Bellator Adds IFL Vet to Featherweight Draw
Brian Knapp Feb 18, 2010
Bellator Fighting Championships on Thursday announced it had signed
International Fight League veteran Shad
Lierley to compete in its Season 2 featherweight tournament.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Lierly joins 2009 Dream featherweight grand prix semi-finalist Joe Warren, former EliteXC champion Wilson Reis, Georgi Karakhanyan, Patricio Freire, Bao Quach and William Romero in the tournament-based promotion’s eight-man draw. He outpointed Nathan Murdock in a unanimous decision at his Bellator debut in May.
“I found out then that Bellator is just an awesome organization,” Lierley said in a release. “They’re doing some great things in MMA, and the talent they’ve been recruiting is just phenomenal. There’s going to be a lot of fireworks come springtime, and I think I’m going to be a part of that. I wouldn’t have signed if I didn’t think I could win this tournament.”
Lierley suffered his only two defeats inside the IFL, losing a decision to recent World Extreme Cagefighting signee Chris Horodecki in June 2007 before being knocked out by Wagnney Fabiano 10 months later. The 29-year-old wrestled collegiately at New York University and will carry a three-fight winning streak into his next match.
“Shad Lierley has been part of some great fights,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “He is another solid addition to our featherweight tournament.”
Lierly joins 2009 Dream featherweight grand prix semi-finalist Joe Warren, former EliteXC champion Wilson Reis, Georgi Karakhanyan, Patricio Freire, Bao Quach and William Romero in the tournament-based promotion’s eight-man draw. He outpointed Nathan Murdock in a unanimous decision at his Bellator debut in May.
“I found out then that Bellator is just an awesome organization,” Lierley said in a release. “They’re doing some great things in MMA, and the talent they’ve been recruiting is just phenomenal. There’s going to be a lot of fireworks come springtime, and I think I’m going to be a part of that. I wouldn’t have signed if I didn’t think I could win this tournament.”
Lierley suffered his only two defeats inside the IFL, losing a decision to recent World Extreme Cagefighting signee Chris Horodecki in June 2007 before being knocked out by Wagnney Fabiano 10 months later. The 29-year-old wrestled collegiately at New York University and will carry a three-fight winning streak into his next match.
“Shad Lierley has been part of some great fights,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “He is another solid addition to our featherweight tournament.”
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