Oct 16, 2019 | Boxing, Entertainment, Sports
WHAT: Mohegan Sun is proud to announce the newest Arena Walk of Fame inductee, mixed martial arts organization, Bellator MMA. Owned by media and entertainment giant Viacom, Bellator MMA has hosted over 20 events at Mohegan Sun Arena since their first show on April 10, 2009 at Bellator 2. In that span, there have been incredible moments along the way, including monumental title fights, season premieres and highly anticpated matchups in both the heavyweight and welterweight World Grand Prix tournaments. Bellator MMA’s President, Scott Coker, will be presented with the Walk of Fame star outside Mohegan Sun’s Box Office prior to Bellator 231 on the evening of October 25th. Special appearances at this public event will be made by MMA legends Royce Gracie and Chael Sonnen, as well as on-air personalities “Big” John McCarthy and Jay Glazer.
WHEN/ WHERE: Friday, October 25th at 4:00pm; Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office Forecourt
WHO: Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Entertainment: Tom Cantone; Bellator MMA President: Scott Coker
IN DETAIL: Mohegan Sun Arena’s most memorable performers including Bon Jovi, KISS, Rod Stewart, Taylor Swift, Mötley Crüe, Keith Urban and so many more have been honored as Walk of Famers and have stars lining the floor by Mohegan Sun’s Box Office. Bellator MMA returns to Mohegan Sun Arena for massive doubleheader on October 25th & 26th.
Friday: Bellator 231 headlined by Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in an explosive heavyweight rematch; Saturday: Rory Macdonald meets Douglas Lima in the Welterweight World Grand Prix Finals for the world title and one million dollars. This sets the perfect timing to recognize the Bellator MMA organization as the 34th inductee into the Walk of Fame.
The Walk of Fame award recognizes those individuals who have made significant contributions to the success of Mohegan Sun as the Northeast’s premier entertainment destination. All of the individuals inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame will have their name engraved on a plaque that will be permanently located at the entrance to Mohegan Sun Arena.
For more information, visit mohegansun.com/entertainment.
*Media and public are invited to attend the induction ceremony.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and VenuesNow. Mohegan Sun Arena is consistently ranked among the top three “Arenas in the World for its Size” and top 15 in the “World for All Size Venues.” The award – winning venue is the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven – time national award – winner for “Arena of the Year.”
Aug 26, 2019 | Boxing, Entertainment
Saturday: Rory Macdonald meets Douglas Lima in Welterweight World Grand Prix Finals for title and one million dollars; Friday: Bellator 231 headlined by Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in explosive heavyweight rematch
UNCASVILLE, CT (August 26, 2019) – On October 25th and 26th, Bellator returns to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. for two back-to-back nights of exciting MMA action. On Friday, a heavyweight battle between former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (18-13) and the always-tough Roy Nelson (23-17), while Saturday’s show will see the long-awaited championship rematch between Rory MacDonald (21-5-1) and Douglas Lima (31-7) in the Finals of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix with one million dollars on the line.
Tickets are $195.00, $100.00, $75.00, and $50.00 and go on sale Friday, August 30th at 10:00am through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning Saturday, August 31st at 10:00am, subject to availability.
Bellator 231: Mir vs. Nelson will be broadcast Friday, October 25th on Paramount Network at 9:00pm ET/8:00pm CT and will simulcast on DAZN.
Bellator 232: MacDonald vs. Lima 2 will stream exclusively on DAZN on Saturday, October 26th at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT. Preliminary action for both events will stream on DAZN, Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Mir is set to enter the Bellator cage for the third time in his illustrious 18-year career when he runs it back with “Big Country” on October 25th. Following a 15-year run in the UFC, highlighted by 16 promotional wins and a pair of heavyweight world titles, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt now looks for a marquee victory inside the Bellator cage. In addition to his championship belts, Mir also tallied notable victories over Brock Lesnar, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), as well his upcoming opponent Roy Nelson a little over eight years ago. With 14 of his 18 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, Mir hopes to replicate his success over Nelson with yet another finish inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
“Big Country” will be returning to the Bellator cage for the second time this year and for the fifth time overall, when he faces Mir in a long-awaited rematch that stems from a unanimous decision defeat back in 2011. At 43-years-old, the 40-fight veteran has collected many notable victories over the course of his 15-year career, including highlight reel knockouts over Antonio Nogueira, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione. With 19 career appearances in the UFC, emphasized by his victorious run on The Ultimate Fighter season 10, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is looking to make another run at Bellator’s heavyweight strap.
