Photo by Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA – Cass Bell will fight on the North Coast for the first time in seven years this weekend.

By Ray Hamill — A busy month of local MMA action continues this weekend, as legendary local fighter Cass Bell gets set to fight in his native county for the first time in seven years.

Just one week after another successful night of fights at the Bear River Casino, Bell will face off against Tim Riscen in the co-main event at Blue Lake Casino’s Bringing the Heat Vol. 1 on Saturday night.

The seasoned fighter, who is nicknamed “The Mean Green Fighting Machine,” is 6-3 as a pro, with all nine of those fights having taken place out of the area, most at Bellator events in San Jose.

And while Bell has always brought a large contingent of fans with him wherever he fights, this time his supporters finally get the opportunity to see him fight in his own backyard.

And he’s hoping that home support can lift him to another victory.

“I’m so stoked to be able to fight in my home town in front of everybody here,” he said. “I’m been waiting to bring it back home.”

Saturday’s event, which will feature 10 or 11 fights total, will be the first fight night at the Blue Lake venue in several years.

“It’s kind of cool,” Bell said. “I was the last one to fight there, when I won an amateur title, and now I’m a pro trying to win another title there.”

Bell last fought in March at a Bellator event, when he lost a split decision to Josh Hill, whom he’s hoping to get a rematch with.

A good showing on Saturday may help towards that goal.

His 145-pound fight against Riscen (7-6) is one of three pro fights on the card, along with his Institute of Combat teammates Dupree Stewart and Gabriel Smith, each of whom will be making their pro debuts in front of the North Coast crowd.

Stewart will face off against unbeaten JJ Torres (2-0) in a 170-pound fight, while Smith will fight Carlos Morales (0-1) at 125 pounds.

Stewart was scheduled to make his pro debut on the same Bellator card as Bell in March, but his opponent was forced to drop out at the last minute.

All of the local fighters made weight on Friday, including Bell, who had missed weight for his last fight.

Saturday’s event is almost sold out, with just a few tickets remaining, and the excitement has been building around Bells’ return to the North Coast.

“Everybody I know said they’re super excited,” Bell said. “They know it’s going to be a high level card. Everyone’s stoked about it.”

Doors open at 5 p.m., with the fights scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

The fights will be available on pay per view through TKOtix.com.