Bellator plans to have Neiman Gracie fight for belt

Neiman at the New York press conference. Bellator

A talented member of the Gracie family’s new generation, Neiman Gracie will face a big challenge on June 14, at Bellator 222, in New York. Set to fight a semifinal bout in the welterweight GP, which will pay its champion a million dollars, Neiman may pick up a bonus along the way: the Bellator belt.

That’s because as he advanced to the semifinal round by beating Ed Ruth last December, Neiman earned the right to fight the winner of Rory McDonald vs. Jon Fitch. McDonald, the welterweight champion, will be putting both his belt and survival in the GP on the line against Fitch, and the winner of this fight, slated for April 27, will walk out as the champion and proceed to defend the title against the Brazilian on June 14.

At the New York press conference for Bellator 222, Neiman said that although he recognizes that it’s a huge fight for his career, it’s also just another fight.

Also at the presser, Lyoto Machida and Chael Sonnen, who will be doing the headliner, stared each other down for the first time. In the following video, you can check out the Q&A, as well as all the stare-downs for the main card toward the end.