Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (March 2, 2012) — One of the most talked about rematches in MMA is finally taking place as former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez looks to avenge his 2008 loss against DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki on Friday, April 20 LIVE from the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Bellator.com and IXCenter.com or by calling 877-772-5425. Tickets range from $30-$125.
For Alvarez, the Philadelphia native sports an incredible 22-3 professional record with victories over Pat Curran, Joachim Hansen, Roger Huerta and Josh Neer. After winning the Bellator Lightweight Title in Season 1, Alvarez successfully defended his belt until Bellator 58 where he was defeated by Michael Chandler in what many MMA observers are calling the “Fight of The Year” (Watch Here: http://bit.ly/uoaoCE). While the outcome isn’t what Alvarez expected, the Philadelphia Fight Factory product is ready for his next challenge.
“This really is the perfect scenario for me,” Alvarez said. “I need to redeem myself, and I can’t think of a better way to do it than avenging my loss to Aoki in 2008. I’m glad I’m able to get back on the horse and fight someone of his caliber right away.”
Aoki heads to the States fresh off his impressive New Years Eve victory with DREAM, where the 28-year-old submission specialist kept his spotless 5-0 New Years Eve record intact with a unanimous decision win. That perfect record includes his 2008 victory over Alvarez, where Aoki defeated the American with a heel hook submission early in the first round. With both lightweights ranked in the consensus Top 10, this is a fight fans will have circled on their calendar.
“Ed asked me to secure this rematch for him years ago,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “I promised I would, and now it’s official. Anytime you can put two of the world’s Top 10 Lightweights in the cage together at the pinnacle of their careers, you’ve got a very special fight on your hands – and that’s exactly what we will see in Cleveland April 20th.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
About I-X Center
The I-X Center, located in the City of Cleveland, is one of world’s largest convention centers. With more than one million square feet of contiguous exhibition and conference space, including a one million-square-foot main exhibit hall, all on one level, the I-X Center offers the unique ability to accommodate multiple events simultaneously. The I-X Center’s diverse show schedule includes public events, trade shows, banquets, meetings, sporting events, and conventions. The facility attracts more two million visitors annually through a combination of consumer and trade shows. A full list of events at the I-X Center is available at www.ixcenter.com or follow check us out on facebook and twitter.
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.
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.