxing series, CBS’ “The Early Show” (Guest Anchor), CNN’s “77th Academy Awards Red Carpet” program (Host), and TNT’s “Super Bowl 98″ (Host/Reporter).

Beck is a household name among sports fans, having hosted an array of sports programs and covered a multitude of major sporting events. He is in his thirteenth year with News 4 New York, and is the station’s lead sports anchor. In 2006 he received the New York Emmy for Outstanding Sports Anchor, and for three consecutive years (2007-2009) he was selected as New York State Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Among the sports programs he has hosted are Mike’d Up, News 4 New York’s Sunday Night Sports Show, the Toyota Giants Report with Coach Tom Coughlin, and The Rutgers Report with Coach Greg Schiano. The list of sporting events he has covered for News 4 New York reads like a grocery list of the world’s premier competitions: Super Bowl’s XLII and XLIII, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the NCAA Final Four, the Kentucky Derby and the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 Olympic Games. Beck also served as the blow-by-blow announcer for numerous UFC events, including UFC 4 thru UFC 15.

“I am looking forward to calling the action on this exciting presentation by Shine Fights,” said Beck. “And I can’t wait to see Ricardo Mayorga. This warrior has battled the likes of Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad in a boxing ring. Now he makes the transition to MMA in ‘Worlds Collide.’ Does he have the goods? We’ll find out soon enough!”

Czyz compiled a record of 44-8 (28 Kos) and won three world championships during his successful 18-year boxing career. A member of the “International High IQ Society” (Mensa) Czyz was also ranked in the top 10 in six different weight classes. Among the boxers he fought were Evander Holyfield, Prince Charles Williams, Donnie Lalonde, Virgil Hill, and Dennis Andries. Since retiring from boxing, Czyz has built a successful career as a broadcaster, most notably as a commentator for SHOWTIME’s “Championship Boxing” series.

“Ricardo Mayorga was an ‘ANIMAL’ in the boxing world and claims to have some grappling skills,” said Czyz. “We know that Din Thomas can grapple, so this may come down TO WHO LANDS WELL FIRST and WHO HAS THE BEST CHIN! I think this has to be an exciting fight based on the styles and tenacity of these two fighters!”

“We are very proud to announce this dynamic and well-rounded broadcast team,” said executive producer Brian Ricco. “‘Worlds Collide’ is a very unique event and we have assembled a diversified team of talented announcers, with both boxing and MMA backgrounds, that will reflect this cutting edge event.”

Beck and Czyz will join previously announced Jason Chambers as part of the Shine Fights commentary team. Their debut will take place on the “Worlds Collide” fight card that will feature a 160-pound catchweight main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas. The co-main event will showcase a 185 lb. bout between former EliteXC Middleweight Champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Canadian warrior Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith. Also showcased will be a welterweight contest between MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian star Eduardo Pamplona. In addition, a surefire ground war is set to take place at 175 pounds between 2009 ADCC Absolute Champion Braulio Estima and former Olympic Judo competitor Rick Hawn. Also, a 205-pound grappler’s dream will also take place between Brazilian star Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira and IFL veteran and BJJ black belt Jamal “The Suit” Patterson, and a simmering slugfest between PRIDE veterans Charles “Kid Khaos” Bennett and Brazilian star Luiz Azeredo will round out the PPV-broadcast main card.

“WORLDS COLLIDE” is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT and will be produced by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

For more information on Shine Fights or “Worlds Collide,” please follow Shine on Twitter @ShineFights, Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/ShineFights), or become a fan on Facebook.

Alistair Overeem recently returned to the kickboxing arena during K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohoma, Japan and further established himself as one of the undisputed most dangerous strikers in the business.

It took Overeem all of two minutes and thirty seconds to send home the fight endning right knee to the chin of Dzevad Poturak for the TKO victory.

The recent K-1 victory for Overeem brings The Demolition Man’s overall professional kickboxing record up to 6-4.

Overeem is currenlty slated to return to MMA and Strikeforce on May 15 from St. Louis, Missouri during “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery” to defend the championship he captured back in November of 2007 against Brett “Grim” Rogers, which will be the first defense of the Strikeforce heavyweight championship.

