John Teixeira Replaces Pat Curran, Meets A.J. McKee in New Bellator 205 Headliner

John Teixeira da Conceicao will replace Pat Curran and face rising star A.J. McKee in the new Bellator 205 main event on Sept. 21.

Sherdog.com confirmed the featherweight booking with a promotion official on Monday following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Curran withdrew from the event after suffering an undisclosed injury last week.

Bellator 205 takes place at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho and will also see John Salter square off against Rafael Lovato Jr. in the evening’s co-headliner. The main card will air on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

Teixeira enters the bout on the heels of back-to-back losses to Curran and Daniel Weichel. Prior to that two-fight skid, “Macapa” had been unbeaten in his last 10 appearances, including four triumphs under the Bellator banner. The 31-year-old Brazilian is 21-3-2 over the course of a professional career that began in 2007.

McKee has kicked off his pro tenure with 11 consecutive victories within the California-based promotion. The 23-year-old Team Bodyshop representative earned his most significant victory to date with a three-round verdict over UFC veteran Justin Lawrence at Bellator 197 on April 13.