SAN ANTONIO, TX. (September 02, 2010) — Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto faces off against Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Champ Joe Warren tomorrow night at Bellator 27 from the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX in Bellator’s first-ever World Title Fight. Please find a selection of quotes from each of the fighters below as well as photo for your use:
Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto quotes:
“I don’t think it’s going to be the pace that determines this, I think it’s going to be all the positions that we get into. Warren’s going to get into a lot of unfamiliar places that he’s not going to be comfortable with.”
“I think I’m a lot better rounded that he is. This isn’t a wrestling, this is MMA. We don’t know whose wrestling is going to be better until we get in there. I’m more well rounded – I’m going to kick his ass.”
“It’s going to take a different opponent for me to lose this belt – not Joe Warren.”
“I’ve grown a lot in this sport, but I feel like I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use all of my tools. Maybe Joe Warren will push me to use all of those tools.
“It would suck to lose to him; I never want to lose to a dirt bag like that.”
“All he does better than me is talk s***. Talking is the only thing he does better. He keeps a good pace , but I don’t see anything in the cage he does better than me. He’s got weak punches when he’s on top, nothing I’m scared of.”
“I want to be not only the best 145 pounder in the world, but one of the best fighters ever. The pound for pound best ever. That’s my goal. I want to be a legend.”
“I think my overall game will give him problems. I’m an MMA veteran, and he should be worried about my game. Warren likes to do a lot of talking, and is doing a nice job of selling the fight, but he definitely has some holes I feel like I can exploit. As always, I’m prepared for any situation.”
Bellator Season 2 Tournament Champion Joe Warren quotes:
“I’m a born Champion. It doesn’t matter if it’s wrestling or MMA.”
“I want to do this to get some credibility. Once I win the championships people will know that I am an all around fighting professional.”
“Winning the belt is going to mean that I’ve met a goal and I can set goals and reach them. This is really important for me and my family.”
“No one can handle my pace. I can’t even handle it. I’m going to push even harder than I ever have before. I don’t plan on leaving without that belt.”
“As far as my potential, I’m about 20 percent of where I can be. I’ve got 80 more percent coming. Any competitor should be scared as hell. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m not nasty.”
“I never thought I would even be fighting at 145. Winning a belt at this weight means I can do anything.”
“I’m so happy this fight is here. This fight been a real long time coming, and I just don’t want to let this opportunity pass me by. Every fight I had in Season 2 was the biggest of my career, and now the chance to win the belt is here. This is what I do for a living, so it’s time to get busy.”
“I’ve just got to stay focused on the core fundamentals of MMA, push hard and stay mentally tough. In my fight with Pitbull, things weren’t going my way after that first round. During every fight there is a time when you decide if you want to win or lose the fight, and after that first round, I decided I wanted it more. It was a battle, but I stayed mentally tough, and ended up winning the fight.”
“If the fight turns into a straight wrestling match, it’s going to get really interesting because flat out, I’m the better wrestler. Either way, neither of us want to lose, so the fans are in for a great match.”
Tickets for the event - which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights - tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
San Antonio, Tx. (September 1, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated matchup between Joe Soto and Joe Warren, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening -- all making weight.
Bellator 27 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and mun2.
The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:
MAIN CARD:
Joe Warren (143.6 lbs.) vs. Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto (144.8 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.
Bryan Goldsby (135.8 lbs.) vs. Ed West (135 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.
Nick Mamalis (135.8 lbs.) vs. Zach Makovsky (134.4 lbs.) @135 lbs.
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) —Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of undefeated MMA prospect Chris “The Assassin” Lozano to its already impressive roster.
Sporting an impressive undefeated record of 5-0, Lozano has dominated all of his fights to date, beating all five opponents he has faced by TKO or KO, with four of the five stoppages coming in the very first round. In his most recent outing, Lozano took out well rounded Pride/UFC veteran Jason Dent via fourth round TKO in an extremely impressive showing.
Growing up in Cleveland, Lozano struggled to find positive sports programs before eventually turning to MMA for his competitive release. Currently training out Strong Style Gym in Ohio, Lozano began boxing and Tae Kwon Do when he was a child. In middle school, Lozano turned to wrestling where he quickly made the Ohio National team for his age group and weight class before ultimately setting his sites on mixed martial arts.
“Chris Lozano brings proven knockout power to the welterweight division.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He is a big welterweight that has tremendous potential to accomplish great things in Bellator at 170 lbs.”
