Bellator has rescheduled their featherweight finals originally from season 7 between Rad Martinez and Shabulat Shamhalaev. The two tournament finalists will square off at Bellator 90 on February 21 at the Maverick Center in West Valley City, Utah, the promoted announced Friday.
Martinez and Shamhalaev were initially scheduled to face one another in the main event at Bellator 83 at Caeser’s Atlantic City, NJ before a last-minute sickness with food poisoning forced the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to cancel the contest after witnessing Shamhalaev vomiting backstage.
Martinez and Shamhalev will battle for $100,000 and a title shot against the featherweight champion. Currently, however, season 6 featherweight tournament winner Daniel Straus is awaiting a title shot between the winner of current champion Pat Curran and Patricio Freire.
A Utah resident, Martinez earned his way into the finals with decision wins over jiu-jitsu black belts Nazareno Malegarie and Wagnney Fabiano. Shamhalaev earned first-round stoppages in the quarter and semifinals against Cody Bolllinger and Mike Richman, respectively, to move to the finals.
Bellator 90 will air on Spike TV at 10 p.m. ET with the prelims broadcast on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET.