Bellator MMA will make its long-awaited premiere on Spike TV on Thursday, January 17 at 10:00pm ET/PT with a star-studded fight card including two Bellator World Championship Title fights. The exciting live action bill includes Champions Michael Chandler and Pat Curran  defending their titles.

Originating from The University of California’s Bren Center in Irvine, CA, featherweight world champion Pat Curran defends his title against explosive knockout artist Patricio Pitbull, while lightweight world champion Michael Chandler battles former Olympian Rick Hawn in their highly anticipated Bellator Championship showdown.

The action-packed night also features the Bellator debut of decorated MMA veteran Renato “Babalu” Sobral, who will fight in the quarterfinals of the Light Heavyweight Tournament against Russian submission ace Mikhail Zayats.

 “Our Thursday, January 17th premiere on Spike will be an incredible night for MMA fans; two epic world title fights and an amazing collection of tournament fights” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Spike TV is the home for MMA and this event will be a great way to kick off that homecoming.”

Bellator MMA, which features The Toughest Tournament in Sports, will showcase five tournaments this season in different weight classes including featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight. The 12-week season, airing on Thursdays at 10pm on Spike TV, will showcase many of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters from around the world in venues spanning across North America.

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom.  In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. 

For more information, visit Bellator.com and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator