South Florida Native Pat Curran Headlines Bellator Fighting Championships at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 10
Delray Beach native looking to follow up wins over Ricci & Huerta in fight with Toby Imada
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — South Florida native and mixed martial arts rising star Pat Curran will return to fight in his home state for the first time next month since two upset victories in the lightweight tournament catapulted him into the tournament's championship round and national MMA stardom. Curran will compete in the Bellator Fighting Championships finale at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood on June 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
Curran, who grew up in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, will face off with MMA veteran and 2009 "Submission of the Year" title-holder Toby Imada during the Main Event fight when Bellator returns for the fourth time to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., on June 10th. The winner will take home Bellator's Season 2 155-lbs. Tournament title and will become the No.1 contender to reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.
The much-anticipated Curran-Imada fight is just part of the eight-fight Bellator 21 card, which will also be televised LIVE on FOX Sports Net and during special taped highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.
"We can't wait to return to South Florida and bring our Lightweight Tournament Championship fight with us," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebeney. "I am especially happy that Pat Curran will have a chance to fight in front of his hometown crowd. He has gone on a tremendous run in our Lightweight Tournament and has made a substantial name for himself in the world of MMA. His fight against Toby Imada, a crafty MMA veteran, is going to be a great fight to watch and a great Main Event at the Hard Rock."
Curran, who now lives and trains outside of Chicago, was standout wrestler for Olympic Heights Community High School, finishing fourth at the state finals during his senior year. After graduating, he studied for and received his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification in South Florida before being convinced by his older cousin, MMA legend Jeff "Big Frog" Curran, to move to Illinois to begin a career in MMA.
He took his first pro fight in February of 2008 and quickly compiled an impressive record of 9-3. He made his Bellator debut in impressive and dramatic fashion on April 15th in Chicago with a first-round KO of Georges Saint-Pierre training partner Mike Ricci. Curran then followed that up with one of the biggest upsets of the year in all of MMA, a unanimous decision win over superstar Roger Huerta in Bellator's
Lightweight Tournament semifinal round Boston. The wins have helped turn Curran into an overnight star.
Imada (25-12) is perhaps best known for the remarkable inverted triangle choke submission that he used to dispatch the heavily favored Jorge Masvidal during the semifinals of Bellator's Season 1 Lightweight Tournament. The submission has now been viewed more than 700,000 times on YouTube and won Imada "Submission of the Year" honors from nearly every MMA media outlet. But the submission has also served to overshadow the magnitude of an impressive three-year run that has seen Imada win 11 of his last 12 pro fights including a Bellator quarterfinal submission of WEC veteran James Krause and a semifinal submission of up-and-comer Carey Vanier.
Details on the other seven fights will be released in the coming weeks. For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow us on Twitter @BellatorMMA or become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/BellatorMMA.
Tickets cost $125, $75, $35 & $20.* All seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Tuesday – Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and on Sunday & Monday – only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator's founder/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 Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility has quickly emerged as the entertainment capital of South Florida. Attracting music, comedy and sports fans, this 5,500-seat indoor arena further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. For more information please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com or www.facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD! Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida's ultimate entertainment destination. Eighty-nine tables offer Blackjack, Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Play one of the more than 2,500 Vegas-style slots including the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player's Club members may enjoy an exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef's Table show kitchen. Convene in The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise for Texas Hold 'em, limit Texas Hold 'em, Seven Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock's 130 globally recognized rock 'n roll themed restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA, Four Diamond rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 18 restaurants and lounges, 40,000-square-feet of meeting room space, a European-style spa, auto salon, 25 boutique shops, 12 nightclubs, Paradise Live, and Hard Rock Live, a 5,500- seat concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com or www.facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood.
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