Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad Retires from Mixed Martial Arts

Minnesota’s St. Paul Pioneer Press first reported the news, and Sherdog.com confirmed the development with a source close to the situation on Wednesday. Konrad has reportedly taken a job as a financial trader with a Minneapolis-based sales and marketing company and will specialize in milk products, according to TwinCities.com.

Konrad, 28, exits the cage with an unbeaten record, having racked up nine victories in his two-year pro career. A former NCAA Division I wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota, Konrad competed seven times for Bellator and won the promotion’s third-season heavyweight tournament to become the organization’s first and only heavyweight champion to date.

The “Polar Bear” defended his title only once, submitting Season 5 tournament winner Eric Prindle in a flat 60 seconds on May 25.

What will become of Bellator’s heavyweight title is currently a query without an answer. However, the promotion does plan to hold another heavyweight tournament during its upcoming seventh season, featuring notables such as Brett Rogers, Thiago Santos, Ruslan Magomedov and Prindle, among others. The quarterfinals will be contested at Bellator 75 on Oct. 5 in Hammond, Ind.