Former UFC fighter Corey Anderson’s Bellator debut has been revealed as he’ll face Melvin Mahoef in the main event of Bellator 251.
The event, which takes place on Thursday, November 5, will air live on the CBS Sports Network. The promotion issued the following press release on the event:
COREY ANDERSON MAKES BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST COMBAT SPORTS LEGEND MELVIN MANHOEF IN BELLATOR 251 HEADLINER
MASSIVE EVENT AIRS LIVE ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK THURSDAY, NOV. 5
LOS ANGELES – Bellator MMA is back in primetime on Thursday, Nov. 5 with a card headlined by an exciting battle featuring one of the promotion’s newest free agent acquisitions in Corey Anderson (13-5), who will make his highly anticipated Bellator debut against Dutch combat sports legend Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1, 2 NC) in the stacked light heavyweight division. The action emanates from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., where Bellator has held all its domestic shows since the promotion’s return to live events.
CBS Sports Network will air Bellator 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson LIVE in all U.S. markets, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Legendary Dutch fighter Melvin Manhoef is one of the most feared and violent striking specialists in all of combat sports. With 29 of his 32 career victories coming by way of knockout, “No Mercy” boasts one of the highest knockout percentage rates of any MMA fighter with at least 15 victories. Manhoef has collected victories over iconic names in the sport, including Mark Hunt and Kazushi Sakuraba, throughout an illustrious career dating back to 1995, when he earned the first of many knockout victories at only 18 years of old. After stacking together two consecutive victories, including a TKO over Yannick Bahati in his last outing, Manhoef looks to spoil the much-hyped Bellator debut of Anderson in the main event of Bellator 251.
Rockford, Illinois’ Corey Anderson joined Bellator’s light heavyweight division this past August after opting to depart the UFC. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 19 was ranked fourth in the UFC’s 205-pound division at the time of his departure, having defeated top opponents, including current champion Jan Blachowicz, Johnny Walker, Ilir Latifi and Glover Teixeira. Prior to honing his MMA under world-renowned BJJ ace Ricardo Almeida, the 31-year-old became a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler and earned his degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. “Overtime” will look to ascend to the top of a crowded Bellator light heavyweight class that includes champion Vadim Nemkov, Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida, newcomer Christian Edwards and former LFA champ Alex Polizzi.
For further information, please visit www.Bellator.com.
Updated Bellator 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson Fight Card:
CBS Sports Network
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1, 2 NC) vs. Corey Anderson (13-5)*Card subject to change.
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About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on both CBS Sports Network and DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service. Bellator 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 Hollywood, Calif. 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 CBS Sports Network:
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers. For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
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