Shahbulat Shamhalaev captures the Bellator Season Seven Featherweight tournament
After an injury to Season Six Bellator Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Straus, the Bellator promotion has found a new opponent for it’s 145-lbs champion Pat Curran (18-4) to face come April 4th.
Stepping in will be recent Season Seven Tournament winner Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-1-1) who just earned his title shot last Thursday with a win over fellow finalst Rad Martinez.
Curran and Shamhalaev will headline Bellator 95 which is expected to take place on April 4, 2013 at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The two will headline the Spike TV broadcasted main card.
News of the matchup was announced by Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney on Wednesday afternoon after he Tweeted (@BjornRebney) the news to the world.
– Great news @assassinshah vs @PatCurranMMA for World Title April 4th on @SpikeTV live at @RevelResorts. KO artist vs. KO artist. Don’t blink!
Curran defended his title for the first time last month at Bellator 85 by winning a split decision over Brazilian Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire. The win was Curran’s fifth straight victory. Previous to that he stopped former champ Joe Warren to capture the 145-lbs title and earned wins over Marlon Sandro, Ronnie Mann, and Luis Palomino to win the 2011 Summer Series Tournament.
Shamhalaev has a long undefeated streak as well, having gone 10-0-1 in his last eleven dating back to November 2009 where the Russian went 3-0 in one night and 3-1 in that month. Shamhalaev won three straight (T)KO finishes in the Bellator cage to win the tournament, having KO’d Martinez last Thursday, Mike Richman at Bellator 79 and finished Cody Bollinger by TKO at Bellator 76.