Bellator Welterweight Tourney Starts March 5 in California

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Bellator Fighting Championships will kick off its fourth season and third welterweight tournament on March 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., Sherdog.com has learned from multiple sources.

While not confirmed, the card could feature all four quarterfinals from the 170-pound bracket. The event will mark the promotion’s live broadcast debut on MTV2, the network with which Bellator agreed to a multi-year deal last month.

Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila Frausto has been rumored as a possible competitor on the March 5 show, but sources tell Sherdog.com that her participation remains unofficial. Meanwhile, Strikeforce veteran Waachiim Spiritwolf and “Tachi Kid” Poppies Martinez will likely square off against to-be-named opponents on the event’s undercard.

Sherdog.com has also been informed that Bellator has expressed interest in holding a Season four event at the nearby Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, Calif.

Bellator’s inaugural welterweight tournament was won by Tiger Schulmann product Lyman Good in 2009. Last year, Olympic wrestler Ben Askren won the tournament’s second iteration and later defeated Good to become the promotion’s undisputed champion.

The tournament field for Season four includes former champion Good, as well as Dan Hornbuckle, Jay Hieron, Rick Hawn, Jim Wallhead, Chris Lozano, Brent Weedman and Steve Carl. While not officially announced by the promotion, Hieron-Carl and Wallhead-Hawn matchups have been reported for the opening round.

Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.

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