Fabian Edwards will fight Costello Van Steenis in the Bellator London co-main event in May 2020.
The UK-based fighter and younger brother of UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards, “The Assassin” has become one of Bellator’s rising stars. In his last bout, he faced Londoner Mike Shipman in an eagerly anticipated grudge-match last November. The close contest proved to be Edwards’ most challenging fight of his career, but the middleweight secured the split decision victory. He remains undefeated since making his professional debut in 2017.
Now, the middleweight prospect intends on punching his way closer to the 185-pound title.
His upcoming opponent also has ties to MMA royalty. The Dutch fighter, Van Steenis is trained by Gegard Mousasi. He is known for his explosive knock out power, and has tallied 12 professional wins — including a TKO victory over Mike Shipman. However, he suffered a tough loss in his last bout when he faced John Salter at Bellator 233. The 27-year old lost via unanimous decision and will be looking to bounce back with a statement victory over Edwards.
On the Bellator London main card, the former international rugby star James Haskell will be making his fighting debut. The athlete announced he was signed to Bellator last year, and has been developing his MMA skillset at London Shootfighters, the home of Michael “Venom” Page and Mike Shipman. His opponent is yet to be announced.
James Gallagher will return to action in the headlining fight against UK-based bantamweight Cal Ellenor. The fight has been postponed twice for medical reasons. “The Strabanimal” had to withdraw from their main event fight at Bellator Dublin earlier this month due to a back injury. Hopefully, it will be third time lucky for the Bellator fighters.
Catch all the action, including this Fabian Edwards vs. Costello Van Steenis at Bellator London at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London on May 16.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/28/2020.