Lozano is admittedly anxious to show what he is capable of on the biggest platform of his fast-rising career.
"Fighting for an organization like Bellator Fighting Championship is a dream come true,” said Lozano. “To finally get a chance to compete amongst the best in the world is something I have spent my entire life focusing on and dreaming of.”
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the official Local Feature Fights line-up for Bellator 27 taking place in San Antonio at the Majestic Theater on September 2nd.
Headlining the local main event are undefeated Texas natives Rodrigo Pinheiro (3-0) and Andrew Craig (1-0). Pinheiro currently owns and operates his own Jiu-Jitsui gym in San Antonio, and looks to continue his impressive rise in the sport when he faces off with the hard-hitting Craig.
Five additional Local Feature Fights join this already stacked card including:
San Antonio based Gilbert Jimenez (2-1) squaring off against Houston’s Aaron Barringer(4-2) in the nights local co-main event.
Additionally, 11-year SAPD officer Richard Odoms (1-0) battles Dallas native Dale Mitchell (0-2) in heavyweight action.
Dallas-based Joe Christopher (10-3) will be taking on Houston fighter Andrew Chappelle (9-6) in a Welterweight contest. Both fighters have previous Bellator experience, with Chappelle notching an impressive rear-naked choke at Bellator 20 and Christopher locking up a fight-ending guillotine choke at Bellator 19.
Pasadena, TX native Jon Kirk (15-8) faces San Antonio’s Shane Faulkner (3-2) in a middleweight fight.
Rounding out the local card will be two fighters making their professional MMA debuts in Steven Peterson and Ernest De La Cruz.
“San Antonio fans are in for a treat with our Local Feature Fight lineup.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The Majestic Theater has been a great venue for Bellator and with our stacked main card in addition to our Local Feature Fights – it should be a great night of fights.”
Bellator 27's main card includes:
Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto (9-0) defends his title against Bellator Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Champ Joe Warren (5-1) in a Featherweight World Championship fight.
Two Bellator veterans square off when Nick “Garfield” Mamalis (10-4) and Zack “Fun Size” Makovsky (9-2) collide in an opening round Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament fight. .
In other bantamweight tournament action hard-hitting Bryan Goldsby (15-7) meets submission specialist Ed West (13-4) in a quarterfinal match-up.
Rounding out the main card will be another opening round Bantamweight Tournament fight between the always exciting Travis “The Hurricane” Reddinger (14-2) and submission ace Uylsses Gomez (6-1).
Tickets for the event - which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights - tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that the promotion will make its debut in Pennsylvania when Philadelphia native and Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez (20-2) squares off against former UFC Star Roger “El Matador” Huerta (24-4-1) in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.
“Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” is set to take place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21st.
For explosive Bellator World Champion Eddie Alvarez, momentum is on his side, as he enters the Superfight with an impressive five-fight win streak on the line where the longtime knockout artist has finished all of his most recent victims by submission. In his most recent trip to the cage, Alvarez put rugged UFC veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer to sleep with a nasty rear-naked choke during Bellator 17 in Boston on May 6th of this year.
Alvarez is admittedly excited about the opportunity to compete in front of his hometown fans in Philly for the first time in the top lightweight's career that currently spans 22 professional fights, from Japan to Boston, against many of the toughest 155 lb fighters in the business.
"Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st... this is a dream fight for me,” said Alvarez. “I've never even lost a fight here in the United States, so I'm definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That's not going to happen. Not a chance.
“I'm not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It's important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I'm one of the best lightweights in the world.”
In the case of Roger Huerta, the electrifying 27 year old lightweight is eager to return to the cage after suffering a defeat in his previous outing when Pat Curran shocked the MMA world and defeated “El Matador” by unanimous decision in the semifinal lightweight tournament at Bellator 17. As the first MMA fighter ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Eddie Alvarez will be the toughest fights that Huerta has encountered is his MMA career.
Although fighting in Alvarez' backyard of Philadelphia, Huerta expects for the advantage to ultimately lie in his favor, stating, “The cheers or jeers won't affect me one way or the other. The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He's going to bring the best out of me. The best. It's going to be scary.
“This is a fight that I've always wanted. It's a dream come true. It's going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It's going to be a potential fight of the year. I'm going in there expecting a war, and I'm going in there trying to finish Eddie.”
Intending to send a direct message to his critics and fans alike in his upcoming performance against Huerta, Alvarez would be the first to admit that he's had the former Sports Illustrated cover athlete in his sites since the moment Huerta signed his contract with Bellator.
“I don't care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you're obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, I'm going to have an issue with that,” said Alvarez. “If I don't feel threatened by that, then I'm an idiot. I feel threatened by someone like Roger trying to move into my house and I'm going to do everything I can to protect what's mine and get him out of there. I want to keep all eyes on me. I'm going to go out there and do my job and get him out of there.”
Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney was admittedly excited to bring this incredible Superfight to Philadelphia, stating, “The Alvarez-Huerta fight should be one of the most electrifying bouts in the history of Bellator Fighting Championships, and to be able to host it in one of the greatest fights towns on earth, Philadelphia is spectacular. . I’ve said it before, I believe Eddie Alvarez is the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world today and for Roger to have the courage to face him speaks volumes about his confidence and character. The fans are really in for a treat with not only a great fight card, but also a fantastic host venue in The Liacouras Center.”
The Liacouras Center is located on the campus of Temple University, in the heart of Philadelphia, and is home to the Temple Owl’s Basketball and Volleyball, as well as Professional Indoor Soccer. The Liacouras Center was opened in 1997, and has a capacity of just over 10,000.
Tickets for “Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” are priced at $150, $85, $65, $45, and $25, and go on sale Monday, August 30th at www.ComcastTix.com
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
By Brian Hemminger
UFC 118 is on our doorstep, and it will be the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event held in Boston since Massachusetts passed MMA regulation. The promotion isn't pulling any punches with this event, combining all the elements of MMA with a lightweight title fight, a number one contender fight and even a crazy boxing vs MMA "freak show" fight.
The main event of the evening will be a rematch of UFC 112 as newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar takes on former champ BJ "The Prodigy" Penn. Edgar was able to earn a unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi to take the title from Penn in a fight that very few gave him a fair chance. On that night, Edgar was the faster and more active man, although many fans still thought Penn won the fight.
I was not one of those people. Edgar never lost a step through all five rounds, and he clearly won the 4th and 5th. The first three were much closer, but with 2 guaranteed rounds in the bag and the other 3 up for grabs, it makes sense that Edgar won the fight. Penn's face was swollen and bruised after the fight while Edgar looked the picture of perfect health, and that may have been the final deciding factor.
Edgar was able to use his speed and footwork to use "hit and run" attacks where Edgar would dive in, land one or two punches and back away from Penn's power before BJ could land anything significant. Even Penn admits he had a horrible gameplan in that fight, refusing to take the fight to the ground despite his corner screaming at him to do it in between rounds. I felt BJ Penn was too proud to admit someone was beating him striking and he wanted to show that he could still be the better man with the stand up.
Could that happen again? We'll know by the end of the first round of this fight whether BJ Penn has learned something. If Penn looks to use all of his skills rather than just his striking, this fight is his. If he stalks Edgar and lets him do his hit and run attacks again, BJ may be in for a world of hurt. It's all about what kind of mindset Penn has when he enters the octagon. BJ has shown he can ignore his corner before, what's to say he won't do it again.
Prediction: Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision
Co-Main Event: Randy "The Natural" Couture vs James "Lights Out" Toney - This is the fight that everyone has been talking about for the past few weeks. James Toney is a professional boxer with a career record of 72-6 with 3 draws and 2 no contests. He's never fought in MMA before, but he chased UFC president Dana White around the country crashing press conferences looking for a fight. After 2 or 3 events of this, Dana finally relented and Randy Couture was the first man to come calling. Couture is a legend in the sport, having been a 5 time champion, and on paper, this fight should be incredibly easy.
Toney has never competed in MMA, and his defensive boxing style doesn't appear like it would transition to mixed martial arts very well either. That hasn't stopped Toney from running his mouth. He's said outrageous things in the build-up to this fight, calling Randy Couture a princess, saying he'll knock out Dana White after he wins. He's certainly painted himself as a guy that fans want to see get destroyed.
Toney has a very short window to win this fight. He doesn't have submission skills, kicking skills or wrestling skills. His only chance is to land a big punch on Couture in the first 10 seconds of each round (if the fight goes to multiple rounds). You never know, while most boxers have been destroyed in MMA, some pundits point to Ray Mercer KO-ing Tim Sylvia a while back and that is something MMA fans should be concerned about. Couture's chin is not nearly as strong as it used to be, so he could very well get knocked out, but it's unlikely.
