(PRESS RELEASE) – SANTA MONICA, CALIF. – Rafael Carvalho (12-1) will make his first defense of the Bellator MMA Middleweight Championship against heavy-handed Melvin Manhoef (30-12-1) in the main event of “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” on May 20 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho.
Tickets for “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” start at just $25 and go on sale next Friday, March 4 at Bellator.com, the CenturyLink Arena Box Office, CenturyLinkArenaBoise.com or by phone at 208-331-TIXS.
“Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Carvalho’s second-round body kick knockout of Brandon Halsey at “Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho” was the third biggest oddsmaker upset in 2015, and extended his current winning streak to 12. The 29-year-old will be making his fourth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has an impressive finishing rate of 83 percent.
With a resume of knockouts as violent as Manhoef, it’s no surprise the Dutch competitor has been given the nickname of “No Mercy.” Known for his relentless striking style, the former K-1 and Strikeforce competitor is fresh off his emphatic knockout of Hisaki Kato at “Bellator 146: Manhoef vs. Kato” in November. Now the 39-year-old is in position to lay claim to the Bellator 185-pound MMA title, before returning to kickboxing competition in the newly founded Bellator Kickboxing league.
It’s hard to find a Bellator MMA fighter with as many memorable moments for the Scott Coker-led promotion as Pat Curran. The former featherweight kingpin has been involved in wars with fighters the likes of: current champion Daniel Straus, Patricio Freire, Daniel Weichel, and Joe Warren. Now “Paddy Mike” sets his sights on “Insane,” in a bout that surely has future title implications at stake.
Karakhanyan made a splash in his return to Bellator MMA in 2015, choking out Bubba Jenkins in his first fight for the Viacom-owned promotion since 2011. Now, the Millenia MMA standout will put his knack for submitting opponents (14x) to the test against Curran, a fighter who has only been submitted once in 28-fights.
“Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” Updated Fight Card
Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title Fight: Rafael Carvalho (12-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-12-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Co-Main Event: Pat Curran (21-7) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1)
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.
About CenturyLink Arena:
CenturyLink Arena is located in the heart of downtown Boise and serves as home to the Steelheads, as well as the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede and the Front Street Fights mixed martial arts franchise. Seating 5,000 people, CenturyLink Arena hosts many events every year. More than 350,000 fans attend over 100 events during 2015. For more event dates and tickets visit www.centurylinkarenaboise.com or call 331-TIXS.