MMAjunkie.com
Jan 5 2010
Bellator signs ex-soccer pro Georgi Karakhanyan for season-two
featherweight tourney
by Dann Stupp on Jan 05, 2010 at 10:30 am ET
With its welterweight tournament already attracting top prospects,
Bellator Fighting Championships today announced a notable addition to
its upcoming featherweight tournament.
Former soccer pro Georgi Karakhanyan, one of the world’s top 145-pound
prospects, signed an exclusive deal with the promotion, which airs its
events live on FOX Sports Net affiliates beginning in April.
Karakhanyan owns a 12-1-1 career record, and his lone loss came via
split decision.
An Armenian who was born in Russia, Karakhanyan was introduced to
martial arts at a young age by his father, a Karate black belt.
However, he didn’t begin serious Brazilian jiu-jitsu training until he
hooked up with Millenia MMA in Riverside, Calif. Karakhanyan used the
martial art for his conditioning while competing for the San Diego
Sockers of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
When MISL folded, Karakhanyan soon begin has pro MMA career.
He now owns 10 stoppages in his 12 career wins, though he fought just
once (a unanimous-decision win over Albert Rios) in 2009. The King of
the Cage and Gladiator Challenge vet’s lone loss came to EliteXC vet
Chris David during Karakhanyan’s sixth pro fight.
"Maybe it’s because I played soccer all those year, but I like to kick
when I’m in the cage, and I’m a strong kicker," Karakhanyan stated. "I
like to keep the fight standing up, but I’ll find a way to beat my
opponent if he takes it to the ground."
The California-based Called Out MMA promotion recently announced that
Karakhanyan will fight Vince Ortiz at its Jan. 24 show in Ontario.
Bellator’s lucrative tournaments can earn each division’s winner
nearly $200,000 over three fights and three months. If he wins the
tourney, Karakhanyan earns the right to fight season-one winner and
current Bellator featherweight champion Joe Soto.
In addition to live shows on FSN, Bellator season-two and season-three
programming also airs via highlights packages on NBC and Telemundo.
or-signs-ex-soccer-pro-georgi-karakhanyan-for-seas on-two-featherweight-tourney.mma
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress