Bellator title shot at stake for Long Island's Anthony Leone

There was a time when Anthony Leone lost four straight fights and was dropped from WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator, three of the four biggest mixed martial arts promotions out there.

That time was a 12-month span from June 2010 to May 2011.

Fast forward to October 2013, and here's Leone, the Center Moriches native, on the cusp of a Bellator title shot. Leone, winner of four straight bouts, fights Rafael Silva in the Bellator Season 9 bantamweight tournament final. The Bellator 102 fight is Friday night and will air live on Spike TV starting at 9 p.m. ET.

The winner earns a rather large $100,000 check and will face Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas at a later date. Leone would become the second Long Islander to win a Bellator tournament, joining Freeport-raised Jay Hieron (Season 4 welterweight).

Leone's win streak includes a split decision over former champ Zach Makovsky last December.