Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to its light heavyweight tournament, adding powerful Ohio native Richard “Rare Breed” Hale to the competition.
“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 has a 15-3-1 record and has held Rage in the Cage Championships in three different weight classes, including Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, and Super Heavyweight.
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 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.”
“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. The eventual winner will be crowned the first Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion.
