Pride, Strikeforce Veteran Sergei Kharitonov Signs with Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA has added another noteworthy name to its roster, signing Russian heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov to an exclusive, multi-fight contract.

Sherdog.com confirmed the deal on Wednesday with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. Kharitonov is expected is expected to make his Bellator debut in May.

Kharitonov, 35, has competed for Pride Fighting Championships, Dream and Strikeforce over the course of a professional career that began in 2000. The Moscow native has compiled a 23-5 career mark and owns notable triumphs over the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski and Pedro Rizzo, to name a few. All but one of his triumphs have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

More recently, Kharitonov has won five straight bouts over the past three and a half years while competing in his native Russia. In his last outing, the he scored a first-round technical knockout against Kenny Garner at M-1 Challenge 59 this past June.