KSW signs 36-1 featherweight Julio Cesar Neves, will debut next month

Brazilian featherweight Julio Cesar Neves inked a multi-fight deal with Polish promotion KSW, company officials told MMA Fighting.

The former Bellator fighter will face former KSW title contender Daniel Rutkowski at KSW 92 on March 16 in Gorzow, Poland.

KSW 92 will be headlined by 135-pound titleholder Jakub Wiklacz defending his championship opposite Zuriko Jojua.

Neves, 36-1 as a professional, enters the KSW cage riding a six-fight winning streak with a trio of finishes. “Morceguinho” went 2-1 during his Bellator run between 2014 and 2015, knocking out two opponents before losing to Jordan Parsons.

Rutkowski (16-4, 1 no contest) looks to rebound from a decision defeat to Patryk Kaczmarczyk in his more recent appearance in November 2023. The 35-year-old is 4-2 under the company banner, the other setback being a fourth-round loss to then-champion Salahdine Parnasse.