Super stoked for Dave finally getting his shot!!
Bellator MMA lightweight champion Will Brooks will seek his first title defense against Dave Jansen on April 10 in Irvine, California.
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Dave Mandel/SherdogBellator MMA lightweight champion Will Brooks will make his first title defense on April 10.
Sources confirmed the 155-pound title bout to ESPN.com on Wednesday. The televised event will take place inside Bren Events Center.
In addition to the main event, a middleweight bout between Joe Schillingand Rafael Carvalho has been booked for the April date.
Brooks (15-1) won the vacant Bellator title in a TKO victory against former champion Michael Chandler in November. Fighting out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, Brooks is 7-1 inside the Bellator cage and coming off back-to-back wins over Chandler (12-3) in 2014.
ESPN.com ranks Brooks, 28, the No. 6 lightweight in the world.
Jansen (20-2) earned a title shot under Bellator's old tournament format in 2013, advancing through the lightweight bracket with wins against Magomed Saadulaev, Ricardo Tirloni andMarcin Held. He defeated Rick Hawn via unanimous decision in a nontitle, nontournament bout in October.
Schilling (2-3), who is also a professional kickboxer, is coming off a stunning second-round knockout over Melvin Manhoef in November. Carvalho (10-1) knocked out Brian Rogers in the first round of his Bellator debut in September.
http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/1...ile&rand=ref~{"ref":"http://t.co/DG8XdPhgrF"}
Bellator MMA lightweight champion Will Brooks will seek his first title defense against Dave Jansen on April 10 in Irvine, California.
[+] Enlarge
Dave Mandel/SherdogBellator MMA lightweight champion Will Brooks will make his first title defense on April 10.Sources confirmed the 155-pound title bout to ESPN.com on Wednesday. The televised event will take place inside Bren Events Center.
In addition to the main event, a middleweight bout between Joe Schillingand Rafael Carvalho has been booked for the April date.
Brooks (15-1) won the vacant Bellator title in a TKO victory against former champion Michael Chandler in November. Fighting out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, Brooks is 7-1 inside the Bellator cage and coming off back-to-back wins over Chandler (12-3) in 2014.
ESPN.com ranks Brooks, 28, the No. 6 lightweight in the world.
Jansen (20-2) earned a title shot under Bellator's old tournament format in 2013, advancing through the lightweight bracket with wins against Magomed Saadulaev, Ricardo Tirloni andMarcin Held. He defeated Rick Hawn via unanimous decision in a nontitle, nontournament bout in October.
Schilling (2-3), who is also a professional kickboxer, is coming off a stunning second-round knockout over Melvin Manhoef in November. Carvalho (10-1) knocked out Brian Rogers in the first round of his Bellator debut in September.
http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/1...ile&rand=ref~{"ref":"http://t.co/DG8XdPhgrF"}
