Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez Set for Kickboxing Bout at Bellator MMA ‘Dynamite’

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Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez, the wife of UFC lightweight star Gilbert Melendez, will clash with Hadley Griffith on the kickboxing portion of the Bellator MMA “Dynamite” card.

Promotion officials announced the matchup on Tuesday. Bellator MMA “Dynamite” takes place Sept. 19 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and features a blend of mixed martial arts and kickboxing matchups. The event is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt pitting Liam McGeary against Tito Ortiz. The bout between Taylor-Melendez and Griffith will be one of three Glory kickboxing matches on the Spike TV-televised main card.

The 31-year-old Taylor-Melendez recently signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator. She owns a 2-1 record in professional kickboxing, and is expected to make the transition to MMA in the near future.

According to a release, Griffith spent nearly a year away from combat sports after suffering an injury that resulted in the amputation of the top of her middle finger. The 36-year-old Tacoma, Wash., native is 1-4 in MMA competition but will be making her professional kickboxing debut against Taylor-Melendez.