Field set for season 8 Bellator featherweight tourney

The field is set for Bellator’s next featherweight tournament.
The company recently announced the full field of eight fighters for the 145-pound tourney, the winner of which will receive a title shot at current champion Pat Curran.
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The field is set for Bellator’s next featherweight tournament.

The company recently announced the full field of eight fighters for the 145-pound tourney, the winner of which will receive a title shot at current champion Pat Curran.

All four-first round fights will take place at Bellator 88 on Feb. 7 at the Gwinnett Center in Atlanta.

Marlon Sandro is the biggest name in the tournament. He’ll face Akop Stepanyan (12-4) on Feb. 7.

“There is nothing in this world I want more than the Bellator Featherweight Title, and this is my road,” said Sandro, who was a finalist in the most recent Bellator featherweight tourney. “I love Bellator with all my heart and I know my opportunity is now.”

The remaining bouts feature Fabricio Guerrero (17-1) against Frodo Khasabulaev (18-5); Pop Bezerra (14-2) against Genair DaSilva (13-4), and Mike Richman (13-2) vs. Mitch Jackson (19-2).

Bellator 88 will be headlined by a fight for the vacant middleweight title, as Alexander Shlemenko, who is on a nine-fight win streak, meets Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao. The belt was vacated when Hector Lombard left the company for the UFC.