Injury forces Kurt Pellegrino from Bellator 108, new opponent sought for Almeida

Bellator’s return to New Jersey next month will go down without one of the state’s native sons.

An injury has sidelined Kurt Pellegrino (16-7 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), and the 34-year-old veteran has been forced out of his fight against Saul Almeida (12-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). Sources close to the bout confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.com, and Pellegrino tweeted out news of his injury, as well.

Bellator 108 takes place Nov. 15 at Ovation Hall at Revel Atlantic City. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

Pellegrino was looking to return after a retirement of nearly two years. At Bellator 59, the 12-fight UFC veteran was stopped in 50 seconds by Patricky Freire. That fight was his Bellator debut after being cut from the UFC on a two-fight skid with losses to George Sotiropoulos and Gleison Tibau.

“I’ve been in retirement for the last two years, but I’ve been in the gym every day since and the competitive fire has still been burning inside of me,” Pellegrino stated when he was booked for the fight with Almeida. “Every morning I wake up, I realize I had the same dream as the night before, and it’s to go out the way I want. With Bellator back in Atlantic City, this is my opportunity to end my nightmare and go out the way I want, the way I deserve.”

But now if Pellegrino is to go out with a win, it will have to wait. Sources close to the fight told MMAjunkie.com that Pellegrino indeed was considering the fight with Almeida to be his last one if he got the win to, as he said, go out the way he wanted.

Almeida in September snapped a three-fight losing streak with a submission win in New Hampshire. In March 2012, he dropped a decision to Matt Bessette at Bellator 63. He then was outpointed in a pair of fights under the Classic Entertainment and Sports banner in Rhode Island. Prior to the three-fight skid, he had a five-fight win streak.

Sources told MMAjunkie.com that Bellator is seeking a new opponent for Almeida for the event.

For the latest on Bellator 108, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Kurt Pellegrino)