Last Friday’s Bellator 68 event draws an average of 169,000 viewers on MTV2. This is compared to the previous average of 150,500 viewers over the season’s first eight events. Bellator 68 tied for the third-best ratings of all of the nine season-six events.

Bellator 68 was headlined by a season-six featherweight tournament between Daniel Straus and Marlon Sandro. Straus won by earning a unanimous-decision victory over his contender, Sandro. While Marcos Galvao defeated Travis Marx in their bantamweight match with a decision victory.

The recently concluded Bellator took place last May 11, Friday at the Palladium Ballroom in Caesars Atlantic City in New Jersey.

Here is the list of all-time Bellator-MTV2 ratings:

Bellator 68 ratings: 169,000 viewers
Bellator 67 ratings: 165,000
Bellator 66 ratings: 109,000
Bellator 65 ratings: 163,000
Bellator 64 ratings: 175,000
Bellator 63 ratings: 140,000
Bellator 62 ratings: 175,000
Bellator 61 ratings: 108,000
Bellator 60 ratings: 169,000
Bellator 49-59 ratings (season five average): 186,000
Bellator 46-48 ratings (Summer Series average): 229,000
Bellator 35-45 ratings (season four average): 204,000

The official weigh-ins for “Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale” is set to take place this Friday, May 18 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The upcoming event will also take place at the same venue on May 19, Saturday. It features headliners and heavyweight-grand-prix finalists Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier.

The maincard is set to broadcast via Showtime. While the prelims will be aired through Showtime Extreme.

Check out the full “Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale” lineup below:

MAIN CARD (Showtime)

Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier (heavyweight grand-prix finale)
Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson (for lightweight title)
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Naj-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang

PRELIMINARY CARD (Showtime Extreme)

Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Virgil Zwicker vs. Guto Inocente
Derrick Mehmen vs. Gian Villante
Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort
Bobby Green vs. James Terry

Bellator 68 recently concluded the event yesterday at the Palladium Ballroom in Caesars Atlantic City. The bout was headlined by featherweight fighters, Daniel Straus and Marlon Sandro.

The event hightlights the victory of Straus against “crowd favorite” Sandro, by earning a unanimous decision in their main card bout. Straus hits his contender with a powerful leg kick, repeatedly releasing takedowns, eventually dominating Sandro. The bout ended with these scores: 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

The bantamweight event shows Marcos Galvao win over Travis Marx. Galvao initiated a series of powerful kicks and punches to Marx. Marx attempted to slow down the fight, however Galvao overpowered him and the judges eventually ruled a unanimous decision favoring Galvao, ruling the bout with a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 scores.

Check out the full Bellator 68 fight results below:

MAIN CARD RESULTS

Daniel Straus def. Marlon Sandro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) – featherweight-tourney final
Marcos Galvao def. Travis Marx via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – bantamweight-tourney semifinal
Marcin Held def. Derrick Kennington via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 2:08
Marius Zaromskis def. Waachiim Spiritwolf via TKO (doctor’s stoppage due to cut) – Round 2, 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

Don Carlo-Clauss def. Jacob Kirwan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Aung La Nsang def. Jesus Martinez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:36
Anthony Leone def. Claudio Ledesma via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Francois Ambang def. Gregory Millard via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The scheduled 230-lbs catchweight bout between Seth ‘The Silverback’ Petruzelli and Carmelo Marrero was cancelled at the last minute. The reason for the cancellation is because Petruzelli is sick.

Petruzelli’s doctor did not clear him to fight after hearing a “weezing and fluid” in his lungs. He seeked an opinion from a second doctor, who made the same findings.

Petruzelli posted the bad news in his Twitter account (@silverbackseth), an hour before the main card began and said:

“Guys, I have unbelievable news. The doc wouldn’t clear me to fight. I have been feeling sick for past week but haven’t told anyone. When the doc checked me he said he heard weezing and fluid in my lungs. Got a 2nd doc for another opinion and he said same thing. I am so sorry…I feel like I’m in a nightmare.”

The bout would have been his second bout since making a debut in Bellator 48, where he defeated Ricco Rodriguez via a knock out in the first round.

Fighting Insider has the final lineup for The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale that will take place on the 19th of May at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The main event will feature a heavyweight bout between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cornier. It also includes a lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez defending his title against his top contender Josh Thomson.

Check out the full lineup below.

MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier (heavyweight grand-prix finale)
Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson (lightweight title)
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Naj-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang

PRELIMINARY CARD (Showtime Extreme)
Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Virgil Zwicker vs. Guto Inocente
Derrick Mehmen vs. Gian Villante
Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort

The maincard for the upcoming “Titan Fighting 22: Johnson vs. Branch” event is now set. Headlining the event are middleweight fighters,  Anthony Johnson and fellow UFC veteran David Branch.

The event’s maincard features five bouts that includes notable fighters.

