Bellator 196: The Battle of Budapest
While the attention of the MMA world may be turned towards Brooklyn on Saturday night, just 24 hours prior, we're in for a treat as Bellator 196 lands in Budapest, Hungary. The event, which will also feature the return of Bellator Kickboxing, has been turned upside down on more than one occasion - and yet, the end result is still a top quality main card with five fights that are bound to cause a stir.
In the main event we'll see former UFC champion Benson Henderson attempt to bounce back from consecutive losses, meanwhile, Roger Huerta will be returning to the cage for the second time in four months in an attempt to make it three wins in a row. It's not the clash we were expecting to see at the top of the card, but its one that you can't argue will be explosive.
Adam Borics, who was aiming for this to be his star-making moment in his homeland, will indeed throw down at BOK Hall despite having two different opponents drop out. The undefeated youngster will take on Teodor Nikolov, in a 6-0 vs 11-1 contest that could make some noise.
Denise Kielholtz's transition into mixed martial arts will continue against Petra Castkova, in a bout which could define the careers of both women. Kielholtz knows that she needs to make a strong impression on such a big stage, and Castkova has absolutely nothing to lose given that she was added to the event just a few days ago. Will we see fireworks on Friday night?
Giorgio Belsanti won't be a name that is either well known or favoured amongst fans heading into this event, which could make him incredibly dangerous. The Italian goes one on one with the always popular Brian Moore, who continues to try and find some consistency in the wake of a recent loss to AJ McKee.
Now, in what is set to open the card, we arrive at one of the most interesting fights of the year thus far - Ed Ruth vs Ion Pascu. Ruth has been one of the most talked about prospects in an awfully long time following his amateur wrestling days, and with a 4-0 record, he'll have confidence as he prepares to tackle the Romanian brute Pascu.
Sportskeeda will be there LIVE on the night to keep you updated with the latest updates, as Bellator prepares for a blockbuster evening in Budapest.