Bellator 171 set for Jan. 27 in Kansas; Rickels-Derrow, Harris-Young booked for show

Bellator’s early 2017 schedule continues to build with a return to the Midwest.

Bellator 171 is set for Jan. 27 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., the promotion today announced. The main card will air on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie, and tickets go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster or the venue box office.

The promotion also announced two fights for the card and expects to announce a main event in the coming weeks. In a lightweight bout, Kansas’ own David Rickels (17-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) will take on Aaron Derrow (14-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). And in a middleweight fight between a pair of unbeatens, Chris Harris (7-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is set to meet Jordan Young (5-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Rickels, one of Bellator’s most veteran fighters, has had an up-and-down stretch for nearly four years. After a four-fight winning streak in 2012-2013, he’s been on an eight-fight run without back-to-back wins. He’s 3-3 in that time – with a pair of no-contests. Most recently, a loss to Melvin Guillard at Bellator 159 was flipped when Guillard failed a drug test.

Derrow had a five-fight skid in 2012-2013, but since then has won two straight fights. In October 2014, he took a unanimous decision from Nate Jolly at Bellator 130 – which was his most recent outing. The Missouri-based fighter will be getting back in the cage after more than two years on the sidelines.

Harris returned to Bellator in July and finished Matt Foster in just 83 seconds with a rear-naked choke. His promotional deut came in February with a unanimous decision win over Julian Marquez at Bellator 150, which stands as the only time he’s gone the distance in his seven-fight career.

Young, from Iowa, started his pro career in 2014 with four straight choke submission wins. In February, at Victory FC 48, he went the distance for the first time in a unanimous decision win over Cameron Olson.

For more on Bellator 171, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.