Bellator announced Thursday the launch of their season 7 featherweight tournament, naming all eight participants as well as the main event on that October 12th card: a lightweight bout between former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and Patricky Freire.
The event will be Bellator 76 and is scheduled to take place at Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Alvarez, 28, most recently competed at Bellator 66 in April of 2012 where he defeated Shinya Aoki by first-round TKO. Freire, 26, last fought as part of Bellator’s season 6 lightweight tournament. He lost to Lloyd Woodard by second-round submission at Bellator 62 in March of 2012.
Season 7’s featherweight quarterfinalists include both Bellator veterans and newcomers. Rad Martinez, the subject of an ESPN ‘Outside The Lines’ feature, is 2-0 in Bellator. He’ll face fellow Bellator alum Nazareno Malegarie. Armenian and Bellator newcomer Akop Stepanyan will face IFL and WEC vet Wagnney Fabiano.
After knocking out IFL and WEC veteran Chris Horodecki at Bellator 64 in April, Mike Richman returns to the Bellator cage to take on Jeremy Spoon. Spoon lost to eventual season 6 featherweight tournament winner Daniel Straus at Bellator 60 in March as part of that season’s quarterfinal tournament.
Also as part of the season 7 featherweight tournament, Russian Shahbulat Shamhalaev will make his Bellator debut against another fight making his Bellator debut as well, Cody Bollinger.