Cass Bell, left, waits for the decision to be announced after Friday’s fight in Connecticut.

Cass Bell ended a three-year wait on Friday, getting his first win in the MMA cage since December 2019.

The Arcata-based professional fighter won a split decision in a bantamweight showdown against Jared Scoggins on his return to action at Bellator 289 in Connecticut.

It was his first fight since April of last year and he was coming off back-to-back losses in the cage.

But the 35-year-old showed he’s not done yet and got the victory in a close showdown, coming through unscathed.

“I’m back baby!” Bell announced on social media shortly after the fight. “Thank you all so much for your support, I couldn’t have done it without you!”

It was also Bell’s first fight in front of a live crowd since his 2019 win, with both of his losses coming behind close doors in the midst of the pandemic.

“It felt so good to be back in front of a crowd,” he added. “Nothing I love more than coming in to a fight as the underdog, and while I didn’t get the finish, I’m  glad to be back in the winners column!”

The busy Bell, who fights out of the Institute of Combat, also is the head coach of the Arcata High wrestling team and hopes to be back in time for an early-season tournament at McKinleyville High on Saturday.

“I’ll be back in action soon,” he posted. “I took no damage so I’ll be back at Institute of Combat Monday for training, and if my flights all go smoothly I’ll be home coaching my high school team tomorrow afternoon.”