Bellator FC 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta - Event Coverage

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that the promotion will make its debut in Pennsylvania when Philadelphia native and Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez (20-2) squares off against former UFC star Roger “El Matador” Huerta (24-4-1) in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.

“Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” is set to take place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21st.

For explosive Bellator champion Alvarez, momentum is on his side, as he enters the super-fight with an impressive five-fight win streak on the line where the longtime knockout artist has finished all of his most recent victims by submission. In his most recent trip to the cage, Alvarez put rugged UFC veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer to sleep with a nasty rear-naked choke during Bellator 17 in Boston on May 6th of this year.

Alvarez is admittedly excited about the opportunity to compete in front of his hometown fans in Philly for the first time in the top lightweight’s career that currently spans 22 professional fights, from Japan to Boston, against many of the toughest 155 lb fighters in the business.

“Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st… this is a dream fight for me,” said Alvarez. “I’ve never even lost a fight here in the United States, so I’m definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That’s not going to happen. Not a chance.

“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.”

In the case of Huerta, the electrifying 27 year old lightweight is eager to return to the cage after suffering a defeat in his previous outing when Pat Curran shocked the MMA world and defeated “El Matador” by unanimous decision in the semifinal lightweight tournament at Bellator 17.

Although fighting in Alvarez’ backyard of Philadelphia, Huerta expects for the advantage to ultimately lie in his favor, stating, “The cheers or jeers won’t affect me one way or the other. The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He’s going to bring the best out of me. The best. It’s going to be scary.

“This is a fight that I’ve always wanted. It’s a dream come true. It’s going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It’s going to be a potential fight of the year. I’m going in there expecting a war, and I’m going in there trying to finish Eddie.”

Intending to send a direct message to his critics and fans alike in his upcoming performance against Huerta, Alvarez would be the first to admit that he’s had the former Sports Illustrated cover athlete in his sites since the moment Huerta signed his contract with Bellator.

“I don’t care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you’re obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, I’m going to have an issue with that,” said Alvarez. “If I don’t feel threatened by that, then I’m an idiot. I feel threatened by someone like Roger trying to move into my house and I’m going to do everything I can to protect what’s mine and get him out of there. I want to keep all eyes on me. I’m going to go out there and do my job and get him out of there.”

Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney was admittedly excited to bring this incredible Superfight to Philadelphia, stating, “The Alvarez-Huerta fight should be one of the most electrifying bouts in the history of Bellator Fighting Championships, and to be able to host it in one of the greatest fights towns on earth, Philadelphia is spectacular. . I’ve said it before, I believe Eddie Alvarez is the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world today and for Roger to have the courage to face him speaks volumes about his confidence and character. The fans are really in for a treat with not only a great fight card, but also a fantastic host venue in The Liacouras Center.”

The Liacouras Center is located on the campus of Temple University, in the heart of Philadelphia, and is home to the Temple Owl’s Basketball and Volleyball, as well as Professional Indoor Soccer. The Liacouras Center was opened in 1997, and has a capacity of just over 10,000.

[ArmyofDarkness]

TALK ABOUT A GREAT FIGHT. I PERSONALLY CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS.

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships today made the welterweight title fight between Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman "Cyborg" Good and Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion Ben "Funky" Askren official for Bellator 33 taking place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Oct. 21.

"Lyman dominated Season #1 and Ben dominated Season #2. This is a great Welterweight Championship fight between two world-class undefeated Welterweights," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The fight marks Good's first title defense since racking up consecutive stoppage victories in the quarter and semifinal rounds of the Season 1 Welterweight World Championship Tournament that preceded a first round TKO of Omar De La Cruz in the finals at Bellator 11 in June of 2009.

The impressive run through the tournament established Good as the first Bellator Welterweight Champion and catapulted the undefeated star into the MMA spotlight.

