Full Card For Bellator’s July Return Revealed
Bellator is officially back in business!
The promotion sent out a release announcing that it will return to action on July 24 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Paramount Network will host the main card bouts while YouTube will host the prelims. This will be the first fight card for Bellator since Bellator 240 in Dublin.
“On July 24, Bellator is back,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “I am thrilled to announce our return event this month at Mohegan Sun, which has always been an incredible venue partner for us. The team has worked tirelessly to make this show happen and I know the fighters are ready to compete. We put together an exciting card with great matchups, featuring some of our best rising prospects. We look forward to our fans joining us on Paramount Network for what will surely be a memorable night of action inside the Bellator cage.”
🚨🚨BREAKING🚨🚨
Bellator is back next Friday on @ParamountNet!#Bellator242 pic.twitter.com/Yb9NC5bl0N
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) July 15, 2020
The event will reportedly be called Bellator 242 and will be put on without fans. The last initial event for the promotion, Bellator 241 on March 13 in Uncasville, was eventually postponed, the first major MMA event to disappear from the fight schedule.
The main event will be the previously announced Sergio Pettis v. Ricky Bandejas. Pettis (19-5) is on a two-fight win streak. The 26-year-old made his professional debut in 2011 and started with the UFC in 2013. He ended up 9-5 with the promotion, his last fight a win against Tyson Nam in September. A free agent, Pettis signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator. He made his promotional debut in January, beating Alfred Khashakyan at Bellator 238 via submission.
The 28-year-old Bandejas (13-3) signed with Bellator in 2018 following a run with CFFC. He beat James Gallagher in his debut at Bellator 204. The New Jersey native is 3-2 with the promotion and is on a two-fight win streak. He last fought in February, beating Frans Miambo at Bellator 240.
The co-main event will be Jason Jackson v. Jordan Mein. Jackson (11-4) is 2-1 with Bellator and has competed for Titan FC and LFA. Competing on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, Jackson last fought in December, beating Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 236 via unanimous decision.
Mein (31-12) will be making his Bellator debut after a long stint in the UFC. The former Strikeforce competitor went 5-4 with the UFC and is currently on a two-fight winning streak. He beat Alex Moreno via unanimous decision in July 2018. Mein signed with Bellator back in January.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back major sports with Bellator MMA for what will be an amazing fight event airing on Paramount Network,” said Tom Cantone, President of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE). “Mohegan Sun has done an incredible job with a comprehensive and extensive safety plan for all guests, team members and partners, and we know our friends at Bellator will really enjoy their stay and have another great experience at our world-class arena.”
Here is the full card for Bellator 242:
Bellator 242 Main Card (Paramount Network, 10 p.m. ET)
Ricky Bandejas v. Sergio Pettis
Jason Jackson v. Jordan Mein
Tywan Claxton v. Jay Jay Wilson
Aaron Pico v. Chris Hatley, Jr.
Bellator 242 Prelims (YouTube, 8:45 p.m. ET)
Logan Storley v. Mark Lemminger
Raufeon Stots v. Cass Bell
Steve Mowry v. Rudy Schaffroth