Frausto Confirmed for Bellator Season 4 Debut

Zoila Frausto (left) | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila Frausto will return to the cage March 5 as she competes at Bellator 35 from the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Sherdog.com previously reported Frausto's speculated involvement in the event, and Thursday the fighter confirmed the report by announcing the news over Facebook. It is currently unknown whether Frausto will defend her title, and her opponent has not yet been named.

A Strikeforce veteran, Frausto rides a five-fight winning streak heading into the bout. The only blemish on the career of “The Warrior Princess” came last March when she was submitted by 135-pound contender Miesha Tate at Strikeforce “Challengers 7.”

Frausto made her Bellator debut in June, knocking out Rosi Sexton in the first round of their 121-pound catchweight affair at Bellator 23. Frausto then rattled off three straight victories to become Bellator's first-ever 115-pound queen. The 27-year-old outpointed Jessica Pene, Jessica Aguilar and the previously unbeaten Megumi Fujii en route to claiming the tournament crown.

Though no bouts have been officially announced for the March 5 event, the promotion's third welterweight tournament is expected to begin. Also expected are appearances by Waachiim Spiritwolf and Poppies Martinez against to-be-named opponents.

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Frausto-Hallinan Targeted for Bellator 35

Zoila Frausto (top) vs. Karina Hallinan | Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

Bellator Fighting Championships 115-pound women's champion Zoila Frausto will likely square off with Karina Hallinan at Bellator 35, going down March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Frausto's participation in the show was first reported by Sherdog.com last week, and MMA Junkie was first to report the Frausto-Hallinan matchup on Friday. Sherdog.com has confirmed with sources close to the negotiations that Bellator is trying to put the fight together, but bout agreements are not yet in place. The pair has fought once before, in their respective professional debuts. Frausto won that 2009 encounter by split decision.

The event, which will kick off Bellator's fourth season and third welterweight tournament, will also likely feature appearances from Poppies Martinez and Waachiim Spiritwolf.

A two-time Strikeforce veteran, Frausto has won five straight bouts. “Warrior Princess” won Bellator's third-season 115-pound tournament by outpointing Jessica Penne, Jessica Aguilar and the previously unbeaten Megumi Fujii in consecutive bouts in a two-month span. A massive 115-pounder, Frausto has competed at 135 pounds, suffering the only loss of her career at that weight to Strikeforce contender Miesha Tate. Frausto made her Bellator debut in August, earning a knockout over Rosi Sexton in a 121-pound catchweight affair.

Hallinan was active in 2010, fighting five times last year. The Greg Jackson product enters the bout riding back-to-back defeats. Hallinan has finished two-thirds of her career victims and has never been knocked out as a professional.

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McCullough First Confirmed for Bellator Lightweight Tournament

“Razor” Rob McCullough | Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

With its 135- and 170-pound tournament rosters set, Bellator Fighting Championships has begun to fill its 155-pound bracket, today officially naming former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion “Razor” Rob McCullough as the first participant in the eight-man field.

“We’re excited to add a championship quality fighter like Rob McCullough to this tournament,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a press release. “Rob’s fights are always entertaining, and I expect nothing less this season.”

Bellator’s upcoming fourth season is set to air live on MTV2 and will kick off March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. As with all of Bellator’s tournaments, the 155-pounders will be vying for $100,000 and the right to face the current divisional champion -- in this case, world-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez.

Expected to join McCullough in the draw are recent Bellator signees Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, as well as Carey Vanier, who earned his spot by winning a qualifier in Season three. Last October, Rebney told Sherdog.com that two-time tournament finalist Toby Imada, Olympic judoka Ferrid Kheder, and collegiate wrestling convert Michael Chandler were all likely participants.

McCullough, a 33-year-old muay Thai specialist, has won back-to-back bouts under the Tachi Palace Fights banner since being released by WEC in late 2009. Last July, he scored a first-round knockout of TPF featherweight champ Isaac DeJesus in a 160-pound matchup. In September, he took a unanimous decision against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season five participant Corey Hill.

Since beginning his MMA campaign in 2001, McCullough has amassed a record of 19-6 and has been stopped only once. That knockout came at the hands of Jamie Varner, who took McCullough’s WEC title in 2008.