Growing up in Spanish Harlem, NY and surrounded by adversity early in life, Good felt the need to establish himself as a fighter-both mentally and physically-to survive. Realizing this, his mother decided to enroll Good in martial arts at the famed Tiger Schulmann Gym as a healthy and disciplined outlet for his aggression.

Good fell in love with martial arts, eventually going pro in 2005 and becoming an instructor/sensei himself at Tiger Schulmann.

Ben "Funky" Askren overcame a different type of adversity to become the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion. The 2008 Olympian and two-time NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion silenced many critics who doubted his ability to transition from collegiate wrestling to MMA. Needless to say, the transition was seamless.

The Mizzou grad, known for his unconventional wrestling style, took out Ryan Thomas in both the quarterfinals and semis before completely dominating top welterweight Dan Hornbuckle with a non-stop barrage of takedowns and ground-and-pound in the finals to become the tournament champ, handing Hornbuckle his first loss in six fights and two years.

While Good is widely respected for his ability to push the pace and out-hustle his opponents, Askren, who wrestled in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is hardly intimidated by his opponent's strength.

"He's never really knocked anyone out. I don't know what people keep talking his power for; he might have a little bit of strength but that's going to go away after the first round," said Askren.

"I'm going into this fight with the same strategy as my previous fights, just a lot more devastating," said Askren. "I want to submit him and quickly, but if that doesn't happen, I'm prepared for five rounds. I can go all day long."

[keithlewis]

Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the official fight card for Bellator 33, which will take place at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on October 21st, marking the promotion’s first trip to the city.

“We are thrilled to be bringing this World Class event to Philadelphia and to the Worlds,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “On Oct. 21 we have a PPV-worthy super fight between Eddie Alvarez and Roger Huerta, a Welterweight World Title Fight between two of the sport’s most exciting undefeated phenoms, and a host of local fighters on display. This event will be a party for anyone who calls themselves an MMA fan.

Headlining the card will be a highly anticipated lightweight Super-Fight battle between Philadelphia native and Bellator Lightweight Champion Alvarez and former UFC star Huerta in one of the most anticipated MMA fights of the year.

In a fight worthy of main event billing, Bellator Season 2 Welterweight champ Ben “Funky” Askren takes on current Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman “Cyborg” Good for the Bellator World Welterweight Championship. Askren, a 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestler, looks to continue his prolific rise through the MMA ranks and capture his first title while Good hopes to secure hist first title defense.

Another former Olympian brings his talents to Philadelphia as Rick Hawn makes his Bellator debut against LeVon “Da Maynman” Maynard in welterweight action. A 2004 Judo Olympian, the decorated Judoka, Hawn, enters the fight with a perfect 8-0 record, including six knockout victories.

In Featherweight action, Bellator veteran and World Jiu-Jitsu Champion Wilson Reis battles dangerous WEC alum Deividas Taurosevicius. Reis, a Philadelphia transplant by way of Brazil, is looking for revenge after suffering a rare loss at Bellator 18. Reis lost by decision to countryman Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in the Season 2 semifinals and looks to get back on track against the experienced submission artist Taurosevicius. A jiu-jitsu instructor at three of Philadelphia’s most prominent MMA schools (Daddis Fight Camps, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United, and Tri-State), Reis is expected to have a large contingent of supporters on hand.

Philadelphia native and Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tim Carpenter fights IFL veteran and New York native Jamal “The Suit” Patterson in light heavyweight action. Carpenter trains at Balance Studios in Philadelphia under the renowned Migliarese brothers and owns a perfect 5-0 professional record.

Former WKA Muay Thai Champion Tuan Pham, who operates his own MMA academy in Center City Philadelphia called Fight Firm, takes on amateur wrestling standout Nick Cottone, who makes his training home at Daddis Fight Camps in downtown Philadelphia.

Two lightweights face off when Eduard Guedes out of Kurt Pellegrino’s MMA Academy in New Jersey puts his undefeated 5-0 record on the line against UFC veteran and New Jersey native Chris “The Story” Liguori.

