| 24 May 2010
It was the second largest MMA promotion to hit the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and by nearly all accounts Bellator 19 provided fight fans a great night of entertainment. In the last two years, mixed martial arts have rapidly exploded in both popularity and relevancy here in North Texas. In that time a number of enterprising local promoters have sprung up to provide MMA junkies here in the DFW outlets to witness America’s fastest growing sport.
Such is the reason why both the UFC, and now Bellator Fighting Championships, have made it a point to stake their claims to the rabid fans bases of this region. With the continued success of both amateur and professional MMA here in the DFW, expect more shows of larger and larger magnitudes to begin to make Dallas-Fort Worth a regular stop.
Questions from Bellator 19
Q: Did the local talent outshine Bellator’s stable Thursday night?
A: I admit to being a tad bit biased but how can you not get excited following the performances of North Texas staples like Joe Christopher, Johnny Bedford, Chas Skelly, Josh Smith, and Doug Frey? Collectively, these young fighters gave their hometown crowd a reason to stand and cheer as each dispatched of significant competition in exciting, and inspiring fashion. My friends, I have seen the future of North Texas mixed martial arts, and the future is bright indeed.
Q: Who was the biggest winner Thursday night?
A: Fitness Fight Factory was by far the biggest winner at Bellator 19 with three of their fighters prominently featured on the local undercard. Best of all, all three (Bedford, Skelly, Frey) won in eye-opening fashion. It can now be said that the F3 fight team may be one of the best in Texas.
Q: How good is Joe Soto?
A: the Nor-cal fighter is damn good. Against Diego Saraiva, Soto fought an experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and controlled the fight outright. Saraiva is tough, but the gash that Soto opened on his head with an elbow promptly put a halt to the bout. The Bellator featherweight champion is a pit bull in the cage and may be one of the more exciting fighters in the game right now.
Q: Is Dan Hornbuckle a legitimate star in making?
A: It’s hard not to be drawn in by the charismatic Hornbuckle. Not only can the kid fight, but her seems to legitimately enjoy putting on a good show. Following his quick and painful submission of Steve Carl, Hornbuckle could be found in the aisles of the Verizon Theater taking pictures with a never-ending stream of fans all the while cracking jokes with his wife and their friends. Hornbuckle posses a trait rare in the world of sports, he is a genuine dude. There are no carefully calculated canned quotes or manufactured seething and disdain for his opponent. No, Hornbuckle is a fighter who seems legitimately surprised that he can make a living punching people in the face.
Q: Will Bellator come back to North Texas?
A: It’s hard to see them not returning. Bellator has the distinct advantage of being heavy exposed in the gigantic Hispanic market. Their first season aired exclusively on ESPN Deportes, and while this season sees Bellator on Fox Sports Net, highlight shows still run on Telemundo and Mun2. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney made it clear in the post-fight press conference that he has every intention of making Texas a constant stop for his Bellator tournaments.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
