Fujii vs. Magana, Alvarez vs. Aguilar set for Bellator 24

[keithlewis]

Bellator’s much anticipated Women’s World Championship Tournament will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 12th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., with two opening-round fights featuring four of the planet’s top-ranked female fighters.

In the first televised fight of the evening, the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, Megumi Fujii, will look to improve upon her flawless 20-0 pro MMA record against fast-rising submission grappler Angela Magana, the world’s No. 8-ranked female fighter at 115 lbs. Magana has hopes of making history against the Japanese phenom while Fujii is looking to make an example out of the New-Mexico based fighter on her way to the semifinals.

Then, in another nationally-televised opening round fight, the world’s No. 6-ranked 125-pounder, Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez, will square off against the world’s No. 7-ranked 115-pounder Jessica Aguilar, who calls South Florida home. Both fighters are currently riding impressive winning streaks and have reputations for ending fights early.

The event — which will be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net and during weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2 — also marks the beginning of Bellator’s Season 3 Men’s Heavyweight Tournament and features a special non-title Main Event bout between reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard and former NFL standout Herbert “Whisper” Goodman.

The two fighters in the event’s Heavyweight Tournament fight will be announced in the coming days.

“I can think of no better place than the Hard Rock to kick off the action for our third season and our Women’s World Championship Tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The four female fighters on the card for this event are each among the top 10 in the world and I know that they are going to put on a great show for the great MMA fans in South Florida.”

In addition to the four nationally-televised fights, the event will also play host to five “Local Feature Fights” showcasing some of the best up-and coming talent in South Florida. More details on those fights will be announced soon.