Bellator 211: Sakara vs. Kauppinen - December 1 (OFFICIAL DISCUSSION)

Bellator will hold its first event in Genoa, Italy on Saturday, December 1 at RDS Stadium with Italian superstar Alessio Sakara (20-12, 2 NC) taking on Kent Kauppinen (10-4) in a light heavyweight main event. The co-headliner will see Bellator Kickboxing featherweight world champ Gabriel Varga (16-6) put his title on the line against Genoa's own Shan Cangelosi (10-6).

Alessio Sakara returns to the Bellator cage for the fifth time, having already defeated Joey Beltran, Brian Rogers, and most recently, Jamie Sloane. The Italian also owns career wins over Thales Leites and James Irvin. Born in Rome, "Legionarius" has become iconic amongst his country's fans for always looking to deliver a show. Training at the famed American Top Team in South Florida, the former world title contender has built a reputation as a powerful knockout artist and has collected 20 career victories, including 16 finishes and 11 first-round knockouts.

Fighting out of Dragons Lair MMA in Melksham, England, Kent Kauppinen can proudly boast a finish in every one of his 10 professional victories. Ever the crowd-pleaser, "The Hammerhorn" rarely lets the fight pass the first round, stopping his opponent eight times in the opening frame. Making his sophomore appearance for Bellator, fans can expect fireworks from this one-man wrecking crew when he battles Sakara.

Current Bellator Kickboxing featherweight world champ Gabriel Varga signed with Bellator in March of 2017 and quickly went on to defeat Kevin Ross for the title. Unbeaten under the Bellator banner on Italian soil, the 33-year-old Toronto, Canada-native and two-time Glory featherweight champion also stopped Roberto Gheorghita in the second round of action at Bellator Kickboxing 8. He now meets Shan Cangelosi, who fights out of Sanpayak Gym in Genoa. The Muay Thai-fighter welcomes Varga, to what will surely be hostile territory, in front of his hometown fans on December 1.