Broken Hand Knocks Daniel Straus Out of Bellator 95 Title Fight with Pat Curran

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Daniel Straus has suffered a broken hand in training and will be unable to rematch featherweight champion Pat Curran at Bellator 95.

Sources close to the situation confirmed the development with Sherdog.com on Tuesday. It is currently unknown if Curran will still compete at the April 4 event, which takes place at Revel in Atlantic City, N.J. MMAJunkie.com first reported Straus’ injury. Curran and Straus first met in 2009 under the Xtreme Fighting Organization banner, with Curran snatching a second-round knockout. Since that defeat, Straus has won 17 of his last 18 fights. The 28-year-old earned his shot at Bellator’s featherweight title by winning the promotion’s Season 6 tournament last spring, taking decisions from Jeremy Spoon, Mike Corey and Marlon Sandro. Known for his grinding style and superior fitness, the Ohioan was last seen on Oct. 26, when he finished UFC veteran Alvin Robinson with a rear-naked choke at Bellator 78.

Three years younger than Straus, Curran defended his featherweight title for the first time against Season 4 tournament winner Patricio Freire on Jan. 17, earning a split decision while simultaneously setting a promotional ratings record at Bellator 85. The victory marked the fifth straight triumph for Curran since dropping to the featherweight division, where he won the 2011 Summer Series and then captured the 145-pound title by knocking out Joe Warren nearly one year ago.