Border Wars II at the Arena postponed following main event fighter’s arrest

The Border Wars II mixed martial arts event scheduled to take place at the Corbin Arena on Saturday, February 17 has been postponed after one of its main event fighters was arrested over the weekend for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

Brandon Bell, 33, of Harlan County, was arrested on Sunday after police received information about the supposed sexual relationship from the minor’s mother. Bell was scheduled to face former UFC fighter Waylon Lowe in the feature fight of Border Wars II next month.

In a Facebook post Monday, Valor Fights, the Tennessee-based promotion presenting the Border Wars II event, said the following: “We regret to announce that Border Wars 2, originally scheduled for Feb. 17 in Corbin, KY, has been postponed.”

“We’re currently exploring all options for if/when the action will be rescheduled, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We hope to have an update on the situation within 48 hours.”

“This unfortunately stems from Brandon Bell’s recent arrest. He was previously scheduled to fight UFC vet Waylon Lowe in the main event.”

“Due to the nature of Bell’s arrest, the proximity of it in relation to the date of the event, the difficulty in finding a suitable replacement for Lowe, and the fact that the athletic commission has a very strict deadline for finalizing MMA bouts, our only option is to postpone the event, otherwise we risk putting on a sub-par show in a very expensive venue.”

“We sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience on the matter, and will provide an update as soon as we can.”

Bell was a part of the first Border Wars event at the Arena back in May of 2017, defeating his opponent and winning “Performance of the Night” honors. Since that time he has continued to make a name for himself as one of the top up-and-coming talents in the world of professional MMA.

Corbin Arena Manager Kristi Balla was not available to comment on the situation Tuesday. The News Journal will provide updates on Border Wars II in print and online at thenewsjournal.net as soon as more information becomes available.