Bellator FC 20 - Information, Weigh-Ins & Results

[keithlewis]

A long-awaited match-up between two of the most exciting and best-known fighters from South Texas—Aaron Rosa and Robert Villegas—has been announced as the Local Main Event for Bellator 20 at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre.

Promoters have attempted for years to convince Rosa (12-3), a 26-year-old from San Antonio and Villegas (7-2), a 34-year-old from Corpus Christi, to face off in the cage, but Bellator 20 on May 27th marks their first-ever meeting.

Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com.

“Promoters from across Texas have been trying to get Aaron Rosa and Robert Villegas to fight each other for years, so it’s a great coup for Bellator that we’ve been able to finally make it happen,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Aaron and Robert are two of the best local fighters in Texas and both are looking to make their mark on the big stage. It’s going to be a great fight.”

The fight is one of four Local Feature Fights scheduled for the evening. Others include:

· Cedric Marks (27-20) of Killeen vs. Andrew Chappelle (7-6) of San Antonio;
· Brian Melancon (3-0) of Houston vs. Adam Schindler (6-1) of San Antonio;
· Humberto DeLeon (5-2) of Houston vs. Jimmy Flick (7-0) of Corpus Christi.

The Rosa-Villegas fight, however, is easily generating the most buzz.

“They’ve been trying to get us to fight for a long time,” Rosa said. “Now that it’s finally going to happen, I can tell you this much: We’re both gonna come out swinging and somebody’s gonna go down. It’s gonna be a great fight in front of my hometown crowd … I want everyone to show up.”

Rosa, a former football standout at Angelo State University in San Angelo, discovered MMA when a teammate showed him Renzo and Royler Gracie’s book, “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory Technique.” Since turning pro 4 ½ years ago, he has compiled an overall record of 12-3, with five of those wins coming via TKO.

“I’m a striker,” Rosa said. “I’m gonna go in there and punch him in the face and look for a knockout. That’s what I’m all about.”

Villaegas, for his part, says that he figures on taking Rosa to the ground, using the judo and jiu-jitsu skills that he’s honed over the last nine years at the MMA gym he owns and operates, Xtreme MMA in Corpus Christi. He holds black belts in both disciplines.

“I’m very picky about the fights that I take,” Villegas said. “I have to be inspired by a fight. I’ve had my ups and downs in MMA but this fight and being a part of the Bellator organization is a highlight. It’s gonna be a great show.”

[keithlewis]

Bellator FC 20 - Weigh-Ins Results


On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ show at the Majestic Theatre in downtown San Antonio, the fighters competing in Thursday’s event participated in an official weigh-in Wednesday evening.

Bellator 20 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, Telemundo and mun2.


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


MAIN CARD:

-Bryan Baker (186 lbs.) vs. Eric Schambari (185 lbs.)
-Alexander Shlemenko (184.8 lbs.) vs. Jared Hess (185.2 lbs)
-Eddie Sanchez (234.4 lbs.) vs. Marcus Sursa (219.2 lbs.)
-Nik Mamalis (135.2 lbs.) vs. Mark Oshiro (135.4 lbs.)


LOCAL FEATURE FIGHTS:

-Robert Villegas (205.2 lbs.) vs. Aaron Rosa (205.2 lbs.)
-Cedric Marks (166.8 lbs.) versus Andrew Chappelle (174.8 lbs.)*
-Brian Melancon (161.2 lbs.) versus Adam Schindler (154.8 lbs.)^
-Humberto DeLeon (124.6 lbs.) versus Jimmy Flick (124.6 lbs.)
-Kenneth Battle (154.8 lbs.) versus Fernando Rodriguez (153.8 lbs.)


*Chappelle and Marks are negotiating a catchweight. Original weight was 170.
^Melancon and Schindler are negotiating a catchweight. Original weight was 155.

[NWOWolfpack]

Bellator FC 20 - Results


Emerging superstar Bryan “The Beast” Baker and Russian striker Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko both scored semifinal-round victories while heavyweight Eddie Sanchez pulled off a stunning comeback win to gain entry into Bellator’s upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament during a stirring night of fights at Bellator 20 in San Antonio.

The victories by Baker (13-1) and Shlemenko (29-4) set up an intriguing final round matchup between two vastly different fighters, who both played to their strengths to defeat formidable opponents before a raucous crowd at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Thursday.

Shlemenko, making just his third appearance in the U.S., won his fight against former all-American wrestler Jared Hess in gruesome fashion.

After Hess controlled the first two rounds, Shlemenko landed a sharp flying knee to Hess’s chin early on in Round 3, knocking him to the ground awkwardly and severely dislocating Hess’ left knee. Remarkably, Hess kept fighting for more than a minute afterwards, holding Shlemenko at bay as he tried to finish the fight. But when Hess (10-2) tried to stand up, the dislocated knee buckled under his weight and the referee wisely stepped in to stop the fight.

“It never ceases to amaze and humble me the level of courage and heart that our fighters display here in the cage and Jared Hess showed that yet again,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said during the post-fight press conference. “At the same time, I have to congratulate Alexander Shlemenko, who fought hard against the 185-pound tournament favorite and was able to get the win.”

While not nearly as dramatic, Baker’s win over Las Vegas native and former competitive powerlifter Eric Schambari (12-2) was far more dominant. Baker -- who entered the tournament saying that he was gunning for reigning Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard’s belt -- backed up the talk by using a tight triangle choke to finish Schambari just 2:29 into Round 1.

“I knew he was going to come out and try to take me down,” Baker said of Schambari afterwards. “He’s a strong, strong dude, but on the ground I knew I could finish him with a submission. I’m looking all the way to Hector now. I’m looking to get my title … I’m looking to get my belt.”

Earlier, in the first televised fight of the night, Sanchez pulled off one of the most thrilling come-from-behind wins of the year to defeat Marcus Sursa by TKO at 0:23 into Round 3.

After an evenly matched first round, Sursa came out swinging to start Round 2, dropping Sanchez to the canvas with a solid right hand just a few seconds after the opening bell. For a few moments, it appeared as if Sursa would finish the fight easily, but Sanchez somehow regained his composure, took the dominant position and wore Susa down with a relentless ground-and-pound as the round ended. A rejuvenated Sanchez then came out with a vengeance in Round 3, knocking Sursa to the mat after just a few seconds before finishing him with a flurry of blows to the head.

“He caught me pretty good there and dazed the [expletive] out of me, but I’ve got a tough chin and I came back,” Sanchez told Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith immediately after the fight. “I knew if I just hung in there I could finish him off.”

Afterward, Rebney announced that, with the victory, Sanchez had earned his way into Bellator’s Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament, which begins in August.

“He put on a great fight, made a great comeback and showed some huge heart,” Rebeny said of Sanchez.

In the final televised bout of the evening, a Bantamweight Feature Fight, Wyoming native Nik “Garfield” Mamalis used a rear naked choke to finish Hawaiian standout Mark Oshiro at 1:29 into Round 2.



The event also played host to five Local Feature Fights:

Aaron Rosa def. Robert Villegas via unanimous decisión
Adam Schindler def. Brian Melancon via unanimous decisión
Andrew Chappelle def. Cedrick Marks via rear naked choke (8:18)
Jimmy Flick def. Humberto DeLeon via unanimous decision
Fernando Rodriguez def. Kenneth Battle via rear-naked choke (6:28)