Bellator Fighting Championships has hosted numerous events all over the United States, but now the promotion is taking the show beyond US borders for the first time in its history.  Bellator today announced that it will head north of the border this summer for Bellator 47.  The July 23 show will take place at the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada and airs live on MTV2.

The event will be brought to Canada by Orion Sports Management in conjunction with Casino Rama.

Joe Warren

“MMA is the hottest sport in Ontario right now and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with this world leader to bring Ontario fans their first taste of Bellator action,” said Jeff Craik, Vice President of Marketing, Casino Rama. “This is going to be one of the hottest tickets of the summer and fans can bet on seeing exactly this caliber of MMA event from Casino Rama several times a year.”

The event will feature Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren defending his crown against Season 4 featherweight tournament winner Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who earned his shot at the belt with a unanimous decision victory over Daniel Straus at Bellator 45.

“Our fans have been asking us to come to Canada since our first season,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Casino Rama is an unbelievable venue and should make for a magical night of fights at Bellator 47.”

The night will also host the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight Summer Series tournament, with the winners moving on to the finals at Bellator 48 in August. The eight-man competition, which begins with quarterfinal bouts at Bellator 46 on June 25, will feature Sengoku veterans Ronnie Mann and Marlon Sandro, Bellator Season 4 featherweight tournament participant Nazareno Malegarie and Bellator Season 2 lightweight tourney winner Pat Curran.