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Bellator MMA returns to Sanford Pentagon in August

June 15, 2022

Contact:
Paul Heinert
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / paul.heinert@sanfordhealth.org

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Bellator MMA is coming back to South Dakota for its third appearance on August 12 at the Sanford Pentagon.

In the main event, No. 5-ranked welterweight contender Neiman Gracie (11-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) takes on the man with the most submission finishes in Bellator MMA history, Goiti Yamauchi (27-5 MMA, 13-4 BMMA), in a five-round, 170-pound matchup. In the preliminary card, several fighters with local ties are scheduled to compete. Official announcements will be made later.

The main card of Bellator 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi airs live on Showtime at 8 p.m. The preliminary card begins at 6 p.m. and streams live on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. More fights will be announced later.

“This is the third time the Sanford Pentagon is hosting Bellator MMA, and they have always delivered,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of operations for the Sanford Sports. “The athletes who compete in Bellator MMA are some of the best in the entire sport of mixed martial arts, and fans will be in for an entertaining and exciting show.”

Tickets for Bellator 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday at ticketmaster.com and the Sanford Pentagon Box Office. For information on purchasing suites, contact Derek Sparks at 605-312-7917.

Additional ticket packages include pre-fight activities at Great Shots and Blue Rock Bar & Grill. Current Bellator champions Logan Storley and Ryan Bader, in addition to other celebrity athletes, are scheduled to attend.

Great Shots Package – Thursday August 11, 6-8 p.m.

Blue Rock Package- Friday August 12, 5-7:30 p.m.

Great Shots & Blue Rock Packaged Together – $49.95/person

Bellator 284: Gracie vs. Yamauchi

Main Card

Welterweight Main Event: No. 5 Neiman Gracie (11-3) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (27-5)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: No. 1 Valentin Moldavsky (11-2) vs. No. 5 Steve Mowry (10-0)

Flyweight Feature Bout: No. 4 Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-2) vs. Bruna Ellen (6-3)

Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Weber Almeida (6-1) vs. Ilias Bulaid (3-0)

About the Sanford Pentagon
The cornerstone of the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the Sanford Pentagon, a 160,000-square-foot, five-sided facility featuring nine basketball courts, including the 1950s/1960s-inspired Heritage Court. The venue combines state-of-the-art amenities—including high-definition video boards and executive suites—with period-specific finishes that are a nod to the nostalgic days of basketball.

The 3,200-seat Pentagon is home to Sanford POWER Basketball Academy, Sanford POWER Volleyball Academy, the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, Augustana University men’s and women’s basketball, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s and Men’s Basketball tournaments and the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information, visit sanfordpentagon.com.

About BELLATOR
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts 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 SHOWTIME. 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 Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

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