MMA FanHouse http://mma.fanhouse.com MMA FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://mma.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif MMA FanHouse http://mma.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn by Far the Besthttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-by-far-the-best/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-by-far-the-best/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-by-far-the-best/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

B.J. PennThe lightweight division in mixed martial arts consists of B.J. Penn and everyone else.

We all know that Penn, the UFC champion, has established himself as the top lightweight in the sport. But after Penn, there are about a dozen guys who are practically interchangeable. That list includes UFC fighters like Penn's next opponent (Diego Sanchez), his last opponent (Kenny Florian), and some past and future UFC opponents like Gray Maynard, Frank Edgar and Sean Sherk.
And the list of lightweights who could make a case for being at or near No. 2 in the lightweight division also includes Dream champion Shinya Aoki, Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez, Sengoku champion Mizuto Hirota and Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson. So my list of the 10 best lightweights in MMA is basically B.J. Penn and a toss-up among everyone else.

Top 10 Lightweights in MMA
1. B.J. Penn
2. Kenny Florian
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Diego Sanchez
6. Gray Maynard
7. Frank Edgar
8. Sean Sherk
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Mizuto Hirota

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn by Far the Best originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>B.J. PennDiego SanchezEddie AlvarezFrank EdgarGray MaynardJosh ThomsonKenny FlorianMizuto HirotaMMA rankingsSean SherkShinya AokiMichael David SmithMon, 16 Nov 2009 08:27:00 EST Bellator Champ Hector Lombard Set for CFC Title Defense on Nov. 20http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/bellator-champ-hector-lombard-set-for-cfc-title-defense-on-nov/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/bellator-champ-hector-lombard-set-for-cfc-title-defense-on-nov/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/bellator-champ-hector-lombard-set-for-cfc-title-defense-on-nov/#commentsFiled under: ,



Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard, recovering from a concussion that led to the postponement of the entire Oct. 9 Cage Fighting Championship 11 card in Queensland, Australia, will meet UFC veteran Kalib Starnes in the rescheduled date and location of Nov. 20 in Sydney.

It will be Lombard (22-2-1)'s first trip back into the cage since he was crowned the Bellator champion in June by stopping previously undefeated Jared Hess. Video of the fight is above.

Lombard, a Cuban with citizenship in Australia, is a former Olympic judoka and fights out of the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. The 31-year-old has spent the majority of his career fighting in Australia and has already competed six times for the Cage Fighting Championship. His two career losses, both decisions, came in 2006 against Akihiro Gono and Gegard Mousasi in PRIDE Bushido events.

Lombard will look to defend his CFC belt for a sixth time when he meets Starnes, a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 3 and a five-time UFC competitor. Starnes holds wins over Chris Leben and Jason MacDonald.

Bellator Champ Hector Lombard Set for CFC Title Defense on Nov. 20 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Hector LombardHectorLombardKalib StarnesKalibStarnesRay HuiMon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST Eddie Alvarez Wins at Dream.12, Bellator Champ Keeps Getting Betterhttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/eddie-alvarez-wins-at-dream-12-bellator-champ-keeps-getting-bet/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/eddie-alvarez-wins-at-dream-12-bellator-champ-keeps-getting-bet/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/eddie-alvarez-wins-at-dream-12-bellator-champ-keeps-getting-bet/#commentsFiled under: ,

In a match-up of the Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion and the DEEP lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez demonstrated by defeating Katsunori Kikuno with a second-round submission at Dream 12 that he's a fighter who just keeps getting better.

Kikuno got Alvarez in trouble early, putting him in an odd neck crank that didn't seem close to making him tap -- but was clearly causing him pain -- at the start of the first round. But Alvarez survived the early onslaught, and in the second round he used his punching power to drop Kikuno, and forced Kikuno to tap with an arm triangle choke.