“I’ve been training for the last six months straight, twice a day, every day,” McCullough said. “I’ve been adding new elements to my game, tweaking things and working on old techniques. I've got nothing but positive people surrounding me and I'm ready to get back to the top.”

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Saunders Signs with Bellator

Ben Saunders (right) | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Former UFC welterweight competitor Ben Saunders has signed with Bellator Fighting Championships and will make his debut with the promotion during its upcoming fourth season.

“Ben Saunders is an exciting, powerful welterweight with explosive knockout power. Ben is dangerous and always shows up to fight. I’m excited to see his first fight under the Bellator banner on MTV2 in April.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney in an official press release.

Saunders enters the circular cage of Bellator coming off a win in a local Florida promotion in November. Prior to that victory, however, “Killa B” had lost three of four fights in the Octagon before being released by the UFC.

A contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter” season six, Saunders began his UFC career with three straight victories before running into Mike Swick at UFC 99. Though the American Top Team product would rebound with a dominant win over Marcus Davis, Saunders would lose back-to-back fights to Jon Fitch and Dennis Hallman before being cut by the promotion in 2010. Saunders will not compete in Bellator's upcoming welterweight tournament.

“I'm here to test myself against anyone that they throw against me,” said Saunders. “I want to be the best. I want to be a champion, and that's my goal. I'm here to kick some ass, make some money, and take a belt along the way.”

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Malegarie Completes 8-Man Bellator Featherweight Field

Hours after confirming Patricio “Pitbull” Freire as the seventh participant in its fourth-season featherweight tournament, Bellator Fighting Championships has finalized the field, officially adding the unbeaten Nazareno Malegarie (Pictured).

Vying with Freire and Malegarie for $100,000 and a shot at Bellator 145-pound champion Joe Warren will be Kenny Foster, Zac George, Eric Larkin, Georgi Karakhanyan, Wilson Reis and Daniel Straus. No matchups have been announced for the tournament’s opening round, nor has a start date for Season 4, which is set to air live on MTV2.

A 24-year-old black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Malegarie holds a perfect professional ledger of 19-0, including 12 submissions and five knockouts. “Naza” is an Argentinian national but resides in Florianopolis, Brazil, where he trains at UFC lightweight Thiago Tavares’ Ataque Duplo. Malegarie’s first fight for Bellator will also be his stateside debut, as he has competed almost exclusively in Brazil since debuting in 2007.

“I’m just very excited to finally have the chance to show fans in the United States what I’m capable of,” Malegarie said in a release. “Signing with Bellator was very important for me, and I’m ready to prove myself.”

The featherweight tournament is the second to be completed for Bellator’s fourth season, which is expected to host eight-man brackets at 145, 155, 170 and 205 pounds. The field at 170 consists of includes former champion Lyman Good, Season 2 runner-up Dan Hornbuckle, Steve Carl, Rick Hawn, Jay Hieron, Chris Lozano, Jim Wallhead and Brent Weedman. Sherdog.com learned last week that the welterweight tournament will launch at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., on March 5.

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Bellator Welterweight Tourney Starts March 5 in California

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney (left) | Keith Mills/Sherdog.com

Bellator Fighting Championships will kick off its fourth season and third welterweight tournament on March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., Sherdog.com has learned from multiple sources.

While not confirmed, the card could feature all four quarterfinals from the 170-pound bracket. The event will mark the promotion’s live broadcast debut on MTV2, the network with which Bellator agreed to a multi-year deal last month.

Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila Frausto has been rumored as a possible competitor on the March 5 show, but sources tell Sherdog.com that her participation remains unofficial. Meanwhile, Strikeforce veteran Waachiim Spiritwolf and “Tachi Kid” Poppies Martinez will likely square off against to-be-named opponents on the event’s undercard.

Sherdog.com has also been informed that Bellator has expressed interest in holding a Season four event at the nearby Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, Calif.

Bellator’s inaugural welterweight tournament was won by Tiger Schulmann product Lyman Good in 2009. Last year, Olympic wrestler Ben Askren won the tournament’s second iteration and later defeated Good to become the promotion’s undisputed champion.

The tournament field for Season four includes former champion Good, as well as Dan Hornbuckle, Jay Hieron, Rick Hawn, Jim Wallhead, Chris Lozano, Brent Weedman and Steve Carl. While not officially announced by the promotion, Hieron-Carl and Wallhead-Hawn matchups have been reported for the opening round.

Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.

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Bellator Featherweight Tourney to Feature Reis

Wilson Reis | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

The pool of featherweight competitors participating in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming 145-pound tournament continues to grow, as the promotion on Friday announced that Brazilian Wilson Reis would join the field.

Reis is now the sixth official participant in the tournament, which will also feature the talents of Kenny Foster, Zac George, Eric Larkin, Georgi Karakhanyan and Daniel Straus. Announcements confirming the participation of Nazareno Malegarie and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire are expected to come soon.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Reis has won four of his last five, with his only loss in that span coming to his aforementioned countryman Freire in the semifinals of Bellator's second-season featherweight tournament. Reis also competed in the promotion's first 145-pound bracket, falling to eventual champion Joe Soto, again in the semifinals.

“I came up short in the first two tournaments and this is my chance to make things right,” said Reis in the official release. “I absolutely believe that I can win it, and that's why I decided to get involved this time around. I'm going to give it all I have, take it one fight at a time, and in every fight, do my best.”

After beginning his career a perfect 5-0, the Brazilian became EliteXC’s first and only bantamweight champion when he defeated Abel Cullum in 2008. Most recently, Reis got his hand raised in October, outpointing WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius in a split decision at Bellator 33.

“I'm wiser in this sport right now than I've ever been before,” said Reis. “I've been training for four years now, so I'm really starting to understand every aspect of the game. The wrestling, the jiu-jitsu, the kickboxing and blending them all together. I'm better than I've ever been right now.”

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‘Tooth Fairy’ Foster Joins Bellator Featherweight Tourney

Kenny Foster (green trunks) | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Featherweight Kenny Foster will take part in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming 145-pound tournament, the promotion announced Wednesday.

Foster joins Eric Larkin and Zac George on the list of official participants for the Season 4 tournament field. Other featherweights rumored to compete include Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Georgi Karakhanyan, Wilson Reis and Nazareno Malegarie.

An NCAA Division II All-American wrestler at Tennessee’s Carson-Newman College, Foster began his amateur career with no formal mixed martial arts training. The “Tooth Fairy” joined the New York-based Team Bombsquad when he turned pro and has worked his way up by fighting in local shows. Foster made his Bellator debut in October, when he earned a unanimous decision over Lester Caslow at Bellator 33.

“If any of my opponents take me lightly, I think that’s great,” Foster said in a press release. “That’s their own fault. We’re all here for a reason, and you don’t just end up in one of these tournaments because you got lucky. You're there because you are one of the top guys in your division.”

Foster holds a mark of 8-2 and owns all but one of his career victories by stoppage. The featherweight has been finished twice in his career, once by knockout and once by submission. His most recent defeat came in June, when he was knocked out by Donny Walker. Prior to that misstep, the two-time Georgia state high school wrestling champion had won six straight bouts.

While still without an official start date, Bellator's fourth season will begin in March and is set to air on MTV2.

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Season 2 Finalist ‘Pitbull’ Returns to Bellator 145-Pound Draw

Once-beaten Brazilian Patricio “Pitbull” Freire will take part in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 4 featherweight tournament, the promotion announced on Monday.

Freire joins countryman Wilson Reis, Kenny Foster, Zac George, Eric Larkin, Georgi Karakhanyan and Daniel Straus on the list of confirmed participants for the eight-man field. Undefeated Bellator newcomer Nazareno Malegarie is expected to fill the tournament’s final slot.

A member of Team Nogueira, Freire reached the final of the second-season 145-pound tournament and nearly knocked out current Bellator champion Joe Warren in the opening round. Warren stormed back, however, and the gritty wrestler handed Freire the first loss of his career via split decision. Winning the upcoming tournament would earn Freire not only a check for $100,000 but also a rematch with the “Baddest Man on the Planet” -- something which the Pitbull is solely focused on improving for.

