Longtime UFC Vet Ryan Bader to Face Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 180 in New York

Ryan Bader will make his Bellator MMA debut against Muhammed Lawal in New York City on June 24.

Shortly after Lawal avenged a previous loss to Quinton Jackson in the Bellator 175 headliner on Friday night, it was announced in the cage that “King Mo” would welcome Bader to the California-based promotion at Bellator 180.

Bellator 180 takes place at Madison Square Garden and will be televised on Spike TV. The card serves as a precursor to the promotion’s pay-per-view card entitled Bellator NYC “Sonnen vs. Silva.” Bader vs. Lawal will serve as the main event for the Bellator 180 card.

Bader enters his new home having won seven of his last eight bouts. During that time, the Power MMA representative has earned victories over the likes of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Rashad Evans, Ovince St. Preux and current Bellator light heavyweight king Phil Davis. Bader owns a 22-5 career mark that includes a 15-5 record inside the Octagon (Vegas odds).

Lawal, meanwhile, has been victorious in nine of his last 11 contests. The former Strikeforce champion, who has bounced back and forth between heavyweight and light heavyweight in recent bouts, owns a 21-6 career record. His resume includes notable wins over Gegard Mousasi, Roger Gracie, Cheick Kongo, Satoshi Ishii and Jackson, to name a few.