MMA News: Bellator middleweight champion Brandon Halsey misses weight, stripped of title

By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

A grudge match between Bellator middleweight champion Brandon Halsey and Kendall Grove has fallen apart after Haley weighed in at 188.1 pounds, more than three pounds over the championship limit of 185 pounds at weigh-ins today for Friday’s show in Temecula, CA.

The two will still fight but with a catch: if Grove wins, he’s the new champion. If Halsey wins, the title will be declared vacant. Bellator delayed its weigh-ins because Halsey was not going to make weight, but even with the extended time, he didn’t come close to making it.

Halsey also has to forfeit 20 percent of his purse.

The fight had garnered attention in recent weeks because Grove said that he knew Halsey was using steriods.

There was also a problem with the co-main event between Mike Richman vs. Eduardo Dantas where the winner was to get a Bellator bantamweight title fight. Richman weighed in at 139.2 pounds for the fight and after much discussion from both sides, they eventually came to an an agreement over a fight day weight. The two were supposed to fight in March, but that was scrapped due to a Richman injury. 

We’ll have live coverage of the show, set to air on Spike, Friday night.