When these guys stepped in the cage tonight, two things were decided the Middleweight tournament final 100,000 dollar winner, and who was going to take Alexander Shlemenko for the Bellator Middleweight championship
No feeling out needed for these two large Middleweights, Spang opened up and was the aggresser early and got Falcao a little weak legged but he was able to recover very quickly. As the two rolled in the clinch well on the fence Falcao worked a take down and had Spangs back. Falcao landed a illegal knee to the head of Spang, and time was called and Falcao was deducted a point. After the bout restarted Spang looked a little bit more energized landed some good shots, along with a crazy 10 second exchange by both on the fence. Spang 10-9
In round to the two started exchanging and Falcao was able to grab the neck and spin both of them down, Falcao got the back of Spang and tried to flatten him out, but Spang was able to resist. Inching himself to the cage Spang worked up to his feet but was once again taking down by Falcao, Spang not giving up worked himself up twice more but everytime he got up Falcao was ready to take him down. Falcao 10-9
Falco opened round three with another takedown, Spang worked back to the cage and back up. While standing Spang latched on to Falcao’s neck and while adding pressure Falcao rolled out of it. Falcao slipped out of Spang’s grasp and latched on to his back. Spang worked back to his feet again and was able to gain some separation and traded with Falco but the fight ended the same way it started. Spang 10-9
My view Spang 29-28
Judges 29-27 for Maiquel Falcao is your season 6 Middleweight tournament winner and will fight Alexander Shlemenko for the Middleweight belt
Rickels v Amoussou got -down tonight for the right to fight Bryan Baker for a 10th of a million dollars, and the shot at the Bellator belt, currently held by undefeated Ben Askren.
Round one opened with a heavy kick by Amoussou, followed by a kick to Amoussou from Rickles…. But just a little lower then any kick to a man should be. When we came back to the show, Amoussos looked like he was shot out of a cannon as Amoussou worked three power takedowns in the round. Rickels looking a bit lost at times, Amoussou able to get in to top position at will and with seconds left in the 1st Amoussou landed some serious ground and pound and a leg lock attempt. Amoussou 10-9
Rickels down a round came out the aggressor, early in the round but once again Amooussou worked a trip and was in top position. After stalling on the ground the ref ordered the fight back up, after trading Amoussou used a flying knee to get Rickels to the fence. Amoussou wanting no part of Rickels stand up worked another trip and was once again in top position. Rickles from his back latched on to a arm of Amoussou, as Rickels cranked on it Amoussou picked him up twice and slammed him to the ground while Rickles was still attached. Rickles 10-9
Once again Rickels kicked Amoussou south of the border and time was called. Rickles again started to trade when the fight was back on and once more Amoussou got a takedown, only this time Rickels after a quick scramble worked his way to the top position. Rickels while in Amoussou’s guard was able to work his ground and pound and keep Amoussou on his back the rest of the fight. Rickels 10-9
My view Rickels 29-28
Judges 29-28 Rickels , 29-28 Amoussou and 29-28 Amoussou
Women’s MMA at its finest tonight was on display as Women’s Strawweight conventional number 1 and 2 were pitted to the test inside of the Bellator cage.
Short feeling out process by the women, Aguilar landed the cleaner punches as Fujii was still trying to get inside. Fujii worked a takedown and Aguilar worked back up to the feet, while in the clinch on the cage Aguilar landed some big knees. After escaping they worked back to the center Aguilar this time scored a take down and while in the top position, Fujii hooked on to the arm of Aguilar, it looked tight but she was able to roll and escape. Aguilar 10-9 in round one.
Fujii down a round come out quickly but found herself on the wrong end of the exchanges with Aguilar. Throughout the round were short exchanges by both the fights but in every exchange used her boxing to win the round. Aguilar 10-9
Down two rounds, Aguilar opened up the fresher fighter, landed some crisp shots. Fujii sensing desperation went for a takedown, it was originally stuffed but Fujii motored through and took her to the mat. On the ground both women worked and even though Aguilar was on her back she still was the busier fighter of the two. Aguilar 10-9
My view Aguilar 30-27
Judges view Aguilar defeats Fujii 29-28
After the fight Fujii said she was going to take some time off to think about whats next
In a Heavyweight tournament eliminator pits formerly undefeated fighter in Sparks taking on Asplund who has won 14 fights in a row. Sparks last loss come to current Bellator season 5 Heavyweight tournament winner in Eric Prindle. Ron Sparks how ever was not cleared medically before the fight and it was called off. Its unclear what the problem was but, the fight will happen again and could come as soon 70 but only time will tell. Say tuned for more details
In his stead Mark Holata (11-3) v Abe Wagner (10-5) was moved to the MTV2 card, and Holata ended the fight via ankle lock mid way through the 1st round. Holata with his win earned a seat in the Heavyweight tournament later this year.
