Big news for one of Bloody Elbow's favorite fighters. Ben Saunders is returning to the UFC. After four years and eleven fights outside the promotion, "Killa-B" has been called back up to the big show. MMA Fighting broke the news on Saunders' re-signing on Thursday, revealing that Saunders had exercised the UFC "out-clause" in his Titan FC contract, and done so with Titan FC's blessing.
It's a somewhat surprising move, not just because Saunders was slated to headline the upcoming Titan FC 29 card against Jose Landi-Jons (replacing Matt Riddle), but because he'll also be one of the few fighters to get a UFC contract off a loss. Saunders' last fight was against Douglas Lima for the Bellator season 8 welterweight tournament title, a bout he lost by knockout. It was Saunders' second tournament finale, and his second KO Loss to Lima. Surprisingly, it also signaled an end to Saunders' time in the Viacom promotion, where he had racked up a 7-3 record.
Perhaps, in a roundabout way, this is a signal of some of the apparent thawing of relations between Bellator and the UFC as other recent fighters from the Spike TV platform have largely had to win a few outside fights before being able to secure a Zuffa contract. Or, perhaps this is a case of being in the right place at the right time and being just the right kind of fighter that Zuffa loves to promote. As of yet, no details on Saunders' return date or possible opponent have been released. But, we'll be sure to keep you updated, so stay tuned.