A labrum injury has forced Rob “The Saint” Emerson off of the July 31st fight card, where he was originally scheduled to face longtime Bellator veteran Patricio Pitbull. That won’t stop Pitbull from stepping in the cage, as Jared Downing will now battle the explosive Brazilian striker live on Spike TV. The night will also feature a Bellator Lightweight World Title fight as defending Bellator Champion Michael Chandler puts his title on the line against David “The Caveman” Rickels, while Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren will defend his title against Russian phenom Andrey Koreskov.
Rob Emerson injured, Jared Downing steps in for Patricio ‘Pitbull’ at Bellator 97
“This is a great opportunity for me, one I couldn’t pass up,” Downing said. “I’m happy to be back with Bellator and really start a new chapter. I thought Patricio won his last fight against Curran, so I know I’m going to be getting one of the best featherweights in the world, and that’s why I signed with Bellator. I want to get this win, make my way into a tournament and become a Bellator World Champion.”
Only 24, Downing joins Bellator at 9-2, including a 2010 Bellator victory over Danny Tims.
“It takes a ton of heart to accept a fight less than 20 days out, especially when you have to step in the cage with one of the most dangerous men in the world in Pitbull,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Jared is a guy we’ve had our eye on for a while and win or lose, he’ll make a great addition to our featherweight ranks.”
The full fight card for July 31st is below:
MAIN CARD
Bellator Lightweight World Title Fight: Michael Chandler (11-0) vs. David Rickels (14-1)
Bellator Welterweight World Title Fight: Ben Askren (11-0) vs. Andrey Koreschkov (13-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: King Mo (10-2) vs. Jacob Noe (12-2)
Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final: Ryan Martinez (10-2) vs. Vitaly Minakov (11-0)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Jared Downing (9-2) vs. Patricio Pitbull (17-2)
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Lightweight Feature Fight: Cris Leyva (9-5) vs. Will Brooks (9-1)
Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Rafael Silva (19-3) vs. Rodrigo Lima (11-1)
Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals: Anthony Leone (12-5) vs. Frank Baca (16-2)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Mike Barreras (5-6) vs. Bubba Jenkins (3-0)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Javier Palacios (1-0) vs. Richard Jacques (1-0)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Jeremy Kimball (9-3) vs. Keith Berry (15-10)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Adrian Cruz (4-0) vs. Felipe Chavez (5-3)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (1-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (1-0)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Cliff Wright Jr. (7-4) vs. Donald Sanchez (28-13)
