The welterweight action gets started September 10^th LIVE on MTV2 from Caesars Atlantic City. The eight-man tournament will feature Brazilian knockout artist Luis “Sapo” Santos, who brings an incredible 49-6-1 record into the tournament, against fan favorite and five-time Bellator vet Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle in an explosive matchup. Hornbuckle hails from Mahomet, and has fought locally at the Duneland Classic, Ironheart Crown and the TFC.

The sport’s top welterweight prospect Douglas “The Phenom” Lima enters the tournament riding a six-fight win streak and faces submission specialist Steve Carl. The buzz has been growing for Lima, and the impressive welterweight is ready to show fans what he is truly capable of.

“I’m not going to go in there and just lay on a guy or run around the cage,” said Lima. “When I step inside the cage, I’m ready to go to war. I’m not in there to play around.”

Bellator 39 winner Ben Saunders is looking to make noise in his first Bellator tournament and will have his work cut out for him when he takes on former Judo Olympian and Season 4 Welterweight Tournament finalist Rick Hawn in quarterfinal action.

Bellator veteran Brent Weedman will look to build off his Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal appearance when he takes on hard-hitting Cleveland native Chris “The Assassin” Lozano in what is sure to be an explosive fight.

“A lot of these guys were in our Season 4 Tournament, and after seeing some of the performances they put on, it was a no-brainer to bring a lot of them back,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “With newcomers to the tournament like Ben Saunders, Douglas Lima and Luis Santos, the winner of the title fight between Ben Askren and Jay Hieron will have a great fight on his hands.”

The Season 5 Welterweight Tournament in full is listed below:

Douglas Lima vs. Steve Carl

Dan Hornbuckle vs. Luis Santos

Ben Saunders vs. Rick Hawn

Brent Weedman vs. Chris Lozano

I’ve said it before on this site and I’ll say it again: if you’re not watching Bellator you’re missing out on some amazing MMA. And now that it’s live on MTV2, it’s easily accessible. They do tourneys how they are supposed to be done.

These events have always featured some of the best local fighters. Eddie Wineland, Dan Hornbuckle, John Kolosci, Josh Shockley, Yusup Saadulaev, Darren Elkins and Kevin Knabjian have all competed in the promotion.

Duneland Classic VII
June 25, 2011
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN
Doors open 6PM
First Bout 7:30pm

Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to its Atlantic City fight card, this time adding a Season 5 welterweight tournament qualifier fight between former Bellator Welterweight World Champion Lyman “Cyborg” Good and Mahomet’s Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle. Headlining the May 14th show will be a non-title Super Fight featuring reigning Bellator World Middleweight Champion and former Judo Olympian Hector Lombard against dangerous Hawaiian UFC veteran Falaniko Vitale. And, rounding out the nights stacked card is a Lightweight Tournament Championship fight between Brazilian Knockout artist Patricky Pitbull and undefeated NCAA Champion Mike Chandler.

“Good vs. Hornbuckle is a fight a lot of MMA fans, myself included, have wanted to see for quite some time,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “These two guys have Bellator in their blood, and on May 14th one will move into our next Tournament and one will go home. This promises to be a great fight on May 14th at Caesars.”

Coming off a tough split decision loss at the hands of undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Semifinals, the explosive Good was quick to give Hawn all the credit for the impressive victory, but also admitted he wasn’t fully prepared for his Bellator 39 fight.

“A lot of people didn’t know I had about a two week layoff before my fight with Rick because I got sick,” said a frustrated Good. “90 percent of a fight is always mental, and when I got in the cage, it never really felt like it was my fight.”

Good now looks to return to his winning ways as he collides with Hornbuckle, who himself is coming off a rare loss to Brent Weedman by unanimous decision at Bellator 35. While the loss is still upsetting to Hornbuckle, “The Handler” plans to unleash a new attack against the former champion.

“There’s no excuse for my loss to Brent Weedman,” said Hornbuckle. “It’s my fault for not pulling the trigger. I can only be mad at myself for not taking the opportunity to finish the fight. No more of that. This fight with Lyman [Good], the proof will be in the pudding – mark my words. Just watch, as soon as that bell rings, I’m going to be sprinting dead at him and I’m going to put my knee dead in his face.”

The strong words from Hornbuckle shouldn’t be a surprise, as the opportunity to fight Good has always been on his mind.

“My original goal when I first signed with Bellator was to fight Lyman Good,” said Hornbuckle. “Lyman Good has never left my radar. Stylistically, physically and mentally – we both share the same attributes that’s going to make this a “Fight of the Year” nomination.”

Lemoore, CA. (March 5, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships made its highly anticipated season 4 debut on MTV2, and the action certainly didn’t disappoint. The night saw Bellator’s Welterweight Tournament field get cut in half, with Brent Weedman, Rick Hawn, Jay Hieron, and Lyman Good moving onto the Bellator Welterweight Semifinals later this season.

