Mike Kimbel, one of Bellator MMA’s young and rising prospects is heading back to the cage this summer, and will do so in his home state.
Kimbel will face Chris Disonell in a bantamweight matchup at Bellator 225, multiple sources have confirmed to The Body Lock. The event will take place Aug. 24 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. and will be headlined by a heavyweight divisional rematch between Matt Mitrione and Sergei Kharitonov.
After starting off his professional career, and Bellator MMA run, with a pair of highlight-reel finishes, Kimbel would suffer a submission loss to fellow New Englander John Douma at February’s Bellator 215 event at Mohegan Sun. “The Savage” was able to bounce back from his lone professional defeat at Bellator 222 in June, picking up a decision victory at Madison Square Garden against Sebastian Ruiz.
Disonell, 26, will make his seventh professional appearance and his organizational debut at Bellator 225. “Showbiz Diz” has spent the majority of his professional career competing for the Ring of Combat promotion, where he has compiled a 2-2 record for the organization. In his most recent appearance, Disonell took on Chaka Worthy at last month’s Maverick MMA 13 event in Stroudsburg, Penn. and was defeated via unanimous decision.
Along with the bantamweight matchup, Mitrione and Kharitonov will look to solidify, finally, who the better fighter is. At Bellator 215 back in February, the pair headlined the event in a fight that only lasted 15 seconds. Unfortunately, there was no conclusion to the bout as Mitrione accidentally drilled Kharitonov with a low blow kick that caused a stop to the action. The impact of the kick left Kharitonov unable to continue and the fight was declared a no contest.
Also confirmed for the event is another heavyweight matchup featuring a former member of the UFC roster. Timothy Johnson will look to pick up his first victory in the Bellator cage when he takes on Valentin Moldavsky, who has won all three of his fights in the organization.