Saunders Likely Participant for Bellator 47 on July 23

Ben Saunders will get at least one more bout under his belt before entering Bellator Fighting Championships’ fifth-season welterweight tournament.

Sherdog.com on Monday learned from a source close to the event that the 28-year-old “Killa B” has been tabbed as a participant for Bellator 47, the second live show in the promotion’s “Summer Series,” scheduled to air July 23 on MTV2. No location or venue has been announced; Saunders’ opponent is also unknown at this time.

A participant on the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Saunders enjoyed a seven-fight Octagon stay after his stint on the reality show, compiling a UFC record of 4-3. Despite notching vicious knockouts of Marcus Davis and Brandon Wolff, back-to-back decision defeats to wrestlers Jon Fitch and Dennis Hallman saw the muay Thai specialist bounced from the Zuffa ranks in August 2010.

Saunders rebounded in November with a first-round stoppage of Elijah Harshbarger under the World Extreme Fighting banner and shortly thereafter closed a multi-fight deal with Bellator. The Floridian made his debut for the company at Bellator 39 on April 2, brutalizing Matt Lee on the feet for two periods before forcing a doctor stoppage in the third.

Confirmed to join Saunders in the fifth-season welterweight field, which begins at an unspecified September event, are recent signees Douglas Lima and Luis “Sapo” Santos. Also rumored to fill slots in the eight-man field are former champion Lyman Good, second-season finalist Dan Hornbuckle, fourth-season finalist Rick Hawn, and Bellator newcomer Michael Costa. The tournament winner receives $100,000 in total earnings and a shot at the division’s titleholder -- either current champ Ben Askren or top contender Jay Hieron.

Mike Whitman contributed to this report.