Randy isn't known for his submission skills, but he has used them in the past, including his most recent victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109. I wouldn't be surprised to see Randy choke out "Lights Out" in the first round of this fight.
Prediction: Randy Couture via submission (rear naked choke) in the 1st roundKenny Florian vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard: This is a fight for the number one contender in the lightweight division. Florian in my eyes has been the best lightweight in the UFC that hasn't won a title for the past few years now. Maynard is an up and comer and is undefeated, but he still has some work to do. He could have been offered a title shot after his last fight with Nate Diaz but he wasn't very impressive in doing so, earning a split decision. What Maynard does have, is the only victory over current UFC champ Frankie Edgar. Maynard is not the most exciting fighter, and he does not give very good interviews, but if he can pull off the win here, it's time to give him a title shot.
Florian has been here before. Kenny was given a title shot at UFC 64 and lost to Sean Sherk in what became more of a wrestling match. He again earned a title shot at UFC 101, but lost to BJ Penn. In fact, if you throw in Florian's loss to Diego Sanchez on the Ultimate Fighter 1 finale, Florian's last three losses have all been when he was fighting for some sort of championship. It's odd, but he almost appears as if he's a different fighter when he fights for titles. Kenny is a very well rounded mixed martial artist, much more well rounded than Gray Maynard, but being well rounded won't stop a wrestler from putting you on your back and beating on you for 3 straight rounds.
I have a gut feeling that Maynard will do just that, similar to Sean Sherk against Florian at UFC 64.
Prediction: Gray Maynard via unanimous decisionDemian Maia vs Mario Miranda: Many are touting this fight as Mario Miranda's coming out party but I'm here to put a halt to that talk. Demian Maia may be 1-2 in his last two fights, but those two losses were against 2 of the top 5 middleweights currently in the UFC. Don't forget how easily Maia manhandled Chael Sonnen at UFC 95, winning by submission in the first round.
Both men are excellent Brazilian jiu jitsu fighters, but Maia has the clear edge in that department. Maia is a world champion in BJJ. Miranda has excellent jiu jitsu as well, but he uses his grappling more to gain dominant positions and unleash powerful punches on his opponents. Miranda viciously beat down David Loiseau in his last fight, but he also lost to the rising Gerald Harris in his UFC debut. I don't think a win over Loiseau is enough to warrant the talk that Miranda can hang in there with a fighter like Maia, who fought for the UFC middleweight title in his last fight.
Maia has displayed improved striking his recent fights, and he definitely has the advantage on the ground. I think he'll either pull out a decision or earn a submission victory here and put Miranda in his place.
Prediction: Demian Maia via unanimous decisionMarcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis vs Nate Diaz: Now THIS is an exciting fight. Diaz looked really good in his last bout, a welterweight debut where he destroyed Rory Markham. Davis is going to provide a much sterner test, though, but I'm very high on Nate Diaz.
Davis, at 37 years old, is nearing the end of his fighting career. He's taken a lot of hard knocks over the years and he certainly has looked like he's lost a step in his recent fights which include 2 losses to Ben Saunders and Dan Hardy as well as a win over Jonathan Goulet that was more difficult than many expected. Davis still has power, and years of boxing experience that have helped his footwork and given him a striking advantage in most fights, but I just don't see how he wins this fight.
Nate Diaz has an iron chin, and his striking is definitely getting better. He looked really good moving up a weight class against Markham, earning his first UFC knockout, and he could very well get a knockout in this fight. Davis doesn't have the same chin he started his MMA career with, and he's definitely lost a step with age. Don't forget just how good Diaz is on the ground as well, as most of his UFC victories have come via submission including impressive subs of Kurt Pellegrino and Melvin Guillard.
I think Nate can clip Davis if he gets overaggressive here with his striking in what could be a knockout of the night (and fight of the night) performance.
Prediction: Nate Diaz via TKO in the 2nd round
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 27, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that the promotion will bring the first Nationally televised, sanctioned MMA event to Wisconsin with Bellator 29, taking place in Milwaukee from the historic Rave-Eagles Ballroom on Sept. 26th. The Event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net with a highlight show running on NBC Network.
The Bellator Season 3 event will feature two main-card semi-final tournament fights that include heavyweight tournament action along with special middleweight and light heavyweight feature fights, as well a host of exciting Local Feature Fights.
“We are thrilled to be the first promotion to bring live, nationally and internationally televised world-class MMA to this beautiful, lake front city,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The historic Rave-Eagles Ballroom will be a great venue for Wisconsin fans to experience Bellator’s unique brand of MMA action.”