Alvarez was once known as a brawler who won or lost by trading punches, but he's a much more complete fighter than that now. After losing with a quick heel hook submission to Shinya Aoki on New Year's Eve, Alvarez has worked hard on improving his ground game, and he won the Bellator lightweight tournament by submitting all three of his opponents. He's now a real threat on the ground. You couldn't say that about him a year ago.

Alvarez has been one of the most active fighters in the sport over the last couple years, going 4-1 in 2008 and now 4-0 in 2009. Bellator has big plans to keep him active, with at least one fight in both its second and third seasons of 2010. It'll be great for the larger audience on Fox Sports Net to see Alvarez, because he's one of MMA's most exciting lightweights. And now that he's gotten better on the ground, he's also one of the best.

Eddie Alvarez Wins at Dream.12, Bellator Champ Keeps Getting Better originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dream 12Dream12Eddie AlvarezEddieAlvarezKatsunori KikunoKatsunoriKikunoMichael David SmithSun, 25 Oct 2009 06:54:00 EST Jon Anik 'Confident' He'll Return as Bellator FC's Play-by-Play Manhttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/jon-anik-confident-hell-return-as-bellator-fcs-play-by-play/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/jon-anik-confident-hell-return-as-bellator-fcs-play-by-play/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/jon-anik-confident-hell-return-as-bellator-fcs-play-by-play/#commentsFiled under:



Bellator FC recently announced a new television deal with Fox Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo, which will begin airing in April 2010, but the organization has yet to finalize its broadcasting team.

Jon Anik, the host of ESPN.com's MMA Live and the English play-by-play man for the first season of Bellator FC action, told FanHouse on Tuesday that despite the fact that the events will be airing live Thursdays on FSN, which is the same day MMA Live currently tapes its weekly show, he was "confident" he will return to call the action once again.

"Obviously, there is a potential conflict with MMA Live on Thursdays but a conflict that I think can be resolved," Anik wrote via e-mail. "I'm just thrilled this was able to come together for Bjorn and Bellator because I know how hard he and his team worked to get it done."

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney told FanHouse's Michael David Smith on Tuesday that he wants to bring back the same English announce team as last season, which included Jason Chambers as color analyst.

"I was very pleased working with Jon Anik and Jason Chambers calling our fights last year and I hope we'll have them both back next year. We're pretty confident we'll be able to keep both of our announcing teams, English and Spanish, intact," Rebney said.

Rebney also said that the organization will be sticking with the tournament format for season. Last season, Bellator crowned Joe Soto (featherweight), Eddie Alvarez (lightweight), Lyman Good (welterweight) and Hector Lombard (middleweight) as their inaugural champions.

Jon Anik 'Confident' He'll Return as Bellator FC's Play-by-Play Man originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bjorn rebneyBjornRebneyjon anikJonAnikAriel HelwaniWed, 21 Oct 2009 14:21:00 EST Bellator's Bjorn Rebney on Fox Sports Net, YouTube, Tournaments, Morehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellators-bjorn-rebney-on-fox-sports-net-youtube-tournaments/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellators-bjorn-rebney-on-fox-sports-net-youtube-tournaments/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellators-bjorn-rebney-on-fox-sports-net-youtube-tournaments/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bellator Fighting Championships became the latest mixed martial arts promotion to announce a TV deal on Tuesday, with word that the promotion will have live fights on Fox Sports Net in 2010, as well as highlight shows on NBC and Spanish-language broadcasts on Telemundo.

In an interview with FanHouse, Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney said the new TV deals are a major boost for Bellator, but he added that not much else will change for the promotion. He said Bellator will continue to arrange its seasons around tournament formats, and will continue to put its best fights on YouTube. Rebney's comments are below.

On what this TV deal means: It means we were able to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish: We've increased the reach of our show dramatically in English-language households, we've established ourselves with a weekly show -- same time, same day, same channel. We have a deal in place to be on NBC. And after launching with ESPN Deportes and getting a following in the Spanish market, now we're with Telemundo which reaches virtually every Spanish household in the United States. It's a very strong alliance.