“Weedman Nation” was on full display at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, and the Bellator veteran didn’t disappoint his fans, collecting a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle in a surprising upset victory.

The action rolled on as former Judoka Olympian Rick Hawk entered the cage against the UK’s own “Judo” Jim Wallhead. While fans expected a judo heavy fight, it was anything but as Hawn showed off his improved striking game, eventually earning him a Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) victory over Wallhead.

In what was the most controversial fight of the night, former UFC and Strikeforce veteran Jay Hieron locked horns with submission specialist Anthony Lapsley. The two welterweights traded blows early, but near the end of the first round, Hieron locked Lapsley up in what seemed like a tight rear naked choke. After limited movement by Lapsley on the ground, the cage referee declared Lapsley had been put to sleep, and awarded Hieron a technical submission victory. A wide awake Lapsley was stunned by the decision, but Hieron was awarded victory and will move onto the Bellator welterweight semifinals.

The night’s final fight saw former Bellator World Welterweight Champion Lyman “Cyborg” Good take on Chris “The Assassin” Lozano in the final welterweight quarterfinal matchup. Both fighters exchanged solid strikes early, with Good landing a hard hook to the left eye of Lozano that left “The Assassin” with a large mouse under his eye. While Lozano continued to battle, Good seemed to get stronger as the fight went on, and the judges agreed, awarding Good a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) victory.

“We expected very close fights and that’s exactly what we got at a sold out Tachi Palace live on MTV2,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Official Main Card Results:

* Brent Weedman def. Dan Hornbuckle by Unanimous Decision [29-28, 29-28, 29-28]
* Rick Hawn def. Jim Wallhead by Unanimous Decision [29-28, 29-28, 30-27]
* Jay Hieron def. Anthony Lapsely by Rear Naked Choke [3:39, Round 1]
* Lyman Good defeats Chris Lozano by unanimous decision [30-27, 30-27, 29-28]

Local Undercard Results:

* 125 lbs. (non title)-Zoila Frausto def. Karina Hallinan by Unanimous Decision [30-27, 30-27, 30-27]

* 176 .lbs. Waachiim Spiritwolf defeats Jamie Jara by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

* 145 lbs. Brandon Bender defeats Josh Herrick by Guillotine Choke at 3:42 of Round 1

* 135 lbs. Paul Ruiz def. Jesus Castro by TKO (1:17 Round 1)

“The Thoroughbred” is a true veteran of the sport, competing and eventually becoming the Welterweight Champion of the now defunct IFL. No stranger to the big stage, Hieron won both of his fights with Affliction before moving on to Strikeforce where he also compiled an unblemished record of 2-0.

“Jay Hieron is a fantastic signing for us at 170 lbs.,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Jay is a world-class fighter with serious talent. I can’t wait to see him back on National television competing against other top fighters where he belongs. Jay’s a spectacular addition to our upcoming season 4 welterweight tournament, where he could earn a shot at our Bellator Welterweight World Champion, Ben Askren.”

Growing up near Long Island, New York, Hieron found an outlet for his aggression through high school and college wrestling before running into personal problems outside of the cage. After his problems reached a breaking point, Hieron made the decision to get back into the gym where he first discovered MMA. It was a decision that saved his life.

“The gym is really what saved me,” said Hieron. “I was going through some real tough times, and the gym was a place I could go and get away from it all. I got a little taste of MMA from a few guys in the gym, and fell in love with it.”

“The Thoroughbred” is currently one of the team leaders at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, the training center of MMA legend Randy Couture.

“I’m really proud to be a part of the gym,” Hieron said. “I was there before it was ever called Xtreme Couture, so it’s an important place to be, and I’m really happy to see it doing so well.”

Hieron now joins Bellator as one of the most dangerous fighters to enter the already stacked welterweight division with notable victories over the likes of UFC veteran Jake Ellenberger, Jason High, Delson Heleno, Jesse Taylor and Joe Riggs.

Having not entered the cage since January of this year, Hieron is eager to return to doing what he does best, and it was the unique Bellator tournament format that admittedly attracted the well rounded Hieron to the promotion.

“It’s just a great fit for me,” said Hieron. “At this point in my career, I want to stay as active as possible, and the tournament format allows me to do that. It’s a great organization, and it’s just the perfect fit.”

Hieron joins Season 2 finalist Dan Hornbuckle, undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn, Season 2 semifinalist Steve Carl, undefeated knockout artist Chris Lozano, UK standout “Judo” Jim Wallhead, and fast-rising finisher Brent Weedman as fighters that have been confirmed for the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, slated for 2011.

