Bellator
MMA’s heavyweight division has a new addition.
On Wednesday, the California-based promotion announced the signing
of Russian wrestling machine Ali Isaev.
The 38-year-old features an eye-catching 9-0 record composed of
four knockouts and five decisions. Notably, the Russian competed at
the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as a freestyle wrestler. After
transitioning to mixed martial arts, Isaev had a successful run in
the
Professional Fighters League that ended with him capturing the
heavyweight championship following a stoppage over Jared
Rosholt on Dec. 31, 2019.
“I am very pleased to have a fighter the caliber of Ali Isaev join
our heavyweight division, a weight class filled with world class
fighters and elite prospects alike. Isaev’s elite wrestling
pedigree includes an appearance in the 2008 Olympics, and he has
achieved great success in MMA as evidenced by championship run at
his prior promotion,” said Bellator MMA president Scott Coker in a
press release. “I expect Isaev to make an immediate impact in the
division and foresee many compelling matchups for him.”
Additionally, Bellator revealed that they re-signed several
fighters across different weight classes. The list includes
Kana
Watanabe, Tyrell
Fortune, Gadzhi
Rabadanov, Sullivan
Cauley, Norbert
Novenyi Jr. and Brian
Moore.
“We take great pride in our ability to sign and develop the best
available talent, but equally as important is retaining them,”
added Coker. “I’m thrilled that we were able to re-sign these great
fighters and look forward to watching them compete in the Bellator
cage for years to come.”