On keeping the announcement from leaking: I'm a little shocked that we were able to keep it as quiet as we were able to keep it because we've known about it for a long time.

On whether Bellator can stick around longer than other MMA promotions: This deal ensures that we're here for the long term. Bellator Fighting Championships will be around for five years, for 10 years, and we're not going away the way so many organizations have in this sport.

On reports that Bellator was likely to end up on ESPN or ESPN2: We had great success with ESPN. They were a magical launch pad and a really good partner -- they were great to work with. As for what happened with our negotiations with ESPN, I have to keep my conversations with ESPN confidential, other than to say they were great to start this off with.

On Fox Sports Net pre-empting Bellator for other sports: There will be times when they do. Our spot is an 8-10 spot Eastern time. We'll go 8-10 Eastern every Thursday night. The unique makeup of FSN is that if there's a big hockey game on FSN, we can get pre-empted, so yes, there will be some movement, but we're slated for a scheduled start time of 8 to 10 every Thursday night. On the West Coast, which is such a stronghold for MMA, they're going to delay our show three hours. So it will be 8 to 10 Pacific time, a three-hour delay in the L.A. market.

On Bellator's broadcasters: I was very pleased working with Jon Anik and Jason Chambers calling our fights last year and I hope we'll have them both back next year. We're pretty confident we'll be able to keep both of our announcing teams, English and Spanish, intact.

On whether Bellator will you keep up its popular YouTube channel: Absolutely. Our content will remain totally accessible. When those Bellator moments happen -- when the next Toby Imada triangle happens, you're going to see it on YouTube. That's about building the brand. Much of what we accomplished last year was through YouTube, when those amazing Bellator moments happened. We're going to keep putting it out there.

On whether pay-per-view is a possibility: Yes, but the key to pay-per-view is doing it when the time is right. When the time is right for pay-per-view we'll look at that, but for now the key for us is to expose the fans to our great fights.

On the tournament format: The fighters controlling their own destiny is the cornerstone of our business. If we want to continue to expand the reach of fighting sports, they need to be better connected to other sports that have clearly defined ways for champions to be crowned.

On what's next for Bellator's four champions, Joe Soto, Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard and Lyman Good: I'm keeping the guys busy. Joe just fought in Northern California and will fight again in January. Eddie fights Sunday in Dream. Hector and Lyman will fight again soon as well. Once our second season starts, we'll put them in superfights, and during Season 2 we'll crown four tournament winners in featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight, and then we'll have those tournament winners fight our champions in Season 3. In Season 3, we'll also do tournaments at heavyweight, light heavyweight and probably bantamweight.

On adding new fighters for Season 2: We're recruiting a lot of great fighters for Bellator, but I don't want to name any of them just yet because publicly identifying them heats things up.

On being a competitor to the UFC: When I used to watch the IFL and EliteXC and Affliction talk about how they were better than the UFC, I thought they sounded like idiots. The UFC is, to a large extent, the reason we're talking about MMA right now. They do great shows. I buy their pay-per-views, I watch their shows on Spike, and I buy tickets to their events. They've been on the cover of Forbes. To say you're going to walk in and be competitive with the UFC doesn't make a lot of sense. At the same time, you shouldn't get into this business if you don't want to be competitive at the highest level. I don't think any legitimate businessperson -- or any legitimate fighter -- gets into it wanting to be No. 2. We absolutely want to be competitive with the best, and we're putting the deals in place to accomplish that.

On Bellator's pay structure: Our Season 3 championship tournaments will keep the same pay structure, where the winner gets $175,000. Our Season 2 challenger tournaments will still pay the winners more than $100,000 but it won't be the $175,000 that guys win for winning a championship tournament. When you're fighting for our title, you get more.

On where Bellator will have shows in 2010: All over the country. We've been talking to different venues and we'll be all over the country. We did events at the Mohegan Sun that were successful, we did a great show in Monroe, La., we had a show at the Hard Rock in Florida, and I think we'll be back to those places and some new venues. We'll be everywhere.

