Bellator FC signs Troy Gerhart following March 17 open tryouts

Los Angeles, Calif. – March 19, 2009 – Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion airing on ESPN Deportes, has signed undefeated Lightweight Troy Gerhart after discovering him during open tryouts held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on March 17, 2009. The tryouts were staged by Bellator to give one local Florida fighter the opportunity to fight on national television during one of the upcoming 12 Bellator events on ESPN Deportes.

Of the numerous fighters who participated, Troy Gerhart’s performance earned him a spot as a featured fighter in Bellator’s Lightweight (155 lbs.) division. He was the only fighter among the highly-talented group selected. Gerhart will not be participating in Bellator’s 155 lbs. tournament, but will be featured in a 155 lbs. bout in the coming weeks as part of the Bellator series. Gerhart, who trains out of Gracie Tampa, holds a 4-0 record as a professional with all 4 wins coming by KO or TKO. He has a strong wrestling background and has been training alongside UFC veterans Matt Arroyo and Corey Hill at Gracie Tampa Academy.

"Troy is an extremely explosive wrestler with great technical grappling, and his record shows that he has very heavy hands," said Matt Stansell, Matchmaker/Executive Director of Fighter Development for Bellator Fighting Championships. "We are excited to give him a chance to show what he can do in Bellator’s Lightweight division."

Bellator Fighting Championships’ premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season #1 over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions.

For more information on Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.bellator.com. For the Spanish language version of the website, visit Espanol.Bellator.com.