“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 originally wrote online to his fans. “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.”

As it turns out, the dwindling passion Pellegrino had seemingly lost didn’t take long to locate.

Last night, Bellator FC introduced their newest lightweight signing – Pellegrino – to the audience during the Bellator 49 broadcast where it was also announced the 32-year old grappler’s first fight would come on November 26 at Bellator 59 against Season 4 tournament finalist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.

Though terms of the deal were not revealed it’s likely one of the primary factors in Pellegrino’s decision to sign, rather than simply money, may have been Bellator’s frequent stops in his home-State of New Jersey. Bellator 49 took place in Atlantic City as will Bellator 59 when he makes his promotional debut.

Pellegrino is 16-6 in his career but coming off back-to-back decision losses in the UFC. Prior to the defeats, neither of which he was dominated in, “Batman” had won four straight including victories over and Thiago Tavares and Josh Neer.

His opponent in November, the 9-2 Freire, has beaten Rob McCullough and Toby Imada in the Bellator ring. Six of his total wins have come via TKO.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/BELLATOR

“At this time I am choosing to take some time off and step away from the sport as a fighter,” Pellegrino wrote. “Over my most recent fights I have come to the realization that at this point I no longer can, nor want to make fighting my first priority.”

Elaborating on his decision, the 32-year old continued, “I want to take the time to regroup, refocus, and rethink what it is that I want to do going forward. I want to do things that I enjoy right now and refresh my mind. I want to concentrate on my BJJ game and improve it. I want to work on my boxing game and improve that also. I’d like to compete in some grappling tournaments again like the old days and maybe even try my hand at a pro boxing fight. I want to have fun training again, bottom line.”

Pellegrino was last seen in the Octagon on the wrong end of a Split Decision against Gleison Tibau this past March. However, according to Pellegrino, rather than basing the change in career on performance, his choice ultimately boiled down to spending more time with his wife and children after enduring the grind of competition for the past few years.

“Most importantly I want to spend more time with my family. My daughter is four years old and I can’t tell you how much of her life I’ve missed dedicating my life to training for fights. I did so willingly and I’ve made a lucrative career with the UFC, but I’m not sure I could ever say any amount of money was worth it. My wife and I just welcomed a baby boy and I can’t bare the thought of missing as much of his ‘firsts’ as I did my daughters.”

Before wrapping things up Pellegrino offered his appreciation to fans and made it clear he is content with whatever outcome his potential retirement may bring.

“It is bittersweet to possibly end my career on a loss and something I will have to deal with on my own, but overall it has been a rewarding eleven years for me and I want the end to be on my terms and no one else’s. 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. 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.”

If Pellegrino has indeed seen the inside of the Octagon for the final time in his career he will exit Mixed Martial Arts with a 16-6 record and wins over a number of his respected peers including Josh Neer and Mac Danzig. He also notched a “Submission of the Night” winning victory over Fabricio Camoes in front of his home-State fans at UFC 111 in addition to “Fight of the Night” honors after a three-round battle with Thiago Tavares in 2008.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The New Jersey Native brought in the legendary strength and conditioning coach for his camp consequently it seems to have had a major effect. Chaimberg has worked with superstars such as Georges St-Pierre, Denis Kang, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, David Loiseau, Keith Jardine and his work is paying off with Pellegrino.

Pellegrino will be back inside the octagon next month when he faces of against Camoes at UFC 111 a fight which could propel Batman even further up the UFC lightweight ladder and put him in the thoughts of Dana White about a potential title fight after three consecutive wins in the UFC.

Pellegrino was forced out of a fight with number one contender Frank Edgar due to herniated discs in his back. With speculation about his back not being fully recovered from that injury Kurt gave his opinion on whether he will ever be recovered from the injury and how disappointing it was to miss out on the chance to fight Edgar. He also revealed how he opted out of back surgery as he felt it would be the end of his career.

Pellegrino also stressed his desire to be the number one contender in the UFC and challenge for the belt this year. So expect big strides from ‘Batman’ this year.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently caught up with Kurt to discuss a variety of topics such as the camp for his his upcoming bout with Canoes, a neverending back injury, rising to number one at 155 pound in 2010, and much more.

Daniel Craggs of FiveOuncesofPain.com: Your coming off three straight wins in the UFC against Josh Neer, Rob Emerson and Thiago Tavares your next fight is against Fabricio Camoes, are you feeling confident going into this fight?

Kurt Pellegrino: Yes, I’m feeling very confident during training right now.  I feel on top of the world and very grateful for my past 3 wins, I just look to keep it going.  I will make this fight better than all 3 of those fights combined.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: How’s your camp going for the upcoming fight?