Titan FC president, Joe Kelly said:

“The entire live card of Titan 22 is incredible. We’ve packed it with exciting, aggressive and athletic fighters who want to entertain and astound fight fans with incredible performances. This whole city is on fire for this event. When ‘Rumble’ Johnson walks in the cage to square off with David Branch, there will be no one inside Memorial Hall sitting down. Titan Fighting 22 is the best card yet, and it will deliver for fight fans everywhere.”

Titan Fighting Championship 22 will be held at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. With the maincard events set to be aired on HDNet on May 25. The event’s preliminary card that features amateur bouts will not be televised.

Check out full Titan Fighting 22 main card below:

MAIN CARD (HDNet)

Anthony Johnson vs. David Branch
L.C. Davis vs. Bill Kamery
Jose Vega vs. Andrew Whitney
Nick Mamalis vs. Fabio Mello
Rudy Bears vs. Nick Nolte
Mirsad Bektic vs. Willie Mack

Japanese MMA veteran Akihiro Gono has announced his retirement from the sport, after losing to Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler at the recently concluded Bellator 67 event. Gono lost to Chandler via TKO, just 56 seconds into the fight.

Gono aired his decision at the post-event press conference of last Saturday’s event. He received a standing ovation after his emotional announcement.

Gono boasts of one of the longest and most colorful career in MMA. He made his professional debut back in 1994 and fought for various organizations PRIDE, Shooto, Pancrase and World Victory Road/Sengoku, UFC and Bellator. Though he never earned a major title, he’s one of only two men to defeat Lombard and one of just three to defeat Mousasi. He bids MMA goobye with a three-fight losing skid.

Bellator 67 took place tonight at the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada. The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and DREAM veteran Akihiro Gono.

Gono was super relaxed at the beginning of the fight, until Chandler unleashes a combo then a megaton right hand down the middle, that caught Gono by surprise. Chandler defeated Gono with a series of punches, earning him a TKO at 0:56 of round 1.

The main card also features a welterweight tournament semifinal fight between former tournament finalists Bryan Baker and Ben Saunders. Baker emerged as the winner via unanimous decision, with a score of 10-9 in the last round and the 30-27 for the whole bout.

Check out the event’s quick results below:

MAIN CARD (MTV2):

Michael Chandler def. Akihiro Gono by TKO (strikes) Rd 1 (0:56)
Bryan Baker def. Ben Saunders by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Ryan Ford def. Luis Santos by TKO (strikes) Rd 2 (1:24)
Damian Grabowski def. Dave Huckaba by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UNDERCARD (Spike.com):

Dom O’Grady def. Nathan Gunn by submission (armbar) Rd 2 (4:51)
Nordine Taleb def. Matt McGrath by TKO (strikes) Rd 2 (2:30)
Cosmo Alexander def. Lowrant-T Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: David “Bo” Harris (134.8lbs) vs. Nick Kirk (135.6lbs)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Matt Veal (145lbs) vs. Will Romero (148.8lbs)

The official weigh-in for Bellator 67, took place today at the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada, where tomorrow’s event will also take place.

All Bellator 67 main-card fighters met the weight requirements, while one preliminary-card fighter failed to make weight on his first attempt. Will Romero came in at 148.8 lbs and was given two hours to lose two pounds to arrive at 146 lbs.

Bellator 67 will be headlined by a lightweight bout between Michael Chandler and Akihiro Gono.

Chandler, expressed his excitement over tomorrow’s event and said:

“We’re excited to get in there and put on the show. It’s my first time fighting for the Canadian fans, so I’m ready to get in there and do it.”

Check out the full weigh-in results below:

MAIN CARD (MTV2)

Champ Michael Chandler (156) vs. Akihiro Gono (155.6)
Bryan Baker (171) vs. Ben Saunders (171)
Damian Grabowski (241.4) vs. Dave Huckaba (255.4)
Ryan Ford (169.8) vs. Luis “Sapo” Santos (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)

Will Romero (148.8)* vs. Matt Veal (145)
David “Bo” Harris (134.8) vs. Nick Kirk (135.6)
Cosmo Alexander (155) vs. Lorawnt-T Nelson (155)
Matt MacGrath (179.6) vs. Nordine Taleb (179.4) – 180-pound catchweight
Nathan Gunn (169.6) vs. Dom O’Grady (170)

* – Has two hours to make the 146-pound limit

Bellator imports British light heavyweight Mark Godbeer. Godbeer has sealed a multi-fight deal with Bellator Fighting Championships and is expected to debut in their upcoming “Summer Series” event.

Godbeer who made a debut in 2009, has a record of seven-straight stoppage wins. With eight of his career wins earned via stoppage, including six by knockout. He never fought beyond the second round.

After losing to Anthony Taylor, last November, he came back with a vengeance and earned a TKO win against Catalin Zmarandescu, last March.

Though he previously fought as a light heavyweight fighter, he plans to move up to the heavyweight division, now that he’s with Bellator.