Bellator has inked undefeated light-heavyweight Matt Van Buren to a contract, and he will be debuting on October 1’s Bellator 52 event, MMA Fighting has learned.
The 25-year-old, Viriginia-based athlete, who is 3-0, will be facing Nick Nichols, according to sources close to the fighter.
The 6-foot-5 Van Buren turned pro just over a year ago after a strong amateur run, and since then has earned wins over Brandon Saling, Aaron Johnson and Manny Okorie to earn his shot in the promotion.
With no light-heavyweight tournament in season five, Van Buren will look to elevate his standing with stand-alone wins. His first opponent Nichols will be making his pro debut after going 5-0 as an amateur.
Bellator 52 will feature the season five heavyweight tournament quarterfinals, which includes fighters like Neil Grove, Mike Hayes, Thiago Santos and Abe Wagner, among others.