Bellator MMA just added an interesting fight on the Bellator 204 preliminary card, with a middleweight bout between Willie Whitehead and NCAA wrestling standout Romero Cotton. Sources close to the promotion confirmed the news on Friday to Sherdog.com.
Both men were late additions to the card, which takes place next weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Whitehead currently holds a 2-2 professional mixed martial arts record, with Cotton bringing an undefeated 2-0 record himself.
Cotton proved to be an incredible athlete early on, winning 10 state championships while in high school across three sports; four of which for wrestling. He ended up earning a scholarship to Division 1 powerhouse University of Nebraska, where he began his collegiate wrestling career as a freshman in 2009.
However, a 2008 case against Cotton for aggravated battery almost put him behind bars for a 38-month prison sentence. Romero and his younger brother had allegedly attacked a man courting their mother, and the beating they laid down reportedly caused significant injuries.
Cotton ultimately bailed out, but then allegedly failed three drug tests for marijuana while on probation. The judge had his bond revoked, and Cotton was forced to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison.
Since then, the wrestling standout has fought twice as a professional, winning both contests and his most recent by second-round submission.
Bellator 204 features a featherweight title fight between champion Darrion Caldwell and Noad Lahat and will air live on Paramount Network on Aug. 17.