Unbeaten Canadian William Romero on Thursday became the latest addition to the growing Bellator Fighting Championships roster.
“MMA fans north of the border know the name William Romero, and now fans in the U.S. are going to have the chance to know it, too,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
Romero will compete in an eight-man featherweight tournament as part of the promotion’s second season, which begins in April. A former paratrooper in the Canadian Armed Forces, Romero joins a list of recent Bellator signees that includes 2008 Olympian Ben Askren, British standout Jim Wallhead, Arizona Combat Sports prospect Jacob McClintock and fellow featherweight Georgi Karakhanyan.
“I quickly found out that MMA is my calling,” said Romero, who fights out of Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. “It’s what I was born to do.”
Bellator inked a multi-tiered television contract with Fox Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo in October, giving the promotion instant credibility and staying power. Romero likes the opportunities such a deal presents.
“I watched Season 1 of Bellator, and I was very, very impressed,” Romero said. “The level of competition is just awesome. Now I’m hoping to make my mark and to show the world what people in Canada already know.”