The Weekly Wrap: June 6 -- June 12

Jack EncarnacaoJun 13, 2009
Zhanna Popova/Sherdog.com

Soto: Bellator's first ace.
First Bellator champion

The Bellator Fighting Championships crowned its first champion on June 5 in Ontario, Calif., as Joe Soto defeated Yahir Reyes via rear-naked choke in the second round to become the promotion’s featherweight flag bearer.

Soto, a solid wrestler who defeated tournament favorite and former EliteXC standout Wilson Reis to get into the final, remains undefeated in his MMA career. He collected the requisite $100,000 purse for winning a Bellator tournament, higher than either Urijah Faber or Mike Thomas Brown earned for the biggest fight in featherweight history at WEC 41. In all, Soto collected $175,000 for his three tournament wins.

The promotion will crown its first welterweight champion on June 12 in a bout between Lyman Good and Oscar De La Cruz. A lightweight and welterweight champion will be crowned June 19, bringing to a close the first season of the ESPN Deportes-backed promotion.