The Rave-Eagles Club was built in 1926 and was named to the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1986. The Rave Eagles Ballroom is the largest venue at the club featuring25,000 square feet and 1,500 seats which will provide an intimate venue for MMA fans.
The Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight tournament is now down to its final four with undefeated European sensation Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski squaring off against two-time NCAA wrestling champion Cole “Polar Bear” Konrad in Milwaukee. Russian Judo specialist Alexey Oleinik takes on Neil “Goliath” Grove in the other semi-final heavyweight matchup later this season. The winners will then clash in a Championship matchup to crown Bellator’s first ever Heavyweight Champion.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
Tickets for the event are priced at $100, $75, $50, and $35, and are on sale NOW at www.Ticketmaster.com.
Goldberg and Rogan Q&A – Friday, Aug. 27 at 12PM ET
Liddell Q&A – Saturday, Aug. 28 at 1PM ET
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Three of the most recognizable faces in Ultimate Fighting Championship® history will take part in Question and Answer sessions at the UFC® FAN EXPO™ at the John B. Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Aug. 27 and 28th.
On Friday, Aug. 27 at 12pm ET, UFC broadcasters Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan field questions from fans, while UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell talks about his illustrious career on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 1pm ET. Both Q&A sessions will be held at the UFC® FAN EXPO™ main stage.
“This is a great opportunity for fans to fire away with questions they’ve always wanted to ask,” UFC President Dana White said. “Goldberg and Rogan have called some of the greatest fights in UFC history and Chuck has fought in some of the most memorable bouts we’ve ever seen. Both sessions should be very cool.”
This year’s UFC Fan Expo leads into UFC® 118: EDGAR vs. PENN 2 Presented by TAPOUT®, featuring the lightweight title rematch between champion Frankie Edgar and former division kingpin BJ Penn. For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.
Kansas City, MO (August 25, 2010) — The weigh-in and pre-fight press conference for Bellator FightingChampionships’ Thursday evening event at the Kansas City Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City will take place TONIGHT at 8 p.m. CT at the Big Sky bar in the upper level of the Power & Light District. The Power & Light District can be located at 60 East 13th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2925
The Bellator 26 weigh-in/pre-fight press conference will also stream LIVE at Bellator.com at 8 p.m. CT for those unable to attend.
Participants include Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as all 16 competitors in Thursday’s event including Russian submission ace Alexey Oleinik, powerful heavyweight Mike “300” Hayes, Rubber/grudge match local bantamweights Danny Tims and Jose Vega, heavy-handed local star Tyler Stinson, Iraq War Veteran Steve Carl, Undefeated Irish sensation Aisling Daly,battle-tested 3-ranked 115 pounder Lisa Ward and more.
The event will be emceed by Bellator cage announcer Michael C. Williams and Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith.
The full fight card for Bellator 26 is below:
MAIN CARD:Special Feature Fight: Steve Carl (12-2) vs. Tyler Stinson (18-6) **
Opening-round Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Alexey Oleinik (27-5-1) vs. Mike Hays (12-3-1)
Opening-round Women’s World Championship Tournament Fight: Aisling Daly (9-0) vs. Lisa Ward (13-5)
Opening-round Bantamweight Tournament Fight: Danny Tims (9-2) vs. Jose Vega (8-3)
UNDERCARD:Local Main Event: Zak Cummings (10-2) vs Rudy Bears (11-5)
Local Feature Fight #3: Kevin Croom (3-2) vs Brian Davidson (5-2)
Local Feature Fight #2: John Ott (7-6) vs Brian Imes (5-4)
Local Feature Fight #1: Demetrius Richards (5-3) vs Jeb Chiles (8-2)
**-(Catchweight bout of 175 lbs.)
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Bellator.
By: Cory Brady
Lisa Ward never quite seemed to fit in among her childhood peers growing up. As far back as the 115 lb fighter widely considered to be among the best female mixed martial artists in the sport can remember, she always seemed to have a problem blending in.
"It was really rough because I was a little bit chunky all through elementary and junior high so I would get called "fatso"," recalled Ward. "I remember girls poking my belly and saying, 'Pillsbury Dough-Girl', and then hit me in the head. I joined the soccer team when I was little and like my first day there this girl comes up to me and says, 'Pillsbury Dough-Girl', and then takes the bottom of her hand and hits me in the head as hard as she could.
And the torment didn't slow up one bit once the stocky teenager made the decision to join the boy's wrestling team in high school.
