Leandro Higo's Bellator debut has undergone quite the alteration.
A day before he was scheduled to challenge bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas in the main event of Friday's Bellator 177 in Budapest, Hungary, the promotional newcomer missed the 135-pound limit by a full four pounds, according to an official release.
The matchup will now proceed as a three-round non-title bout.
Higo takes an eight-fight win streak on his first trip to the Bellator cage, while the champ looks to notch his fourth straight. A two-time divisional titleholder, "Dudu" reclaimed the bantamweight strap with a unanimous decision over former Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao in June before exacting his revenge on Joe Warren by majority decision in his first title defense in December.
Dantas and Higo hold professional records of 19-4 and 17-2, respectively.
