The Bellator 263 lineup continues to fill out as two more notable contenders have been added.
Featherweights Mads Burnell and Emmanuel Sanchez will square off at the July 31 event, which does not currently have a publicly announced location or venue, though Los Angeles is currently pegged as the frontrunner city.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Burnell (15-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) has rattled off six-straight wins following his UFC release in mid-2018, which included capturing the Cage Warriors featherweight title in June 2019. Since he signed with Bellator, Burnell finished both of his appearances with one TKO and one submission.
Sanchez (20-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA) most recently competed in an unsuccessful title challenge, when he was submitted by featherweight champion Patricio Freire in the first round of their grand prix semifinal clash at Bellator 255. Prior to that, Sanchez had won three straight fights including back-to-back victories in the tournament against Tywan Claxton and Daniel Weichel.
With the addition, the Bellator 263 lineup includes:
- Kiefer Crosbie vs. Georgi Karakhanyan
- Magomed Magomedov vs. Raufeon Stots
- Mads Burnell vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
