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Bellator continues to pick up quality prospects for their second and third seasons, as the organization has announced the signing of now 2-0 heavyweight Cole Konrad.
Konrad, a two time NCAA D-1 Wrestling Champion from the University of Minnesota, is a training partner of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. He made his MMA debut last month with a first round submission victory, and moved his record to 2-0 Saturday night with a first round TKO at an event in Philadelphia.
He is expected to fight on two events in Bellator's second season, according to MMAJunkie.com's report of the signing, and that could lead to a spot in a planned heavyweight tournament during the organization's third season.
Konrad addressed his signing after his bout on Saturday, saying "I’m excited to sign with Bellator. It’s a great opportunity to fight for a great company and I’m just really excited for what the future holds with this company."
Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney commented on the new acquisition as well. "Cole Konrad brings some great characteristics to the table that could make him a force at heavyweight," Rebney said. "Brock Lesner’s dominance in the UFC has shown the impact that an elite, world-class wrestler can have in the heavyweight division. As a two-time NCAA heavyweight champion who is aggressively rounding out his MMA arsenal, Cole’s potential is unlimited. We are happy to be teaming up with him and, as a company, we are excited with what the future may hold."
Bellator's second season begins on April 8th, airing live every Thursday for twelve weeks on Fox Sports Net.
Penick's Analysis: This is an awesome signing by Bellator. Konrad's got a great base and is training with the UFC's Heavyweight Champion, also a former D-1 Wrestling Champion from the U of M, and as an up and coming fighter can use Bellator's platform to really develop his skills and his fighting career. Getting two more fights under his belt during the second season will set him up very nicely for the third season's heavyweight tournament, should they choose to put him in there. Bellator keeps making good moves, and the anticipation is ever growing for the second season, just over a month away.
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