Maiquel Falcao, one of few fighters to win his UFC debut and then be released, has found a new home.
The Brazilian middleweight powerhouse was signed by Bellator, the promotion announced on Saturday night.
Falcao’s one and only UFC fight was memorable for the wrong reasons, as he came to the organization behind big expectations as an explosive striker but ended up out-pointing Gerald Harris in a UFC 123 fight that was short on action. Afterward, UFC president Dana White criticized the win, memorably pointing out that “this isn’t the Ultimate Staring Competition, it’s the Ultimate Fighting Championship.”
Less than a month after that win, Falcao was arrested in Brazil on a warrant stemming from a 2002 incident, and due to his outstanding legal issues, the UFC dropped him.
Since the release, Falcao has won two of three fights, and his career record stands at 28-4 with 23 TKOs. Just last week, he needed just 75 seconds to earn a first-round TKO over Douglas Del Rio.
Bellator did not immediately announce a date or opponent for Falcao’s organizational opener, but he’s clearly a welcome addition to a division headlined by champion Hector Lombard.