Eric Schambari is the first entrant announced for Bellator's eight-man middleweight tournament beginning in April.

Schambari (11-1) was one of the early members of the Zuffa-era WEC roster in 2007. He went two for three in the WEC, beating Art Santore and Logan Clark and losing to Bryan Baker.

Schambari missed the entire following year due to an injury and then complications from a medication and wasn't sure if he'd return to the cage. But in 2009, Schambari bounced back with four straight victories in the local circuit.

"Eric is a very talented middleweight with what's commonly referred to as freak-strength," said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Given who our middleweight champion is, that's a vital attribute to possess. On top of that, the determination Eric's shown during his comeback from a serious injury is inspirational and shows the kind of heart he has."

The season two middleweight winner will meet champ and season one winner Hector Lombard (22-2-1) for the title.