Tatame quotes Conan Silveira, Lombard’s jiu-jitsu instructor at American Top Team, saying, “We’re ready for anything. I just came from Australia, I didn’t know if Paulao had signed it yet.  That’s a sad situation because Paulao comes from the same school that I came, from Carlson’s, he’s my friend, but this is professional.”

Filho submitted Tatsuhiko Nishizaka (3-5-1) at Bitetti Combat 5 in São Paulo December 12.

Lombard defended his Australian Cafe Fighting Championships belt in Sydney March 12 with a TKO of “Pachuco” Art Santore (18-8).

The addition of Baker is a good one for the tournament. He is a former high school wrestler who is now a black belt in judo and trains at Team Wildman in Denver, Colorado. He has wins against UFC veteran “Outburst” Rory Singer (12-9) and former IFL Grand Prix winner “Suave” Matt Horwich (24-13-1).

Baker says his singular goal is to advance through Bellator’s Season 2 tournament to earn the chance to take on reigning World Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard.“I put so much effort into my training that it gives me 100 percent confidence that I’m going to win every time,” Baker said. “Lombard has the belt and I’m coming for his belt. I’d say that he better stay on top of his training or else he’s in for a big surprise.”

This is just one of many additions Bellator has made in their off season. Former Olympian and highly touted prospect Ben Askren (3-0) signed an exclusive long term agreement and will participate in the welterweight tournament. Hardcore MMA fan favorite Dan Hornbuckle (14-2) also looking to make a splash in the welterweight tournament. Other fighters include “The Taz” Bao Quach (16-9-1), William Romero (4-0), Jim Wallhead (17-5) and Mike Ricci (1-0) to name a few.

Bellator is doing what many fans have been wanting to see for a long time. They are taking all the highly touted prospects along with a few well established fighters and giving them a  way to fight one another. I see Bellator as an organization that is becoming the proving grounds for these prospects. They will have to step in the cage, face each other and then look to fight men like Bellator FC middleweight champion Hector Lombard (22-2-1) and lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (17-2).

I have no idea what Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney has planned for the future or where he sees his organization in comparison to the UFC but I feel they could become the perfect feeder organization for Dana White, Joe Silva and the UFC. The only question remaining is if the fans will actually support them and get out to am event.

Last season the events seemed to be lacking fans from what I could tell. I wonder if the periodic signings slowly trickling out is a planned event in order to keep them in the news and to bring in more fans? If so it is a brilliant move. I have seen more people talk about this company in the last 6 months then I did during their first season. If this is any indication the fans will come out to support all the hard work they have put in to the new season and tournaments.

I have my doubts but with four events in Kansas City I hope for the best. The Midwest is a hot bed for MMA with hardcore fans that follow even the most obscure fight organization. My question to you is, will you be attending a Bellator event?

The Olympic judoka from Cuba joins WEC Lightweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (15-4), Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked lightweight “JZ” Gesias Cavalcante (12-1-1), top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3), and Denis Kang (32-10-1), among others, at the Florida-based gym.

Lombard, who has fought in PRIDE, DEEP, and SpiritMC, held onto his Cage Fighting Championship middleweight belt in September when he forced Brian Ebersole (37-13-1) to verbally submit in round four.

Lombard has not lost since November 2006, when Gegard Mousasi (13-2-1) took the unanimous decision.

Lombard was scheduled to fight 8 November versus “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-6) at EliteXC, but the show was cancelled and its parent company, ProElite, has since folded.

Smith last fought in July and was TKO’d in the second round by Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4; 1NC).

It was their rematch after an eye poke resulted in a No Contest in May.

Lombard, the Cage Fighting Championship title-holder and Olympic judoka, last fought in September when he forced Brian Ebersole (36-15; 1 NC) to verbally submit in round four.

Lombard’s most recent loss was to DREAM Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) November 2006.

Shaw said, “We’re going to have a huge card in November.  We’re going to be in Reno, Nevada.  It’s going to be fantastic.”

Shaw also confirmed that “Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (7-1) will be on the card and may face “Snake” Cyrille Diabate (12-6-1), although whether it will be a title fight is yet to be determined.

“[We've] spoken about Cyrille Diabate, but it’s not definitive that that’s going to be his opponent,” Shaw said.

“Until we have a definitive opponent, we do not know if we will introduce the light-heavyweight title.  When we are ready to introduce the light heavyweight title, there is no doubt that ‘Feijao’ will be in a fight for that title.  He’s without a doubt the No. 1 fighter that we have in the light heavyweight division.”

Cavalcante last fought in July, TKO’ing “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) in round one.

Diabate won a unanimous decision over Jaime Fletcher (6-4) in August.

Another bout under consideration is “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) versus “Shango” Hector Lombard (17-2-1).

Shaw said, “We have a tentative agreement for Scott Smith to take on Hector Lombard.  I think that would be a fantastic fight.”

Smith is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) in July.

Lombard last fought in September versus Brian Ebersole (36-15), who verbally tapped in the fourth round.

One fighter who may not make it onto the card is “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0).

“Brett Rogers hasn’t been decided yet,” Shaw said.  “We’re still talking with his camp.  He had a couple of personal issues, and we’re just making sure that he has enough time to be prepared.  We spoke, and it’s nothing else.  It’s not contracts, it’s just a couple personal issues.

“We want to make sure we get the best possible Brett Rogers at all times.  If we’re able to go with him, then he’ll be there.”

Rogers TKO’d Jon Murphy (4-3) in 1:01 in May.

The event will be headlined by Lawler in a title fight with Joey Villasenor (26-6) and also features a 160-pound title bout between Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and Nick Diaz (18-7).  It airs on Showtime.

Nakamura is training with Japanese cruiserweight boxer Ryosuke Takahashi, a former Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) Cruiserweight Champion with a 17-5 boxing record.  The OPBF is a minor title under the World Boxing Council umbrella of 11 regional sanctioning federations.

Nakamura is set to battle Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “The African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) in an all-judo showdown on the undercard of UFC 84.

Sokoudjou posted Tuesday on his blog that he’s training with Olympic judoka’s “Shango” Hector Lombard (15-2-1) of Cuba and Pawel Nastula (1-3) of Poland, evidently expecting his fight with Nakamura to be more of a demonstration of circle theory.

Lombard (15-2-1) is a 185-pound Cuban Olympic judoka who now fights out of Australia.

“He is an elite athlete, no doubt about that, and he was very sought-after, so for us, this is a very strong acquisition,” Shaw added.

Lombard fought twice in PRIDE in 2006, losing by unanimous decision to Gegard Mousasi (20-2-1) and Akihiro Gono (28-12-7).  He hasn’t lost since the “L” to Mousasi and is the reigning Cage Fighting Championships middleweight titlist in Australia.

Shaw said, “Fans are in for a real treat.  Hector is one of the most talented and explosive fighters I’ve ever seen.  There may not be any other fighter in his divisions with more explosive strength and athleticism.  He is a real crowd-pleasing fighter.  It is unreal how he delivers those judo throws and power slams.”

Lombard said, “Signing with EliteXC should provide my career with a massive boost and is a great opportunity.  I feel I am ready to fight the best they have to offer.  The fact I have the freedom to fight outside EliteXC is huge for me, too.”

Lombard could quickly ascend to challenge for one of the 185-pound titles under the ProElite banner currently held by Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) in EliteXC, Cung Le (6-0) in Strikeforce, and Kala Kolohe Hose (6-1) in Icon.  He has also expressed an ability to fight at 170-pounds.