Bellator looking for contenders to fight their champions [Update]

MMA Weekly brings us today's fairly cryptic news,

Following the delay of its second season, Bellator Fighting Championships is trying to secure a fight for each of its four champions "in different markets around the world" before the start of 2010, CEO Bjorn Rebney informed MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday.

Rebney said he was open to any promotion that offered "the right opportunity," though he anticipated the champions - featherweight Joe Soto, lightweight Eddie Alvarez, welterweight Lyman Good, and middleweight Hector Lombard - would fight above their natural class if they moonlighted elsewhere.

"In all likelihood, they will fight in bouts analogous to what Anderson Silva or B.J. Penn would do, fighting outside their weight in a non-title fight, challenging themselves," said Rebney.

Reading this and I can't help but have a giant pit in my stomach.

Bellator's first season was suppose to be a success with a second season soon to follow, which would include an improvement in television venue. But now we hear of delay, no new television deal and a change in format. The latter is not exactly a bad thing but the fact that Rebney is talking about having his champions move around in weight and fight outside of Bellator is troubling to say the least.

Here's hoping that this is just paranoia.

[Update: Note by Zak Woods, 09/03/09 11:10 AM EDT ]

Despite all my fretting things might not be that bad. Rebney talked to MMA Fanhouse and said that Bellator season two will be available to 150 million homes and that Bellator has made a new T.V. deal though they won't say whom. But season two will debut in the first quarter on 2010.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney Part 1 of 4 (via mmafightingtv)