Bellator 132 official program for tonight’s fights at Pechanga
If bouts were decided by who has the most loyal and enthusiastic fan base, then Virgil Zwicker would win every time. Here’s a group of “Zwicker backers” who attended his weigh-in on Thursday. Among them is Duke Zwicker who plays TE/Nose Guard on the local Pop Warner football team which his dad helps to coach. Photo: J. Wyatt
As the ring announcers so often say, “Are you ready?” On Thursday, the Bellator MMA advance team to include Bellator President Scott Coker were at the Cabaret Theater inside the Pechanga Resort & Casino hosting the weigh-ins and pre-fight press conference for the 20 Mixed Martial Artists taking part in Friday’s event.
And, as is the case, the fight card has more than it’s share of great talent plus some of the best local fighters on a fight card with Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Daniel Straus in the Main Event battling it out for Bellator’s Featherweight Title.
If you’re planning to attend, remember the first fight is set to begin at 4 p.m. PT (our time) and then it will be streamed LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the show will air LIVE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.
On the Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET start) you have:
Fight #1: (top, right) Middleweight Luc Bondole (4-0-1) will be going up against (left) Chris “The Crusher” Herrera (2-1).
Bondole, who is from Portland, Maine and trains at Kings MMA, stands 6’2” tall. His 4 wins – 1 by submission and 3 by decision.
Herrera, from Temecula, CA and training with Team Quest Dethrone Base Camp, is a 30 year-old making his Bellator debut. He stands 5’10” tall and weighed in at 185 pounds. The proud papa of one boy had five pro-bouts before being signed to fight with Bellator.
Fight #2: bantamweights, (top, left to right): Albert “The Warrior” Morales (0-0) in his Bellator debut will be going up against Fabian Gonzalez (2-0).
Gonzalez, who is from Buena Park and trains at the Buena Park All In MMA gym is 31 years-old, stands 5’8” tall and weighs 135 pounds. His 2 wins – 1 by submission and 1 by decision.
The 23 year-old Morales, who is from Reseda, CA, is making his debut. He trains at Systems Training/Caique Jiu-Jitsu in Hawthorne, CA. He stands 5’9” tall and weighs 135 pounds.
Fight #3: (photo, top, right) Lightweights: (right) Derek Anderson (11-1, 1 NC) will be going up against the always tough Danny Navarro (12-4). (photo, bottom, left) shows Anderson struggling to make the agreed upon catch weight.
Anderson, who is from nearby Escondido, CA and trains with Team Xplode of Escondido, is a former XAFS and XFS Champion who came up from the ranks. He is now 24 years-old and likely over 6’ tall. His 11 wins – 4 by KO, 6 by submission and 1 by decision. His one loss was by submission. He is one of two fighters who had trouble making weight.
Navarro, who is 31 years-old, is from Riverside, CA and trains at Millennia MMA. He stands at 5’10” tall. His 12 wins – 2 by KO, 5 by submission and 5 by decision. His four losses – 1 by KO, 1 by submission and 2 by decision.
Fight #4: Lightweights: (left) Steve Kozola (4-0) versus (right) Jonathan Rivera (4-0).
Rivera is from San Diego and trains at the Compound in Oceanside, CA. He weighed in at 155 pounds. His 4 wins – 3 KOs, 1 submission.
Kozola, who is from Team Quest Temecula, is 25 years-old. His 4 wins – 3 by KO and 1 by submission.
Fight #5 will feature the big guys at the catchweight of 239 lbs.: (right) Everett Cummings (8-0) versus (left) Jason Glaza (2-1).
Cummings who is from Corona, CA and trains with the Agua Caliente Tribe weighed in at 232 pounds. His 8 wins – 2 by KO, 1 by submission and 1 by decision. His four losses – 1 by KO, 5 by submission and 1 by decision.
Glaza, who is 38 years-old, is 6’1” tall and weighed in at 237 pounds. His 2 wins – 1 KO and 1 submission.
Fight #6: Middleweights, will feature (right) Dustin Jacoby (10-4) going up against (left) John Salter (10-3). All photos: Jim Wyatt
Jacoby who is from Arenzville, Illinois and trains with Finney’s Hit Squad. He’s 26 years-old, stands 6’4” tall and weighs 185 pounds. His 10 wins – 8 KOs, 1 submission and 1 decision. His four losses – 1 by KO, 1 by submission and 2 by decision.
