Bellator FC 31 - Information, Weigh-Ins & Event Coverage

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that undefeated knockout artist Chris “The Assassin” Lozano will take on UFC veteran and heavy handed Judo black belt Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida in a Bellator Welterweight Tournament Qualifying fight taking place at Bellator 31 from the L’Auberge du Lac Resort in Lake Charles, LA on September 30th.

“Chris and Yoshiyuki both have knockout power in both hands, which makes this a very exciting qualifier at 170 lbs,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “They’re fighting for one of the spots in our $100,000 welterweight tournament, so fans can expect both of them to put it all on the line.”

Entering the fight with a perfect 5-0 record, Lozano has ended every fight by TKO or KO. “The Assassin” is fresh off of a TKO victory of UFC veteran Jason Dent. The Cleveland native takes pride in his accomplishments, but also knows how quickly things can change.

“Any fighter who steps into the cage doesn’t want to lose,” said Lozano. “With that said, all it takes is one tiny mistake, one split second mental error, and you’ve lost. I want to maintain my undefeated record, but if I don’t, I will return hungrier and more passionate than before.”

However, Lozano is not focused on the prospect of losing, rather of going straight to the top.

“Being a Bellator Champion means you are one of the best in the world at what you do,” said Lozano. “It means you are elite. It is a dream to be champion for an organization like Bellator.”

For Yoshida, the chance to take on a fighter like Lozano is something the Japanese born fighter relishes.

“Lozano seems like a real good striker,” said Yoshida. “I have trained very hard for this fight, and I not only expect to win, but also provide a great fight for my fans.”

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the Local Feature Fights for Bellator 31 taking place at the L’Auberge du Lac Resort in Lake Charles, Lousiana on September 30th. Headlining the local main event is hard-hitting Baton Rouge native Shawn Jordan (9-1) facing off against well rounded Oklahoma native Mark Holata (4-2) in heavyweight action.

In the local co-main event of the evening, two Southern-based lightweights square off when Lake Charles’ own Kyle Miers (1-0) meets Mississippi’s John Harris (2-3) in a fight that should have fans on their feet.

Two undefeated fighters meet when fast-rising Mike Chandler (3-0) faces off with Scott Stapp (2-0) in a 165-pound catch-weight clash sure to be an exciting fight.

Rounding out the card will be two Louisiana natives fighting for home state pride as Tim Ruberg (2-0) takes on Aaron Davis (1-2) in middleweight action.

“Our local fight card gives fans a chance to see some of the best talent Louisiana has to offer,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We’re excited to bring Bellator’s unique tournament format to a place that appreciates world-class MMA.

In addition to the local-feature fights, the Bellator 31 card includes:

* – The Bellator Women’s Tournament moves into the semifinals when the world’s top pound-for-pound female fighter Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii (21-0) squares off against veteran submission specialist Lisa Ward (14-5-1) in a highly anticipated rematch for one of the two spots in the World Championship fight.

* – The Women’s Tournament continues with explosive knockout artist Zoila “Warrior Princess” Frausto (8-1) taking on dangerous submission finisher Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (9-3) for the second spot in the women’s final.

* – A Bellator Welterweight Qualifying match rounds out the main card as highly regarded undefeated prospect Chris “The Assassin” Lozano (5-0) meets dangerous UFC veteran Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (11-5). Lozano looks to keep his impressive knockout streak intact, as the Cleveland native has recorded every victory via KO or TKO.

[keithlewis]

On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated return to Louisiana, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this afternoon.

Bellator 31 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 event will be headlined by the Women’s Tournament Semi-Final grouping of Zoila Frausto, Jessica Aguilar, Lisa Ward, and the top pound-for-pound female in the sport, Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii. Also in action at the card, Chris Lozano takes on UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

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

Scott Stapp (165.8 lbs) vs. Mike Chandler (164.4 lbs)
Dave Herman (241.6 lbs) vs. Michal Kita (226.2 lbs)
Tim Ruberg (185.8lbs) vs. Aaron Davis (186.2 lbs)
John Harris (155.2lbs) vs. Kyle Miers (155.4 lbs)
Mark Holata (261.8lbs) vs. Shawn Jordan (262 lbs)
Chris Lozano (170.4 lbs) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170.6 lbs)
Zoila Frausto (116.2 lbs) vs. Jessica Aguilar (115.4 lbs)
Megumi Fujii (114.8 lbs) vs. Lisa Ward (115.2 lbs)

[keithlewis]

Bellator FC 31 Results:


Main Card:

Chris Lozano def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO (Corner Stoppage) Round 2 (5:00)
Zoila Frausto def. Jessica Aguilar via Split Decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27)
Megumi Fujii def. Lisa Ward via Submission (Armbar) Round 1 (1:39)


Preliminary Card:

Mark Holata def. Shawn Jordan via TKO (Strikes) Round 1 (1:13)
Tim Ruberg def. Aaron Davis via Submission (RNC) Round 2 (1:44)
Dave Herman def. Michael Kita via Submission (Omoplata) Round 1 (3:16)
Mike Chandler def. Scott Stapp via TKO (Strikes) Round 1 (1:57)

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships made its first trip to Lake Charles, LA tonight with Bellator 31. A sellout crowd at the L'Auberge du Lac Resort enjoyed an exciting night of fights highlighted by two Season 3 Women's semifinal matchups with the #1 ranked pound-for-pound female fighter in the world Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii taking on dangerous veteran Lisa Ward and explosive striker Zoila "The Warrior Princess" Frausto facing submission specialist Jessica "Jag" Aguilar.

Also on the card was a Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Qualifying fight between undefeated knockout artist Chris "The Assassin" Lozano and dangerous UFC veteran Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida.

It was Frausto and Aguilar who kicked off the Women's semifinal action, with "The Warrior Princess" establishing herself as the more aggressive fighter at the sound of the opening bell. As the fight progressed, Frausto made use of her devastating leg kicks to gain the advantage, before Aguilar begain to gain momentum on the feet in the third and final round.

After three back-and-forth rounds of action, it was Frausto who picked up the hard-fought split decision victory and a spot in the Women's Final match set to take place in Florida on October 28.

"Jessica was incredibly tough tonight, but I thought I did really well," said Frausto. "I'm just really excited to fight in the Finals."

In the night's second Women's semifinal of the evening, it was Fujii pushing the action early against Ward, cautiously looking for an opening. As Ward recovered from an early first round takedown, Fujii attacked and locked Ward up in a fight ending armbar submission that forced the tap. The impressive victory kept Fujii's perfect record intact, which gave her a new MMA record, and more importantly punched her ticket to the Bellator Women's Final.

"Now I get to go back to Japan and rest up," said an excited Fujii. "For the championship fight against Zoila, I'm really going to focus on my striking ability, and come back to the States strong and try and win the Bellator Championship."

In Welterweight action Chris "The Assassin" Lozano faced former UFC fighter and dangerous Judo black belt Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida. Lozano took control early in the fight, delivering a spinning elbow to the ribs of Yoshida that sent him to the canvas. "The Assassin" picked up where he left off in the second round, where a hard right hand caused Yoshida's eye to swell almost completely shut, and forced the stoppage at the conclusion of the round.

"We saw some great fights tonight, including a razor thin decision that went Zoila's way," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "This facility was great, and we really enjoyed ourselves here at L'Auberge du Lac Resort, and would love to come back."