“I have no interest besides fighting as a professional,” Freire said in a release. “It’s the only thing I really want to do. Every day in my life, I am looking to overcome myself and evolve into a better fighter. I never believe that I am good enough. It’s all about improvement, every single day.”

Freire reached the Season 2 final by heel-hooking the previously unbeaten William Romero and taking a decision over Reis. The 23-year-old earned 14 consecutive wins before running into Warren, 11 of which came via some form of stoppage. His older brother, Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, is expected to compete in Bellator’s Season 4 lightweight tournament.

While no start date has been announced for Bellator’s MTV2-broadcast fourth season, it is expected to kick off on March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

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Bellator Adds Ex-Champ Good to Welterweight Tournament

Lyman Good: Jason Broaddus | Sherdog.com

Former Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight titleholder Lyman Good will take part in the promotion’s upcoming 170-pound tournament, Bellator announced today.

Good joins previously announced fighters Dan Hornbuckle, Rick Hawn, Brent Weedman and Chris Lozano in the field for the tournament. Set to kick off in March, no start date has been announced for Bellator’s imminent fourth season, which will air live on MTV2.

The winner of Bellator’s inaugural welterweight tourney, Good was first mentioned as a possible participant in October, when Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney told Sherdog.com that the loser of Good’s title bout with Ben Askren would likely take a slot in the eight-man bracket.

Good would suffer his first career defeat in that match, as decorated wrestler Askren used his base skill to dominate the 25-year-old Tiger Schulmann pupil over five rounds. With the winner of the season four tournament guaranteed a shot at Askren, Good enters with revenge on his mind.

“Being able to fight Askren again was one of the biggest factors behind me entering this tournament,” Good said in a release. “I can't walk away from an opportunity to avenge a loss to a person that I know deep down -- with the proper amount of preparation -- I can beat.”

Prior to running into Askren, Good had won 10 straight contests, including a trio of stoppages against Omar de la Cruz, Jorge Ortiz and Hector Urbina to capture the Bellator title. After the conclusion of Bellator’s first season, however, Good did not compete for 16 months due to a serious shoulder injury and subsequent surgery.

Now fully healed and with a chance at redemption looming, Good looks to show the world an upgraded “Cyborg.”

“I'm going to be unveiling ‘Lyman 2.0’ this time around,” said Good. “In a sense, you’re going to see a newer version of me, but at the same time, I will always have what defines me as a fighter.”

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Lozano Joins Hornbuckle, Hawn, Weedman in Bellator Tourney

Unbeaten welterweight Chris Lozano will take part in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming fourth season welterweight tournament.

The Chicago-based promotion confirmed Tuesday that the 28-year-old knockout artist will be a part of its next 170-pound bracket. Lozano is the fourth confirmed tourney participant, joining season two finalist Dan Hornbuckle, Olympic judo convert Rick Hawn and the surging Brent Weedman.

“It’s hard to put a limit to Chris’ potential in the welterweight division,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “His skills and ability have shown through devastating stoppages time and time again.”

Lozano punched his ticket for the tournament last September, when he scored a technical knockout win over UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Lozano battered Yoshida for two rounds with knees and punches, swelling his opponent’s eye so severely that the Japanese corner halted the bout before it could reach the third frame.

“I fight to finish people,” said Lozano. “I don't fight to be nice. I understand that it's a sport, but at the same time, I'm in there to finish guys... I'm going to come into this tournament the same way I've come into every single one of my fights, and that's to put guys away.”

Despite a background which included tae kwon do, boxing and wrestling, Lozano began training in mixed martial arts just four years ago and has competed as a professional for less than two. The Ohio-based fighter knocked out the first four opponents of his career inside the first round. Last June, he forced another UFC veteran, Jason Dent, to retire four rounds into a five-round title fight.

Scheduled to begin in March, Bellator has yet to announce an official start date for its fourth season, which will air live on MTV2.

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Bellator Inks 3-Year Deal with MTV2

Bellator Fighting Championships finally has its new home on cable.

The fight promotion has struck a three-year partnership with MTV2 which will see the cable network broadcast two live 12-week tournaments per year, as well as “a collection of special feature events,” beginning in 2011. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and MTV2 Senior Vice President of Programming and Production Eric Conte announced the deal today via press release.

