Former UFC Talent Josh Sampo to Meet Dominic Mazzotta at Bellator 197

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Josh Sampo will collide with Dominic Mazzotta in a bantamweight bout at Bellator 197.

A promotion official confirmed the pairing to Sherdog.com on Wednesday. Additionally, Rebecca Ruth will meet Juliana Velasquez in a women’s flyweight contest. Both Sampo vs. Mazzotta and Ruth vs. Velasquez are scheduled for preliminary card.

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. The prelims air immediately prior on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App.

Sampo, 33, hasn’t competed since 2015, when he exited the UFC on a three-fight skid. After submitting Ryan Benoit in his Octagon debut, “The Gremlin” suffered successive defeats against Zach Makovsky, Patrick Holohan and Justin Scoggins. Sampo owns an 11-5 career record.

Mazzotta is coming off his first promotional triumph, a doctor stoppage win over Matthew Lozano at Bellator 186. The 30-year-old “Honey Badger” is 13-2 as a pro, with 11 victories coming inside the distance.