Bellator 214’s original co-main event is off the table now that no suitable replacement for champion, Gegard Mousasi, was found.
Bellator 214’s co-main event won’t have either of its original fighters now.
After middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi was forced out of the card after an injury back in December, his challenger, Rafael Lovato Jr, has also been removed from the event because no suitable opponents were found.
Due to the change, featherweights Aaron Pico and Henry Corrales will be the new co-main event, according to MMA Fighting’s report.
A decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor, Rafael Lovato Jr. (9-0) has won five of his nine fights under the Bellator banner. During the run, he scored wins over the likes of Charles Hackman, Mike Rhodes, Chris Honeycutt, Gerald Harris and most recently, John Salter. All but one of those victories came by way of knockout or submission.
Gegard Mousasi (45-6-2), is on a three-fight winning streak in Bellator, with victories over the likes of Alexander Shlemenko, Rafael Carvalho and Rory MacDonald. It is unclear whether or not the fight will be rescheduled for a future card.
Bellator 214 will take place on January 26, in Inglewood, California. The card will be headlined by the heavyweight tournament final between Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader.