Straus Fifth Confirmed Entrant in Bellator Featherweight Tournament

Set to begin in March, the featherweight tournament will also feature the talents of Kenny Foster, Zac George, Georgi Karakhanyan and Eric Larkin. Though not yet officially announced, Nazareno Malegarie, Wilson Reis and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire are also expected to compete in the tournament.

Straus rides a 10-fight winning streak heading into Bellator’s fourth season. The Ohio native was victorious in his debut with the promotion at Bellator 23 in June, outpointing Chad Hinton in a lightweight duel. Most recently, Straus bested WEC veteran Karen Darabedyan at Shark Fights 13 in September.

“I like to fight at least once a month, so this tournament format is perfect for me,” Straus said in a release. “If I’m not banged up or hurt, I like to keep training and turn around and get my next fight in. I like to stay as active as possible. I never like to slow down.”

The winner of the tournament will be awarded $100,000 and a guaranteed shot at Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren. According to Straus, the greatest challenge lies not in competing for the title but in fighting his way toward that opportunity.

“My focus isn’t on Joe Warren right now,” he said. “My focus is on the first person I fight and putting a beating on him, and then it will be the second guy I fight and putting a beating on him. My biggest test isn’t going to be Joe Warren but getting to Joe Warren.”