A middleweight title bout has been scheduled for Bellator 214.
Reigning champion Gegard Mousasi will defend his 185-pound gold against Rafael Lovato Jr. The title bout will take place inside The Forum in Inglewood, California on Jan. 26. This is the same night that Fedor Emelianenko will meet Ryan Bader to crown a new Bellator heavyweight champion.
Bellator president Scott Coker announced the middleweight title bout on Twitter:
Gegard Mousasi-Rafael Lovato Jr. for the Bellator Middleweight Title on Jan. 26 in L.A. pic.twitter.com/wPEyNLq3Z3
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) November 20, 2018
Mousasi had been adamant about defending his title against Lovato because he felt the rising 185-pounder earned his shot. Bellator officials clearly agree with the champion. One month prior to Bellator 214, Lyoto Machida will meet former champion Rafael Carvalho. A Machida victory all but guarantees him the winner of Mousasi vs. Lovato Jr.
“The Dreamcatcher” is coming off a one-sided thrashing over welterweight title holder Rory MacDonald. Mousasi successfully defended his gold via second-round TKO. Meanwhile, Lovato Jr. is coming off a submission victory over John Salter to improve his professional mixed martial arts record to 9-0. Lovato Jr. has only gone the distance once in his nine fights.
Bellator 214 will be going up against UFC 233. Both events are taking place in California and are slated to be big events. UFC 233 is expected to feature at least one title bout and the promotional debut of former Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren.
When the big night of fights arrives, you can stick with MMA News for live coverage of both Bellator 214 and UFC 233. We’ll be bringing you live results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits from both events.
Who is your early pick, Gegard Mousasi or Rafael Lovato Jr.?