“MMA is at the top of our audience’s wish list, and partnering with Bellator to bring live events and specials to MTV2 made complete sense since our viewers are so hungry to see more MMA on-air,” Conte said in a statement.

Bellator’s primary broadcast partner for its second and third seasons was Fox Sports Net. Those broadcasts were met with some dissatisfaction, as many viewers were forced to watch the fights on delay due to various other network obligations. Rebney announced earlier this year that Bellator would be moving forward in 2011 with a new broadcast partner, but the promotion’s chairman would not disclose the new network’s identity.

Earlier this month, MMAJunkie.com reported that Bellator was close to striking a new deal with Fox Entertainment Group, and that the upcoming fourth season would air live on FX.

The Chicago-based fight promotion, currently on hiatus from broadcast and competition, will be entering its fourth season in 2011. Bellator’s format is unique among larger promotions, as with each 12-week season, the organization holds tournaments in various weight classes to crown divisional champions and number-one contenders.

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Bellator Pushes for Lombard-Jacare, Askren-Diaz

Hector Lombard file photo: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

With a potential bout between Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez a hot topic in recent weeks, Bellator has begun calling out additional Strikeforce champions as well.

Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard outpointed Alexander Shlemenko in the promotion’s season three finale Thursday in Hollywood, Fla. The Cuban-born judoka then challenged Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza during his postfight interview.

“With Hector’s win tonight, I’ve said many times the opportunity for Hector to fight Jacare would be spectacular,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said at the postfight news conference. “I’d love to see it.”

Rebney also said he wants to pit his welterweight champion, Ben Askren, against Strikeforce titleholder Nick Diaz. The Bellator boss explained that co-promotional bouts with Strikeforce would likely be three-round non-title fights.

“The difficulty in doing a championship unification under the banner of two different promotions who don’t work together on every event is then you’ve got one fighter who wins, one fighter who loses and then what happens to that champion?” Rebney said. “For example, if Eddie were to fight Gilbert and we were to do a unification and Eddie were to walk away with the Strikeforce belt and the Bellator belt, then what does Strikeforce do at that point?

“I think three-round fights answer a lot of questions. I think five-round fights are great, but I think you can get a lot of questions answered in three-round fights in terms of the dominance and performance of fighters. In all likelihood, it would be three-round fights, but again, I’m welcome to [five-round fights]. I’m trying desperately to not say anything that would be perceived as a barrier to making those kind of fights happen.”

Rebney continued his plea for Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker to return his calls about co-promoting.

“In that kind of scenario, the promoter on the other side of the table has got to respond, take the calls and sit down at the table and try to make the fight happen,” Rebney said. “I’ve eliminated issues. I’ve eliminated barriers to entry. I’ve said we can do the fight in San Jose. I’ve said we can do the fight on Showtime. Without communication with Scott, it would be a difficult event to pull off.”

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Bellator CEO Rebney: Alvarez Best Lightweight in MMA

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Bellator Signs Hieron for Season 4 Tournament

Jay Hieron: Terry Goodlad | Sherdog.com

Former International Fight League welterweight champion Jay Hieron has agreed to an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships and will take part in the promotion’s Season 4 welterweight tournament. Terms of the deal, announced on Monday, were not disclosed.

Anchored at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas, Hieron has rattled off seven consecutive victories. The 34-year-old last appeared under the Strikeforce banner in January, when he defeated fellow UFC veteran Joe Riggs by unanimous decision at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

“Jay is a fantastic signing for us at 170 pounds,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “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. He is a spectacular addition to our upcoming Season 4 welterweight tournament.”

A well-rounded competitor, Hieron owns notable victories against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 semi-finalist Jesse Taylor, 2009 Dream welterweight grand prix finalist Jason High, former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Delson Heleno and UFC veteran Jake Ellenberger. He joins Sengoku vet Dan Hornbuckle, unbeaten Olympic judoka Rick Hawn, unbeaten prospect Chris Lozano, “Judo” Jim Wallhead, Steve Carl and the fast-rising Brent Weedman in Bellator’s Season 4 welterweight draw.

“It’s just a great fit for me,” Hieron said. “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.”

