Higo doesn't make weight and fights Dantas won't be for the title

L. Higo (left) will not be able to be champion over D. Dantas (right) (Photo: Bellator)

The Brazilian Leandro Higo, who was scheduled to compete for the Bellator bantamweight title, did not make weight for the category and his duel against compatriot Eduardo Dantas, current champion of the category, will no longer be worth the 61 kg belt. The two would face each other in a green and yellow duel for the title in the main fight of Bellator 177, which will take place in Hungary, this Friday (14). The information about Higo's failure comes from journalist Jason Floyd and was confirmed by the North American website MMA Fighting.

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Like the champion Dudu Dantas, who trains at Nova União with Renan Barao, José Aldo and company, reached the weight limit, the duel with Higo was transformed into a normal fight, which will not be worth his title – this means that, even in the case of defeat, Dudu remains champion. Dantas would defend his belt for the second time in the new period as Bellator's top bantamweight. He previously won the division title in 2012 against Zach Makovsky, but lost it in 2014 to Joe Warren after defending it twice.

Initially, Dudu was going to face Darrion Caldwell, who was injured and gave way to Higo. The former challenger trains with Bethe Correia and the brothers Patricio and Patricky Pitbull, and will make his Bellator debut. Leandro had a stint on TUF Brasil 4, losing to Bruno Korea at home. Since then, Higo has only accumulated victories, and is on a streak of eight victories. During this period, he won the RFA and LFA titles (the combination of RFA and Legacy FC).