A promotion official confirmed the strawweight tilt to Sherdog.com on Monday following a report from ESPN. Bellator 242 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship clash between Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. In the co-main event, Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima will vie for the vacant middleweight crown.
Melendez, the wife of former Strikeforce champion and UFC title challenger Gilbert Melendez, is undefeated in four Bellator appearances since making her pro MMA debut in 2016. Most recently, the 35-year-old Skrap Pack representative outpointed Mandy Polk at Bellator 229 on Oct. 4.
King, meanwhile, is coming off a first-round submission of professional boxer Ava Knight at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25. After losing her first four pro outings, the Knoxville, Tenn., native has bounced back to post four consecutive victories.