Bellator Grants Release to Featherweight Tourney Winner ‘Frodo’ Khasbulaev

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Bellator MMA Season 8 featherweight tournament winner Magomedrasul Khasbulaev has been released by the promoter after a lengthy struggle with visa issues.

Bellator officials Monday confirmed to Sherdog.com that the 145-pound Russian known as “Frodo” was freed from his contract with the organization.

“We encountered difficulties obtaining a working visa for ‘Frodo,’ and as a result, we are releasing him from Bellator so he can continue fighting elsewhere,” Bellator President Scott Coker said in a statement. “Frodo is a great fighter and we wish him the best moving forward.”

Khasbulaev, who has been out of action since defeating Mike Richman in the April 2013 tournament final, took to Twitter last month to accuse former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and matchmaker Sam Caplan of withdrawing his visa application so that he could not face then-champion Pat Curran. Caplan asserted that Khasbulaev’s claims were “ignorant,” and that the fighter’s visa had been denied.

The 28-year-old fighter exits Bellator after a perfect 5-0 run, during which he finished four opponents. The former sambo world champion notched stoppages of Marlon Sandro and Fabricio “Guerreiro” da Silva before outpointing Richman to win a title shot which went unclaimed.