CHICAGO, Ill. (August 24, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that top welterweight prospect Tyler Stinson will have a second shot at Bellator tournament action this Thursday night, officially replacing a non-medically cleared Rory Markham. Stinson will take on Iraq War Veteran Steve Carl in a Season 4 Welterweight Tournament qualifier at Bellator 26, taking place at the Kansas City Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City, MO on Aug. 26th.
Stinson, a Kansas City native himself, has come a long way since winning a Bellator Season 2 open tryout in his hometown earlier this year. This will be the 24 year old’s third appearance under the Bellator banner. He was a late addition to the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament replacing an injured Sean Pierson. Although he lost his quarterfinal match-up with eventual tournament finalist Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle, he showed tremendous heart and resilience throughout the fight.
“Tyler’s skills and development as a fighter have consistently impressed me. He was preparing for a qualifier scheduled a month from now, but Tyler is always in fighting shape and was totally prepared to take this fight,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Both of these guys have put on great fights for us and I expect nothing different on Thursday night.”
Stinson has gone 2-0 since the loss to Hornbuckle, including a brutal Rear-Naked-Choke victory over Leonardo Pecanha in which he also broke the Brazilian’s jaw at Bellator 22 in Kansas City last June. Stinson brings an impressive 18-6 professional record to the fight with 12 of those victories coming via KO or TKO. A veteran of the Midwestern MMA circuit, Stinson is undaunted by the short notice.
“When I got the call, I was more than ready to jump on the opportunity. I‘ve been having to do short notice my whole career. It’s a good matchup for me,” said Stinson. “My striking is going to come into play and he is going to have a tough time dealing with that.”
Consequently, Stinson’s opponent this Thursday will also be looking to avenge a Season 2 loss to Hornbuckle. Prior to the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament semi-final defeat Carl held an impressive 7 fight win-streak. Carl’s budding mixed martial arts career is just four years old, but he already has notched 10 impressive wins with six victories coming by way of submission.
Carl vs. Stinson will take place at a catch-weight bout of 175 lbs. and has been officially announced as a qualifier for the Season 4 Welterweight Tournament.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
Tickets for the event – which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights – are on sale now at ticketmaster.com