The Weekly Wrap: May 1 - May 7

Alvarez wins, Huerta falls

Eddie Alvarez bolstered his position in the lightweight ranks as well as the profile of Bellator Fighting Championships with his submission of Josh Neer on May 6. It was the first major MMA event in Boston, Mass., and the most star-studded Bellator event to date, though it drew an underwhelming crowd of 1,036.

Alvarez showed poise and careful aggression against the 40-fight veteran and former UFC force, hitting quality takedowns and strikes from the top. Alvarez, originally known as a knockout artist, continued a string of submission wins, latching on to Neer’s back while he stood and bringing him down to the canvas unconscious with a rear-naked choke.

While many expected his next challenge to be a second former UFC fighter in Roger Huerta, it was not to be. Huerta struggled to answer the power punches of underdog Pat Curran, who was able to damage and befuddle Huerta down the stretch in Bellator’s lightweight tournament, which will determine the first title challenger for Alvarez (the Neer fight was non-title). Curran was awarded a 29-28 unanimous decision, while Huerta struggled to explain what went wrong in a post-fight press conference and said he was interested in trying K-1 before returning to Bellator in the fall.

Curran will meet submission artist Toby Imada in the tournament finals. Imada used a brilliant chain of positional changes on powerful wrestler Carey Vanier to synch in an armbar that only tightened as Vanier tried to roll away from the pressure. While an exact date had not been determined, Curran vs. Imada will take place in June, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said.

The card also saw the Bellator debut of two-time NCAA national champion Cole Konrad, who used wrestling to smother Pat Bennett in the first round and flexed some punch combinations in the second and third. The bout drew some boos as both big men began to tire. Konrad will participate in Bellator’s season three heavyweight tournament this fall. Season three, it was announced, will also feature a 115-pound women’s tournament, featuring world class undefeated fighter Megumi Fujii. Fujii will make her Bellator debut on June 10 in a single bout in the interim.