bellator signs raphael butler...35-12 pro boxer, 5-0 mma hw!!!

Rochester heavyweight boxer Raphael Butler has dabbled in mixed martial arts over the past three years.

Butler has a 35-12 record as a professional boxer, and his striking translated well to MMA as he's already 5-0 in that sport and ranked No. 1 among Minnesota's heavyweights.


During his perfect 5-0 start, Butler has continued to work in a few boxing matches and never has done MMA full-time.

But over the weekend, Butler signed a contract with Bellator Fighting Championships. At least for now, his focus will be on MMA and fighting for the sport's No. 2 organization.

"I'm very happy for the opportunity Bellator has given me," Butler said. "Bellator gave me the best offer at this time, so that's where I'm at."

Butler's Bellator deal calls for him to fight two times and then compete in the organization's next eight-man heavyweight tournament. The contract could be up to six fights, and it will keep Butler very busy over the next 12 months.

Butler said his Bellator debut has not yet been made official, but he's hoping to fight in early June.

With the contract signed, Butler said he's completely focused on MMA. Butler said he likes that Bellator will keep him busy, with the Rochester native likely fighting every other month.

"I love that I'll be busy," Butler said. "The down times are hard because I want to be in there. It's hard to get motivated when you don't have anything coming up. But I'll be busy pretty much every other month now for the next year, so I love it."

When Butler first got into MMA, he admits he was really just a boxer testing the waters. He's fully committed to the sport now, though.

"I'm excited to be focused on it," he said. "I'm a fighter, and that's what I do. Whether it's in a boxing ring or an MMA cage, I'm here to fight. This contract means I'll get to do that, so I'm excited."

Butler has signed with the Sterling Entertainment Group, led by Jeremy Bjornberg, for his MMA management. The management company is based in the Twin Cities and runs one of Minnesota's most successful MMA promotions.

Butler traveled with Bjornberg over the weekend to Atlantic City, N.J., to watch Bellator 95 and to sign his contract.

"We're pumped for Raphael and to have a client like him, someone we believe who can silence the heavyweight division for Bellator," Bjornberg said. "People in MMA are going to find out who Raphael is very quickly."

Butler was most recently scheduled to compete in a boxing match earlier this year, but he was forced to pull out of that bout due to a rib injury. Butler said the injury has completely healed, though, and he's back in the gym working out with Aaron Vold, Dan Leckel and Logan Clark at Compound MMA in Rochester. "I feel good," Butler said. "I'm rolling and doing everything just fine. There are a lot of things I need to work on with my ground game. But I'm getting more confident with it every time I get in there."

http://www.postbulletin.com/sports/localsports/rochester-s-butler-signs-with-bellator/article_7c8c9b73-5fbf-5d39-92c1-6b8d5c880053.html

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Raphael-Butler-78613 5-0 3ko 2sub

Wow, that is an interesting signing.

i hope he fights in the summer series...

Can he stop the double?

MR.WILLIE wrote:i hope he fights in the summer series...

Same here. Hopefully they announce the summer series fighters soon.