The undercard is taking shape for Bellator 221: Chandler vs. Pitbull.
Bellator MMA is returning to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois for a major night of fights on May 11th.
In addition to the main event between lightweight champion Michael Chandler and featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, the promotion confirmed on Tuesday that a welterweight tournament semifinal between Douglas Lima and Michael Page will be on the card, as well as a key featherweight bout featuring rising star A.J. McKee against former champion Pat Curran.
Lima (30-7) won his quarterfinal bout against fellow ex-champion Andrey Koreshkov, submitting him with a rear-naked choke in the final round of their trilogy. Page (14-0) won a mostly tepid unanimous decision over fellow British striker Paul Daley this past Saturday. The winner of this one will advance to the final and a chance to win the $1 million prize, as well as the Bellator welterweight title.
McKee (13-0) is one of the most prominent prospects on the Bellator roster. The son of former MMA fighter Antonio McKee, A.J. has notable wins over Justin Lawrence and John Macapa, and most recently submitted Daniel Crawford last December. Curran (23-7) is on a three-fight winning streak, including a decision over Macapa in his last bout in October 2017. He was slated to face McKee at Bellator 212 last year, but withdrew due to injury, and McKee instead faced (and knocked out) Macapa.
Former WWE star Jake Hager, aka “Jack Swagger,” will also be a part of Bellator 221, although his opponent is to be determined. He won his MMA debut against J.W. Kiser at Bellator 214 last month in California.
Bellator 221 airs live on DAZN, with a main card start time of 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. And yes, it’ll run opposite UFC 237, which takes place in Curitiba, Brazil.