Former Champ Joe Soto...LOST THE BELT! DAMN IT!

Joe Soto dominates round 1…

Got caught in round 2…tried to recover and ate a KNEE to the FACE…KO’d by Joe Warren!

Joe Warren wins the Featherweight strap at 33 second into round 2

FUCK THAT WAS A GREAT FIGHT…ROUND 2 SUCKED…LOL

                          

Come out for your chance to win FREE TICKETS to Tachi Palace Fights #6! Hard to believe the fights are less then a week away!

                          

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 2, 2010) —

Bellator Fighting Championships today announced tickets go on sale for “Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” this Friday at 10 A.M. EST on ComcastTix.com. Tickets for “Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” are priced at $25, $45, $65, $85, and $150. Pre-sale numbers for Bellator’s debut event in Philadelphia have been impressive, so fight fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early to ensure a seat at the Liacouras Center.

“With the amount of buzz and electricity already around this event, we want to make sure fans get a chance to get the best seats available,” said an enthusiastic Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Any time you can put two fighters like Eddie Alvarez and Roger Huerta in the cage together, there is going to be excitement. “

Hometown legend Eddie Alvarez refuses to loose in his hometown.  Eddie Says” This is a fight I’ve been looking for. This is something the fans have wanted to see for a long time now. I’m not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It’s important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I’m one of the best lightweights in the world, especially in my hometown. I want to make sure I give them (the fans) what they paid for.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

                          

This is the seating chart taken from the website http://www.myticketportal.com/

                          

Courtesy of mmaweekly.com

The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission released the UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 fighter salary information on Thursday. The main event featured UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defending his title in a rematch with former champion B.J. Penn. The event took place on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the TD Garden in Boston.

The following figures are based on the fighter salary information that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including the winners’ bonuses. Any undisclosed bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to the athletic commissions (such as pay-per-view bonuses), are not included in the figures below.

MAIN CARD FIGHTERS:

-Frankie Edgar: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. B.J. Penn: $150,000

-Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus) def. James Toney: $500,000

-Demian Maia: $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus) def. Mario Miranda: $8,000

-Gray Maynard: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus) def. Kenny Florian: $65,000

-Nate Diaz: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def. Marcus Davis: $31,000

PRELIMINARY CARD (NON-TELEVISED) FIGHTERS:

-Joe Lauzon: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Gabe Ruediger: $8,000

-Nik Lentz: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Andre Winner: $10,000

-Dan Miller: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. John Salter: $8,000

-Greg Soto: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Nick Osipczak: $10,000

-Mike Pierce: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Amilcar Alves: $6,000

UFC 118 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,428,000

                          

Having signed with the promotion with only two MMA bouts under his belt, it’s clear that Cain Velasquez’s route to the UFC wasn’t as arduous as the paths most fighters take to make it to the big show, but considering he is still undefeated in the Octagon and is set to fight for their heavyweight title, it’s obvious that Zuffa’s gamble paid off.

In a recent interview with GracieMag, Velasquez, who will take on UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 October 23 in Anaheim, Calif.  says that his “tryout” for the UFC wasn’t much more than an impromptu training session in Vegas set up by his manager, Bob Cook, who called Dana White and asked him to check out his star pupil.

According to Velasqez, the UFC president was so impressed with what he saw, he signed him without watching a single one of his fights.

“I had two fights on my CV and wanted to fight in other shows before going to the UFC to get some experience. But It was really hard to get fights with other organizations, so my manager said: ‘We haven’t fought in a long time, we can’t wait any longer. It’s time to call up the UFC.’ He made the call, made Dana White an offer and we went to Vegas,” Velasquez recalls. “We took two fighters with us and Dana watched me standing with those two fighters and doing Jiu-Jitsu with another two heavyweight athletes. He liked what he saw and told me I was in the UFC.”

Velasquez also says that he abandoned his longtime dream of competing at the Olympic level in wrestling in favor of a career in MMA after he threw his first punch training at American Kickboxing Academy.

