We knew that that Alavarez vs. Chandler 3 was going to happen as part of Bellator’s first pay per view and we also expected Quinton Jackson vs Muhammed ” King Mo” Lawal on the card but we got the date and time of the engagement today from Bellator. “Rampage” is back on pay per view and gets an added perk, he’s close to home.
Bellator 120 will take place on May 17th about 15 minutes south of Jackson’s hometown. Southhaven,Miss. is just a short stroll from Memphis. What a fitting spot for “Rampage” as he meets one time rival and one time potential tag team partner in Mo.
The main event will be the third match up between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler. They both have one win a piece but they will look to replicate the first fight more so than the second.
Here was the news released earlier today.
MMA’s greatest trilogy is set for Saturday, May 17th as Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will defend his title against Michael Chandler in the most highly anticipated fight of 2014, live on Pay-Per-View. The night also features the Memphis return of MMA superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who will square off against King Mo Lawal in one of MMA’s most heated rivalries. The event will take place from The Landers Center, located just outside Memphis on Saturday, May 17th. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Friday, March 14th at 10am CST on Ticketmaster.com, Bellator.com and The Landers Center Box Office.
The main event is the third installment in this epic MMA trilogy that has featured a spectacular submission victory for Chandler at Bellator 58 and a dramatic 5-round split decision victory for Alvarez at Bellator 106 this past November. Both of their previous fights were considered for “Fight of The Year” by the MMA media and fans.
A native of South Memphis, Rampage returns to The River City for the first time in fifteen years to battle King Mo in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals. Since joining Bellator in 2013, Rampage has delivered two highlight reel knockouts, and will face his toughest test in Bellator to date when he battles King Mo from The Landers Center on Saturday, May 17th live on Pay-Per-View.
“I’ve been wanting to come back to Memphis for the last decade, and I’m finally getting that chance to fight in one of the biggest fights of my career for Bellator,” Jackson said. “After being part of the Bellator family for a while now, I feel like the old Rampage, and that’s not a good thing for Mo. I’m back, I’m a monster, and I’m looking to put on another entertaining fight for all my fans on May 17th.”
“When it comes down to it, this is a fight I’ve wanted for a long time, and I’m going to be able to beat his ass in his hometown, and everyone is going to respect me,” Lawal said. “Rampage is just a stepping stone in my way to get that title shot again and get that belt. It’s all I want, and after I beat Rampage, I’m going for that belt, simple as that.”
“We now have two fights on this card that are absolute fireworks,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Like I said before, we have Alvarez and Chandler headlining a card that will end the best trilogy ever in MMA, and now we’ve added two more superstars to the mix with Rampage and King Mo. May 17th is going to be an absolutely huge night for Bellator, live on Pay-Per-View.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 140 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 175 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.
About Landers Center:
Located in Southaven, MS, Landers Center (formerly the DeSoto Civic Center) is a multi-use facility featuring a 10,000 seat Arena, 17,000 square foot Convention Hall, and 400 seat Performing Arts Theatre. Just six miles south of Memphis, TN, Landers Center has played host to a variety of concerts, acts and events – including Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Hank Williams Jr., Willie Nelson, Motley Crue, Stone Temple Pilots, CHER, Jeff Dunham, Martin Lawrence, the Rudy Gay (NBA) Charity All-Star Basketball Game, Cirque du Soleil, Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live!, Luther Vandross, Monster Trucks, Ringling Bros. Circus, Rodeo of the Mid-South, as well as President George W. Bush. In addition, Landers Center is also home to the Mississippi RiverKings of the SPHL hockey league, and the Mid-South Fair. For more information, visit landerscenter.com.
[…] ‘Rampage’ gets fight close to home as part of Bellator … – Tickets for the event will go on sale on Friday, … Bellator.com and The Landers Center Box Office. … WWE SmackDown 10/10/14 live results, updates and video highlights. October 10, 2014. […]