Bellator Fighting Championships signs heavyweight prospect D.J. “Da Protege” Linderman
PRESS RELEASE / CHICAGO, Ill. (August 23, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of heavyweight prospect D.J. “Da Protege” Linderman to its rapidly expanding roster. The California native brings an impressive 8-1 record to the promotion and is currently riding a three-fight win streak.
Although Linderman was signed after the completion of the Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament roster, he remains ready and available should there be complications with any of the remaining fighters.
“D.J. Linderman is a great addition to our heavyweight talent-pool,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He is a powerful heavyweight that has a tremendous amount of potential. We’re happy to have him on board and look forward to see what he does in our steadily growing heavyweight division.”
Standing at 6’2” tall and tipping the scales near the 250 lb. mark, Linderman has made use of an impressive wrestling base to rack up eight impressive victories in the heavyweight division during his two years spent as a professional in the sport. A skilled ground fighter, Linderman works for the takedown and looks to control his fights on the canvas before utilizing brutal ground and pound or making use of his dangerous submission arsenal.
At just 26-years-old, Linderman currently trains out of Team Do Somethin’ in Yreka, CA. “Da Protege” holds an impressive victory over Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament participant Mike “300” Hayes as well as a KO win against American Top Team veteran Mario Rinaldi last November.
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Man!-BFC is the champion of finding unknown talent
A heavyweight with solid wrestling + impressive submissions would be an absolute force.
I don’t think Linderman is at the top level of either, but he’s evidently good enough at both to get himself to 8-1. I just hope he can continue to evolve his game.
Should he not get an opportunity to jump into the tourney then I hope they give him a fight towards the end of the season so we can see him in action… BFC!
Finding new heavyweights is tough. They are the ultimate sales-tool for your promotion and the UFC PPV sales show that they are in fact ‘what the people want.’
The local Philly MMA scene has been a little quit on that front until Azunna Anyanwu “ZU” stepped into the cage. These weekend, in only his second amateur fight, he dropped a 6-0 monster in pretty spectacular fashion. Read the story and check the video here: http://www.thirdpopmma.com/daily/2010/8/23/locked-in-the-cage-5-goes-suburban-but-maintains-the-quality.html
Da Protege?
really?
that is facepalm worthy.
No.