When the word ‘liger’ enters a conversation, people have a tendency to think of Napoleon Dynamite’s pseudo-artistically drawn mythical creature. When ‘The Liger’ enters a ring, fighters better develop a tendency for being aware of one-punch knock-out power; M-1 Global welcomes Victory Athletic’s Len ‘The Liger’ Bentley to the 2010 Americas Finals, a berth he earned with a phenomenal performance and high-light reel ‘knock out of the night’ honours win.
At 1:45 of the second round, Len ‘The Liger’ Bentley unleashed his devastating power and put his opponent Colin Schrader down face-first onto the M-1 Ring’s canvas leaving him to be stretchered out unconscious at the M-1 Selection Americas tournament Semi Finals in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 7th. Not only did this solidify his position as a feared striker, it immediately added further depth to an already stacked M-1 Global welterweight division. “Bentley is a welcome addition to the M-1 stable of fighters,” says Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s Director of Operations. “He has shown great composure and has an aura of professionalism around him.”
Since the age of eight years old, Bentley has had wide exposure to martial arts starting with Kenpo Karate where he competed in tournaments for most of his childhood and into his teens. His passion for combat was a perfect fit with his decision to join the military; as a Level 3 Combatives Instructor for the US Army, Bentley taught soldiers in his Fort Lewis, Washington unit how to defend themselves in real-life combat situations.
The transition to MMA came thanks to UFC veteran and submission specialist Dennis “Superman” Hallman; “Dennis contacted our detachment in 2003 to see if we would be interested in training and fighting and I jumped at the chance and have been hooked ever since,” says Bentley. “I fought as an amateur for years and when I left the army, I took up fighting fulltime and made the move to fighting professionally.”
As a fulltime fighter, Bentley has a gruelling training regime spending three days a week in Seattle, Washington at Next Level Boxing with Coach Carlos Hernandez and three days a week in Auburn, Washington at Vision Quest Sports and Fitness with wrestling Coach Brad Swartz and strength and conditioning coach ‘Ali’. Combine this with four evening sessions at Victory Athletics where the focus is on MMA sparring with Dennis Hallman and Brad Blackburn, Bentley has the proof to back up his statement that he trains with a group of elite, world class athletes.
Taking the August 7th fight on short notice as an alternate for the bout, Bentley made the most of his opportunity and made a clear statement that he belongs under the M-1 banner. “I train with a great stable of athletes who are always prepared to fight. I bring solid well-rounded skills to my game and I’m coming to the Finals ready to fight Tom Gallicchio. Wherever this fight goes, Tom is going be in my game. I’m going to go out there, put my hands on him and we’ll see if he can handle my power and pace.”
Coming out of his Semi Final bout unscathed is a definite bonus for Bentley as these two gloved warriors will face each other in an epic Welterweight clash in a mere 33 days to determine the tournament champion.
The M-1 Selection2010 – Americas Finals take place live on September 18 at Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tickets are available through www.TicketMaster.com. Doors open at 7:00 pm, first fight at 7:30 PM/ET.
Free broadcast coverage of the entire 2010 M-1 Selection tournament will be available at a later date to viewers worldwide on www.M-1global.com and selected affiliate partner sites.
