Bellator MMA officials are proud to announce the signings of Isao Kobayashi (18-2-4) and Thiago Jambo Goncalves (18-4, 1 NC) to multi-year, multi-fight contracts.
Kobayashi and Goncalves join a roster that has recently added names the likes of: Josh Thomson, Josh Koscheck, Melvin Guillard, Lorenzo Hood, Phil Davis, and Ed Ruth – amongst others.
At 26-years-old, Kobayashi holds the distinction of being a former “King of Pancrase,” earning the Japanese promotion’s lightweight title before making the transition to featherweight. A member of Sakaguchi Dojo Ichizoku, “Isao” is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Will Chope at a Pancrase event on August 9.
Goncalves is a pupil of Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and his brother Patricky Freire at Pitbull Brothers Academy in Brazil. The 34-year-old welterweight has competed professionally since 2004 and has accrued seven victories along the way. A winner of eight out of his last 10 tilts, “Jambo” joins a division that recently crowned a new champion in Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov.
Debut dates and opponents will be announced for the two fighters in the near future.
