Girtz vs. Piccolotti, Carmont vs. Vassell booked for Bellator 165 in San Jose

Bellator’s November return to San Jose, Calif., has a pair of new fights for the main card, as well as eight prelims.

Brandon Girtz (14-4 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) is set to take on Adam Piccolotti (8-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in a lightweight fight on the main card, and Francis Carmont (25-11 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will meet Linton Vassell (16-5 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout. Bellator officials announced the new bookings today.

Bellator 165 takes place Nov. 19 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Girtz has won three straight fights and five of his past six. At Bellator 146, he knocked out Derek Campos 37 seconds into the fight. Prior to that, he took a split decision from Melvin Guillard and had a 57-second knockout of Benny Madrid at Bellator 126.

Piccolotti will be fighting on his home turf. He hails from nearby Half Moon Bay, Calif., and his past three Bellator fights all have been in San Jose. All three of those have come by submission, as well, after a decision win in his promotional debut at Bellator 133.

Carmont got back in the win column at Bellator 158 with a first-round submission of Lukasz Klinger in London. In Bellator’s single-night light heavyweight tournament at Bellator 142, he had a unanimous decision win over Anthony Ruiz as a tourney alternate, then made the final when Muhammad Lawal had to withdraw with an injury. But against Phil Davis, he was knocked out in the first round.

Vassell was part of the Bellator 142 light heavyweight tournament, as well. But he was matched up against Lawal and lost a unanimous decision. He rebounded form that loss with a unanimous decision victory over Emanuel Newton at Bellator 149 in February, though, and now will try to make it two straight.

The Bellator 165 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Champ Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson – for lightweight title
• Fernando Gonzalez vs. Michael Page
• Francis Carmont vs. Linton Vassell
• Brandon Girtz vs. Adam Piccolotti

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

For more on Bellator 165, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.