Bellator Bantamweight Champ Eduardo Dantas Injured, Fight Postponed to Early 2014

Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas has suffered an ankle injury that will sideline him until after the new year.

Undefeated at 5-0 inside the Bellator cage, Dantas will now recover and prepare to face Bellator tournament winner Rafael Silva in 2014, with the winner of Joe Warren vs. Travis Marx next in line for a Bellator bantamweight title shot against the winner.

Only 24, Dantas stormed through his first Bellator tournament with victories over Wilson Reis, Ed West and Alexis Vila, and eventually collected gold with his dominating finish over then champion Zach Makovsky before defending the title against Marcos Galvao.

“Eduardo Dantas is one of the most explosive Champions in MMA, and while this injury is a setback, we all expect Eduardo back, better than ever in 2014,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.