For the 3rd time Bellator will be in Italy and for the 2nd time the event will be a kickboxing/MMA event, Bellator 168; just like the first time the promotion headed over seas. This time the Italian fans will be treated to Middleweight title fight rematch, between Melvin Manhhoef and champion Rafael Carvalho.
Their first meeting came at Bellator 155 and went the 25 minute distance. After the final bell many thought that the decision would see a new champion crowd, but in a stunner, the judges gave Carvalho a very controversial split decision.
Carvalho is on a 13 fight win streak, is 4-0 in Bellator with a pair of knock outs and a pair of split decision wins. Manhoef is 2-2 in Bellator thanks to a loss to Alexander Shlemenko, being changed to a no contest after a faild drug test. In his 2 wins Manhoef has scored highlight reel knockouts of Doug Marshall and Hisaki Kato.
The kickboxing side of the card will also see a rematch as Denise Kielholtz and Gloria Peritore meet for the 2nd time, but this time with thte inaugural Woman’s Bellator Kickboxing Championship on the line. Theri fir meeting saw Gloria Peritore, a huge underdog, pull off a surprising decision victory.
American-Italian Giorgio Petrosyan is an ultra technical fighter, who once was on a 42 fight win streak, and will make his promotional debut against Jordan Watson a former ISKA champion and K-1 runner-up.
Bellator 168 on December 10th, will be taking place at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy.
“Bellator 168: Carvalho vs. Manhoef 2” Card:
Middleweight Title: Champ Rafael Carvalho (13-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC)
Light Heavyweight : Alessio Sakara (18-11, 2 NC) vs. Joey Beltran (17-13, 1 NC)
“Bellator Kickboxing: Florence” Card:
Lightweight: Giorgio Petrosyan (82-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Jordan Watson (48-11-2)
Flyweight Title: Denise Kielholtz (45-3) vs. Gloria Peritore (11-1-1)
