The Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix is expected to kick off at Bellator 226 on September 28 and the first bout announced for the grand prix is a featherweight title defense according to ESPN as Patricio Pitbull puts the gold on the line against Juan Archuleta.
Pitbull (29-4-0) is making the third defense of the championship, last defending it against Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 209. Pitbull is also the current Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion, defeating Michael Chandler at Bellator 221 to win the gold. Pitbull will come into the contest riding a four fight winning streak and he hasn’t been beaten in almost three years.
Archuleta (23-1-0) is undefeated thus far under the Bellator MMA banner, defeating William Joplin, Robbie Peralta, Jeremy Spoon, Ricky Bandejas and Eduardo Dantas. Archuleta has suffered a single defeat as a professional MMA fighter and that came against Andres Ponco at the World Series Of Fighting 19. Archuleta has seen eleven of his twenty four professional MMA bouts go the distance and the fighter won all of those encounters.
Bellator 226 takes place on Saturday, September 28 from The Forum in Inglewood, California with Patricio Pitbull and Juan Archuleta headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, while broadcast plans have yet to be announced.
