Neiman Gracie will make the trip to the Aloha State next month.
A former Bellator welterweight title challenger, Gracie (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) will meet former UFC fighter Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 236, promotion officials confirmed to MMA Junkie following a report from ESPN on Tuesday.
Bellator 236 is expected to take place Dec. 21 at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card will stream on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.
Gracie most recently competed at Bellator 222 in June. While he suffered a loss to Rory MacDonald that night in the semifinals of the welterweight grand prix tournament, Gracie competed against the then-champion for all five rounds.
The defeat was the first of Gracie’s career. Prior to the loss, Gracie handed Ed Ruth his first defeat. Gracie defeated the former Penn State wrestler by fourth-round submission in the grand prix’s opening round.
His opponent, Japan’s Kunimoto (20-8-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), will look to pick up his first Bellator victory. In his promotional debut at Bellator 224 in July, Kunimoto lost to the aforementioned Ruth by second-round TKO.
In addition to the welterweight pairing, promotion officials informed MMA Junkie of a preliminary card booking between featherweights Kai Kamaka III (5-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and Spencer Higa (7-10 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).
Check out the current Bellator 236 lineup below:
- Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kate Jackson
- Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee
- Bruna Ellen vs. Juliana Velasquez
- Neiman Gracie vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
- Nainoa Dung vs. Zach Zane
- Kona Oliveira vs. Reno Remigio
- Kai Kamaka III vs. Spencer Higa
