Erik Perez vs. Josh Hill in the works for Bellator 244 in Connecticut

Erik Perez is still in search of his first Bellator victory.

Mexico’s Perez (19-7 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) will fight Josh Hill in a bantamweight bout at Bellator 244 on Aug. 21 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. – pending bout finalization.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie confirmed the targeted booking with sources with knowledge of the situation on Wednesday, after Perez announced the bout on his Instagram page Tuesday.

In his promotional debut in December, Perez was knocked out by Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Toby Misech. Perez, a former UFC and Strikeforce veteran, is 5-1 in his past six bouts. He trains out of Alliance MMA in San Diego, which also serves as the home gym of former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and perennial contender Jeremy Stephens.

A former WSOF title challenger, Hill (19-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is coming off a successful Bellator debut after outpointing Vinicius Zani in February. The 33-year-old Canadian fighter is currently on a three-fight winning streak.

Bellator 244 takes place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card marks Bellator’s third event back since suspending operations due to the on-going global pandemic. The event is expected to simulcast on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.

With the addition, the Bellator 244 lineup includes:

• Ryan Bader vs. Vadim Nemkov
• Josh Hill vs. Erik Perez