The Bellator Summer Series kicks off June 25. | Photo Courtesy: Bellator
Reigning featherweight King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro (145.75) will enter the eight-man draw as a prohibitive favorite, as he meets Genair da Silva (145) in the quarterfinals.
Sandro last appeared at Sengoku Raiden Championship “Soul of Fight” in December, when he surrendered his SRC featherweight crown to Hatsu Hioki at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. The defeat, just the second of his career, snapped the 34-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt’s three-fight winning streak. Spawned by the same Nova Uniao camp as current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Sandro has secured 10 of his 17 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. A potent finisher and devastating puncher, he has nine-, 19-, 21- and 38-second wins on his ledger. Sandro has sent more than one man out of the ring on a stretcher.
A Renovacao Fight Team product, Da Silva will carry a five-fight winning streak into his promotional debut. “Junior PQD” last fought under the Capital Fight banner in November, when he took a split decision from Adriano Goncalves at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil. Da Silva has delivered more than half (six) of his 10 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.
Bellator 46, which will air on MTV2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, will also feature the three other featherweight tournament quarterfinals: Pat Curran (145.5) vs. Luis Palomino (144.75), Adam Schindler (145) vs. Ronnie Mann (145) and Nazareno Malegarie (145.5) vs. Jacob Devree (144.5).
Marlon
Sandro (145.75) vs. Genair da
Silva (145)
Pat
Curran (145.5) vs. Luis
Palomino (144.75)
Adam
Schindler (145) vs. Ronnie Mann
(145)
Nazareno
Malegarie (145.5) vs. Jacob
Devree (144.5)
Jessica
Aguilar (113.75) vs. Carla
Esparza (115.5)
Josh
Samman (184.5) vs. Dan Cramer
(185.25)
Tony
Johnson Jr. (265.5) vs. Derrick
Lewis (247.75)
Moyses
Gabin (185.5) vs. David
Baggett (191.5)
Sam
Jones (151.5) vs. Alexandre
Bezerra (151.5)