Talented preliminary bouts added to Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove on May 15
Apr 13, 2015 Comments
(PRESS RELEASE) -- SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 9, 2015) ? A
talent-laden preliminary card for May's "Bellator MMA: Halsey vs.
Grove" event is starting to take shape with the addition of
welterweights Jesse
Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky
Rainey (10-3), bantamweights Joe
Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio
Duarte (18-5) and featherweight Jordan
Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar
Neves Jr. (30-0).
The new additions complement the four-bout main card for "Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove," which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5), light heavyweights Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. "Razor" Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) and welterweights Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. "Curtious" Curtis Millander (7-1).
"Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove" takes place on Friday, May 15, at
Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night's main card
airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while
preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.
Tickets for "Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove," which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.
Juarez, of Torrance, Calif., is a seven-time Bellator MMA veteran whose days with the company date back to the promotion's second show. The 33-year-old has been fighting professionally since 2006 but is currently enjoying one of the best runs of his career at 5-1 in his past six appearances, a run that includes Bellator MMA wins over Ron Keslar, Joe Williams and Jordan Smith.
Rainey, of Gastonia, N.C., fights for the fourth time under the Bellator MMA banner. All three of Rainey's Bellator MMA fights have ended in the first round, as he's bracketed TKO wins over Johnny Cisneros and Andy Murad around a loss to top contender Michael "Venom" Page. Seven of Rainey's 10 career wins have come by finish, including six by knockout.
A five-time Bellator MMA veteran, Taimanglo has quickly established himself as one of Guam's top fighting exports. A scrappy 30-year-old, Taimanglo never fails to entertain. He fought most recently in September, scoring a decision win over Michael Parker.
Fighting professionally since 2006, Duarte hails from Tijuana, Mexico. He makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of back-to-back submission wins over Marco Beristain and Ed West. Fifteen of Duarte's 18 career wins come by way of stoppage, including 11 by tapout.
The 24-year-old Parsons, of Fargo, N.D., is a member of California's famed Alliance MMA. Fighting professionally, Parsons has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world after winning 10 of his first 11 professional fights, including three by knockout and two by submission. Parsons made his Bellator MMA debut in April 2014, scoring a knockout win over Tim Bazer just four seconds into the second round.
Brazil's Neves Jr. has compiled an incredible career mark of 30-0 despite being just 20 years old. Competing professionally since 2011, when he was just 17 years old, Neves Jr. already owns a pair of Bellator MMA victories by TKO, as he downed Poppies Martinez in the first round of a September 2014 matchup and finished Josh Arocho in the second round of an April 2014 contest.
"Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove" ? Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Featured Light Heavyweight Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
The new additions complement the four-bout main card for "Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove," which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5), light heavyweights Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. "Razor" Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) and welterweights Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. "Curtious" Curtis Millander (7-1).
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Tickets for "Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove," which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.
Doors for "Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove" open at 3:30 p.m. PT local
time, and the first contest takes place 30 minutes later.
Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
Juarez, of Torrance, Calif., is a seven-time Bellator MMA veteran whose days with the company date back to the promotion's second show. The 33-year-old has been fighting professionally since 2006 but is currently enjoying one of the best runs of his career at 5-1 in his past six appearances, a run that includes Bellator MMA wins over Ron Keslar, Joe Williams and Jordan Smith.
Rainey, of Gastonia, N.C., fights for the fourth time under the Bellator MMA banner. All three of Rainey's Bellator MMA fights have ended in the first round, as he's bracketed TKO wins over Johnny Cisneros and Andy Murad around a loss to top contender Michael "Venom" Page. Seven of Rainey's 10 career wins have come by finish, including six by knockout.
A five-time Bellator MMA veteran, Taimanglo has quickly established himself as one of Guam's top fighting exports. A scrappy 30-year-old, Taimanglo never fails to entertain. He fought most recently in September, scoring a decision win over Michael Parker.
Fighting professionally since 2006, Duarte hails from Tijuana, Mexico. He makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of back-to-back submission wins over Marco Beristain and Ed West. Fifteen of Duarte's 18 career wins come by way of stoppage, including 11 by tapout.
The 24-year-old Parsons, of Fargo, N.D., is a member of California's famed Alliance MMA. Fighting professionally, Parsons has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world after winning 10 of his first 11 professional fights, including three by knockout and two by submission. Parsons made his Bellator MMA debut in April 2014, scoring a knockout win over Tim Bazer just four seconds into the second round.
Brazil's Neves Jr. has compiled an incredible career mark of 30-0 despite being just 20 years old. Competing professionally since 2011, when he was just 17 years old, Neves Jr. already owns a pair of Bellator MMA victories by TKO, as he downed Poppies Martinez in the first round of a September 2014 matchup and finished Josh Arocho in the second round of an April 2014 contest.
"Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove" ? Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Featured Light Heavyweight Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
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