Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (May 16, 2011) – Bellator Fighting Championships fourth season will come to a close on Saturday LIVE on MTV2 from L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort Event Center. The event will feature two Championship fights, as well as the US debut of fast-rising Brazilian Heavyweight Thiago “Big Monster” Santos. The heavy handed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt will collide with knockout artist Derrick Lewis for a spot in Bellator’s upcoming Heavyweight Tournament.
“The footage I’ve seen of Thiago looks dominant, so getting him in the Bellator cage will be a great way to close out what has already been a tremendous season while potentially giving fans a glimpse of what’s to come,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Fans in Lake Charles, and those watching on MTV2 should be in for a show with Big Monster.”
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Santos joins Bellator looking to show fans his explosive power and impressive ground game. Having studied Jiu-Jitsu since the age of nine, the former Brazilian State Jiu-Jitsu Champion is ready to send a message to Lewis, and any other heavyweight that has their eyes on the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.
“The message I want to send in this fight with Derrick Lewis is that I want to be the Bellator Heavyweight World Champion,” said Santos. “I respect everyone I fight, but I want the title. My intention is to finish Derrick by knockout or submission to let everyone know that I’m coming for the belt.”
Entering Bellator with an impressive 8-1 record, including a spotless mark of 3-0 in Vale Tudo fights, Santos is ready to make a name for himself in the Bellator cage, and with heavyweights like Neil “Goliath” Grove, Blagoi Ivanov, Ron “The Monster” Sparks and current Bellator Heavyweight World Champion Cole “The Polar Bear” Konrad standing in his way, Santos knows he has a tough road ahead of him.
“I’m extremely excited to be fighting on national television in the United States for the first time on MTV2,” said Santos. “This is a huge opportunity for my young career, and I feel like this fight is going to be the first on my way to the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or 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’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.