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Bellator Bantamweight Champ Eduardo Dantas Out Until Early 2014 With Ankle Injury

Tristen CritchfieldOct 09, 2013
An ankle injury will sideline Eduardo Dantas until next year. | Keith Mills/Sherdog.com


It will be at least a few more months until Eduardo Dantas returns to the Bellator cage.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that an ankle injury will keep the reigning 135-pound champion out of action until early next year. When he returns, Dantas is expected to face Rafael Silva, who captured the Summer Series bantamweight tournament championship with a unanimous verdict over Anthony Leone at Bellator 102.

After defeating Wilson Reis, Ed West and Alexis Vila to win Bellator’s Season 5 bantamweight tournament, Dantas dispatched Zach Makovsky in April 2012 to capture the 135-pound strap. “Dudu” made his first title defense in February, stopping Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao in the second round at Bellator 89.

“Eduardo Dantas is one of the most explosive champions in MMA, and while this injury is a setback, we all expect Eduardo back, better than ever in 2014,” said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.