Rampage Jackson Faces Former Champion Christian M’Pumbu in Bellator LHW Tournament

 
Rampage Jackson Faces Former Champion Christian M’Pumbu in Bellator LHW Tournament 

Bellator MMA returns to Swith a bang as the promotion kicks off its tenth season  Friday, February 28 at 9pm ET/PT.  The star-studded card includes the tournament debut of MMA superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Emanating from Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun, the night features Rampage in a Light Heavyweight opening round battle with former Champion Christian M’Pumbu, while King Mo Lawal returns to face Russian submission ace Mikhail Zayats. The night will also feature the start of the Season 10 Featherweight Tournament. The official sponsors of Spike TV’s Bellator MMA Season 10 are Miller Lite and Dave & Buster’s.

After making his mark with his first round knockout victory over Joey Beltran, Rampage is ready to put himself through The Toughest Tournament In Sports and earn a Bellator title shot.

“This is what Bellator is all about,” Rampage said. “I’ve never felt better, and now it’s about getting the belt. Bellator is all about the tournaments, and if that’s what you need to do to get that belt, that’s what I’m going to do. M’Pumbu is up first, and when I finish him, it’s King Mo or Zayats, and then it’s onto the belt, simple as that.”

For Lawal, the former title contender has heard the critics and is looking for vengeance after suffering his second loss to Emanuel Newton. As the tournament moves closer, King Mo only has one thing on his mind. Getting the Bellator Light Heavyweight Title.

“I’m not going to sit here and say I’m changing up my whole game plan, and you are going to see a new fighter,” Mo said. “That’s just not me. I know what I do, I know who I am, and that’s who you are going to see on February 28th, plain and simple. Me. It’s all about getting that belt.”

Bellator MMA, which features The Toughest Tournament in Sports, will showcase five tournaments this season in different weight classes including featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. The 12-week season, airing on Fridays at 9pm on Spike TV, will showcase many of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters from around the world in venues spanning across North America.

“Since we first partnered with Quinton, I’ve been working with him to get everything set for his inclusion in a Bellator tournament,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Working together, we’ve now made that a reality. This is without question the deepest Light Heavyweight Tournament we’ve ever done.  Rampage, M’Pumbu, Zayats and Mo are all monsters and I can’t think of a better way to kick off our tenth season on Spike.”

Additional fight card information for Bellator 110 will be made available in the coming weeks.

Tyrone Spong and Rampage Jackson Have War of Word on Twitter

Tyrone Spong and Rampage Jackson Have War of Word on Twitter
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Former UFC Champion, and current Bellator Light-heavyweight Rampage Jackson took to twitter today to tell Glory World Series Kickboxing Heavyweight Tournament Champion and World Series for Fighting Light-heavyweight to 'Come over or shut the fuck up!.

The war of words kicked off when Rampage responded to tweet Spong, who yesterday signed a new contract with World Series of Fighting sent out the following saying he was willing to fight Jackson as part of the fantasy Bellator vs World Series of Fight card that WSOF match maker Ali Abdel-Aziz proposed earlier in the week:

Yo @Rampage4real I just resigned with @MMAWorldSeries so have your BOSS make this fight happen! @MMAWorldSeries VS @BellatorMMA
— TyroneSpong (@Tyrone_spong) January 18, 2014

Lets just say Rampage didn't take kindly to the tweet and the following back and forth took place:

@Tyrone_spong bro I hear u getting loud over there,u keep calling me out and u r not even n Bellator. Come over or shut the fuck up!
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) January 18, 2014

@Rampage4real No need to talk tough cuz we both know you not really about it! Your boss no's how to sort it out so it can happen!
— TyroneSpong (@Tyrone_spong) January 18, 2014

@Tyrone_spong never said YOU dissed me! But I'll b happy 2 fuck u up if u ever come 2 Bellator,but until then stfu! #newbie
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) January 18, 2014

@Rampage4real there you go talkin stupid, ain't comin to bellator it about a challenge @MMAWorldSeries threw at @BellatorMMA talk is cheap
— TyroneSpong (@Tyrone_spong) January 18, 2014

Newbie?? I probably got triple your fights even if it's not in mma, anyways ask your BOSS polite to sign and make it happen @Rampage4real
— TyroneSpong (@Tyrone_spong) January 18, 2014

This could be a war of word that could last a while with a fight between Jackson and Spong unlikely to take place while both men are signed to Bellator and World Series of Fighting respectively. One thing for sure though, Spong is right, this is a fight the fans do want to see.

Video: Bellator's Best Moments of 2013

Video: Bellator's Best Moments of 2013
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Sat there with nothing to do on New Years Day or just in the mood to reminisce on some good old fashion 2013 Bellator action? Well guess what, Bellator have got just the thing for you, a playlist of videos from the past year (seasons 8 and 9 plus the Summer Series) on Spike TV.

