El Gran Premio Mundial de Peso Gallo de Bellator tendrá que comenzar sin el campeón de la división. Sergio Pettis se vio obligado a retirarse del campo por lesión. Junto con el anuncio del retiro de Pettis llegó la noticia de que Juan Archuleta intervendría en la pelea de primera ronda planeada de Pettis con Raufeon Stots en Bellator 279 el 23 de abril. La pelea entre Archuleta y Stots se disputará por el título interino de las 135 libras.
Pettis, cuya lesión no fue revelada, viene de la mayor victoria de su carrera, reteniendo su campeonato en Bellator 272 en diciembre con un dramático regreso por nocaut al ex campeón Kyoji Horiguchi. Tiene un perfecto 4-0 en la jaula de Bellator, incluida una victoria sobre Archuleta en Bellator 258 para capturar el cinturón. En los torneos Grand Prix de Bellator, el campeón defiende su título en cada ronda, lo que lleva al ganador del torneo a irse con el campeonato y un premio de $1 millón.
Archuleta ya era uno de los ocho hombres en el campo oficial, aunque su oponente de primera ronda aún estaba por determinar. Bellator 279 será su primera pelea desde que perdió el campeonato ante Pettis. Ganó el cinturón entonces vacante en Bellator 246 con una victoria sobre Patchy Mix.
Stots tiene marca de 5-0 en Bellator, incluida la participación en una de las mejores peleas de Bellator de 2021, una impresionante victoria por decisión sobre Magomed Magomedov. Con Pettis retirándose de la pelea, Stots pierde la oportunidad de pelear por el campeonato de las 135 libras, pero aún puede hacer una gran declaración contra un ex campeón al mismo tiempo que intenta obtener un cinturón interino.
La defensa del título de peso pluma femenino de Cris Cyborg contra Arlene Blencowe ahora servirá como cabeza de cartel de Neal S. Blaisdell Arena en Honolulu. También en la tarjeta hay otra batalla de primera ronda en el torneo de 135 libras cuando Kyoji Horiguchi lucha contra Patchy Mix.
Todavía no se sabe quién ocupará el lugar de Pettis en el torneo, aunque Josh Hill se convirtió oficialmente en el suplente del torneo después de un brutal nocaut sobre Jared Scoggins en diciembre.
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