Bellator inks multi-fight deal with UFC lightweight veteran Melvin Guillard

Melvin Guillard is headed (back) to Spike TV.

The hard-hitting "Young Assassin," who made a brief (and turbulent) pit stop in World Series of Fighting (WSOF) in 2014, has inked a multi-fight, multi-year deal with Bellator MMA after nearly a decade under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) umbrella.

"We are excited to have Melvin coming on board," Bellator President Scott Coker said in today's release. "With competitors the likes of lightweight champion Will Brooks, Michael Chandler, Marcin Held, Derek Anderson, Saad Awad, Dave Jansen and Patricky Pitbull on the roster already, the match up possibilities for an exciting fighter like him are endless."

A debut date, as well as his first opponent, have yet to be determined.

Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) showed flashes of brilliance as a young standout on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2, which led to full-time employment under the ZUFFA banner. Unfortunately, his potential was never realized, due to recurring personal and professional setbacks.

That said, he's still an explosive striker with the punching power to kill the lights in one blow (just ask this guy), so let's hope this fresh start shows us the best possible version of Guillard. That would be terrific news for mixed martial arts (MMA) fans.

The other Bellator lightweights? Not so much...