Live from the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois.

Tonight at the Aragon: cage fights. Tomorrow: Keane.

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Welterweight Tournament Semi-final Bouts
170 lbs. – Jorge Ortiz (170 lbs.) v. Lyman Good (171 lbs.)
170 lbs. – Omar De La Cruz (169 lbs.) v. Dave Menne (171 lbs.)

Non-tournament Bouts
170 lbs. – Anthony Lapsley (171 lbs.) v. Ryan Williams (170 lbs.)
170 lbs. – Jacob Volkman (171 lbs.) v. Kevin Knabjian (171 lbs.)
135 lbs. – Leslie Smith (136 lbs.) v. Kerry Vera (136 lbs.)
170 lbs. – Deray Davis (171 lbs.) v. Jesse Juarez (171.5 lbs.)
155 lbs. – Alonzo Martinez (157 lbs.) v. Victor Meza (156 lbs.)
HW – Jay White (259 lbs.) v. Eddie Sanchez (231 lbs.)
155 lbs. – Troy Gerhart (155.5 lbs.) v. Lorenzo Borgomeo (154 lbs.)

At my table. The production crew is doing a run through. Quite excited. Every seat is up against the cage.

Video packages are kicking off. We are a go.

Note: Bjorn Rebney, CEO of Bellator, was nice enough to stop by before the co-main event. The second season of Bellator is slated for late September and they are aiming to air the fights same-day. An announcement about an English language partnership is scheduled for the next 30 days.

Concerning Bellator IX, the card on May 29th in Montreal which had to be moved to Monroe, Louisiana, Rebney said the reason for the commission's concern rested on the shape of the cage. The size of the cage or any other part of it was not an issue, only the circular shape and how it was feared such a shape would change structural capabilities. In fairness to those in the tourney who had fought in Bellator's circular cage, the decision to not use a different shape and to move the card was made.

Bellator's first card at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida was close, but this was Bellator's first sellout. However, as you can see from the pictures in the extended entry, the arena is intimate.

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