Scott Coker has added another fighter from his Strikeforce days.
Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, the former husband of women's MMA star Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino, has signed a multifight contract with Bellator MMA, a source told ESPN.com. Santos (20-16) will make his organizational debut April 22 on the main card of Bellator 153 in a welterweight matchup against Brennan Ward (13-3) in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The 38-year-old Santos went 1-3 in his time under the Strikeforce banner from 2009-2011. Also a veteran of PRIDE, Santos announced his retirement from the sport in May 2014 after losing to Melvin Manhoef by TKO in 46 seconds. "Cyborg" ended his retirement this January, defeating Artenas Young via unanimous decision at Legacy Fighting 50.
Santos will face the 27-year-old Ward, who is riding a four-fight winning streak. Ward, a former welterweight title contender, defeated Ken Hasegawa by second-round submission at RIZIN Fighting Federation's New Year's Eve card. The native of Waterford, Connecticut, will fight at Mohegan Sun Arena for the sixth time under the Bellator banner.
The event is headlined by a welterweight title fight between Andrey Koreshkov and Benson Henderson. Henderson, a former UFC lightweight champion, also will be making his debut with the company on the card. It wasn't confirmed whether Ward-Santos will be the co-main event of the card.
Santos and Justino separated in December 2011 after six years of marriage. Santos holds wins over Francis Carmont and Marius Zaromskis.