From Emanuel Newton's upset of the year, spinning back-fist win over King Mo, to Michael Chandler vs Eddie Alvarez II, to the Bellator debut of Rampage Jackson, it's all here.

Sit back and enjoy, and feel free to let us know what your favourite Bellator moment of the year was in the comment section below.

Ortiz vs Rampage Fight or Farce?!

Tito vs Rampage announced for first ever Bellator PPV

by Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

 When having trouble sleeping last night, I opened up my laptop and had a look on twitter for any latest news. And low and behold I saw something that had to be a joke? a dream? even a nightmare?! Well, it turns out it wasn't a joke, certainly not a dream, but a nightmare come true!

Now prepare yourself folks, this isn't easy to digest. Tito Ortiz will be coming out of retirement after almost a year to take on Rampage Jackson in Bellator's first ever PPV event on November 2nd 2013 which will take place at Long Beach Arena in Southern California.

Ortiz (16-11-1) an inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, bowed out of the UFC when he fought and lost to Forrest Griffin in July 2012 after losing a unanimous decision. Leaving Ortiz with only one win in nine fights, it was clear that the former Light Heavyweight Champions career was coming to a close, and no longer had that edge to compete at the highest level.

Rampage (32-11) left the UFC at the end of his contract after losing his last bout to Glover Teixeira via unanimous decision in January. Finishing his UFC career (7-5). Rampage also a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion himself, won the belt in fashionable style knocking out the legend Chuck Liddell.

Tito and Rampage came head to head inside the Bellator cage to announce the fight. Both having a good relationship with each other, though they will be putting that to one side for this fight come November.

Tito went onto say "we're giving the fans the fight they want to see, and the best fight possible"  really Tito, really??!! If this fight took place 6/7 years ago, I'd probably agree with him. But in 2013, certainly not!

With both fighters way past their best. The only good thing I can probably take from this fight is that they will probably be evenly matched and may make for a competitive fight. Well, here's clutching at straws anyway!

I just hope Tito isn't coming out of retirement as he needs the $$$$, if he does its a sad state of affairs for once one of the highest ever earners in the UFC.

Hopefully this isn't the start of things to come from Bellator, with so many good fighters on their roster and they are relying on two MMA veterans to pull in a crowd for there first ever PPV event.

Shamrock, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman will all be dusting off their gloves just in case that call comes!

Video: Rampage Jackson's TNA Debut

Video: Rampage Jackson's TNA Debut

Former UFC Champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson made his TNA Wrestling debut last night declared he 'wanted to beat the best'.

Rampage who recently signed a joint detail which will see him fight for Bellator, and wrestle for TNA wasted little time in getting his pro wrestling career off the ground, can be seen giving an interview before squaring up to pro wrestling legend, Kurt Angle. Check it out below:

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson Signs Joint Deal with Bellator & TNA

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson Signs Joint Deal with Bellator & TNA  

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the mixed martial arts icon and action-movie star has agreed to a monumental, multi-year partnership with Bellator MMA, TNA Wrestling and Spike TV as it was jointly announced today by Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO, Kevin Kay, Spike TV President, and Dixie Carter, TNA Wrestling President. The landmark partnership includes Jackson competing in Bellator MMA, along with joining the superstars of TNA’s “Impact Wrestling,” which includes fellow Bellator fighter “King Mo” Lawal. Spike TV will also create a special reality series featuring Rampage that will lead into his debut with Bellator, as well as other entertainment initiatives.

“Rampage is a true superstar both inside and outside the MMA cage” Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. “The partnership that we’ve created with Quinton is unlike anything that’s ever been done in the sports & entertainment arena and Rampage is the perfect athlete/entertainer to carry it off.”



“We are thrilled to create this opportunity for one of the greatest athletes and personalities in MMA,” said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. “Rampage is a proven ratings driver who brings incredible star power to both Bellator and TNA.”

"Rampage is one of the best known MMA fighters competing today," said Carter. "He is a true cross-over star and his talent, big personality and popularity among a wide range of fans make him an extraordinary fit for our company,”

Jackson (32-11) joins Bellator as a former Pride and UFC champion, having last fought on Spike TV in September 2007, in a fight vs. Dan Henderson that drew nearly 6 million viewers, making it one of the most watched fights in the sport’s history. In 2009, Jackson served as a coach on Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” the highest-rated season by far in franchise history, delivering over 3 million viewers per week. Rampage joins a Bellator Light Heavyweight division that features “King Mo”, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Emanuel Newton, Attila Vegh and Vladimir Matyushenko.

The charismatic fighter from Memphis, TN began his professional MMA career in 1999 and established his legacy across the globe through epic battles with MMA titans including Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones and Dan Henderson among others.

More information regarding this signing will be made available at Wednesday’s press conference. Details on the press conference will be released shortly.