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Ross Houston's next Bellator opponent confirmed as return to the ring slated for Moscow card


By Andrew Henderson

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Highland Martial Arts Centre head coach Ross Houston's return to the cage in Bellator has been confirmed.

The Inverness-based professional MMA fighter is slated for a spot on the undercard of Bellator 269 in Moscow, Russia – which will be headlined by the return of one of the sport's all-time greats, Fedor Emelianenko, after almost two years out.

Houston will be stepping into enemy territory to face Armenian welterweight Grachik Bozinyan, who fights out of Moscow.

Ross Houston will fight Grachik Bozinyan in Moscow at Bellator 269 on October 23.
Ross Houston will fight Grachik Bozinyan in Moscow at Bellator 269 on October 23.

Bozinyan has only fought twice in the last four years, both of which came in Bellator – first losing to Austin Vanderford in November 2019 before picking up his first win in the company against Demarques Jackson in April of this year.

Both of those bouts went the distance and needed to be separated by unanimous decisions from the judges, but those have been the exceptions to Bozinyan's career.

He boasts an 11–4 record that includes 10 stoppages – four by knockout and six by submission – while even in the fights he has lost he has tapped out twice.

That may be the obvious route for Houston, who has three wins by submission on his own record, to try to exploit, as history suggests this one will not need a decision.

The 34-year-old will be looking to taste success in Bellator for the first time on October 23, having lost his debut to Michael "Venom" Page, who will be trying to dethrone Douglas Lima and become Bellator welterweight champion just three weeks before Houston is in action.


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