Daniel Straus is set to defend his Bellator MMA featherweight title for the first time (since being champion again) against Patricio Freire — a fighter Straus is very familiar with. Straus and “Pitbull” are scheduled to meet in the main event of Bellator 178 in April, president Scott Coker announced today at a press conference.
Straus and Freire have fought three times in the past, with Freire being up 2-1 in the series. They first met in May 2011 in a tournament final; the Brazilian won by unanimous decision. In January 2015, they fought once again, this time with the belt on the line.