MMA Junkie is reporting TUF veteran Kevin Knabjian will face journeyman Brian Gassaway, and Keoki Cypriano(training partner of WEC lightweight Ricardo Lamas) will face Eric Kriegermeier in the promotion’s third show in the Windy City.  Those matchups join a lineup already featuring Chicago favorite Shonie Carter and Dan Hornbuckle, who has fought in several regional promotions including Ironheart Crown, Total Fight Challenge, and The Duneland Classic.

The Gassaway /Knabjian will be interesting to watch because both trained together at Midwest Training Center, although Gassaway has since left the gym.   The “Mandingo” hasn’t fought since 2008 when he lost to Mike Pyle by armbar at SuperFights MMA in Las Vegas.  Knabjian will make his second appearance in Bellator.  He lost to Jacob Volkman at Bellator 7  by Brabo Choke.

Cypriano goes by the nickname “Hawaii’s Bad Boy” and brings a heavy-handed exciting style to the cage.

Bellator has not officially announced these fights, nor have they officially announced Carter’s fight(against Torrance Taylor) or Hornbuckle’s(against Brad Blackburn.)   The only officially announced fights are two tournament matches.

In the heavyweight tournament Damian Grabowski faces  Scott Barrett in opening round action.  Meanhwhile, Jessica Pene will face Zoila Frausto in the first round of the female 115 pound tournament.  Grabowski and Frausto are two names to watch in season 3 of the Chicago/Los Angeles based fight promotion.

Damian Grabowski is undefeated at 13-0 and has finished all his opponents.  Zoila Frausto has a Muay Thai background and is fresh off an upset knockout victory over highly regarded Rosi Sexton.  That knockout helped the “Warrior Princess” steal the tourney spot originally intended for Sexton.

The main event will match XFO vet and former WEC champ Chase Beebe against Billy Jochum. Beebe (11-5) comes back to the states after battling in DREAM to fight locally for the first time in almost 4 years. Jochum (8-3) fought here at “Fight Club One” in July last year, getting submitted by John Hosman by a first round armbar.

Hosman (15-6-1) will also fight on the card. After rattling off 7 straight wins, Hosman got the call to fight in the WEC. He got a very tough matchup in his first fight, having to face off against submission specialist Rani Yahya. Yahya submitted him in round 1. Then Hosman battled Chad George to a decision loss at WEC 45. At Lords of War, Hosman looks to get back to his winning ways and will take on Mike “The Assassin” Lindquist.

Also at Lords of War 1:

• Former TUF combatant and MTC fighter Kevin Knabjian will fight on the card.
• Gilbert Grappling’s Joe Benoit (8-3) will fight Craig Kaufman (7-4).
• Undefeated C3 and TFC vet Tony Wisnieski (6-0) will battle Iowa’s Ryan Bixler.
• MTC fighters Ryan Williams, Mikey Lullo, Mike Pitz and Vincent Ramos will all fight at the event.

click the poster to view full size

Check out our Chicago’s MMA Events page for all the upcoming local cards.

Hayabusa Red Label Pro MMA Gloves

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

**MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINAL**

- Omar De La Cruz def. Dave Menne by TKO @ 3:19 of Rd.1.

- Lyman Good def. Jorge Ortiz by TKO (doctor stoppage due to cut) @ 4:37 of Rd.2.

Omar De La Cruz and Lyman Good advance to the finals.

155 lbs: Troy Gerhart def. Lorenzo Borgomeo by unanimous decision

HWT: Eddie Sanchez def. Jay White by TKO @ :10 of Rd.1.

155 lbs: Alonzo Martinez def. Victor Meza by Submission(rear naked choke) @ 2:43 of Rd.2.

170 lbs: Jesse Juarez def. DeRay Davis(Team Corral) by TKO @ 4:47 of Rd.2.

Women’s 135 lbs: Kerry Vera def. Leslie Smith by unanimous decision

170 lbs: Jacob Volkman def. Kevin Knabjian(MTC) by Submission(triangle choke) @ 1:42 of Rd.2.

170 lbs: Anthony Lapsley def. Ryan Williams(MTC) by Submission(rear naked choke) @ 4:22 of Rd.2.

When Bellator Fighting Championships hits the Aragon Ball Room a couple local fighters will be on the fightcard.  Kevin Knabjian and Ryan Williams are set to take part in the night’s festivities.  Both are welterweights training at Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg.

