INJURY POSTPONES BELLATOR MMA DEBUT OF JOSH KOSCHECK, PAUL DALEY-ANDY UHRICH PROMOTED TO MAIN EVENT BILLING
RAPHAEL BUTLER-TONY JOHNSON SET TO CLASH ON MAIN CARD
ILIMA MACFARLANE-AMBER TACKETT ANCHOR ‘BELLATOR 148: DALEY VS. UHRICH’ PRELIMINARY CARD
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 2015) – An injury sustained by Josh Koscheck (17-10) during training camp has derailed his Bellator MMA debut against Matt Secor (7-2), which was slated to be the main event of “Bellator 148” on January 29 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
As a result, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) will now serve as the headliner. Furthermore, a newly announced heavyweight encounter featuring Raphael Butler (9-1) against Tony Johnson (9-2) has been added to the main card.
The “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” preliminary card is also continuing to take shape, with the news that Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) meets Amber Tackett (1-1) in flyweight action during a preliminary card that will stream LIVE on Bellator.com.
In addition to the aforementioned contests, Mason Fowler (2-0) meets Idrees Wasi (1-3) in welterweight action, Mark Dickman (10-2) takes on Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) at 145-pounds, and Paul Ruiz (6-2) fights Josh San Diego (5-1) in a bantamweight feature bout. Additional preliminary fights will be announced shortly, as will one final main card contest.
“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile Appat 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Macfarlane made a splash during her Bellator MMA debut back in August; defeating a game Maria Rios via split decision. The San Diego native is best known for her finish of Katie Castro during a regional event in the beginning of 2015, but she has made it clear during numerous interviews, as well as her performance inside the cage that she’s more than just some viral sensation. For a deeper dive on Macfarlane, look no further than these two pieces written by Bleacher Report and ESPN. Standing opposite of Macfarlane will be Tackett, who lives a short jaunt away from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and has fought twice professionally since 2008.
2015 didn’t go as planned for Raphael Butler. The former professional boxer was forced to sit idle after Lorenzo Hood withdrew from their scheduled bout at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” shortly before they were supposed to enter the cage. But now it’s 2016, and the 31-year-old has big plans, beginning with his “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” foe, Tony Johnson. Fresh off a victory against former Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov, Johnson will once again look to implore his standout wrestling pedigree against a known striker to secure another victory.
Updated “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. Idrees Wasi (1-3)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)
