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Liverpool’s Dean Garnett is preparing for a bantamweight showdown with Brazilian Luiz Henrique Tosta at Bellator 158 in the 02 Arena on July 16.

Garnett will return to mixed martial arts for the first time since August 2014 to take on Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Tosta.

28-year-old Garnett, from Speke, boasts a perfect 7-0 record, finishing five of his victories by way of submission. He last fought on the card of Cage Warriors 70 in Dublin, Ireland, beating Martin Sheridan with an inverted heel hook.

Tosta, meanwhile, holds a 4-3 record, and hasn’t fought a professional MMA bout since August 2005.

Garnett fights out of Aspire MMA on Queens Drive and will look to kickstart his professional career with a emphatic victory.

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Also on the Bellator 158 card is 31-year-old Lee Chadwick.

The middleweight fighter, who fights out of Atherton Submission Wrestling, boasts a 21-12 record with 12 wins in 14 fights.

Chadwick is a veteran of Merseyside MMA, having started his professional career back in 2006.

Bellator 158 will be headlined by former UFC welterweight Paul Daley, who takes on Douglas Lima. Former UFC stars Francis Carmont and Matt Mitrione also feature on the card.

Meanwhile, Garnett’s team-mate Aaron Robinson will compete in his second pro-MMA bout when he takes on Ryan Curtis at BAMMA 26 in Dublin in September.

Robinson won in his professional debut earlier this year, defeating Khalid Ahmed in under two minutes with a toe hold.

Curtis boasts a 3-0 record and has yet to be taken into a second round in his three fights.

Robinson, who has a reputation as a talented grappler, will be looking to silence the home crowd when the two step into the cage.