SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 24, 2015) – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the signing of Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez to an exclusive, multi-fight deal. The 31-year-old has previously competed in kickboxing and muay Thai, but fully intends on transitioning to the sport of mixed martial arts in the future.
Taylor-Melendez will debut as a kickboxer in front of her home town on June 19 at the highly anticipated “Bellator: Dynamite” show in San Jose, Calif. An opponent for Taylor-Melendez has yet to be decided upon.
The spouse of former WEC and Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and co-owner of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, Taylor-Melendez first took up combat sports close to 10 years ago, making a name for herself on unsanctioned cards held in the Bay Area. After racking up a 4-1 amateur record, she took her talents to the professional circuit, where she currently holds a 2-1 kickboxing record.
“I’m very honored for the opportunity to fight on such a big stage with a great promotion and promoter. I actually fought for Scott Coker before Gilbert and we both have a great relationship with him, so I feel very comfortable with this situation,” Taylor-Melendez said. “Even though I haven’t been super active as a fighter I have never really stopped training and look forward to testing my skills as a muay Thai fighter and a mixed martial artist. My goal is to go out there and do my best and make my daughter, my family and team proud.”
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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