Former champion Julia Budd meets Dayana Silva at Bellator 257 on April 16

Former Bellator women’s featherweight champion Julia Budd has her next fight officially booked.

Canada’s Budd (14-3 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) will take on Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Dayana Silva in a 145-pound bout on the Bellator 257 prelims.

The fight was previously reported by Combate as being scheduled for Bellator 256 on Friday. However, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday that the bout will be contested on April 16 instead.

Budd, 37, most recently competed at Bellator 244 in August when she defeated Jessy Miele by unanimous decision. The fight was her first since she lost the women’s 145-pound title to Cris Cyborg in January 2020. Budd will shares the Bellator 257 card with her stepson, Lance Gibson Jr., who fights Marcus Surin on the prelims.

As for Silva (9-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), the Brazilian fighter also went 1-1 in 2020. Following a split decision loss to Mariana Morais, Silva defeated Tayna Lamounier by unanimous decision in August. Silva has gone 2-1 since her split decision defeat to Gisele Moreira on DWCS Brazil in 2018.

Bellator 257 takes at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

With the addition, the Bellator 257 lineup now includes:

• Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis – for light heavyweight title, grand prix quarterfinal
• Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov – grand prix quarterfinal
• Paul Daley vs. Sabah Homasi
• Veta Arteaga vs. Desiree Yanez
• Julia Budd vs. Dayana Silva
• Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Marcus Surin
• Grachnik Bozinyan vs. Demarques Jackson
• John de Jesus vs. Alfred Khashakyan