(PRESS RELEASE) -- It’s official; on June 12, 2009 the New York phenom Lyman Good will battle with the dominating Dominican Omar de la Cruz for Bellator’s first ever Welterweight world championship title at Bellator XI to take place at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Slated to be one for the ages, either the undefeated Lyman “Cyborg” Good or the legend killer Omar de la Cruz will be named as the first Bellator Welterweight world champion and walk away with the $100,000 purse. All the action will take place on June 12, 2009 at Mohegan Sun and will air exclusively on ESPN Deportes on June 13, 2009.
Lyman Good is returning from his dominant performance at Bellator VII in Chicago, where he defeated the Mexican veteran Jorge Ortiz. Known for adjusting his fighting style to match his opponents, Good capitalized on Ortiz’s loose style and pummeled him with punches in the second, forcing the referee to call the TKO victory because of a deep cut on Ortiz’s head. Omar de la Cruz proved victorious at Bellator VII after unraveling former UFC Champion and respected veteran Dave Menne. De La Cruz denied Menne a ground battle and utilized his striking ability to secure the TKO just three minutes into the first round. De La Cruz looked strong with his aggressive approach against Menne, but he may be facing an uphill battle with the versatile Lyman Good.
Undercard fighters for Bellator XI will include the explosive Igor Gracie taking on Vagner Rocha and the return of Matt “Weapon X” Makowski. All the action will occur live at Mohegan Sun on Friday, June 12, 2009 and will air exclusively on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Tickets are available now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticketmaster customers may log on to www.ticketmaster.com, call Ticketmaster's national toll free number 1.800.745.3000, or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. The fight card to date includes:
Welterweight World Championship Final Bout:
170 lbs. – Lyman Good (9-0) vs. Omar de la Cruz (5-1)
Non-Tournament Bouts:
170 lbs. – Igor Gracie (1-1) vs. Vagner Rocha (1-0)
170 lbs. – Matt Makowski (5-1) vs. Justin Torrey (4-0)
135 lbs. – Collin Tebo (pro debut) vs. Nick Pace (1-0)
185 lbs. – David Branch (3-0) vs. Dennis Olsen (6-2)
135 lbs. – Jimmie Rivera (2-1) vs. Nick Garcia (1-2)
170 lbs. – Dan Hornbuckle (17-2) vs. Marcelo Alfaya (10-5)
185 lbs. – Uriah Hall (1-0) vs. Edwin Aguilar (20-13)
For more information about Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.bellator.com. For the Spanish language version of the website, visit Espanol.Bellator.com. Please contact your local cable provider to learn more about viewing Bellator Fighting Championships on ESPN Deportes.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founders, Bjorn Rebney and Brad Epstein, are experienced fighting sports and entertainment professionals 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 (including Rob Beiner, winner of 12 Emmy awards for sports programming), fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting www.mohegansun.com.