BELLATOR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS INVADE TEXAS

ESPN Nationally-Televised Tournament Event at Central Pavilion Arena on May 8th

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Bellator Fighting Championships continues its 12 week nationwide world championship series with its sixth event taking place at the Central Pavilion Arena at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown, Texas on May 8, 2009.

The event will feature two semi-final match-ups with the winners each advancing to the finals and becoming just one step away from capturing Bellator’s Featherweight (145 lbs.) world championship title. Each of the semi-final winners from Texas will walk away with fifty-thousand dollars ($50,000).

Returning just three weeks after his dominating quarter-finals win over Henry Martinez, former EliteXC Champion Wilson Reis will continue his fight to capture the Bellator Featherweight world championship title against undefeated All-American wrestler Joe “the Hammer” Soto, in a fight that MMA writers are predicting could be the fight of the entire tournament series. Also continuing his run at the title is Yahir Reyes, fresh from his upset victory over heavily favored opponent Nick “the Ghost” Gonzalez at Bellator I. Reyes will face Estevan “El Terrible” Payan, a converted-Welterweight, for a chance to compete in the world championship final against the winner of the Reis/Soto semi-final bout. All the action happens live at the Central Pavilion Arena in Robstown, Texas Friday, May 8, 2009 and will air exclusively on ESPN Deportes Saturday, May 9, 2009.

“This Texas event really has the makings of a magical night, where some of the world’s very best at 145 pounds come together to determine who the best really are,” said Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We’ve created a tournament that allows fighters to control their own destiny; in fact over the last three weeks our format has resulted in several major upsets where virtual unknown fighters have advanced towards the title by defeating top contenders. As we’ve shown over the last month, anything can happen and will happen Friday, May 8 in Texas. The title is there for the taking and it is up to the fighters to prove who wants it most.”

Bellator VI on Friday, May 8, 2009 will feature two semi-final tournament bouts in the Featherweight category and six undercard matches including former tournament fighters Nick Gonzalez and Luis Palomino, who will square off for a chance of redemption after their prior losses. Tickets are on sale now and are available at the Fairgrounds Box Office, www.RMBFairgrounds.com or by calling 361-387-9002. Ticket prices are $20 and $40. The fight card is detailed below:

Tournament Bouts:
145 lbs. Wilson Reis (7-0) vs. Joe Soto (4-0)
145 lbs. Yahir Reyes (13-5) vs. Estevan Payan (7-1)

Non-Tournament Bouts:
145 lbs. Nick Gonzalez (14-7) vs. Luis Palomino (9-5)
155 lbs. Hector Munoz (7-3) vs. Diego Garijo (3-1)
170 lbs. Rodney Sleepers (5-1) vs. Sergio Morais (3-0)
145 lbs. Daniel Pineda (8-2) vs. Roberto Vargas (5-0)
145 lbs. Travis Lamb (4-1) vs. Dustin Phillips (9-3)
185 lbs. Bubba McDaniels (13-5) vs. Prince McClean (9-5)
170 lbs. Hector Urbina (12-5) vs. Ira Boyd (6-8-1)

Bellator Fighting Championships’ premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights on ESPN Deportes, and the English-language broadcast becomes available each Wednesday at 7 am EST on Bellator.com. The nationally televised events feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts. There are 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.

For more information about Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.Bellator.com. For the Spanish language version of the website, visit Espanol.Bellator.com. Please contact your local cable provider to learn more about viewing Bellator Fighting Championships on ESPN Deportes.

About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founders, Bjorn Rebney and Brad Epstein, are experienced fighting sports and entertainment professionals with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production (including Rob Beiner, winner of 12 Emmy awards for sports programming), fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.