'Rampage' vs. Lawal joins 'Bellator 120: Alvarez vs. Chandler III' PPV in Memphis area
Bellator MMA’s debut event on pay-per-view has a new addition, and the event will take place near one of the fighter’s hometowns.
Officials today announced that Memphis-born Quinton Jackson (34-11 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will met Muhammed Lawal (12-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) in the Season 10 light-heavyweight tournament final at the May 17 event.
The show, which also features a previously announced headliner and trilogy bout between lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, takes place at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., just outside Memphis. The PPV main card is expected to follow prelims on Spike TV.
Tickets for the event go on sale Friday.
“I’ve been wanting to come back to Memphis for the last decade, and I’m finally getting that chance to fight in one of the biggest fights of my career for Bellator,†Jackson stated. “After being part of the Bellator family for a while now, I feel like the old ‘Rampage,’ and that’s not a good thing for Mo. I’m back, I’m a monster, and I’m looking to put on another entertaining fight for all my fans on May 17.â€
Jackson and Lawal, longtime rivals (though part real and part manufactured), recently took part in the Season 10 tourney’s opening round. The field included just four competitors, and Jackson knocked out former champ Christian M’Pumbu (watch the Bellator 110 video highlights) while Lawal scored a shutout decision win over Mikhail Zayats.
Jackson, a former UFC champion who’s now 2-0 since a move to Bellator, is ranked No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings. Lawal, an ex-Strikeforce titleholder who’s an honorable mention in the rankings, moved to 3-1 in his past four fights with the Zayats win.
“We now have two fights on this card that are absolute fireworks,†Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “Like I said before, we have Alvarez and Chandler headlining a card that will end the best trilogy ever in MMA, and now we’ve added two more superstars to the mix with ‘Rampage’ and ‘King Mo.’ May 17 is going to be an absolutely huge night for Bellator, live on pay-per-view.â€
