Zach Freeman, Zak Bucia to Square Off in Catchweight Bout at Bellator 197

Zach Freeman, the man best known for defeating Aaron Pico in his mixed martial arts debut, will return to action against Zak Bucia at Bellator 197.

Promotion officials recently announced the pairing, which will be contested at a 165-pound catch-weight. Bellator 197 takes place at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., on April 13 and is headlined by a lightweight championship rematch between Brent Primus and Michael Chandler. The evening’s main card airs on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Freeman vs. Bucia is slated for the prelims, which air on Bellator.com. and the Bellator Mobile App.

After scoring a 24-second submission of Pico at Bellator 180, Freeman came back to earth. In his second promotional appearance, “The Altar Boy” suffered a first-round technical knockout at the hands of veteran competitor Saad Awad at Bellator 186 on Nov. 3. The 33-year-old Freeman is 9-3 as a pro, including six victories by way of submission.

Bucia, a 27-fight veteran, made his debut with the California-based organization on Oct. 20, when he was submitted in the second round by Nieman Gracie at Bellator 185. Bucia owns an 18-9 career mark that includes stints with Titan FC, Strikeforce and Shamrock FC.