Melvin Guillard vs. Chidi Njokuani catchweight bout headlines Bellator 171

A 175-pound catchweight matchup between 14-year veteran Melvin Guillard and fellow knockout artist Chidi Njokuani has been booked as the headlining bout of Bellator 171.

The event takes place Jan. 27 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. As with all Bellator events, the night’s main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie, though the night’s official bout order has yet to be revealed.

Guillard (32-16-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) seeks his first official Bellator win. “The Young Assassin” originally earned a devastating knockout win over David Rickels at July’s Bellator 159 event (which also took place at Kansas Star Arena), but the result was later overturned when Guillard tested positive “for a non-performance enhancing banned substance.”

Guillard was expected to serve a one-year suspension, but according to MMAFighting.com, the Kansas Athletic Commission reduced the term to six months after the fighter attended rehab and paid a $10,000 fine.

Meanwhile, Njokuani (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) carries a seven-fight winning streak into the matchup. The 28-year-old is perfect under the Bellator banner, owning wins over Andre Fialho, Thiago Jambo Goncalves and Ricky Rainey.

With the addition to the card, Bellator 171 now includes:

• Melvin Guillard vs. Chidi Njokuani
• Aaron Derrow vs. David Rickels
• Chris Harris vs. Jordan Young

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