Bellator Fighting Championships signs Jorge Masvidal

[keithlewis]

Jorge Masvidal Signs With Bellator Fighting Championships


Los Angeles, Calif. — Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, officially announced today the exclusive signing of Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal, one of Florida’s top fighters.

As the latest addition to the lightweight (155 lb.) division of Bellator’s tournament, premiering on ESPN Deportes April 4, 2009, Masvidal is poised for a breakout performance on the national MMA scene.

A Cuban-American and native of Miami, Florida, Masvidal has become known for routinely beating fighters that are larger and more well-known than he is. Wins over the likes of former IFL champion Ryan Schultz and UFC standout Joe Lauzon earned him the moniker of Florida’s top Lightweight, a title that he solidified with an eight-bout win streak in the following months.

With an impressive record of 16-3, Masvidal continues to hone his skills at the illustrious American Top Team (ATT) in Miami, training daily with a collection of the world’s top fighters.

“Jorge’s world-class skills and ability to beat the best in his division on any given night may be a surprise to some MMA fans, but not to those of us who have seen him fight,” said Bjorn Rebney, CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships. “Jorge is a great example of today’s true world-class mixed martial arts fighter, possessing a complete set of skills across multiple disciplines; Jorge can beat you standing or on the ground and brings excitement to every fight he’s in. He will be a major challenge to anyone in our 155 pound tournament.”

Bellator Fighting Championships’ premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season #1 over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions.

Bellator’s interactive Web site, http://www.bellator.com, featuring event and fighter information, behind the scenes video footage, fight clips and live interaction with Bellator fighters will go live in late January 2009.