Bellator heads to Budapest, Hungary for the third time on April 6, and they bring a battle of young, undefeated featherweights.
Strabane, Nothern Ireland’s James Gallagher (7-0) takes on Budapest’s very own Adam Borics (6-0) in the Bellator 196 main event. The co-main event will see Bellator Kickboxing 125-pound title-holder Denise Kielholtz (1-1) return to MMA as she takes on Lena Ovchynnikova (12-5, 1NC).
In addition to the MMA card, Bellator 196 will also feature kickboxing action with the return of Bellator Kickboxing.
James Gallagher vs. Adam Borics headlines Bellator 196
A longtime training partner of Conor McGregor under the tutelage of John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland, James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher has been on a tear since joining Bellator MMA in 2016.
The 21-year-old has won four-straight under the Bellator banner, winning his debut via unanimous decision and picking up three consecutive submission wins afterward. Most recently, he was seen submitting Chinzo Machida at Bellator 180 in New York City.
Now, fully recovered from a knee injury that took him out of his planned bout vs. Jeremiah Labiano at Bellator 187, Gallagher is ready to take on a fellow undefeated rising prospect.
Adam “The Kid” Borics joined Bellator MMA last year following a run in Final Fight Championship and Hungarian Fighting Championship – winning and defending the featherweight title in the latter.
He has only had one fight under the Bellator banner, taking out Anthony Taylor by submission at Bellator 177 in Hungary last April. He enters April 6 with home-field advantage yet again and looks to pick up the biggest win of his career when he takes on James Gallagher.
Denise Kielholtz return in the co-main event
Bellator women’s kickboxing flyweight champ Denise Kielholtz is riding high following her first MMA victory over Jessica Middleton earlier this year at Bellator 188, while Lena Ovchynnikova will enter the Bellator cage on April 6 looking to duplicate the success she had the last time she competed in Hungary, a TKO victory over Helen Harper. When the pair of flyweights competes at Bellator 196, look for both to keep the fight on their feet, making for an exciting standup battle.
Bellator 196 will take place at BOK Hall in Budapest, Hungary on April 6, 2018. The two feature fights of the night have been announced now, but more should come in the coming days.
No fights for the Bellator Kickboxing portion have been announced, though K-1 legend and veteran of over 100 kickboxing fights, Alexey Ignashov – “The Red Scorpion” – is rumored to compete on the card.
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