Splitting time between Kelowna, British Columbia and Montreal, Canada, MacDonald will be entering the Bellator cage for the sixth time, in search of his fourth promotional victory and second over the surging Lima. The last time the two met inside the cage, the 30-year-old Tristar Gym product emerged victorious in a 25-minute war and “Fight of the Year” candidate that resulted in a unanimous decision win for the welterweight title. Since then, MacDonald competed for the middleweight world championship against Gegard Mousasi and successfully defended his welterweight strap twice en route to the Welterweight World Grand Prix Finals. Following a pair of five-round battles with Jon Fitch at Bellator 220, and most recently Neiman Gracie at Bellator 222, the “Red King” will look to once again protect his 170-pound strap and take home the one-million-dollar tournament prize when he faces Lima on October 26th.
Hailing from Goiania, Brazil and now fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia, the 31-year-old Lima will be competing in the main event of Bellator 232, a Welterweight World Grand Prix final with two belts and a one-million-dollar prize on the line. Since making his promotional debut in 2011, “The Phenom” has earned 13 victories, including a pair of world titles and 10 finishes. The American Top Team product has won five of his last six and 10 of his last 12 contests, making him one of the most dominant fighters in the 170-pound class. With 26 of his 31 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, including consecutive finishes over Andrey Koreshkov and Michael “Venom” Page” in the first two rounds of the tournament, Lima will attempt to add to his streak and put an early end to MacDonald’s night inside the Mohegan Sun Arena on October 26th.
Updated Bellator 231: Mir vs. Nelson Fight Card:
Heavyweight Main Event Bout: Frank Mir (18-13) vs. Roy Nelson (23-17)
Updated Bellator 232: MacDonald vs. Lima 2 Fight Card:
Welterweight World Grand Prix Final: Rory MacDonald (21-5-1) vs. Douglas Lima (31-7)
*Card subject to change. Please visit Bellator.com for more information.
ABOUT BELLATOR: Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on both Paramount Network and DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, CA and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
ABOUT DAZN: DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded across four continents with the app currently available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, all for one affordable price, on any device – including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp. In September, the much-anticipated daily program The Pat McAfee Show debuts on the platform.
ABOUT PARAMOUNT NETWORK: Paramount Network is a premium entertainment destination that pushes the limits of story-telling with bold original scripted and non-scripted series. Inspired by over a century of cinema, Paramount Network is where today’s brightest stars bring the experience of the big screen to every screen with stories that are immersive, inclusive, and deeply personal.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now. Mohegan Sun Arena is consistently ranked among the top three “Arenas in the World for its Size” and top 15 in the “World for All Size Venues.” The award – winning venue is the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven – time national award – winner for “Arena of the Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.
Aug 12, 2015 | Entertainment, General News, Sports
UNCASVILLE, CT (August 12, 2015) — Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on
the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) against one another at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, on Friday, October 23rd.
Tickets are $195.00, $95.00, $70.00, $45.00 and $25.00 and are on sale Friday, August 21st through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call any Ticketmaster Charge by Phone number; 1.800.745.3000 or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office on Saturday, August 22nd, subject to availability.
A special Bellator Nation presale will also be available on Ticketmaster on August 19th and 20th for fans, using the code: FIGHT. Doors for the event open at 6:00pm ET local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.
The bout between the former teammates will serve as the main event of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9:00pm ET/8:00pm CT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 7:00pm ET. Additional fights will be announced shortly.
“I was thoroughly impressed with Galvao’s kneebar at Bellator 135 to capture the belt,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “Seeing how much that title win meant to him, by taking it back home to Brazil and visiting his mother’s grave, is really what mixed martial arts is all about to me. But Dantas showcased his desire to reach the top too by his performance against Mike Richman. I have no idea who is going to come out of Connecticut with the win, but I do know that those in attendance at Mohegan Sun Arena and those tuning in on Spike will be treated to a top-flight world title bout.”
“Loro,” who has fought for world-renowned promotions the likes of World Extreme Cagefighting and Shooto since 2003, will be competing for the 11th time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 34-year-old is presently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight scraps. In his last outing, Galvao finished Joe Warren “Bellator 135: Warren vs. Galvao” via submission to win his first-ever championship.
Meanwhile, Dantas will be looking to duplicate the success he had against Galvao in their first meeting, which resulted in a second-round knockout at Bellator 89. The 26-year-old Nova Uniao product bounced back from his unanimous decision loss against Warren to dispel of Mike Richman in the same manner at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament winner is looking to call himself a two-time bantamweight champion come October 23.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 Arena venues in the nation for 2014, regardless of size. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Apr 22, 2015 | Entertainment, General News, Sports
Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas “ThePhenom” Lima (26-5), one of the most talented and well-rounded 170-pound fighters on the planet today, puts his title on the line against Russian knockout artist Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (17-1) on Friday, July 16th, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Tickets are $195.00, $95.00, $70.00, $45.00 and $25.00 and go on sale Friday, April 24th through Ticketmaster at 10:00am. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, April 25th, subject to availability.
