Curran, Sandro Advance to Featherweight Finals
Jul 24, 2011
(PRESS RELEASE) -- In front of a sold out crowd, Bellator made its
international debut from Casino Rama in Ontario as featherweights
Pat Curran and Marlon Sandro punched tickets to the Bellator Summer
Series Featherweight Finals on August 20th at Mohegan Sun LIVE on
MTV2.
Curran and Mann engaged in a tactical battle that went the distance, with the Illinois native getting the decision. A capacity crowd was buzzing when the final two fighters entered the cage, as the electricity in the building grew throughout the night in anticipation of this featherweight semi-final. Both warriors relied on strategy and technical prowess, but it was Curran who earned the unanimous decision victory.
The other spot in the featherweight finals would be decided when
Marlon Sandro took on submission specialist Nazareno Malegarie.
Throughout the three rounds, both fighters stayed on their feet,
which played into the hands of the powerful Sandro. Connecting on
numerous strikes and various combinations, the Brazilian dominated
on his way to a unanimous decision and a spot in the Bellator
Featherweight Finals.
In a lightweight feature fight, “The SoCal Kid” Chris Saunders faced Ontario native and fan favorite Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki. Taking control early on, Horodecki, who was fighting with a heavy heart after the sudden death of his good friend Jake Sawicki earlier in the week, dictated the pace throughout the fight and thrilled the hometown crowd with a unanimous decision victory.
“With the energy in a sold out Casino Rama, tonight’s show spoke volumes about the state of mixed martial arts in Canada,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “My excitement is matched only by the upcoming Featherweight Finals on August 20th at Mohegan Sun and LIVE on MTV2.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional 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, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About MTV2
MTV2 is a man's best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
Curran and Mann engaged in a tactical battle that went the distance, with the Illinois native getting the decision. A capacity crowd was buzzing when the final two fighters entered the cage, as the electricity in the building grew throughout the night in anticipation of this featherweight semi-final. Both warriors relied on strategy and technical prowess, but it was Curran who earned the unanimous decision victory.
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In a lightweight feature fight, “The SoCal Kid” Chris Saunders faced Ontario native and fan favorite Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki. Taking control early on, Horodecki, who was fighting with a heavy heart after the sudden death of his good friend Jake Sawicki earlier in the week, dictated the pace throughout the fight and thrilled the hometown crowd with a unanimous decision victory.
In a fight that saw the fans on their feet from start to finish,
Neil “Goliath” Grove went back and forth and finally finished
former TUF competitor Zak Jensen with a vicious ground and pound
attack that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. While both
fighters exchanged blows, the raw power of the “Goliath” was too
much for Jensen to handle.
“With the energy in a sold out Casino Rama, tonight’s show spoke volumes about the state of mixed martial arts in Canada,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “My excitement is matched only by the upcoming Featherweight Finals on August 20th at Mohegan Sun and LIVE on MTV2.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional 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, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About MTV2
MTV2 is a man's best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