"I got harassed," admitted Ward. "The guys didn't take it easy on me at all. If anything, I probably got it worse because I was a girl. I was always the smaller one so I always got kind of shoved around and the guys would say, 'Hurry up! Don't make us run more.'"
From the wrestling mat to the hallways of her high school, Ward couldn't seem to catch a break among those her age.
"I was tortured in school," said Ward. "I kept to myself a lot. The boys and the girls would make fun of me because I wrestled and they would just harass me every day.
"I never really had boyfriends. I didn't date growing up. I remember the girls would say, 'Oh, are you going to the dance with so-and-so? Aren't you a lesbian?', and I would just turn around and cry. I would cry all the way home. It sucked."
However, with a ten year high school reunion rapidly approaching for the 27-year-old , Ward would be lying if she said she wasn't thrilled about the prospect catching up with her childhood critics, stating, "I'm going to be pretty stoked to go to my 10-year-reunion and be like, "What’s up!" I'm excited about it."
Far separated from the years of torment as a youth, Ward is currently respected as one of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in all of MMA.
With the biggest fight of her career rapidly approaching, the Washington-based submission specialist currently has her sites set on undefeated Irish power-puncher Aisling "Ash the Bash" Daly. The pair of top women's mixed martial artists will clash in the biggest fight of either of their careers at Bellator 26 in Kansas City to determine the final spot in Bellator's electrifying women's tournament.
"Aisling just seems like a bully to me," said Ward when asked her thoughts on the powerful undefeated prospect. "She's strong and she likes to push the pace, and I think that's a driving force for her. Most females don't fight like she does. She just kind of seem like a powerhouse bully. She likes to get you in the corner and rough you up and thump on you. But the caliber of the opponents that she's been beating up have mostly been new fighters so it's really hard to gauge exactly how good she is."
Ward will be entering tomorrow evening's bout with a level of confidence that can only come from testing herself against many of the best in the business for more than six years with impressive results.
"I'm pretty sure it's going to be a reality check for Aisling Daly," said Ward. "First of all, the little girl has to make weight, and second, she has to fight me. I'm much more well rounded. I feel like I'm pound-for-pound one of the best females in the world so it's going to be interesting.
"I'm nervous because we're fighting and I'm nervous because she is tough, but in the back of my mind and in my heart, I know that I'm much better than she is."
Ward and Daly are fighting for the last remaining spot in the Season 3 Women’s Tournament semi-finals. The winner tomorrow night will join fellow semi-finalists: World’s #1 female fighter Megumi Fujii, hard-hitting Zoila Frausto, and American Top Team product Jessica Aguilar.
Tickets for the event are on sale NOW at ticketmaster.com and at The Midland by AMC box office in downtown Kansas City. General admission tickets start at just $20 in advance/$30 at the door. Ringside and Terrace tickets are also available for $100 and $50 respectively.
You can catch Bellator 26 and all of this season's Bellator action LIVE on Fox Sports Net, along with action-packed highlight shows on NBC late Saturday nights.
Stumble it!
UFC 118 is on our doorstep, and it will be the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event held in Boston since Massachusetts passed MMA regulation. The promotion isn't pulling any punches with this event, combining all the elements of MMA with a lightweight title fight, a number one contender fight and even a crazy boxing vs MMA "freak show" fight.
The main event of the evening will be a rematch of UFC 112 as newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar takes on former champ BJ "The Prodigy" Penn. Edgar was able to earn a unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi to take the title from Penn in a fight that very few gave him a fair chance. On that night, Edgar was the faster and more active man, although many fans still thought Penn won the fight.
I was not one of those people. Edgar never lost a step through all five rounds, and he clearly won the 4th and 5th. The first three were much closer, but with 2 guaranteed rounds in the bag and the other 3 up for grabs, it makes sense that Edgar won the fight. Penn's face was swollen and bruised after the fight while Edgar looked the picture of perfect health, and that may have been the final deciding factor.
Edgar was able to use his speed and footwork to use "hit and run" attacks where Edgar would dive in, land one or two punches and back away from Penn's power before BJ could land anything significant. Even Penn admits he had a horrible gameplan in that fight, refusing to take the fight to the ground despite his corner screaming at him to do it in between rounds. I felt BJ Penn was too proud to admit someone was beating him striking and he wanted to show that he could still be the better man with the stand up.
