Bellator improves light heavyweight roster with former Strikeforce champ, UFC vet “Feijao”

Bellator MMA has picked up yet another high profile free agent in former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and five-time UFC veteran Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

This signing was first reported by BloodyElbow.com.

Cavalcante earned his contract with Bellator MMA by knocking out Dan Konecke at World Fight Tour – Road to Bellator, a feeder league for the ever growing MMA organization. The Brazilian bomber’s win occurred in the first round.

By defeating Konecke, Cavalcante corrected a three-fight losing streak. All of these wins occurred in the UFC’s Octagon, as he was decisioned by Ryan Bader, TKO’d by Patrick Cummins, and decisioned by Ovince St. Preux, which prompted his release from the organization.

Cavalcante enjoyed the best years of his career thus far as a member of the Strikeforce roster, where he knocked out Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal to win the light heavyweight title, which he later lost to Dan Henderson. The Brazilian knockout artist is the last and only man to defeat upcoming UFC 213 interim middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero, who knocked out in the second-round.

Cavalcante joins Bellator’s light heavyweight division, which is one of the promotion’s most talent-rich weight classes. Bellator’s light heavyweight division includes names like new champion Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Linton Vassell, Liam McGeary, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, Alessio Sakara, and Chris Fields.

The Brazilian is the latest in a long string of notable free agents to join the Bellator fold. Other new signings include former UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader, former UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson, former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald, Pride legends Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko, former UFC welterweight contender Lorenz Larkin and three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen.

How do you think the former Strikeforce champ and UFC veteran Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante will do in the talent-rich Bellator light heavyweight division?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/5/2017.