Ryan Couture Set to Face Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire on January 29

(PRESS RELEASE) -- SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 12, 2016) – Ryan Couture (10-3) will face Patricky Freire (14-7) during the main card of “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Bellator officials previously announced two welterweight attractions featuring a main event pitting British slugger Paul Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) and a rematch featuring Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) against Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC), which will serve as the co-main event. Rounding out the Spike-televised main card will be heavyweights Raphael Butler (9-1) and Tony Johnson (9-2).

In addition, the preliminary portion of the card has been completed, with the news that Matt Perez (1-1) will meet Eugene Cancino, Nick Bustamante (3-0) takes on Salvador Becerra (4-2), Jermaine McDermott (1-0) fights Eric Huggins (1-0) and John Paul Elias (3-0) will also be in action.

“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 App at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale now at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Couture will look to start off 2016 on the right foot. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission. Couture was slated to compete at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” but his opponent missed weight by more than 16 pounds.

Standing opposite of Couture will be the elder “Pitbull” brother, who agreed to the fight on short notice after Derek Anderson was forced to withdraw due to injury. Freire competed during the last event of 2015 and will now make his 14th appearance for Bellator MMA during the first event of 2016. It’s worth noting that 10 of Freire’s wins have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

Complete “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 Co-Main Event: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Patricky Freire (14-7)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Matt Perez (1-1) vs. Eugene Cancino (Debut)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Nick Bustamante (3-0) vs. Salvador Becerra (4-2)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: John Paul Elias (3-0) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Jermaine McDermott (1-0) vs. Eric Huggins (1-0)

About Bellator MMA:

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA 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 Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:

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