When three-time UFC veteran Diego Saraiva makes
his Bellator Fighting Championships debut at Thursday’s Bellator 19 event,
he’ll be approaching the situation a little bit strangely.
You see, Saraiva will face Bellator featherweight champion Joe Soto in a non-title affair, and if he wins, “The Octopus”
hopes to earn his way into a future Bellator featherweight tournament.
“If everything goes as planned and I get the victory, what else can they
say?” Saraiva asked MMAjunkie.com Radio. “I
don’t want to get in Bellator and get a title shot right away, but if I
beat the champion, I should be one of the contenders for the next
chance.”