Hollywood, Pērā i. (Jan. 10, 2017) – A catchweight bout pitting Melvin Guillard (32-16-2, 3 NC) ki Chidi Njokuani (16-4, 1 NC) will serve as the main event of Bellator 171 at the Kansas Star Arena on Jan. 27.

The SPIKE-televised main card will feature the return of “The King of Kansas” Rawiri Rickels (17-4, 2 NC), who will meet Aaron Derrow (14-8). Te mutunga, a middleweight fight pitting undefeated prospect Chris Harris (7-0) ki Jordan Young (5-0) will be featured during the preliminary portion of the event.

Tikiti hoki Bellator 171: Guillard vs. Njokuani tīmata i $24 a kei runga i te hoko i teie nei i KansasStarEventCenter.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.

After beginning his professional career 11-0, Guillard continued to make a name for himself under the direction of UFC, where he fought 22 times over a nine-year stint. “The Young Assassin” has made 50 professional appearances inside the cage over his 15-year career, making him one of the most experienced veterans Njokuani has ever faced. Ki te 21 o tona 32 professional wins coming by way of knockout, we can be sure to see fireworks fly when Guillard returns to action inside Kansas Star Arena on Jan. 27.

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Njokuani enters the cage riding momentum of an impressive streak that has seen him win seven consecutive bouts and 11 o tona whakamutunga 12. Mai hono i te whakawehi Bellator MMA i roto i 2015, the 28-year-old Njokuani has collected three victories, including a pair of knockout finishes. Te nuinga tata, “Chidi Bang Bang” made quick work of rising star Andre Fialho i ‘Bellator 167,’ handing the Portuguese powerhouse the first loss of his young career with a brutal stoppage just 21 seconds into the fight. Ki te 10 o tona 16 career wins coming by way of knockout, Njokuani brings a fearless style of fighting that pairs perfectly with his equally unshakable opponent Guillard.

Whakahōutia Bellator 171: Guillard vs. Njokuani Kāri Main:

175 LB. Catchweight Main Event: Melvin Guillard (32-16-2, 3 NC) vs. Chidi Njokuani (16-4, 1 NC)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Dave Rickels (17-4, 2 NC) vs. Aaron Derrow (14-8)

Updated Preliminary Card:

Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (7-0) vs. Jordan Young (5-0)