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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
Former UFC veteran Corey Anderson will face Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title on March 22 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, sources confirmed with ESPN on Tuesday. MMA reporter Ariel Helwani was the first to report the news.
The March 22 card will be the first Bellator-branded event since PFL acquired the promotion late in 2023. Booking a bout for a vacant Bellator belt indicates PFL plans on preserving Bellator championships moving forward.
Vadim Nemkov vacated the Bellator light heavyweight title earlier this month, because he is moving up to heavyweight. Nemkov will face former PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza on the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs card Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia.
ESPN has Anderson ranked No. 6 in the world at light heavyweight. Nemkov is No. 5.
Anderson (17-6, 1 NC) is coming off a split decision win over former champ Phil Davis in June 2023. The Illinois native has a loss to Nemkov, but also a no-contest (accidental headbutt) in a bout he was winning. Anderson, 34, has a 4-1 (1 NC) record since departing the UFC in 2020.
Moore (12-2) is 4-0 in Bellator. The 32-year-old Ireland native is a former Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion.