WEC veteran
Bryan Baker will face perennial competitor
Jeremy Horn in a featured middleweight bout at Bellator 30 on Sept. 23 at Fourth Street Live in Louisville, Ky., the promotion announced on Tuesday.
Baker hasn’t competed since his first-round defeat to
Alexander Shlemenko in the promotion’s season two middleweight tournament finals last June. The 25-year-old Californian notched consecutive first-round wins against
Sean Loeffler and
Eric Schambari en route to the final round against the formidable Russian striker. Baker’s only other defeat came at the hands of UFC middleweight contender
Chael Sonnen at WEC 33 in March 2008.
Horn boasts one of the more substantial fighting careers on record, with over 100 bouts recorded since his debut in March 1996. The 35-year-old Miletich Fighting Systems graduate has graced promotions spanning the globe in the process, including 13 Octagon appearances dating back to his promotional debut against
Frank Shamrock at UFC 17 in May 1998.
Horn, who now resides and teaches at his Elite Performance gym in Salt Lake City, Utah, will carry a six-fight win streak into his bout against Baker.