Bellator's Bjorn Rebney on Fox Sports Net, YouTube, Tournaments, More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bjorn RebneyBjornRebneyMichael David SmithTue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST Bellator to Air Live on Fox Sports Net, Highlights on NBChttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellator-to-air-live-on-fox-sports-net-highlights-on-nbc/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellator-to-air-live-on-fox-sports-net-highlights-on-nbc/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/bellator-to-air-live-on-fox-sports-net-highlights-on-nbc/#commentsFiled under:



The upstart MMA promotion Bellator Fighting Championships has announced that it will be back in 2010, with shows airing live on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net. Taped highlight packages will air in the wee hours of Sunday mornings on NBC, and Bellator has also reached an agreement with Telemundo for Spanish-language distribution.

"Since our launch earlier this year, there has been an overwhelming demand from MMA fans nationwide for us to broadcast our events live and through a widely available platform," Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have signed this groundbreaking agreement with FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo, which will bring our unique and exciting brand of tournament-based MMA events to a dramatically expanded audience of both English- and Spanish-speaking fans."

Bellator will continue its tournament format, so at the end of each season it will crown new tournament champions, just as it did in its first season with Joe Soto, Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard and Lyman Good. The first event of Bellator's second season will air live in prime time on Thursday, April 8, 2010 on Fox Sports Net. The second season will run for 12 straight weeks, and then Season 3 is scheduled to begin on August 12, also running for 12 straight weeks.

Bellator to Air Live on Fox Sports Net, Highlights on NBC originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithTue, 20 Oct 2009 07:42:00 EST The MMA Hour: Mauro Ranallo, Jon Anik Talk MMA's Television Futurehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/10/the-mma-hour-mauro-ranallo-jon-anik-talk-mmas-television-futu/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/10/the-mma-hour-mauro-ranallo-jon-anik-talk-mmas-television-futu/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/10/the-mma-hour-mauro-ranallo-jon-anik-talk-mmas-television-futu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

On this week's edition of The MMA Hour, we were joined by Strikeforce commentator Mauro Ranallo to talk about his career in MMA media and the future of the organization.

Later in the show, we spoke to the host of ESPN.com's MMA Live, Jon Anik, about the evolution of the program and the UFC 103 vs. HBO boxing pay-per-view clash coming up on Sept. 19. Check out the newest episode below.


[Subscribe to the audio on iTunes or download the MP3 or video directly from our feed]

The MMA Hour: Mauro Ranallo, Jon Anik Talk MMA's Television Future originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jon anikJonAnikmauro ranalloMauroRanallothe mma hourTheMmaHourufc 103Ufc103Ariel HelwaniThu, 10 Sep 2009 22:15:00 EST Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney: We're the Top in Tournament Fightinghttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/07/bellator-ceo-bjorn-rebney-were-the-top-in-tournament-fighting/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/07/bellator-ceo-bjorn-rebney-were-the-top-in-tournament-fighting/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/07/bellator-ceo-bjorn-rebney-were-the-top-in-tournament-fighting/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has no qualms with admitting that his organization is currently not competitive with the UFC, but he's holding high hopes that Bellator's tournament format and over 150 million-home distribution platform will eventually make them a major player in the fight promoting business.

"If your intent is not to at some point compete with the UFC, then you shouldn't be in the business," Rebney tells FanHouse in this exclusive interview.

In the final video of our five-part interview, I asked Rebney how he compares his promotion at this stage to other organizations like Strikeforce and the UFC.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney: We're the Top in Tournament Fighting originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bjorn rebneyBjornRebneyRay HuiMon, 07 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST Bellator CEO Shares Insight on MMA Television Programminghttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/bellator-ceo-shares-insight-on-mma-television-programming/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/bellator-ceo-shares-insight-on-mma-television-programming/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/bellator-ceo-shares-insight-on-mma-television-programming/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Bellator Fighting Championships has not yet determined what day its weekly live events will be held on for its second season beginning early 2010.