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Two Title Fights Official for Bellator 34

All fighters competing at Bellator Fighting Championships 34 met their contracted weights at Wednesday’s weigh-in, including main event combatants Hector Lombard (Pictured) and Alexander Shlemenko, who will compete for the former’s middleweight title.

Also on the card will be a women’s 115-pound championship fight between Megumi Fujii and Zoila Frausto. The event will go down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Lombard (183.25) captured the title by winning Bellator’s Season 1 middleweight tournament, turning back Jared Hess in the final to become the promotion’s inaugural 185-pound champion. Lombard is the owner of a 19-fight winning streak, with his only blemish in that span being a draw to Kyle Noke in 2007. Since winning the Bellator middleweight title, the American Top Team fighter has been on a tear, finishing all but one of his six opponents in the first round. His last two fights have been demolitions, as the native Cuban ran through Jay Silva and Herbert Goodman in six and 38 seconds, respectively.

Shlemenko won Bellator’s Season 2 middleweight tournament to become the number one contender for Lombard’s title. Like Lombard, the Russian is on quite a roll, having won 15 of his last 16 contests. A knockout specialist, Shlemenko (184.75) holds nearly two-thirds of his 30 career wins by KO, including his first-round stoppage of Bryan Baker in the Season 2 tournament final.

Fujii (113.5) has long been considered one of the pound-for-pound best in MMA, as she has amassed a perfect 22-0 record, with 18 submission victories to her credit. Training under former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, “Mega Megu” is coming off an armbar submission victory over Lisa Ward in the women’s tournament semi-final.

Frausto’s last appearance was not as impressive as Fujii’s, however, as the “Warrior Princess” eked out a contentious split decision victory over the spunky Jessica Aguilar at Bellator 31 to advance to the final. Frausto (114.5) owns only one loss, a March 2010 defeat to Strikeforce 135-pound contender Miesha Tate.

Hector Lombard (183.25) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (184.75)

Megumi Fujii (113.5) vs. Zoila Frausto (114.5)

Mike Bernhard (185.75) vs. Dragan Tesanovic (185.5)
Tony Lopez (204.5) vs. Raphael Davis (205.5)
William Kuhn (170) vs. John Kelly (172.25)
Ralph Acosta (135) vs. Tulio Quintanilla (135.5)
Frank Carrillo (184.25) vs. Moyses Gabin (184.25)
Igor Almeida (184.5) vs. Dan Cramer (185.5)
Bounmy Somchay (161) vs. JP Reese (159.25)

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Eight-Bout Lineup Finalized for Bellator 34

Serbian middleweight prospect Dragan Tesanovic (Pictured) will make his Bellator Fighting Championships debut against Mike Bernhard at Bellator 34 on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Bellator officials on Monday completed an eight-fight lineup for the event.

Unbeaten as a professional, Tesanovic has finished five of his first seven foes by knockout or technical knockout. The 25-year-old defeated M-1 Challenge veteran Gregor Herb by unanimous decision under the World Free Fight Challenge banner on July 31 in Portoroz, Slovenia. Tesanovic has not fought since.

Bernhard will carry a five-fight winning streak into the bout. The 25-year-old has secured six of his eight career victories by KO or TKO and sports six-, 11-, 24- and 61-second wins on his resume. Bernhard last appeared at an Xtreme Fighting Championships show in July, when he stopped Gerardo Julio Gallegos on first-round punches at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

A pair of five-round title bouts will headline Bellator 34, as middleweight champion Hector Lombard defends against Alexander Shlemenko and Megumi Fujii meets Zoila Frausto for the vacant women’s 115-pound crown. Meanwhile, a light heavyweight showdown between former two-division King of the Cage champion Tony Lopez and the once-beaten Raphael Davis will round out the main card.

Hector Lombard vs. Alexander Shlemenko

Megumi Fujii vs. Zoila Frausto

Dragan Tesanovic vs. Mike Bernhard
Tony Lopez vs. Raphael Davis
John Kelly vs. William Kuhn
Ralph Acosta vs. Tulio Quintanilla
Dan Cramer vs. Igor Almeida
Frank Carrillo vs. Moyses Gabin

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