Local action continues with another of Pellegrino’s top students, Lester Caslow, as he takes on Kenny “The Tooth Fairy” Foster, representing Team Bombsquad in Ithaca, New York. Rounding out the card will be Maryland native Lewis Cassner versus Francis Evans, a local Philadelphia promoter/fighter who is turning pro following an impressive 6-1 amateur career.

[keithlewis]

On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ debut in Philadelphia, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this afternoon. Two undercard catch-weight bouts were made, though all main-card match-ups will go on as originally scheduled.

Both men involved in the event’s lightweight “Super-Fight”, Roger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez, measured in at 155 on the dot. Welterweight champ Lyman Good and Ben Askren also matched weight at 170 pounds each.

Bellator 33 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:

Roger Huerta (155 lbs) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs)
Ben Askren (170 lbs) vs. Lyman Good (170 lbs)
Deividas Taurosevicius (145 lbs) vs. Wilson Reis (146 lbs)
Rick Hawn (171 lbs.) vs. LeVon Maynard (171 lbs)
Jamal Patterson (206 lbs) vs. Tim Carpenter (206.5 lbs)
Edward Gueddes (159 lbs) vs. Luis Azeredo (159 lbs / Catch-Weight)
Nick Cottone (130 lbs) vs. Tuan Pham (129.5 lbs / Catch-Weight)
Kenny Foster (146 lbs) vs. Lester Caslow (146 lbs)

[keithlewis]

After achieving his childhood goal of representing the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games, Rick Hawn was ready for a new challenge. Having been a fan of Mixed Martial Arts since his youth, Hawn made the decision to follow another one of his dreams and try his hand at MMA. Eight fights later, the undefeated Hawn looks to continue his journey at Bellator 33 when he squares off against hard-hitting LeVon “DaMaynman” Maynard in a welterweight Special-Feature Fight on October 21st in Philadelphia .

“I was always really interested in MMA. I followed MMA when I was really young when it was first on pay-per-view, but I wanted to see how far I could go with Judo first,” said Hawn. “Once I reached the Olympics, I figured that it was time to start devoting the majority of my time to MMA. I was just really excited to get started on my new career.”

In his last two fights, Hawn (8-0, 6 KOs) has displayed that he’s far from just a grappler by knocking out New England’s Dennis Olson and UFC and Bellator veteran Shonie Carter. A fierce competitor, Hawn is always ready for a new challenge, and will have his hands full at Bellator 33 against a battle tested Maynard (10-6).

“LeVon looks to be a real tough matchup for me,” said Hawn. “I’ve watched quite a bit of video of him, and his striking ability seems really strong. He is a big, athletic fighter, and should bring a lot of energy to the fight.”

For Maynard, the 5’11 welterweight is looking to make a name for himself in Bellator by spoiling the show for the undefeated Olympian. With an already loaded fight card, “DaMaynman” is looking forward to fighting under the bright lights of Bellator.

“I’m not only excited for my fight, but also being on such a big show, with two loaded main events,” Maynard said. “There should be a lot of eyes on this show, and I’m excited everyone will get to see me fight.

[keithlewis]

Bellator FC 33 - Official Results:



Main Card:

Eddie Alvarez def. Roger Huerta via TKO (Doctor's Stoppage) Round 2 (End of round 2)


Bellator Welterweight Championship:
Ben Askren def. Lyman Good via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45)

- Askren wins the title.


Rick Hawn def. LeVon Maynard via TKO (Strikes) Round 1 (4:53)



Preliminary Card:

Tim Carpenter def. Jamal Patterson via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)*
Kenny Foster def. Lester Caslow via Unanimous Decision (29-28 all cards)*
Luiz Azeredo def. Eduardo Guedes via Unanimous Decision (30-27 all cards)*
Wilson Reis def. Deividas Taurosevicius via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)*
Nick Cottone def. Tuan Pham via Unanimous Decision (29-28 all cards)
Fran Evans def Lewis Cassner via Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 1 (3:20)


* Bouts took place following the main event.