Newell has signed a one-fight Bellator MMA contract and will square off against Corey Browning in a lightweight bout at Bellator 225 on Aug. 24. Sherdog.com confirmed the booking with a promotion official on Tuesday following an initial report from the Hartford Courant.
Bellator 225 takes place at WebsterBank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., and is headlined by a heavyweight rematch between Matt Mitrione and Sergei Kharitonov.
Newell, who was born without a left hand, owns a 15-2 professional record. He attempted to earn a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last summer, but dropped a unanimous verdict against Alex Munoz. Newell has competed for organizations such as World Series of Fighting, Legacy Fighting Alliance and CES MMA over the course of his career. He is coming off a first-round submission of Antonio Castillo Jr. at CES MMA 56 on May 31.
Browning, meanwhile, is coming off back-to-back wins over Kevin Ferguson Jr. and Aaron Chalmers in Bellator MMA. He owns a 4-1 professional mark, with all of his victories coming inside the distance.
We’re thrilled to welcome @NotoriousNewell to our upcoming #Bellator225 card on August 24th.
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) July 24, 2019
He’ll be facing Corey Browning in his Bellator debut bout. pic.twitter.com/dSSeFkcU14