UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce vet Phil Baroni signs with Bellator MMA for May debut

Bellator MMA has a new addition to its welterweight division in the form of veteran Phil Baroni.

The fighter first hinted at the signing on his official Instagram account. The news later was confirmed to MMAjunkie by a source close to the promotion. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media about the signing.

Baroni (15-17 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will debut with the promotion in a welterweight bout on the televised portion of Bellator 118 on May 2 in Atlantic City, N.J. No opponent for the “New York Bad Ass” has been determined at this time.

While official contract details haven’t been revealed, the source told MMAjunkie the deal is expected to be a short-term one, possibly just a single fight. The promotion also has no current plan to enter Baroni in any upcoming tournaments.

Baroni was most recently seen in action this past May when he suffered a gruesome injury, including a broken fibula and dislocated ankle, against Nobutatsu Suzuki under the ONE FC banner.

The 37-year-old has been rehabilitating the injury since then, and with the latest news appears ready to get back to action.

While he is an underwhelming 3-7 in his past 10 fights, Baroni still is one of the most well-known fighters on the MMA circuit.

Along with his upcoming debut with Bellator, Baroni has fought for a laundry list of notable promotions such as UFC, Strikeforce, PRIDE, EliteXC, Cage Rage, DREAM, ONE FC and more.

MMAjunkie will have more details regarding Baroni’s bout on May 2 as they become available.

For the latest on Bellator 118, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.