War Machine Rejoins Bellator Fighting Championships

Embattled welterweight War Machine (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver) has re-signed with Bellator Fighting Championships. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

News of the signing comes just weeks after War Machine's third-round TKO win over UFC veteran Roger Huerta at UWF 1. Prior to the bout, the 29-year-old served a one-year jail sentence on a felony assault conviction after a slew of bar fights.

"Jon's not had an easy road," said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. "And there's no doubt he's made some poor choices, but after having had conversations with him since his release, he really seems to understand where and why things went wrong and wants to make them right. And, when he's focused on nothing but training and fighting, he's a talented and exciting fighter. I hope he's able to turn this second chance into something positive."

War Machine (12-4), a former cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 6, first signed with Bellator in 2009, but was released before setting foot inside the cage for making disparaging political comments. The fighter then transitioned into a short-lived career in pornography until his arrest.

"My past has kind of shaped and molded who I've become," War Machine said. "But the mistakes I've made in the past have definitely made me realize that I have to avoid certain situations in order to be the type of person I want to be.

"It's like I hit the rewind button," he concluded. "I pressed rewind and now I have a chance to get my life back on track. It feels great. Not everyone gets this kind of opportunity. I'm just stoked to be back in the mix here with Bellator. I didn't get released from Bellator because I sucked. I got released because I was making poor decisions in my life. Right now I'm just out to show the world that I do belong here fighting the best with Bellator."