Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will make the first defence of his title against challenger Pat Curran at Bellator Fighting Championships 39 on April 2nd in Uncasville, Connecticut. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney first confirmed plans for the title fight with MMAFighting.com earlier today.
Alvarez first captured the title on June 19, 2009 when he won the inaugural Bellator lightweight tournament. He has won three times since, but has yet to defend his title. Curran earned his shot at the belt with a razor-thin victory over Toby Imada last June, but was later sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Alvarez (21-2-0) opened his career with ten straight victories before suffering a setback against a much larger Nick “The Goat” Thompson. He dropped down to the lightweight division and fought through the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix before an eye injury forced him out of the tournament final. A quick loss to reigning DREAM champ Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki kept Alvarez out of the title picture in Japan, but he rebounded with three impressive submission victories in 2009 to capture the Bellator Lightweight Championship. He has since scored big wins over DEEP ace Katsunori Kikuno and former UFC standouts Josh “The Dentist” Neer and Roger “El Matador” Huerta.
Curran (13-3-0) made a name for himself in the Illinois-based Xtreme Fighting Organization before joining the Bellator ranks last year. Debuting with an impressive knockout win over previously unbeaten Tristar Vale Tudo prospect Mike Ricci, Curran advanced to the semi-finals of the second Bellator lightweight tournament. There, he picked up his biggest win to date when he controlled Roger Huerta for the better part of three rounds to earn a Unanimous Decision. Curran then won the tournament with a close – and many felt controversial – decision win over Toby Imada. He was first set to face Alvarez for the title last October, but withdrew due to injury.
Bellator Fighting Championships 39 takes place on April 2nd at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event will air live on MTV2.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)