Brian Moore vs. Giorgio Belsanti booked for Bellator 196

Brian Moore will join SBG teammate James Gallagher in Budapest on the Bellator 196 card when he meets Italian featherweight Giorgio Belsanti.

Bellator confirmed the 145-pound fight to MMA Fighting on Wednesday.

Moore (10-6) is coming off a back and forth bout with highly touted prospect A.J. McKee in Dublin. The Wexford fighter’s striking gave “The Mercenary” trouble in the second round of their Bellator 187 main event clash, but ultimately, McKee managed to lock up a rear-naked choke that won him the fight in the third round.

“The Pikeman” scored his sole win under the Bellator banner when he overwhelmed Czech fighter Michal Horejsi on route to a second round TKO at Bellator 177 – the promotion’s first visit to Budapest.

He made his Bellator debut as a short notice replacement for Paul Redmond against perennial featherweight title contender, Daniel Weichel, at the promotion’s first Irish event, Bellator 169. The German submitted the SBG fighter in the first round.

Belsanti (7-6-1) has won his sole outing with Bellator, a unanimous decision win over Portuguese bantamweight, Vando de Almeida, at Bellator 176.