Juliana Velasquez vs. Denise Kielholtz Announced For Bellator 262

Juliana Velasquez’s first Bellator Women’s Flyweight Title defense has been set.

Bellator has announced that Velasquez will be putting her gold on the line against Denise Kielholtz. The title fight will headline Bellator 262 on July 16. The action will be held inside the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT and fans will be allowed to attend.

Here’s what Velasquez had to say about putting her gold on the line against Kielholtz in a press release.

“I’m extremely excited and happy to get back in the BELLATOR cage and defend my title for the first time. I’ve been training really hard, and I’m fully prepared to put on an incredible performance for my fans. Denise has been a great champion in the BELLATOR kickboxing ring, but this MMA belt is mine and it will be going back to Brazil with me after the fight.”

Kielholtz chimed in, discussing how much this title opportunity means to her.

“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for since I was a child. My journey in martial arts started when I was nine years old. I have earned multiple championships from kickboxing and judo and I feel like the universe has put everything together. All the hard work, all the sacrifices I have made in my life have all led me to this opportunity. This will be the crowning achievement of my career. This is mine.”

Velasquez captured the gold back in December 2020. She defeated the previously unbeaten Ilima-Lei Macfarlane via unanimous decision.

As for Kielholtz, she’s riding a four-fight winning streak. In her most recent outing, Kielholtz knocked out Kate Jackson in 43 seconds.