By Josh Reese
A Bellator season 6 Middleweight tournament final is the fight that matters today, a fight between Maiquel Falcao (30-4-1NC) v Andreas Spang (8-1). The winner of tonight’s fight main card MTV2/Epix fight will not only be crowned the winner and receive 100,000 dollars and will fight Alexander Shlemenko (45-7) for the Bellator Middleweight belt left vacant by current UFC’er Hector Lombard.
Falcao a one time UFC fighter owns a 3 fight winning streak and a win in his only UFC appearance against Gerald Harris. Aside from his UFC and Bellator experience he has went to a decision once in his 27 fights inside of his home country Brazil. In Bellator’s tournament he holds wins over Norman Paraisy (10-2-1-1NC) and Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (16-2)
Spang a former boxer and K1 fighter uses his striker mentally to make his mark, before becoming an injury replacement at Bellator 66 he was 1-1 in the MFC. Bruno Santos was injured and couldn’t fight Brian Rogers (9-4) who was brought in to be MMA chum for Rogers, Spang instead pulled the upset and is now on track for a big prize if he can get past tonight’s fight
The Bellator 69 weigh-ins have been completed from Lake Charles, Louisiana in preparation for Bellator’s Friday night event at L’Auberge Casino Resort, which features the Bellator Season 6 Middleweight Tournament Finals between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang.
Also, Megumi Fujii will square off against Jessica Aguilar in a women’s feature fight while Ron Sparks will face Kevin Asplund in a heavyweight matchup.
Additionally, a highly-anticipated Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament semifinal will take place as Karl Amoussou takes on David Rickels. Both fighters had choice words for their opponent as Rickels began the verbal sparring.
“He can play head games,” Rickels said. “I know he has a heart in there. I’m going to find it and I’m going to crush it.”
The imposing Amoussou stared down his opponent and responded: “I just know I’m going to run right through him. Look at him, he’s ugly. Look at his body and look at my body. I’m going to destroy him.”
The heated rivalry between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang for the Bellator Season 6 Middleweight Tournament Championship was ignited once again by both fighters’ post weigh-in interviews.
With Spang stepping off the scale and telling the L’Auberge Casino Resort crowd to “expect fireworks,” his opponent Falcao responded: “I came to win. If I have to hurt him, I will.”
Bellator 69 will be broadcast LIVE on Friday, May 18 at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. The undercard will begin at 7:00 pm ET/ 6:00 pm CT and will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com.
The full results for Bellator 69 are below:
MAIN CARD:
Middleweight Tournament Final Fight: Maiquel Falcao (186 lbs.) vs. Andreas Spang (185.8 lbs.)*
Welterweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: David Rickels (170.6) vs. Karl Amoussou (170)
Women’s Feature Fight: Megumi Fujii (116) vs. Jessica Aguilar (115.6)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Ron Sparks (264.6) vs. Kevin Asplund (239)
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Abe Wagner (248.8) vs. Mark Holata (250.6)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Andrey Koreshkov (170.8) vs. Derrick Krantz (170.8)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Kalvin Hackney (156) vs. Emanuel Brooks (156)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Booker Arthur (145.4) vs. Shanon Slack (146)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (206) vs. Richard Hale (205)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Quayhagen (158.2) vs. Cliff Wright Jr. (155.6)**
*Falcao weighed in at 186 pounds on his second attempt. He originally weighed in at 188 pounds.
**Quayhagen and Wright Jr. have agreed to fight at a catchweight of 158 pounds. There was a 20 percent purse deduction from Quayhagen.
All eyes will be on Bellator as the promotion returns to Lake Charles, Louisiana for Bellator 69 from L’Auberge Casino Resort on Friday, May 18.
The night will feature the long-awaited battle between No. 1 ranked women’s 115-pound fighter Megumi Fujii and No. 2 ranked Jessica Aguilar, as well as the semifinals and finals of the $100,000 welterweight and middleweight tournaments respectively, along as a Heavyweight Tournament qualifier as knockout specialist Ron Sparks takes on rising star Kevin Asplund, who is currently riding a 15-fight win streak.
Tickets for the event are on sale and are available through Ticketmaster.com or at the L’Auberge Casino Resort Box Office. Tickets are priced from $40-$65.
The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 7 p.m. CST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. CST, with the first fight scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. EST.
Fans must be 21 years or older to enter the Event Center.
Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao will bring his explosive knockout power to the Bellator Middleweight Tournament Finals as he battles Swedish born Andreas Spang as both fierce competitors look to lock up a guaranteed title shot later this year.
Spang delivered a vicious knockout to Brian Rogers in the semifinals and will look to continue his impressive run with another dominating victory.
After Brian “The Beast” Baker punched his ticket to the Bellator Welterweight Finals at Bellator 67, David “The Caveman” Rickels and Karl “Psycho” Amoussou will look to do the same at Bellator 69. Both fighters can end a fight in the blink of an eye, and are sure to provide fireworks on May 18 from L’Auberge.
