Set to take place on August 19, the 26-year-old from Appleton will put his undefeated record on the line against the European submission specialist Lloret. The bout will help identify Konrad’s current status in the heavyweight division.

“I think Lloret is going to be the toughest I’ve faced in MMA up to this point in my fighting career,” Konrad said. “I’m going to be looking to finish him as soon as possible. The goal for this tournament is to get in and get out. I’m looking to finish all of these fights as quickly as possible and get out of there.”

After an ultra-successful wrestling career at the University of Minnesota, Konrad has taken up MMA training at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy alongside well-known fighters such as Brock Lesnar, Sean Sherk, and Nick Thompson.

Konrad’s upcoming fight with Lloret will be the third in his Bellator career. Previously, he has earned unanimous decisions over Pat Bennett and John Orr. Lloret will be his toughest opponent to date.

With six of his nine career victories coming via submission, Lloret has earned a reputation as a dangerous submission fighter. Fighting out of Gracie Barcelona, the 31-year-old knows that he will need to rely on his experience and speed to best Konrad.

“I know that he (Konrad) is a good wrestler and he must be super strong too because he weighs more than me – 22 pounds or more,” said Lloret. “The only thing I hope is that my background and my speed are a little on top and that I can keep the fight standing. We are both going to give the best we have and it will be a war.”

The fight between Konrad and Lloret adds another interesting bout to the rapidly improving Bellator 25 event at the Chicago Theatre. It will also give Midwestern fight fans another opportunity to watch a hometown wrestling prodigy try and advance through the MMA ranks.