Season one events were held live every Friday accompanied by a tape-delayed broadcast Saturday on ESPN Deportes. However, for next season's live televised events, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are all possibilities.

In this FanHouse exclusive, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney shares his insight on programming MMA events for television.

Bellator CEO Shares Insight on MMA Television Programming originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bjorn rebneyBjornRebneyRay HuiSun, 06 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST Bellator CEO Talks Women's Tournament, EA Sports MMA Gamehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/bellator-ceo-talks-womens-tournament-ea-sports-mma-video-game/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/bellator-ceo-talks-womens-tournament-ea-sports-mma-video-game/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/bellator-ceo-talks-womens-tournament-ea-sports-mma-video-game/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tournaments featuring featherweights, lightweights, welterweights, middleweights, heavyweights and possibly females, bantamweights and light heavyweights are in store for season two and three of the Bellator Fighting Championships.

In this exclusive interview with FanHouse, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney says his plan for season two is to name challengers for its four current champions, and in season three he'll crown titleholders in the heavyweight class, in either the bantamweight or light heavyweight division and perhaps a women's division.

Also, Rebney tells FanHouse that gamers can expect Bellator fighters in the EA Sports MMA video game.

Bellator CEO Talks Women's Tournament, EA Sports MMA Game originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HuiSat, 05 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST MMA Chat: UFN 19, UFC 103, Morehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/mma-chat-ufn-19-ufc-103-more/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/mma-chat-ufn-19-ufc-103-more/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/mma-chat-ufn-19-ufc-103-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


It's Friday, so that means it's time to chat about some mixed martial arts. We've got a rare quiet weekend of MMA action coming up, but that doesn't mean there isn't a ton to discuss. Are we about to witness Roger Huerta's final UFC fight? Does Gray Maynard deserve a shot at the lightweight title if he beats Huerta? Where would a win over Rich Franklin place Vitor Belfort in the UFC's middleweight division? And what's next for Bellator FC? We'll chat about all those topics and much more. Hope to see you there.

Friday's live chat starts below at 1PM ET.

MMA Chat: UFN 19, UFC 103, More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>gray maynardGrayMaynardroger huertaRogerHuertaufc 103Ufc103UFN 19Ufn19vitor belfortVitorBelfortAriel HelwaniFri, 04 Sep 2009 12:29:00 EST Bellator CEO Talks Talent Exchanges, Allowing Champs to Fight Elsewherehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/bellator-ceo-talks-talent-exchanges/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/bellator-ceo-talks-talent-exchanges/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/bellator-ceo-talks-talent-exchanges/#commentsFiled under: ,

In the midst of the at least six-month downtime in between the first season and the early 2010 premiere of Bellator season two, the promotion's champions will be allowed to stay active and challenge themselves in other promotions.

In part two of five of our exclusive interview with Bjorn Rebney, the Bellator CEO and co-founder talks to FanHouse about allowing contracted fighters to fight elsewhere, exchanging talent with other promotions and explains why he is not concerned if one or more of his champions were to suffer a loss outside of Bellator.

Bellator CEO Talks Talent Exchanges, Allowing Champs to Fight Elsewhere originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bjorn rebneyBjornRebneyRay HuiFri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EST Bellator CEO: Season Two Will Be Available in Over 150 Million Homeshttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/bellator-ceo-season-two-will-be-available-in-over-150-million-h/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/bellator-ceo-season-two-will-be-available-in-over-150-million-h/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/bellator-ceo-season-two-will-be-available-in-over-150-million-h/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bellator has signed a new deal that will give the promotion a distribution platform to reach both an English and Spanish-language audience of over 150 million households across the country.

While Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney remains hush-hush on naming the broadcast partner, he sheds some details in this exclusive interview with FanHouse on the new deal which addresses criticism from its inaugural season on ESPN Deportes regarding the lack of live coverage and Spanish-speaking only TV deal.

