Michael McDonald, who fought for the interim UFC bantamweight title, will make his debut with Bellator later this year.
Bellator president Scott Coker told MMAjunkie that plans are in place for McDonald to fight at the December 15 event in England.
The 26-year-old McDonald (17-4) has not fought since falling to John Lineker in the summer of 2016. He asked for his release from the UFC shortly after, citing inactivity.
McDonald is expected to remain at bantamweight where he could be paired with current champion Eduardo Dantas down the road.
He opened his career 15-1 including finishes vs. Miguel Torres and Alex Soto to earn an interim title fight with Renan Barao in 2013. McDonald lost via fourth round submission and went 2-2 over his next four fights that spanned three years.
