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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 3, 2015) - Bellator MMA's return to WinStar World Casino has received two additional high-level matchups with Francis "Limitless" Carmont (22-10) meeting Guilherme Viana (6-1) in a light heavyweight affair and Dakota Cochrane (18-7) facing Ryan Couture (9-3) at lightweight.
The two new contests join the main card of "Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao," which takes place on Friday, March 27, at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The night's main card, featuring previously announced bouts between Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Joe Warren vs. top contender Marcos Galvao and another blockbuster bantamweight attraction between Mike Richman vs. Eduardo Dantas, airs live and free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 6:30 p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m CST.
Tickets for "Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao," which include VIP Seating for just $75, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.
Carmont is a 33-year-old Frenchman who has long been considered among the world's best middleweights but now moves up to 205 pounds. A primary training partner of MMA great Georges St-Pierre, Carmont boasts notable wins over Chris Camozzi, Lorenz Larkin, Tom Lawlor, and Costas Philippou, among others. Eighteen of his 22 career wins have come by way of stoppage, with eight knockouts and 10 submission. Carmont now makes his Bellator MMA debut.
His opponent Viana also fights in the Bellator MMA cage for the first time. A 6-foot-4 Brazilian import, Viana has earned victories in six of his first seven professional appearances. All six wins came by knockout or submission, and Viana's lone loss came via decision. Prior to this appearance, Viana was best known internationally as a cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3," where he was selected to compete as a heavyweight. Nebraska-born lightweight Cochrane is a five-year professional who competes for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 28-year-old boasts career wins over the likes of former WEC champion Jamie Varner and "The Ultimate Fighter 8" champion Efrain Escudero, as well as MMA notables Anton Kuivanen, Marcus LeVesseur, Joe Stevenson and Carey Vanier. However, he came up short in Bellator MMA debut, losing to former tournament finalist Alexander "Tiger" Sarnavskiy, and now looks to notch his first win for the promotion.
Couture was born in Washington but now calls Las Vegas home. Well-known as the son of former multiple-time world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has competed 12 times in his professional career, with every one of those contests taking place under the bright lights of a national promotion. In September, the 32-year-old Couture made his Bellator MMA debut, earning a first-round submission win over Tom Bagnasco. With the result, Couture now boasts a three-fight winning streak.
For more information visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, and check out Bellator on Facebook.
"Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao" - Friday, March 27, WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Okla.
Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight: Champ Joe Warren (12-3) vs. Marcos Galvao (16-6-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Francis Carmont (22-10) vs. Guilherme Viana (6-1)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dakota Cochrane (18-7) vs. Ryan Couture (9-3)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. 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 Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
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.