Bellator CEO: Season Two Will Be Available in Over 150 Million Homes originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bjorn rebneyBjornRebneyRay HuiThu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST Eddie Alvarez Gives a Bully a Beatdownhttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/26/eddie-alvarez-gives-a-bully-a-beatdown/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/26/eddie-alvarez-gives-a-bully-a-beatdown/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/26/eddie-alvarez-gives-a-bully-a-beatdown/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Bully Beatdown, the MTV show in which Jason "Mayhem" Miller forces bullies into the cage with MMA fighters while the bullies' victims sit by and watch, returns for its second season Thursday night. In the video below, Eddie Alvarez puts a bully in his place.



Alvarez, the Bellator lightweight champion, submitted all three of his opponents in winning the Bellator lightweight tournament. He also submitted the bully, getting him in an arm triangle choke.

Eddie Alvarez Gives a Bully a Beatdown originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bully BeatdownBullyBeatdownEddie AlvarezEddieAlvarezJason Mayhem MillerJason MillerJasonMayhemMillerJasonMillerMichael David SmithWed, 26 Aug 2009 22:10:00 EST MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn Is the Best, Then There's Everyone Elsehttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/11/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-is-the-best-then-theres-eve/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/11/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-is-the-best-then-theres-eve/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/08/11/mma-top-10-lightweights-b-j-penn-is-the-best-then-theres-eve/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



In B.J. Penn's seven fights since returning to the UFC in 2006, he's 4-3. That record doesn't even come close to telling the story of Penn, the most dominant lightweight fighter in MMA history.

Penn is 4-0 when fighting at lightweight, and he has absolutely dominated all four opponents: Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk and, most recently, Kenny Florian Saturday night at UFC 101. The three losses came when he foolishly tried to move up to welterweight to take on Matt Hughes and Georges St Pierre (twice). When Penn is a well-conditioned 155 pounds -- as he was against Florian on Saturday night -- he's all but unbeatable.

And that raises an interesting issue that faced me when I made my new rankings of the Top 10 lightweights in MMA: There's such a huge gap between Penn and everyone else that I have absolutely no idea how to order the nine guys after Penn.

I think Florian, who became the first lightweight in more than six years to make it into the fourth round with Penn, deserves to remain at No. 2. But if you want to say Penn's next opponent, Diego Sanchez, ought to be No. 2, that's fine too. Or one of the other top UFC lightweights, like Gray Maynard or Frank Edgar. Or you could say it should be Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, or Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, or Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson, or maybe even Sengoku lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota, who didn't even make my Top 10. I just know that Penn is No. 1.

Top 10 Lightweights in MMA
1. B.J. Penn
2. Kenny Florian
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Diego Sanchez
6. Gray Maynard
7. Frank Edgar
8. Sean Sherk
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Josh Thomson

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn Is the Best, Then There's Everyone Else originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BJ PennBjPennDiego SanchezDiegoSanchezEddie AlvarezEddieAlvarezFrank EdgarFrankEdgarGray MaynardGrayMaynardJoachim HansenJoachimHansenJosh ThomsonJoshThomsonKenny FlorianKennyFlorianMMA rankingsMmaRankingsSean SherkSeanSherkShinya AokiShinyaAokiMichael David SmithTue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST Toby Imada: Best MMA Submission of 2009 (So Far)http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/toby-imada-best-mma-submission-of-2009-so-far/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/toby-imada-best-mma-submission-of-2009-so-far/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/toby-imada-best-mma-submission-of-2009-so-far/#commentsFiled under: ,



It was the YouTube highlight that put the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships on the map, and it was an easy choice for our MMA Submission of the Half Year: Toby Imada choking out Jorge Masvidal with an inverted triangle.

Imada would become a YouTube star, with around half a million people watching the video of his incredible submission online. But while the submission looks crazy, Imada says it's a move he practices all the time.

