Bellator MMA lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Patricky Freire are set to fight for the vacant lightweight championship at Bellator: Dynamite 2 later this year, officials announced during the Bellator 154 broadcast on Saturday evening.
Current champion Will Brooks vacated the belt when he was granted a release from the organization on Saturday.
Chandler (14-3) is riding a two-fight winning streak with stoppage wins over David Rickels and Derek Campos since back-to-back losses to Brooks in title fights. The 30-year-old was supposed to fight Josh Thomson at Bellator 154 on Saturday in one of the most anticipated Bellator fights of the year, but UFC veteran Thomson pulled out with an injury.