European featherweights Mads Burnell, Saul Rogers targeted for Bellator 255 matchup

Two of Bellator’s top European featherweights are targeted for an April matchup.

Pending bout finalization, former Cage Warriors champion and ex-UFC fighter Mads Burnell and “The Ultimate Fighter 22” standout Saul Rogers will fight April 2 at Bellator 255. The event takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. and airs on Showtime.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Burnell (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) rides a five-fight winning streak into Bellator 255. He made his promotional debut at Bellator 248 in October and finished Darko Banovic with first-round ground-and-pound. In 14 professional victories, Burnell has notched eight submissions, which include four Japenese neckties.

Entering his April 2 fight, Rogers (14-3 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has alternated wins and losses over the span of his most recent four appearances. In Bellator, a featherweight grand prix loss to Daniel Weichel was sandwiched between two victories against Aiden Lee and Arbi Mezhidov.

With the addition, the Bellator 255 lineup includes:

• Champion Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez – for Bellator featherweight title, grand prix semifinal
• Magomed Magomedov vs. Jared Scoggins
• Tyrell Fortune vs. Matt Mitrione
• Alejandra Lara vs. Kana Watanabe
• Mike Hamel vs. Usman Nurmagomedov