Bellator 278, Bellator 279 are hosting a 2-night event in April 22 & April 23. Cris Cyborg will be back as featherweight champion and the grand prix for bantamweight is set to begin.
Bellator bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis will defend it against Raufeon Stets in an initial round matchup at the grand prix tournament, while Patchy Mix faces former champion Kyoji Horiuchi in another featured bout at 135 pound.
All fights in the grand prix are contested over five rounds.
The two bantamweight bouts will kick off the eight-man grand prix, which will culminate with the land man standing as the Bellator 135-pound champion as well as taking home a $1 million grand prize.
Cyborg will be facing Arlene Blencowe as part of the double main event on Bellator 23.April HTML1. Cyborg previously defeated Blencowe by second-round rear naked choke in their initial meeting back in 2020.
Former Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will also make her return to action as she faces UFC veteran Justine Kish on the same card.
The fights were first announced via KHON in Hawaii on Tuesday.
Bellator 279 will have a full audience in attendance at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the promotion returning to Hawaii now that COVID-19 restrictions have been eased in the state. The Paramount owned company last traveled to the Aloha State in 2019.
For Bellator 278, there are no fights yet, but it will only be available to military personnel and first responders. There won’t be any tickets for the public.
