Matthew Riddle added to Bellator's Season 9 welterweight tournament

Recent signee Matthew Riddle will be one of eight competitors fighting in Bellator’s upcoming Season 9 welterweight tournament, officials today announced.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported over the weekend, Bellator bought out Riddle’s contract from Legacy Fighting Championship, which the 27-year-old signed soon after his UFC release earlier this year.

Terms of the multi-fight deal were not disclosed.

Bellator’s tournament kicks off this fall on Spike TV. As with other tourneys, the winner earns a guaranteed title shot (Ben Askren is the organization’s reigning 170-pound champion).

“I had so many options after I left the UFC, but knowing that I was able to compete in a tournament against guys like Paul Daley, Ben Saunders and Douglas Lima, signing with Bellator was an easy decision,” Riddle stated. “This division is just so stacked, and being able to fight in a tournament makes it even better. Bellator is doing a lot of great things right now, and I want to be a part of it.”

Riddle (7-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC) most recently fought in February, where he earned a split-decision win over Che Mills at UFC on FUEL TV 7. Afterward, Riddle (who is a licensed medical marijuana user in Nevada) tested positive for marijuana metabolites. It was his second such result, and the UFC elected to release him from his contract.

“Matt’s got all the tools to be a force in our welterweight division,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “When I saw Matt get released from the UFC coming off four straight wins including his dominant win over Mills in February, we took notice. We both realize that Matt will have a target on his back for his past indiscretions. But having discussed it with him, I’m comfortable that he’s in the right place to enter the Bellator cage this fall in what will be the most loaded Bellator welterweight tournament in the promotion’s history.”

Riddle has spent his entire pro career with the UFC following a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 7.” Riddle came to the show with no professional experience but ultimately fought 12 times in the octagon and had won four consecutive fights before his release, though two were overturned to no-contests following the failed drug tests.

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.