The Weekly Wrap: May 9 – May 15
Highlight Reel
Jack Encarnacao May 16, 2009
Bellator Highlight Reel
Fighters of the Bellator Fighting Championships have managed to spark heightened interest in the promotion, as its tournaments have unfolded. The promotion’s recent featherweight semi-finals featured another highlight reel finish, as Yahir Reyes leveled Estevan Payan with a sudden, blunt-force spinning back fist for the knockout. Payan stalked Reyes for the first round and a half, backing him up with punches, before Reyes landed the shot off a fainted leg kick. Like Toby Imada’s submission of tournament favorite Jorge Masvidal last week -- which has garnered 232,000 YouTube hits -- a video of Reyes’ knockout quickly went viral. That video had drawn around 164,000 views at mid-week. By comparison, the next highest-viewed Bellator video on YouTube stands at just 6,458 views.
Reyes, based out of Tijuana, Mexico, will face Joe Soto, a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based wrestler, in the 145-pound final. Soto notched an impressive win over former EliteXC featherweight champion Wilson Reis. The 24-year-old Reis came in undefeated in seven fights, and most viewed him as the favorite to take the bracket. Soto shut down or neutralized every takedown attempt by the jiu-jitsu fighter and stayed active on his feet. Soto was given the 30-27 nod by all three judges. Reyes vs. Soto will take place June 5 in Ontario, Calif. The tournament winner will collect a total payday of $175,000 for his three tournament wins.
Fighters of the Bellator Fighting Championships have managed to spark heightened interest in the promotion, as its tournaments have unfolded. The promotion’s recent featherweight semi-finals featured another highlight reel finish, as Yahir Reyes leveled Estevan Payan with a sudden, blunt-force spinning back fist for the knockout. Payan stalked Reyes for the first round and a half, backing him up with punches, before Reyes landed the shot off a fainted leg kick. Like Toby Imada’s submission of tournament favorite Jorge Masvidal last week -- which has garnered 232,000 YouTube hits -- a video of Reyes’ knockout quickly went viral. That video had drawn around 164,000 views at mid-week. By comparison, the next highest-viewed Bellator video on YouTube stands at just 6,458 views.
Reyes, based out of Tijuana, Mexico, will face Joe Soto, a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based wrestler, in the 145-pound final. Soto notched an impressive win over former EliteXC featherweight champion Wilson Reis. The 24-year-old Reis came in undefeated in seven fights, and most viewed him as the favorite to take the bracket. Soto shut down or neutralized every takedown attempt by the jiu-jitsu fighter and stayed active on his feet. Soto was given the 30-27 nod by all three judges. Reyes vs. Soto will take place June 5 in Ontario, Calif. The tournament winner will collect a total payday of $175,000 for his three tournament wins.
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