Less than four years after making his professional mixed martial arts debut, Steve Carl is hoping to make a name for himself during the Bellator welterweight tournament.

Carl is no stranger to a challenge. He is a veteran of the Iraq War, where he served as a U.S. Army sergeant. He first began training in MMA about five years ago while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and has since compiled a professional record of 12-1. Known for decisive submission techniques, Carl is looking to utilize his immense power to force opponents to respect his ground game early on in the tournament.

Carl received widespread attention earlier this year thanks to a rear naked choke submission of the previously undefeated Ivan Ivanoff at the M-1 Challenge in Bulgaria. The win drew the attention of matchmakers from all of the top MMA promotions, particularly Bellator.

In addition to his time in the U.S. armed forces, Carl has been faced with another test of character that will surely factor into his upcoming welterweight tournament appearance. In December 2006, he was involved in a horrific car crash on an icy Iowa road that shattered his right leg and left doctors questioning whether he would ever walk again without the use of a cane. His career in fighting, they said, was almost certainly over. Carl, though, was undeterred, and began a rigorous conditioning and physical therapy regimen that put him back in the cage in roughly 18 months. During his first few bouts after his return, he fought with a titanium rod implanted in his leg.

Carl hopes to continue his MMA success as he enters the Season 2 of the Bellator Welterweight World Championship in April 2010. In a division packed with top-ranked talent, Carl will in good company as he competes alongside seven other title hopefuls for the chance to emerge as the No. 1 contender and enter a title match against current Bellator Welterweight Champion, Lyman Good at the culmination of the tournament season.

Carl is a recent college graduate and a native of northeast Iowa.