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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Minnesota bantamweight Travis Reddinger will be making his Bellator debut this September as part of the season three bantamweight tournament, and the organization today officially announced him as one of the eight fighters in the field.
The 28-year old fighter, bringing with him a 14-2 record, may be a perfect fit for the organization, as he sports a "Bellator" tattoo across his torso. It's a tattoo he got over four years ago, before Bellator Fighting Championships was an organization, as "bellator" is the latin word for "warrior."
"For me it just symbolizes perseverance and the never-say-die mentality that I strive for,” Reddinger said. “I know that Bellator stands for the warrior mentality as well, so it’s a great honor for me to be a part of the organization. The tournament concept suits me really well and I love the exposure of being on national TV. It’s all pretty surreal still. I don’t think the gravity of it all has really hit me yet."
Reddinger is riding a four fight win streak into the tournament, and at 5'10" he may hold a height and reach advantage on many of his 135 lb. opponents.
Training under Sergio Cunha, the former Brazilian Top Team and Chute Box trainer who has worked with the likes of Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, the Noguiera Brothers, B.J. Penn and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Reddinger is one of the most experienced fighters involved in this Bellator tournament.
"Travis is a great competitor and someone to keep an eye on in our Bantamweight Tournament,” Bellator CEO and founder Bjorn Rebney said in today's release. “I know that he is planning on making the most of this opportunity and he definitely has the skills to make a major impact."
Reddinger will face off against the 6-1 Ulysses Gomez on the September 2 event in his first round contest.
Penick's Analysis: Despite being matched up against a tournament favorite in Gomez, Reddinger is very much a dangerous opponent for anyone in the tournament. He's definitely got the ability to win the whole thing to become the first Bellator Bantamweight Champion. This should be a very exciting tournament, and I can't wait for season three to start up next month.
RELATED STORY: BELLATOR NEWS: Minnesota's top ranked bantamweight Travis Reddinger to face Ulysses Gomez in opening round of season three tournament: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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