Knabjian(10-3-1) is back home after briefly participating in “The Ultimate Fighter: Team UK vs. Team USA.”  He lost his qualifying fight to close friend, training partner and fellow Chicagoan Mark Miller.  Before appearing on the reality show he was riding a four-fight win streak which included a TKO stoppage of TUF1 alum Josh Rafferty at XFO 22.  The former Eastern Illinois University wrestler has also fought in the WEC, losing to Brock Larson, who was the top contender to Carlos Condit’s welterweight title at the time.

Knabjian’s opponent will be Jacob Volkmann(8-0), a three-time All-American wrestler from the University of Minnesota who now trains at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.  This is the same gym where current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar trains, as well as former UFC champions Sean Sherk and Dave Menne.

Ryan Williams(10-3) is fresh off a strong performance at XFO 29 where he choked out Jason Bowling.  The former XFO welterweight champion is keeping up a dizzying pace for a professional mixed martial artist.  His upcoming Bellator fight with Anthony Lapsley will be his fifth fight in seven months.

Lapsley(13-5) is a King of the Cage veteran and sports a nickname of “The Recipe.”   Although he has several wins by submission, he is a fighter who likes to strike on the feet.

The main events in the May 15 Bellator show are the semi-final bouts of the middelweight tournament.  Veteran Dave Menne faces Omar De La Cruz and the hard hitting Lyman Good squares off against Jorge Ortiz.  A tape delayed broadcast of the event will air on ESPN Desportes the next day.

Bellator Fighting Championships is making its way to Chicago. They are putting on an event at the Aragon Ballroom on May 15th. Chicagoans know that the nickname for the Aragon is “The Brawlroom”, so perhaps it’s the perfect place to stage an MMA event.

We will have interviews with fighters Eddie Alvarez and Jorge Masvidal within the next day or so here at Chicago’s MMA, as well as more details and the full card.

Bellator Fighting Championships’ is in their premiere season. They are featuring 12 two-hour events broadcast Saturday nights on ESPN Deportes. The English-language broadcast is available on their website each Wednesday. The events feature both tournament and non-tournament bouts. There are four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season one over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions. Check out their fighter roster.

*Chicago’s MMA also learned local MTC welterweights Ryan Williams and Kevin Knabjian both will participate on the card.  Williams faces Anthony Lapsley, while Knabjian will take on Jacob Volkman.*

Welterweights, training partners and friends, Mark Miller and Kevin Knabjian had to battle each other for a spot in the house on episode 2 of TUF9. Miller emerged the victor.

From UFC.com: “After a competitive first round, the action kicked into gear in the second when Knabjian dropped Miller to the mat and went for a submission. Miller escaped, and moments later, he tagged Knabjian and hurt him. Miller didn’t let his friend off the hook, and referee Steve Mazzagatti halted the bout.”

Check out our interview with Mark Miller from last summer, when he was preparing for the debut of “Adrenaline”. He talks about his cage approach and the MMA scene in Chicago. Miller is also a veteran of the now defunct IF and trains with Dino Costeas MMA.

Check out this fight from Kevin Knabjian, from the debut of PFC last May against Mario Stapel. Knabjian trains with Gilbert Grappling.

Keep visiting Chicago’s MMA as we follow Miller’s progress on TUF and find out what’s next for Knabjian

Kevin Knabjian is one of two Chicagoans participating in the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter.  Mark Miller is the other cast member.  Knabjian has a strong wrestling background and has spent time with Gilbert Grappling and The Midwest Training Center.  The former Eastern Illinois University grappler brings a strong ground’n'pound style to The Octagon.  This is one of his recent fights, a welterweight match with Mario Stapel at the debut event for Primetime Fighting Championships last May.

The potent lightweight pair has agreed to meet in the headlining bout of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” finale on June 20 at the Pearl inside the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, according to sources close to the fighters. The bout will anchor a night of final deciding bouts for the Spike TV reality series, which begins airing in April.

Guida (25-9) has won his last 3 matches against Nate Diaz, Mac Danzig and Samy Schiavo, and trains out of MTC in Schaumburg.

Season 9 of the The Ultimate Fighter pits a team from United States against a United Kingdom team. Dan Henderson coaches the Americans while TUF 3 winner and British standout Michael Bisping will head the one from England. Local fighters Mark Miller (Dino Costeas MMA) and Kevin Knabjian (Gilbert Grappling) are cast members this season, which showcases lightweights and welterweights.