"It's something that I've always trained," Imada told FanHouse. "Whenever I get put in a certain situation, I always want to have a few moves I can execute. It just so happened that I ended up with Masvidal holding the single-leg on me and that's pretty much a gimme. So right there, I just went for it and he didn't try to get out; he kind of just stood up. So I locked it up and I finished it, just like I did in training a bunch of times before."

Here are some of our Submission of the Half Year runners-up:

Krzysztof Soszynski, for the kimura he used to get Brian Stann to tap at UFC 97. (A submission he explained here.)

Demian Maia, for the triangle choke he used to get Chael Sonnen to tap at UFC 95.

Joe Lauzon, for a sweet arm bar that got Jeremy Stephens to tap at Ultimate Fight Night 17.

Alan Belcher, for catching Denis Kang in a guillotine at UFC 93.

Marlon Sandro, for his standing arm triangle choke against Matt Jaggers at Sengoku Seventh Battle. (More on that here.)

Josh Grispi, for the guillotine that finished Jens Pulver in just 33 seconds at WEC 41.

Seth Dikun, for a flying triangle choke against Rolando Perez at WEC 41.

Toby Imada: Best MMA Submission of 2009 (So Far) originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Alan BelcherAlanBelcherDemian MaiaDemianMaiaJoe LauzonJoeLauzonJosh GrispiJoshGrispiKrzysztof SoszynskiKrzysztofSoszynskiKrzyzstof SoszynskiKrzyzstofSoszynskiMarlon SandroMarlonSandroMMA half year awardsMmaHalfYearAwardsSeth DikunSethDikunToby ImadaTobyImadaMichael David SmithWed, 01 Jul 2009 11:55:00 EST MMA Top 10 Lightweights: Eddie Alvarez, Diego Sanchez Impresshttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/mma-top-10-lightweights-eddie-alvarez-diego-sanchez-impress/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/mma-top-10-lightweights-eddie-alvarez-diego-sanchez-impress/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/mma-top-10-lightweights-eddie-alvarez-diego-sanchez-impress/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It was a big weekend for the lightweights in MMA, with Eddie Alvarez winning the Bellator lightweight tournament on Friday night (above) and Diego Sanchez beating Clay Guida by split decision in a fight of the year candidate Saturday at the Ultimate Fighter Finale.

So what's next for Alvarez and Sanchez? Bellator will have to work hard to attract some top-notch lightweights to challenge Alvarez in their second season (I'm hoping they sign Joachim Hansen), while Sanchez thinks he's earned a shot at the UFC lightweight belt (but I think he should fight Gray Maynard first). My list of the Top 10 lightweights in MMA is below.

1. B.J. Penn
2. Kenny Florian
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Joachim Hansen
6. Gray Maynard
7. Frank Edgar
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Sean Sherk
10. Josh Thomson

The big lightweight fights coming up this summer include Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro at Dream 10 on July 20, B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian at UFC 101 on August 8, and Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15.

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: Eddie Alvarez, Diego Sanchez Impress originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BJ PennBjPennClay GuidaClayGuidaDiego SanchezDiegoSanchezEddie AlvarezEddieAlvarezFrank EdgarFrankEdgarGray MaynardGrayMaynardJoachim HansenJoachimHansenJosh ThomsonJoshThomsonKenny FlorianKennyFlorianSean SherkSeanSherkShinya AokiShinyaAokiMichael David SmithSun, 21 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST Bellator Highlight Video: Stefanie Guimareas KOs Yvonne Reishttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/bellator-highlight-video-stefanie-guimareas-kos-yvonne-reis/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/bellator-highlight-video-stefanie-guimareas-kos-yvonne-reis/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/bellator-highlight-video-stefanie-guimareas-kos-yvonne-reis/#commentsFiled under: ,



Two of the reasons I'm impressed with the upstart MMA promotion Bellator Fighting Championships are that it has put together some very good women's fights, and that it puts its best highlights on YouTube. Both of those facts are on display above, with a video of Stefanie Guimareas knocking out Yvonne Reis with a knee to the chin.

