· Bellator Announces Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

Bellator Fighting Championships announced the confirmation of its season four eight-man welterweight tournament, which will air on MTV2 starting in March. This will be the third time the promotion has held a tournament at 170 pounds, with Lyman Good and Ben Askren claiming the first two spots.

The man who Askren defeated to earn the season two welterweight championship is the first official participant in the season four draw. Dan Hornbuckle (22-3, 4-1 BFC) officially signed with Bellator early in 2010 after back-to-back knockouts over notable fighters Akihiro Gono and Nick Thompson in the Sengoku organization in Japan. the American Top Team member proceeded to submit his first two tournament opponents in the first round, but he lost a unanimous decision to the former Olympian in the finals.

Nicknamed "The Handler," Hornbuckle bounced back with a unanimous decision in his favor at Bellator 25 over UFC veteran Brad Blackburn. Hornbuckle was then slated to take on Ryo Chonan at the "Soul of Fight" event in Japan on December 30 before he was pulled from the event on late notice.

Seven of the eight participants in the welterweight tournament had been revealed by Bellator before the end of their third season, but it is unknown at this time whether the lineup will still be the same. The participants already announced or rumored include: Hornbuckle, Steve Carl, Jay Hieron, Chris Lozano, Jim Wallhead, Brent Weedman, and Rick Hawn.