Good, Hornbuckle Meet in Bellator Season 5 Qualifier on May 14

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Although Bellator Fighting Championships has yet to close out its fourth-season welterweight tournament, the promotion is already eying participants for its next 170-pound bracket.

Former titleholder Lyman Good and second-season finalist Dan Hornbuckle will square off for a spot in Bellator’s Season 5 welterweight tournament at Bellator 44 on May 14, the promotion announced Monday.

The MTV2-broadcast event will emanate from Caesars Atlantic City Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., and will be headlined by a non-title bout between middleweight champ Hector Lombard and UFC vet Falaniko Vitale. Also slated for the main card is the Season 4 lightweight tournament final between Brazilian knockout artist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire and undefeated wrestler Michael Chandler.

The winner of Bellator’s inaugural welterweight tourney in 2009, Good had his title lifted by current champ Ben Askren in a five-round sweep last October. The 25-year-old Tiger Schulmann pupil took out previously unbeaten Chris Lozano in their March quarterfinal, but was eliminated by Olympic judoka Rick Hawn on April 2 in a razor-thin split decision.

Hornbuckle, 30, also seeks entrance into his third Bellator tournament. Like Good, “The Handler” was decisioned by Askren in 2010, snapping a six-fight win streak of all finishes. After topping Brad Blackburn in a Season 4 qualifier last August, Hornbuckle was edged out by Brent Weedman in the tournament’s opening round on March 5, dropping a hotly contested unanimous decision.