Hawn Official for Bellator Welterweight Tournament

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After a jaw-dropping Bellator Fighting Championships debut, Olympic judoka Rick Hawn will officially compete in the promotion's season four welterweight tournament.

Bellator announced the news Thursday morning in a press release. The upcoming tournament is slated to begin in March. Joining Hawn in the welterweight field will be Strikeforce veteran Jay Hieron, former Sengoku competitor Dan Hornbuckle and Bellator’s first-ever welterweight champion, Lyman Good.

Hawn is undefeated in pro competition and has knocked out seven of his nine career victims. Though the task of winning three consecutive fights in tournament format is a new challenge in his MMA career, Hawn says he has been prepared for the rigors of such a schedule by his sporting career before he ever stepped in the cage.

“I’m definitely used to the tournament format due to my background in judo,” said Hawn. “I’ve been competing in Judo competitions for many years with a very similar structure, so I’m definitely used to it, and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

Hawn made his promotional debut against LeVon Maynard at Bellator 33 in October. The fight ended with a massive shoulder throw that landed Maynard flat on his back and allowed the judoka to finish him with punches.

“Rick was incredibly impressive in his first fight with Bellator and is a perfect fit for our welterweight tournament,” said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This tournament is shaping up to be one of our most competitive and talent-rich, yet and I can’t wait to see who will be facing Ben Askren for our world championship after all is said and done.”