Kurt Pellegrino is a complex character. He always has been and always will be, so to no one's surprise the 32-year-old lightweight is coming out of his short-lived retirement to fight Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in November at Bellator 59.
Pellegrino fought 11 times for the UFC before deciding to walk away from the sport in late May.
"It's hard to make a decision like this, but I feel its best for me to step away for now and time will tell what the future will bring for me," Pellegrino wrote on his website. "I don't want to retire, but I need to find myself and find my love for this sport again. Hopefully you will see me in the cage again, but if not thanks to everyone for the memories, it's been an awesome ride."
The three and half months off did wonders for Pellegrino.
"I started working out again real hard," Pellegrino told MMAjunkie. "The summer has been amazing. I fell in love again with the sport. I had some demons. I had to kind of just walk away and be with my family for once."
The fight taking place 70 miles down the Garden State Parkway from his home in Pt. Pleasant, N.J. sealed the deal.
"I have an opportunity to fight for Bellator in my backyard where I started this whole game," Pellegrino said. "I started fighting in Atlantic City. I won two championship belts in Atlantic City."
Freire and his brother Patricio, both nicknamed "Pitbull" have emerged as two of Bellator's bigger stars over the last year or so. Pellegrino, who's been in there with guys like Joe Stevenson, Nate Diaz, George Sotiropoulos and Gleison Tibau, is a great litmus test for Pitbull (9-2). Freire is 2-1 with Bellator, posting wins over Toby Imada and Rob McCullough. He lost a decision to former Missouri wrestler Michael Chandler in the most recent Bellator lightweight tournament final.
Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino
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