Kurt Pellegrino: Camp is going great.  Working on a few new aspects of my game.  I brought in Jon Chaimberg as a strength and conditioning coach (coach of Georges St Pierre & Kenny Florian) and he is amazing…making me feel like a monster.  I had some great fighters come in and help me train including world champion boxer Miguel Cotto.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: How did the move back the New Jersey to train change your preparation in your last couple of fights?

Kurt Pellegrino: It really did change up a lot of my game. I found myself going back to my mean and nasty old roots and it made me tougher. Florida is awesome and I miss the constant warmer and sunny weather, but I felt it was more of a place to relax and retire, here in Jersey the winters are nasty and it just makes you concentrate in nothing but training.  Jersey strong!

FiveOuncesofPain.com: You were forced to pull out of your expected fight against Frankie Edgar at the TUF 10 finale, how disappointed where you to miss out on the chance to fight Edgar?

Kurt Pellegrino: That was a huge disappointment, especially because I know it would have been a great fight.  I’ve never pulled out of a fight before because I’m always in denial that my injury isn’t that bad, but this was debilitating and I could hard even sleep at night, let alone train.  It was tough, but it’s all a part of this game.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Are you fully recovered from the herniated discs that forced you out of the fight?

Kurt Pellegrino: I think my back will always be an issue for me unfortunately.  I opted to not have back surgery because that would really pretty much mean the end of fighting for me, so I have some pain at some points but as long as I keep up with my weekly therapy and massages I have virtually no pain at all.  So I’m feeling great and sleeping more than 3 hours a night is always a plus! (laughs)

FiveOuncesofPain.com: If you weren’t an MMA fighter, what would you be?

Kurt Pellegrino: Worlds greatest husband and father (laughs)! In reality, I would be an instructor.  I currently own and operate my own academy, Pellegrino Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Belmar NJ  www.pellegrinomma.com so when I’m done fighting I will be spend even more of my time at the academy with my students.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Who is your hero and why?

Kurt Pellegrino: My all time hero is Dan Gable for the obvious reasons.  Even though it sounds funny I’d have to look up to my 3 year old daughter because she’s always so happy without a care in the world…great way to live (laughs).

FiveOuncesofPain.com: What do you like to do to relax?

Kurt Pellegrino: I’m a low key guy, I like to hang with my wife and daughter, ride my Harley, and teach BJJ, those are my 3 passions in life.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: What are your predictions for Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy and Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 111?

Kurt Pellegrino: I’m picking GSP by submission or KO and Frank Mir by submission.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Finally, What do you want the next year to hold for Kurt Pellegrino?

Kurt Pellegrino: For 2010 I want number one contendership and to follow it up with a title shot!

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Do you have any shout outs or thanks to say?

Kurt Pellegrino: Thank you Daniel.  Thanks to my fans as well.  Follow me on www.twitter.com/kurtpellegrino I’m always having contests and giving away free gear!

The news of the potential bout was recently confirmed by MMA Live, yet nothing has been signed as of this time.

Edgar is one of the top contenders currently competing in the UFC’s lightweight division with a career record of 10-1, and a UFC record of 5-1. Edgar has recently bounced back from the sole loss of his career at the hands of Gray Maynard by putting together back to back wins over Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk.

Pellegrino sports a career record of 14-4 and is currently on a three fight win streak in the Octagon with wins over the likes of Thiago Thavares, Rob Emerson, and most recently, Josh Neer.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the change and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the matchup with a source close to the fight.

UFC 101 is currently rumored to take place on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If the event is finalized for the “City of Brotherly Love,” the anticipated venue would be held the Wachovia Center. Five Ounces of Pain spoke with multiple sources earlier in the day that indicated that UFC officials would like a B.J. Penn UFC lightweight title defense vs. Kenny Florian to headline the event.

The Pellegrino vs. Neer bout features two fighters coming off impressive victories at UFC Fight Night 17, which was held last month in Tampa, Florida.

Neer took on The Ultimate Fighter season six winner Mac Danzig and submitted him in the second round with a triangle choke, earning an additional $30,000 for “Fight of the Night” bonus in the process.

Neer came into the fight on the heels of a New Year’s Eve arrest for DUI and eluding police. In spite of his legal trouble, the former Miletich Fighting Systems product recently signed a four fight extension with the UFC and will be looking for his fifth win in his last six fights. Neer’s only loss in the past 18 months was a hard fought split decision defeat against Nate Diaz during UFC Fight Night 15 in September of 2008.

Pellegrino submitted Rob Emerson with a rear naked choke in the second round the very same night as Neer’s win over Danzig. If UFC 101 takes place in Philadelphia, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Pellegrino, who is a New Jersey native. The grappling standout also relocated from Florida in recent months to open his own MMA academy in South Jersey.

Sam Caplan contributed to this report.

