Bellator standout Gaston Bolanos signs with the UFC
Hotly touted talent Gaston Bolanos, who is best known for his spinning knockouts, has signed for the UFC following the conclusion of his Bellator contract.
'The Dreamkiller' has only fought under the Bellator promotion since turning professional in MMA but has now signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC. The 30-year-old is 6-3 as a pro but has finished all of his wins via KO/TKO. That finishing tendency was likely a factor in the UFC's interest.
In a post on Instagram, the newly signed UFC bantamweight announced his arrival:
"The Dreamkiller has entered the chat. @ufc #bantamweight"
Despite sporting a relatively mixed 1-2 record in his last three appearances, Bolanos has struggled to find opponents to face him. The Peru-born fighter has had four of his last five bouts canceled due to multiple opponents withdrawing.
Now set to compete under the UFC banner, there will be no shortage of fighters ready to take on the newly signed bantamweight. The 30-year-old is hoping to continue his 100% finishing rate and his iconic spinning KOs could seriously elevate his brand while signed under the premier MMA promotion in the world.
🥊 MERCY! Gaston Bolanos with a vicious elbow KO (via @BellatorMMA)🔥😲👊🥊 MERCY! Gaston Bolanos with a vicious elbow KO (via @BellatorMMA) https://t.co/InaKCxARj0
As of now, there is no official news of a date or opponent for Gaston Bolanos' debut, although it's expected he'll make his way into the octagon sometime in 2023.
When former Bellator fighter Gaston Bolanos detailed working with Cody Garbrandt
Although Gaston Bolanos recently signed with the UFC, the Peru-born fighter is no stranger to to working with some of the promotion's biggest stars.
In an appearance on Joe Rogan's The MMA Show back in 2018, Bolanos detailed his experience training with Cody Gabrandt whilst helping him prepare for his bantamweight title rematch against T.J. Dillashaw.
According to 'The Dreamkiller', he was brought in by Garbrandt's camp because he moved similarly to Dillashaw in the octagon, and could throw similar style head kicks and punches that he does:
"I was just switching a lot, trying to give him that switch hook that he got caught with in the first fight. I was trying to be a good teammate, give him head kicks and that kind of movement. He was doing fairly well, blocking kicks and coming back while trying to wrestle more because that's what he lacked in the first fight [against Dillashaw]."
Gaston Bolanos went on to admit that what took place in the rematch wasn't part of Garbrandt's gameplan. 'No Love' was stopped in the first round by a knee from T.J. Dillashaw, but Bolanos believes his emotions got the better of him.
Catch the clip here: