Patricky Freire returns to Bellator for their sixth season 155-pound tournament.
While Bellator's welterweight tournament field is complete, the promotion's sixth season lightweight tournament is still awaiting one final name to round out the bracket.
Among the seven that will look to make their names in the sport's deepest weight class include a former Olympian and a "Pitbull" that wants to sharpen his bite.
Here's your early look at Bellator's 155-pound tournament with the winner getting a shot at Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler in 2012. With one spot left to go, it's likely that former champion Eddie Alvarez will be the final entrant.
- Patricky Freire (10-2): One half of the "Pitbull" brothers, Freire returned to the win column in November with a first round TKO win over Kurt Pellegrino. He advanced to the season five lightweight tourney and lost to Chandler by decision, snapping a five fight win streak.
- Thiago Michel (9-2): Michel makes his promotional debut, bringing heavy hands to Bellator with all nine of his wins coming via T/KO.
- Ricardo Tirloni (14-1): Tirloni returns to Bellator for his first tournament run on an 11-fight win streak. Adept at finishing fights, Tirloni's lone defeat came at the hands of No. 1 UFC lightweight contender Ben Henderson.
- Brent Weedman (18-7-1): A Bellator vet, Weedman is coming off decision losses to Jay Hieron and Chris Lozano. This will mark his lightweight debut.
- Rick Hawn (11-1): The Olympian in judo and 2011 welterweight tournament finalist is dropping down to lightweight after his first career loss to Hieron.
- J.J. Ambrose (17-3): Ambrose makes his Bellator debut on a seven fight win streak. The California native has 10 of 17 wins via submission.
- Lloyd Woodard (11-1): Woodard enters his second 155-pound tournament after he suffered his first career loss to Chandler last April. The man from Montana is 1-1 in Bellator.
Bellator's sixth season kicks off on Friday, March 2nd, with five different tournaments.
Bellator is coming in hot!
this will be half decent season
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - January 8, 2012
There’s nothing like a tournament to build stars. makes me think about the good old pride days
terzergoss - January 8, 2012
Rick Hawn at LW
Should be awesome. Can’t wait.
Scott Whitaker - January 8, 2012
Gotta say, really liking the field.
Still don’t like the way they integrate this with divisional championship, though! That is, Michael Chandler having “superfights” while he waits for this tourney to wrap up.
Pyrgz Krum - January 8, 2012
My only gripe.....
….If you wanna call it that, is that Aoki isn’t in this field. Rumors went nuts about a potential rematch between Aoki and Alvarez, I would’ve loved to see Aoki in this field, even if he fights Alvarez in the opening round. Pitbull, Alvarez, Aoki, Hawn fighting in single elimination for a shot at Chandler. Holy fizzle fuck, that could’ve been the shit!!
Cestus84 - January 9, 2012 via mobile
This is definitely one of the strongest Lightweight Tourneys that I have seen in Bellator. Tirloni is impressive, Michel is a top prospect, Freire is very good, Hawn at Lightweight is exciting, Weedman is always good for a scrap, and it just makes for a very good season.
chrisbboy82 - January 9, 2012
bellator keeps getting better and better
biggant - January 9, 2012 via mobile
Holy shit @ Rick Hawn as a LW
That could be some really bad news for the field. His ne-waza was sick at WW and his striking has developed at an unbelievable pace.
And Thiago Michel! I know he was in talks with Bellator for quite a while. This dude is a disgusting kickboxer.
Dallas Winston - January 9, 2012
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