Tag: Danilo Belluardo

Ex-UFC fighters Eric Shelton and Danilo Belluardo join ARES FC roster

Ex-UFC fighters Eric Shelton and Danilo Belluardo are the latest additions to the ARES FC roster.

Upstart promotion ARES FC continues to add solid names to its roster.

Ex-UFC fighters [autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] and [autotag]Danilo Belluardo[/autotag] are the latest additions to the promotion, joining a list of notable fighters who were signed earlier in the year.

Shelton (13-7), a semifinalist on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” was never able to build momentum in the UFC after joining the full roster. He went 2-4 with the promotion before he was released.

Since departing from the UFC in May 2019, Shelton has gone 1-1 in his appearances for Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting. His most recent outing ended in a decision defeat for the promotion’s flyweight title this past December.

He announced the news of his signing with ARES FC on his Instagram on Wednesday.

“Excited to announce that I’ve signed with @ares_fighting, it’s a great promotion based out of Africa and Paris. With that being said I hope all my fans stay tuned to my career and I’m excited to build more of a fan base out of the US!! LETS GO it’s SHOWTIME BABY!! .”

After racking up six straight wins en route to capturing the Venator FC lightweight title, Belluardo (12-5) was signed to the UFC in April 2019. But the Italian never was able to get going and suffered back-to-back stoppage losses to Joel Alvarez and Mark Madsen before he was released from the promotion this past November.

Belluardo was scheduled to make his Cage Warriors debut against Mason Jones in March, but pulled out due to the growing COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. His next appearance now will come under the ARES FC banner. The promotion announced his signing Thursday.

Shelton and Belluardo join the likes of UFC veterans Will Brooks, Nordine Taleb, Juan Adams and Wilson Reis as recent additions to the ARES FC roster.

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Contenders assemble as the battle for Cage Warriors’ lightweight title heats up

Eight of the best lightweights in Europe are set for action as they bid to challenge for the vacant Cage Warriors lightweight title.

Following the news of Jai Herbert’s graduation from Cage Warriors lightweight champion to UFC newcomer, the race is on to capture the newly-vacated Cage Warriors 155-pound title.

The U.K. promotion’s lightweight division has proved to be something of a finishing school for Europe’s best 155-pounders, with former lightweight champions Herbert, Chris Fishgold, Stevie Ray and, of course, Conor McGregor all stepping up to the UFC after capturing Cage Warriors gold.

Now the coveted strap is up for grabs once again, and a host of talented 155-pounders are set to jockey for position in a bid to earn themselves a spot in the battle for the vacant title later this year.

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Liverpool fan-favorite [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] will lead the charge when he returns to action against Belgian contender [autotag]Donovan Desmae[/autotag] on March 20 at Cage Warriors 113 in London, but he faces competition from a clutch of fellow lightweights who all have their sights set on the title.

Unbeaten Welshman [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] (8-0) has looked better with each performance in Cage Warriors, and in 2019 claimed notable wins over Desmae and Finland’s Aleksi Mantykivi. He’ll take on Italian former UFC lightweight and fellow contender [autotag]Danilo Belluardo[/autotag] (12-5) in London while looking to stake an undeniable claim for a title shot.

While Pimblett and Jones look set to compete in separate bouts in a bid to earn their crack at the gold, four more contenders will go head to head in a pair of bouts in Birmingham with the same goal in mind.

Former featherweight champion and all-action crowd-pleaser [autotag]Dean Trueman[/autotag] (10-6) has decided to step up to lightweight and will face Norway’s former lightweight title challenger [autotag]Alexander Jacobsen[/autotag] (9-5), while Cage Warriors officials confirmed Tuesday that another former title challenger at 155, England’s [autotag]Jack Grant[/autotag], will take on undefeated Frenchman [autotag]Mehdi Ben Lakhdar[/autotag]. Both matchups will take place at Cage Warriors 114 on April 18.

Grant (15-5) has long been considered a potential lightweight champion in the making, but he fell short against Herbert when the pair met at “Cage Warriors 106: Night of Champions” in July 2019. He’ll get the chance to re-establish his championship credentials against Ben Lakhdar (4-0-1), who announced his arrival in Cage Warriors with back-to-back first-round knockouts in 2018, then battled to a draw with Northern Ireland’s Joe McColgan in Cage Warriors’ “Fight of the Year” for 2019.

All eight men have a legitimate shot at the title, but only two can make it all the way to fight for the vacant belt. By the end of April we should know who has earned their shot.

Upcoming lightweight bouts:

Cage Warriors 113 (London, March 20)

  • Paddy Pimblett vs. Donovan Desmae
  • Mason Jones vs. Danilo Belluardo

Cage Warriors 114 (Birmingham, April 18)

  • Jack Grant vs. Mehdi Ben Lakhdar
  • Alexander Jacobsen vs. Dean Trueman

 

Cage Warriors 113 lineup builds with UFC vet Danilo Belluardo vs. Mason Jones

Cage Warriors’ March return to London continues to grow with the addition of several new fights, including one with a UFC veteran.

The lineup for Cage Warriors’ March return to its home stomping ground of London continues to grow with the addition of several new fights, including one with a UFC veteran.

[autotag]Danilo Belluardo[/autotag] (13-5) has signed with the promotion for a lightweight bout against the unbeaten [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] (8-0), the promotion announced Friday along with several other bookings.

In addition, former featherweight title challenger [autotag]Steve Aimable[/autotag] (14-6) meets [autotag]Perry Goodwin[/autotag] (9-7), and Scottish prospect [autotag]Aidan Stephen[/autotag] (6-2) takes on [autotag]Emrah Sonmez[/autotag] (11-2) at 145 pounds. Welterweights [autotag]Hakon Foss[/autotag] (9-8) and [autotag]Nathan Jones[/autotag] (13-9) have been booked for a meeting, as have [autotag]Matthew Bonner[/autotag] (6-5-1) and [autotag]Jamie Richardson[/autotag] (8-5) at middleweight.

Cage Warriors 113 takes place March 20 at indigo at The O2 in London. The card streams on UFC Fight Pass. The next day, the UFC visit The 02 for UFC on ESPN+ 29.

Nathan Jones

Jones was the Cage Warriors “Fight of the Year” in voting done by the promotion’s fans in 2019. The 24-year-old Welshman went 2-0 in 2019 with decision wins over Donovan Desmae and Aleksi Mantykivi. In 2018, he went 4-0 with three wins by stoppage.

Italy’s Belluardo will be Jones’ most experienced opponent yet. After a six-fight winning streak, he signed with the UFC in 2019. But he lost both his fights with the promotion by TKO to Joel Alvarez and Mark Madsen. Now he’ll try to snap his skid in his Cage Warriors debut.

The Cage Warriors 113 lineup includes:

  • Samir Faiddine vs. Luke Shanks – for flyweight title
  • Donovan Desmae vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Danilo Belluardo vs. Mason Jones
  • Steve Aimable vs. Perry Goodwin
  • Hakon Foss vs. Nathan Jones
  • Emrah Sonmez vs. Aidan Stephen
  • Matthew Bonner vs. Jamie Richardson
  • Ian Garry vs. TBA
  • Coner Hignett vs. TBA
  • Darren O’Gorman vs. TBA
  • Kingsley Crawford vs. TBA
  • James Hendin vs. TBA