Newport Beach, CA. (August 13, 2013) – In a fight nearly two years in the making, Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler will put his title on the line against former Bellator Champion Eddie Alvarez live on pay-per-view November 2nd from the Long Beach Arena as the co-main event of the evening. Both competitors are unanimously ranked in the Top-10 of their division, in part due to their epic 2011 battle that earned the distinction of ‘Fight Of The Year’ by many publications (Full Fight Here: http://bit.ly/uoaoCE). The night will be headlined by MMA superstars Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz in a light heavyweight affair.
“I’ve been cageside for more live fights than almost anyone on the planet,” Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. “Without question, Chandler vs. Alvarez was the best MMA fight I’ve ever seen. I’m excited to be able to deliver this rematch to MMA fans. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve had to jump over a lot of hurdles to get this done, but from the day we announced our PPV I promised fans that this card was going to be the deepest we’ve ever done, and we are well on our way. This is just the start.”
Fresh off his 44 second destruction of David Rickels, Chandler now defends his title for the third time in 2013 with the long awaited rematch with Alvarez. Originally coming into his 2011 showdown with Alvarez as a nearly 5-1 underdog, Chandler came out of the gate on a mission, and after four grueling rounds of back and forth action, Chandler submitted Alvarez to claim his first World Title. Without a blemish on his record and riding the momentum of being considered one of the best lightweights in the world, Chandler is ready for another title defense and moving his spotless record to 13-0.
“Without sounding too disrespectful, when I fought Eddie the first time in 2011, I didn’t even know what it meant to be an MMA fighter,” Chandler said. “Two years later, I’ve grown so much as a mixed martial artist, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind on November 2nd, my hand will be raised and the belt will be around my waist. I have full confidence that I can take this fight wherever I want, whenever I want because I didn’t even show much of my wrestling in that last fight and I was able to beat him just with my standup. My ground game has always been there, and I’ve taken my striking to a whole new level since the last time we met. I feel like I have more experience under my belt, I’m wiser, stronger, and have had so much time in the gym trying to become the best fighter I can be.”
After losing his belt to Chandler in 2011, Alvarez responded with two knockout victories in 2012 over longtime rival Shinya Aoki, as well as a devastating KO victory over Patricky Pitbull. Alvarez then found himself on the sidelines as Bellator and Alvarez engaged in a contract dispute that spanned nearly a year. With both parties having agreed on a new deal, Alvarez is ready to step back in the cage and erase a loss that still haunts him.
“I still lose sleep over my loss to Chandler, and I want it off my record,” Alvarez remarked. “This was a long process, but at the end of the day I’m back with Bellator and I’m happy to get back in the cage. I really believe everything happens for a reason, and at the end of the day my family and I are happy, and I’m ready to get my belt back on November 2nd.”
More information on Bellator’s November 2nd PPV “Rampage vs. Tito” will be made available in the coming weeks.
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/BellatorMMA
