Updated at 4:33 p.m. ET to clarify Curran’s previous departure from Team Curran MMA.

Four weeks ago, former Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran packed up his life and moved from the Chicago suburbs to Boca Raton, Fla., in search of a fresh start.

Curran (21-7 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) on Tuesday told MMAjunkie he’s joined the famed Blackzilians camp, leaving behind his longtime gym, Team Curran MMA, and his management firm in advance of a meeting with Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) at Bellator 155.

The move brings Curran back to a place where he spent 20 years of his life before moving to the Midwest in search of an MMA career.

“I’m back in the area where I originally grew up,” said Curran, who co-headlines the Spike-televised main card on May 20 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. “Coming back home feels great. I love the environment. It’s definitely putting me in the right mindset.”

While Curran wouldn’t go into much detail about his departure from his longtime team, he said he came to the realization that he wasn’t getting what he needed from the camp, which his cousin, UFC and WEC vet Jeff Curran, heads.

“I was in Illinois a couple months ago and decided this isn’t working out, and I need to make a change,” Pat Curran said. “I need to evolve as a fighter, and what I’m doing right now wasn’t cutting it.

“I just felt like I was stuck and I wasn’t improving my game. I was thinking about retiring because I wasn’t enjoying it, and I lost my motivation and my drive. I just wasn’t feeling Illinois anymore. I was also in an unhealthy relationship, so getting away from that and clearing my head helped me refocus and find that drive again.”

It’s not the first time the former Bellator champ has wiped the slate clean while seeking to reboot his career, or considered hanging up his gloves in the midst of personal turmoil.

Following the loss of his belt to current champ Daniel Straus, Curran won back the title in a rematch, but then took up with the now-defunct Team Takedown in preparation for a title defense against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. After losing the title again, he made a public apology and returned to Team Curran MMA before his second departure. (Curran’s manager, Brian Butler of SuckerPunch Entertainment, said the fighter was released from his contract in the wake of his recent move.)

Following his loss to Straus, Curran admitted to suffering from severe depression and anxiety and taking medication to treat the issue before his professional rebound.

With a 1-1 record in his past two bouts and an upcoming meeting with Karakhanyan, Curran didn’t necessarily have a plan for his next step. He put his belongings in storage and briefly returned to Texas before inquiring about a spot with the Blackzilians, who welcomed him to the gym.

“Not having that stress and pressure has really brought out a different person in me and made me enjoy training again,” he said.

That doesn’t mean the move was without complications. Two weeks into his residency, the team lost featherweight Jordan Parsons as the result of a hit-and-run accident.

“It definitely is a very sad situation, and it’s hard to even wrap your head around it,” Curran said. “When I found out, I couldn’t believe it even happened.

“Definitely, it’s brought the mood down. But we’ve got to look past it and keep moving forward. Everyone is still about it, but the mood is starting to get a little better, and classes are starting to grow a little bit.”

Curran initially wasn’t sure if he would stay with Blackzilians, but he said he is sticking it out as the team regroups.

Meanwhile, Karakhanyan awaits. The fight offers another chance at redemption for a fighter who’s seen his share of ups and downs.

For more on Bellator 155, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.