Bellator MMA middleweight prospect Ed Ruth's second professional fight will come sooner than expected.
Ruth (1-0) has agreed to take on Emanuele Palombi on short notice at Bellator 168 on Saturday in Florence, Italy. Bellator president Scott Coker broke the news to ESPN.com on Tuesday.
A former three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, Ruth agreed to fight Palombi (5-2) on just five days' notice. The Italian's original opponent, Californian Davin Clark, withdrew due to injury.
"Ed Ruth has accepted the challenge to come over and fight Emanuele Palombi from Rome," Coker said. "It's the second opportunity to see Ed fight in MMA. We saw how he responded to the nerves of his first fight, in front of lots of family and friends. This is another test and we'll see how he does."
Officials told ESPN.com Ruth's bout is not currently scheduled on the televised main card, but Coker said it will likely make the telecast either live or on replay.
"Ed's development, from his wrestling background at Penn State University, has drawn a lot of interest," Coker said.
Ruth made his highly anticipated MMA debut at Bellator 163 on Nov. 4. He recorded a first-round TKO finish over Dustin Collins-Miles, despite getting momentarily dropped by a punch early on.
Bellator has made a strong effort to sign accomplished amateur wrestlers with no fighting experience. In addition to Ruth, who attempted to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, the promotion has recently seen the successful professional debuts of Tyrell Fortune, Jarod Trice and Joey Davis. Another prospect, 20-year-old Aaron Pico, is expected to make his debut next summer.
A light heavyweight bout between Alessio Sakara (18-11) and Joey Beltran (17-13) is scheduled to headline Bellator 168. The event takes place inside Mandela Forum.
