Bellator announces ‘Salute the Troops’ event, Primus vs Chandler 2 to headline in Hawaii

The place is Honolulu, Hawaii. The venue is Neal S. Blaisdell Arena. However, the event is not Bellator 213: “Macfarlane vs. Letourneau” on Dec. 15, 2018. On the contrary, the promotion just announced an all-new show that will take place at the exact same venue on Dec. 14, 2018, and it’s Bellator MMA and USO’s “Salute the Troops” complete with free admission for armed forces and their families.

And if you’re going to give our brave men and women in uniform a show, you’d better give them a good one. Bellator has the long-awaited Brent Primus vs. Michael Chandler fight on tap to headline the show. Primus (8-0) took the title at Bellator’s MSG debut when Chandler (18-4) was TKO’d because of a gruesome leg injury sustained during the match. Several previous attempts to book the rematch fell through, most notably Bellator 197 in Missouri back in April.

Here’s what Bellator MMA President Scott Coker had to say about the show:

“The USO is an historic military support organization - not just in entertainment but in connecting them back to the things they love and fight for. It made perfect sense for Bellator to establish a relationship with the USO and provide a unique opportunity to Hawaii’s military population. We appreciate their service to the nation, and we hope this is just the first of many opportunities for us to work together.”

A Heavyweight co-main event has also been announced, which will see Frank Mir (18-12) take on Javy Ayala (10-7) in what will undoubtedly be a test of who has the better chin.

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