Bellator 286: So-Cal duo added to stacked fight card for Long Beach

Bellator 286 already had a title fight at the top of the card for October 1 at the Long Beach Arena, but now fight fans in the area have been handed even more incentive to get to the venue for fight night.

Two of Bellator’s top fighters from the So-Cal region have been added to the main card to provide even more star power to the event.

No. 4-ranked featherweight contender Aaron Pico has been rebooked to face Canada’s No. 6-ranked Jeremy Kennedy in a pivotal matchup for the Bellator 145-pound division.

The pair were originally set to face off in April, but a broken orbital bone for Kennedy forced those plans to be shelved. Now Kennedy is back to full fitness, the pair have been matched up again, and will face off on the main card on October 1.

Preceding their bout on the card is the return of another California staple. Former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta built his career on the West Coast, and he’ll look to move one step closer to another bantamweight title shot when he faces No. 10-ranked Enrique Barzola.

The event will be headlined by reigning featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, who puts his title on the line against Hungarian contender Adam Borics, while in the co-main event, former featherweight champ AJ McKee is looking to kick-start a run toward the lightweight title as he makes his debut in Bellator’s 155-pound division. He takes on 17-fight veteran Spike Carlyle, who is on a five-fight win streak.