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Damian Grabowski lands a left against Scott Barrett

Where were you, Chicago? Another disappointing turnout for a major MMA event in the Windy City. But the event was still entertaining. The local fights injected a ton of excitement into the card, as all 4 of the main card bouts went to decision. To the results:

Just like Askren, Warren boasts outstanding amateur wrestling background.  Coming in Askren had a brief fighting resume, while Warren had already locked up wins over former champions in ex-Hero’s champion Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and former WEC champion Chase Beebe.  Askren’s opponent, American Top Teamer Dan Hornbuckle, who trained under downstate based Jack McVicker(long considered one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors and coaches in the Midwest), went back to his grappling and produced two impressive submission wins en route to the title match.  Warren’s opponent will be Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, a former Chute Boxe fighter who’s known for a dynamic guard and solid BJJ skills in a addition to the trademark Muay Thai.

Joe Warren advances to the Featherweight title as expected.

Askren put a takedown clinic on Hornbuckle and was able to keep top position for most of the fight and reign down punishment.  Although Hornbuckle was able to work some submission attempts from his back, Askren was able to defend the sub attempts and pound away to a unanimous decision.

The match between Freire and Warren could very well play out in similar fashion.  Warren has made a living in his short career at putting opponents on their backs and staying busy enough from the top to earn some decision victories, and those wins have come against some big names.  However Warren has had problems with getting caught in near-tap situations and that plays right into Pitbull’s world.  Although Warren hasn’t succumbed to a finishing move in Bellator, Bibiano Fernandes caught him in an armbar last year during the Dream Featherweight Grand Prix.

Patricio "Pitbull" Freire faces Joe Warren for the Featherweight Title

The Featherweight championship is Thursday at Bellator 23 in Louisville, KY.  It will be an outdoor fight just like the Askren/Hornbuckle match was in Kansas City.  Louisville’s popular Fourth Street Live entertainment district will serve as the venue, the first time it’s hosted a live sporting event.  It’s a breakthrough for MMA in the Bluegrass State as this will be the first time a major national mixed martial arts promotion has staged an event in Kentucky.  Bellator 23 will also feature the Middleweight championship which pits Alexander Schlemenko against Bryan Baker.  You can watch all the action on Comcast Sportsnet at 11 pm.

That was Hornbuckle’s second submission victory of the tournament and now he moves on to the finals of the Bellator Welterweight tournament. Hornbuckle hails from Mahomet and got his start in local shows like TFC, Duneland Classic and Ironheart Crown.

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Bellator has added some popular Chicago-area fighters for it’s season 2 debut. Jeff Curran will take on Joe Doherty, and Felice Herrig’s match with Catia Vitoria has been added to the card. That fight was initially to take place in the Reality Combat Challenge, but now Herrig will have her home crowd behind her.

Bellator’s four first-round fights will take place as part of Bellator XIV on April 15th and Bellator XV on April 22nd. Bellator XIV will be broadcast live from the Chicago Theatre.

Here are the welterweight (170 lbs.) matchups:

April 15th

• Ben Askren (3-0) vs. Ryan Thomas (10-3)

April 22nd

• Dan Hornbuckle (19-2) vs. Sean Pierson (9-4)
• Jacob McClintock (6-0) vs. “Judo” Jim Wallhead (18-5)
• Steve Carl (12-1) vs. Brett Cooper (12-5)

Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155 and 185 lbs. during Season 2 with the winners in each division being declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of Bellator champions. Fighter pairings for the 145 lbs. tournament were announced last week. Matchups for the remaining two tournaments will be announced in March.

Each of the fights will be broadcast live in prime time on FOX Sports Net. Highlights will be shown the following Saturday night in special action-packed shows on NBC and Telemundo.

“I can’t wait for our welterweight tournament to start,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “It’s turned out exactly as I had hoped it would: world-class talent and well-known names coupled with some tremendous prospects in a tournament that anyone could win. This is what a tournament should be about.”

The Total Fight Challenge and Ironheart Crown veteran is coming off two solid performances for the Japanese promotion Sengoku.  He knocked out two very experienced opponents in Akihiro Gono and Nick Thompson.  The downstate Illinois native was regarded as one of the top free agent welterweights on the market.

Known as “The Handler,” Hornbuckle could get some good exposure in the US market if he continues to knock people out.  In 2010 Bellator’s fights will air on Thursday nights on Fox Sports Net.  In addition to the cable deal, the second-year promotion will also enjoy network TV exposure through a weekly late-night half-hour highlight show on NBC.

Chicago’s MMA was there last February when Hornbuckle knocked out Joe Alexander  at The Total Fight Challenge.  This was the last time he fought locally before signing with Sengoku.  Afterward the he revealed  to Chicago’s MMA that this was the first time he’d knocked anyone out standing.

Here’s the video: