Bellator’s Season 9 welterweight tournament will kick off Sept. 20, when Bellator 100 takes place at Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix.
Bellator last visited the state of Arizona nearly two years ago, holding Bellator 55 at Cocopah Casino Resort in Yuma. That event featured the semifinals of the promotion’s Season 5 bantamweight tourney, as Alexis Vila and Eduardo Dantas took split decisions over Marcos Galvao and Ed West to advance to the finals. Then-light heavyweight champ Christian M’Pumbu also competed that night, dropping a unanimous decision to Travis Wiuff in a non-title showdown.
The Viacom-owned promotion is currently in the midst of its 2013 Summer Series and will hold its next event on July 31. Bellator 97 is headlined by a lightweight title scrap between reigning champion Michael Chandler and Season 8 tournament winner David Rickels and takes place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M.