Bellator

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS HOME TO SAN JOSE, CALIF. ON MAY 14 WITH KING MO VS. PHIL DAVIS AND MICHAEL CHANDLER VS. JOSH THOMSON IN TOW

Bellator MMA is pleased to announce its next tentpole event, “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” which will emanate from the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on May 14 and air LIVE on SPIKE at 5PM PST.

A light heavyweight bout to determine the No. 1 contender for Liam McGeary’s (11-0) title will anchor the card, when Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-4, 1 NC) meets Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (15-3, 1 NC) in a contest that was supposed to decide the victor of the 205-pound tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1.”

But that’s not all –

The evening’s co-main event will feature a fight that mixed martial arts fans and media members have yearned for since Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) chose to sign with Bellator MMA last year. “The Real Punk” will meet longtime lightweight standout “Iron” Michael Chandler (14-3) who’s fresh off a new longterm contract extension with the Scott Coker-led promotion.

To reach this point, both Lawal and Davis had to dispatch of multiple opponents over the course of one night to win two separate tournaments. Lawal most recently was victorious in a light heavyweight tournament for Rizin FF in Japan, beating Brett McDermott, Teodoras Aukstuolis, and Jiri Prochazka, running his current winning streak to seven-fights.

For Davis, his Bellator MMA debut came in September, when he ran through both Emanuel Newton and Francis Carmont enroute to winning the tourney at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1.” The 31-year-old Alliance MMA product was slated to face “King Mo” in the final of the bracket, but Lawal suffered a broken rib that forced the fight to be delayed.

Chandler and Thomson have seemingly been on a collision course since Thomson entered the Bellator MMA fray, mainly due to a barrage of questions to both men that revolved around the other and when/if they would eventually meet inside the cage.

After racking up two wins – both in San Jose – against Mike Bronzoulis and Pablo Villaseca, Thomson, a member of American Kickboxing Academy, has his sights set on a matchup with the 14-fight Bellator veteran.

A native of Missouri, “Iron Mike” has been riding a wave of momentum following emphatic victories against Derek Campos and Dave Rickels. The 29-year-old former lightweight kingpin has made it clear that he intends on fighting everyone on the Bellator MMA roster, which he hopes culminates in another run with championship gold wrapped around his waist.

“Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” takes place on May 14, and airs live on SPIKE at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT -- Don’t miss it.

About Bellator MMA:

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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