13/01/2009
Bellator signs ICCMMA fighter Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
CHICAGO, Ill. (January 13, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships’ search for its next great featherweight has moved south to Brazil, where it was announced today that undefeated MMA phenom Patricio Pitbull has signed a long-term promotional agreement and will compete in Bellator’s Season 2 tournament.
The 23-year-old Pitbull is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is known throughout his home country for his devastating striking ability. He boasts a perfect 12-0 record with all but two of his fights finishing via KO, TKO or submission. Six of these 10 early finishes occurred in Round 1.
"In Bellator Season 1, Joe Soto came from nowhere to win our featherweight tournament and a six-figure check in just 90 days" said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "I believe Patricio Pitbull has the chance to do the same thing in Season 2. While he may be undiscovered by most U.S. fans, I can tell you that he is the real deal. I encourage you to go to YouTube and check him out for yourself."
Pitbull is the third fighter to join Bellator’s upcoming eight-man 145 lbs. tournament along with 12-1-1 Russian-born Georgi "Insane" Karakhanyan and 5-0 Canadian fighting prodigy William Romero. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 155, 170 and 185 lbs. with the winners of this year’s tournaments being declared No. 1 contenders to Bellator’s current roster of champions.
"I have been waiting for the opportunity to make my international debut for a long time," Pitbull, who speaks Portuguese, said through a translator. "Bellator has some outstanding featherweight fighters – particularly Joe Soto – and I am excited to have my chance to show America and the world what I can do in the cage."
Pitbull got his start in fighting sports at the age of 12 when he took up Jiu-Jitsu and, several years later, began training at Brazil’s famed Chute Boxe Academy, which has, over the years, produced such fighters as Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Wanderlei Silva and reigning Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.
Pitbull took his first professional MMA fight in 2004 while he was still a teenager and has been dominant in nearly every fight since, according to his manager, Ivan Canello.
"This guy really is like a pitbull—very small, but very, very powerful," Canello said. "From the bottom of my heart, I truly believe that he can win the Bellator tournament. He’s been waiting for his big chance for a long time and now he’s ready to go."
Pitbull is also excited for the exposure offered by Bellator’s historic TV distribution alliance, which Canello called "something that no other organization in the U.S. can provide."
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.
"Here in Brazil, it’s every fighter’s dream to come to the mecca for MMA — the United States," Canello said. "I know that Pitbull is going to take full advantage of this opportunity."
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bjorn Rebney on Twitter @BjornRebney or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
01/04/2010
Patricio Freire "Pitbull" gets international attention
09/01/2009
Michael Costa fights chinese super event
The Art of War Fighting Championship is China's premier martial arts tournament. This year’s “Ground Zero” competition at The Venetian Macao® features 12 action-packed bouts of mixed martial arts from the world's top fighters.
Norwegian fighter Simeon Thoresen goes up against Brazilian standout Michael Costa on the main fight card*. Thoresen is the protégé of Dream and Pride superstar, Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen. Costa is now training under MMA legend Wanderlei Silva. This match-up will prove to be one of the evening's best.
Also on the fight card is 2008 World Jiu-jitsu Champion, Antonio Braga Neto of Brazil versus the extremely dangerous Rodney Glunder of Holland. Braga Neto will put his grappling skills to the ultimate test against Glunder, who boasts victories over Cyrille Diabate, Valentijn Overeem, Cheick Congo and a stunning KO over DREAM middleweight superstar, Melvin Manhoef.
From: www.deltabridges.com
08/29/2009
Marcio Cesar "Gracinha" fights in Holland
Training at Mike´s Gym in Holland for more then 1 month, the fighter Marcio Cesar "Gracinha" is improving his Muay Thai with specialists such as Melvin Manhoef and his trainer Mike. In a interview for Brazilian website Portal do Vale Tudo "Gracinha" stated that he is fighting in October and its only the first of 3 fights he is doing before the end of 2009. ICCMMA is proud to have one more fighting competing abroad!
08/17/2009
07/17/2009
Cris Cyborg in New York
Hence an unconventional news conference in Manhattan. First the fighters were introduced to journalists and fans in
a typical conference setting; then the show went outside, to the corner of 8th Avenue and 33rd Street, where the women worked out in a cage.
The Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden served as the backdrop while Cyborg tossed around her husband, Evangelista Santos. He got up quickly; the black Rockstar Energy Drink
logo on the center of the mat was scorching hot in the July sun.
Pedestrians stopped for a look. Tour buses slowed for red lights and afforded passengers a view. Mauro Ranallo, armed with a microphone, implored all gawkers to push for the legalization of “MMA in
NYC” and to tune in Aug. 15 for Carano-Cyborg.
It was a good turnout, and the crowd stuck around for some time to see Carano’s brief workout on Thai pads held by Phil Nurse. The session prompted murmurs that Carano can’t match Cyborg’s power or
aggression. Truth is, the exhibitions were purposefully light and not much happened other than both women got the hell off that Rockstar logo each time they torched their toes on
it.
Regardless of how they’re portrayed over the next month as their showdown approaches, Carano and Cyborg believe they’re moving women’s MMA a long stride forward. They seem eager in their roles but not necessarily comfortable. One of Carano’s first comments Tuesday was that she doesn’t enjoy public speaking. Cyborg said the same. Yet between grinning and laughing awkwardly through an hour of questions and answers, they had no trouble articulating their hopes to catapult women’s MMA.
From Sherdog.com
06/09/2009
Art of Fighting Returns to Sarasota
Press Release
June 13, 2009 Art of Fighting will be hosting it’s third MMA event at Robarts Arena in Sarasota, FL. The night will be filled with highly talented match-ups such as Yasubey Enomoto, the undefeated Swiss fighter (6-0) and thai boxing champion, who will be facing local talented wrestler at 4-1 Eddie Hernandez. There will be 11 total fights starting with a debut bout for both opponents and ending with the Florida State Light Heavyweight Championship. The Versus channel “Tapout” show fighter TJ Cook (10-3) will be facing WEC vet Arriell Gandulla (5-2) to be crowned the first ever Light Heavyweight Florida State Champion.
BET’s “The Iron Ring” star Jamie Yager will be making his return to the AOF cage as he faces off against an extremely talented CT Turner. Both fighters have shown great striking skills in their careers and the match-up creates for an exciting bout. This fight is a knockout waiting to happen.
Print
Recommend this page