Bellator Signs Former ACB Bantamweight Champion Magomed Magomedov

Bellator has signed the only man to defeat UFC bantamweight king Petr Yan.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Bellator president Scott Coker revealed that the promotion has signed former ACB (now Absolute Championship Akhmat) bantamweight champion Magomed Magomedov to an exclusive, multi-fight deal.

“We’re very excited for this signing of Magomed Magomedov,” Coker said. “My team and I continue to search the planet for the top up-and-coming-fighters and we feel that Magomedov has the potential to be a world champion in the sport.”

A date for Magomedov’s debut is currently unknown. The 28-year-old Moscow native owns a 16-1 professional record that includes a five-round split verdict over Yan in March 2016. Yan later regained the ACB 135-pound crown with a unanimous decision triumph in a rematch approximately a year later. Magomedov hasn’t competed since a first-round submission of Walter Pereira Jr. at ACB 90 on Nov. 10, 2018.

"Our bantamweight division has quickly become one of our most formidable weight classes," Coker said. "Guys like Magomed, along with other very recent bantamweight signings like Brett Johns, Jared Scoggins and Jaylon Bates, will make for very fun fights for years to come.”