PAIR OF INJURIES MAKE WAY FOR BRUNA VARGAS AND BRIAN MOORE ON MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 169’ INSIDE 3ARENA IN DUBLIN
BANTAMWEIGHT FEATURE FIGHT PITTING SHAY WALSH AGAINST LUIZ TOSTA ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD ON DEC. 16
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (December 5, 2016) – Injuries to both Paul Redmond and Bruna Ellen have led to new opponents for Daniel Weichel (37-9) and Helen Harper (4-1) on December 16. Weichel will now face Ireland native Brian Moore (9-4) in a featherweight bout, while Harper will be challenged by Bruna Vargas (2-1) in a flyweight fight at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Finally, a bantamweight bout pitting Shay Walsh (14-4) against Luiz Tosta (9-2) puts a stamp on the main card of “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii.”
The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quiet the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight clash.
Tickets for “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” are on sale now and start at 35€ at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.ie and the 3Arena Box Office. The event can be seen free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for division gold.
Fighting out of Lancaster, England, Walsh will be making his Bellator MMA debut and against the savvy veteran Tosta. Dating back to 2014, Walsh has accrued four victories over his past five contests, including a brutal knockout of Gaz Pilot at “BAMMA 21: DeVent vs. Kone.” Of his 14 career wins, nine have come by way of knockout or submission, making it easy to picture another explosive attack out of the gates by Walsh. After competing in the 145-pound division for the first 15 fights of his professional career, Walsh made the move down to the bantamweight division, where he has strung together wins in two of his first three appearances.
The 36-year-old Tosta enters the bout riding a recent string of success that includes victories in seven of his last eight contests with one draw. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tosta will be making his second appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, after recording the aforementioned draw in his promotional debut earlier this year at “Bellator 158.” With each of his nine career victories coming by way of submission, seven of which occurred in the first round, it’s clear that Tosta will once again look for the early takedown and finish his opponent.
Filling in for the injured Redmond is Brian Moore, as he enters the cage riding a current two-fight winning streak and a blossoming career that is ready to take off. The 29-year-old Moore has won five of his last seven contests, including a trio of first round victories, highlighted by a vicious knockout that came just 2:30 into his bout earlier in the year. Of his nine career wins, Moore has finished seven of his victims, making him a tall task for the wily veteran Weichel. A native of Wexford, Ireland, “The Pikeman” will not have to travel far for his upcoming showdown with one of Bellator MMA’s most proven veterans, as “The Weasel” will enter hostile territory for this face-off.
Replacing Ellen is the always dangerous Bruna Vargas, who will square off with Harper in search of her first win under the direction of Bellator MMA. The 27-year-old Vargas has recorded two wins over three contests, since making her professional debut in 2013. Hailing from Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Team Nogueira prospect hopes to redeem herself with a promising performance against another stiff opponent in Harper.
Complete “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: James Gallagher (4-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (37-9) vs. Brian Moore (9-4)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Bruna Vargas (2-1) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)
Bantamweight Feature Bout: Shay Walsh (14-4) vs. Luiz Tosta (9-2)
Updated “BAMMA 27” Card:
Bantamweight World Title Bout: Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Alan Philpott (16-8)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Chris Fields (11-7-1) vs. Andy Clamp (8-1)
Featherweight Bout: Ronnie Mann (25-8-1) vs. Niklas Backstrom (10-2)
Featherweight Bout: Dylan Tuke (3-0) vs. Sean Tobin (4-2)
Lightweight Bout: Rhys McKee (4-0) vs. Jai Hebert (4-0)
Welterweight Bout: Kiefer Crosbie (1-0) vs. Conor Riordan (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Nathan Jones (9-5) vs. Walter Gahadza (16-0)
Bantamweight Bout: Ian Cleary (Debut) vs. Andrew Lofthouse (Debut)
Welterweight Bout: Terry Brazier (6-1) vs. Niklas Stolze (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (3-0) vs. Eeva Siiskonen (5-4-2)
Bantamweight Bout: Richie Smullen (2-0) vs. Conor Dillon (5-8)
Bantamweight Bout: Blaine O’Driscoll (2-1) vs. Neil Ward (2-2)
Welterweight Bout: Keith McCabe (1-1) vs. Richard Kiely (Debut)
Welterweight Bout:Will Fleury (1-0) vs. Kyle Mclurkin (Debut)
About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing 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 combat sports television leader. Bellator 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.
About BAMMA:
BAMMA, Europe’s Leading Mixed Martial Arts Entertainment Brand, is the home for elite fighters from around the world. Launched in 2009 and drawing unrivalled domestic viewing figures, the UK based promotion continues to showcase the most exciting and entertaining fights, between the toughest and most skilled competitors the sport has to offer.
BAMMA is brought to you in association with official broadcast partners, Spike TV and Channel 5, and official equipment partners Lonsdale and Sports Direct. BAMMA is presented in partnership with Safe MMA and the Independent British Medical Organization.