Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez will make his Bellator Fighting Championships debut on Aug. 20 when he takes on “Kimbo Killer” Seth Petruzelli in a heavyweight special feature fight at Bellator 48 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Rodriguez recalled a certain 2002 visit to the arena:
“I’m really excited about being able to return to The Mohegan Sun. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about the Mohegan Sun is Randy Couture, and winning a Heavyweight Championship. I can’t wait to make my return.”
Rodriguez, age 33, holds a professional record of 46-11. He has been fighting consistently since 1999 and is currently riding an 11-fight win streak, with his most recent fight being a unanimous decision win over TUF 10 veteran James McSweeney in February.
Petruzelli, age 31, has been fighting almost as long as Rodriguez, but with a record of 14-6, has not been nearly as active.
Of course, Petruzelli is most known for his Oct. 2008 14-second knockout of then undefeated Kimbo Slice at “Elite XC: Heat” on prime time CBS television.
His most recent bout took place at WEF 46 in Orlando, Fla., in April where he scored a first round TKO over David Mewborn.
Bellator 48 will also feature a heavyweight match-up between Cole Konrad vs. Paul Buentello, as well as the Featherweight Summer Series Finals and additional bouts that will be announced in the coming weeks. Readers can always check ProMMAnow.com’s Upcoming Events page for complete fight card line-ups as they become available.
Cant believe how good Ricco is looking lately. I see him easily winning this fight.