Bellator Nation presale begins Tuesday, April 21st. Join the Bellator Newsletter list or follow them on social media (Twitter / Facebook) to gain access to the presale code and details.
“Douglas Lima is an incredible champion who is in for one of the toughest fights of his life against Koreshkov,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “When the rest of this card is announced, we’ll have put together one of the greatest showcases of welterweight talent ever assembled on one night.”
The two elite combatants headline the newly announced “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” event, which airs live and free on Spike at 9:00pm.
Additional information, including ticketing details and the night’s full lineup of world-class MMA action, will be announced shortly.
The 27-year-old Lima is a Brazilian-born athlete who now makes his home in Atlanta. Fighting under the Bellator MMA banner since 2011, Lima is an impressive 8-1 in the promotion and an incredible 14-1 in his past 15 overall appearances. Lima earned his way to the Bellator MMA Welterweight World Title with an eight-man tournament victory that included knockout wins over Ben Saunders, Bryan Baker and Michail Tsarev. Lima then claimed the title with an April 2014 knockout win over Rick Hawn. Overall, Lima boasts five consecutive knockout victories and now looks to defend his belt for the first time.
Koreshkov is also fresh off an eight-man tournament win, claiming a decision victory over Adam McDonough after previously registering knockouts of Justin Baesman and Nah-Shon Burrell. The 24-year-old Koreshkov is a Russian national medalist in both pankration and hand-to-hand combat and has lost just once in 18 professional MMA appearances. He owns 10 wins by knockouts and three by submission and also owns a 2012 victory over former Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Lyman Good.
Expect fireworks when Lima and Koreshkov collide.
Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 Arena venues in the world for 2014, regardless of size. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Jan 23, 2015 | Entertainment, General News, Special Events, Sports
“King Mo” Lawal vs. Cheick Kongo replaces Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson and Andre Santos steps in for Douglas Lima to battle Paul Daley at “Bellator: The British Invasion”
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 23, 2015) — Injury has forced the delay of a heavily anticipated matchup between Bobby Lashley (12-2) and James Thompson (20-14) but Bellator MMA officials have announced a blockbuster fight to replace it in Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (14-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (22-9-2). Also Andre Santos (37-9) has stepped in for the injured welterweight champion Douglas Lima (26-5), and will now face the always-dangerous Paul Daley (35-13).
The new contest is scheduled for the televised portion of “Bellator: British Invasion,” which takes place on Friday, February 27th, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.
Tickets for “Bellator: British Invasion,” which start at just $25.00, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.
“We’re disappointed we had to delay these fights between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson, and Douglas Lima and Paul Daley, but I have no doubt that these matchups will be fantastic once they eventually come to fruition,” Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker said. “Fortunately, we’re able to replace the bouts with equally entertaining contests for our fans.”
“King Mo” Lawal fights for the 10th time for Bellator MMA and has established himself as one of the most recognizable superstars in the sport. A standout wrestler who normally competes at light heavyweight, the former NCAA Division I All-American and Pan American gold medallist has earned 11 of his 14 career MMA wins by knockout, including recent striking stoppages of Joe Vedepo and Dustin Jacoby. The former Bellator MMA tournament winner and Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion now moves up to heavyweight for the first time since 2009 to challenge himself against Kongo.
Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a former professional kickboxer who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo. A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA banner. Training at Wolfslair MMA Academy in London, Kongo most recently flashed his well-rounded game by scoring a first-round submission over fellow striker Lavar Johnson in a September matchup. Kongo’s lone Bellator loss came in a five-round contest for the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Championship, in which he went five full rounds with Vitaly Minakov but came up short in a decision result.
Paul Daley is a highly feared and respected veteran with dynamite in both fists, which earned him the nickname “Semtex.” The 31-year-old from Nottingham, England has won an impressive 74% of his 35 victories by way of knockout. Having fought for Scott Coker under the Strikeforce banner, rejoining him at Bellator was a no brainer. Daley took to the Internet to share his feelings on the injury to Lima, stating: “Nervous, Scared??…..I understand, preparing to fight me…. I would be. It’s ok…. guess you get to have a few more photo shoots with the belt…. My focus has shifted, same date, new opponent…. British Invasion at Bellator 134.”
The new opponent his focus has shifted to is Andre “Chatuba” Santos. A veteran of the sport in his own right, the Rio De Janeiro fighter has two more wins than Daley in four less fights. Santos defeated James Terry at Bellator 129, in what was his first fight on American soil. He now has his sights set on Daley, with hopes to win his seventh straight fight.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
More information on media credential requests are located here: http://credentials.bzapr.com/credentials/MVS/
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 5th in the world by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 and 2010 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” Venues Today also ranked Mohegan Sun Arena #3 in the Nation and #3 in the World for top stops in 2013 and also ranked the Arena in the top six of “Top Stops of The Decade” in 2012. For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
