Yoel Romero will challenge for the light heavyweight title in the Bellator 290 co-main event.
Promotion officials verified to MMA Junkie following an initial report from CBSSports.com that Romero will face the winner of Friday’s Bellator 288 light heavyweight title fight headliner between champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The event airs on CBS and is headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between champion Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko.
Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), a four-time UFC title challenger, has won two of three fights since signing with Bellator. After dropping a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut, the 45-year-old snapped a four-fight losing skid by scoring consecutive third-round knockouts of Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef.
The latest Bellator 290 lineup includes:
- Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
- Vadim Nemkov/Corey Anderson winner vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
