(PRESS RELEASE) -- SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Bellator MMA officials are proud to announce the signings of Isao Kobayashi (18-2-4) and Thiago Jambo Goncalves (18-4, 1 NC) to multi-year, multi-fight contracts.
At 26-years-old, Kobayashi holds the distinction of being a former “King of Pancrase,” earning the Japanese promotion’s lightweight title before making the transition to featherweight. A member of Sakaguchi Dojo Ichizoku, “Isao” is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Will Chope at a Pancrase event on August 9.
Goncalves is a pupil of Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and his brother Patricky Freire at Pitbull Brothers Academy in Brazil. The 34-year-old welterweight has competed professionally since 2004 and has accrued seven victories along the way. A winner of eight out of his last 10 tilts, “Jambo” joins a division that recently crowned a new champion in Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov.
Debut dates and opponents will be announced for the two fighters in the near future.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
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