Douglas Lima will welcome Lorenz Larkin to the Bellator cage with a title defense.
Lima is set to defend his welterweight championship against Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 180. Lance Pugmire of the L.A. Times Sports confirmed the match-up. Bellator 180 will take place on June 24 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“The Phenom” is in his second run with the 170-pound gold. Lima lost the championship to Andrey Koreshkov in his first reign. He got revenge in the rematch with a third-round knockout to recapture the title.
After 10 bouts under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner, Larkin tested the free agent market. Fighting out his contract proved to be beneficial for “The Monsoon” as he was signed by Bellator and is receiving an immediate title shot.
This is the second title match added to the Bellator 180 card. Earlier today (March 23), a report confirmed a lightweight title bout between champion Michael Chandler and Brent Primus.
Bellator 180 will be headlined by a grudge match between former UFC fighters Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen. In the co-main event, mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Fedor Emelianenko will share the Bellator cage with Matt Mitrione. The fight was set to headline Bellator 172, but kidney stones forced Mitrione to withdraw.
