DaytonDailyNews.com

Bellator Fighting Championships, the first mixed-martial-arts organization backed by ESPN, is heading to Dayton for a May 1 show, according to Hara Arena officials.

Bellator, which launched this past weekend in Florida, became an instant player in the MMA world when it announced a broadcast deal with ESPN Deportes earlier this year.

Events take place on Friday nights and then air via one-day tape delay on ESPN's Spanish-language station. (English-language broadcasts are available on the Wednesday following each event at www.bellator.com.)

Bellator's season runs for 12 consecutive weeks and features season-long eight-man tournaments in four different weight classes. Nontournament bouts bolster each fight card.

The organization plans to visit 12 different cities this season. And although company officials could not immediately be reached for confirmation of the Dayton/Hara Arena event, they previously had mentioned Ohio (which regulates more MMA events than any other U.S. state) as a possible destination in 2009.

Following its April 3 debut in Hollywood, Fla., Bellator heads to Uncasville, Conn. on April 10; Norman, Okla., on April 17; and Colorado Springs, Colo., on April 24.

Bellator has signed many notables, including Eddie Alvarez, Jorge Masvidal, Hector Lombard and Wilson Reis. The lineup hasn't been announced for the Dayton show.

Tickets for the event are expected to go on sale in the next week. Prices start at $20 and go up to $100 (ringside).

Tennessee sets

Further proving the region's rabid obsession with MMA, the UFC's first event in the state of Tennessee drew a sold-out crowd of 10,267 fans.

The April 1 event took place at the 20,000-seat Sommet Center in Nashville, though a modified seating configuration was used for the Spike TV-televised event.

"We never used to be able to go to (UFC) events unless we flew to Las Vegas," said Jenny Oleson, a Wilmington resident who attended the event with her boyfriend. "But now that the UFC is coming here, we can drive.

"We went to all three UFC shows in Columbus and the one in Cincinnati."

The UFC's "Fight Night" events usually take place in smaller venues (with no more than 2,000 seats) and air on Spike TV rather than pay per view. However, recent Fight Night events in Nebraska, Colorado and Florida have all drawn more than 7,500 fans.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For the latest MMA news and rumors, go to www.mmajunkie.com.