A list of results from the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohoma, Japan is below:

Kyotaro def. Peter Aerts via knockout – Round 2

Badr Hari def. Alexey Ignashov via decision

Semmy Schilt def. Errol Zimmerman via decision

Kyotaro def. Peter Aerts via knockout – Round 2

Alistair Overeem def. Dzevad Poturak via knockout – Round 1

Jerome Le Banner def. Tyrone Spong via decision

Gokhan Saki beat def. Jaideep via decision

Sergei Lascenko def. Takumi Sato by unanimous decision

Tsutomu Takahagi def. Makoto Uehara via decision

Prince Ali def. Mitsugu Noda via decision

CHICAGO, Ill. (February 22, 2010) — Madison Square Garden has formed a co-promotional agreement with Bellator Fighting Championships to bring a total of four nationally televised Bellator events to two of the most historic and prestigious theaters in the United States, the Chicago Theatre and the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre in Boston.
 
The events — which will be broadcast on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo — will be staged at the legendary Chicago Theatre and the famed Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre in Boston, the same grand and majestic venues that, over the years, have hosted a collection of the world’s top entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Prince, Beyonce, Kanye West, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Neil Young, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and countless others.
 
“The Madison Square Garden name is synonymous with the greatest sports and entertainment events in U.S. history,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Moreover, these MSG venues, the Chicago Theatre and the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, are synonymous with the history and culture of their respective cities. We are thrilled to be aligning Bellator with these magnificent brands to bring world class, nationally televised mixed martial arts to Chicago, Boston, and the entire country.”
 
Dates for the four events of the series are as follows:
·         April 15, 2010 – Bellator XIV – The Chicago Theatre
·         May 6, 2010 – Bellator XVII – Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre Boston
·         August 19, 2010 – Bellator XXVI – The Chicago Theatre
·         October 21, 2010 – Bellator XXXV – Site To Be Announced (Boston or Chicago)
 
“Madison Square Garden is excited to bring the world’s fastest-growing sport to these historic venues,” said Joel Fisher, Madison Square Garden’s Executive Vice President of Sports Bookings and Arena Renovation. “We look forward to four great nights of action-packed fights in these legendary locations for the thousands who will be in attendance and the millions watching on FOX Sports Net, NBC, and Telemundo around the country.”
 
Each of Bellator’s 24 fights during Seasons 2 and 3 will be distributed live in primetime on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m.
 
Tickets for Bellator XIV at the Chicago Theatre, priced at $200, $150, $100, $65 and $35 will be on presale beginning Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m., and will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, thechicagotheatre.com, The Chicago Theatre Box Office, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. For more presale information, and to become a Chicago Theatre Insider, log onto www.thechicagotheatre.com/insider.
Presale and on-sale dates for the remaining events will be announced at a later date.
 
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Press Release.

On Friday, February 5th, Edmonton’s newest and most exciting Mixed Martial Arts organization will return to The Expo Center with a VENGEANCE.

Aggression MMA made huge waves in the Canadian Mixed Martial Arts scene with their inaugural show, “Aggression MMA: First Blood”. First Blood was a massively exciting card featuring an amazing mix of up-and-comers and established stars in MMA. It was also one of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts shows in Alberta history.

On February 5th, Aggression MMA will build on this success with their sophomore event, “Aggression MMA: Vengeance”.

THIS SHOW HAS SOME INCREDIBLE MATCH-UPS, INCLUDING:

**Main Event**

Jason “Dooms” Day vs Jesse Taylor

**Semi-Main Event**

Claude “Prince” Patrick vs Matt MacGrath

**Main Card**

7 fights, including:

Lee Mein vs Ilya Woronowski
Dan “Torture” Chambers vs Chase Dagenhardt
Robin Black vs Matt Knysh

THIS WILL BE A FANTASTIC NIGHT OF FIGHTS.

“Aggression MMA: Vengeance” is jammed full of interesting story lines, too.

In the main event, both Jason Day and Jesse Taylor are eager to show the UFC that they erred in releasing them. Day, an Alberta legend, was released by the UFC this year, and wants desperately to return. Taylor, of The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 infamy, wants to erase that chapter of his life with a victory over the highly-touted Day. With so much on the line for both competitors, this middleweight match-up is guaranteed to explode.

In the semi-main event, Claude Patrick, former TFC welterweight champion, faces a stern test in Halifax’s Matt MacGrath. Patrick, who seems to be on a collision course with famous Edmonton fighter Ryan Ford, needs to make a statement. MacGrath wants to prove he is at the top level. Expect fireworks.

AGGRESSION MMA: Vengeance – Friday, February 5th at The Expo Center in Edmonton Alberta.