Report: Rampage-Sonnen among bouts targeted for Bellator heavyweight tourney
Bellator's upcoming heavyweight grand prix is slowly inching toward fruition.
The opening-round matchups for next year's eight-man tournament are in the works, with one expected to take place every month between January and April, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani reports.
The bouts targeted are as follows, but have not been finalized:
- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Chael Sonnen
- Roy Nelson vs. Matt Mitrione
- Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs. Ryan Bader
- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir
Jackson, Sonnen, Lawal, and Bader have competed primarily as light heavyweights, with the latter holding Bellator's 205-pound title. Bellator 192 - the outfit's first show of 2018 - has already been targeted for a potential clash between Jackson and Sonnen, while Mir recently revealed he'd likely be making his promotional debut opposite Emelianenko in April.
If booked as planned, Mitrione would aim to avenge the knockout he suffered at Nelson's hands in the UFC nearly five years ago, with Lawal and Bader taking another run at a bout that was once booked - and subsequently scrapped - for Bellator 180 in June.
The tournament will crown Bellator's next heavyweight champion, a distinction with no owner since Vitaly Minakov was stripped due to inactivity in May 2016. The outfit's last divisional title bout came over three years ago at Bellator 115, where Minakov outpointed Cheick Kongo in his only defense of the crown.