Bellator has announced the complete line-up for the debut of Bellator Kickboxing. The company will launch its kickboxing branch on April 16 in Italy with Bellator Kickboxing: Torino.
Headlining the card is MMA and kickboxing veteran Melvin Manhoef, as he takes on Alexandru Negrea. Manhoef is an incredibly dynamic fighter, known for his wild fights with the likes of Cyborg, Robbie Lawler, Joe Schilling, and many, many more (plus he once knocked out Mark Hunt in 18 seconds, so there’s that). He’s been fighting primarily in MMA lately, where is is 2-1 (1 NC) in Bellator.
Also on the card are three exciting fighters well-known to hardcore kickboxing fans: Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross, and Denise Kielholtz. All are the kind of dynamic fighters that can appeal to a wider audience, and are good pick-ups. For this inaugural event, Bellator has now announced their opponents – none are very competitive, and are more here to showcase these three.
The most comeptitive fight on the main card sees two veterans in action as Karim Ghajji faces Mustapha Haida. Full fight card is below.
Also, the company has released their rules for Bellator Kickboxing. Weight classes will be identical to MMA’s standard divisions ranging from Heavyweight to Flyweight, and rules will be the same as those employed by Glory and K-1: no elbows, limited clinching, 3 x 3 minute rounds with one extra round if it’s a draw, and 5 rounds in a title fight.
Bellator Kickboxing: Torino takes place April 16. It will air on a one week tape delay on Friday, April 22 at 11:00 p.m. ET on Spike immediately following Bellator 153: Henderson vs. Koreshkov. Look for more on Bellator Kickboxing in the coming weeks.
BELLATOR KICKBOXING: TORINO FIGHT CARD
Bellator Kickboxing Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (37-12) vs. Alexandru Negrea (8-2)
Bellator Kickboxing 165-Pound Feature Bout: Mustapha Haida (37-3-3) vs. Karim Ghajji (95-12)
Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels (10-3) vs. Francesco Moricca (15-2-1)
Bellator Kickboxing Flyweight Feature Bout: Denise Kielholtz (43-2) vs. Veronica Vernocchi (31-6-1)
Bellator Kickboxing Bantamweight Feature Bout: Kevin Ross (30-9) vs. Matteo Taccini (24-3-1)