Bellator
Bellator adds former Olympic hopeful Shawn Bunch to bantamweight division
Jun 18, 2012 - 11:30:36 AM Bellator adds former Olympic hopeful Shawn Bunch to bantamweight division

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator Fighting Championships already has two premiere amateur wrestlers sitting atop two of their divisions in Ben Askren and Cole Konrad, and now they're adding another former amateur powerhouse.

Bantamweight Shawn Bunch, a former Olympic hopeful, has signed with the organization, and will make his MMA debut in Bellator this fall. Though he has no amateur or professional fights to date, he has trained with several major names in MMA for some time, and has received high praise from fighters like Askren, as well as Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, the former NCAA D-1 standout who signed with Bellator earlier this year.

"Shawn is one of the best athletes I've been around, and he isn't to be played with!" Lawal said in a release announcing the signing. “Shawn has been at the top of everything he has competed in, and MMA won't be much different. He lives off of hard work and dedication, and I expect him to be a Bellator Champion."

"The best way to describe Shawn is just explosive and dynamic," Askren added. "I've traveled the world with Shawn competing together in wrestling competitions, and know what kind of competitor he is. He'll make an incredible addition to the Bellator family, and I'm excited to see what he brings to the cage."

Bunch hasn't yet made his MMA debut as he'd continued concentrating on his amateur career. However, after falling short in his bid for the 2012 Olympics, he's now ready to dedicate himself to MMA.

"I've had my sights set on Bellator for a long time,” Bunch said. "While I've been training in MMA for over four years, I've never been able to fully focus on the sport with my wrestling obligations. After watching guys like Ben Askren and King Mo, guys I really look up to in this sport have success, I knew the time was right to make the move to Bellator."

"For MMA fans [who] aren't familiar with me, get ready. I bring an incredibly fast and explosive game to the table, and I'm just ready to start this new chapter in my life. I can't wait to get into the cage and get it going."