“(UFC CEO) Lorenzo (Fertitta), (UFC V.P. of Talent Relations) Joe (Silva) and I got together and thought yeah, he deserves the title shot,” MMA Junkie quotes White as saying. “How could you say, ‘No, he doesn’t deserve the shot’ after [that]?”

Despite the pronouncement that Evans will receive the next title shot at 205, White stopped short of say when and where the fight between he and Griffin would take place. Speculation had indicated that with a win over Evans, Liddell would receive a title shot vs. Griffin during the UFC’s annual New Year’s Eve weekend show in Las Vegas on Dec. 27. All signs point to Griffin vs. Evans taking place on that date, but nothing has been confirmed.

Both Griffin and Evans are former winners of Spike TV and the UFC’s hit reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter.” A matchup between season one and two winners could make for an intriguing storyline.

UFC awards $60,000 bonuses to Evans, MacDonald, Pellegrino, and Tavares

The UFC also announced during the post-show press conference for UFC 88 that four of its fighters had received $60,000 bonuses. Those fighters include Evans, Jason MacDonald, Kurt Pellegrino, and Thiago Tavares.

Evans was rewarded on top of his guaranteed salary and his win bonus with a third payoff in the form of a “Knockout of the Night” bonus thanks to a one-punch knockout of Liddell at 1:51 of round 2.

MacDonald was compensated for his rear naked choke victory over Jason Lambert at 1:20 of round 2 that garnered “Submission of the Night.” The bout was the second of the night and occurred live during the preliminary card but still was shown during last night’s telecast on a tape-delay basis.

Pellegrino and Tavares were awarded $60,000 each for their respective role in what the UFC determined was “The Fight of the Night.” Pellegrino won the fight via unanimous decision in the final live fight before the pay-per-view went live. Unfortunately, the Pellegrino vs. Tavares fight was only one of two fights last night that did not make it to air. However, the fight is now available free of charge on UFC.com.

UFC 88 attendance figures are strong

According to published reports, UFC 88 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta drew 14,736 fans for a total gate of $2.6 million.

Now we have final confirmation from Felix Martinez, the promoter himself:

It is with deep regret that I have to announce the cancellation of Cage Fury’s October 12th event. I did everything in my power to make this show happen for the fighters and the fans. However, I could not overcome the loss of a major investor for this show who decided to pull out at the last moment. With the loss of this investor, I cannot proceed with another first class event. It has always been my intention to provide the best combative sport entertainment that I could. I am very sorry for having to cancel this event and sincerely apologize to all the fighters, the fans, and our dedicated staff.

Felix Martinez, President, Cage Fury Fighting Championships

Just great. I was really looking forward to this card, too. I was looking forward to seeing how far Kimbo Slice had come since his last fight and how he would stack up against better competition. Not that Tank Abbott is top competition, but he’s a far cry above Ray Mercer when it comes to MMA. I was also looking forward to seeing Duke Roufus’ debut as well as seeing Ricardo Almeida make his way back into MMA.

Definitely a sad day for all the Kimbo marks like myself. Oh well, let’s hope EliteXC or Strikeforce picks him up. He would be perfect for one of these organizations.

“I was told I would never be here. I was thrown out of my school. I had nothing. If you ever meet me, the first thing I do is smile and shake your hand. And when I turn away I never call you a bad name. But at one time in my life, I hated everyone and didn’t speak to no one. And getting this belt will prove to everyone who said I can’t, that I could do it. I’m on a quest that isn’t gonna stop until I have that belt around my waist and I can tell everyone ‘I told you so.’ ”

If that doesn’t get you fired up to root for this guy, you need to crank up some Slayer and punch yourself in the face a few times.

Listen to the debut edition of Inside the Cage Radio.

Here are some notes from other MMA promotions:

• Wesley “Cabbage” Correia has been scratched from this Saturday’s Cage Rage 22 card in the UK due to injury, according to Cage Rage’s web site. Former UFC veteran Kimo Leopoldo has been tapped to step in and fight James Thompson in Correia’s place. If Thompson wins does it mean he gets the million dollar bounty offered by New Era Fighting (j/k)? The card will be streamed on ProElite.com starting at 1 p.m. ET.

• Bodog Fight will be holding their first-ever card in the U.S. this Saturday in Trenton, NJ. Eddie Alvarez is in the main event against Matt Lee. The show will not be airing on PPV but will instead be taped for future airing on the Ion network. I’ll be attending the card. If you’re going to be in the building as well, feel free to e-mail me at SCaplan8@comcast.net.

• Full Contact Fighter (FCFighter.com) is reporting that Ricco Rodriguez was denied entry into Canada meaning that his scheduled fight next Saturday against Ron Waterman is off. His camp is unaware of any reason as to why he would not be allowed into the country. Joe Riggs is also scheduled for the card.