Juliana Velasquez has her first title challenger.
Bellator announced Friday via press release that the undefeated flyweight champion will fight Denise Kielholtz (6-2) in the main event of Bellator 262 on July 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The news was first reported by MMA DNA.
This will be Velasquez’s first title defense after dethroning longtime 125-pound champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane at Bellator 254 in December. The Brazilian star is 11-0 as a pro and 6-0 inside the Bellator cage, with finishes of Kristina Williams, Rebecca Ruth, and Liang Na.
Kielholtz has earned her shot on the strength of four consecutive victories. In her most recent outing at Bellator 247, Kielholtz defeated Kate Jackson by 43-second knockout. The Dutch muay Thai specialist has already claimed a Bellator Kickboxing championship at 125 pounds, which she most recently defended in 2017.
No other bouts have been announced for the July 16 show, which will air its main card on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET. Preliminaries are currently scheduled to air at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be available on Bellator and Showtime’s YouTube channels.