Bellator 28: Clementi vs Vanier and Karakhanyan vs Skelly official for Sept. 9 in New Orleans

by Press Release on Jul 22, 2010 12:36 PM EDT

NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 22, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its action-packed brand of mixed martial arts to the Big Easy this fall during a nationally-televised show at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in downtown New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 9th.

The show marks the first time that a major MMA promotion has traveled to New Orleans in nearly 10 years and the first time that the 36-year-old theater will host a professional sporting event. Tickets go on sale at 1 p.m. CT Friday at Ticketmaster.com.

The event, Bellator 28, will be headlined by two semifinal-round bouts in Bellator's ongoing Season 3 tournaments as well as two "Qualifier Fights" for Bellator's Season 4 Lightweight and Featherweight Tournaments. Those fights will feature:

- New Orleans-area native and beloved UFC veteran Rich "No Love" Clementi (36-16-1) vs. Bellator Season 2 veteran Carey Vanier (9-3) at 155 lbs., and

- Bellator Season 2 veteran Georgi "Insane" Karakhanyan (13-2-1) vs. undefeated Texas-based submission ace Chas Skelly (7-0) at 145 lbs.

"We are really happy to be bringing Bellator to the die-hard MMA fans in New Orleans ," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "The Mahalia Jackson Theater is the perfect venue to continue the semifinal rounds of our Season 3 tournaments and to host a couple of great "Qualifier Fights" that will help build our tournaments at 145 and 155 for our fourth season."

The theater, which opened in January 1973 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa di Requiem, is home to the New Orleans Opera Association and the New Orleans Ballet Association and regularly plays host to stage plays such as Mama Mia, the Color Purple, Wicked and Avenue Q. The theatre was shuttered for more than three years after it suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, but celebrated a triumphant grand re-opening in January 2009.

Bellator 28 will once again be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

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Comments

Clementi should still be in the UFC.

by Lester The Pimp on Jul 22, 2010 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

His win over Guillard was one of my favorites.

He was just on the UG forum the other day, hoping to get a gig somewhere. I think he’s better than a lot of the LW’s the UFC has. He was hoping to get on w/ Strikeforce, but that hasn’t happened yet, so maybe Bellator will be good for him.

by LJ. on Jul 22, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I go to the same gym as Carey. very cool dude.

Sick wrestling too. He might have a standup and does have the wrestling advantage but Clementi’s grappling game is probly as good if not better than Imada’s. Interesting matchup.

Big Nog for Life
Inventor/supporter of "Gleison Tibau to Featherweight" movement.

by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jul 22, 2010 12:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

also karen got robbed against Warren.

I had that fight 30-27 for him, Joe did nothing but get his ass kicked and chocked for three rounds as he tried to pull a second rate guida hump.

Big Nog for Life
Inventor/supporter of "Gleison Tibau to Featherweight" movement.

by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jul 22, 2010 1:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

First off

Your not a judge and second why do you change your name and then write what your previous name was? Isnt the point to change the name because you didnt like the first name? Guida is a good fighter..dont hate

by Mir on Jul 22, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

First off

I am not a judge but i know mma am way better than those judges. and second, i didn’t change my name – someone took my name during the switch to the new site. Guida is a sub par fighter – no hate, just truth.

Big Nog for Life
Inventor/supporter of "Gleison Tibau to Featherweight" movement.

by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jul 22, 2010 2:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

NNR has been here much longer than you

Most of us that have been around a long time had to change our names when they converted to SB Nation. I had to add a period to the end of mine, and so did people like jay, etc.

by LJ. on Jul 22, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions