Who Will Reportedly Be Replacing Steve Mowry At Bellator 242?
Like many combat sports promotions recently, Bellator’s return to action has hit a bit of a road bump.
Heavyweight prospect Steve Mowry is off of Bellator 242, the promotion’s first event back since February. The 28-year-old ended up posting on Instagram that he tested positive for COVID-19.
“So, uhhh long story short, I’m not fighting because of a positive COVID-19 test. 2020, am I right?”
Mowry (7-0) made his MMA debut in 2016. Fighting primarily for Titan FC, he made his Bellator debut in 2018. His last bout was in October, beating Gokhan Saricam at Bellator 231 for his third win in a row via kimura submission.
Scheduled to face Rudy Schaffroth, Bellator has been looking for an opponent to replace Mowry. The Between The Rounds Podcast and MMA Junkie were able to report that Ras Hylton will fight on Friday’s card. Hylton must pass COVID-19 testing and quarantine before a bout can become official.
Schaffroth (6-1) is looking for his third win with Bellator. Making his debut in 2016, Schaffroth joined Bellator in 2018. He won two in a row before losing to Tyrell Fortune in his last bout at Bellator 225 in August.
Hylton (5-4) is 2-3 in his last five fights. The 32-year-old lost to Terrance Jean-Jacques back in February via submission. He has been trading wins and losses since 2018 and would be making his Bellator debut.
Bellator 242 will be taking place on July 24 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The main event will be Sergio Pettis v. Ricky Bandejas.