The 19-year-old Guimareas was appearing in only her second MMA fight, and she's actually a Braizlian jiu jitsu specialist, not a striker. But she showed off some good Muay Thai skills in using the clinch and the knee to defeat Reis, a former Golden Gloves boxing champion.

The Guimareas-Reis fight was part of Bellator's final event of its inaugural season. For more Bellator highlights, click the links below.

Nick Pace KOs Collin Tebo
Joe Soto beats Yahir Reyes to win the featherweight championship.
Chad Leonhardt KOs Dan Keenan.
Kerry Vera beats Leslie Smith.
Yahir Reyes lands must-see KO.
Toby Imada becomes YouTube star.

Bellator Highlight Video: Stefanie Guimareas KOs Yvonne Reis originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Stefanie GuimareasStefanieGuimareasMichael David SmithSun, 21 Jun 2009 07:45:00 EST Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez Win Bellator Titleshttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/hector-lombard-eddie-alvarez-win-bellator-titles/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/hector-lombard-eddie-alvarez-win-bellator-titles/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/hector-lombard-eddie-alvarez-win-bellator-titles/#commentsFiled under:

Eddie Alvarez beat Toby Imada to win the lightweight title and Hector Lombard beat Jared Hess to win the middleweight title Friday night as the Bellator Fighting Championships brought its inaugural season to a close.

Alvarez, widely regarded as one of the Top 10 lightweights in MMA, entered the year as Bellator's best-known fighter, and he delivered as expected in the lightweight tournament. In Friday night's final, he caught Imada in a rear-naked choke just 38 seconds into the second round. The win improves his record to 18-2.

Lombard, a former Olympic judo competitor for his native Cuba, beat Hess by fourth-round TKO on a doctor stoppage due to a cut. The win improves Lombard's record to 21-2-1.

Alvarez and Lombard join featherweight champion Joe Soto and welterweight champion Lyman Good as the tournament winners of Bellator's inaugural season. Bellator's current plan is to begin a second season in September, with a new set of tournaments determining No. 1 contenders to challenge Soto, Good, Alvarez and Lombard.

Whether that all works out as planned it's too early to say; many MMA promotions have gotten off to a fast start and then failed to build on early momentum. But Bellator deserves credit for a solid first season, and in Soto, Good, Alvarez and Lombard, it has a good crop of champions.

Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez Win Bellator Titles originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Eddie AlvarezEddieAlvarezHector LombardHectorLombardJared HessJaredHessToby ImadaTobyImadaMichael David SmithFri, 19 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EST Video: Nick Pace KOs Collin Tebo With Flying Knee at Bellator XIhttp://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/video-nick-pace-kos-collin-tebo-with-flying-knee-at-bellator-xi/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/video-nick-pace-kos-collin-tebo-with-flying-knee-at-bellator-xi/http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/video-nick-pace-kos-collin-tebo-with-flying-knee-at-bellator-xi/#commentsFiled under: ,



Another week, another YouTube highlight from the Bellator Fighting Championships. This time it's Nick Pace using a flying knee to knock Collin Tebo cold at Friday's Bellator XI event.

Pace landed his knee right under Tebo's chin, sending him flat on his back. Although Pace did land one more punch -- knocking Tebo's mouthpiece out -- before the referee could stop the fight, the knee knocked Tebo out cold. Pace improved his MMA record to 2-0; Tebo was making his MMA debut and fell to 0-1.

Bellator XI also featured Lyman Good dominating Omar De La Cruz to become the first Bellator welterweight champion. Here's that video:



Overall, Bellator, an MMA upstart that isn't on live TV, has done a great job of using YouTube to make new fans. Links to more Bellator videos are below:

Joe Soto beats Yahir Reyes to win the featherweight championship.
Chad Leonhardt KOs Dan Keenan.
Kerry Vera beats Leslie Smith.
Yahir Reyes lands must-see KO.
Toby Imada becomes YouTube star.

Video: Nick Pace KOs Collin Tebo With Flying Knee at Bellator XI originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSun, 14 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST