Bellator tourney finals Friday at Hard Rock
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BY JIM VARSALLONE
jvarsallone@MiamiHerald.com
Upstart promotion Bellator Fighting Championships concludes its 12-week nationwide world championship series of mixed martial arts with its tournament finals on Friday, June 19 at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood.
The event will determine Bellator champions in the lightweight (155 lbs.) and middleweight (185 lbs.) divisions.
Eddie Alvarez (17-2), one of MMA's young lightweight stars, battles Toby Imada (22-12) in the Bellator lightweight finals at 155 pounds. A former street fighter from Philadelphia, Alvarez is the third-ranked lightweight in the world.
Imada has been a professional mixed martial artist for more than 10 years, spanning more than 30 fights. He was born in Glendale, Calif. but grew up in Hawaii and Mexico before returning to Los Angeles.
Hector 'Shango' Lombard (20-2-1) faces Jared Hess (8-0-1) for the Bellator middleweight title at 185 pounds. Lombard, a world-class mixed martial artist, is a former Cuban Olympic judo team member and a multi-time Cuban national judo champ.
"Hector is one of those fighters that leaves fans breathless every time he fights,'' Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "He is a very skilled fighter and has proving that thus far in the tournament.''
Hess, an All-American wrestler at Central Oklahoma University, is undefeated with five submissions.
Bellator will award each winner $100,000. Action airs taped delay on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, June 20.
Non-Tournament Bouts: 120 pounds: Jessica Aguilar (5-2) vs. Rosie Sexton (9-1). 145: Sami Aziz (4-0-1) vs. Brad Pickett (16-4). 155: Jorge Masvidal (17-4) vs. Eric Reynolds (10-2). 155: Troy Gerhart (5-0) vs. Luis Palomino(10-5). 170: Josh Martin (6-2-1) vs. Sergio Morais (3-0). 185: Moyses Gabin (4-2) vs. Virgil Lozano (6-2-1). Bellator debuted April 3 at Hard Rock Live.
Tickets $150, $100, $50 and $25. Seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 1-800-745-3000. Visit bellator.com.
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