Bellator signs Champ Alexander Shlemenko to contract extension; four-man middleweight tourney field set for March 28

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator has reached an agreement with their Middleweight Champion, Alexander Shlemenko, extending his contract for multiple fights over multiple years.

The organization announced the extension in a press release on Tuesday, and later revealed a four-man middleweight tournament coming to their tenth season here this spring.

"Bellator has been my home for many years, and it's where I want to be," Shlemenko said. "Bjorn made me a promise and he lived up to that promise to provide me with a new deal. I have made a home here at Bellator, and I will continue to represent Russia in my efforts in the cage. I have gained millions of new fans both in the US and in Russia and around the world during my time with Bellator, and I will enjoy being Bellator's longest running champion. I will continue wearing that belt with honor during my time with Bellator, which will now be at the peak of my career."

Shlemenko won the vacant title last February with a knockout win over Maiquel Falcao, and added wins over Brett Cooper and Doug Marshall in the fall. He's won 12 straight fights dating back to a 2010 decision loss to then-Champ Hector Lombard.

"Alexander Shlemenko has been with this organization since its infancy, and has grown into one of the most dominant champions in MMA," Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "I can say without hesitation Alexander has been a large part of the success we have enjoyed over the last five years and as the biggest name in Russian MMA, he's been the catalyst to the largest TV deal in the history of MMA in Russia. It's an honor to have him fight in this organization. I look forward to watching his career continue inside the Bellator cage for years to come."

With their Champion locked up for the next few years, Bellator is moving ahead trying to set up new challengers via their tournament format. The season ten middleweight field will feature four men, with both Marshall and Cooper looking to get back into a rematch with Shlemenko.

Cooper will take on former UFC vet and Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove in the semifinals, while Marshall meets 10-4 Dan Cramer. Those semifinal fights will take place on Spike TV on an event in Utah on March 28.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_20457.shtml

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