Ex-Heavyweight King Vitaly Minakov Returns Against Javy Ayala at Bellator 225

Former Bellator heavyweight Vitaly Minakov will look to get back into the win column when he takes on Javy Ayala in the co-main event of Bellator 225.

The news was first reported by MMAjunkie.com and later confirmed by a promotion official to Sherdog.com. Bellator 225 goes down on Aug. 24 in Bridgeport, Conn. and will be headlined by a heavyweight rematch between Matt Mitrione and Sergei Kharitonov.

Minakov suffered the first loss of his pro career at Bellator 216, dropping a decision to Cheick Kongo. It was also his return to the Viacom-owned promotion after fighting with Bellator from 2012-2014. During his initial tenure he earned victories against the likes of Kongo and Alexander Volkov.

Ayala, meanwhile, snapped a two-bout skid last time out, as he defeated Frank Mir via TKO at Bellator 212. Before that, he lost to Kongo and Roy Nelson. “Eye Candy” is 11-7 as a professional overall.