A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with 3 submission victories to his credit, Carpenter currently trains out of Balance Studios in Philadelphia and credits his Philly upbringing with the success he has seen in mixed martial arts.
“The fight scene here in Philadelphia is great,” said Carpenter. “It’s really like a family, and it really pushes you to be at your best. I’m always training, and it has turned me into a really well rounded fighter. I’m comfortable on my feet, but also on the ground, and my training here has a lot to do with it.”
Carpenter is excited about his new contract and about competing in the light heavyweight tournament.
“When I started looking at Bellator and I saw the list of champions and tournament winners, it’s really impressive,” Carpenter said. “You have guys that are at the top of the sport fighting for Bellator, and it’s exciting to get the chance to compete in a tournament like this. Once you hit that championship level at Bellator, you’re in there with guys like Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, Ben Askren, Cole Konrad and Zack Makovsky. It would be an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence with those guys.”
“Tim was very impressive at Bellator 33, and it was that performance that made us realize that he could be a great addition to our Light Heavyweight tournament,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.”
Carpenter joins D.J. Linderman, Daniel Gracie, Nik “The Machete” Fekete, and Chris Davis as confirmed participants in the upcoming Season 4 Light Heavyweight Tournament. The tournament begins in March and will air live on MTV2.
