Sandro, Mann, Malagarie, Curran, da Silva, Shindler, Devree & Palomino bring113-20 combined Record to Quarter-final Round
CHICAGO, Ill. (May 23, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championship’s highly anticipated Summer Series Featherweight Tournament will kick off on June 25th LIVE on MTV2 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Bellator 46 will feature four featherweight quarterfinal fights, as well as a talent-filled undercard.
The night will see Brazilian knockout artist Marlon Sandro taking on fellow Brazilian Genair da Silva in an incredibly intriguing featherweight fight. With both fighters known for their knockout ability, fans should expect fireworks.
“I am coming to the United States to become a world champion,” said Sandro. “I see Bellator as the place to really make a name for myself here in the U.S. I’m here to put on great fights, entertain the fans, and fight my way to the Bellator Featherweight World Championship.”
The night will also see UK-based submission specialist Ronnie “Kid Ninja” Mann return to the Bellator cage to face off with the dangerous Adam Schindler, who enters the fight holding an 9-1 record. Having already notched an impressive victory at Bellator 20, Schindler is preparing for a long tournament run.
“I’m just ready to get in that cage and win,” said Schindler. “This is the time where I take the step from everyone around me knowing how good I am, to everyone seeing how good I am all across the country. This is my chance to shine.”
Mann has similar ideas, and will be looking to dispatch Schindler in quick order to move onto the Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinals.
“Trying to capture the Bellator Featherweight World Championship is absolutely my main goal,” said Mann. “I don’t care how long it takes; that’s what I’m here to do.”
Former Season 2 Lightweight Tournament winner Pat Curran will be a featured participant in the upcoming featherweight tournament, as the Illinois native is making the drop down to featherweight after a hard-fought five round loss to current Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez. Curran will take on long time Bellator veteran Luis Palomino, who will enter the tournament riding a three fight win streak, and holds notable victories over TUF alum Marc Stevens, Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Jorge Masvidal; and current M-1 Featherweight Champion Jose Figueroa. Even with the impressive resume, Curran feels confident heading into the Summer Series Tournament.
“I’ve fought at featherweight for most of my career, so I’m really excited to get back to a weight class where I can really do some damage,” said Curran. “I had some great results as a lightweight, but I’m really going to make some noise in this summer featherweight tournament.”
Rounding out the tournament will be Argentine submission finisher Nazareno Malegarie, who makes his return to the tournament holding an impressive 19-1 record. Malegarie will take on fast-rising Arizona native Jacob Devree for the chance to move onto the Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinals.
The undercard for Bellator 46 will be filled with familiar names to most, with Florida native Josh Samman taking on Bellator veteran Mike “El Gringo Diablo” Bernhard in middleweight action, and heavyweight prospect Tony Johnson Jr. meeting a yet to be determined opponent. The women’s division will also be on display, as Bellator Season 3 Tournament vets Jessica “Jag” Aguilar and Carla Esparza return to action.
“Bellator 46’s stacked Featherweight Tournament continues to build on our tremendous 145 pound division.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “And, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been a fantastic host for us in the past, and I can’t wait to make the trip down to Hollywood this June.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
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