Newport Beach, Calif. (August 5, 2014) – Bellator MMA will return to the state of Michigan for Bellator 124 from the Compuware Arena just outside of Detroit on Friday, September 12th live on Spike TV. The event will be headlined by a Light Heavyweight Title fight as reigning Bellator Champion Emanuel Newton will defend his belt against Joey Beltran.
The night will also feature the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final between Liam McGeary and Kelly Anundson, which will be the co-main event of the evening. Tickets for the event will be on sale on Friday, August 8th and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, Bellator.com or by visiting the Compuware Arena Box Office.
After defeating Attila Vegh at Bellator 113 and being named the undisputed Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, Newton will put his title on the line against Beltran. With a tough opponent in Newton, Beltran doesn’t plan on putting his fate in the judge’s hands and is looking for the finish against Newton. Beltran is coming off of a submission victory against Vladimir Matyushenko and has recorded 13 of his 15 wins by finish with eight coming in the first round.
“I’ve been wanting to get back in the cage as soon as possible so I went to Scott Coker and he made this fight happen for me,” Newton said. “Beltran is a guy that always pushes the pace and looks for the finish, which plays into my style perfectly. I know he is coming off a nice win against Matyushenko, and has been in this game for a while, so I’m excited for the fight and another chance to defend my belt.”
“I’m jacked to get this shot against Newton,” Beltran said. “He’s a tough guy, but I’ve been in this sport for a while now and have fought some of the best. I’ve got some good momentum after my last fight, and were going to put on a show September 12th.”
Both looking to earn their first Bellator title shot, Liam McGeary will face Kelly Anundson in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final. Ranked first for the most TKO/KO in the light heavyweight division, McGeary has recorded all five of his Bellator victories by first round finish and has only spent five minutes and eight seconds in the Bellator cage. Looking to maintain his perfect 8-0 professional record, McGeary will have to hold off Anundson, who is coming off of a strong TKO victory against Philipe Lins in the semifinal round. Anundson has won his previous six fights, five coming by knockout or submission.
More fights will be announced in the coming weeks.
MAIN CARD:
Light Heavyweight World Title Fight: Emanuel Newton (23-7) vs. Joey Beltran (15-10)
Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Liam McGeary (8-0) vs. Kelly Anundson (9-2)
