‘Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen’ Fight Card Complete With Two New Matchups

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — (December 28, 2016) – The stacked main card of “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” has added even more ammo to its arsenal with the news that Derek Campos (17-6) and Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC) will compete in a lightweight feature fight on January 21, 2017 inside The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif. In addition, a female flyweight bout pitting Rebecca Ruth (6-2) against Colleen Schneider (10-7) has been added to the preliminary portion of the event.

The lightweight clash joins a main card that is highlighted by a legendary faceoff between superstars Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1). In addition, Ralek Gracie (3-0) and Hisaki Kato (7-2) will meet in a middleweight feature fight, while Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) and Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) battle. Lastly, a fantastic welterweight co-main event pitting Paul Daley (38-14-2) against Brennan Ward (14-4) is also set for the Spike-televised main card.

Limited tickets for the mega-event start at $36 and are on sale at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” undercard, streams live on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:50 p.m. ET / 3:50 p.m. PT.

Campos enters the bout riding a recent string of success, as the 28-year-old lightweight put together a flawless 2016 campaign that included a pair of noteworthy victories over Djamil Chan and Melvin Guillard. “The Stallion” continues to provide entertaining fights, as the Lubbock, Texas native has finished opponents in 10 of his 17 victories, including five knockouts and three of the first-round variety. Campos will be searching for his first three-fight winning streak under the Bellator MMA umbrella since 2013.

Following an explosive start to his professional career, collecting victories in 11 of his first 12 bouts, including one no-contest, Anderson has continued his success under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2013, “The Barbaric” has tallied five impressive wins, highlighted by two knockouts and a pair of victories over Patricky Freire. Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Anderson has finished 11 of his 14 victims, and will not have to travel far as he prepares for number 12. With back-to-back victories over the aforementioned Freire and most recently Saad Awad at “Bellator 160,” Anderson has quickly entered the mix as one of the division’s top contenders. The 26-year-old lightweight will now look to take down the Bellator MMA veteran Campos and add yet another big name to his admirable resume.

The 37-year-old Ruth will be making her third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first of her 2017 campaign, following a year in which she earned her first promotional victory over Ukrainian submission specialist Lena Ovchynnikova. Prior to joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2016, “Ruthless” strung together an impressive 5-1 record to begin her career, including five knockout victories and three first round finishes. With wins in four of her last five contests, Ruth will look to start the year off on the right foot and add to her already impressive MMA resume.

The recently signed Schneider will be making her Bellator MMA debut on Jan. 21, as she also enters the contest having won four of her last five bouts. With six of her 10 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, look for Schneider to attack early and often in a flyweight clash that features two of the more dangerous opponents in the division. Standing at 5’9”, the 34-year-old Schneider will hold a significant height advantage over the veteran Ruth, who stands about five inches shy of the former Invicta FC product. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., Schneider will also not have to travel far for this incredible event, as the hometown crowd will surely be pulling for “Thoroughbred” at Inglewood’s famous Forum.

Ruth and Schneider will join a preliminary card that features the promotional debuts of Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) and Jack May (8-3), as well as the return of Chinzo Machida (4-2), Henry Corrales (12-3), Guilherme “Bomba” (8-3), and Cody Bollinger (19-6).

Complete “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)
Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)
Lightweight Main Card Bout: Derek Campos (17-6) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC)

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chinzo Machida (4-2) vs. Jamar Ocampo (2-0)
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Jack May (8-3) vs. Dave Cryer (11-2)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Henry Corrales (12-3) vs. Cody Bollinger (19-6)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) vs. Keith Berry (15-13)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) vs. John Mercurio (8-7)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)
Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)
Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Rebecca Ruth (6-2) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-7)