Salter, who is 29 years-old, is from Nashville, Tennessee and trains with Dethrone Base Camp, stands 6’1” tall and weighs 185 pounds. His 10 wins – 6 KOs and 4 submissions. His three losses – 1 by KO and 2 by submission.
Bellator’s Main Card for Television
(photos, top) In Bout #7 it will be Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (right) going up against Fernando Gonzalez (left) who had some trouble making weight.
Fight #7: In the Welterweight Feature you have 34 year-old, 5’9”, 170 lbs. Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (20-8 and 1 NC) of Siauliai, Lithuania who trains at the American Kick Boxing Academy. He’s won 13 fights by KO, 1 by submission, 5 by decision and 1 described as other. His 8 losses were 5 by knockout, 2 by decision and 1 described as other.
His opponent is 31 year-old 5’9”, 171 lbs. Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (22-13) from Menifee, CA and training with Next Generation. He’s won 9 fights by KO, 6 by submission, and 7 by decision. His 13 losses were 2 by knockout, 5 by submission and 6 by decision.
At Thursday’s weigh-ins, Gonzalez was one of two fighters who had some trouble making the catch weight.
In the Light Heavyweight fight it will be the hometown favorite Virgil Zwicker (r) of Temecula going up against Houston Alexander (l) of Omaha, Nebraska.
Fight #8: In the Light Heavyweight Feature you have hometown favorite 32 year-old, 6’2”, 204 lbs. Virgil Zwicker (12-4-1) of Temecula, CA who fights for Team Quest, Temecula. He’s won 9 fights by KO, 2 by submission, and 1 by decision. His 4 losses were 1 by knockout, 1 by submission and 2 by decision.
His opponent is 42 year-old, 6’ tall, 203 lbs. Houston “The Asssassin” Alexander (16-10) of Omaha, Nebraska who fights out of the Grudge Training Center/Hit Squad. He’s won 11 fights by KO, 3 by submission, and 2 by decision. His 10 losses were 5 by knockout, 2 by submission and 3 by decision.
Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (l) from Riverside, CA will be facing Bubba Jenkins (r) of Corona, CA in Fight #9. All photos: Jim Wyatt
Fight #9: In the Featherweight Feature (145 lbs.) you have 29 year-old, 5’8” Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (23-4-1) from nearby Riverside, CA who fights for Millennia MMA. He’s won 4 fights by KO, 13 by submission, and 6 by decision. In his four losses, 2 were to knockout, and 2 by decision.
His opponent is 26 year-old, 5’7” Bubba Jenkins (8-1) of Corona, CA who fights out of the Empire Training Center. He’s won 3 fights by KO, 3 by submission, and 2 by decision. His one loss was by knockout.
He’s ready! After his weigh-in, the defending Featherweight Champion Patricio “Pitbull Freire poses for photos.
After his weigh-in, the challenger, Daniel Straus, is interviewed for the live streaming of the weigh-ins. All photos: Jim Wyatt
Fireworks at the weigh-in: After their official weigh-in, Patricio “Pit Bull” Freire looked every bit of an angry pit bull when asked to face his opponent for the cameras. At first, Daniel Straus, the more reserved of the two, took Freire’s snarling in stride, but then things escalated from there after Freire continued his taunting.
Fight #10: In the Featherweight Title Fight (145 lbs.) you have the Champion 27 year-old, 5’5” Patricio Pitbull Freire (22-2) from Natal, Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil who has won 8 fights by KO, 8 by submission, and 6 by decision. His two losses were by decision (split decision). The first was to Joe Warren on June 4, 2010 and the other to Pat Curran on January 17, 2013 for which Freire got his revenge on September 5, 2014 at Bellator 123.
He’s now set to face 30 year-old, 5’8” Daniel Straus (23-5), a former title holder, who is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and now trains with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Straus has won 4 fights by KO, 5 by submission, and 13 by decision. In his five losses, 2 were by knockout, 2 by submission and 1 by decision.
If you are going, enjoy the show.
