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Darrion Caldwell to defend bantamweight title against Leandro Higo at Bellator 195

“The Wolf” will begin his reign in 2018.

Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell is slated to make the first defense of his newly captured 135-pound title against Leandro Higo on March 2 at Bellator 195, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Caldwell (11-1), a former NCAA D1 wrestling champion, seized the Bellator bantamweight strap in October with a unanimous decision win over two-time titleholder Eduardo Dantas. The victory completed a four-year journey towards Bellator gold for Caldwell, who has put together a sterling 7-1 record under the promotion’s umbrella that includes first-round wins over Joe Warren and Shawn Bunch.