February 17, 2023 6:39 pm ET
Former NCAA wrestling standout Pat Downey is not on the Bellator roster.
Bellator officers Friday knowledgeable MMA Junkie the promotion not too long ago reduce Downey (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), a 30-year-old middleweight fighter with a prolonged wrestling resume, from its roster. No cause for the discharge was given.
On the time of his official MMA pivot and Bellator signing in January 2021, Downey was a extremely completed collegiate wrestler who had targeted lately on Olympic notoriety. Downey was a 2019 Pan American Video games medalist, a 2019 US Open Nationwide champion, a one-time NCAA Division I All-American, and an NCJAA champion. A controversial figure within the wrestling neighborhood, Downey admitted he left the game with a sour taste in his mouth and pointed to “cancel culture” as a cause why,
Downey debuted for Bellator in August at Bellator 284 when he trucked via opponent Keyes Nelson for a 34-second arm-triangle submission win. In December, Downey returned as -1976 favourite (on common throughout main on-line sports activities books, per Best Fight Odds) at Bellator 289. He was knocked out by Christian Echols (then 2-2) in Spherical 1.