Could that happen again? We'll know by the end of the first round of this fight whether BJ Penn has learned something. If Penn looks to use all of his skills rather than just his striking, this fight is his. If he stalks Edgar and lets him do his hit and run attacks again, BJ may be in for a world of hurt. It's all about what kind of mindset Penn has when he enters the octagon. BJ has shown he can ignore his corner before, what's to say he won't do it again.
Prediction: Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision
Co-Main Event: Randy "The Natural" Couture vs James "Lights Out" Toney - This is the fight that everyone has been talking about for the past few weeks. James Toney is a professional boxer with a career record of 72-6 with 3 draws and 2 no contests. He's never fought in MMA before, but he chased UFC president Dana White around the country crashing press conferences looking for a fight. After 2 or 3 events of this, Dana finally relented and Randy Couture was the first man to come calling. Couture is a legend in the sport, having been a 5 time champion, and on paper, this fight should be incredibly easy.
Toney has never competed in MMA, and his defensive boxing style doesn't appear like it would transition to mixed martial arts very well either. That hasn't stopped Toney from running his mouth. He's said outrageous things in the build-up to this fight, calling Randy Couture a princess, saying he'll knock out Dana White after he wins. He's certainly painted himself as a guy that fans want to see get destroyed.
Toney has a very short window to win this fight. He doesn't have submission skills, kicking skills or wrestling skills. His only chance is to land a big punch on Couture in the first 10 seconds of each round (if the fight goes to multiple rounds). You never know, while most boxers have been destroyed in MMA, some pundits point to Ray Mercer KO-ing Tim Sylvia a while back and that is something MMA fans should be concerned about. Couture's chin is not nearly as strong as it used to be, so he could very well get knocked out, but it's unlikely.
Randy isn't known for his submission skills, but he has used them in the past, including his most recent victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109. I wouldn't be surprised to see Randy choke out "Lights Out" in the first round of this fight.
Prediction: Randy Couture via submission (rear naked choke) in the 1st round
Kenny Florian vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard: This is a fight for the number one contender in the lightweight division. Florian in my eyes has been the best lightweight in the UFC that hasn't won a title for the past few years now. Maynard is an up and comer and is undefeated, but he still has some work to do. He could have been offered a title shot after his last fight with Nate Diaz but he wasn't very impressive in doing so, earning a split decision. What Maynard does have, is the only victory over current UFC champ Frankie Edgar. Maynard is not the most exciting fighter, and he does not give very good interviews, but if he can pull off the win here, it's time to give him a title shot.
Florian has been here before. Kenny was given a title shot at UFC 64 and lost to Sean Sherk in what became more of a wrestling match. He again earned a title shot at UFC 101, but lost to BJ Penn. In fact, if you throw in Florian's loss to Diego Sanchez on the Ultimate Fighter 1 finale, Florian's last three losses have all been when he was fighting for some sort of championship. It's odd, but he almost appears as if he's a different fighter when he fights for titles. Kenny is a very well rounded mixed martial artist, much more well rounded than Gray Maynard, but being well rounded won't stop a wrestler from putting you on your back and beating on you for 3 straight rounds.
I have a gut feeling that Maynard will do just that, similar to Sean Sherk against Florian at UFC 64.
Prediction: Gray Maynard via unanimous decision
Demian Maia vs Mario Miranda: Many are touting this fight as Mario Miranda's coming out party but I'm here to put a halt to that talk. Demian Maia may be 1-2 in his last two fights, but those two losses were against 2 of the top 5 middleweights currently in the UFC. Don't forget how easily Maia manhandled Chael Sonnen at UFC 95, winning by submission in the first round.
Both men are excellent Brazilian jiu jitsu fighters, but Maia has the clear edge in that department. Maia is a world champion in BJJ. Miranda has excellent jiu jitsu as well, but he uses his grappling more to gain dominant positions and unleash powerful punches on his opponents. Miranda viciously beat down David Loiseau in his last fight, but he also lost to the rising Gerald Harris in his UFC debut. I don't think a win over Loiseau is enough to warrant the talk that Miranda can hang in there with a fighter like Maia, who fought for the UFC middleweight title in his last fight.
Maia has displayed improved striking his recent fights, and he definitely has the advantage on the ground. I think he'll either pull out a decision or earn a submission victory here and put Miranda in his place.
Prediction: Demian Maia via unanimous decision
Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis vs Nate Diaz: Now THIS is an exciting fight. Diaz looked really good in his last bout, a welterweight debut where he destroyed Rory Markham. Davis is going to provide a much sterner test, though, but I'm very high on Nate Diaz.
