Heather Hardy, Ana Julaton to fight at Bellator 194, compete in future boxing match

Heather Hardy and Ana Julaton are going to make some Bellator history next month.

The two women’s flyweight MMA competitors — and top-notch boxers — will fight at Bellator 194 on Feb. 16 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, promotion officials told MMA Fighting on Thursday. They have also agreed to compete in a boxing match at a later date.

The MMA-to-boxing scenario was brokered as a joint deal between Bellator, Hardy’s DiBella Entertainment promotional company and Julaton’s Orion Sports Management. All three parties will co-promote both the MMA and boxing matchups.

Hardy, 35, debuted for Bellator in a big way at Bellator NYC last June, defeating Alice Yauger by third-round TKO in a bloody war. The Brooklyn native lost her next bout by second-round TKO to Kristina Williams in October. Hardy is 20-0 (1 NC) as a boxer, the current WBC International female featherweight champion and a budding draw in the New York area and beyond.

Julaton, 37, fell in her Bellator debut in October against Lisa Blaine by split decision. The San Francisco native went 2-2 during a two-year run with ONE Championship in Asia. Julaton is 14-41 in boxing and is an 11-year veteran of that sport. The Filipina fighter is the former WBO World female super bantamweight title and has won two in a row.

Bellator 194 in Uncasville, Conn., will be headlined by a heavyweight grand prix tournament fight between Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione. The co-main event features a lightweight fight between Patricky Freire and Derek Campos.

Hardy vs. Julaton will be on the main card. The date and location of the future boxing match between the two women has not yet been decided.