Former Bellator Season 1 competitor Toby Imada returned to Bellator's second season for another chance at capturing the Lightweight World Championship belt.

Though he has been competing professionally in MMA since 1998, Imada made his biggest splash in the MMA world in 2009 thanks to his jaw-dropping inverted triangle choke submission of the heavily favored Jorge Masvidal at Bellator 5.

After absorbing two full rounds of punishment, Imada stunned the mixed martial arts world when he lured Masvidal into the now famous choke hold midway through Round 3. The move proved so effective that Masvidal was knocked unconscious on his feet and fell lifelessly to the mat before Imada was declared the winner.

The move was later dubbed "the backpack of doom" by ESPN/Sherdog.com blogger Jake Rossen and earned Imada "Submission of the Year" honors from the Fighters Only 2009 World MMA Awards and virtually every major MMA news site.

The win, meanwhile, earned Imada the right to face Eddie Alvarez for the first-ever Bellator Lightweight Championship title. The five-round championship bout proved evenly matched through Round 1, but shifted quickly toward Alvarez's favor as he trapped Imada just 38 seconds into Round 2 to claim a submission victory (rear naked choke.)

With his eyes set on vindicating his season 1 championship loss, Imada entered Bellator Season 2 determined not to let the judges' scorecards influence his fate. At Bellator 14, Imada submitted WEC veteran James Krause with a tight armbar halfway through Round 2 to advance to the second round of the lightweight tournament. 

At Bellator 17, Imada absorbed a flurry of first round punches from former college wrestler Carey Vanier before locking in an armbar that would force Vanier to submit 3:33 into Round 2. With the victory, Imada secured a spot in the lightweight tournament finals, one step closer to becoming the top lightweight contender.

Now, Imada once again finds himself in the Bellator Lightweight Tournament Finals. He will compete against the up-and-coming Pat Curran (10-3), who quickly gained the attention of the MMA world after an impressive first round KO of Mike Ricci and shocking defeat against MMA star Roger Huerta to earn a berth in the finals. The victor will earn a title fight against current champ Eddie Alvarez later this year.

Imada grew up in Mexico and Hawaii before eventually settling in Los Angeles, Calif., where he currently resides with his wife.