“When I was in college, [competing in the Olympics] was one of my objectives. But when I was just doing wrestling I felt there was something missing. So I discovered what was missing was throwing punches,” he says. “I wanted to do boxing and kickboxing, throw strikes. That’s why, instead of setting the goal of going to the Olympics, I chose to set out on a career in MMA.”

Even before he landed in the UFC, Velasquez was being touted by his AKA teammates like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Bobby Southworth as “the next big thing” in MMA. It turns out it wasn’t just hype, since just three years after he first trained in MMA and jiu-jitsu Velasquez is at a level some fighters will never reach. Suprisingly, though he says the pressure of his meteoric rise in the UFC hasn’t gotten to him yet.

“I don’t feel any pressure. I’m just conscious that I have to keep training hard in the gym. I don’t pay attention to what people say,” he says. “I can’t listen to them. What I have to do is be well-trained and ready to beat my opponent.”

                          

SAN ANTONIO

Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto quotes:

“I don’t think it’s going to be the pace that determines this, I think it’s going to be all the positions that we get into. Warren’s going to get into a lot of unfamiliar places that he’s not going to be comfortable with.”

“I think I’m a lot better rounded that he is. This isn’t a wrestling, this is MMA. We don’t know whose wrestling is going to be better until we get in there. I’m more well rounded – I’m going to kick his ass.”

“It’s going to take a different opponent for me to lose this belt – not Joe Warren.”

“I’ve grown a lot in this sport, but I feel like I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use all of my tools. Maybe Joe Warren will push me to use all of those tools.

“It would suck to lose to him; I never want to lose to a dirt bag like that.”

“All he does better than me is talk s***. Talking is the only thing he does better. He keeps a good pace , but I don’t see anything in the cage he does better than me. He’s got weak punches when he’s on top, nothing I’m scared of.”

“I want to be not only the best 145 pounder in the world, but one of the best fighters ever. The pound for pound best ever. That’s my goal. I want to be a legend.”

“I think my overall game will give him problems. I’m an MMA veteran, and he should be worried about my game. Warren likes to do a lot of talking, and is doing a nice job of selling the fight, but he definitely has some holes I feel like I can exploit. As always, I’m prepared for any situation.”

Bellator Season 2 Tournament Champion Joe Warren quotes:

“I’m a born Champion. It doesn’t matter if it’s wrestling or MMA.”

“I want to do this to get some credibility. Once I win the championships people will know that I am an all around fighting professional.”

“Winning the belt is going to mean that I’ve met a goal and I can set goals and reach them. This is really important for me and my family.”

“No one can handle my pace. I can’t even handle it. I’m going to push even harder than I ever have before. I don’t plan on leaving without that belt.”

“As far as my potential, I’m about 20 percent of where I can be. I’ve got 80 more percent coming. Any competitor should be scared as hell. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m not nasty.”

“I never thought I would even be fighting at 145. Winning a belt at this weight means I can do anything.”

“I’m so happy this fight is here. This fight been a real long time coming, and I just don’t want to let this opportunity pass me by. Every fight I had in Season 2 was the biggest of my career, and now the chance to win the belt is here. This is what I do for a living, so it’s time to get busy.”

“I’ve just got to stay focused on the core fundamentals of MMA, push hard and stay mentally tough. In my fight with Pitbull, things weren’t going my way after that first round. During every fight there is a time when you decide if you want to win or lose the fight, and after that first round, I decided I wanted it more. It was a battle, but I stayed mentally tough, and ended up winning the fight.”

“If the fight turns into a straight wrestling match, it’s going to get really interesting because flat out, I’m the better wrestler. Either way, neither of us want to lose, so the fans are in for a great match.”

Tickets for the event – which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights – tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

                          

San Antonio, Tx. (September 1, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated matchup between Joe Soto and Joe Warren, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening — all making weight.

Bellator 27 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto (144.8 lbs.) vs. Joe Warren (143.6 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.

Travis Reddinger (135 lbs.) vs. Uylsses Gomez (135.2 lbs.) @135 lbs.

Bryan Goldsby (135.8 lbs.) vs.  Ed West (135 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Nick Mamalis (135.8 lbs.) vs. Zach Makovsky (134.4 lbs.) @135 lbs.

UNDERCARD:

Andrew Craig (184 lbs.) vs. Rodrigo Pinheiro (185) @185 lbs.

Aaron Barringer(154.4 lbs.) vs. Gilbert Jimenez( 154.2 ) @ 155 lbs.

Dale Mitchell(264.2 lbs. ) vs. Richard Odoms(260.4 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.

Steven Peterson (145.5 lbs.) vs. Ernest De La Cruz (144.4 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.

Joe Christopher (170.6 lbs.) vs. Andrew Chappelle (169.6 lbs.) @ 170 lbs

John Kirk (205 lbs.) vs. Shane Faulkner (204.6 lbs.) @ 205 lbs.

                          

Newly crowned Tachi Palace fights Bantamweight champion Michael “MayDay” Mc Donald, with go to the far east Japan, on Sept 25th, 2010 to take on Norifumi “Kid’ Yamamoto in Dream 16 .McDonald avenged the only loss of his career with a dominating …victory over Cole Escovedo to capture the Tachi Palace Fights bantamweight championship.

McDonald, who beat Escovedo to the punch all night, connected with a big overhand right to stun the defending champion, and finished him off with a combination 1 minute, 12 seconds into the second round of the scheduled 5-round championship

                          

San Antonio, Texas (September 1, 2010) — The weigh-in and pre-fight press conference for Bellator Fighting Championships’ Thursday evening event at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio will take place TONIGHT at 5 p.m. CST at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in the Robert Johnston Room (2). The Sheraton Gunter Hotel is located 205 East Houston St., San Antonio, TX, 78205.

The Bellator 27 weigh-in/pre-fight press conference will also stream LIVE at Bellator.com at 5 p.m. CST for those unable to attend.

Participants include Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as all 24 competitors in Thursday’s event including reigning Bellator Featherweight World Champion Joe Soto, Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Champion Joe Warren, fast-rising Nick Mamalis, Zack “Fun Size” Makovsky, Cobra-Kai jiu-jitsu instructor Ulysses Gomez, and undefeated Texas natives Rodrigo Pinheiro and Andrew Craig, and more.

The event will be emceed by Bellator cage announcer Michael C. Williams and Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith.

The full fight card for Bellator 27 is below:

MAIN CARD:

World Championship Featherweight Fight: Joe Soto (9-0) vs. Joe Warren (5-1)

Opening-round Bantamweight Tournament Fight: Travis Reddinger (14-2) vs. Ulysses Gomez (6-1)

Opening-round Bantamweight Tournament Fight:  Bryan Goldsby (15-7) vs. Ed West (13-4)

Opening-round Bantamweight Tournament Fight: Nick Mamalis (10-4) vs. Zack Makovsky (9-2)

UNDERCARD:

Local Main Event: Andrew Craig (1-0) vs Rodrigo Pinheiro (3-0)

Local Feature Fight: Aaron Barringer (4-2) vs. Gilbert Jimenez (2-1)

Local Feature Fight: Derek Lewis (2-1) vs. Richard Odoms (0-1)

Local Feature Fight: Joe Christopher (10-3) vs. Andrew Chappelle (8-6)

Local Feature Fight: Brian Lightfoot (2-2) vs. Shane Faulkner (4-2)

Local Feature Fight: Dale Mitchell (0-2) vs. Richard Odoms (0-1)

Local Feature Fight: Jon Kirk (15-8) vs. Shan Faulkner (4-2)*

Local Feature Fight: Steven Peterson (debut) vs. Ernest De La Cruz (debut)

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Bellator.