Bellator 92 to feature middleweight, featherweight tourney semifinals

20100620-2226-41

Bellator has set its season eight middleweight and featherweight tournament semifinal round, locking the four matchups in as the main card of its March 7 event in Temecula, California.

The 185-pound tourney will see Sultan Aliev face Doug “Rhino” Marshall and Dan Cramer challenge Brett Cooper, while the 145ers boast the field of Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra vs. Mike Richman and Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev vs. Marlon Sandro.

Marshall, a former WEC light-heavyweight champion, kicked off his Bellator tourney run with a first-round knockout of Andreas Spang, while Aliev advanced with a decision. Both Cramer and Cooper also got past their quarterfinal-round opponents by decision victory.

The eventual tourney winner will take on newly crowned champion Alexander Shlemenko.

Meanwhile, the featherweight tourney has seen a much higher finishing rate. Both Bezerra and Richman advanced by first-round wins (by submission and TKO, respectively), while Khasbulaev also advanced by submission. Sandro was the lone fighter to go the distance, earning a majority decision.

Champ Pat Curran waits in the wings to see who emerges from that bracket.

The card takes place at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, marking the promotion’s second trip to Southern California this season.

20100620-2226-41

Bellator has set its season eight middleweight and featherweight tournament semifinal round, locking the four matchups in as the main card of its March 7 event in Temecula, California.

The 185-pound tourney will see Sultan Aliev face Doug “Rhino” Marshall and Dan Cramer challenge Brett Cooper, while the 145ers boast the field of Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra vs. Mike Richman and Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev vs. Marlon Sandro.

Marshall, a former WEC light-heavyweight champion, kicked off his Bellator tourney run with a first-round knockout of Andreas Spang, while Aliev advanced with a decision. Both Cramer and Cooper also got past their quarterfinal-round opponents by decision victory.

The eventual tourney winner will take on newly crowned champion Alexander Shlemenko.

Meanwhile, the featherweight tourney has seen a much higher finishing rate. Both Bezerra and Richman advanced by first-round wins (by submission and TKO, respectively), while Khasbulaev also advanced by submission. Sandro was the lone fighter to go the distance, earning a majority decision.

Champ Pat Curran waits in the wings to see who emerges from that bracket.

The card takes place at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, marking the promotion’s second trip to Southern California this season.