After a sudden release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) earlier this year, featherweight Diego Nunes has found a new home, recently inking a deal with rival promotion Bellator MMA.
Brazilian outlet Ataque Total first reported the news on Saturday (June 7, 2013) and sources close to Bellator MMA later confirmed the signing of the 145-pound fighter.
It wasn't all that long ago when Nunes (18-4) was fighting Kenny Florian for the right to be the No. 1 contender in the featherweight division, and less than two years later he was booted from the promotion after just one loss in a row to Nik Lentz.
While "The Gun" was once known as one of the best featherweight fighters in the planet with career wins over Mike Brown, Raphael Assuncao, Manny Gamburyan and Bart Palaszewski, the 30-year-old was consistently unable to finish any opponents at the highest level of the sport.
In 11 appearances under ZUFFA-owned promotions UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), Nunes fought to a decision each and every time he stepped in the cage.
With an 145-pound weight class that is thin on contenders, Nunes would make for a great challenger to Bellator MMA champion Pat Curran if he is able to make it through the tournament format and earn a title shot.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on a date and opponent for Nunes' Bellator MMA debut.