Bellator Fighting Championships will crown a bantamweight champion at the end of its third season later this year, the organization announced Thursday night. Bellator currently has champions in its featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions, but CEO Bjorn Rebney announced following Thursday's Bellator 16 event that the 135-pound tournament will kick off next season.
Rebney also announced that 22-year-old Danny Tims (9-2-1) is the first fighter officially signed for the tournament. Tims defeated Brian Davidson via unanimous decision at Bellator 16.
"Danny's win over Brian Davidson included some great back-and-forth action; it was probably the night's best all-around fight," Rebney said following the event. "With his win, Danny earned a spot in an eight-man field that already has some hugely talented bantamweights locked in. We will be announcing more of them in the coming weeks."
More 135-pound tournament participants are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. No word on which other weight classes will be featured in Bellator's third season.
World Extreme Cagefighting is the only other national promotion which has a 135-pound champion.
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