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SPIKE TV ANNOUNCES CAST OF “FIGHT MASTER: BELLATOR MMAâ€
32 Welterweights Battle for a Spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament and $100,000 Prize Under the Tutelage of Fight Legends Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren
Series Premieres Wednesday, June 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT
New York, NY, May 6, 2013 – The inaugural season of Spike TV’s “Fight Master: Bellator MMA†brings together 32 of the best welterweight (170 lbs) fighters on the planet to compete for a spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament, the toughest tournament in sports, and a $100,000 prize. The series premieres on Wednesday, June 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT, featuring legends of the sport, Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren, as coaches.
From Salvador, Brazil to Newcastle, United Kingdom to Great Falls, MT, the 32 fighters have traveled from all corners of the globe to the bayou of New Orleans, and will live and train together in four camps led by the aforementioned legendary coaches. This series is much more than just a tournament, as it will capture the reality of the competitors and the grueling training regimen it takes to become a world-class MMA fighter.
The concept of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA†is unprecedented in that the fighters control their own destiny. They will choose which camp to train with and which opponent they want to fight next. The 32 fighters will partake in qualifying bouts over the first three episodes of the series. The finale will be telecast live on Spike with the winner moving on to an upcoming tournament. Bellator announcer Jimmy Smith will serve as host.
The inaugural “Fight Master: Bellator MMA†cast is comprised of the following:
Marcus Aurelio Age: 26 Record: 6-2-0 Vancouver, British Columbia Twitter: @barraozinho
Nick Barnes Age: 22 Record: 5-0-0 San Diego, CA Twitter: @Nick_phoenix170
Eric Bradley Age: 31 Record: 5-1-0 Las Vegas, NV Twitter: @ericbradleymma
Mike Bronzoulis Age: 34 Record: 15-5-1 Houston, TX Twitter: @thegreekmikeb
Frank Carrillo Age: 29 Record: 6-3-0 Miami, FL Twitter: @CarrilloMMA
Darryl Cobb Age: 32 Record: 6-6-0 East St. Louis, IL Twitter: @devistatdarryl
Christopher Curtis Age: 25 Record: 7-2-0 Cincinnati, OH Twitter: @TheActionman513
Evan Cutts Age: 22 Record: 5-1-0 Dallas, TX Twitter: @TheButcherCutts
Mike Dubois Age: 30 Record: 3-0-0 Thomasville, GA Twitter: @zombiemikemma
Tom Gallicchio Age: 26 Record: 16-8-0 Howell, NJ Twitter: @TomDaTank5
Ismael Gonzalez Age: 32 Record: 11-10-0 Los Angeles, CA Twitter: @Ismael_mma
Gareth Joseph Age: 28 Record: 9-5-0 San Diego, CA Twitter: @garethjoseph
Chris Lozano Age: 30 Record: 9-3-0 Cleveland, OH Twitter: @CLE_assassin
AJ Matthews Age: 24 Record: 5-2-0 Carlsbad, CA Twitter: @AJ_MMA
Rob Mills Age: 35 Record: 8-2-0 Newcastle, United Kingdom Twitter: @robmillsmma
Steve Montgomery Age: 22 Record: 3-1-0 Florence, SC Twitter: @WeaselSteve
Chip Moraza-Pollard Age: 24 Record: 7-4-0 Plymouth, MA Twitter: @chipthesurgeon
Brett Nakamura Age: 30 Record: 6-1-0 Maui, HI
Jason Norwood Age: 28 Record: 12-3-0 Fort Hood, TX Twitter: @rightfight170
Dom O'Grady Age: 31 Record: 15-5-1 Detroit, MI Twitter: @Dom_OGrady
Jacob Ortiz Age: 31 Record: 8-4-0 San Manuel, AZ Twitter: @KobeTheStunna
Josh Quayhagen Age: 26 Record: 6-1-0 Lake Charles, LA Twitter: @JoshQuayhagen
Joe Riggs Age: 30 Record: 39-14-0 Phoenix, AZ Twitter: @DIESELRIGGSMMA
Eric Scallan Age: 27 Record: 11-4-0 Lafayette, LA Twitter: @EricScallan
Cristiano Souza Age: 30 Record: 5-0-0 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil Twitter: @SouzaSoldierBoy
Brendan Tierney Age: 37 Record: 10-5-0 Queens, NY Twitter: @Tiny_Shorts
Bryan Travers Age: 29 Record: 13-3-0 Bakersfield, CA Twitter: @BryanTravers
Andy Uhrich Age: 27 Record: 8-3-0 Gering, NE Twitter: @stunneruhrich
Tim Welch Age: 22 Record: 8-4-0 Great Falls, MT Twitter: @TimWelchMT
Cole Williams Age: 30 Record: 5-1-0 Darian, WI Twitter: @havocole
Joe Williams Age: 27 Record: 7-1-0 Tustin, CA Twitter: @jawmma
Artenas Young Age: 32 Record: 9-5-0 Houston, TX Twitter: @MachineGunYoung
The series will delve into the fighters’ personal stories for a glimpse into the often arduous journey that led them to “Fight Master.†Viewers will get to know the man behind the fighter, and follow them on their quest for victory. Despite their wide variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds, these fighters all share the same goal – to learn from the sport’s finest trainers and earn a spot in the Bellator tournament.
Spike TV will telecast 10 one-hour episodes of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA.†Production begins in early February in Louisiana. Two of television’s most acclaimed producers, eight-time Emmy® Award-winner Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri of Profiles Television Productions, the visionaries behind “The Amazing Race,†serve as Executive Producers. Andrea Richter serves as Executive Producer as well and Sharon Levy, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Spike TV, Tim Duffy, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Spike TV, and Christopher Martello, Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike TV, will oversee the project for the network.
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.
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Press Contacts:
Salil Gulati Spike 212-767-8705 salil.gulati@spike.com
David Schwarz Spike 212-767-8639 david.schwarz@mtvstaff.com
