Jan 19 From Rags To Ricci, Bellator signs "Next Big Thing"

We at The Franchise were so estatic when heard about Mike Ricci signing with Bellator as part of Bellator's 8 man lightweight tournament that will begin on April 8th. The winner of the tournament will take on current Bellator lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. Mike Ricci is the first lightweight fighter to be named, so it remains to be seen what level of competition he will face on his road to being considered the number 1 contender for Alvarez. Fans will be able to see Ricci next on January 30th, at Ringside Triple Threat, where he takes on prospect Kurt Southern from Western Canada. The pressure will be on Mike Ricci not only to win, but to do so impressively and set the tone for what fight fans can expect to see in the tournament. Bellator fights will air live on the Fight Sports Network Thursdays from 8pm to 10pm, and replayed on NBC Saturdy nights.

There is no doubting Mike Ricci's talent. He impressed Firas Zahabi (St-Pierre's Head Trainer) practically from the moment Zahabi first saw him train. It wasn't like before Firas felt that Mike Ricci would become "the next big thing". The question is, has Ricci turned enough away from the Montreal night life so that he can develop from being potentially great, into one of the best fighters in his weight class. With so much on the line now, Ricci has no choice but to take his training seriously. At only 23 years of age, it's about time that Ricci learned that in order to be considered among the best, he will have to be at the gym early enough to open the doors for the all great UFC talent he is blessed to train with, and be the one turning out the lights at the end of the day.

Ricci is currently undefeated in 5 pro MMA fights