Bellator has signed yet another standout amateur wrestler.
With Aaron Pico and Ed Ruth already under contract, Bellator MMA has brought in Tyrell Fortune, one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the world, sources told MMAFighting.com on Wednesday.
Fortune, 25, currently trains out of the Blackzilians in Boca Raton, Fla., and is a member of the U.S. national wrestling team. The Portland, Ore., native is a former NCAA Division II champion at Grand Canyon University in Arizona and was named the 2013 Division II wrestler of the year. Fortune was also a two-time NJCAA champion at Clackamas (Ore.) Community College.
Fortune will attempt to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics at the trials next April. He plans on making his MMA debut for Bellator in 2016, sources said.
Bellator has made signing stud wrestlers a high priority. Ruth, a three-time Division I wrestling champion at Penn State, was signed in May. Pico, who is still only 18 years old, was inked in November. Both are also Olympic hopefuls.