The Bellator 195 main event is set, and it will feature bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell defending his title for the first time.
Bellator 195 has its headliner. Bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell’s first title defense will go down atop the card, the promotion announced on Tuesday. Caldwell will defend the title against Leandro Higo in what looks to be an exciting Bellator 195 main event. The card takes place March 2 at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma. It will air exclusively on the newly formed Paramount Network, which is replacing Spike TV.
Caldwell (11-1) captured the title against Eduardo Dantas in October. 8-1 in Bellator since his debut for the promotion in 2014, he will have a chance to work on establishing a legacy as champ in the company. With wins over former champion Joe Warren, and bantamweight tournament winner/former title challenger Rafael Silva, Caldwell has blossomed from prospect to proven talent.
Opposite Caldwell in the cage at Bellator 195 will be Leandro Higo (18-3). A product of RFA and later LFA (where he earned gold), Higo dropped his promotional debut in Bellator to Dantas in a split decision at Bellator 177 in April. He bounced back, however, with a unanimous decision victory over Joe Taimanglo at Bellator 184.
Curiously, Higo was lined up to fight for the title once before, the fight against Dantas. He missed weight, however, and the fight was contested without the title on the line. It seems Bellator has faith that his weight troubles are over, given they are scheduling him for his second title shot within a twelve month period.
Additional bouts will likely be announced for the event in the coming weeks.
