Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis

By FCF Staff

Bellator has announced the line-up for the promotion’s Season Nine lightweight tournament and the competition will feature several UFC vets, including Marcus Davis, John Alessio and Rich Clementi. The tournament will get under way at Bellator 101 on September 27th, which will take place at Portland’s Rose Garden Arena.

“I am so excited to have the chance to compete again,” Clementi said in a press release from the promotion confirming the tourney match-ups. “For those who have been following me, I made an official retirement a few months ago and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. The last few years of competing, I’ve been running on four flat tires, but after being under treatment for the last three months and my body is responding well. Fighting is who I am and the thought of not being able to do that was devastating. I am so excited to get back in the cage and show people what I am made of.”

The other lightweights scheduled to compete include Saad Awad, Will Brooks, Rob Sinclair, Martin Stapleton and Alex “Tiger” Sarnavskiy.

“I just want to get back in the winner circle,” said Brooks, who is coming off a stoppage loss to Awad. “I have some unfinished business from last season and I am going to keep it simple, to the point and devastating for every fight. I need and want the belt and I am going to take it from whoever has it, but I am hoping it will be Michael Chandler.”

Here are the opening round bouts for the tourney, which will be broadcast live on SPIKE.

Marcus Davis (22-9) vs. Tiger Sarnavskiy (23-1)

Will Brooks (10-1) vs. John Alessio (34-16)

Saad Awad (14-5) vs. Martin Stapelton (12-1)

Rob Sinclair (12-2) vs. Rich Clementi (45-22-1)