Bellator returns to Atlantic City Nov. 15 with Pellegrino, DeBlass, two finals

Bellator MMA will make its return to New Jersey in November with a pair of tournament finals.

The promotion heads to Ovation Hall at Revel Atlantic City for a card on Nov. 15, which is expected to be Bellator 108. The following week, Bellator officials confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the following week, Nov. 22, will be the promotion’s final event of its upcoming ninth season.

Bellator officials on Monday announced the Atlantic City card, which will feature tournament finals in the welterweight and featherweight divisions, plus the return of Kurt Pellegrino (16-7 MMA, 0-1 BFC) against Saul Almeida (12-4 MMA, 1-1 BFC) at lightweight and Tom DeBlass (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BFC) against an opponent still to be announced.

The main card will air on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com. Tickets for the event will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster locations and the venue box office.

Pellegrino and DeBlass both are New Jersey natives.  

“We were witness to an incredible night of fights during our first visit to Revel, and I expect nothing but the same on Nov. 15,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “Atlantic City has become a second home for Bellator, and with New Jersey favorites like Pellegrino and DeBlass on this card to compliment two tournament finals, Revel is in store for another huge night of fights.”

Pellegrino will return after a retirement that will have lasted 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 Sotiropulos and Gleison Tibau.

On a three-fight losing streak, Pellegrino said he couldn’t pass on the chance to go out with a win.

“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. “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.”

Almeida also will be looking to snap a three-fight losing streak. 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 his skid, he had a five-fight win streak.

DeBlass, a Ricardo Almeida student, will look to build on his Bellator 95 win in April in Atlantic City, when he returned from a short retirement after going 0-2 in the UFC. After losses to Cyrille Diabate and Riki Fukuda in the UFC, DeBlass retired – then returned for Bellator just five months later and stopped Carlos Brooks after two rounds.

Bellator’s featherweight tournament starts Sept. 13 at Bellator 99 and features Patricio Freire (17-2 MMA, 5-2 BFC) vs. Diego Nunes (18-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC), Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-2-1 MMA, 3-1 BFC) vs. Akop Stepanyan (13-5 MMA, 1-2 BFC), Desmond Green (8-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Fabricio Guerreiro and Andrew Fisher (12-4-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Joe Taimanglo (18-4 MMA, 1-0 BFC).

While Bellator has not yet announced the field for the welterweight tournament, the opening round is likely to begin in September, perhaps at Bellator 100.

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

(Pictured: Kurt Pellegrino)