Jessica Aguilar & Megumi Fujii banner for Bellator 69 – Image via Bellator.com
Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (April 9, 2012) — The focus of the mixed martial arts world will be on the Bellator cage on Friday, May 18 as the long-awaited battle between No. 1 ranked women’s 115-pound fighter Megumi Fujii takes on No. 2 ranked Jessica Aguilar at Bellator 69 LIVE from L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The night will also feature the finals of the $100,000 Bellator Lightweight Tournament, as well as a Heavyweight Tournament qualifier as knockout specialist Ron Sparks takes on rising star Kevin Asplund, who is currently riding a 15-fight win streak.
“Jessica vs. Megumi is a fight between the two best female fighters in the world and we wanted to schedule it for quite some time,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “L’Auberge has been a tremendous host for us in the past, and with a fight of this magnitude on the card, I expect fireworks on May 18.”
Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting The L’Auberge Casino Resort Box Office. Tickets are priced from $40-$65. 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 5:00 p.m. CST, with the first fight scheduled for 5:30 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. Fans must be 21 years or older to enter the Event Center
Bellator 69 will also host the finals of the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament. Currently four men still stand in the tournament field as Brent Weedman, Rick Hawn, Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard and Thiago Michel all look to earn their title shot against reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.
Currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Lisa Ellis-Ward and Carla Esparza, Aguilar has had her sights set on Fujii for quite some time. Fight fans have been clamoring for this fight for nearly two years, which is a fact not lost on Aguilar.
“I am completely focused on becoming the best 115-pound female fighter in the world, and this fight with Fujii is going to go a long way in proving that,” Aguilar said. “I can’t fully put into words how excited I am to get into the cage with Fujii, and show everyone that I am one of the best female fighters in the sport.”
For “Mega Megu”, the Japanese-born submission ace is still looking for closure after her hotly debated split-decision loss at the hands of reigning Bellator Champion Zoila Gurgel. With three victories since the defeat, Fujii is looking to keep the momentum going with a dominating win against Aguilar at Bellator 69.
The night also features a tournament qualifier for Bellator’s $100,000 Heavyweight Tournament when fan favorite Ron Sparks and the 15-1 Kevin Asplund meet in the Bellator cage. L’Auberge fans should be familiar with Sparks, as the massive heavyweight delivered a brutal knockout to Mark Holata at Bellator 52 early last year (Watch Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwx6ZSRLiM4). Spark’s knockout power will be on full display at Bellator 69, as the Louisville native looks to punch his ticket into Bellator’s next Heavyweight Tournament.
Local favorite and Lake Charles native Josh Quayhagen will also be back in action, looking to stay perfect with Bellator when he faces the red-hot Cliff Wright, Jr., who is riding a four-fight win streak. Quayhagen shocked the MMA world with a convincing win against one of the best kickboxers in the world in Cosmo Alexander, and will continue his ascent up the lightweight ranks with another win.
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 L’Auberge Lake Charles
L’Auberge Casino Resort is located on 242 acres of land in Lake Charles, La., two hours from the Houston metropolitan area. This premier facility is ideal for the business traveler or guest looking for the ultimate in hospitality and dining experiences, plus non-stop gaming action. The property includes a 26-story hotel complex with approximately 1,000 spacious rooms and suites; an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Fazio; 26,000 gross square feet of meeting space, including a full-service business center and landscaped terrace space plus outdoor poolside lawn; two resort swimming pools, lazy river and private cabana courtyard; full-service barber shop, salon, spa and cardio fitness center; retail stores; ten innovative dining outlets; beachside bar, grill and marina; and top-name entertainment. The expansive 70,000 square foot casino features Vegas-like gaming action with 70 table games and approximately 1,600 slot machines, including a luxurious 7-table Poker Room, VIP Lounge and elegant High Limit Salon.
To learn more about L’Auberge, call reservations at (866) 580-7444; visit www.ldlcasino.com; find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laubergedulac ; or follow us on Twitter: @LAubergeLC .
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 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.