(PRESS RELEASE) -- CHICAGO, Ill. (February 2, 2012) — Bellator Fighting Championships returns to The Lone Star State on Friday, March 23rd for Bellator 62 live from Laredo, Texas at the Laredo Energy Arena. The night features the quarterfinals of Bellator’s $100,000 Season 6 Lightweight Tournament, as well a host of Texas’ top MMA talent.
“Laredo has been on our radar for three years now and I’ve always believed that it could be a spectacular location for a large-scale, nationally and internationally televised Bellator event,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “When Oscar Enriquez and his team at Ultimate MMA approached me about bringing Bellator live on MTV2 to Laredo, he had all of the right pieces in place and he made the decision an easy one. This lightweight field is so loaded with talent and world class competitors that this event should be explosive from start to finish.”
Coming off an explosive knockout victory over UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino at Bellator 59, Patricky Pitbull (@PatrickyPitbull) is back and looking to start his ascent toward a title shot with a quarterfinal matchup against fan-favorite Lloyd Woodard (@mmacupcake). Patricky has produced a number of incredible Bellator “YouTube Moments” and has his sights set on adding another highlight to his collection.
Former U.S. Olympian Judoka Rick Hawn (@RickHawnmma) is making the drop to lightweight and meets the dangerous Ricardo Tirloni (@Tirlonimma). Hawn compiled an impressive 11-1 record as a welterweight, but is confident the drop in weight will make him even more dangerous.
“I felt like I was sort of undersized in the last tournament,” Hawn said. “Everyone had a height advantage on me, and while I thought I made a good run in my last welterweight tournament, I think lightweight is going to be a better fit for me and just give me an advantage over everyone else.”
Also making the drop to lightweight is longtime Bellator veteran Brent Weedman (@brent_weedman). Always looking for a finish, “Weedman Nation” will be on full display as he battles Bellator newcomer J.J. Ambrose (@SuperJJAmbrose).
“I’ve already tested myself with a lightweight weight cut and I felt great,” Weedman said. “Over the last year, I’ve felt a little undersized as a welterweight, so I think lightweight is going to be a great spot for me. I’m excited to show off my new skills, and this tournament is stacked, so we’re going to put on a show this season.”
Rounding out an absolutely loaded tournament class, Rene Nazare (@Nazaremma) will square off with top prospect Thiago Michel. A product of Team Bombsquad, Nazare always has his eye on delivering the knockout, and nothing will change on March 23rd.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator 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, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world’s leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator’s Founder, Chairman & 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
Available in approximately 80 million homes MTV2 is man's best friend. Since its launch in 1996, the network has reflected the subversive interests and behaviors of young men with a compelling and diverse programming line-up inspired by ordinary guys who do extraordinary things. MTV2 is part of Viacom Media Networks, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com or follow us on Twitter @MTVPress.
About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies.
EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry's most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.