The fourth and final opening round matchup in the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix will feature Bellator’s current welterweight champion Rory MacDonald (20-5) defending his title in the tournament against Jon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC) when Bellator returns to the Bay Area inside SAP Center at San Jose on Saturday, April 27.
In addition, undefeated Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (9-0) will return to action against Boise, Idaho’s Veta Arteaga (5-2) in the co-headliner. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Bellator: MacDonald vs. Fitch will stream live exclusively on DAZN, the fastest-growing sports streaming service in the world, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.
Inarguably one of the greatest 170-pound fighters walking the planet, MacDonald returns to the welterweight division following a once-in-a-lifetime “champion vs. champion” matchup against Gegard Mousasi in 2018. Now, “The Red King” sets his sights on one million dollars and clearing the landscape at welterweight, entering a tournament where he will defend his belt each and every time he steps inside the cage.
First up for the British Columbia, Canada-native is Fitch, a 40-fight veteran who has gone toe-to-toe with the some of the sport’s best, including Georges St-Pierre, B.J. Penn, Jake Shields and Paul Daley. Now, close to home, the AKA trained-fighter will have his first shot at Bellator gold.
Macfarlane closed out 2018 in style, remaining undefeated and defending her title in front of a sold-out Blaisdell Arena during Bellator’s debut in Hawaii. Finishing Valerie Letourneau via submission was the toughest test of the 28-year-old’s budding career, but now it’s back to business for the only flyweight champion in Bellator history, as she puts her belt on the line against Veta Arteaga in the co-main event.
A native of Boise, Idaho, Arteaga has called Bellator home since 2016, when she made her promotional debut against Macfarlane’s Team Hurricane Awesome teammate Jackie Vandenburgh, a fight she won via unanimous decision. Now, after racking up three more victories, including wins against Bellator Kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz and former flyweight title challenger Emily Ducote, 31-year-old Arteaga is ready for her opportunity to become champion.
Below is the current fight card:
Welterweight World Grand Prix Title Bout: Rory MacDonald (20-5) vs. Jon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC)
Flyweight World Title Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (9-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (5-2)
