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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Bellator MMA has signed three new fighters out of the United Kingdom, as they announced on Wednesday the additions of Martin Stapleton, Rob Sinclair, and Paul Sass to their roster.
"Our talent development team does the best job in MMA by bringing hugely talented fighters to Bellator from around the globe," Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. "The number one question I get from fans is 'when will a UK television deal be completed with Bellator?' With these three signings, along with a roster already featuring the likes of Paul "Semtex” Daley, Ronnie Mann and Michael Page, we are setting the table for making Bellator an every week televised occurrence in the UK."
A television deal isn't set just yet, but it's something they're working towards as they enter their first summer series on Spike TV.
Sass is the most well-known of the three, having competed five times under the UFC banner from 2010 through this February, where he was released following a two-fight losing streak. He's looking forward to a fresh start following those losses, the only two of his career.
"I'm incredibly excited to get the chance to compete with Bellator," Sass said. "After meeting with their staff and having a clear understanding of what's next, I can't wait to get into the cage and get into my first tournament."
Sinclair enters on a five fight winning streak, most recently defeating Ultimate Fighter runner-up Andre Winner in BAMMA last September.
"This is something I've wanted for a long time, but the timing has just never been right," Sinclair said. "After meeting with Bellator and talking to guys like Paul Daley and Ronnie Mann, it really seemed like the perfect fit. This chance with Bellator will give me the opportunity to fully train and prepare for fight like I should, and with a full camp in place, the lightweights in Bellator better be on notice."
Finally, Stapleton brings a 12-1 record into Bellator, which includes eight straight wins in the UK, four of which came by stoppage.
"This is an awesome opportunity for me to get a chance to show the world what I'm capable of, and not to sleep on a guy like me," Stapleton said. "I've worked my ass off over the last few years for this exact opportunity, and I'm not going to let it get away from me. The lightweight division in Bellator is stacked, and it just got a little deeper with me."
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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