Bellator releases 5 fighters, including a former champion

Bellator MMA has released 5 fighters from its roster, including a former champion surprisingly.

Jason Floyd of The MMA Report broke the news via Twitter, revealing that Alexander Sarnavskiy, Alexander Volkov, Mike Mucitelli, Fabricio Guerreiro, and Joe Duarte have all been released by the promotion.

The most surprising fighter on the list is former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov, who won the vacant Bellator title back in 2012. He won the Bellator season 10 tournament last year, and then racked up back to back wins in other promotions before going on a 2-fight losing streak with Bellator, ultimately resulting in his release.