Rafael Lovato Jr. was all set to challenge Gegard Mousasi for the middleweight title at Bellator 214, but then Mousasi suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the event.
It would appear now that Lovato Jr. is off the card because MMA Junkie is reporting the fighter will no longer compete at Bellator 214 because a suitable replacement opponent could be found.
With the middleweight title bout participants being pulled from the card, a featherweight division attraction between Aaron Pico and Henry Corrales will serve as the co-main event of the show.
A fifth fight is expected to be added to the main card in the coming days, but that bout hasn’t been announced at this time. It is unknown if the title bout is going to be rescheduled for a future date or if the champion and the challenger will go their separate ways.
The bout would’ve served as the second title defense for Mousasi, while it would’ve been Lovato Jr.’s first attempt to win gold in Bellator MMA.
Bellator 214 takes place on Saturday, January 26 from The Forum in Inglewood, California with Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on the Paramount Network.
