Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida has signed with Bellator MMA after fighting out his UFC contract at UFC 224 last month, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports.
Machida ended his UFC tenure with an emphatic front-kick knockout over fellow Brazilian MMA legend Vitor Belfort, which likely helped his bargaining power as he negotiated with both the UFC and Bellator. Machida was reportedly fielding offers from both promotions after becoming a free agent following his knockout of Belfort, but ultimately decided to try his luck outside of the promotion he’s fought for since 2007.