Joe Warren To Defend Featherweight Title Against Pat Curran At Bellator 61

Bellator's sixth season is officially on the books.

Featherweight champion Joe Warren will defend his title against 2011 "Summer Series" tourney winner Pat Curran at the main event of Bellator 61 on March 9th at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune.

"We needed to find someplace that fit the mold of what we've done real successfully around the country, which is casino-based, lots of players, lots of people coming out on a Friday night," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "Hammond ended up being a great fit."

Curran (16-4), the younger brother of UFC veteran Jeff Curran, struts into the contest on the wings of a surprising three-fight win streak, capped by second-round knockout of Marlon Sandro at the "Summer Series" finals. A 24-year-old native of Chicago, Curran previously shredded through Bellator's Season Two lightweight tournament en route to a failed title bid against Eddie Alvarez.

"Everything is falling into place right now," Curran said. "My hometown is really close to where I'm fighting and I know I'll have the support of my family and friends. This is something that is meant to be."

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Warren (7-2) hopes to rebound after tumbling out of season five's bantamweight tournament at the hands of an Alexis Vila 64-second knockout. The staggering loss snapped a five-fight win streak that included the "The Baddest Man on the Planet's" run through season two's featherweight tournament and subsequent knockout of Joe Soto claim the 145-pound strap.

Bellator's sixth season is slated to kick off in March and will feature tournaments in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. As with all Bellator shows, Bellator 61 will air live on MTV2.

Bellator 61 fight card:

Featherweight championship: Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran
Featherweight quarterfinals: Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas
Featherweight quarterfinals: Ronnie Mann vs. Wagnney Fabiano
Featherweight quarterfinals: Alexandre Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva
Featherweight quarterfinals: Daniel Straus vs. Jeremy Spoon