Bellator sent along the following, announcing a headliner for their March 22, 2019 show:
Following his exciting back-and-forth championship bout at Bellator 209 earlier this month, Emmanuel Sanchez (17-4) quickly returns to featherweight action on Friday, March 22 at WinStar World Casino and Resort against one of Bellator’s newest European signings, Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-10-1, 3 NC).
The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, as well as DAZN.com, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the WinStar World Casino and Resort box office, as well as through Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 28-year-old, nicknamed “El Matador,” will serve as Bellator’s headliner for the second consecutive time in his 13th fight with the promotion. A homegrown fighter from the famed Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee has defeated a who’s who of 145-pounders including former champions Daniel Straus and Marcos Galvao, as well as standouts Sam Sicilia, Justin Lawrence and Georgi Karakhanyan. Now, Sanchez looks to immediately put himself back into contender status with a tough test on March 22.
Based out of London, Ashleigh “The White Wolf” Grimshaw has competed professionally since 2003, amassing more than 30 professional bouts across the European MMA scene. Unbeaten in his last four contests, Grimshaw has finished his opponent 18 times in his 20 victories. Now, set for his promotional debut with Bellator, the 36-year-old will be looking to make noise in a division currently championed by Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.
Updated Bellator: Sanchez vs. Grimshaw Fight Card:
Featherweight Main Event Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (17-4) vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-10-1, 3 NC)
