King Mo injured, Ryan Bader now challenges for Bellator LHW title in rematch against champ Phil Davis
Muhammed Lawal has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury and is out of his Bellator 180 matchup against Bellator MMA newcomer Ryan Bader.
With King Mo injured, Bader will now fight for current Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion Phil Davis in the main event of the Bellator 180 preliminary bouts from Madison Square Garden, June 24.
The news was first announced by Davis on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.
Bader and Davis fought once before when both were employed under the Zuffa banner. That fight took place at UFC on FOX 14 in 2015 with Bader getting the nod on the judges’ scorecards.
Davis defeated Liam McGeary in November to claim the title. He has won four straight fights since signing with Bellator MMA.
Bader offically signed with the promotion in March after leaving the UFC on a two-fight win-streak. His fight with Lawal was to be his promotional debut.
Bellator 180 is the Spike TV card underneath Bellator NYC, the pay-per-view card headlined by Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva.
