Bellator announced on Friday that Alvarez-Chandler III will be the main event of Bellator’s First PPV on Saturday, May 17th. Look for Rampage Jackson-King Mo Lawal to be the co-main event if we are to read between the lines.
Bellator press release:
MMA’s greatest trilogy will occur on Saturday, May 17th as Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will defend his title against Michael Chandler in the most highly anticipated fight of 2014, live on Pay-Per-View. Location and ticket information will be made available shortly.
The main event is the third installment in this epic MMA trilogy that has featured a spectacular submission victory for Chandler at Bellator 58 and a dramatic 5-round split decision victory for Alvarez at Bellator 106 this past November. Both of their previous fights were considered for “Fight of The Year” by the MMA media and fans.
“These two warriors have produced the two best fights I have ever seen, and on May 17th, two of the greatest lightweights on the planet will close out the best trilogy in MMA,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said.
“I’m excited to be headlining the first Bellator Pay-Per-View, and just excited to get back in there,” Chandler said. “I’m going to bring the fight like always, and I’m not going to leave any doubt that I’m one of the best lightweights in the world. Whenever you suffer your first loss, you want that chance to avenge that defeat, and I have that opportunity on May 17th.”
“Like every fight, you are only as good as your last performance,” Alvarez said. “I always go out and try to put out the best performance possible, and that’s what I’m going to do May 17th. Mike and I have a long history together, and everyone knows what type of battles we’ve had, but I’m training in a manner that should end the fight quickly. I want a fast, quick fight that is going to keep me as Bellator Champion.”
Payout Perspective:
Alvarez had inferred that the third fight with Michael Chandler would be on PPV and here we are although no location was provided in the press release. It will be interesting to see how this PPV is marketed. Will it focus on the trilogy or will it focus on Rampage-King Mo? Although the Jackson-Lawal match has yet to be announced, the altercation on Friday let us know that this is going to happen. The success of Bellator’s PPV will depend on its price point and interest in the fights. The Bellator PPV weekend is sandwiched between two weekends with UFC events so this could be advantageous for the company in its first foray into PPV.
I for one will not support this joke that has become, or really always has been, Bellator. Do they think everyone is ignorant pro wrestling fans? At least make an attempt to try and make it look like a sport and competition and not just flat out scripted. First you have Rampage who tried to avoid wrestlers because he could no longer beat them in the UFC and wanted to only get strikers. Then got beat by a striker. Then wanted the UFC to “protect” him so he can go on and collect pay checks as a poser. UFC wasn’t willing to do it and so he wanted to leave. Ok, now in Bellator he got a C level journeyman in Joey Beltran. He didn’t look great in this fight. But he got the win over the level of comp he wanted. Now his last fight was verses a guy who couldn’t even gain enough weight to meet the 205 limit soaking wet. So Rampage beats and taunts a guy he out weighted by about 30 lbs. So this is the Rampage they have “built” and are trying to sell as meaningful. Then you have King Mo. Looked like crap again verses a no name fighter. So BFC got their cheesy wins for both guys and now invented a “grudge” out of thin air. Where did this come from? Now we are supposed to believe Rampage wants to fight wrestlers again? Both these guys are a joke and Bellator is the biggest joke of all trying to sell them. Did they learn nothing from Elite XC by hitching your companies credibility to over hyped fake products? Whats this fight prove? Rampage loses to yet another wrestler doesn’t do anything for Mo. Mo losing after so many poor fights doesn’t do anything for Rampage. Is Bellator a really bad MMA Promotion or a really bad Pro Wrestling Promotion? I cant tell.
BTW, I hope they are not trying to say this is bad blood from their argument in the MMA Elite van many years ago. IF so that would be funny.
Hahahaha… Ronda Rowso is the epitome of manufactured hype.
Lol Sampson you crack me up! Where in the article does it mention Ronda Rousey?
It if makes money it makes sense. The only question we need to look at is: is it profitable?
Both Mo and Rampage entered the tournament and made it through to the next round. True, M’pumbu should be fighting at 185 – but he’s not the first 185er to want to fight above his weight. Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin come to mind as undersized 205s who had some success in that division. M’pumbu is a former 205 Bellator champ and deserved to be in the tournament. I agree that Bellator doesn’t have the same level of talent of the UFC, but it’s that’s still the best competition for Rampage. Bellator isn’t trying to “build” Rampage. Rampage entered the tournament and now he’s through to the finals.
As for inventing a “grudge” – Bellator fighters aren’t the first in the history of fighting to hype a fight. The good thing about the tournament format is that guys don’t have to invent grudges to get fights like they do in the UFC. Enter the tournament and if you win you keep fighting against the winner of the other bracket regardless of whether you’re best friends or worst enemies.
Pumbu weighted in at 199 lbs. that isn’t the same as Dan, Chael, Franklin, Wandy, or anyone else who fought in both divisions. All those guys walked around at 215-220 lbs and cut to 205. This guy walked around at 199. What ever success he had before when the division was new and sucked worse still doesn’t justify them using him as filler for the tournament to make it predictable and favor their Kimbo Slices.
Even ore telling that they didn’t switch opponents. 185 guy would have had a much better chance verses Mo and Mo’s opponent would have done better verses Rampage. But I guess that was way to dangerous and unpredictable. Can’t let competitve fights get in the way of a good scripted sports entertainment match. Curtainly doesn’t resemble a sport. That’s for sure.
I’m not sure Dan walks around that heavy if he’s in fighting shape. He rarely makes the 205 limit, so that would mean that he’s cutting more weight than he has to. And you fail to mention why Chael Sonnen fought for a title at 205 before ever winning a UFC fight at that weight. At least M’Pumbu is a former champ at 205.
And it looks just fine like a sport to me. Funny that you never complain about the UFC not resembling a sport when they make ridiculous match ups. At least with the tournament everything shakes out in the end. The guys who should not have been there are weeded out early. The Bellator 205 tournament makes more sense to me than Sonnen v. Jones. Or Silva v. Bonner.
It’s also funny how you always bash the tournament format and say that promotions should “build” fighters instead, and then you bash Bellator suggesting that they are trying to “build” Rampage. So which is it?
Yea I guess you right BS if GSP and Spider fought in Bellator no one would tune in lmao you are a SFB