Bellator veterans Maki Pitolo and Justin Sumter will collide on the Contender Series with the hopes of punching their ticket to the UFC.
The big hit show, Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, is back for a third season this summer. Contracts have been sent out and many fights have already been confirmed. Sources have now confirmed to Cageside Press that a middleweight bout between Justin Sumter and Maki Pitolo will go down on July 9th.
Sumter, who was interviewed by Cageside Press earlier this year, competed last season on the Contender Series, losing to UFC middleweight Ian Heinisch. Since that loss, Sumter did rebound with a win last February. The 29-year-old trains out of Fighting Arts Academy with the well-known Nick Newell.
Sumter has fought for promotions like CES and is 1-1 in Bellator. His last appearance was a win against Reginaldo Felix at Bellator 216. “The Fort” is 7-2 as a professional from Springfield, Massachusetts.
Standing across the cage from Sumter will be Hawaii’s Maki Pitolo. “Coconut Bombz” is 11-4 as a professional. After a pair of losses, Pitolo is now currently on a two-fight win streak. Pitolo has fought for Bellator, CFFC, and Victory FC. He was the former Victory FC welterweight champion.
Pitolo was supposed to compete last season on the Contender Series against Chibwikem Onyenegecha. Unfortunately, Pitolo had to pull out due to injury. Since then, he did get a win at Bellator 213 in December of last year.
