Leandro Higo chose to jump right into the fire.
In his first appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, the Pitbull Brothers prospect will challenge bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas in the Bellator 177 headliner on Friday at the Budapest Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary. Their five-round clash anchors a four-fight main card scheduled to air on Spike TV via tape delay (9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT).
A replacement for the injured Darrion Caldwell, Higo will enter his organizational debut on the strength of an eight-fight winning streak. The 28-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has already captured titles in the Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Legacy Fighting Alliance promotions, while securing 10 of his 17 career victories by submission and three more by knockout or technical knockout.