Justin Lawrence vs. Isao Kobayashi Tops Bellator 157 Preliminary Card

Justin Lawrence will meet Isao Kobayashi in the featured preliminary bout at Bellator 157 "Dynamite 2" on June 24.

Promotion officials announced the featherweight pairing on Friday. Bellator 157 takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Quinton Jackson and Satoshi Ishii. The evening’s main card, which will also see Michael Chandler face Patricky Freire for the vacant lightweight title, airs on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The preliminary draw will stream on Bellator.com beginning at approximately 6:30 ET/5:30 CT.

Lawrence had a four-fight winning streak snapped in his last outing at Bellator 145, as he dropped a split decision to Emmanuel Sanchez on Nov. 6. “The Ultimate Fighter 15” veteran debuted in the promotion with a first-round technical knockout of Sean Wilson at Bellator 138.

A longtime Pancrase veteran, Kobayashi was submitted by Goiti Yamauchi in his first Bellator foray this past October. The 27-year-old owns an 18-3-4 career mark that includes triumphs over the likes of Marlon Sandro, Will Chope and Kazuki Tokudome.