32 Welterweights Battle for a Spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament and $100,000 Prize Under the Tutelage of Fight Legends Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren

Series Premieres Wednesday, June 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT

New York, NY, May 6, 2013 – The inaugural season of Spike TV’s “Fight Master: Bellator MMA” brings together 32 of the best welterweight (170 lbs) fighters on the planet to compete for a spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament, the toughest tournament in sports, and a $100,000 prize.  The series premieres on Wednesday, June 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT, featuring legends of the sport, Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren, as coaches.

From Salvador, Brazil to Newcastle, United Kingdom to Great Falls, MT, the 32 fighters have traveled from all corners of the globe to the bayou of New Orleans, and will live and train together in four camps led by the aforementioned legendary coaches.  This series is much more than just a tournament, as it will capture the reality of the competitors and the grueling training regimen it takes to become a world-class MMA fighter.

The concept of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA” is unprecedented in that the fighters control their own destiny.  They will choose which camp to train with and which opponent they want to fight next.  The 32 fighters will partake in qualifying bouts over the first three episodes of the series.  The finale will be telecast live on Spike with the winner moving on to an upcoming tournament.  Bellator announcer Jimmy Smith will serve as host.

The inaugural “Fight Master:  Bellator MMA” cast is comprised of the following:

Marcus Aurelio
Age: 26
Record: 6-2-0
Vancouver, British Columbia
Twitter: @barraozinho

Nick Barnes
Age: 22
Record: 5-0-0
San Diego, CA
Twitter:  @Nick_phoenix170

Eric Bradley
Age: 31
Record: 5-1-0
Las Vegas, NV
Twitter: @ericbradleymma

Mike Bronzoulis
Age: 34
Record: 15-5-1
Houston, TX
Twitter:  @thegreekmikeb

Frank Carrillo
Age: 29
Record: 6-3-0
Miami, FL
Twitter: @CarrilloMMA

Darryl Cobb
Age: 32
Record: 6-6-0
East St. Louis, IL
Twitter: @devistatdarryl

Christopher Curtis
Age: 25
Record: 7-2-0
Cincinnati, OH
Twitter:  @TheActionman513

Evan Cutts
Age: 22
Record: 5-1-0
Dallas, TX
Twitter: @TheButcherCutts

Mike Dubois
Age: 30
Record: 3-0-0
Thomasville, GA
Twitter:  @zombiemikemma

Tom Gallicchio
Age: 26
Record: 16-8-0
Howell, NJ
Twitter: @TomDaTank5

Ismael Gonzalez
Age: 32
Record: 11-10-0
Los Angeles, CA
Twitter: @Ismael_mma

Gareth Joseph
Age: 28
Record: 9-5-0
San Diego, CA
Twitter: @garethjoseph

Chris Lozano
Age: 30
Record: 9-3-0
Cleveland, OH
Twitter: @CLE_assassin

AJ Matthews
Age: 24
Record: 5-2-0
Carlsbad, CA
Twitter: @AJ_MMA

Rob Mills
Age: 35
Record: 8-2-0
Newcastle, United Kingdom
Twitter: @robmillsmma

Steve Montgomery
Age: 22
Record: 3-1-0
Florence, SC
Twitter: @WeaselSteve

Chip Moraza-Pollard
Age: 24
Record: 7-4-0
Plymouth, MA
Twitter:  @chipthesurgeon

Brett Nakamura
Age: 30
Record: 6-1-0
Maui, HI

Jason Norwood
Age: 28
Record: 12-3-0
Fort Hood, TX
Twitter:  @rightfight170

Dom O’Grady
Age: 31
Record: 15-5-1
Detroit, MI
Twitter: @Dom_OGrady

Jacob Ortiz
Age: 31
Record: 8-4-0
San Manuel, AZ
Twitter:  @KobeTheStunna

Josh Quayhagen
Age: 26
Record: 6-1-0
Lake Charles, LA
Twitter: @JoshQuayhagen

Joe Riggs
Age: 30
Record: 39-14-0
Phoenix, AZ
Twitter:  @DIESELRIGGSMMA

Eric Scallan
Age: 27
Record: 11-4-0
Lafayette, LA
Twitter: @EricScallan

Cristiano Souza
Age: 30
Record: 5-0-0
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Twitter:  @SouzaSoldierBoy

Brendan Tierney
Age: 37
Record: 10-5-0
Queens, NY
Twitter:  @Tiny_Shorts

Bryan Travers
Age: 29
Record: 13-3-0
Bakersfield, CA
Twitter: @BryanTravers

Andy Uhrich
Age: 27
Record: 8-3-0
Gering, NE
Twitter:  @stunneruhrich

Tim Welch
Age: 22
Record: 8-4-0
Great Falls, MT
Twitter:  @TimWelchMT

Cole Williams
Age: 30
Record: 5-1-0
Darian, WI
Twitter:  @havocole

Joe Williams
Age: 27
Record: 7-1-0
Tustin, CA
Twitter:  @jawmma

Artenas Young
Age: 32
Record: 9-5-0
Houston, TX
Twitter:  @MachineGunYoung

The series will delve into the fighters’ personal stories for a glimpse into the often arduous journey that led them to “Fight Master.”  Viewers will get to know the man behind the fighter, and follow them on their quest for victory.  Despite their wide variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds, these fighters all share the same goal – to learn from the sport’s finest trainers and earn a spot in the Bellator tournament.

Spike TV will telecast 10 one-hour episodes of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA.” Production begins in early February in Louisiana.  Two of television’s most acclaimed producers, eight-time Emmy® Award-winner Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri of Profiles Television Productions, the visionaries behind “The Amazing Race,” serve as Executive Producers.  Andrea Richter serves as Executive Producer as well and Sharon Levy, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Spike TV, and Tim Duffy, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Spike TV, and Christopher Martello, Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike TV, will oversee the project for the network.

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.

# # #

Press Contacts:

Salil Gulati                  Spike               212-767-8705           salil.gulati@spike.com
David Schwarz           Spike               212-767-8639           david.schwarz@mtvstaff.com

 New Spike Series Showcases the Quest of 32 Fighters in Pursuit of a Slot  In a Bellator MMA Tournament

New York, NY, February 5, 2013 – Spike TV and Bellator MMA have gathered together some of the biggest names in the sport of mixed martial arts to serve as coaches and trainers for the new reality series, “Fight Master: Bellator MMA,” premiering this summer.  Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren will helm four separate fight camps for 32 up-and-coming fighters looking to fight their way into the Bellator tournament and a $100,000 cash prize.

The announcement was made today at a press conference in Los Angeles by Spike President Kevin Kay and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The 32 fighters, competing for a spot in the welterweight (170lb) tournament in the Fall of 2013, will live and train together in four camps led by the aforementioned legendary coaches.  This series is much more than just a tournament, as it will capture the reality of the competitors and the grueling training regimen it takes to become a world-class MMA fighter.

The concept of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA” is unprecedented in that the fighters control their own destiny.  They will choose which camp to train with and which opponent they want to fight next.  The premiere will feature 8 qualifying fights with each subsequent episode showcasing at least one fight.  The finale will be telecast live on Spike with the winner moving on to an upcoming tournament.  Bellator announcer Jimmy Smith will serve as host.

“As the fighters’ control their own destiny, they will need to utilize strategy in and out of the cage if they want to succeed and advance each week,” said Sharon Levy, Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV.  “The stakes are high and the wrong decision, whether it is picking an opponent you don’t match up well against or a coach and fight camp that you don’t work well with, can mean all the difference.”

The series will delve into the fighters’ personal stories for a glimpse into the often arduous journey that led them to “Fight Master.”  Viewers will get to know the man behind the fighter, and follow them on their quest for victory.  These determined contestants come from all parts of the country with a wide variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds.  However, they all share the same goal – to learn from the sport’s finest trainers and earn a spot in the Bellator tournament.

Spike TV will telecast 10 one-hour episodes of “Fight Master: Bellator MMA.” Production begins in early February in Louisiana.  Two of television’s most acclaimed producers, eight-time Emmy® Award winner Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri of Profiles Television Productions, the visionaries behind “The Amazing Race,” serve as Executive Producers.  Andrea Richter serves as Executive Producer as well and Levy and Tim Duffy, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Spike TV, will oversee the project for the network.

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.

# # #

Press Contacts:

David Schwarz          Spike         212-767-8639              david.schwarz@mtvstaff.com