Skip to main content

SBG welterweight Charlie ‘Relentless’ Ward has been dealt a last-minute switch up ahead of his planned Bellator 200 bout with Louis King in London on Friday.

King (1-1) has been forced to withdraw from the bout due after being having contracted mumps, an illness which has forced his removal from the card. In King’s place against Ward (4-3) will be Martin Hudson (4-4).

Speaking to Jake Smith, King said: “I’m fucking gutted. Came down feeling dizzy sick and glans swelled right up. Went to docs and they told me I have mumps so the organization won’t let me fight in that state as its highly dangerous. I’m here feeling rough and gutted.”

News of the change in plans was reported by Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting.

Since starting off in the professional ranks with three straight wins, Hudson has gone just 1-4 since including his current run which shows three defeats in a row — all of them first round finishes. Ward, for his part, comes into the bout on the back of a first round knockout win of John Redmond in his Bellator debut in Dublin last November and will be looking to go 2-0 under the Bellator banner on Friday.

.