Cole Konrad vs Eric Prindle (image via Bellator.com)
Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (April 11, 2012) — The final chapter of Bellator Fighting Championships’ memorable sixth season, which is presented by Harrah’s New Orleans, will take place at the New Orleans Convention Center on May 25. Bellator 70 will feature the long-awaited Bellator Heavyweight World Title fight between explosive knockout artist Eric Prindle and reigning Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad. Plus, it’s the Finals of Bellator’s best Middleweight Tournament to date as four fighters remain in this Season 6 race for the title with only one walking away with the $100,000 prize.
Tickets for Bellator 70 are now on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting New Orleans Convention Center Box Office. Tickets are priced from $30-$125. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 7 p.m. CST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CST, with the first fight scheduled for 6 p.m. CST. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 6 p.m. CST. The official weigh-ins for Bellator 70 will be held at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 24 at Masquerade inside Harrah’s Casino.
The road to Konrad-Prindle has been a bumpy one, as injuries and weight issues have delayed the highly-anticipated matchup. With both fighters healthy and ready to fight, Prindle, the longtime Army Boxing Champion, is ready to battle the two-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion in Konrad.
“I’m really excited to get back into the cage,” Konrad said. “This fight has been a long time coming. Eric is a really good standup fighter, and I have a lot of respect for him. I know what he can do standing up, so I’m not going to deviate from anything that has made me successful in the past.”
“I’m just ready to get into the cage and end this,” Prindle said. “I want to become a champion, and this is my time to do that.”
The night will also feature Louisiana native Rich “No Love” Clementi returning to the Bellator cage after nearly two years. A long time veteran of the sport, Clementi holds notable victories over Melvin Guillard, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Sam Stout, and will be looking for another dominating win at Bellator 70. The remaining fight card, which will be announced shortly, will consist of a bevy of local talent featured in the preliminary fights, streaming LIVE and FREE on Spike.com.
“The state of Louisiana has been a tremendous host, so bringing Bellator back to New Orleans to close out what has already been an incredible season was an easy decision,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We’re excited to be working with the New Orleans Convention Center and to be hosting a great night of fights for these passionate and loyal Bellator fans.”
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/Bellator
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world’s leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator’s Founder, Chairman & 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 Caesars Entertainment Corporation
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest casino entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions, and now operates casinos on four continents. The company’s resorts operate primarily under the Harrah’s®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars also owns the World Series of Poker® and the London Clubs International family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com.
About MTV2
Available in approximately 80 million homes MTV2 is man’s best friend. Since its launch in 1996, the network has reflected the subversive interests and behaviors of young men with a compelling and diverse programming line-up inspired by ordinary guys who do extraordinary things. MTV2 is part of Viacom Media Networks, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com or follow us on Twitter @MTVPress.
About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies.
EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.