CHICAGO, Ill. (February 23, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to its Light Heavyweight Tournament, this time adding powerful Ohio native Richard “Rare Breed” Hale to the competition that airs LIVE Saturdays on MTV2. Hale now has the opportunity at picking up a $100,000 paycheck while becoming the first Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion.
“Richard is another guy we have had our eye on for a while, and his size and experience should enable him to make some noise this season,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.
Now fighting out of Tempe, Arizona, Hale (15-3-1) began his MMA journey in 2006 just days after being invited to a local MMA event a friend of his was competing in. Now almost five years later, the training has paid off, as the 25-year-old Hale has held Rage in the Cage Championships in three different weight classes, including Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, and Super Heavyweight.
After giving more than 40 pounds away to opponents in the past, Hale is thrilled to enter the tournament fighting at 205, stating, “I absolutely feel like I'm more powerful and explosive at 205 pounds,” said the 6'4” Hale. “My strength and my stamina is better, and just everything all around. With the weight cut and everything, it pushes me to be a better athlete.”
With 13 finishes in 15 victories, Hale is anxious to put his crowd pleasing style on display LIVE on MTV2 during Bellator Season 4.
“I'm looking at this tournament as an opportunity to display my skills to the world,” said Hale. “I feel like this is my opportunity to make a statement and I'm absolutely going to take advantage of it. I'm not coming to Bellator just to put on a fight; I'm coming to put on an entertaining fight. This is an entertainment sport, so my opponents have to be ready for anything.”
Hale is the fifth confirmed participant in the Light Heavyweight tournament, joining Nik “The Machete” Fekete, Chris Davis, D.J. Linderman, and Tim Carpenter.
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