The official weigh-in event for tonight Bellator 76 fight card at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, presented no surprises: all the 20 fighters made weight.
The main event will be a highly anticipated lightweight bout between former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (155.4 pounds) and top Brazilian brawler Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire (154.8 pounds).
After holding the Bellator Lightweight Title for over two years, Alvarez was submitted by reigning Bellator Champion Michael Chandler in a super match (= Michael Chandler vs Eddie Alvarez). Alvarez quickly rebounded, as the Top 10 lightweight collected one of the most great wins of his career after earning a long awaited win at Bellator 66 over submission ace Shinya Aoki (look how easily he submitted Arnaud Lepont last week). Moreover, tonight fight will be Alvarez’s last under his current contract with Bellator so he’s hoping to make a good impression on his available suitors outside the promotion with one last great match.
Alvarez thinks this will be an impressive fight: “After hearing Bellator wanted to put this fight together, I really don’t think they could have made a better matchup for the fans to enjoy. Pitbull has proven to be a legitimate threat in the past and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire , the explosive Brazilian lightweight and former Bellator Lightweight Tournament Finalist, has several knockout wins over MMA veterans Rob McCullough, Toby Imada and Kurt Pellegrino. After suffering a small fracture to his left arm because of Lloyd Woodard’s kimura at Bellator 62 (four-stars-fight), Pitbull is ready to re-enter the Bellator cage after 7 months and collect the biggest victory of his already impressive career.
Also on tap for the main card will be the Bellator season seven featherweight tournament quarterfinals to gain $100,000 and a title shot against reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Pat Curran.
It’s a a worldwide collection of talents, with former tournament fighter Nazareno Malagarie battles ESPN-featured Rad Martinez while Brazilian veteran Wagnney Fabiano returns from injury to take on Russian Atop Stepanyan. The american Mike Richman is also expected to compete as well as Russian Muay Thai, Sambo and kickboxing champion Shahbulat Shamhalaev.
Bellator 76 fight card:
MAIN CARD
(155.4) Eddie Alvarez vs Patricky Freire (154.8)
(146) Rad Martinez vs Nazareno Malegarie (145.8)
(146) Akop Stepanyan vs Wagnney Fabiano (145.8)
(145.6) Mike Richman vs Jeremy Spoon (146)
(145.6) Shahbulat Shamhalaev vs Cody Bollinger (146)
PRELIMINARY CARD
(155.6) Jason Fischer vs Kyle Prepolec (155.6)
(155.4) Chad Laprise vs Ainsley Robinson (156)
(185.6) Simon Marini vs Ali Mokdad (184.8)
(170.4) A.J. Matthews vs Dom O’Grady (170.8)
(146) Magomedrasul Khasbulaev vs Nayeb Hezam (145.8)
Event: Bellator 76
Date: 2012-10-12
Where: Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Video: Eddie Alvarez documentary “No Plan B” official trailer