Davis, at 37 years old, is nearing the end of his fighting career. He's taken a lot of hard knocks over the years and he certainly has looked like he's lost a step in his recent fights which include 2 losses to Ben Saunders and Dan Hardy as well as a win over Jonathan Goulet that was more difficult than many expected. Davis still has power, and years of boxing experience that have helped his footwork and given him a striking advantage in most fights, but I just don't see how he wins this fight.
Nate Diaz has an iron chin, and his striking is definitely getting better. He looked really good moving up a weight class against Markham, earning his first UFC knockout, and he could very well get a knockout in this fight. Davis doesn't have the same chin he started his MMA career with, and he's definitely lost a step with age. Don't forget just how good Diaz is on the ground as well, as most of his UFC victories have come via submission including impressive subs of Kurt Pellegrino and Melvin Guillard.
I think Nate can clip Davis if he gets overaggressive here with his striking in what could be a knockout of the night (and fight of the night) performance.
Prediction: Nate Diaz via TKO in the 2nd round 
Lisa Ward never quite seemed to fit in among her childhood peers growing up. As far back as the 115 lb fighter widely considered to be among the best female mixed martial artists in the sport can remember, she always seemed to have a problem blending in.
"It was really rough because I was a little bit chunky all through elementary and junior high so I would get called "fatso"," recalled Ward. "I remember girls poking my belly and saying, 'Pillsbury Dough-Girl', and then hit me in the head. I joined the soccer team when I was little and like my first day there this girl comes up to me and says, 'Pillsbury Dough-Girl', and then takes the bottom of her hand and hits me in the head as hard as she could.
And the torment didn't slow up one bit once the stocky teenager made the decision to join the boy's wrestling team in high school.
"I got harassed," admitted Ward. "The guys didn't take it easy on me at all. If anything, I probably got it worse because I was a girl. I was always the smaller one so I always got kind of shoved around and the guys would say, 'Hurry up! Don't make us run more.'"
From the wrestling mat to the hallways of her high school, Ward couldn't seem to catch a break among those her age.
"I was tortured in school," said Ward. "I kept to myself a lot. The boys and the girls would make fun of me because I wrestled and they would just harass me every day.
"I never really had boyfriends. I didn't date growing up. I remember the girls would say, 'Oh, are you going to the dance with so-and-so? Aren't you a lesbian?', and I would just turn around and cry. I would cry all the way home. It sucked."
However, with a ten year high school reunion rapidly approaching for the 27-year-old , Ward would be lying if she said she wasn't thrilled about the prospect catching up with her childhood critics, stating, "I'm going to be pretty stoked to go to my 10-year-reunion and be like, "What’s up!" I'm excited about it."
Far separated from the years of torment as a youth, Ward is currently respected as one of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in all of MMA.
With the biggest fight of her career rapidly approaching, the Washington-based submission specialist currently has her sites set on undefeated Irish power-puncher Aisling "Ash the Bash" Daly. The pair of top women's mixed martial artists will clash in the biggest fight of either of their careers at Bellator 26 in Kansas City to determine the final spot in Bellator's electrifying women's tournament.
"Aisling just seems like a bully to me," said Ward when asked her thoughts on the powerful undefeated prospect. "She's strong and she likes to push the pace, and I think that's a driving force for her. Most females don't fight like she does. She just kind of seem like a powerhouse bully. She likes to get you in the corner and rough you up and thump on you. But the caliber of the opponents that she's been beating up have mostly been new fighters so it's really hard to gauge exactly how good she is."
Ward will be entering tomorrow evening's bout with a level of confidence that can only come from testing herself against many of the best in the business for more than six years with impressive results.
"I'm pretty sure it's going to be a reality check for Aisling Daly," said Ward. "First of all, the little girl has to make weight, and second, she has to fight me. I'm much more well rounded. I feel like I'm pound-for-pound one of the best females in the world so it's going to be interesting.
"I'm nervous because we're fighting and I'm nervous because she is tough, but in the back of my mind and in my heart, I know that I'm much better than she is."
Ward and Daly are fighting for the last remaining spot in the Season 3 Women’s Tournament semi-finals. The winner tomorrow night will join fellow semi-finalists: World’s #1 female fighter Megumi Fujii, hard-hitting Zoila Frausto, and American Top Team product Jessica Aguilar.
Tickets for the event are on sale NOW at 
