Rising Kiwi lightweight Jay Jay Wilson will return to the cage against Vladimir Tokov at Bellator 286 in California on October 11 (NZ time), Newshub can reveal.
'The Māori Kid' will be out to avenge his first loss as a professional, after he was edged via unanimous decision against Gadzhi Rabadanov back in March.
The fight was Wilson's first in the lightweight ranks, having decided to move up to combat ongoing issues with weight cuts in his original class of featherweight that resulted in two of his scheduled bouts being cancelled.
The decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt won seven straight fights in an eye-catching opening tenure with the burgeoning American promotion that catapulted him up the ranks and ear-marked him as a potential title contender, including a blitzkrieg second-round knockout of former title challenger Pedro Carvalho.
Six of those seven wins came via show-stopping finish, catching the eye of the combat sports world and earning him a spot on ESPN's list of the top 25 MMA prospects under the age of 25 years.
After his road bump against staunch Dagenstani Rabadanov, Wilson will be desperate to get back to the highlight reel ways which have quickly become a trademark and establish a foothold in his new division.
In Russian Tokov (7-1), Wilson will face another stern test. The 25-year-old grappling specialist has had his hand raised in three of his first four Bellator fights, most recently getting the better of Daniele Scatizzi via unanimous decision in February.
But San Diego-based Wilson's combination of elite grappling and high-energy Muay Thai–based striking poses plenty of questions of its own, which should amount to fireworks come October 11.
The Long Beach event will be headlined by two mammoth contests, with pound-for-pound king Patricio Pitbull defending his featherweight crown title against Adam Borics, while AJ McKee faces Spike Carlyle.
