Saunders Sidelined, Scratched from Bellator’s Canadian Debut

Sherdog.com confirmed the news Wednesday with a source close to the fighter. Though Saunders had not been officially announced as a participant in the event, the American Top Team Orlando welterweight was expected to make his sophomore Bellator outing July 23 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada.

Saunders’ injury is the second hit taken by the event in as many days, as Bellator announced Tuesday that top featherweight contender Patricio “Pitbull” Freire would be unable to challenge Joe Warren for Bellator’s 145-pound title due to a broken hand.

The second event in Bellator’s Summer Series trilogy, Bellator 47 is still expected to feature both summer featherweight tournament semifinals, as Pat Curran meets Ronnie Mann and Marlon Sandro squares off with Nazareno Malegarie. The July 23 event will mark Bellator’s first show on Canadian soil.

A seven-time UFC veteran, Saunders was cut by the promotion in August 2010 after losing three of his last four fights in the Octagon. “Killa B” made his Bellator debut in April at Bellator 39, where he battered Matt Lee to a third-round doctor stoppage.