Rebney: Falcao-Spang winner meets Shlemenko for Bellator's vacant title
Maiquel Falcao (30-4 MMA, 2-0 BFC) and Andreas Spang (8-1 MMA, 1-0 BFC) already knew a win in their season-six tournament final would lead to a championship fight.
They just didn't know who would be on the other side of the cage.
As it turns out, with reigning champion Hector Lombard departing for the UFC, Alexander Shlemenko (45-7 MMA, 7-1 BFC) will face the Falcao vs. Spang winner with the vacant middleweight belt on the line.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney today announced the plans via Twitter.
Falcao, one-time UFC vet, earned his way to the finals with back-to-back wins over Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and Norman Paraisy. Falcao is now 12-1 in his past 13 fights, and while his two Bellator fights have gone to decision, "Big Rig" owns 26 finishes in his 30 career wins.
Meanwhile, Spang was inserted into the tourney semifinals as a late replacement for an injured Bruno Santos and earned a knockout win over Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 in Ohio. It was Spang's third-straight win and first under the Bellator banner. Afterward, he got into trouble with the Ohio commission by shoving Falcao in a promotional staredown.
Falcao and Spang meet at Bellator 70 on May 25 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Shlemenko earned his spot with a victory in Bellator's season-five tournament. He was also a season-two tourney winner but fell short against Lombard.
