Outside Source
Rafael Lovato Jr. has a new opponent for his featured bout at Bellator 198.
John Salter has withdrawn from the matchup for undisclosed reasons and will be replaced by four-time UFC veteran Gerald Harris in a 188-pound catchweight bout. Sherdog.com confirmed the change with a promotion official on Tuesday after Lovato Jr. announced the news via social media. Bellator 198 takes place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday and is headlined by a heavyweight grand prix showdown pitting Frank Mir against Fedor Emelianenko.
Harris who competed in the UFC for a four-bout stint in 2010 and owns a victory over Salter, has won nine of his last 10 fights. During that time, he has notably competed in organizations such as World Series of Fighting and Legacy Fighting Championship. Most recently, he earned a fourth-round TKO win over Matt McKeon at an Xtreme Fighting League event in Oklahoma on Oct. 21. The 38-year-old owns a 25-5 career record.
An accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Lovato has kicked off his MMA career with seven consecutive victories. He last appeared at Bellator 189, where he captured a unanimous decision win against Chris Honeycutt.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
