Bellator Lightweight Champion Patricky Pitbull will get the first chance to defend his belt next month, facing Sidney Outlaw in the main event of a card.
Pitbull and Outlaw are scheduled to headline Bellator 283, which is set for July 22nd at the Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel in Tacoma, Washington, USA.
The fight was announced by Bellator on Tuesday.
Pitbull earned champion status last year, picking up a second-round finish win over Peter Queally at Bellator 270. That fight also avenged a loss that Pitbull took to Queally earlier that year via doctor stoppage.
Bellator’s lightweight championship was vacated before that fight earlier this year, as brother Patricio Pitbull decided to drop the title after losing his featherweight belt.
The upcoming fight marks the first time that Outlaw has been in a Bellator title fight. He is getting this opportunity after putting together a solid run with the promotion, scoring three wins through four appearances since 2019.
Outlaw last appeared in June 2021, submitting veteran Myles Jury late in the third round via rear naked choke.
Rising Jackson To Face Former Champ
A high-level fight in Bellator’s welterweight division is also expected to take place in the co-main event. In that bout, former champion Douglas Lima will face rising talent Jason Jackson.
Jackson has quickly climbed up Bellator’s ranks in recent years. He is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, including victories over Benson Henderson and Neiman Gracie.
He will now face Lima, who is attempting to snap a three-fight skid. He has lost a trio of bouts since 2020, including a title bout against Yaroslav Amosov and a rematch versus Michael Page.
Full Lineup
Lower on the main card, undefeated prospect Usman Nurmagomedov is expected to return against Chris Gonzalez.
Also, the Bellator debut of Tofiq Musayev has been re-booked. The RIZIN standout is expected to face Adam Piccolotti on the prelims of the card.
Here’s how the lineup looks currently:
Main Card (Showtime)
Bout 6: Patricky Pitbull (24-10) vs. Sidney Outlaw (16-4) (Bellator Lightweight Championship)
Bout 5: Douglas Lima (32-10) vs. Jason Jackson (15-4) (Welterweight)
Bout 4: Usman Nurmagomedov (14-0) vs. Chris Gonzalez (7-1) (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card (Youtube)
Bout 3: Adam Piccolotti (13-4) vs. Tofiq Musayev (18-4) (Lightweight)
Bout 2: Romero Cotton (6-0) vs. Dalton Rosta (6-0) (Middleweight)
Bout 1: Gadzhi Rabadanov (17-4-2) vs. Bobby King (12-4) (Lightweight)
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