After he picked up a victory at Bellator 216 in February, Tyrell Fortune made it clear he wanted a step up in opposition for his next outing.
At Bellator 225, Fortune (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) will have his wish granted when he takes on fellow undefeated heavyweight Rudy Schaffroth (6-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) on the evening’s main card. MMA Junkie confirmed an initial report by Sherdog.
Bellator 225 will take place Aug. 24 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. The main card will air on Paramount Network after prelims stream live on MMA Junkie.
A former NCAA Division II national champion in wrestling, Fortune has carried over his success into MMA. Since turning professional in November 2016, Fortune has competed exclusively under the Bellator banner. Six fights into his MMA career, the 29-year-old fighter has picked up four finishes by way of TKO.
In his last outing, Fortune ran through Michigan-based heavyweight Ryan Pokryfky (6-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), winning the bout with a brutal knee and punches.
His opponent, Gracie Barra Portland’s Schaffroth is also a proponent of finishing fights early and often. The 6’4”, 253-pound big man has won both of his Bellator fights in under four minutes time combined.
The clash between Fortune and Schaffroth sticks to the overall theme of Bellator 225. The addition of the fight marks the fourth heavyweight bout on the main card.
The card is currently headlined by contenders Matt Mitrione (13-6 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) and Sergei Kharitonov (29-7 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). Also on the card, Vitaly Minakov (21-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) will take on Javy Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) in the co-main event, and Timothy Johnson (12-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) will battle Valentin Moldavsky (8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).
