(PRESS RELEASE) -- SANTA MONICA, Calif. – With an incredible four-fight Spike-broadcast main card already locked up for next month's "Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov" event, Bellator MMA officials are now turning their attention to the evening's Spike.com-streamed preliminary lineup.
Featuring a heavyweight contest between French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander Volkov (24-5), "Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov" takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.
Additional announced matchups include lightweights Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17), former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1) on the event's featured portion.
The night's main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT.
Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
Tickets for "Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov," which start at just $17 and include cageside seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.
Jenkins, a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Arizona State University, also earned All-American honors during a separate stint at Penn State University. Just 27 years of age, Jenkins has already fought seven times under the Bellator MMA banner and is considered one of the top up-and-coming fighters in the 145-pound division. “The Highlight Kid” was one step away from a shot at the Bellator MMA Featherweight World Title before coming up short against Georgi Karakhanyan at Bellator 132 in January. The Corona, Calif. resident now looks to get back on the winning track at Bellator 139.
Wilk is a 33-year-old Kansas native who already boasts 28 professional contests to his name and made his Bellator MMA debut this past October, where he suffered a TKO loss to fellow Sunflower State veteran Ricky Musgrave. Wilk has been a staple on the Midwestern scene since 2007 and has incredibly fought to a judges' decision only once in his 28 appearances. He's at his most dangerous on the mat, where he's earned a remarkable 15 of his 18 career victories by way of submission.
"Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov" – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)
Preliminary Card
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wilk (18-10)
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 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 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.
About Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.