Bellator 28 in New Orleans Sept. 9th
Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan vs. Alvin “Kid” Robinson Booked for Bellator 28 in New Orleans Sept. 9th
by Bellator.com
CHICAGO, Ill. (August 17, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships today announced that Bellator Season 2 featherweight semi-finalist Georgi Karakhanyan (13-2-1) will take on UFC Veteran and submission specialist Alvin Robinson (10-5) at Bellator 28 in New Orleans on Sept. 9th. Karakhanyan is coming off of a loss to current Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Champion Joe Warren at Bellator 18 last May. Prior to that defeat, Karakhanyan was on a nine fight win streak that dated back to May of 2008, including a first-round highlight reel KO of Bao Quach at Bellator 13.
California-native Alvin Robinson will make his Bellator debut at the Bellator 28 event. Robinson is a dangerous submission fighter holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Royce Gracie. Robinson brings an impressive 10-5 professional record to his Bellator debut, with nine of those wins coming via submission. In his last outing, Robinson secured a second round rear-naked choke victory over Brandon Girtz. The 28 year-old-fighter currently fights out of Denver, Colorado for the Gracie Grudge Fight Team.
“Stylistically, Georgi and Alvin match-up really well. Both have world-class submission skills so there’s great potential for an explosive, entertaining fight for the fans,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This fight is a great addition to what is already a great night of fights to the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans on Sept. 9th.
Born in Moscow, Russia, to Armenian parents, Karakhanyan was introduced to martial arts at the age of six by his father, a karate black-belt. Soon, though, he fell in love with soccer and went on to play at the amateur and professional levels in Russia, Spain and the U.S. While playing for the San Diego Sockers of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), Karakhanyan also began studying Jiu-Jitsu as part of his conditioning regimen. When the team folded, he decided to take up fighting full-time.
When asked about his loss to Warren, Karakhanyan is understandably animated.
“I don’t like to lose, period,” said Karakhanyan. “Coming off of a loss, I’m hungry; I’m training harder than I ever have before. Alvin is a great fighter, he’s a black belt, but I won’t be afraid to take him down.”
Robinson, who actually trains with Joe Warren, says that he is preparing for it all.
“I’m excited to be back in the big leagues and I’m not taking this for granted. Georgi is a very well-rounded fighter so I’m getting ready for anything. If it goes to the ground I’m going to be ready with my jiu-jitsu, or if he wants to stand and bang, I’m ready,” said Robinson.
Tickets for the event – which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights – are on sale now at ticketmaster.com
BELLATOR 28 SEP 9th
BELLATOR 28 SEPTEMBER 9TH NEW ORLEANS
Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to its roster, signing UFC veteran Alvin Robinson to face Bellator standout Georgi Karakhanyan. The two will meet in a featherweight feature bout at Bellator 28 on Sept. 9 in New Orleans.
Sources close to the bout on Wednesday confirmed the signing to MMAWeekly.com.
Karakhanyan (13-2-1) is one of Bellator’s top featherweights. He was derailed in the Season 2 by eventual featherweight tournament winner Joe Warren. That loss came after winning nine straight fights, capped by a victory over veteran fighter Bao Quach in his Bellator debut.
Robinson (10-5) was a top prospect when he entered the Octagon with a professional record of 8-1. He had a difficult time assimilating, however, garnering a record of 1-3 in the UFC. The Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt has since dropped down to featherweight where he is currently 1-1.
Bellator 28 takes place on Sept. 9 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans.
Armenians in MMA
Pride, Honor and an Undying Fighting Spirit: Armenians in MMA
Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan, born in Russia to Armenian parents, is a very talented fighter. Georgi eventually made his way to California, settling in Rancho Cucamonga and pursuing his fight career.
After working his way through several small shows, Georgi was given the opportunity to compete in the upstart Bellator promotion.
Georgi had a devastating win against Bao Quach, finishing him with a hard knee and knocking Quach into next week.
Georgi came up short against game wrestler Joe Warren who put Georgi on his back throughout the entire fight, forcing Georgi to defend rather than attack.
Georgi is a young and game opponent who proves that his tattoo is correct fighting with an “Insane” pace.
The future seems bright for this young, talented Armenian.
FIGHTERS ONLY
FIGHTERS ONLY JUNE 2010 ISSUE
BLEACHER REPORT
Is Georgi Karakhanyan the Most Dangerous Featherweight in Bellator?
By Brandon Hinchman
On April 8th, 2010, Georgi Karakhanyan shocked Bellator fans by knocking out the highly skilled Bao Quach, thus advancing to the featherweight semifinals. But will Karakhanyan be able to effectively demonstrate his fighting expertise on the road to current featherweight champ Joe Soto?
For starters, Karakhanyan is 13-1-1. His only loss was by split decision early on in his career, and the majority of his wins have come by submission.
However, after personally watching Karakhanyan fight against Bao Quach in Bellator 13, it became evident that Karakhanyan is no ordinary submission artist. He shows promise, though, is due to his ability to adapt to the moment’s demand.
Karakhanyan gained his second KO victory against Quach. What started out as a flurry of strikes in the clinch became one strong knee to the chin of Quach, knocking him out cold.
After asking Karakhanyan about that finish, he said it wasn’t planned and that he just went with the moment and what seemed right. This kind of immediate adaptation is what a lot of fighters avoid, yet it paid off for Karakhanyan.
Although Quach is known for his standup, the grappler Karakhanyan came in with his own striking capability and advanced to the semifinals. Being that this is Karakhanyan’s second KO victory, this proves that his power was no fluke against Quach.
Karakhanyan will soon be fighting Greco-Roman Wrestler Joe Warren, who was nearly submitted in his quarterfinal match against Eric Marriott. Warren was caught in a nasty triangle choke by Marriott, but Warren lasted thirty seconds until the round ended.
Will Warren slip up against the submission specialist Karakhanyan? Karakhanyan will no doubt prove to be tough competition on the ground, although with the recent demonstration of his striking capability, Karakhanyan may actually get another KO victory if Warren tries to stand and trade a bit.
If Karakhanyan does do away with Warren, he will have to face the winner of Wilson Reis or Patricio Pitbull in the finals before facing current champ Soto. Reis is 10-1 and has won his matches by way of submission and decision. Pitbull is 13-0, is a great submission artist and has yet to really be challenged in the cage.
Both Reis and Pitbull are very tough, so even if Karakhanyan did advance to the finals, by no means would it be an easy road to meet Soto. However, with Karakhanyan’s ground skills, standup power, and ability to utilize the right moment to strike, he may well be the fighter to provide the best match for Soto at the championship.