Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
‘BABY SLICE’ KEVIN FERGUSON JR. SET TO MEET JONATHAN TOMASIAN AT ‘BELLATOR 160’ IN ANAHEIM ON AUGUST 26
WRESTLING PRODIGY JOEY DAVIS MATCHED WITH KEITH CUTRONE FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (August 1, 2016) – The announcement of his Bellator MMA arrival had “Baby Slice” Kevin Ferguson Jr. trending on social media for two-straight days, and today, Bellator Officials have confirmed that his first challenge as a professional mixed martial artist will be Jonathan Tomasian in a welterweight attraction at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull.”
In addition, Ferguson’s teammate at “Body Shop Gym,” Joey Davis will also make his professional debut, when he takes on Keith Cutrone (1-0) at 170-pounds.
The stacked event takes place on August 26 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT. Tickets start at just $30 and can be purchased now on Ticketmaster and at the Honda Center Box Office. Doors for “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull”open at 4:45 p.m. PT local time and the first preliminary bout – which streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App -- begins at 5:00 p.m. PT.
These two welterweight matchups join a card that features a stellar 155-pound main event between Benson Henderson (23-6) and Patricio “Pitbull” (25-3). Additionally, two standout featherweight fights have also been announced, seeing the young and undefeated A.J. McKee (4-0) meet former KOTC titlist Henry Corrales (12-3) and NCAA National Champion Wrestler Bubba Jenkins (11-2) take on Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (24-6-1).
Signed to a developmental deal in April, “Baby Slice” makes his pro debut on the event’s Bellator.com-streamed preliminary card. The son of the late, great “Kimbo Slice,” Ferguson Jr. broke onto the scene very quietly earlier this year in an amateur bout in Western Massachusetts, where he scored a knockout victory just 83 seconds into the first round. MMA reporter Chuck Mindenhall was on-site to cover the story. ‘Baby Slice’ trains at Antonio McKee’s “Body Shop Gym” in Long Beach alongside other “Bellator 160” competitors McKee, Jenkins and Davis.
Tomasian makes his professional debut under Bellator’s bright lights in a high profile situation that he hopes to make the most of. The 20-year-old Santa Clara, Calif., native has slightly more cage time than Slice, winning both of his amateur outings, once by knockout and the other by decision. Tomasian is currently training with Manny Rocha at Strive Jiu Jitsu Academy in Lodi Calif., where he has earned a purple belt in the art.
Davis is a 21-year-old standout wrestler who competed at Notre Dame College, where he accumulated an incredible undefeated 131-0 record and four consecutive NCAA Division II Championships during his college tenure, becoming the only Division II wrestler to ever win four national titles and go unbeaten in a career. Now, Davis looks to parlay his wrestling success in the mixed martial arts cage on Aug. 26 in the Anaheim, where Davis will have plenty of hometown fans in attendance.
Amassing an 8-1 record on the amateur circuit, Cutrone has previously gotten his feet wet professionally, winning his pro debut via stoppage this past March. “The Bone” is a Strikeforce veteran, competing at the promotion’s “Challengers 11” card in 2010. With a strong base in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, Cutrone held a regional title at 185-pounds before permanently moving to welterweight as a professional.
“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” SPIKE-Televised Main Card
Lightweight No. 1 Contender Main Event: Benson Henderson (23-6) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (19-7) vs. Derek Anderson (13-2)
Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (4-0) vs. Henry Corrales (12-3)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Bubba Jenkins (11-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-6-1)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joey Davis (Pro Debut) vs. Keith Cutrone (1-0)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Ferguson Jr. (Pro Debut) vs. Jonathan Tomasian (Pro Debut)
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, 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
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.
Honda Center
Nestled in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center stands as one of the premier entertainment and sports venues in the country. Owned by the City of Anaheim and managed by Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, the arena is home to the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, and annually hosts dozens of top-name concerts, exciting sporting events and family favorites such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Stars on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Since 2005, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli have invested nearly $100 million into facility upgrades, most of which have a direct positive impact on the guest experience. In fact, just this year Honda Center debuted a new state-of-the-art scoreboard measuring nearly 20-feet-tall and over 30-feet-wide, which offers the clearest and highest definition picture available in any North American venue.
