Undefeated flyweight Juliana Velasquez returns against Kristina Williams at Bellator 224

MMAfighting.com

A flyweight showdown between Juliana Velasquez and Kristina Williams has been added to Bellator 224 in Thackerville on July 12, promotion officials told MMA Fighting following a report by The Score.

Velasquez is a former member of the Brazilian judo team who holds a perfect 8-0 record since making a transition to mixed martial arts in 2014. After scoring a pair of finishes in her first appearances under the Bellator banner, Velasquez defeated former title contender Alejandra Lara via split decision in December.

Williams, 3-1 in MMA, beat Brazilian prospect Bruna Ellen in her last Bellator bout in November, bouncing back from a decision defeat to ex-UFC fighter Valerie Letourneau in June. Williams built her entire professional record under the Bellator banner between 2017 and 2018, including a second-round TKO win over boxing star Heather Hardy.

Set for Thackerville’s WinStar World Casino, Bellator 224 will be headlined by Julia Budd vs. Olga Rubin for the company’s featherweight title. The card also features the return of former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho against Chidi Njokuani.