Former Bellator Kickboxing champion Gabriel Varga signs exclusive deal with Karate Combat

Former Bellator Kickboxing champion and two-time Bellator veteran Gabriel Varga has signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Karate Combat.

Promotion officials announced the new deal ahead of the company’s upcoming fourth season, which will debut early next year.

A fourth-degree Shotokan black belt, Canada’s Varga (1-1 MMA, 18-6 kickboxing) competed twice in MMA under the Bellator banner, most recently in February 2020. However, he was much more established in the kickboxing world, earning both the Bellator and GLORY featherweight titles.

Varga earned the Bellator belt with a 2018 win over American kickboxing standout Kevin Ross.

“If you’re a fight fan, you know who Gabriel Varga is,” Karate Combat president Adam Kovacs stated. “The world titles he has held speak for themselves – he’s one of the most elite strikers on the planet. It’s a pleasure to welcome him home to karate, and I’m excited to see such a world-class fighter enter The Pit.”

Karate Combat bills itself as “the global leader in full-contact professional karate fighting.” The promotion has promised “further major signings to be announced and wider global distribution than ever before.”