· Bellator Season Five Middleweight Tournament Taking Shape
Bellator Fighting Championships’ season five middleweight tournament continues to take shape as the promotion announced the signing of Croation tae kwon do striker Zelg "Benkei" Galesic. The eight man tournament, scheduled for September, already includes the likes of Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko, Bryan “The Beast” Baker, Vitor Vianna, Jared “The Test” Hess, Brian “The Predator” Rogers and “Smilin’” Sam Alvey.
A former Cage Rage middleweight champion, Galesic (10-5) has competed for such notable promotions as Pride, K-1 Heros, and Dream. He last fought at “OMMAC 9: Enemies” in March where he defeated Lee Chadwick by knockout at 2:40 of the first round.
“I think I match up well with the fighters in this tournament—guys like Alexander Shlemenko, Bryan Baker, and Sam Alvey,” Galesic stated, keeping his eye on the prize. “And Hector Lombard is a great fighter. He's always very exciting to watch. I hope I will get a chance to touch gloves with him one day.”
Bearing the nom de guerre recalling the famous Japanese warrior monk Saitō Musashibō Benkei, Galesic has yet to go the distance in his 15 fight career. Of his 10 wins, he holds eight technical knockouts/knockouts and two submission finishes.
After a knee injury sidelined the Croation for over a year, “Benkei” is ready to make his mark in front of Bellator’s national television audience.
“Zelg is a great addition to our season five middleweight tournament, and now that he's back 100 percent from injury, he should be competitive with our top middleweights,” added Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.
