Eduardo Dantas vs. Mike Richman is on again.
Initially scheduled for Bellator 135, the bantamweight match-up was rebooked as co-main event for Bellator 137 in Temecula, California, on May 15, the promotion announced today. The main card is now complete with the addition of Virgil Zwicker vs. Razak Al-Hassan and Fernando Gonzalez vs. Curtis Millender.
“I’m pumped that we were able to reschedule the Dantas-Richman fight so quickly,” Bellator president Scott Coker stated in a release. “Last Friday, Bellator saw two amazing bantamweight contests that produced a new champion and a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. Both Dantas and Richman are extremely exciting fighters who are undeniable standouts in a bantamweight division with a lot of depth.”
Dantas and Richman were expected to collide on March 27, but “The Marine” was forced out of the card with an injury. Dantas (16-4) fights for the first time since losing the 135-pound title to Joe Warren in October, while Richman (18-5) looks to go 3-0 since cutting down to bantamweight.
In the light heavyweight division, Al-Hassan (12-4) makes his first appearance in the Bellator cage against Zwicker (13-4-1), who is 1-1-1 in the promotion with a win and a draw against Houston Alexander after losing to Linton Vassell in his debut. UFC veteran Al-Hassan only went the distance once in his 12 MMA wins.
Gonzalez (23-13), a former Strikeforce and WEC fighter, tries to impress once again after scoring consecutive victories over Marius Zaromskis, Karo Parisyan and Karl Amoussou in three Bellator fights, while Millender (7-1) looks to get back on track after suffering his first professional loss to Brennan Ward in February.
Bellator 137 takes place at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula and features undefeated middleweight champion Brandon Halsey against Kendall Grove in the main event.