Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko will be making his next title defense on March 28th and it has been announced that he has signed a contract extension with Bellator.
The news of the contract extension was announced by Bellator on Monday and Shlemenko has signed a new multi-year, multi-fight deal with the organization.
In the announcement of the signing, Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated that Shlemenko has been the catalyst to the largest TV deal in the history of MMA in Russia.
“Alexander Shlemenko has been with this organization since its infancy, and has grown into one of the most dominant champions in MMA,” Rebney said. “I can say without hesitation Alexander has been a large part of the success we have enjoyed over the last five years and as the biggest name in Russian MMA, he’s been the catalyst to the largest TV deal in the history of MMA in Russia. It’s an honor to have him fight in this organization. I look forward to watching his career continue inside the Bellator cage for years to come.”
Shlemenko (49-7) become the Bellator champion at the beginning of last year when he defeated Maiquel Falcao in a vacant title bout. Since winning the title, he has successfully defended the title twice and holds the Bellator record for most wins in Bellator middleweight history with ten.
“Bellator has been my home for many years, and it’s where I want to be,” Shlemenko said. “Bjorn made me a promise and he lived up to that promise to provide me with a new deal. I have made a home here at Bellator, and I will continue to represent Russia in my efforts in the cage. I have gained millions of new fans both in the US and in Russia and around the world during my time with Bellator, and I will enjoy being Bellator’s longest running champion. I will continue wearing that belt with honor during my time with Bellator, which will now be at the peak of my career.”
Shlemenko will be searching for his 13th straight win next month as he is challenged by season nine tournament winner Brennan Ward in the main event of Bellator 114.