Bubba McDaniel Replaces ‘King Mo,’ Meets Liam McGeary at Bellator 185 on Oct. 20

Bubba McDaniel will step in for the injured Muhammed Lawal and face Liam McGeary at Bellator 185.

Sherdog.com confirmed the change with a promotion official on Wednesday following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 185 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Oct. 20 and is headlined by a middleweight tilt pitting Gegard Mousasi against Alexander Shlemenko. The evening’s main card airs on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

McDaniel has won five of his last six bouts after falling to Emiliano Sordi via first-round submission at Bellator 128 in October 2014. However, “The Menace” has fought just twice in the past two years, notching a pair of victories — including one at Bellator 146. McDaniel was a polarizing figure on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and went 1-2 during a brief UFC stint from 2013 to 2014.

McGeary, the former Bellator light heavyweight king, is coming off a third-round submission defeat to current No. 1 contender Linton Vassell at Bellator 179. The 34-year-old Englishman owns a 12-2 career mark.