BELLATOR MMA™ INTRODUCES FIRST INTERIM TITLE IN COMPANY HISTORY

TOP-RANKED TIM JOHNSON SQUARES UP AGAINST NUMBER THREE RANKED VALENTIN MOLDAVSKY IN HEAVYWEIGHT INTERIM TITLE TILT TO HEADLINEBELLATOR 261 Ijumaa, Juni 25 – LIVE ON SHOWTIME

OUTLAW FACES JURY HIGHLIGHTING A TRIO OF PRELIMINARY FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

LOS ANGELES –As current BELLATOR MMA heavyweight championRyan Badercontinues his pursuit of re-claiming his light heavyweight championship in the ongoing Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, BELLATOR MMA has officially introduced an interim title for the heavyweight division.

Siku ya Ijumaa, Juni 25, Je Si. 1 ranked heavyweightTim Johnson (15-6) na No. 3 ranked heavyweightValentin Moldavsky (10-1) will vie for the interim title in the main event ofBELLATOR MMA 261.The event will be available live on SHOWTIME, with the main card set to kickoff at9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, emanating from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The winner of the interim title will become Bader’s mandatory challenger when he returns to the heavyweight division or will be elevated to full champion in the event that Bader chooses to stay at light heavyweight following the culmination of the current Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

In addition to the main event, three additional preliminary bouts have been confirmed. Two lightweight bouts, Je Si. 5 nafasi Myles Jury (19-5) versus No. 6 nafasi Sidney Outlaw (15-4) na Isaiah Hokit (kwa mara ya kwanza) dhidi ya Aaron Hughes (1-1) have been confirmed. Pia, a women’s strawweight tilt pitting Lena Ovchynnikova (12-6, 1 NC) dhidi ya Kyra Batara (8-4) will also take place on June 25. The preliminary card of BELLATOR MMA 261: Johnson vs. Moldavsky streams live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.

Riding a three-fight win streak, UFC veteran Timothy Johnson firmly entrenched himself as the clear-cut number one contender in the BELLATOR heavyweight division with impressive first-round finishes overMatt MitrionenaTyrell Fortune.  His October 2020 ushindi juu yaCheick Kongo during the first-ever major MMA event in France catapulted him to the top of the division. Proudly hailing from North Dakota, but fighting out of Las Vegas, the Xtreme Couture-product is also won two national championships while wrestling at Minnesota State University and a heavyweight championship on the regional MMA circuit.

Training under the tutelage of heavyweight legendFedor Emelianenko, Valentin Moldavsky has begun carving out his own legacy, becoming the No. 3 ranked BELLATOR heavyweight and securing himself an interim title shot with a perfect 5-0 record within the confines of the BELLATOR cage. A multi-time European Sambo champion, Moldavsky has defeated top heavyweight contenders such asJavy Ayala, Linton Vassell, and Roy Nelson on his climb to the top. Born in Ukraine, the 29-year-old looks to join teammateVadim Nemkov and bring more gold to Team Fedor’s trophy case on June 25.

SHOWTIME streaming service is offering a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMA. Subscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 na zaidi ya, with all events scheduled to air live on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.

BELLATOR MMA 261: Johnson vs. MoldavskyKuu ya Kadi:

Showtime

9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

Interim Heavyweight Title Main Event: #1-Tim Johnson (15-6) vs. #3-Valentin Moldavsky(10-1)

Awali Kadi: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Strawweight bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (12-6, 1 NC) vs.Kyra Batara (8-4)

Lightweight bout: Isaiah Hokit (kwa mara ya kwanza) vs.Aaron Hughes (1-1)

Lightweight bout: #5-Myles Jury(19-5) vs. #6-Sidney Outlaw (15-4)