MMAmania.com today learned from sources close to the situation that Bellator MMA has elected to release one of its more notable Welterweight fighters, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran, Ben Saunders.

When reached to confirm the news, Bellator CEO, Bjorn Rebney, provided the following statement:

"I've been a 'Killa B' fan for years, and Ben’s given 100 percent of his heart every single time he’s stepped into the Bellator cage. After competing in three Bellator tournaments, Ben could never get to the top of that mountain, and as we continue to grow and expand I spoke to Ben and we both decided it was time to move in a different direction, so we provided Ben his complete release"

Saunders' last appearance for the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion came at Bellator 100 back in Sept. 20, 2013, losing in devastating fashion to Douglas Lima (watch the knockout highlights here) and ending his third run at the170-pound title.

With a record of 16-6, it will be interesting to see what the MMA future holds for Saunders, 30, who has performed well (7-3) over the years, but just not well enough.

Keep it locked on MMAmania.com for more news and notes on this situation as it develops.