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PRESS RELEASE: BELLATOR'S NEW POWERLOCK GLOVES BY EVERLAST DELIVERING RESULTS

Bellator’s New Powerlock Glove by Everlast Delivers Immediate Results With Dramatic Reduction in Hand Injuries

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 7, 2014) – In early 2014, Bellator and Everlast collaborated to create the next-generation of MMA fight gloves with the “Powerlock” design. The “Powerlock” glove promotes proper hand form and technique, which can help to reduce the risk of face, hand and wrist injuries by introducing a curved striking surface that aides proper hand form, along with a redesigned foam to maximize hand protection on the impact zone and additional padding that shields the first and fifth metacarpals, two of the most commonly injured bones of the hand.

“When this process began, we worked hand in hand with our partners at Everlast to create a completely unique MMA glove that could reduce hand injuries and enhance fighter safety,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “We went through numerous iterations of the glove during a design process that was headed by Dean Lassiter from our Operations team collaborating with the team at Everlast. And, we worked closely with our fighters to get their input on what they wanted to see and feel from a new design as well. This was a focused, collaborative process and the end results speak for themselves.”

The new glove design debuted at Bellator 110, which featured a dominant first round KO victory by Rampage Jackson in the nights main event. Debuting in 1999, Jackson has nearly 50 professional fights to his name and has fought for some of the biggest organizations in the world.

“I’ve been fighting for a long time, and have worn a lot of different gloves,” Jackson said. “When I put these new gloves on for the first time, you could feel the difference right away. The glove just feels perfect on your hands. Mo’s going to get a mouthful of these new gloves on May 17th, so I hope he likes them too.”

Since the new gloves debuted at Bellator 110, Bellator has held nine events and experienced zero hand breaks inside the Bellator cage. By way of comparison, Bellator Season 8 saw eleven events using the old glove design, and included eight broken hands during the season, including Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima and Lightweight standouts Saad Awad and Alexander Sarnavskiy. Bellator’s ninth season also featured eleven events, and saw seven fighters suffer breaks, including Herman Terrado, Joe Taimanglo and once again, Douglas Lima.

“I guess I hit too hard, because I’ve broken my right hand three times, and I didn’t think it was ever going to end,” Lima said. “When I put on these new gloves for my recent title fight, I already felt better. I could tell it was going to add more protection and felt like it was designed just for me. It put me more at ease, and I walked out of that fight with the belt around my waist and my hands felt great. The Bellator team did a great job with these new gloves, and I’m so happy I get to keep wearing them every time I walk into the cage.”

“As our sport continues developing, fighters have become bigger, faster and stronger while delivering strikes with more velocity and power,” Rebney said. “Broken hands take fighters out of the sport for months and sometimes years. It’s incumbent on us to put fighters in the best possible position to eliminate those injuries where possible. This new design has revolutionized fighter hand protection and safety. And, I will keep working with our team and partners to find additional sports technology advancements that can help our fighters.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 140 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 175 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.

About Everlast Worldwide Inc.

The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary boxing champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to MMA champions Randy Couture and Jon Jones, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. Everlast is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brands Holdings Limited, a global company and manager of worldwide sporting goods and apparel brands. For more information, visit www.everlast.com

About Spike TV:

Spike TV 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 TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV'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.