Patricio Freire-Georgi Karakhanyan Rematch to Co-Headline Bellator 138

The rematch is set, and this time at it’s for all of the marbles.

Four years after their first encounter, which ended with current Bellator MMA 145-pound champion Patricio Freire putting away Georgi Karakhanyan late in the final round with punches, the two will give it another go on June 19 at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center in the Bellator 138 co-headliner. The bill’s main event will be Ken Shamrock versus Kimbo Slice.

“June 19 brings an opportunity for me to avenge an old loss in this rematch with Pitbull,” said Karakhanyan (24-4) in a press release distributed Wednesday morning. “People are going to see an all-out war, and when it is all said and done the belt is going to look great around my waist.”

The 29-year-old Karakhanyan submitted Bubba Jenkins with a first-round guillotine choke in his return to Bellator on Jan. 16 following a tour with World Series of Fighting.

Winner of six straight, Freire feels he’s simply on another level than his opponent and he made a bold statement regarding his “superiority” in Wednesday’s press release.

“Karakhanyan is a fighter among the top of the weight class,” said Freire (23-2), “But I'm one dimension above. If you see a fight where I'm not hit from a single attack don't be surprised. I'm preparing to not being hit and I guarantee to show absolute superiority in this new challenge.”