Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez set for Bellator debut at Dynamite 1 in San Jose on September 19
Sep 4, 2015 Comments
(PRESS RELEASE) -- SANTA MONICA, California – A 120-pound Glory
kickboxing bout pitting Ker Anne Taylor -Melendez (2-1) against
Hadley
Griffith (pro debut) completes the Spike-televised card of
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” on September 19 at SAP Center in San
Jose, Calif.
For the first time ever, “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” will feature both a Bellator MMA cage and a Glory kickboxing ring on one arena floor at the same time. In the evening’s main event, Tito Ortiz (18-11) will challenge the undefeated Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion, Liam McGeary (10-0) for the title.
Additionally, the previously announced fight card features a Glory
kickboxing title fight featuring Zack Mwekassa (13-2, 12 KO) and
Saulo Cavalari (31-2, 19 KO) for the vacant Light Heavyweight
Championship, as well as Bellator MMA competitors Paul Daley
(37-13-2) and Fernando
Gonzalez (24-13) also competing in Glory action, when they
trade-in the MMA gloves for kickboxing gloves.
On the mixed martial arts side, Bellator MMA will also conduct a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the division that features Phil Davis (13-3) taking on Emanuel Newton (25-8-1) and Linton Vassell (15-4-1) facing Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC). Newly signed lightweight standout Josh Thomson (20-8, 1 NC) is also in action, when he makes his Bellator MMA debut against Mike “The Greek Assassin” Bronzoulis (18-8-1).
At only 31 years of age, Taylor-Melendez has previously competed in both kickboxing and muay Thai, but fully intends on transitioning to the sport of mixed martial arts in the near future. The spouse of former WEC and Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and co-owner of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, Taylor-Melendez first took up combat sports close to 10 years ago, making a name for herself fighting in the Bay Area. After racking up a 4-1 amateur record, she took her talents to the professional circuit, where she currently holds a 2-1 kickboxing record.
A five-fight mixed martial arts veteran, Griffith will return to action for the first time in 2015, except this time it will be inside a Glory kickboxing ring. “Relentless” eagerly awaits her return to combat sports after being out of action for more than a year due to an injury that caused the amputation of the top of her middle finger. A native of Washington, and training in Colorado, Hadley will likely have plenty of fan support on September 19 in San Jose, Calif.
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” – Saturday, September 19 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Tito Ortiz (18-11) vs. © Liam McGeary (10-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: TBD vs. TBD
Glory Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Saulo Cavalari (31-2) vs. Zack Mwekassa (13-2)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Thomson (20-8) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-8-1)
Glory Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (37-13-2 MMA/20-3 Kickboxing) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13/1-2 Kickboxing)
Glory Bantamweight Feature Fight: Kerri Anne Taylor-Melendez (2-1) vs. Hadley Griffith (Debut)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Phil Davis (13-3) vs. Emanuel Newton (25-8-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Linton Vassell (15-4-1) vs. Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Bout: Francis Carmont (23-10) vs. Philipe Lins (9-1)
*Fight card subject to change
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 TV, 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 GLORY:
Founded in 2012, GLORY is owned and operated by GLORY Sports International (GSI), a professional martial arts organization and television content provider that maintains offices in New York, Denver, London, Amsterdam, and Singapore. GLORY programming is seen in over 170 territories. GLORY kickboxing rules are comprised of a mix of several combat disciplines including Karate, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and traditional Boxing. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @GLORY_WS, and visit us online at gloryworldseries.com.
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 SAP Center in San Jose
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SAP Center at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Each year, SAP Center hosts approximately 175 events featuring professional and amateur athletes, Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners, international recording artists, and a variety of performers who appeal to children and families alike. SAP Center at San Jose is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League as well as the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. For more information about SAP Center at San Jose and for a list of upcoming events, visit the SAP Center home page at www.sapcenter.com.
For the first time ever, “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” will feature both a Bellator MMA cage and a Glory kickboxing ring on one arena floor at the same time. In the evening’s main event, Tito Ortiz (18-11) will challenge the undefeated Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion, Liam McGeary (10-0) for the title.
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On the mixed martial arts side, Bellator MMA will also conduct a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the division that features Phil Davis (13-3) taking on Emanuel Newton (25-8-1) and Linton Vassell (15-4-1) facing Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC). Newly signed lightweight standout Josh Thomson (20-8, 1 NC) is also in action, when he makes his Bellator MMA debut against Mike “The Greek Assassin” Bronzoulis (18-8-1).
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” airs live and free on Spike at 9/8c.
Tickets for the historic event start at just $30 and are on sale
now at the SAP Center box office and are also available for
purchase at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
At only 31 years of age, Taylor-Melendez has previously competed in both kickboxing and muay Thai, but fully intends on transitioning to the sport of mixed martial arts in the near future. The spouse of former WEC and Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and co-owner of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, Taylor-Melendez first took up combat sports close to 10 years ago, making a name for herself fighting in the Bay Area. After racking up a 4-1 amateur record, she took her talents to the professional circuit, where she currently holds a 2-1 kickboxing record.
A five-fight mixed martial arts veteran, Griffith will return to action for the first time in 2015, except this time it will be inside a Glory kickboxing ring. “Relentless” eagerly awaits her return to combat sports after being out of action for more than a year due to an injury that caused the amputation of the top of her middle finger. A native of Washington, and training in Colorado, Hadley will likely have plenty of fan support on September 19 in San Jose, Calif.
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” – Saturday, September 19 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Tito Ortiz (18-11) vs. © Liam McGeary (10-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: TBD vs. TBD
Glory Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Saulo Cavalari (31-2) vs. Zack Mwekassa (13-2)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Thomson (20-8) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-8-1)
Glory Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (37-13-2 MMA/20-3 Kickboxing) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13/1-2 Kickboxing)
Glory Bantamweight Feature Fight: Kerri Anne Taylor-Melendez (2-1) vs. Hadley Griffith (Debut)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Phil Davis (13-3) vs. Emanuel Newton (25-8-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight: Linton Vassell (15-4-1) vs. Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Bout: Francis Carmont (23-10) vs. Philipe Lins (9-1)
*Fight card subject to change
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 TV, 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 GLORY:
Founded in 2012, GLORY is owned and operated by GLORY Sports International (GSI), a professional martial arts organization and television content provider that maintains offices in New York, Denver, London, Amsterdam, and Singapore. GLORY programming is seen in over 170 territories. GLORY kickboxing rules are comprised of a mix of several combat disciplines including Karate, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and traditional Boxing. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @GLORY_WS, and visit us online at gloryworldseries.com.
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 SAP Center in San Jose
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SAP Center at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Each year, SAP Center hosts approximately 175 events featuring professional and amateur athletes, Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners, international recording artists, and a variety of performers who appeal to children and families alike. SAP Center at San Jose is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League as well as the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. For more information about SAP Center at San Jose and for a list of upcoming events, visit the SAP Center home page at www.sapcenter.com.
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