Ed Ruth excited about move to crowded Bellator welterweight division

Ed RuthCompeting at 185 pounds, three-time NCAA wrestling champion Ed Ruth looked like a surefire future middleweight title challenger.

So why is he dropping down to 170?

Ruth recently announced his plans to join Bellator’s welterweight division, a roster that rivals that of the UFC with the likes of current titleholder Rory MacDonald, Douglas Lima, Andrey Koreshkov, Paul Daley, and Lorenz Larkin among its ranks. The path to MacDonald is rife with hazards, which is just how Ruth wants it.

“I always wanted to be where the best fighters were and I feel like that’s the best route for me, just because of the way that I like to compete,” Ruth told MMA Fighting. “I don’t want to keep going out there…