Bellator 210 has a new main event.
Company president Scott Coker announced Thursday that an injury has forced middleweight contender Melvin Manhoef out of his upcoming headlining bout opposite Chidi Njokuani at the WinStar World Resort and Casino in Thackerville, Okla., on Nov. 30. As a result, John Salter will step in as Manhoef’s replacement to fight Njokuani.
This will be a quick turnaround for Salter, who recently saw a seven-fight win streak snapped at Bellator 205 in September when he was submitted in the third round by Rafael Lovato. Prior to that loss, Salter was unbeaten in five Bellator appearances, with all of those wins coming by way of knockout or submission. The 33-year-old owns a 15-4 professional record.
Njokuani (18-5, 1 NC) will be looking to stay on the winning track after defeating Hisaki Kato by unanimous decision at Bellator 189 last December. He’s won five of six fights inside the Bellator cage and aims to establish himself as a contender at 185 pounds after missing the welterweight limit on a couple of occasions.
In the co-main event, David Rickels (19-5, 2 NC) meets Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (10-4) in a welterweight bout.