Lake Charles native Josh Quayhagen will have the hometown support in the Bellator cage when he takes on fellow lightweight Cliff Wright Jr. in a 155lb affair. Quayhagen gained popularity when he defeated Brazilian Muay Thai Kickboxing Champion Cosmo Alexander at Bellator 52 last year and is looking to keep the momentum going when he fights in front of family and friends from L’Auberge Casino Resort.
Bellator 69 will feature the return of unbeaten Russian import, Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov as he faces Shreveport’s Derrick Krantz in a welterweight matchup. Koreshkov put on a phenomenal display when he made his promotional debut at Bellator 63, knocking out Tiawan Howard, and will try to build off the win when he faces Krantz in enemy territory.
Also, a pair of light heavyweights step into the cage as Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament fighter Josh Burns makes the drop to 205lbs to take on Richard “Rare Breed” Hale. Hale, a well-rounded mixed martial artist that has posted 15 stoppages in 18 wins is most known for his Bellator 38 inverted triangle choke submission over Nik Fekete that had the MMA world abuzz.
The heavyweights return to L’Auberge as Mark Holata is eyeing victory when he takes on Abe Wagner. No stranger to the Bellator cage, both competitors bring incredible knockout power anytime they step into the cage, and are prepared for a slugfest on May 18.
The card will be rounded out as fast-rising prospect Emanuel “E.J.” Brooks will put his undefeated record on the line when he squares off against Kalvin Hackney in a lightweight contest. Brooks is looking to earn his fourth consecutive victory under the Bellator banner while Hackney, fighting out of nearby Alexandria, Louisiana, will attempt to rebound from a Bellator 45 submission loss.
MAIN CARD:
Middleweight Tournament Final Fight: Maiquel Falcao (30-4) vs. Andreas Spang (8-1)
Welterweight Tournament Semifinal Fight: David Rickels (10-0) vs. Karl Amoussou (14-4-2)
Women’s Feature Fight: Megumi Fujii (25-1) vs. Jessica Aguilar (13-4)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Ron Sparks (8-1) vs. Kevin Asplund (15-1)
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Abe Wagner (10-5) vs. Mark Holata (11-3)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Andrey Koreshkov (9-0) vs. Derrick Krantz (11-5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Kalvin Hackney (11-2) vs. Emanuel Brooks (6-0)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Josh Burns (6-5) vs. Richard Hale (18-4)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Quayhagen (3-0) vs. Cliff Wright Jr. (6-2)
The focus of the mixed martial arts world will be on the Bellator cage on Friday, May 18 as the long-awaited battle between No. 1 ranked women’s 115-pound fighter Megumi Fujii takes on No. 2 ranked Jessica Aguilar at Bellator 69 LIVE from L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The night will also feature the finals of the $100,000 Bellator Lightweight Tournament, as well as a Heavyweight Tournament qualifier as knockout specialist Ron Sparks takes on rising star Kevin Asplund, who is currently riding a 15-fight win streak.
“Jessica vs. Megumi is a fight between the two best female fighters in the world and we wanted to schedule it for quite some time,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “L’Auberge has been a tremendous host for us in the past, and with a fight of this magnitude on the card, I expect fireworks on May 18.”
Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting The L’Auberge Casino Resort Box Office. Tickets are priced from $40-$65. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 7 p.m. CST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. CST, with the first fight scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 6 p.m. CST. Fans must be 21 years or older to enter the Event Center.
Bellator 69 will also host the finals of the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament. Currently four men still stand in the tournament field as Brent Weedman, Rick Hawn, Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard and Thiago Michel all look to earn their title shot against reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.
Currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Lisa Ellis-Ward and Carla Esparza, Aguilar has had her sights set on Fujii for quite some time. Fight fans have been clamoring for this fight for nearly two years, which is a fact not lost on Aguilar.
“I am completely focused on becoming the best 115-pound female fighter in the world, and this fight with Fujii is going to go a long way in proving that,” Aguilar said. “I can’t fully put into words how excited I am to get into the cage with Fujii, and show everyone that I am one of the best female fighters in the sport.”
For “Mega Megu”, the Japanese-born submission ace is still looking for closure after her hotly debated split-decision loss at the hands of reigning Bellator Champion Zoila Gurgel. With three victories since the defeat, Fujii is looking to keep the momentum going with a dominating win against Aguilar at Bellator 69.
The night also features a tournament qualifier for Bellator’s $100,000 Heavyweight Tournament when fan favorite Ron Sparks and the 15-1 Kevin Asplund meet in the Bellator cage. L’Auberge fans should be familiar with Sparks, as the massive heavyweight delivered a brutal knockout to Mark Holata at Bellator 52 early last year.
Spark’s knockout power will be on full display at Bellator 69, as the Louisville native looks to punch his ticket into Bellator’s next Heavyweight Tournament.
Local favorite and Lake Charles native Josh Quayhagen will also be back in action, looking to stay perfect with Bellator when he faces the red-hot Cliff Wright, Jr., who is riding a four-fight win streak. Quayhagen shocked the MMA world with a convincing win against one of the best kickboxers in the world in Cosmo Alexander, and will continue his ascent up the lightweight ranks with another win.
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