Bellator MMA Returns to Kansas, David Rickels-Aaron Derrow Features at Jan. 27 Bellator 171

Bellator MMA has announced its return to Kansas, with Bellator 171 now officially scheduled to take place from the promotion’s familiar confines at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane on Jan. 27.

The promotion formally announced the event Monday, along with a pair of bouts: a lightweight contest between local favorite “Caveman” David Rickels and Aaron Derrow and a clash of unbeaten middleweights between 7-0 Wichita’s Chris Harris and 5-0 Iowan Jordan Young.

The 27-year-old Rickels is a Bellator MMA staple, a veteran of 15 bouts in the promotion, and six of those last seven contests have come at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane. Most recently, Rickels was knocked out in just over two minutes by Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Melvin Guillard at Bellator 159 in July, but Guillard failed a post-fight drug test, leading the bout to be ruled a No Contest.

Derrow, 29, hasn’t competed in over two years. The Missouri native last saw action at Bellator 130 in October 2014, where he earned a 15-minute unanimous decision over Nate Jolly.

Harris made his Bellator MMA this past February and has quickly picked up a pair of wins over Julian Marquez and Matt Foster in the promotion. It’s the Bellator debut for the 22-year-old Young, who has spent his short pro career in Midwestern standby promotions Midwest Cage Championship and Victory Fighting Championship</>.