By FCF Staff Photo Courtesy Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto will look to defend his title tonight in San Antonio, Texas, as he will face accomplished wrestler and season 2 tourney winner Joe Warren. Both men made weight yesterday to make tonight’s title fight official, with Soto coming in at 144.8lbs. and Warren weighing in at 143.6. (Pictured left: Warren (l) and Soto square off)
Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto will look to defend his title tonight in San Antonio, Texas, as he will face accomplished wrestler and season 2 tourney winner Joe Warren. Both men made weight yesterday to make tonight’s title fight official, with Soto coming in at 144.8lbs. and Warren weighing in at 143.6. (Pictured left: Warren (l) and Soto square off)
Soto has gone undefeated since turning pro in 2006, and hasn’t fought since May, when he stopped Diego Saraiva in the first round to extend his record to 9-0. Here is some of what Soto reportedly had to about tonight’s fight (quotes via a Bellator FC press release).
“I think I’m a lot better rounded that he is. This isn’t a wrestling, this is MMA. We don’t know whose wrestling is going to be better until we get in there. I’m more well rounded – I’m going to kick his ass.”
“All he does better than me is talk s***. Talking is the only thing he does better. He keeps a good pace , but I don’t see anything in the cage he does better than me. He’s got weak punches when he’s on top, nothing I’m scared of.”
Warren (5-1) has made an immediate impact in MMA as many observers expected, and aside from a submission loss to Dream champion Bibiano Fernandes, he’s beaten everyone that’s been put in front of him. Speaking about tonight’s fight at yesterday’s weigh-ins, the former Greco-Roman wrestling champion also sounded confident about his chances.
“I want to do this to get some credibility. Once I win the championships people will know that I am an all around fighting professional.”
“No one can handle my pace. I can’t even handle it. I’m going to push even harder than I ever have before. I don’t plan on leaving without that belt.”
“I’ve just got to stay focused on the core fundamentals of MMA, push hard and stay mentally tough. In my fight with Pitbull, things weren’t going my way after that first round. During every fight there is a time when you decide if you want to win or lose the fight, and after that first round, I decided I wanted it more. It was a battle, but I stayed mentally tough, and ended up winning the fight.”
Here are the official weigh-in results for Bellator 27. The card will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net.
MAIN CARD:
Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto (144.8 lbs.) vs. Joe Warren (143.6 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.
Bryan Goldsby (135.8 lbs.) vs. Ed West (135 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.
Nick Mamalis (135.8 lbs.) vs. Zach Makovsky (134.4 lbs.) @135 lbs.
Travis Reddinger (135 lbs.) vs. Uylsses Gomez (135.2 lbs.) @135 lbs.
UNDERCARD:
Andrew Craig (184 lbs.) vs. Rodrigo Pinheiro (185) @185 lbs.
Aaron Barringer(154.4 lbs.) vs. Gilbert Jimenez( 154.2 ) @ 155 lbs.
Dale Mitchell(264.2 lbs. ) vs. Richard Odoms(260.4 lbs.) @ 265 lbs.
Steven Peterson (145.5 lbs.) vs. Ernest De La Cruz (144.4 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.
Joe Christopher (170.6 lbs.) vs. Andrew Chappelle (169.6 lbs.) @ 170 lbs
John Kirk (205 lbs.) vs. Shane Faulkner (204.6 lbs.) @ 205 lbs.
